The Beauty of Quran

Surah 20:  Ta Ha (O Man):

Ta Ha.  Maa anzalna alaykal-Qurana litashqa. [1-2]

O Man!  We did not bestow the Quran on thee from on high to make thee unhappy,

Illa tadhkiratal-limany-yakhsha. [3]

but only as an exhortation to all who stand in awe [of God]:

Tanzilam-mimman khalaqal-arda was-samawatil-ula. [4]

A revelation from Him who has created the earth and the high heavens

Ar-Rahmani alal-arshis-tawa.  [5]

the Most Gracious, established on the throne of his almightiness.

Lahu ma fi-samawati wa ma fil-ardi wa ma baynahuma wa ma tahtath-thara. [6]

Unto Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, as well as all that is between them and all that is beneath the sod.

Wa in-tajhar bilqawli fa’innahu ya lamus-sirra wa akhfa. [7]

And if thou say anything aloud, [He hears it] since, behold, He knows [even] the secret [thoughts of man] as well as all that is yet more hidden [within him].

Allahu laa iliha illa Huwa lahul-Asmaa ul-Husna [8]

God – there is no deity save Him; His [alone] are the attributes of perfection!

Surah Ta Ha opens by reminding us that the Quran was not revealed to make us unhappy.  And yet, of late, I have found myself troubled by some of what I read of it in it in English translation. 

I envy the speakers of Arabic – those who can actually read and understand Quran in it’s revealed language.  My husband is one of those.  He recites Quran as a meditative exercise, because it feeds his soul.  Not necessarily the meanings of each individual ayah – those are at times difficult to relate to, even for Arabic speakers.  He reads it for the beauty of the language.  I wish I could do that - master the beauty of the language.  Instead I must read translations that contain none of the integrity, musicality, and nuance of the Arabic.  But instead of continuing to lament about this, I decided to do something different this week.  I decided to find the ways I can connect with the beauty of Quran. 

First, I tried listening to beautiful recitations.  My favorite so far is this one, by the young Saudi actress who played Wadjda in the film by Haifa Al Mansour.    Wadjda, from Surat Al-Baqara, 7-12.  

The other way I found to connect to the beauty of Quran has been a little more surprising, and liberating.  In his book, “The Search for Beauty in Islam,”  legal scholar Khaled Abou El Fadl creates an imaginary conversation with the Quran.  He writes “throughout history we debated you – created or uncreated, literal or symbolic, rational or mystical.  We debated the principles, the history, the ethics, the laws.  In reality, through you, we were constructing ourselves and we were debating who we are and what we are.  Then debates stopped and the dynamism of the process stagnated …”  El Fadl then enjoins us to follow the edict contained in Surat Ar-Rahman 55, ayat 1-4:

            Arrahman.  Allamal-Quran.  Khalaqal-Insan.

            Allamahul-bayan. 

The Most Gracious has imparted this Quran

Has created humans:  He has imparted unto them articulate thought and speech. [1-4]

In other words, God created us with the power to discern.  El Fadl quotes Imam Ali (who died just 29 years after the Prophet) who said, “The Quran is but a book between two covers – it is humans who read it, understand it, and implement it.”

“Hundreds of scholars approached the text of the Quran,” El Fadl writes, “absorbing it, and becoming absorbed by it.  It transformed them, but they transformed it as well.  I read none of them for an inherent truth, but for the truth of the transformation, and I search for my own transformation.  In a word, when I read you, I read myself.” 

Muhammad Asad reminds us that Quran uses allegory and parables to convey meaning that is beyond the range of human experience.  that gives us another clue to finding our own beauty in Quran.  In an Appendix on Symbolism and Allegory in the Quran, he writes:

“There is one fundamental statement in the Quran which occurs only once, and which may be qualified as “the key phrase of all key phrases”:  the statement in verse 7 of Al Imran to the effect that the Quran “contains messages that are clear in and by themselves (ayat muhkamat) as well as others that are allegorical (mutashabihat)”.  It is this verse which represents, in an absolute sense, a key to the understanding of the Quranic message and makes the whole of it accessible to “people who think” (li-qawmin yatafakkarun).”

Understanding the use of allegory – symbolic representation - in Quran, Asad contends, is contingent upon two concepts, 1/ the existence of a “realm which is beyond the reach of human perception,” and 2/ “the human mind can only operate on the basis of perceptions previously experienced by that very mind either in their entirety or in some of their constituent elements:  that is to say, it cannot visualize, or form an idea of, something that lies entirely outside the realm of previously realized experiences.”

