From: http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/quran/2008/01/nature_and_style_of_the_quran.html
The Qur'an is definitely not a linear text. It defies expectations of being a simple story and raises questions about why it is structured as it is
Expectations tend to condition our reactions. Think of the hype in cinema adverts: they string together some of the best bits of a film and we expect fireworks throughout. But the edited highlights bear little relation to the whole, which can turn out to be a damp squib. The result is not just disappointment but a sense of being cheated of our justified expectations. So, as I start these blogs, I begin with some words of caution by way of conditioning your expectations.
Clearly Muslims and non-Muslims approach the Qur'an with different expectations. The distinction is significant. The definition of a Muslim is a person who believes the Qur'an to be the direct word of God as communicated to the prophet Muhammad. Therefore, Muslims approach the Qur'an with an implicit acceptance of its style and nature. It would be inconceivable to start with the question: "Why isn't God telling me a normal story with a beginning, a middle and an end?" This is not to suggest Muslims do not question, it is merely to point out that our questions start from a different point; and they are concerned with the meaning and understanding we should take from the nature and style of our holy book.
Non-Muslims tend to approach the Qur'an with the Torah and the Bible in mind - and then get very perplexed because the Qur'an is not like that at all. The Torah and the Old Testament begin with God's creation of the universe and all it contains and then proceed with a straightforward history of the people of Israel and their prophets. The gospels give a chronological account of the life of Jesus as the central narrative thread through which his teachings are presented, then turn to the development of early Christianity. The Qur'an provides neither a chronology of God's revelations to humanity nor a linear narrative of the life and times of the prophet Muhammad. Non-Muslims have said its style is not just confusing but incomprehensible.
The Qur'an is definitely not a linear text. For example, the first verses revealed to the prophet Muhammad are not at the beginning but at the start of the 96th chapter of the Qur'an (96:1-5). The last revelation comes in the third verse of the fifth (5:3) of the Qur'an's 114 chapters, known as surahs. Moreover, the Qur'an does not deal with its subjects in one place but in several places, dropping them suddenly and then picking up later in the text. It says one thing on one subject in one place, and something quite different on the same subject elsewhere.
What we can all agree on is that the structure and style of the Qur'an is complex. It defies expectations of being a simple story and therefore raises questions about how and why it is structured as it is and what we should understand from this arrangement.
Sound plays a very important part in the structure of the Qur'an. Before it was a written text, the Qur'an existed as sound; this is why it is often compared to an epic poem. But I like to think of it in terms of a musical symphony. Just like the notes in a symphony may be repeated, so the verses in the Qur'an are frequently repeated. Just as misplaced notes may play havoc with the whole symphony so a misreading of the Qur'an leads the whole text to be out of sync. This is why Muslims pay so much attention to the correct reading of the Qur'an. You can hear how different sections should sound on the Qur'an Explorer website.
We know that the prophet Muhammad, like most of his community in Mecca, was illiterate. His response to the first word of revelation, "iqra" ("read"), was: "I cannot." But an illiterate community is skilled in oral tradition, the ability to commit words to memory. Muhammad repeated each revelation to his growing circle of followers who committed the words to memory. He recited the growing body of the Qur'an in prayers, which is how the characteristic form of Muslim prayer developed. There were also a number of scribes who wrote down the revealed verses and worked with Muhammad to arrange these written texts in the proper order.
The Qur'an uses a heightened form of Arabic that is unlike any other Arabic text in its language and use of language. This means even native Arabic speakers have to struggle with its words and their meaning. The language of the Qur'an stretched the oral traditions of society, but also utilised its conventions in its strong sound and metrical forms which enabled the growing community of believers to assimilate and memorise the words. Even to this day millions of Muslims continue to commit the entire Qur'an to memory. Listening to Qur'an recitation is a popular art form, one in which the entire audience would be aware of any mistake that disturbs the sound structure as much as it would the meaning of what is being recited.
The years after the death of the prophet Muhammad saw a rapid expansion of the Muslim community far beyond the confines of Arabia. Where Muslims went they took the Qur'an with them, both in oral and written form. But it became clear that textual variations were beginning to appear in different parts of what was becoming the Muslim world. Othman, a companion of Muhammad and his third successor as leader of the Muslim community established a committee charged with assembling an authoritative text of the Qur'an, to be written down exactly as the prophet had recited it. This committee included people who had learned the recitation of Qur'an from the prophet as well as the scribes who had compiled written texts under his guidance, and they consulted with many more of those still living who had heard the prophet and committed the Qur'an to memory. The product of the committee's work is the text of the Qur'an known to all Muslims today.
The prophet received his first revelations when he was in Mecca, where he stayed for another 13 years. The surahs revealed during this period are known as Meccan surahs. When life in Mecca became unbearable, the prophet migrated to Medina, where he stayed till his death, some 10 years later. The surahs revealed in Medina are known, naturally, as Medinan surahs. There are 85 Meccan and 29 Medinan surahs (see table).However, the non-linear structure of the Qur'an is such that many surahs contain passages from both periods. The longer Medinan surahs are found at the beginning of the Qur'an. A surah is said to be Meccan if its early verses were revealed in Mecca even if it contains many verses revealed in Medina, and vice versa.
Meccan surahs tend to be shorter. They are concerned with inner substance of faith, worship and spiritual pursuits; and deal with such subjects as attributes of God, the nature of monotheism, accountability and judgment in the hereafter, issues of justice, human virtues and the importance of good conduct.
During his time in Medina, the prophet was busy establishing a community with the necessary social order and the basic instruments of governance. So Medinan surahs tend to deal with issues of communal law (marriage, divorce and inheritance), relationship between different communities (particularly Jews and Christian) and dealing with adversaries.
So the distinction between the Meccan and Medinan surahs is a journey from "why", the ultimate nature of faith and worship, to the "how", the translation of faith into a form of living as a practice of religion. The arrangement of the Qur'an with the Medinan surahs coming first, puts this journey the other way round, moving from how to why.
While I learn a great deal from the historical and contextual approach, for me, it does not necessarily clarify the issues of nature and style. I find it much more informative to go back to what the Qur'an says of itself.
The Qur'an says it is a guidance, a teaching. Its structure then unfolds as a series of lessons. This makes sense on a number of levels. Episodic lessons are much easier to assimilate, especially for its initial audience in a largely illiterate community, who would be helped by the sound and metrical properties of the language in which the Qur'an is expressed. But over time the lessons became more complex, with additional ideas being introduced and inserted in already-known passages. And this puts me in mind of what happens during the course of one's school career.
Whatever the subject, first you learn the basics but then in later years you return to particular topics and acquire new information and insight. Education is the process of gaining a deeper, more profound understanding. To me, that is what we are invited to find in the structure and arrangement of the Qur'an.
But the Qur'an is not addressed merely to the people of Mecca and Medina during the lifetime of Muhammad. In fact, it speaks to all humanity, and in particular to "people who think", even though many of its verses are directed specifically to "those who believe". But it admonishes those who believe blindly; and asks its readers, again and again, to observe, reflect, question. It devotes considerable space to delineating the attributes of God; but stresses throughout that knowledge and reason are as important and valid as faith itself in understanding God.
The Qur'an teaches through the use of a diversity of material. Apart from the prophet
Muhammad and his community, it refers to stories from the lives of previous prophets, such as Musa (Moses), Ibrahim (Abraham) Nuh (Noah) and Lot as well as Isa (Jesus), familiar from the Torah and the Bible. It frequently refers to history and the rise and fall of empires. It refers to the creation of the universe and uses examples from the natural world. It employs parables, metaphors and allegories to explain both moral principles and things beyond direct human experience. And it concerns itself with the practicalities of how a society should reform and organise itself internally and in its relations with other people to advance in ethical behaviour and righteousness. But it does not treat these themes as one-off lessons. The Qur'an returns to these themes a number of times, on each occasion adding some new information or insight or offering a slightly different perspective to provide new food for thought and deeper understanding.
I find the complexity of structure and style of the Qur'an insistently points to necessary relationships, to the need to think of things not in separate compartments but as involved and integrated with each other. In contemporary terms, I think, the Qur'an invites us to take a multidimensional rather than a one-dimensional approach to all aspects of life. But equally, I never cease to be amazed at how easily and readily Muslims reduce this complexity to a simplistic list of dos and don'ts.
The Qur'an does not ask me to accept anything passively; rather it invites me to engage actively in a process of questioning and reasoning. It is the only way, I think, of understanding and interpreting the meaning and guidance the Qur'an has for our time, here and now.
Thoughts on Blogging the Qur'an? Email us at blogging.the.quran@guardian.co.uk
Saturday, August 04, 2012
The Guidance
From: www.islamicity.com
Dr. Maher Hathout
The following is excerpted from the book "Islam 2.0" by Dr. Maher Hathout in which he shares a conversation with the Muslim youth.
God guided humankind with the ability to think, ponder and contemplate, as well as the ability to discern, compare, deduce, judge, store and retrieve memory and information. Humankind was given the ability to build up knowledge based on personal experiences as well as on the experience of others, the ability to learn, develop language and record ideas. In addition, humankind has the power of expression and communication, as well as the ability to teach and make judgment.
God says in the Quran:
"Read-for thy Lord is the Most Bountiful One who has taught [humanity] the use of the pen - taught humanity what they did not know!" (96:3-5)
"Consider the pen, [therewith]!" and all that they write (68:1)
"The Most Gracious has imparted this Quran [unto humanity]. He has created humanity: He has imparted unto them articulate thought and speech." (55:1-4)
Reading, writing and research - that is the glorious gift of the human brain. Interestingly, when modern scientists mapped the anatomy and physiology of the human brain, where every organ is represented, they found that the largest area of the cerebral cortex is occupied by the tongue and the hand, the organs of expression and execution.
This gift, the faculty of thinking, is glorified and protected in Islam. Anything that may remove the role of the brain is either prohibited or at least abhorred. Some examples of canceling the role of the brain include intoxicants and brain tampering substances, coercion and all forms of compulsion at personal or social levels, superstition, black magic, and addictive games like gambling. The use of the brain can further be abandoned through actions such as brainwash and behavior control, fear and intimidation, blind following and imitation, succumbing to anger, deprivation of basic needs and all forms of irrational behavior.
The language of Islam is directed to those who think. It is astounding to see the frequency that the thinking brain, thinking process, pondering reflection, contemplation, observation and wisdom are mentioned in the Quran. This serves as a reminder to you to always think and use the gift of intellect that God has given you. You must remember to have the utmost appreciation, full utilization, and extreme protection of this precious gift. Do not yield it or allow anybody - not the dazzling orators, the feverish writings, the charismatic leaders, the demagoguery of the crowd or the magnets of conformity - to rob you of this faculty.
The intellectual faculty is God given. You are accountable to Him for the gift of your intellectual capacity which makes you special and unique. All that is asked of you is a clear intention and the objectivity of a conscience. Is the role of the intellect compatible with the concept of gheib (i.e. what is behind human perception)? Yes, scientific thinking tells us so. You see this everyday around you. There are sounds in your room that your cat hears while to you it is gheib. There are colors in flowers that bees can see that you cannot see. Bacteria was gheib before the microscope was invented, the mathematical concept of infinity is gheib, and anything beyond the speed of light is completely unknown, which does not negate its existence. Yet, this knowledge serves as a reminder to be humble and accept human limitations.
Therefore, the more you stretch the mind, the more you see reality. Those who tell you to be scientific, modern and progressive hence deny all that is not seen, touched, weighed or calculated scientifically, they are sinking in the deep pit of absolute materialism. In addition, these ideas reduce life to mere biology, depriving it of meaning, purpose and morality. This absolute thinking is unscientific and contradictory to unbiased and progressive thinking. The absolute materialistic claim is as old as the struggle for humanity to seek the truth.
It is recorded in the Quran: "And yet they say: 'There is nothing beyond our life in this world. We die as we come to life, and nothing but time destroys us. 'But of this they have no knowledge whatever: they do nothing but guess. "(45:24)
Human Intuition:
The spiritual compass that God embedded in human beings in a mysterious way. Since the beginning of civilization, humanity has looked for God, in order to establish a standard of good vs. evil, beauty vs. ugliness, justice vs. injustice. Ancient Indian, Egyptian, Greek, Persian, African civilizations all testify to this reality. There is an innate compass in human beings searching for God, almost a genetic coding recognizing God even in a state of unawareness.
God says in the Quran:
"And whenever thy Lord brings forth their offspring from the loins of the children of Adam, He [thus] calls upon them to bear witness about themselves: 'Am I not your Lord?' - to which they answer: 'Yea, indeed, we do bear witness thereto!' [Of this We remind you,] lest you say on the Day of Resurrection, 'Verily, we were unaware of this" (7:172)
The internal sensation that makes you feel good when you do something good, or conversely feel rotten when you trespass and transgress is the voice of the conscience which is in the innermost of all people regardless of their religion or whether they have a religion. Even the most abhorrently behaving people will have their moments, rare as they may be, when this voice of conscience will speak to them loud and clear. As a result, some individuals will even transform, repent and change their course. Omar ibn Al Khattab, was an example of one of these people in the early history of Islam. As he went with the intention to kill his sister and his brother in law for converting to Islam, he was touched by the truth in the words of the Quran, which caused him to change his course and become a leading Muslim with great faith. There is goodness in everyone, including you. Let this inherent goodness pull you from the rubble of broken lives and damaging circumstances.
Direct Communication from God:
A message carried by messengers, and sometimes documented in scriptures. God Almighty at different stages in time, sent messages in forms suitable for each stage, through a series of Prophets and messengers. All messengers, from Adam to Muhammad (peace be upon all of them), dealt with a social context and moved within a circle at a historical time. Some messages were for a specific group of people at a specific location, while others were at large. Some were Biblical Prophets and messengers who were also mentioned in the Quran, while others were mentioned only in the Quran. Yet, the Quran describes about all messengers certain realities:
They were all sent by God for the benefit and guidance of people.
They were all chosen and molded by God to be exemplary models for their people, and had the integrity and credibility to be followed and emulated.
We know only some of them, mainly as told in the Bible and Quran, but this list is not exhaustive. As God reminds us in the Quran:
"And, indeed, [0 Muhammad,] We sent forth apostles before thy time; some of them We have mentioned to thee, and some of them We have not mentioned to thee. And it was not given to any apostle to bring forth a miracle other than by Gods leave. Yet when Gods will becomes manifest, judgment will [already] have been passed in all justice, and lost will be, then and there, all who tried to reduce to nothing [whatever they could not understand]." (40:78)
We are not to set distinctions among the messengers."The Apostle, and also the believers, believed in what has been bestowed upon him from on high by his Lord: all believed in God, and His angels, and His revelations, and His apostles, making no distinction between any of His apostles; and they say: 'We have heard, and we pay heed. Grant us Thy forgiveness, 0 our Lord, for with Thee is all journeys 'end!" (2:285)
We honor and believe in all of the messengers.
Some messengers brought with them scriptures so as to have the message in a documented form, including the Torah, the Psalms of David, the Gospel of Jesus, and the Quran.
These scriptures were collected and documented in different ways, in various languages that either virtually disappeared or became antiquated. The Quran is the only exception to this case, as it was the only document that was collected and reviewed during the lifespan and under the supervision of the Messenger, Prophet Muhammad. The language in which the Quran was revealed is still alive, written and spoken by more than 100 million people around the world.
Muslims believe in all the messengers, as well as in the basic conceptual truth in all previous scriptures. While there may be debates about translations, interpretations, omissions or additions that might have happened, wittingly or unwittingly, any side of the debate may be proven partially right or partially wrong conceptually. Ultimately, the essence of the scriptures, the basic goodness and truth, the moral code and ethical teachings, are the same and Muslims believe in them, not out of tolerance, but as a matter of religious obligation. All the scriptures share the common description of being a guiding light to mankind.
God says in the Quran:
"0 you who have attained to faith! Hold fast unto your belief in God and His Apostle, and in this divine writ which He has bestowed from on high upon His Apostle, step by step, as well as in the revelation which He sent down aforetime: for he who denies God, and His angels, and His revelations, and His apostles, and the Last Day, has indeed gone far astray. " (4:136)
Additionally, in regards to the messengers, the Quran speaks to Muhammad about previous messengers as models for mankind:
"To those whom God has guided. Follow, then, their guidance, [and] say: 'No reward do I ask of you for this [truth]: behold, it is but an admonition unto all mankind! (6:90)
Muslims believe in the message that came from God to humanity, in accordance to the stages of its development within a historical backdrop of human experiences. The final form of the message was placed in the hands of the last of the Prophets, Muhammad, and documented in the Quran.
Maher Hathout is a leading spokesperson for the American Muslim community, is a retired physician best known for his tireless commitment to public service. He is also the author of "In Pursuit of Justice: The Jurisprudence of Human Rights in Islam" and Jihad vs Terrorism. He serves as the senior advisor to the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
Dr. Maher Hathout
The following is excerpted from the book "Islam 2.0" by Dr. Maher Hathout in which he shares a conversation with the Muslim youth.
God guided humankind with the ability to think, ponder and contemplate, as well as the ability to discern, compare, deduce, judge, store and retrieve memory and information. Humankind was given the ability to build up knowledge based on personal experiences as well as on the experience of others, the ability to learn, develop language and record ideas. In addition, humankind has the power of expression and communication, as well as the ability to teach and make judgment.
God says in the Quran:
"Read-for thy Lord is the Most Bountiful One who has taught [humanity] the use of the pen - taught humanity what they did not know!" (96:3-5)
"Consider the pen, [therewith]!" and all that they write (68:1)
"The Most Gracious has imparted this Quran [unto humanity]. He has created humanity: He has imparted unto them articulate thought and speech." (55:1-4)
Reading, writing and research - that is the glorious gift of the human brain. Interestingly, when modern scientists mapped the anatomy and physiology of the human brain, where every organ is represented, they found that the largest area of the cerebral cortex is occupied by the tongue and the hand, the organs of expression and execution.
This gift, the faculty of thinking, is glorified and protected in Islam. Anything that may remove the role of the brain is either prohibited or at least abhorred. Some examples of canceling the role of the brain include intoxicants and brain tampering substances, coercion and all forms of compulsion at personal or social levels, superstition, black magic, and addictive games like gambling. The use of the brain can further be abandoned through actions such as brainwash and behavior control, fear and intimidation, blind following and imitation, succumbing to anger, deprivation of basic needs and all forms of irrational behavior.
The language of Islam is directed to those who think. It is astounding to see the frequency that the thinking brain, thinking process, pondering reflection, contemplation, observation and wisdom are mentioned in the Quran. This serves as a reminder to you to always think and use the gift of intellect that God has given you. You must remember to have the utmost appreciation, full utilization, and extreme protection of this precious gift. Do not yield it or allow anybody - not the dazzling orators, the feverish writings, the charismatic leaders, the demagoguery of the crowd or the magnets of conformity - to rob you of this faculty.
The intellectual faculty is God given. You are accountable to Him for the gift of your intellectual capacity which makes you special and unique. All that is asked of you is a clear intention and the objectivity of a conscience. Is the role of the intellect compatible with the concept of gheib (i.e. what is behind human perception)? Yes, scientific thinking tells us so. You see this everyday around you. There are sounds in your room that your cat hears while to you it is gheib. There are colors in flowers that bees can see that you cannot see. Bacteria was gheib before the microscope was invented, the mathematical concept of infinity is gheib, and anything beyond the speed of light is completely unknown, which does not negate its existence. Yet, this knowledge serves as a reminder to be humble and accept human limitations.
Therefore, the more you stretch the mind, the more you see reality. Those who tell you to be scientific, modern and progressive hence deny all that is not seen, touched, weighed or calculated scientifically, they are sinking in the deep pit of absolute materialism. In addition, these ideas reduce life to mere biology, depriving it of meaning, purpose and morality. This absolute thinking is unscientific and contradictory to unbiased and progressive thinking. The absolute materialistic claim is as old as the struggle for humanity to seek the truth.
It is recorded in the Quran: "And yet they say: 'There is nothing beyond our life in this world. We die as we come to life, and nothing but time destroys us. 'But of this they have no knowledge whatever: they do nothing but guess. "(45:24)
Human Intuition:
The spiritual compass that God embedded in human beings in a mysterious way. Since the beginning of civilization, humanity has looked for God, in order to establish a standard of good vs. evil, beauty vs. ugliness, justice vs. injustice. Ancient Indian, Egyptian, Greek, Persian, African civilizations all testify to this reality. There is an innate compass in human beings searching for God, almost a genetic coding recognizing God even in a state of unawareness.
God says in the Quran:
"And whenever thy Lord brings forth their offspring from the loins of the children of Adam, He [thus] calls upon them to bear witness about themselves: 'Am I not your Lord?' - to which they answer: 'Yea, indeed, we do bear witness thereto!' [Of this We remind you,] lest you say on the Day of Resurrection, 'Verily, we were unaware of this" (7:172)
The internal sensation that makes you feel good when you do something good, or conversely feel rotten when you trespass and transgress is the voice of the conscience which is in the innermost of all people regardless of their religion or whether they have a religion. Even the most abhorrently behaving people will have their moments, rare as they may be, when this voice of conscience will speak to them loud and clear. As a result, some individuals will even transform, repent and change their course. Omar ibn Al Khattab, was an example of one of these people in the early history of Islam. As he went with the intention to kill his sister and his brother in law for converting to Islam, he was touched by the truth in the words of the Quran, which caused him to change his course and become a leading Muslim with great faith. There is goodness in everyone, including you. Let this inherent goodness pull you from the rubble of broken lives and damaging circumstances.
Direct Communication from God:
A message carried by messengers, and sometimes documented in scriptures. God Almighty at different stages in time, sent messages in forms suitable for each stage, through a series of Prophets and messengers. All messengers, from Adam to Muhammad (peace be upon all of them), dealt with a social context and moved within a circle at a historical time. Some messages were for a specific group of people at a specific location, while others were at large. Some were Biblical Prophets and messengers who were also mentioned in the Quran, while others were mentioned only in the Quran. Yet, the Quran describes about all messengers certain realities:
They were all sent by God for the benefit and guidance of people.
They were all chosen and molded by God to be exemplary models for their people, and had the integrity and credibility to be followed and emulated.
We know only some of them, mainly as told in the Bible and Quran, but this list is not exhaustive. As God reminds us in the Quran:
"And, indeed, [0 Muhammad,] We sent forth apostles before thy time; some of them We have mentioned to thee, and some of them We have not mentioned to thee. And it was not given to any apostle to bring forth a miracle other than by Gods leave. Yet when Gods will becomes manifest, judgment will [already] have been passed in all justice, and lost will be, then and there, all who tried to reduce to nothing [whatever they could not understand]." (40:78)
We are not to set distinctions among the messengers."The Apostle, and also the believers, believed in what has been bestowed upon him from on high by his Lord: all believed in God, and His angels, and His revelations, and His apostles, making no distinction between any of His apostles; and they say: 'We have heard, and we pay heed. Grant us Thy forgiveness, 0 our Lord, for with Thee is all journeys 'end!" (2:285)
We honor and believe in all of the messengers.
Some messengers brought with them scriptures so as to have the message in a documented form, including the Torah, the Psalms of David, the Gospel of Jesus, and the Quran.
These scriptures were collected and documented in different ways, in various languages that either virtually disappeared or became antiquated. The Quran is the only exception to this case, as it was the only document that was collected and reviewed during the lifespan and under the supervision of the Messenger, Prophet Muhammad. The language in which the Quran was revealed is still alive, written and spoken by more than 100 million people around the world.
Muslims believe in all the messengers, as well as in the basic conceptual truth in all previous scriptures. While there may be debates about translations, interpretations, omissions or additions that might have happened, wittingly or unwittingly, any side of the debate may be proven partially right or partially wrong conceptually. Ultimately, the essence of the scriptures, the basic goodness and truth, the moral code and ethical teachings, are the same and Muslims believe in them, not out of tolerance, but as a matter of religious obligation. All the scriptures share the common description of being a guiding light to mankind.
God says in the Quran:
"0 you who have attained to faith! Hold fast unto your belief in God and His Apostle, and in this divine writ which He has bestowed from on high upon His Apostle, step by step, as well as in the revelation which He sent down aforetime: for he who denies God, and His angels, and His revelations, and His apostles, and the Last Day, has indeed gone far astray. " (4:136)
Additionally, in regards to the messengers, the Quran speaks to Muhammad about previous messengers as models for mankind:
"To those whom God has guided. Follow, then, their guidance, [and] say: 'No reward do I ask of you for this [truth]: behold, it is but an admonition unto all mankind! (6:90)
Muslims believe in the message that came from God to humanity, in accordance to the stages of its development within a historical backdrop of human experiences. The final form of the message was placed in the hands of the last of the Prophets, Muhammad, and documented in the Quran.
Maher Hathout is a leading spokesperson for the American Muslim community, is a retired physician best known for his tireless commitment to public service. He is also the author of "In Pursuit of Justice: The Jurisprudence of Human Rights in Islam" and Jihad vs Terrorism. He serves as the senior advisor to the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
How does the Quran present God?
From: http://www.al-islam.org/godattributes/quran.htm
Islam deals with the knowledge of God in a clear and novel way. The Quran, the fundamental source for learning the worldview of Islam, applies the method of negation and affirmation to this question.
First, it negated, by means of convincing proofs and indications, the existence of false gods, because in approaching the transcendent doctrine of unity, it is necessary first to negate all forms of pseudo-divinity and the worship of other-than-God. This is the first important step on the path to unity.
The Quran says: "Have the ignorant polytheists abandoned the true God and chosen, instead, the false and powerlessgods? Tell them: 'Bring forth your proof!' This call of mine to unity is my saying and that of all the learned men of the community, as well as the saying of all the Prophets and learned men before me. But these polytheists have no knowledge of the truth and constantly avert themselves from it. (21:24)
"Say, O Messenger, 'You worship one other than God who has no power to help or to harm you . It is God Who is all-hearing and Who knows the state of all of creation." (5:79)
The one who has severed his connection with divine unity forgets, too, his own true position with respect to the world and being and becomes estranged from himself. For the ultimate form of self-alienation is the severing of all links with one's essential nature as man. Conversely, once man has become alienated from his own essence, under the influences of internal and external factors, he will also be separated from his God and become enslaved by other-than-God. Subordination to other-than-God, then, takes the place of all logical thought. This represents a reversion to the worship of phenomena, for worshipping an idol and according primacy to matter both are forms of regression that rob man of his innate capacity for growth.