“Thus, the Quran tells us clearly that many of its passages and expressions must be understood in an allegorical sense for the simple reason that, being intended for human understanding, they could not have been conveyed to us in any other way.  It follows, therefore, that if we were to take every Quranic passage, statement or expression in its outward, literal sense and disregard the possibility of its being an allegory, a metaphor or a parable, we would be offending against the very spirit of the divine writ.” 

There is another ayah in Quran that tells us clearly that Quran is using parables to teach us what cannot be described beyond our frame of reference:  Ayah 35 from Surah An-Nur.

Allahu nurus-samawati wal ‘ard.

Mathalu nurihi ka-mishkatin-fiha misbah.

Almisbahu fi zujajah.

Azzujajtu ka ‘annaha kawkabun-durriyyuny-yuqadu

min-shajaratim-mubarakatin-zaytunatil-la sharqiyyatinw-wa la gharbiyyatiny-yakadu zaytuha yudil’u wa law lam tamsas-hu nar.

Nurun ‘ala nur. 

Yahdil-lahu linurihi many-yashaa.

Wa yadribulahul-amthala linnas.

Wal-lahu bikulli shay’in Alim. [35]

God is the light of the heavens and the earth. 

The parable of His light is, as it were,

that of a niche containing a lamp;

 the lamp is enclosed in glass, the glass shining like a radiant star;

[a lamp] lit from a blessed tree –

an olive tree that is neither of the east nor of the west –

the oil whereof [is so bright that it] would well-nigh give light

[of itself] even though fire had not touched it:  light upon light!

God guides unto His light whoever wills [to be guided];

and to this end] God propounds parables unto men,

since God [alone] has full knowledge of all things. [35]

Of course, our interpretations of the allegories and parables in Quran reflect the “previously realized experiences” of the interpreters.  Our own interpretations - separated as we are from the revelation to the Prophet’s community by 1400 years of evolution in human perception, scientific, literary, and intellectual achievement - are going to be different from those of his followers and close successors.  I imagine Allah and the messages quite differently than someone whose imagination was formed and thoroughly embedded in a tribal, patriarchal, and anthropo-centric worldview.   

But the beauty of Quran, as El Fadl reminds us, lies precisely in the fact that it must be interpreted, and re-interpreted – even if you understand Arabic – and that the interpretation is in itself a transformative process.   Like a mandela painting, the beauty of interpretation lies in the process itself, not in the final product.   Interpretation and transformation never cease.  Meaning cannot be fixed for all time.  The beauty of Quran lies in our ability to return to it time and again, and each time see something new.

I am liberated, to read and hear Quran, and let it’s meaning touch me where it will.  I can experience it, without being intimidated by it.  With all this in mind, let’s experience together, one of the most beautiful, allegorical surahs in Quran, # 55:  Surat Ar-Rahman – The Most Glorious – in Arabic and in English. 

Arrahman.  Allamal-Quran.  Khalaqal-Insan.

            Allamahul-bayan. 

The Most Gracious has imparted this Quran

Has created humans:  He has imparted unto them articulate thought and speech. [1-4]

Ashshamsu wal-qamaru bihusban.

            Wan-najmu wash-shajaru yas-judan.

The sun and the moon run their appointed courses;

            [before Him] The stars and the trees prostrate themselves. [5-6]

           

            Was-samaa a rafa’aha wa wada al-mizan. [7]

And the skies has He raised high, and has devised [for all things] a measure.

Alla tatghaw fil-mizan. [8]

So that you [too, O people], might never transgress the measure [of what is right]:

Wa aqimul-wazna bilqisti wa la tukhsirul-mizan. [9]

Weigh, therefore, [your deeds] with equity, and cut not the measure short!

Wal-arda wada aha lil anam. [10]

And the earth has He spread out for all living beings,

Fiha fakihatunw-wan-nakhlu dhatul-akmam [11]

With fruit thereon, and palm trees with sheathed clusters [of dates],

Wal-habbu dhul-asfi war-rayhan. [12]

And grain growing tall on its stalks, and sweet-smelling plants.

Fabi ayyi alaa i Rabbikuma tukadh-dhiban. [13]

Which, then of your sustainer’s powers can you disavow?