Monotheism is the only force that makes it possible for man to recapture the creativity of human values. By regaining his true rank, he enters a state of harmony with his own human nature and the ultimate nature of allbeing, thus attaining the mostperfect forrn of existence open to him.
Throughout history, all divine summons and movements have begun with the proclamation of divine unity and the exclusive lordship of God. No concept has everoccurred to man that is more productive of creative insights and more relevant to the various dimensions of human existence, or a more effective brake on human perversity, than the concept of divine unity.
Using clear proofs, the Quran shows man the way to attaining knowledge of the divine essence as follows: "Did man emerge from non-being through his own devices? Was he his own creator? Did mankind create the heavens and earth? Certainly they do not know God." (52:35-36)
The Quran leaves it to man's reason and commonsense to realize the falsity of these two hypotheses, that man came into being of himself, or that he was his own creator, by testing and analyzing them in thelaboratory of his thought. By reflecting on the signs and indications of God, he will come to recognize with clear and absolute certainty the true source of all being and to understand that no value can be posited for any model of the universe unless behind it an organizing and capable intellect is at work.
In other verses, man's attention is drawn to the manner of his creation and gradual emergence from non-being. He, thus, comes to realize that his remarkable creation, with all the wonders it contains, is a sign and indication of the infinite divine will, the penetrating rays of which touch all beings.
The Quran says: "We created man out of an essence of clay, then We established him in a firm place in the form of sperm. Then We made the sperm into coagulated blood, and then into aformless lump offlesh. Then we made it into bones,and then clothed the bones withflesh. Finally We brought forth a new creation. How well did God create, the best of all creators!" (23:12-14)
When the foetus is ready to receive shape and form, all the cells of the eyes, the ear, the brain, and the other organs, start to function and begin their ceaseless activity. This is the truth to which the Quran is directing men's attention. It, then, poses to man the question of whether all these wondrous changes are rationally compatible with the hypothesis that there is no God.
Is it not rather the case that phenomena such as these prove and demonstrate, with the utmost emphasis, the need for a plan, a design, a guiding hand inspired by conscious will? Is it at all possible that the cells of the body should learn their functions, pursue their aim in a precise and orderly fashion, and crystallize so miraculously in the world of being, without there being a conscious and powerful being to instruct them?
The Quran answers this question as follows: "He it is Who creates and brings forth (the totality of parts), Who separates (the parts belonging to each organ), and Who gives form (to different aspects)." (59:24)
The Quran describes every sense phenomenon that man sees around him as something calling for reflection and the drawing of conclusions. "Your God is but one God. There is nogod other than Him, Compassionate and Merciful. In the aeation of the heavens and the earth, in the alternation of night and day, in the ships that ply the seas to the benefit of man, in the water sent down from the heavens to revive the earth after its death, in the different species of animals scattered across the earth, in the rotation of the winds, in the clouds that are subordinate to God's command between heaven and earth, in all of this, there are signs for men who use their intellects." (2:163-164) "Tell men to reflect with care and see what things the heavens and the earth contain." (10:101)
The Quran also mentions the study of human history and the peoples of the past with all the changes they have undergone, as a special source of knowledge. It invites man to pay heed, in order to discover the truth, to the triumphs and defeats, the glories and humiliations, the fortune and misfortune, of various ancient peoples, so that by learning the orderly and precise laws of history, he will be able to benefit himself and his society by aligning the history of his own age with those laws.
The Quran thus proclaims: "Even before your time, certain laws and norms were inforce, so travel and examine the historical traces left by past peoples, to see what was the fate of those who denied the truths of revelation and the promises of God." (3:137) "How many were those powerful ones whom We destroyed in their ciSes on account of their oppression and wrongdoing, and We made another people to be their heirs." (21:11)
The Quran also recognizes man's inner world, which it expressed by the word anfus ("souls"), as a source for fruitful reflection and the discovery of truth. It points out its importance as follows: "We make our signs and indicahons entirely manifest in the world and in the souls and inner beings of Our servants so that it should be clear that God is the True." (41:53) "On theface of the earth there are signs for the possessors of certainty, and also in your own selves; will you not see?" (51:20-21)
In other words, there is an abundant source of knowledge in the beauty and symmetry of the human body, with all of its organs and capacities, its actions and reactions, its precise and subtle mechanisms, its varied energies and instincts, its perceptions, feelings and sensations, both animal and human, and most especially in the astounding capacity of thought and awareness with which man has been entrustedùa capacity which still remains largely unknown, for man has taken only a few steps in studying this invisible power and its relationship with his material body.
The Quran proclairns that it is sufficient to reflect on and examine your own self in order to be guided to the eternal, infinite source that is free of all need, has unlimited knowledge, skill and power, and a feeble reflection of which is manifest in your being. You will then know that it is that infinite reality which has thus brought together in one place so fruitful a compound of elements and brought it forth onto the plain of existence.
Given the existence of such vivid indications and decisive proofs, placed at your disposal and within your own being for you to seek the knowledge of God, no excuse will be accepted from you for misguidance and denial.
The Quran also applies the method of negation and affirmation to the question of God's attributes. Thus, it describes the attributes that the essence of the Creator possesses as "affirmative attributes." Among themareknowledge, power,will, the fact that His existence was not preceded by non-existence and that His being has no beginning, and the fact that all the motions of the world derive from His will and His power.
The Quran says: "He is God, the One other than Whom there is no god, the knower of the hidden and the manifest, the Compassionate, the Merciful. He is God, the One other than Whom there is no god, the Commander, the All-powerful, Pure and Without Defect, the Bestower of Safety, the Protector, the Precious, the Mighty, the Sublime, the Most Elevated. Exempt and purified be He from the partners which they ascribe to Him."(59:22-23)
The "negative attributes" are those from which God is free. They include the fact that God is not a body and has no place; His sacred being has no partner or like; He is not a prisoner to the limitations set up by the bounds of the senses; He neither begets nor is begotten; there is neither change nor motion within His essence, for He is absolute perfecdon; and He does not delegate the task of creation to anyone.
The Quran says: "O Messenger, say: 'He is God, the One, the God Who is free of need for all things and of Whom all beings stand in need. No one is His offspring, and He is not the offspring of anyone, and He has no like or parallel." (112:14) "Pure and exalted is thy Lord, God the Powerful and Unique, Who is pure of what men in their ignorance ascribe to Him." (37:180)
Human logic, which inevitably thinks in terms of limited categories, is incapable of sitting in judgment on divinity, because we must admit that it is impossible to perceive the ultimate ground of that being for whom no observable or comprehensible analogue or parallel exists in the world of creation. The most profound schools of thought and the greatest methods of reflection here fall prey to bewilderment.
Just as all existent beings must lead back to an essence with which existence is identical, to an independent being on which all other beings depend, so, too, they must derive from a source of life, power and knowledge, from the infinite being of which all these attributes and qualities surge forth in abundance.
Islam deals with the knowledge of God in a clear and novel way. The Quran, the fundamental source for learning the worldview of Islam, applies the method of negation and affirmation to this question.
First, it negated, by means of convincing proofs and indications, the existence of false gods, because in approaching the transcendent doctrine of unity, it is necessary first to negate all forms of pseudo-divinity and the worship of other-than-God. This is the first important step on the path to unity.
The Quran says: "Have the ignorant polytheists abandoned the true God and chosen, instead, the false and powerlessgods? Tell them: 'Bring forth your proof!' This call of mine to unity is my saying and that of all the learned men of the community, as well as the saying of all the Prophets and learned men before me. But these polytheists have no knowledge of the truth and constantly avert themselves from it. (21:24)
"Say, O Messenger, 'You worship one other than God who has no power to help or to harm you . It is God Who is all-hearing and Who knows the state of all of creation." (5:79)
The one who has severed his connection with divine unity forgets, too, his own true position with respect to the world and being and becomes estranged from himself. For the ultimate form of self-alienation is the severing of all links with one's essential nature as man. Conversely, once man has become alienated from his own essence, under the influences of internal and external factors, he will also be separated from his God and become enslaved by other-than-God. Subordination to other-than-God, then, takes the place of all logical thought. This represents a reversion to the worship of phenomena, for worshipping an idol and according primacy to matter both are forms of regression that rob man of his innate capacity for growth.
Monotheism is the only force that makes it possible for man to recapture the creativity of human values. By regaining his true rank, he enters a state of harmony with his own human nature and the ultimate nature of allbeing, thus attaining the mostperfect forrn of existence open to him.
Throughout history, all divine summons and movements have begun with the proclamation of divine unity and the exclusive lordship of God. No concept has everoccurred to man that is more productive of creative insights and more relevant to the various dimensions of human existence, or a more effective brake on human perversity, than the concept of divine unity.
Using clear proofs, the Quran shows man the way to attaining knowledge of the divine essence as follows: "Did man emerge from non-being through his own devices? Was he his own creator? Did mankind create the heavens and earth? Certainly they do not know God." (52:35-36)
The Quran leaves it to man's reason and commonsense to realize the falsity of these two hypotheses, that man came into being of himself, or that he was his own creator, by testing and analyzing them in thelaboratory of his thought. By reflecting on the signs and indications of God, he will come to recognize with clear and absolute certainty the true source of all being and to understand that no value can be posited for any model of the universe unless behind it an organizing and capable intellect is at work.
In other verses, man's attention is drawn to the manner of his creation and gradual emergence from non-being. He, thus, comes to realize that his remarkable creation, with all the wonders it contains, is a sign and indication of the infinite divine will, the penetrating rays of which touch all beings.
The Quran says: "We created man out of an essence of clay, then We established him in a firm place in the form of sperm. Then We made the sperm into coagulated blood, and then into aformless lump offlesh. Then we made it into bones,and then clothed the bones withflesh. Finally We brought forth a new creation. How well did God create, the best of all creators!" (23:12-14)
When the foetus is ready to receive shape and form, all the cells of the eyes, the ear, the brain, and the other organs, start to function and begin their ceaseless activity. This is the truth to which the Quran is directing men's attention. It, then, poses to man the question of whether all these wondrous changes are rationally compatible with the hypothesis that there is no God.
Is it not rather the case that phenomena such as these prove and demonstrate, with the utmost emphasis, the need for a plan, a design, a guiding hand inspired by conscious will? Is it at all possible that the cells of the body should learn their functions, pursue their aim in a precise and orderly fashion, and crystallize so miraculously in the world of being, without there being a conscious and powerful being to instruct them?
The Quran answers this question as follows: "He it is Who creates and brings forth (the totality of parts), Who separates (the parts belonging to each organ), and Who gives form (to different aspects)." (59:24)
The Quran describes every sense phenomenon that man sees around him as something calling for reflection and the drawing of conclusions. "Your God is but one God. There is nogod other than Him, Compassionate and Merciful. In the aeation of the heavens and the earth, in the alternation of night and day, in the ships that ply the seas to the benefit of man, in the water sent down from the heavens to revive the earth after its death, in the different species of animals scattered across the earth, in the rotation of the winds, in the clouds that are subordinate to God's command between heaven and earth, in all of this, there are signs for men who use their intellects." (2:163-164) "Tell men to reflect with care and see what things the heavens and the earth contain." (10:101)
The Quran also mentions the study of human history and the peoples of the past with all the changes they have undergone, as a special source of knowledge. It invites man to pay heed, in order to discover the truth, to the triumphs and defeats, the glories and humiliations, the fortune and misfortune, of various ancient peoples, so that by learning the orderly and precise laws of history, he will be able to benefit himself and his society by aligning the history of his own age with those laws.
The Quran thus proclaims: "Even before your time, certain laws and norms were inforce, so travel and examine the historical traces left by past peoples, to see what was the fate of those who denied the truths of revelation and the promises of God." (3:137) "How many were those powerful ones whom We destroyed in their ciSes on account of their oppression and wrongdoing, and We made another people to be their heirs." (21:11)
The Quran also recognizes man's inner world, which it expressed by the word anfus ("souls"), as a source for fruitful reflection and the discovery of truth. It points out its importance as follows: "We make our signs and indicahons entirely manifest in the world and in the souls and inner beings of Our servants so that it should be clear that God is the True." (41:53) "On theface of the earth there are signs for the possessors of certainty, and also in your own selves; will you not see?" (51:20-21)
In other words, there is an abundant source of knowledge in the beauty and symmetry of the human body, with all of its organs and capacities, its actions and reactions, its precise and subtle mechanisms, its varied energies and instincts, its perceptions, feelings and sensations, both animal and human, and most especially in the astounding capacity of thought and awareness with which man has been entrustedùa capacity which still remains largely unknown, for man has taken only a few steps in studying this invisible power and its relationship with his material body.
The Quran proclairns that it is sufficient to reflect on and examine your own self in order to be guided to the eternal, infinite source that is free of all need, has unlimited knowledge, skill and power, and a feeble reflection of which is manifest in your being. You will then know that it is that infinite reality which has thus brought together in one place so fruitful a compound of elements and brought it forth onto the plain of existence.
Given the existence of such vivid indications and decisive proofs, placed at your disposal and within your own being for you to seek the knowledge of God, no excuse will be accepted from you for misguidance and denial.
The Quran also applies the method of negation and affirmation to the question of God's attributes. Thus, it describes the attributes that the essence of the Creator possesses as "affirmative attributes." Among themareknowledge, power,will, the fact that His existence was not preceded by non-existence and that His being has no beginning, and the fact that all the motions of the world derive from His will and His power.
The Quran says: "He is God, the One other than Whom there is no god, the knower of the hidden and the manifest, the Compassionate, the Merciful. He is God, the One other than Whom there is no god, the Commander, the All-powerful, Pure and Without Defect, the Bestower of Safety, the Protector, the Precious, the Mighty, the Sublime, the Most Elevated. Exempt and purified be He from the partners which they ascribe to Him."(59:22-23)
The "negative attributes" are those from which God is free. They include the fact that God is not a body and has no place; His sacred being has no partner or like; He is not a prisoner to the limitations set up by the bounds of the senses; He neither begets nor is begotten; there is neither change nor motion within His essence, for He is absolute perfecdon; and He does not delegate the task of creation to anyone.
The Quran says: "O Messenger, say: 'He is God, the One, the God Who is free of need for all things and of Whom all beings stand in need. No one is His offspring, and He is not the offspring of anyone, and He has no like or parallel." (112:14) "Pure and exalted is thy Lord, God the Powerful and Unique, Who is pure of what men in their ignorance ascribe to Him." (37:180)
Human logic, which inevitably thinks in terms of limited categories, is incapable of sitting in judgment on divinity, because we must admit that it is impossible to perceive the ultimate ground of that being for whom no observable or comprehensible analogue or parallel exists in the world of creation. The most profound schools of thought and the greatest methods of reflection here fall prey to bewilderment.
Just as all existent beings must lead back to an essence with which existence is identical, to an independent being on which all other beings depend, so, too, they must derive from a source of life, power and knowledge, from the infinite being of which all these attributes and qualities surge forth in abundance.
Friday, August 03, 2012
How the Disbelievers Answered Muhammad (PBUH)
By: Maged Taman
On of the worst and rarest jobs in the world is prophethood. There is no luxury to those people they are commonly mocked and persecuted. They was told they are liars, crazy, ....
1- The simple arrogance of the spoiled over the ages we just disbelieve:
34:34 And We sent not unto any township a warner, but its pampered ones declared: Lo! we are disbelievers in that which ye bring unto Us. وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِي قَرْيَةٍ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ إِلَّا قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَا إِنَّا بِمَا أُرْسِلْتُم بِهِ كَافِرُونَ (34:34)
34:31 The unbelievers say: "We shall neither believe in this scripture nor in (any) that (came) before it." Couldst thou but see when the wrong-doers will be made to stand before their Lord, throwing back the word (of blame) on one another! Those who had been despised will say to the arrogant ones: "Had it not been for you, we should certainly have been believers!" وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَن نُّؤْمِنَ بِهَذَا الْقُرْآنِ وَلَا بِالَّذِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذِ الظَّالِمُونَ مَوْقُوفُونَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ يَرْجِعُ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ الْقَوْلَ يَقُولُ الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا لِلَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا لَوْلَا أَنتُمْ لَكُنَّا مُؤْمِنِينَ (34:31)
2- Muhammad (PBUH) is a liar:
34:43 When Our Clear Signs are rehearsed to them, they say, "This is only a man who wishes to hinder you from the (worship) which your fathers practised." And they say, "This is only a falsehood invented!" and the unbelievers say of the Truth when it comes to them, "This is nothing but evident magic!"
وَإِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ قَالُوا مَا هَذَا إِلَّا رَجُلٌ يُرِيدُ أَن يَصُدَّكُمْ عَمَّا كَانَ يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُكُمْ وَقَالُوا مَا هَذَا إِلَّا إِفْكٌ مُّفْتَرًى وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِلْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَاءهُمْ إِنْ هَذَا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ (34:43)
3- The Quran is fables of the old days:
6:25 Of them are some who listen unto thee, but We have placed upon their hearts veils, lest they should understand, and in their ears a deafness. If they saw every token they would not believe therein; to the point that, when they come unto thee to argue with thee, the disbelievers say: This is naught else than fables of the men of old. وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَسْتَمِعُ إِلَيْكَ وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا وَإِن يَرَوْاْ كُلَّ آيَةٍ لاَّ يُؤْمِنُواْ بِهَا حَتَّى إِذَا جَآؤُوكَ يُجَادِلُونَكَ يَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِنْ هَذَآ إِلاَّ أَسَاطِيرُ الأَوَّلِينَ (6:25)
4- They told their people not to listen to the Quran and make noise when it is recited:
41:26 The unbelievers say: "Listen not to this Qur'an, but talk at random in the midst of its (reading), that ye may gain the upper hand!" وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَا تَسْمَعُوا لِهَذَا الْقُرْآنِ وَالْغَوْا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَغْلِبُونَ (41:26)
5- They were astonished to have a Warner among them:
38:4 And they marvel that a warner from among themselves hath come unto them, and the disbelievers say: This is a wizard, a charlatan. وَعَجِبُوا أَن جَاءهُم مُّنذِرٌ مِّنْهُمْ وَقَالَ الْكَافِرُونَ هَذَا سَاحِرٌ كَذَّابٌ (38:4)
6- The Prophet is a wizard:
10:2 Is it a wonder for mankind that We have inspired a man among them, saying: Warn mankind and bring unto those who believe the good tidings that they have a sure footing with their Lord? The disbelievers say: Lo! this is a mere wizard. أَكَانَ لِلنَّاسِ عَجَبًا أَنْ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَنْ أَنذِرِ النَّاسَ وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَنَّ لَهُمْ قَدَمَ صِدْقٍ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ قَالَ الْكَافِرُونَ إِنَّ هَـذَا لَسَاحِرٌ مُّبِينٌ
7- They asked to bring another Quran or change it:
10:15 And when Our clear revelations are recited unto them they who look not for the meeting with Us say: Bring a Lecture other than this, or change it. Say (O Muhammad): It is not for me to change it of my own accord. I only follow that which is inspired in me. Lo! If I disobey my Lord I fear the retribution of an awful Day. وَإِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ قَالَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءنَا ائْتِ بِقُرْآنٍ غَيْرِ هَـذَا أَوْ بَدِّلْهُ قُلْ مَا يَكُونُ لِي أَنْ أُبَدِّلَهُ مِن تِلْقَاء نَفْسِي إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلاَّ مَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ إِنِّي أَخَافُ إِنْ عَصَيْتُ رَبِّي عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ (
8- The wished the Quran is revealed to some great man: in the towns of Mecca or Altaf. Great for them is the leader or the most rich for God is the most just and right.
43:31 And they say: If only this Qur'an had been revealed to some great man of the two towns?
وَقَالُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ هَذَا الْقُرْآنُ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِّنَ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍ (43:31)
9- They asked for a sign: the Quran is the sign which allowed Muhammad (PBUH) to guide people from every race and color.
13:7 And the unbelievers say: "Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord?" But thou art truly a warner, and to every people a guide. وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوْلآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُنذِرٌ وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ (13:7)
10- They asked to bring like the miracles of Moses:
28:48 But when there came unto them the Truth from Our presence, they said: Why is he not given the like of what was given unto Moses? Did they not disbelieve in that which was given unto Moses of old? They say: Two magics that support each other; and they say: Lo! in both we are disbelieversفَلَمَّا جَاءهُمُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ عِندِنَا قَالُوا لَوْلَا أُوتِيَ مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَى أَوَلَمْ يَكْفُرُوا بِمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَى مِن قَبْلُ قَالُوا سِحْرَانِ تَظَاهَرَا وَقَالُوا إِنَّا بِكُلٍّ كَافِرُونَ (
11- They denied the purpose of creation: which to worship God and answer to him in the day of judgment.
38:27 Not without purpose did We create heaven and earth and all between! that were the thought of unbelievers! but woe to the unbelievers because of the Fire (of Hellوَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاء وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا بَاطِلًا ذَلِكَ ظَنُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنَ النَّارِ (38:27)
12- They denied the resurrection: Thus making Islam doctrines senseless.
32:10 And they say: When we are lost in the earth, how can we then be recreated? Nay but they are disbelievers in the meeting with their Lord. وَقَالُوا أَئِذَا ضَلَلْنَا فِي الْأَرْضِ أَئِنَّا لَفِي خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ بَلْ هُم بِلِقَاء رَبِّهِمْ كَافِرُونَ (32:10)
27:67 The unbelievers say: "What! when we become dust,- we and our fathers,- shall we really be raised (from the dead)? وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَئِذَا كُنَّا تُرَابًا وَآبَاؤُنَا أَئِنَّا لَمُخْرَجُونَ (27:67)
13- They made the assumptions that if God willed he would send angels:
41:14 When their messengers came unto them from before them and behind them, saying: Worship none but Allah! they said: If our Lord had willed, He surely would have sent down angels (unto us), so lo! we are disbelievers in that wherewith ye have been sentإِذْ جَاءتْهُمُ الرُّسُلُ مِن بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا اللَّهَ قَالُوا لَوْ شَاء رَبُّنَا لَأَنزَلَ مَلَائِكَةً فَإِنَّا بِمَا أُرْسِلْتُمْ بِهِ كَافِرُونَ (41:14)
14- They listened to the Quran with anger and threatened Muslims:
22:72 When Our Clear Signs are rehearsed to them, thou wilt notice a denial on the faces of the unbelievers! they nearly attack with violence those who rehearse Our Signs to them. Say, "Shall I tell you of something (far) worse than these Signs? It is the Fire (of Hell)! Allah has promised it to the unbelievers! and evil is that destination!" وَإِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ تَعْرِفُ فِي وُجُوهِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا الْمُنكَرَ يَكَادُونَ يَسْطُونَ بِالَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِنَا قُلْ أَفَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِشَرٍّ مِّن ذَلِكُمُ النَّارُ
15- They mocked the prophet and the Quran as the unbelievers did in the past:
18:56 We only send the apostles to give Glad Tidings and to give warnings: But the unbelievers dispute with vain argument, in order therewith to weaken the truth, and they treat My Signs as a jest, as also the fact that they are warned! وَمَا نُرْسِلُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِلَّا مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ وَيُجَادِلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِالْبَاطِلِ لِيُدْحِضُوا بِهِ الْحَقَّ وَاتَّخَذُوا آيَاتِي وَمَا أُنذِرُوا هُزُوًا (18:56)
21:36 When the unbelievers see thee, they treat thee not except with ridicule. "Is this," (they say), "the one who talks of your gods?" and they blaspheme at the mention of ((Allah)) Most Gracious! وَإِذَا رَآكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِن يَتَّخِذُونَكَ إِلَّا هُزُوًا أَهَذَا الَّذِي يَذْكُرُ آلِهَتَكُمْ وَهُم بِذِكْرِ الرَّحْمَنِ هُمْ كَافِرُونَ (21:36)
16- They spent their money to fight and plot to the prophet and Muslims:
8:36 The unbelievers spend their wealth to hinder (man) from the path of Allah, and so will they continue to spend; but in the end they will have (only) regrets and sighs; at length they will be overcome: and the unbelievers will be gathered together to Hellإِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ لِيَصُدُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللّهِ فَسَيُنفِقُونَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسْرَةً ثُمَّ يُغْلَبُونَ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِلَى جَهَنَّمَ يُحْشَرُونَ (8:36)
17- They threatened him like other prophets to be driven out of his land:
14:13 And the unbelievers said to their apostles: "Be sure we shall drive you out of our land, or ye shall return to our religion." But their Lord inspired (this Message) to them: "Verily We shall cause the wrong-doers to perish! وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِرُسُلِهِمْ لَنُخْرِجَنَّـكُم مِّنْ أَرْضِنَآ أَوْ لَتَعُودُنَّ فِي مِلَّتِنَا فَأَوْحَى إِلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ لَنُهْلِكَنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ (14:13)
18- They tried to kill him several times:
8:30 And when those who disbelieve plot against thee (O Muhammad) to wound thee fatally, or to kill thee or to drive thee forth; they plot, but Allah (also) plotteth; and Allah is the best of plotters. وَإِذْ يَمْكُرُ بِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِيُثْبِتُوكَ أَوْ يَقْتُلُوكَ أَوْ يُخْرِجُوكَ وَيَمْكُرُونَ وَيَمْكُرُ اللّهُ وَاللّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ (8:30)
Despite what the disbelievers did the prophet always kept his door opened as God ordered him:
8:38 Say to the unbelievers, if (now) they desist (from Unbelief), their past would be forgiven them; but if they persist, the punishment of those before them is already (a matter of warning for them). قُل لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِن يَنتَهُواْ يُغَفَرْ لَهُم مَّا قَدْ سَلَفَ وَإِنْ يَعُودُواْ فَقَدْ مَضَتْ سُنَّةُ الأَوَّلِينِ (8:38)
In fact many disbelievers became the best of believers.
110:1 When Allah's succor and the triumph cometh إِذَا جَاء نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ (110:1)
110:2 And thou seest mankind entering the religion of Allah in masses. وَرَأَيْتَ النَّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ أَفْوَاجًا (110:2)
110:3 Then hymn the praises of thy Lord, and seek forgiveness of Him. Lo! He is ever ready to show mercyفَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّابًا (110:3
Those who died on disbelief ruined their eternity:
8:50 If thou couldst see, when the angels take the souls of the unbelievers (at death), (How) they smite their faces and their backs, (saying): "Taste the penalty of the blazing Fireوَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ يَتَوَفَّى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ الْمَلآئِكَةُ يَضْرِبُونَ وُجُوهَهُمْ وَأَدْبَارَهُمْ وَذُوقُواْ عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ
On of the worst and rarest jobs in the world is prophethood. There is no luxury to those people they are commonly mocked and persecuted. They was told they are liars, crazy, ....