He has created man out of sounding clay, like pottery. [14]

Whereas the invisible beings He has created out of a confusing [smokeless] flame of fire. [15]

Fabi ayyi alaa i Rabbikuma tukadh-dhiban. [16]

Which, then of your sustainer’s powers can you disavow?

[He is] the Sustainer of the two farthest points of sunrise, and the Sustainer of the two farthest points of sunset. [17]

Fabi ayyi alaa i Rabbikuma tukadh-dhiban. [18]

Which, then of your sustainer’s powers can you disavow?

He has given freedom to the two great bodies of water, so that they might meet: [19]

[yet] between them is a barrier which they may not transgress. [20]

Fabi ayyi alaa i Rabbikuma tukadh-dhiban. [21]

Which, then of your sustainer’s powers can you disavow?

Out of these two [bodies of water] come forth pearls, both great and small. [22]

Fabi ayyi alaa i Rabbikuma tukadh-dhiban. [23]

Which, then of your sustainer’s powers can you disavow?

And His are the lofty ships that sail like [floating] mountains through the seas. [24]

Fabi ayyi alaa i Rabbikuma tukadh-dhiban. [25]

Which, then of your sustainer’s powers can you disavow?

All that lives on earth or in the heavens is bound to pass away: [26]

But forever will abide thy Sustainer’s Self, full of majesty and glory. [27]

Fabi ayyi alaa i Rabbikuma tukadh-dhiban. [28]

Which, then of your sustainer’s powers can you disavow?

On Him depend all creatures in the heavens and on earth: [and] every day He manifests Himself in yet another [wondrous] way [29]

Fabi ayyi alaa i Rabbikuma tukadh-dhiban. [30]

Which, then of your sustainer’s powers can you disavow?

            Surah 20:  Ta Ha (O Man):

Wa kadhalika anzalnahu Quranan arabiyyanw-wa sarrafna

fihi mina-wa idi la’allahum yattaquna aq yuhdithu lahum dhikra. 

And thus have We bestowed from on high this [divine writ] as a discourse in the Arabic tongue, and have given therein many facets to all manner of warnings, so that people might remain conscious of Us, or that it give rise to a new awareness in them.  [113]

Fata ‘ala-lahu-Malikul-Haqq.  Wa la ta ‘jal bilQurani min-qabli

any-yuqdaa ilayka wahyuhu wa qur-Rabbi zidni ilma.

[Know] then [that] God is sublimely exalted, the Ultimate Sovereign, the Ultimate Truth:  and [knowing this], do not approach the Quran in haste, ere it has been revealed to thee in full, but [always] say:  “O my Sustainer, cause me to grow in knowledge!” [114]

Methodical Soul Imaging

Al-Hamdu Lillahli-lathi Anzala Ala ‘abdihil kitaba wa lam yaj’al lahu ‘iwaja.

Praise be to the One (Allah) Who revealed the book to His servant and did not make any distortion to it.

 Ahmaduhu subhanahu wa Ta’ala wa ashkurhu wa Huwa Ahlul-Hamdi wath-thana.

I praise Him (Allah) the Exalted One and the High and I thank Him. It is He who deserves the praise and gratitude.

Wa ash-hadu an la ilaha Illal lahu, wahdahu la sharika lahu, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadin ‘abduhu was rasooluhu al-Mustafa.

I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah; the One who has no partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is the servant of Allah and His messenger who was chosen by Allah.

The Title of my khutbah today is Methodical Soul Imaging.

I have been having very bad writers block for the past year. One contributing factor to this block was my frustration with how readers would misinterpret or not “get” my intended meaning. I felt like what I was saying was not getting through. Then I read this from Marcel Proust in Le temps retrouvé ,

"In reality, every reader, while he is reading, is the reader of his own self. The writer's work is merely a kind of optical instrument, which he offers to the reader to permit him to discern what, without the book, he would perhaps never have seen in himself. The reader's recognition in his own self of what the book says is the proof of its truth."

I’m not the only one with this problem. Readers interpret texts through the lens of their own experiences, memories, knowledge, emotions, cultural perspectives and historical position. The book as an imaging device, something that shows us something about our own selves, our own soul, makes it a powerful tool for introspection. This interpretation is not limited to works of literary fiction, it extends to every text, including our spiritual texts, and the Qur’an is no exception to this rule. Qur’an says of itself in 3:7

“He it is who has bestowed upon thee from on high this divine writ, containing messages that are clear in an by themselves- and these are the essence of the divine writ- as well as others that are allegorical. Now those whose hearts are given to swerving from the truth go after that part of the divine writ which has been expressed in allegory, seeking out confusion, and seeking to arrive at its final meaning in an arbitrary manner. But none save God knows its final meaning. Hence, those who are deeply rooted in knowledge say: ‘We believe it; the whole is from the Sustainer – albeit none takes this to heart save those who are endowed with insight.”

Having insight, having knowledge as well as understanding of one’s own self- these are vital tools in the work of introspection. What does the Islamic tradition have to say about introspection?  

       

“He who knows himself, knows his Lord” is weak hadith attributed to Prophet, actually conveyed by Aisha in a Q & A format. Since the next transmitter is al-Mawardi  and no one else reported it, plus al-Mawardi  was a Mu’tazalite and in the Islamic tradition the Mu’tazalites had far too much Greek influence, the hadith is assigned to the ‘weak’ category. Nevertheless, because this hadith has no legal ramifications, most people are ok with it.

How does the Quran define a “self”. What does the Quran say about the self? This is a somewhat complicated question, which I will go into greater detail in the second part of my khutba.  The Quran uses two words when talking about “self”; nafs and ruh. Nafs, with the Arabic root of nun-fa-seen is associated with self, person, soul, breath, and heart-felt desire. Ruh, Arabic root of ra-waw-ha, has the connotations of soul, spirit, evening breeze, something done at evening, evening journey, mercy, revelation, and the angel Jibreel.

The nafs are thought to constitute the human soul. In 4:1 where God “created humans from one soul”, the word used is “nafs”. In 50:16 Allah states, “We created man- We know what his soul whispers to him: We are closer to him than his jugular vein…” and the word used for soul is ‘nafs’.  We can think of the nafs as containing the divine energy that ensures your survival. However, this energy is also something that should be “tamed”. When we fast, we are sending our nafs to obedience school i.e. abstaining from food and drink and sexual intercourse and anger. Nafs are not bad in and of themselves, we need them to survive in this world, but they must not be allowed to dominate one’s heart.  So, when Hazrat Ali said, “Araftu Rabi bi Rabi” or “He knows his Lord by His Lord”, he’s you need to understand what your soul worships in order to understand what is your master. Are you dominated by your fear or greed or need for power? If you let these desires become the focus of your life, then you will be enslaved by them. These desires are your Lord.  We have plenty of examples in the Quran and in other literary works and real life of people who do just this. But if the soul that resides within your heart is nourished by Allah, remembers Allah and yearns for Allah, then Allah is your Lord.

(PAUSE)

Allahumma salli wa sallim wa barik ‘ala ‘abdika wa rasoolika Muhammadin sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, wa ‘ala alihi wa sabhibi ajma’een.

O Allah! Let Your prayer, Your peace, and Your blessings be upon Your servant and Your messenger Muhammad, and upon his family and all his companions.

Innal-la ha was malaaikatahu yussalloona Alan-nabiy.  Yaa aiyuhal latheena aamanoo, salloo alaihi, wa sallimoo tassleema.

Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the prophet. O you who believe! Ask blessing on him and salute him with a worthy greeting.

I said that there were two words used for “soul” in the Quran, nafs and ruh. Ruh is one of the earliest uses, it is found in the early Meccan surahs. The first time it is mentioned is in Surah 97:3-4 in reference to revelation that Prophet Muhammad has recently received. The surah states: “The Night of Glory is better than a thousand months, on that night the angels and the spirit descend again and again with their Lord’s permission on every task…”

Ruh is used in another early Mecca surah, 78:38, describing the line up for God’s judgment on the Last Day. “On the Day when the spirit and the angels stand in rows, they will not speak except for those to whom the Lord of Mercy gives permission, who will say only what is right.”

In surah 91:7-10, revealed soon after 97, the word nafs is used in reference to purifying oneself: “…by the soul and how He formed it and inspired it (to know) its own rebellion and piety! The one who purifies his soul succeeds and the one who corrupts it fails.”

In these contexts, it is hard to distinguish if ruh is interchangeable with nafs, or if the ruh is something different- revelation or contact with the Divine. There are also commentators who will insist that ruh is a metaphor for the angel Jibril.