1- The simple arrogance of the spoiled over the ages we just disbelieve:
34:34 And We sent not unto any township a warner, but its pampered ones declared: Lo! we are disbelievers in that which ye bring unto Us. وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِي قَرْيَةٍ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ إِلَّا قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَا إِنَّا بِمَا أُرْسِلْتُم بِهِ كَافِرُونَ (34:34)
34:31 The unbelievers say: "We shall neither believe in this scripture nor in (any) that (came) before it." Couldst thou but see when the wrong-doers will be made to stand before their Lord, throwing back the word (of blame) on one another! Those who had been despised will say to the arrogant ones: "Had it not been for you, we should certainly have been believers!" وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَن نُّؤْمِنَ بِهَذَا الْقُرْآنِ وَلَا بِالَّذِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذِ الظَّالِمُونَ مَوْقُوفُونَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ يَرْجِعُ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ الْقَوْلَ يَقُولُ الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا لِلَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا لَوْلَا أَنتُمْ لَكُنَّا مُؤْمِنِينَ (34:31)
2- Muhammad (PBUH) is a liar:
34:43 When Our Clear Signs are rehearsed to them, they say, "This is only a man who wishes to hinder you from the (worship) which your fathers practised." And they say, "This is only a falsehood invented!" and the unbelievers say of the Truth when it comes to them, "This is nothing but evident magic!"
وَإِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ قَالُوا مَا هَذَا إِلَّا رَجُلٌ يُرِيدُ أَن يَصُدَّكُمْ عَمَّا كَانَ يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُكُمْ وَقَالُوا مَا هَذَا إِلَّا إِفْكٌ مُّفْتَرًى وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِلْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَاءهُمْ إِنْ هَذَا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ (34:43)
3- The Quran is fables of the old days:
6:25 Of them are some who listen unto thee, but We have placed upon their hearts veils, lest they should understand, and in their ears a deafness. If they saw every token they would not believe therein; to the point that, when they come unto thee to argue with thee, the disbelievers say: This is naught else than fables of the men of old. وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَسْتَمِعُ إِلَيْكَ وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا وَإِن يَرَوْاْ كُلَّ آيَةٍ لاَّ يُؤْمِنُواْ بِهَا حَتَّى إِذَا جَآؤُوكَ يُجَادِلُونَكَ يَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِنْ هَذَآ إِلاَّ أَسَاطِيرُ الأَوَّلِينَ (6:25)
4- They told their people not to listen to the Quran and make noise when it is recited:
41:26 The unbelievers say: "Listen not to this Qur'an, but talk at random in the midst of its (reading), that ye may gain the upper hand!" وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَا تَسْمَعُوا لِهَذَا الْقُرْآنِ وَالْغَوْا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَغْلِبُونَ (41:26)
5- They were astonished to have a Warner among them:
38:4 And they marvel that a warner from among themselves hath come unto them, and the disbelievers say: This is a wizard, a charlatan. وَعَجِبُوا أَن جَاءهُم مُّنذِرٌ مِّنْهُمْ وَقَالَ الْكَافِرُونَ هَذَا سَاحِرٌ كَذَّابٌ (38:4)
6- The Prophet is a wizard:
10:2 Is it a wonder for mankind that We have inspired a man among them, saying: Warn mankind and bring unto those who believe the good tidings that they have a sure footing with their Lord? The disbelievers say: Lo! this is a mere wizard. أَكَانَ لِلنَّاسِ عَجَبًا أَنْ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَنْ أَنذِرِ النَّاسَ وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَنَّ لَهُمْ قَدَمَ صِدْقٍ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ قَالَ الْكَافِرُونَ إِنَّ هَـذَا لَسَاحِرٌ مُّبِينٌ
7- They asked to bring another Quran or change it:
10:15 And when Our clear revelations are recited unto them they who look not for the meeting with Us say: Bring a Lecture other than this, or change it. Say (O Muhammad): It is not for me to change it of my own accord. I only follow that which is inspired in me. Lo! If I disobey my Lord I fear the retribution of an awful Day. وَإِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ قَالَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءنَا ائْتِ بِقُرْآنٍ غَيْرِ هَـذَا أَوْ بَدِّلْهُ قُلْ مَا يَكُونُ لِي أَنْ أُبَدِّلَهُ مِن تِلْقَاء نَفْسِي إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلاَّ مَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ إِنِّي أَخَافُ إِنْ عَصَيْتُ رَبِّي عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ (
8- The wished the Quran is revealed to some great man: in the towns of Mecca or Altaf. Great for them is the leader or the most rich for God is the most just and right.
43:31 And they say: If only this Qur'an had been revealed to some great man of the two towns?
وَقَالُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ هَذَا الْقُرْآنُ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِّنَ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍ (43:31)
9- They asked for a sign: the Quran is the sign which allowed Muhammad (PBUH) to guide people from every race and color.
13:7 And the unbelievers say: "Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord?" But thou art truly a warner, and to every people a guide. وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوْلآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُنذِرٌ وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ (13:7)
10- They asked to bring like the miracles of Moses:
28:48 But when there came unto them the Truth from Our presence, they said: Why is he not given the like of what was given unto Moses? Did they not disbelieve in that which was given unto Moses of old? They say: Two magics that support each other; and they say: Lo! in both we are disbelieversفَلَمَّا جَاءهُمُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ عِندِنَا قَالُوا لَوْلَا أُوتِيَ مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَى أَوَلَمْ يَكْفُرُوا بِمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَى مِن قَبْلُ قَالُوا سِحْرَانِ تَظَاهَرَا وَقَالُوا إِنَّا بِكُلٍّ كَافِرُونَ (
11- They denied the purpose of creation: which to worship God and answer to him in the day of judgment.
38:27 Not without purpose did We create heaven and earth and all between! that were the thought of unbelievers! but woe to the unbelievers because of the Fire (of Hellوَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاء وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا بَاطِلًا ذَلِكَ ظَنُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنَ النَّارِ (38:27)
12- They denied the resurrection: Thus making Islam doctrines senseless.
32:10 And they say: When we are lost in the earth, how can we then be recreated? Nay but they are disbelievers in the meeting with their Lord. وَقَالُوا أَئِذَا ضَلَلْنَا فِي الْأَرْضِ أَئِنَّا لَفِي خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ بَلْ هُم بِلِقَاء رَبِّهِمْ كَافِرُونَ (32:10)
27:67 The unbelievers say: "What! when we become dust,- we and our fathers,- shall we really be raised (from the dead)? وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَئِذَا كُنَّا تُرَابًا وَآبَاؤُنَا أَئِنَّا لَمُخْرَجُونَ (27:67)
13- They made the assumptions that if God willed he would send angels:
41:14 When their messengers came unto them from before them and behind them, saying: Worship none but Allah! they said: If our Lord had willed, He surely would have sent down angels (unto us), so lo! we are disbelievers in that wherewith ye have been sentإِذْ جَاءتْهُمُ الرُّسُلُ مِن بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا اللَّهَ قَالُوا لَوْ شَاء رَبُّنَا لَأَنزَلَ مَلَائِكَةً فَإِنَّا بِمَا أُرْسِلْتُمْ بِهِ كَافِرُونَ (41:14)
14- They listened to the Quran with anger and threatened Muslims:
22:72 When Our Clear Signs are rehearsed to them, thou wilt notice a denial on the faces of the unbelievers! they nearly attack with violence those who rehearse Our Signs to them. Say, "Shall I tell you of something (far) worse than these Signs? It is the Fire (of Hell)! Allah has promised it to the unbelievers! and evil is that destination!" وَإِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ تَعْرِفُ فِي وُجُوهِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا الْمُنكَرَ يَكَادُونَ يَسْطُونَ بِالَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِنَا قُلْ أَفَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِشَرٍّ مِّن ذَلِكُمُ النَّارُ
15- They mocked the prophet and the Quran as the unbelievers did in the past:
18:56 We only send the apostles to give Glad Tidings and to give warnings: But the unbelievers dispute with vain argument, in order therewith to weaken the truth, and they treat My Signs as a jest, as also the fact that they are warned! وَمَا نُرْسِلُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِلَّا مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ وَيُجَادِلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِالْبَاطِلِ لِيُدْحِضُوا بِهِ الْحَقَّ وَاتَّخَذُوا آيَاتِي وَمَا أُنذِرُوا هُزُوًا (18:56)
21:36 When the unbelievers see thee, they treat thee not except with ridicule. "Is this," (they say), "the one who talks of your gods?" and they blaspheme at the mention of ((Allah)) Most Gracious! وَإِذَا رَآكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِن يَتَّخِذُونَكَ إِلَّا هُزُوًا أَهَذَا الَّذِي يَذْكُرُ آلِهَتَكُمْ وَهُم بِذِكْرِ الرَّحْمَنِ هُمْ كَافِرُونَ (21:36)
16- They spent their money to fight and plot to the prophet and Muslims:
8:36 The unbelievers spend their wealth to hinder (man) from the path of Allah, and so will they continue to spend; but in the end they will have (only) regrets and sighs; at length they will be overcome: and the unbelievers will be gathered together to Hellإِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ لِيَصُدُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللّهِ فَسَيُنفِقُونَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسْرَةً ثُمَّ يُغْلَبُونَ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِلَى جَهَنَّمَ يُحْشَرُونَ (8:36)
17- They threatened him like other prophets to be driven out of his land:
14:13 And the unbelievers said to their apostles: "Be sure we shall drive you out of our land, or ye shall return to our religion." But their Lord inspired (this Message) to them: "Verily We shall cause the wrong-doers to perish! وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِرُسُلِهِمْ لَنُخْرِجَنَّـكُم مِّنْ أَرْضِنَآ أَوْ لَتَعُودُنَّ فِي مِلَّتِنَا فَأَوْحَى إِلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ لَنُهْلِكَنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ (14:13)
18- They tried to kill him several times:
8:30 And when those who disbelieve plot against thee (O Muhammad) to wound thee fatally, or to kill thee or to drive thee forth; they plot, but Allah (also) plotteth; and Allah is the best of plotters. وَإِذْ يَمْكُرُ بِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِيُثْبِتُوكَ أَوْ يَقْتُلُوكَ أَوْ يُخْرِجُوكَ وَيَمْكُرُونَ وَيَمْكُرُ اللّهُ وَاللّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ (8:30)
Despite what the disbelievers did the prophet always kept his door opened as God ordered him:
8:38 Say to the unbelievers, if (now) they desist (from Unbelief), their past would be forgiven them; but if they persist, the punishment of those before them is already (a matter of warning for them). قُل لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِن يَنتَهُواْ يُغَفَرْ لَهُم مَّا قَدْ سَلَفَ وَإِنْ يَعُودُواْ فَقَدْ مَضَتْ سُنَّةُ الأَوَّلِينِ (8:38)
In fact many disbelievers became the best of believers.
110:1 When Allah's succor and the triumph cometh إِذَا جَاء نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ (110:1)
110:2 And thou seest mankind entering the religion of Allah in masses. وَرَأَيْتَ النَّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ أَفْوَاجًا (110:2)
110:3 Then hymn the praises of thy Lord, and seek forgiveness of Him. Lo! He is ever ready to show mercyفَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّابًا (110:3
Those who died on disbelief ruined their eternity:
8:50 If thou couldst see, when the angels take the souls of the unbelievers (at death), (How) they smite their faces and their backs, (saying): "Taste the penalty of the blazing Fireوَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ يَتَوَفَّى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ الْمَلآئِكَةُ يَضْرِبُونَ وُجُوهَهُمْ وَأَدْبَارَهُمْ وَذُوقُواْ عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ
Who won the election in Egypt Morsi or Shafik ya ragel
شباب الثورة يرفض تشكيل الحكومة وتقسيم المناصب بين العسكري والاخوان
كتبت ــ هبة سعيد:
كتبت ــ هبة سعيد:
1600
اعلن اتحاد شباب الثورة رفضه تشكيل الحكومة الحالية الذي لايحمل اسسا او معايير تقوم علي الكفاءة فالحكومة الجديدة لاهي حكومة تكنوقراط او حكومة ائتلافية أو حكومة توافق وطني.
وقال إن هذه الحكومة يقوم تشكيلها فقط علي تقسيم السلطة والمناصب بين المجلس العسكري وبين جماعة الاخوان المسلمين من خلال الجمع بين اعضاء نظام مبارك والموالين للمجلس العسكري وبين اعضاء جماعة الاخوان والموالين لهم. ويؤكد حمادة الكاشف احد المتحدثين الرسميين للاتحاد ان اصرار الدكتور محمد مرسي من البداية علي ان يتولي الدكتور هشام قنديل الذي كان يشغل مناصب مهمة في الدولة وقت نظام مبارك وكان يرأس ملف النيل الذي يمثل امن قومي للدولة وايضا الذي يخضع لثقة المجلس العسكري الذي وضعه في حكومتي شرف والجنزوري بعد الثورة والذي يرتبط ايضا بعلاقات قوية بجماعة الاخوان المسلمين يدل علي ان الدكتور مرسي لايرغب في تغيير حقيقي وانما يرغب في استمرار النظام الاستبدادي للدولة والذي يظلم اغلب طوائف الشعب ولايحقق العدالة الاجتماعية التي خرجت من اجلها الثورة ويحافظ علي استمرار المصالح المشتركة بين جماعة الاخوان ونظام مبارك والمجلس العسكري. ويؤكد الدكتور هيثم الخطيب احد المتحدثين الرسميين باسم الاتحاد ان هذا التشكيل الوزاري اكبر دليل علي ان المجلس العسكري وجماعة الاخوان المسلمين تحالفا سويا علي وأد الثورة مقابل السلطة حتي لو علي حساب الشعب وان الرئيس مرسي بات من الواضح انه اصبح راضيا تماما علي وضع تقسيم السلطة بين جماعة الاخوان وجنرالات العسكري واصبح يرسخ مباديء تقاسم السلطة بين العسكر والاخوان وهذا مايؤكده تشكيل الحكومة التي تجمع بين فلول النظام السابق الموالين للمجلس العسكري وجماعة الاخوان المسلمين والمواليين لهم.
The Month of the Quran
The Month of the
Quran
8/3/2012 - Religious - Article Ref: IC1107-4790
Number of comments: 2
Opinion Summary: Agree:2 Disagree:0 Neutral:0
By: Dr. Aslam Abdullah
IslamiCity* -
Before it came to be known as the month of Fasting,
the companions of the Prophet knew Ramadan as a month of the Quran, the last and
ever lasting divine guidance to humanity. "The month of Ramadan in which was
revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and
the Criterion (between right and wrong). So, whoever of you sights the month,
he/she must observe fasts that month and whoever is ill or on a journey, the
same number (of days which one did not observe fasts must be made up) from other
days. Allah intends for you ease, and he does not want to make things difficult
for you. He wants that you must complete the same number of days and that you
must glorify Allah for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him."
(2:184).
The revelation began in the month of Ramadan. The night in which the Quran began to be revealed is referred in the Quran as the blessed night: We sent it (the Quran) down on a blessed night, (44:2) or the night of Decree, Verily, we have sent it (this Quran) down in the Night of Al-Qadr. (97:1). It was the strength, clarity, simplicity, and universality of the message that the night was described as an extraordinary night.
With its 6332 ayas (sentences) spread in 114 suras (chapters) divided in seven stages and 30 parts, the Quran was finalized and compiled in the life time of the Prophet who alone among human beings knew what it was. Only the Prophet could testify, verify and approve what the Quran consisted of as no other human being in his time shared that experience. He put his seal of approval on the finality of the divine message and gave his instructions on its arrangement. The Prophet ensured that every verse revealed to him was recorded and written at the time of its revelation.
In one of the several ahadiths (statements attributed to the Prophet) mentioned in Sahih Bukhari, one of the companions, Bara'a narrates that when the verse "not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home) except those who are disabled (by injury or are blind or lame), and those who strive hard and fight in the Cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives, Allah has preferred in grades those who strive hard and fight with their wealth and their lives above those who sit (at home) to each Allah has promised good, but has preferred those who strive hard and fight, above those who sit (at home by a huge reward." (4:95) was revealed, the prophet immediately called one of the scribes of the Quran to bring in the ink, pen, and the tablet so that it could be written down.
It is also mentioned in Masnad Ahmed, Sunan Abi Dawood, Sunan Nasai, Jami Tirmdhi, Ibn Habban, and Musdark Hakim that Usman bin Affan, the third Caliph, narrated that whenever a verse was revealed, the Prophet used to call scribes immediately and gave them specific instructions to write it in the sura (chapter) where is was meant to be.
Zaid bin Thabit is reported as mentioned in Sahiah Bukhari, that in the life time of the Prophet there were at least four from Ansar of Medina, Abi binKaab, Maadh ibn Jabal, Zaid, and Abu Zaid who had the entire Quran written with them. It is also reported that in Medina Abdullah bin Saeed bin al-As, who was a calligrapher was specially instructed to teach the art of writing the Quran to the citizens of Medina.
Besides other materials, the paper was also used to write the Quran. The scriptures refers to the word paper twice: But even if we had sent down unto thee [O Prophet] a writing on paper, and they had touched it with their own hands - those who are bent on denying the truth would indeed have said, "This is clearly nothing but a deception!" (6:7), "For, no true understanding of God have they when they say, "Never has God revealed anything unto man." Say: "Who has bestowed from on high the divine writ which Moses brought unto men as a light and a guidance, [and] which you treat as [mere] leaves of paper, making a show of them the while you conceal [so] much - although you have been taught [by it] what neither you nor your forefathers had ever known?" Say: "God [has revealed that divine writ]!" - and then leave them to play at their vain talk. (6:92) The Quran also uses the word Riq, "In a Scroll unfolded; (52:3), a kind of paper made from the skins of animals.
In the books of Ahadith, we come across the names of at least 45 more companions who knew how to read and write the Quran. They are (in alphabetical order):
The Prophet was so particular about preserving the
Quran in writing that even at the time of his migration from Makkah to Median,
he had a scriber with with him with ink and pen.
The Quran describes itself as a book (kitab), a word that appears 230 times in various contexts.
Even though there are narrations in many books that suggest that the Quran in the form that we have it today was compiled during the Caliphate of Abu Bakr at the insistence of Second Caliph Umar bin al-Khattab and later finalized at the time of third Caliph, Usman bin Affan, the verdict of the Quran about its finalization, preservation, authenticity and compilation is overriding. "We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption)." (15:17) "And (moreover) We have guarded them from every evil spirit accursed." (15:17). Or "This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. (5:3).
It is obvious that the efforts of the Caliphs were to make copies of the Quran from the original for wider distribution in the Muslim world. It is evident from the writings of Ibn Hazm in his book Kitab ul Fisl that over 100,000 copies of the Quran were present in the entire world at the time of Umar bin Al-Khattab.
The Quran describes itself as a book that proves the commonality of the divine messages previously revealed to earlier prophets that were not preserved in the original form by their followers. It also asserts that the divine message has essentially been the same revolving around three main principles;
1) monotheism in the sense that the source of all divine messages is Allah, the initiator and the creator of the universe,
2) the guidance from a higher and neutral source is needed by human beings to lead a simple and disciplined life. It is only through following the divine guidance human beings can discipline their lives the same way as every thing else in the universe runs in a perfect order.
3) the life is in constant evolution and the death would not end the life but move in a difference stage of existence where individuals and groups would be held accountable for every thing that they do and say in their limited life in this world.
The greatest miracle of the Quran is the consistency of this message evident in all its suras (chapters) and ayas (sentences). The linguistic beauty and style are apparent to only those who understand the language but the clarity and consistency of the message is for everyone regardless of their linguistic skills and they relevant for all times. In other words every sura of the Quran is connected with its overall message with variations in emphasis and every aya is related with a particular aspect of the message within the context of the total guidance.
Thus the month of Ramadan offers the believers a unique opportunity to refresh their understanding of the guidance and live it for an entire month so that the life in coming months could be disciplined around that. Thus, the first task for every believer is to get connected with the divine guidance in a disciplined, consistent, and regular basis.
The fasting enables a person to live the principle of self control and self discipline, which is essential to realize the strength and relevance of the divine message.
Seemingly, a large number of Muslims do not know the Arabic language and hence find it hard to understand when the Quran is recited to them. Moreover, we have the traditions informing us that the reading of the Quran gives us the reward of reading one letter to the equivalent to the 30 letter reward. The mercy and the divine measurement for good deeds are limitless and this narration should be read in that context.
Besides earning reward for reading the Quran without understanding, we can also make efforts in the month of Ramadan to read it with understanding. This may even double or triple the reward. It is no harm to read the Quran with translation. Non-Arabic speaking believers can recite the Quran in Arabic and listen to its pronunciation during the taraweeh prayers, besides reading the translation in their own languages to understand the essence of the divine message. This understanding will enable us to get closer to the guidance of Allah.
Often it is argued that it is difficult to understand the Quran in any other language. The Quran, on the other hand repeats the following verse four times: "And We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to understand and remember: then is there any that will receive admonition? (54:17) Besides, the Quran also says: "And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colors: verily in that are Signs for those who know." (30:22)
The reading of the Quran with meaning would give us an opportunity to understand the divine message as is and inspire us to appreciate its relevance for us in our times. Thus in addition to reading the Quran, we can also make efforts to live it.
We spend much of our efforts in correcting our pronunciation of the Quran. This is good and the proper sound of every letter and word must be perfected authentically. However, the main purpose of perfecting the pronunciation must never be ignored: i.e. to understand so that we could live the Quran, the way our Prophet lived it.
During the month of Ramadan we arrange lavish functions for the breaking of fast, a good practice to bring people together. However, if in these functions, we make it a habit to focus on understanding one of the passages of the Quran, probably we can make better use of these gatherings. It would not take us more than 5 to 10 minutes to reflect on the message of the Quran in these functions, but it would help us understand the divine guidance, the main reason for decreeing fasting in this month. "The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the Criterion (between right and wrong). So, whoever of you sights the month, he/she must observe fasts that month and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number (of days which one did not observe fasts must be made up) from other days. Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you. He wants that you must complete the same number of days and that you must glorify Allah for having to guided you so that you may be grateful to Him. (2:184).
8/3/2012 - Religious - Article Ref: IC1107-4790
Number of comments: 2
Opinion Summary: Agree:2 Disagree:0 Neutral:0
By: Dr. Aslam Abdullah
IslamiCity* -
 |
The revelation began in the month of Ramadan. The night in which the Quran began to be revealed is referred in the Quran as the blessed night: We sent it (the Quran) down on a blessed night, (44:2) or the night of Decree, Verily, we have sent it (this Quran) down in the Night of Al-Qadr. (97:1). It was the strength, clarity, simplicity, and universality of the message that the night was described as an extraordinary night.
With its 6332 ayas (sentences) spread in 114 suras (chapters) divided in seven stages and 30 parts, the Quran was finalized and compiled in the life time of the Prophet who alone among human beings knew what it was. Only the Prophet could testify, verify and approve what the Quran consisted of as no other human being in his time shared that experience. He put his seal of approval on the finality of the divine message and gave his instructions on its arrangement. The Prophet ensured that every verse revealed to him was recorded and written at the time of its revelation.
In one of the several ahadiths (statements attributed to the Prophet) mentioned in Sahih Bukhari, one of the companions, Bara'a narrates that when the verse "not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home) except those who are disabled (by injury or are blind or lame), and those who strive hard and fight in the Cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives, Allah has preferred in grades those who strive hard and fight with their wealth and their lives above those who sit (at home) to each Allah has promised good, but has preferred those who strive hard and fight, above those who sit (at home by a huge reward." (4:95) was revealed, the prophet immediately called one of the scribes of the Quran to bring in the ink, pen, and the tablet so that it could be written down.
It is also mentioned in Masnad Ahmed, Sunan Abi Dawood, Sunan Nasai, Jami Tirmdhi, Ibn Habban, and Musdark Hakim that Usman bin Affan, the third Caliph, narrated that whenever a verse was revealed, the Prophet used to call scribes immediately and gave them specific instructions to write it in the sura (chapter) where is was meant to be.
Zaid bin Thabit is reported as mentioned in Sahiah Bukhari, that in the life time of the Prophet there were at least four from Ansar of Medina, Abi binKaab, Maadh ibn Jabal, Zaid, and Abu Zaid who had the entire Quran written with them. It is also reported that in Medina Abdullah bin Saeed bin al-As, who was a calligrapher was specially instructed to teach the art of writing the Quran to the citizens of Medina.
Besides other materials, the paper was also used to write the Quran. The scriptures refers to the word paper twice: But even if we had sent down unto thee [O Prophet] a writing on paper, and they had touched it with their own hands - those who are bent on denying the truth would indeed have said, "This is clearly nothing but a deception!" (6:7), "For, no true understanding of God have they when they say, "Never has God revealed anything unto man." Say: "Who has bestowed from on high the divine writ which Moses brought unto men as a light and a guidance, [and] which you treat as [mere] leaves of paper, making a show of them the while you conceal [so] much - although you have been taught [by it] what neither you nor your forefathers had ever known?" Say: "God [has revealed that divine writ]!" - and then leave them to play at their vain talk. (6:92) The Quran also uses the word Riq, "In a Scroll unfolded; (52:3), a kind of paper made from the skins of animals.
In the books of Ahadith, we come across the names of at least 45 more companions who knew how to read and write the Quran. They are (in alphabetical order):
| Aban Abdur Rehman Abdu Rehman bin Hur bin Umr bin Zaid Abdulla Saeed bin al As Abdullah bin Arqam Zahri Abdullah bin Rawah Abdullah bin Saad bin Ab Sarh Abdullah bin Zaid Abdullah in Abdullah bin Abi Salool Abu Abas Abu Bakr Abu Yunis Maula Ayesha Ala bin Hadhrami Ali ibn Talib Aseed bin hadheer |
Aus bin
Khauli Ayesha bint Abi bakr Fatima bin Muhammad Hafsa bint Umar Handhala bin Rabi Hundhala al-Asadi Jaheem binal Salt Khalid bin Saeed bin al-As Khalid bin Walid Muaqaib bin Fatima Muawiya bin Abi Safiyan Mughaira bin Shaaba Muhammad bin Salma Munzr bin Umr Nafe bin Tareeb bin Umr bin Naufal |
Najiatu Tafawi Rafe binMalik Sad bin al Rabee Sad bin al-As Sad bin Ibadah Shahar bin Saad Sharjeel bin Hasna Ubi ibn Kaab Umar bin al-Khattab Umme Habiba bint Abi Safiyan Umr bin Al-As Umr bin Rafe Usman bin Affan Zaid bin Thabit Zubair bin Awwam |
|
|
The Quran describes itself as a book (kitab), a word that appears 230 times in various contexts.