In later Meccan surahs, nafs comes to dominate references to the soul. In Surah 12, Joseph, revealed in the last year of the Meccan period, nafs is used to refer to a craving in the soul or longing (12:68 “…and when they entered as their father had told them, it did not help them against the will of God, it merely satisfied a wish of Jacob’s.”) as well as the part of the soul that leads one astray (12:53 “I do not pretend to be blameless, for man’s very soul incited him to evil unless my Lord shows mercy.”). Ruh is not used in this surah, but the word “rawh” is used in 12:87 and is translated as a “life-giving mercy”.

During the last two months of the Prophet’s time in Mecca, ruh is mentioned twice. Once in 16:2 “He sends down angels with inspiration at His command, to whichever of His servants He chooses, to give warning…”, and finally in surah 17:85, again in the context of divine inspiration, “They ask you about the spirit. Say, ‘The spirit is part of my Lord’s domain. You have only been given a little knowledge.’ “ This is the very last time ruh is ever mentioned in the Quran.

In all subsequent references to the soul in Medina, the word ‘nafs’ is used.

2: 48: “Guard yourselves against a Day when no soul will stand in place of another, no intercession will be accepted for it, nor will they be helped.”

2:130: “Who but a fool (would fool his soul) would forsake the religion of Abraham?

2:207 But there is a kind of man who would willingly sell his own self in order to please God.

4:1 People be mindful of your Lord, who created you from a single soul, and from it created its mate, and from the pair of them spread countless men and women far and wide…

4:79 “Anything good that happens to you is from God; anything bad is from your self…”

There are other uses of ‘self’ in the Quran, but Arabic grammar is such that the verbs can be self-reflexive, you don’t need a “subject” word per se. So in 7:172 “when your Lord took out the offspring from the loins of the Children of Adam and made them bear witness about themselves, He said, ‘Am I not your Lord?’ and they replied, ‘Yes, we bear witness.’, there is no “nafs” or “ruh”, it is essentially “witnessed”. 

Why was there no more mention of ruh in the Medina years? One reason could be is during the prophet’s time in Medina there were other Arab leaders in different towns, rivals to Muhammad, who claimed that they, too, were divinely inspired by a god. Perhaps divine guidance and revelation were proving to be a bit too divisive, and instead the focus was on purifying your own nafs. I don’t know.

What is ruh? I’m not really sure. It is hard to tell from the context of the Quran. At this point, we are left with interpretation, and you have the choice if you want to interpret it yourself, or go by the interpretation of a traditional scholar, sufi master, your spouse, your friends or local community leader. That’s what free will is all about!

In my unabashed opinion, I have always thought of ruh as that part of your soul which has the capability of interacting with the Divine. The ruh has the qualities of receptiveness as well as ability to follow through with action. And not all of this is in our conscious minds! Sometimes, and I have seen it here, we will say or do something that might be done on ‘impulse’, only to find out later that what we said or did had a tremendously good impact on someone else. I’m not sure what ruh is, but I do know that if I can’t keep my own nafs and other assorted demons in check, then I will never have a chance for finding out what it is. God knows best.

My closing du’a is from 3:191-193, Not in vain have You made them (heaven and earth). All praise be to you, O Lord, preserve us from the torment of Hell. Whoever, O Lord, should be cast into Hell shall be verily disgraced; and the sinners shall have none to help them. We have heard, O our Lord, the crier call inviting us to faith (saying) ‘Believe in your Lord’. O our Lord, to faith we have come, so forgive our trespasses, deliver us from sin, and grant us death with the just.

*Rabbana ma khalaqta hadha batilan, subhanaka fa-qina ‘adhaban-nar. Rabbana innaka man tudkhilin-nara fa-qad akhqaytahu, wa ma liz-zalimina min ansar.

Rabbana innana sami’na munadiyan yunadi lil imani an aminu bi-Rabbikum fa-amanna, Rabbana faghfir lanan dhunubana wa kaffir ‘annna sayyiatina wa tawaffana ma’al-abrar. Rabbana wa atina ma wa’adta-na ‘ala russuli-ka wa la tukhzi-na yauma-l-qiyamati innaka latukhlifu-l-mi’ad. Ameen.

Notes:

 Quran translations are from “The Qur’an: a new translation” by M.A.S. Abdel Haleem as well as “The Message of the Qur’an” translation by Muhammad Asad.

Anatomy of a Surah: Surat An-Nur

Surah 24 An-Nur (The Light)

Allahu nurus-samawati wal ‘ard.

Mathalu nurihi ka-mishkatin-fiha misbah.