Even though there are narrations in many books that suggest that the Quran in the form that we have it today was compiled during the Caliphate of Abu Bakr at the insistence of Second Caliph Umar bin al-Khattab and later finalized at the time of third Caliph, Usman bin Affan, the verdict of the Quran about its finalization, preservation, authenticity and compilation is overriding. "We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption)." (15:17) "And (moreover) We have guarded them from every evil spirit accursed." (15:17). Or "This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. (5:3).
It is obvious that the efforts of the Caliphs were to make copies of the Quran from the original for wider distribution in the Muslim world. It is evident from the writings of Ibn Hazm in his book Kitab ul Fisl that over 100,000 copies of the Quran were present in the entire world at the time of Umar bin Al-Khattab.
The Quran describes itself as a book that proves the commonality of the divine messages previously revealed to earlier prophets that were not preserved in the original form by their followers. It also asserts that the divine message has essentially been the same revolving around three main principles;
1) monotheism in the sense that the source of all divine messages is Allah, the initiator and the creator of the universe,
2) the guidance from a higher and neutral source is needed by human beings to lead a simple and disciplined life. It is only through following the divine guidance human beings can discipline their lives the same way as every thing else in the universe runs in a perfect order.
3) the life is in constant evolution and the death would not end the life but move in a difference stage of existence where individuals and groups would be held accountable for every thing that they do and say in their limited life in this world.
The greatest miracle of the Quran is the consistency of this message evident in all its suras (chapters) and ayas (sentences). The linguistic beauty and style are apparent to only those who understand the language but the clarity and consistency of the message is for everyone regardless of their linguistic skills and they relevant for all times. In other words every sura of the Quran is connected with its overall message with variations in emphasis and every aya is related with a particular aspect of the message within the context of the total guidance.
Thus the month of Ramadan offers the believers a unique opportunity to refresh their understanding of the guidance and live it for an entire month so that the life in coming months could be disciplined around that. Thus, the first task for every believer is to get connected with the divine guidance in a disciplined, consistent, and regular basis.
The fasting enables a person to live the principle of self control and self discipline, which is essential to realize the strength and relevance of the divine message.
Seemingly, a large number of Muslims do not know the Arabic language and hence find it hard to understand when the Quran is recited to them. Moreover, we have the traditions informing us that the reading of the Quran gives us the reward of reading one letter to the equivalent to the 30 letter reward. The mercy and the divine measurement for good deeds are limitless and this narration should be read in that context.
Besides earning reward for reading the Quran without understanding, we can also make efforts in the month of Ramadan to read it with understanding. This may even double or triple the reward. It is no harm to read the Quran with translation. Non-Arabic speaking believers can recite the Quran in Arabic and listen to its pronunciation during the taraweeh prayers, besides reading the translation in their own languages to understand the essence of the divine message. This understanding will enable us to get closer to the guidance of Allah.
Often it is argued that it is difficult to understand the Quran in any other language. The Quran, on the other hand repeats the following verse four times: "And We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to understand and remember: then is there any that will receive admonition? (54:17) Besides, the Quran also says: "And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colors: verily in that are Signs for those who know." (30:22)
The reading of the Quran with meaning would give us an opportunity to understand the divine message as is and inspire us to appreciate its relevance for us in our times. Thus in addition to reading the Quran, we can also make efforts to live it.
We spend much of our efforts in correcting our pronunciation of the Quran. This is good and the proper sound of every letter and word must be perfected authentically. However, the main purpose of perfecting the pronunciation must never be ignored: i.e. to understand so that we could live the Quran, the way our Prophet lived it.
During the month of Ramadan we arrange lavish functions for the breaking of fast, a good practice to bring people together. However, if in these functions, we make it a habit to focus on understanding one of the passages of the Quran, probably we can make better use of these gatherings. It would not take us more than 5 to 10 minutes to reflect on the message of the Quran in these functions, but it would help us understand the divine guidance, the main reason for decreeing fasting in this month. "The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the Criterion (between right and wrong). So, whoever of you sights the month, he/she must observe fasts that month and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number (of days which one did not observe fasts must be made up) from other days. Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you. He wants that you must complete the same number of days and that you must glorify Allah for having to guided you so that you may be grateful to Him. (2:184).
*****
Dr. Aslam Abdullah is editor in chief
of the weekly Muslim Observer and director of the Islamic Society of
Nevada.
Visit IslamiCity Quran
Center
Wednesday, August 01, 2012
To all the leaders of the Middle East people want to have no wars spending huge money in weapons and all they want is dissent living to all of them.
Israeli dies after self-immolation during protest
updated 8:33 PM EDT, Wed August 1, 2012
Israelis attend a demonstration in Tel Aviv on July 21 in memory of the first protester who set himself alight on July 14.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Akiva Mafa'i was injured during his military service as a young man
- The 45-year-old set himself alight in protest over his economic situation
- He is the second man to self-immolate, an unusual protest in Israel, in recent days
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the deaths were tragic
Akiva Mafa'i, who was badly injured two decades ago during his service in the Israel Defense Forces, had set himself alight Sunday.
The 45-year-old poured gasoline over his body and ignited it at a bus station in the town of Yehud. Passersby extinguished the flames with bottles of water and a fire extinguisher but he was left with 70% burns.
The veteran had spent four months in a coma at the Beer Sheva Medical Center after he was injured at age 23, according to local media reports. He was to be married a month after he was hurt but the marriage was canceled.
Mafa'i is the second person to die in a self-immolation in Israel in less than a week.
Moshe Silman, a bed-ridden member of a movement to lower the cost of living in Israel, set himself alight during a demonstration in Tel Aviv on July 14. He died two weeks later.
According to local media reports, he left a note accusing the conservative Netanyahu government of "taking from the poor and giving to the rich." Israeli media have reported other suicide attempts apparently motivated by economic hardship.
The social protest movement has been gaining ground since large demonstrations were held in cities last summer, led by members of Israel's middle class, over soaring costs of living.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the self-immolations as tragic. Such incidents are unusual in Israel.
A self-immolation in Tunisia in December 2010 by Mohamed Bouazizi, a young street vendor, was the spark that ignited the protests and revolutionary fervor of the Arab Spring.
The desperate measure is a more common form of protest in some Asian nations, in particular for Tibetans who want autonomy from China.
Some 44 Tibetans, many of them monks, have self-immolated since 2009, according to the Central Tibetan Administration, which functions as the government of Tibetans outside the Chinese territory.
Chinese official interference with Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and nunneries contributed to at least a dozen self-immolations in 2011, according to the U.S. State Department's International Religious Freedom report.
In Europe, where self-immolation is also a rare form of protest, a 55-year-old Greek businessman set himself alight last September, overwhelmed by despair and anger over the debt crisis engulfing himself and his country.
Apostolos Polyzonis, who survived after being rescued by police and spending days in intensive care, told CNN in April: "At that moment, I saw my life as worthless. I really didn't care if I was going to live or die."
To all Egyptains including liberals, Christians and skeptics like me we have to make Morsi succeed for our own interest. So far so good short steps nothing major yet or revolutionary like Taman Health Plan, Solar energy, Banking systems that I suggested in my blog in moral utopia project
الرئيس محمد مرسي
- القاهرة - أ ش أ:
- منذ 1 ساعة 18 دقيقة
وقال مرسي - خلال حديثه الإذاعي مع برنامج "الشعب يسأل والرئيس يجيب" مساء اليوم الأربعاء عبر موجة شبكة البرنامج العام بالإذاعة المصرية - إنه توافقا مع العمل على حل مشكلات الجماهير تم انشاء جهاز خاص بالتظلمات (ديوان المظالم).
وأضاف: إن عدد الذين أرسلوا شكاوي وترددوا علي مكتب التظلمات حتي الآن وصل إلي 40 ألف مواطن، ونحن بصدد استكمال إنشاء هذا الجهاز في كل المحافظات ليلبي مطالب الجماهير ويعمل على حلها.
ونوه بأنه يتابع إلي حد كبير كافة المشكلات، لافتا إلي أن هناك مشكلات تحتاج إلي بعض الوقت للعمل علي حلها مثل التوظيف والعلاج علي نفقة الدولة، وأيضا المشاكل الخاصة بفرد بعينه..واستدرك قائلا "إلا أنه تم الاستجابة للكثير من هذه المشكلات وحلها".
ولفت مرسي إلي أن مركز استقبال الشكاوي تلقي في اليوم الأول علي سبيل المثال 7 آلاف مكالمة تليفونية، وهو مستمر في ذلك، وأن هناك عددا كبيرا من القائمين علي هذا العمل لمتابعة وفرز الشكاوي وتوجيهها للجهات المعنية.
وأكد الرئيس محمد مرسي أنه مع تشكيل الحكومة الجديدة سوف يزداد الاهتمام بملف شكاوي المواطنين والعمل علي حلها.
وفيما يتعلق بالحفاظ علي كرامة المصريين في الخارج.. قال الرئيس مرسي:إن كرامة المصري في الداخل والخارج، هي من مسئولياته الشخصية، وقال: "أعتقد أن كرامة المصري بعد ثورة 25 يناير لا يمكن لأحد أن يعتدي عليها".
وتابع :الدولة المصرية الآن وعلي رأسها رئيس الجمهورية تهتم بهذا الملف، وفي الإطار الخارجى: المصريون لهم الآن من يتبني مشاكلهم ويسعي للعمل علي حلها مع اختلافها، خاصة في البلاد التي يتواجدون فيها، مع احترامنا لقوانين وقضاء تلك البلدان، وإنني أقوم بالاتصال بقادة تلك الدول، ولا أدخر وسعا للعمل علي حل هذه المشكلات.
واستطرد: "كنت حريصا علي لقاء الجالية المصرية بأديس ابابا، وكذلك عندما ذهبت إلي السعودية حرصت علي لقاء الجالية هناك، وفي أي مكان سوف أذهب اليه سأحرص علي لقاء الجالية المصرية هناك أولا للتعرف علي مشكلاتهم".
وأشار إلي أن جاليات مصرية بالخارج طلبت منه أن يكون هناك مستشار للرئيس لشئون المصريين بالخارج كما طلبوا أن يساهموا في دعم المشروعات الاقتصادية، وقال:"أنا جاهز لاتخاذ قرار بهذا".
ونوه بأنه سيتم فتح حساب بأحد البنوك لهذا الغرض لدعم مشروع مصر الاقتصادي والاجتماعي مع الحفاظ الكامل علي كرامة المصري في أي مكان، وقال "هذه هي المسئولية التي تقع علي عاتقي الشخصي".
وتطرق الرئيس إلى واقعة الإفراج عن الصحفية شيماء عادل وعودتها إلي أسرتها وبيتها معززة مكرمة.
وحول فكرة مقايضة ديون مصر بتوريد سلع مصرية.. قال الرئيس مرسي إن الدين الخارجي يمثل رقما في الموازنة العامة للدولة..وقال: "نحن نسعي إلي مبادلات في هذا المجال من خلال مبادلة الدين باستثمارات في مجالات مختلفة، منوها بأن الاستثمارات الخارجية تأتي إلي مصر مع استقرار الحالة الاقتصادية".
ولفت إلي أن الدين الخارجي يؤثر علي استقرار الاقتصاد المصري، وبالتالي تأجيله أو تخفيضه بالاتفاق مع الدول الدائنة يؤدي إلى استقرار الحالة الاقتصادية، وقال "لهذا نسعي إلي الاستقرار في هذا الوضع، وتم الاتفاق مع ايطاليا على مبادلة 200 مليون دولار كاستثمارات".
اقرأ المقال الأصلي علي بوابة الوفد الاليكترونية الوفد - مرسى: ديوان المظالم سيكون فى كل المحافظات
Tantweey be a gentelman and get out of the way, you promised to do that and you are still can not leave the power you feel like you will be a normal citizen, time to go home man
مجدي أحمد حسين يكتب: لايوجد شىء اسمه الدولة العميقة.. ولكن يوجد مجلس عسكرى لايريد تسليم السلطة
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دائما يتحمل المسئول الأول فى البلد أو المؤسسة المسئولية الأولى عن خراب أو فلاح البلد أو المؤسسة وهذه رؤية قرآنية قاطعة فى وضوحها ، وقد لاحظت فى دراسة الجهاد صناعة الأمة أن فرعون ذكر فى القرآن الكريم 74 مرة وكان بهذا الاحصاء الشخصية الثانية فى القرآن الكريم حيث لايسبقه فى عدد الورود إلا سيدنا موسى . ولهذا دلالات عدة من بينها أهمية الرجل الأول ودوره الحاسم فى حياة المجتمعات سلبا أو ايجابا . ويهرب الناس من هذه الحقيقة عن عمد لأنها تجلب المتاعب والهم والعذاب ، لذلك تراهم يتحدثون أحيانا عن الحاكم الطيب المحاط بمجموعة من الأشرار، وقيل هذا عن عبد الناصر والسادات ومبارك فى معرض الدفاع عنهم، مع أن اختيار الحاكم لبطانته أهم قرار يتخذه وهو مسئول عنه 100% ولايوجد أى مبرر للخطأ فى ذلك أو التمادى فى هذا الخطأ لأن الرئيس يعمل مع مساعديه ويعايشهم عن قرب ، وهو أسهل وضع يمكنه من الحكم عليهم ، بالاضافة لمعرفته السابقة بهم قبل تعيينهم.لذلك رأينا فى حزب العمل أن نركز على شخص الصنم ( مبارك ) وبدأنا ذلك فى عام 1993 ، ثم مع التحول إلى حملة مركزة لإسقاطه بدأ من عام 2002. ولم نكتف بالهجوم على مساعديه ( هامان وقارون ) لأن الهجوم على المساعدين وحدهم يفيد الطاغية ويبعده عن بؤرة الهجوم.