Almisbahu fi zujajah.

Azzujajtu ka ‘annaha kawkabun-durriyyuny-yuqadu

min-shajaratim-mubarakatin-zaytunatil-la sharqiyyatinw-wa la gharbiyyatiny-yakadu zaytuha yudil’u wa law lam tamsas-hu nar.

Nurun ‘ala nur. 

Yahdil-lahu linurihi many-yashaa.

Wa yadribulahul-amthala linnas.

Wal-lahu bikulli shay’in Alim. [35]

God is the light of the heavens and the earth. 

The parable of His light is, as it were,

that of a niche containing a lamp;

 the lamp is enclosed in glass, the glass shining like a radiant star;

[a lamp] lit from a blessed tree –

an olive tree that is neither of the east nor of the west –

the oil whereof [is so bright that it] would well-nigh give light

[of itself] even though fire had not touched it:  light upon light!

God guides unto His light whoever wills [to be guided];

and to this end] God propounds parables unto men,

since God [alone] has full knowledge of all things. [35]

We find this, one of most beautiful ayat in the Quran, in the middle of Surat An-Nur.  This is one of the metaphorical Surahs, those that use evocative images to try to communicate something of the nature of Allah to humankind.  In fact, the last words of the ayah tell us that this is exactly what Allah intentioned. 

I do find it intriguing that this ayah appears in Quran, unexpectedly, immediately following a collection of ayat which contain detailed instructions about how the Muslim community should handle some very, shall we say, terrestrial, earthbound issues.  After giving notice in ayah 1 that what is to come are plain, clear messages that should be kept in mind, Surat An-Nur gets right down to specifics with the following:

As for the adulteress and the adulterer – flog each of them with a hundred lashes, and let not compassion with them keep you from [carrying out] this law of God, if you [truly] believe in God and the Last Day; and let a group of the believers witness their chastisement. [2]

 Ayah 3 goes on to say that both the adulterer and the adulteress are equally guilty of according to their own lust a place side by side with God, and that this is forbidden to believers.

This is not the only place in Quran where passages of sublime metaphorical beauty are juxtaposed with specific instructions that seem harsh and unforgiving.  In Surat An-Nur alone there are other themes, besides hudud (punishment) for zina (adultery) that appear to be addressed to a specific context:  the accusation of adultery wrongfully attributed to Aisha, rules for the marriage of slaves and concubines, rules of courtesy when entering someone’s home, the behaviors of the hypocrites in Madinah, women’s and men’s modesty based on the dress of the time, rules about who it was appropriate to eat with.  In fact, these rules provide a fascinating series of vignettes – reflections on the lives of the followers of the Prophet. 

Let’s go back to Ayah 2, and take a closer look at how the wahy worked in the case of punishment for adultery.  The word zina used in these verses and translated as adultery means voluntary sexual intercourse between a man and a woman who are not married to each other, regardless of whether they are married to other persons.  What was the purpose of such harsh and humiliating punishment – 100 lashes in public?  Besides establishing a norm for committed sexual relationships, there was a compelling reason to contain sexual activity at that time.  The problem of orphans was out of control.  It was common practice among men and women in Arabia before Islam to have sexual partners outside of marriage.  Since birth control was unknown or ineffective, there were many children whose paternity was unknown, and who were therefore not adequately cared for.  The Prophet invoked Divine intervention when faced with any problem, and the new restrictions in 24:2-3 helped solve the problem of fatherless children.  They provided a way to organize social relationships in a more constructive manner.  But the new regulation was also constrained in its application by the subsequent verses, 24:4-5:

And as for those who accuse chaste women [of adultery], and then are unable to produce four witnesses [in support of their accusation], flog them with eighty lashes; and ever after refuse to accept from them any testimony – since it is they, they that are truly depraved! [4]

excepting [from this interdict] only those who afterwards repent and made amends:  for, behold, God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace. [5]

This proof of evidence, four witnesses to the adulterous act itself, was extremely difficult, if not impossible to provide.  (Quran requires only two witnesses in all other criminal and civil cases.)  And the punishment for accusation in the absence of four eye-witnesses is almost as high as for adultery.  This punishment was so qualified that its strategic role was deterrent.  Like the nuclear option in the 20^th century, the constraints on its implementation made it nearly impossible to apply.

Third party accusations relating to illicit sexual intercourse are practically precluded, leaving the proof of adultery to voluntary faith-based confession.  