بعد سقوط مبارك لم يكن هناك طاغية وريث واضح بل كان الصوت الأعلى للشعب ولكنه لم يوفق إلى قيادة تنظيمية محكمة للثورة ، واستلام صريح للسلطة ، وحدث ماهو معروف من هذه المرحلة الانتقالية المملة التى لاتريد أن تنتهى ، وحدث التوافق على المجلس العسكرى للادارة المؤقتة . وحرص العسكر من خلال إشارات شتى على تأكيد أنهم سيسلمون السلطة ، ومن ذلك أنهم لم يستخدموا القصور الجمهورية ، وحرص المشير فى إشارات عدة على ألا يبدو رئيسا للجمهورية ، وحاول المجلس العسكرى أن يبرز وجه القيادة الجماعية ، لا وجه قيادة المشير . وكل ذلك من الايجابيات التى حسبت للمجلس العسكرى فى المرحلة الأولى . وكانت هناك محاولات عدة للترويج للمشير كمرشح محتمل للرئاسة كان يتم التراجع عنها ، وعلى أى حال فقد حسم الأمر ولم يترشح المشير ولا عنان ولا أى عضو من المجلس . وهذا جيد لأنه كان من الوعود التى تحققت ، ولاشك أن حساباتهم الشخصية كانت مع ذلك ، وهذا لايهم . ولكنهم سعوا إلى ترشيح ودعم عمر سليمان ثم شفيق . وعندما كان شفيق فى طريقه إلى الفشل وفق الاحصاءات والمعلومات المؤكدة لديهم ، ظهروا علينا بحكاية الاعلان الدستورى المكبل أو المكمم ، ولم يسلموا السلطة حقيقة فى 30 يوينو رغم حلفانهم بالأيمان المغلظة . ونحن الآن أمام حالة من إزدواج السلطة بين الرئيس المنتخب والمجلس العسكرى ، بل حتى هذه اللحظة لايزال المجلس العسكرى هو السلطة الأقوى ماديا : قوات الجيش والشرطة والأجهزة الأمنية وكل أجهزة الدولة لحين تشكيل الحكومة الجديدة ،سلطة التشريع وإقرار الميزانية ، أى التحكم فى تمويل الوزارة القادمة أيضا ، كل تعيينات وترقيات القوات المسلحة ، المرجعية النهائية للدستور من خلال حق الفيتو والعرض على المحكمة الدستورية المتعاونة تماما مع المجلس العسكرى ، وبحيث يصبح رأى المحكمة نهائيا!!
إذن فى هذه اللحظة التى نتحدث فيها ماتزال سلطة المجلس العسكرى أقوى ماديا من سلطة رئيس الجمهورية المنتخب . بينما المجلس العسكرى لم ينتخبه أحد وانتهى دوره الاضطرارى فى إدارة البلاد ، ومايقوم به الآن هو سطو على السلطة السياسية ، بقوة الأمر الواقع التى يسميه الاعلان المكمل الذى لامشروعية ولاحجية له. وفى هذا الاطار تعود المسئولية المادية والأدبية للمشير طنطاوى ، فهو رئيس المجلس ، وهو الذى يملك عزل أى عضو من أعضائه باعتباره وزير دفاع ، وكلهم تجاوزوا سن المعاش أو كادوا . ويظل طنطاوى هو المسئول الأول عن هذه الأزمة الممتدة زمنيا فى البلاد ، ولايهم أنه لم يسع إلى الزعامة ( الرئاسة ) المهم أنه يقود عملية ستؤدى إلى خراب البلاد ، بل هى أدت بالفعل إلى استمرارنا حتى الآن أسرى فساد وسياسات مبارك وثلة مبارك . وتميل النخبة السياسية إلى الهروب من المواجهة كما كانت تفعل أيام مبارك . فى الأيام الأخيرة لمبارك وصلتنى فى السجن صحيفة مستقلة معارضة تحوى افتتاحية نارية تطالب بإقالة نظيف فانفجرت من الضحك ، فهل نظيف هو المشكلة؟!. وعندما كان مبارك فى أزمة صحية خطيرة فى ألمانيا ، وقف زعيم من زعماء الأمة المصرية (حاليا) يطالبه بتحقيق كذا وكذا وكنت جالسا على المنصة بجواره فهمست له : إن الرجل مصاب بجلطة فى المخ ولعله يحتضر فهذا ليس الوقت الملائم لمطالبته بشىء!!
وبعد أن أبرز المجلس العسكرى العين الحمراء وضرب وعذب وقتل وفقأ أعين وعرى البنات ، وأيضا بسبب شراء راحة الدماغ ، وأيضا بسبب الانتهازية السياسية طفت على السطح مصطلحات عجيبة لا أساس لها من الصحة : الفلول – الطرف الثالث – الطرف الخفى . واذا راجعتم أراشيف الصحف الورقية ومواقع النت وشرائط الفيديو للاعلام ستجدون أطنانا من مطالبات النخبة السياسية للمجلس العسكرى أن يكشف لنا هذا الطرف الثالث أو الخفى . بل وصل التهافت فى المصطلحات السياسية إلى حد استعارة المصطلحات من مسرحية سعيد صالح ( اللهو الخفى ). ومع ذلك لم يرد المجلس العسكرى عليهم حتى سلم السلطة فى 30 يونيو أو التسليم الذى يزعمه ، فحتى الآن لم يقل لنا من قتل الناس فى ماسبيرو ومحمد محمود والعباسية ومجلس الوزراء وبورسعيد . ثم بعد انتخابات الرئاسة ونجاح د. محمد مرسى وبداية الحرب عليه لإفشاله ، اخترعت نخبتنا المبجلة مصطلحا خامسا هو الدولة العميقة !! فأصبحت حرب طنطاوى ومجلسه العسكرى وأجهزته على الرئيس المنتخب قضية فلسفية غير مفهومة اسمها الدولة العميقة!!
طنطاوى هو رئيس نظام مبارك الذى لم ينته حتى هذه اللحظة التى نكتب فيها هذه السطور، ولايجوز أن نطلق على حكام البلاد مصطلح فلول ، لأن الفلول هى شراذم ومجموعات تفر هنا وهناك ، فكيف نطلق لفظ فلول على وزارات الدفاع والداخلية والخارجية ورئيس الوزراء نفسه ، إن نظام طنطاوى تعامل مع شباب الثورة كفلول وحاكمهم عسكريا ولم نستطع أن نحميهم ، ودخلوا السجون وضربوا وعذبوا وتعرضوا للتحرش الجنسى ، بينما كانت النخبة تبحث عن الطرف الثالث!!
لاتوجد فلول ، المجموعة الضيقة المحيطة بمبارك تتعرض لتصفية حسابات من العسكر ، ومع ذك تعامل أحسن معاملة وستخرج قريبا من السجن ، أما الغالبية الساحقة فلم تتهم ولم تحاسب ، ولم تصادر أموالها بل هربتها بمنتهى السهولة ، ومن أراد منهم أن يسافر سافر بمنتهى اليسر.
أما اليوم فلا تستخدموا تعبير الدولة العميقة والغميقة والخفية ، المسألة علنية وفى منتهى الوضوح : المجلس العسكرى برئاسة طنطاوى لديه خطة علنية لإفشال مرسى ، وقد أعلنها صراحة فى أخر خطاب له حين قال : لن نسمح بأن تسقط البلد فى يد مجموعة واحدة . وهو يقصد الاخوان ، ولكن من هم الذين لن يسمحوا ومن عينهم أوصياء على هذه الأمة . نحن ارتضينا الانتخابات ولا نريد أوصياء علينا ، الشعب هو الذى انتخب الاخوان كقوة أولى فى البرلمان وانتخب مرسى وهو الذى سيقيم تجربتهم ، وهو الذى سيثبتهم أو ينتخب غيرهم فى انتخابات قادمة . يستخدم طنطاوى ومجلسه الأجهزة الأمنية وبعض القضاء الذى لم تناله يد التطهير ، والحزب الوطنى الذى ظهر خلال حملة شفيق ، والاعلام الواقع تحت السيطرة الواضحة لذات الجهات السابقة. والأحزاب الورقية التى لها صوت فى الاعلام دون أى دور فى الواقع . منظومة البلطجية التى تستخدم فى الفلتان الأمنى . فجأة ظهرت موجة مفتعلة من الإضرابات والاعتصامات الفئوية ، وقطع الطرق والسكك الحديدية ، والحرائق ، وتدهور فى المرور والنظافة ( ردا على خطة مرسى ) وهجمات منسقة على المستشفيات !!وحل مجلس الشورى والجمعية التأسيسية لإرجاع البلاد تماما للمربع رقم صفر . وحتى يقوم العسكر بتشكيل جمعية تأسيسية على هواهم وفقا للاعلان المكمل المزعوم.وكل من يخطط ويقوم بتنفيذ هذه الخطة يرتكب عملا من أعمال الخيانة الوطنية.
فهذا ليس إفشالا لمرسى بل هو إفشال لمصر. والسؤال : لماذا يفعلون ذلك ؟! من المؤسف أنه لايوجد خلاف سياسى واضح وراء ذلك نتفق أونختلف معه. المشكلة أننا ندفع ثمن أطماع القشرة العليا الراهنة للمؤسسة العسكرية ( المجلس العسكرى ) ، فهم يخشون على مكاسبهم ووضعهم الاقتصادى والاجتماعى ، ويخشون محاسبتهم على الأموال التى حصلوا ويحصلوا عليها من الامبراطورية العسكرية ( لماذا لم يرد طنطاوى على مانشر عن أن مرتبه 3 ملايين فى الشهر وعنان 2 ونصف مليون رغم تفاهة هذه الأرقام بالنسبة للمبالغ الأخرى التى نشرت عنها صحف أمريكية) ، والدماء التى سفكوها من المتظاهرين ، وجريمتهم لاتختلف عن جريمة مبارك ، ولذلك ذهب طنطاوى وبرأ مبارك فى المحكمة. ومايزال طنطاوى يملك الفرصة للخلاص سياسيا من كل هذه الأعباء : سحب الاعلان الدستورى المكمل ، وعدم إثارة المشكلات أمام الرئيس مرسى.
إلى سيادة الرئيس محمد مرسى
لدى الكثير الذى أود الحديث معك فيه بعد ما قلته لسيادتك فى اجتماع رؤساء الأحزاب ، ولكن هناك دائما فى كل لحظة نقطة جوهرية تتراجع أمامها النقاط الأخرى مهما كانت مهمة . فى هذه اللحظة المسألة الجوهرية هى الإسراع بتشكيل الحكومة ، واذا كان مايتسرب عن احتمال استمرار حكومة الجنزورى إلى مابعد العيد فهذا أمر جلل وخطير . لقد جردوك ياسيدى من مجلس الشعب كسلطة تشريعية واعتبروا أنه مجلس اخوانى سيكون عونا لك ، ولم يفكروا أنه برلمان مصر!! ثم حاولوا حصارك بالاعلان الدستورى غير المشروع . فهل بعد ذلك تقوم بحصار نفسك بالتأخر فى تشكيل الحكومة ، فتصبح بلا سلطة تنفيذية ولا تشريعية ولا قضائية لمدة شهرين وهذان هما أهم شهرين ، هذا أهم من برنامج ال100 يوم الذى وعدت الناس به ، وعليك أن تقول للناس إن وعودك كانت قبل الإعلان الدستورى المكبل ، وإنك الآن مشغول بالاستلام الناجز للسلطة . أتفهم مصاعب تشكيل الحكومة ، ولكن أصر على ضرورة ترك كل شىء حتى تستقر على تشكيل الحكومة خلال أيام قليلة ، ولابد أن تكون حكومة متجانسة ومتفاهمة ، ليس المهم مافيها من توازنات المهم أن تنجح على أرض الواقع ، الناس ستحاسبك على النتائج ، وليس على التشكيل . ولن ترضى كل الأطراف ، واعتمد على الاخوان كما شئت .. المهم أن تنجح ، أى تشكل حكومة فيها مقومات النجاح. والشعب يمكن أن يتفهم مبرراتك فى التشكيل حتى وإن توليت بنفسك رئاسة الوزراء، ولكن الشعب لايتفهم هذا التأخير . إن إدارات الدولة تستخدم لإفشالك فكيف تعتمد عليها فى أول شهرين لتطبيق وعودك.
اسرع وتوكل على الله.
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