The reaction of the Prophet’s followers to the revelation of these verses was predictable. Saad ibn Obada, a leader of al-ansar, the Muslims of Madinah, immediately protested, asking the Prophet, “Are you sure these ayat came from Allah?”  The Prophet turned to his followers, offended that Saad had questioned the wahy, and said, “Did you hear what he said?” The others answered, “No, ya Rasul, he does not question the wahy, but you have to understand him.  He is so jealous he only marries virgins, and when he divorces, no other man dares to marry his wives.”  Saad said, “I cannot follow that rule – to get four witnesses if I find my wife committing adultery.  By the time I get the four, the act will be finished.  I will stop them first.” 

Sure enough, soon after this, a man, Hilal ibn Omaya, came to the Prophet and said his wife had committed adultery.  Hilal was not yet aware of the rule about four witnesses that had descended.  The Prophet asked him if he had witnesses and he said no.  The Prophet told Hilal, that he would have to get 80 lashes.  Hilal said, “I told the truth, so be it.  I believe Allah will intervene on my behalf.”   The Prophet was about to order him to be flogged when his face changed to show that he was receiving a wahy.  This is when ayat 24:6-10 were revealed.  The Prophet told Hilal he had good news for him. 

And as for those who accuse their own wives [of adultery], but have no witnesses except themselves, let each of these [accusers] call God four times to witness that he is indeed telling the truth [6] and the fifth time, that God’s curse be upon him if he is telling a lie. [7]

But [as for the wife, all] chastisement shall be averted from her by her calling God four times to witness that he is indeed telling a lie, [8] and the fifth [time], that God’s curse be upon her if he is telling the truth. [9]

Hilal and his wife came before the Prophet.  Hilal swore four times before Allah that he told the truth, and invoked God’s curse if he wasn’t.  His wife swore four times that she did not commit adultery.  On the fifth time she faltered, but then took the fifth oath.  There was no determination of guilt.  The couple then separated.

Pause

This story from the early commentators is just one illustration of the interactive nature of the wahy.  Virtually all of the ayat in Quran that describe rules of conduct came in response to problems in the Prophet’s community that needed resolution.  The Prophet was trying to form a new society and answers came from God to help him do that.  The Prophet and his followers invoked guidance from God and the guidance came – whatever they needed…. rules that carried them along the path toward a more just and equitable society, in words they could understand – that fit the language and cognitive development of 7^th century Arabs… rules that they could realistically adopt, however difficult.  But toward is the operative word here.  They did not achieve a fully just and equitable society.  They made the progress that they could, at that time and in that place, with the guidance of God’s Prophet.  The project continues for us today.

And do all of the rules prescribed for the 7^th century Arabs apply to us?  Of course not.  The problems humankind faces today, and the evolution of human cognition could not have been imagined in the time of the Prophet.  We need to stop fantasizing about Quran as a book of guidance whose every rule applies universally.  Understanding Quran is now, as it has always been, an interpretive project.  The Quran is a remarkable record of Divine guidance to a community.  It launched a change in human consciousness, and helped advance the course of civilization.  Reading Quran helps us think about where we have come from historically as a species, and where we might be headed.  Much of what is there evokes qualities of Divine Reality that transcend its historical context.  Those are the passages that touch our hearts today.

I return again to where I started - ayah 35 of Surat An-Nur:

God is the light of the heavens and the earth. 

The parable of His light is, as it were,

that of a niche containing a lamp;

 the lamp is enclosed in glass, the glass shining like a radiant star;

The thing about glass in a lamp is, it not only allows light to shine through.  It can also reflect whatever is in front of it.  Maybe we could think of the ayat in Quran that prescribe rules for specific circumstances as panes of glass reflecting the needs of the believers.  Maybe we can imagine new panes in that lamp that reflect our own needs, but allow God’s radiance to shine through and illuminate new paths.  

Allah is timeless – as real today as ever – and as available as ever to help us, whenever we humble ourselves and seek the meaning in our lives, and make ourselves receptive to God’s light. 

Yahdil-lahu linurihi many-yashaa.

Wa yadribulahul-amthala linnas.

Wal-lahu bikulli shay’in Alim. [24:35]

God guides unto His light whoever wills [to be guided];

and to this end] God propounds parables unto men,

since God [alone] has full knowledge of all things. [24:35]

Wa laqad anzalnaa ilaykum

Ayatim-mubay-yinatinw-wa mathalam-minal-ladhina

Khalaw min-qablikum wa maw ‘izatal-lilmuttaqin. [24:34]

And Indeed, from on high have We bestowed upon you messages clearly showing the truth,

And [many] a lesson from [the stories of] those who have passed away before you, and many an admonition to the God-conscious. [24:34]

Signs of the Times

A’uzu Billahi Min ash-Shaitain ir-Rajeem.

Bismillah ir-rahman ir-raheem.

Al Hamdu Lillahi Rabbil ‘Alameen.

Wasa’atu Wassalamu ‘Ala Muhammad wa ‘Ala Alihi was Sabhihi was Sallim

Al-hamdu lillah, Ahmaduhu Wa Assta’eenuh, Wa Asstahdeenhi, Wa Asstaghfiruh, Wa oominu Bihi Jalla wa ‘Ala wa Laa Akfuruh.  Praise be to Allah; I praise Him and I seek His assistance. I believe in Him, the Exhalted, and I will not disbelieve Him.

The title of the khutbah today is Signs of the Times.

From surah 10, ayah 3:

“Your Lord is God Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then settled firmly on the throne, to order the world’s affairs. There is no intercessor except by His leave. This is God, your Lord, So worship Him! Will you not reflect?”

Inna Rabbakumul-lahul-lathi khalaqas-samawati wal-‘arda fi  sittati ‘ayyamin-thummas-tawa ‘alal- ‘arshi yudabbirul- ‘amr. Ma min-shafi’in ‘illa mim-ba’’dil ‘idthnih. Dhalikumul-lahu Rabbukum fa’ buduh. ‘Afala ta-dhakkarun.

In the Quran, there are many verses that are difficult to be followed literally today. The Quran says in this ayah the earth was created in six days. Scientists have calculated that the earth was made over 4.5 billion years. It may be difficult for one to believe both. That is why one must interpret the Quran metaphorically. Metaphors use simple imagery to explain complex ideas.  Instead of seeing the earth as being made in six days, one must imagine one day for Allah must be a billion years for us, and see the earth being made over billions of years, not days. Or, one may think of the six great extinctions on earth. People living in Prophet Mohamed's (SAWS) time were unbelieving to the radical ideas of Islam. If the Quran had said things about the creation of earth using science so far ahead of its time, many people would have ignored Islam. This is not saying the Quran should only be used if we live in the Middle Ages. Yes, it was written for that audience, but we can still use it today.

This verse also says that God is ‘established on His throne.” This does not mean that God is literally sitting on a throne, it just means that He is in control of everything. The throne is a metaphor for being supreme above all others and being superior. When a king sits on a throne, everyone knows he is the most powerful person in the room. When God sits on His metaphorical throne, everyone knows He is the highest and most exalted being.

Since we now have technology that allows us to see more of our world, we must see the other side of the Quran, the allegories and metaphors. For instance, in surah 99 Az-Zalzalah, Quran says,

“Fa-man ya’mal mithqala dharratin khairan yarahu/ wa man ya’mal mithqala draratin sharran yarahu.”

Translators convey this as “Then shall anyone who has done an atom’s weight of good, see it! And anyone who has done an atom’s weigh of evil, shall see it.”

The only thing is, the 7th century Arabs did not think in terms of atoms back then! Yet, in nearly every English translation, the word “dharrat” is translated as “atom”. But “dharrat” is not an atom, a “dharrat” is a very tiny ant that lived in the desert. The ant was so tiny that it is said 100 of them would only weigh as much as one barley seed. But for the desert Bedouin, a dharrat was the smallest thing they could think of, something that you couldn’t cut (and being too small to cut was the original definition of “atom”). So what is the most correct word here? Tiny ant or atom? That question is for God to answer. In the meantime, we must look at these ayat as metaphor.  The point is we must be careful not  to interpret the Quran as a book describing the science of the world, but as a book of religion trying to convince the unbelievers to behave better. If we read the Qu'ran literally and do exactly what it says unquestioningly, we will be in trouble. We may be misled by extremists and troublemakers.

The Qur’an says about itself in 3:7

“He it is who has bestowed upon thee from on high this divine writ, containing messages that are clear in an by themselves- and these are the essence of the divine writ- as well as others that are allegorical. Now those whose hearts are given to swerving from the truth go after that part of the divine writ which has been expressed in allegory, seeking out confusion, and seeking to arrive at its final meaning in an arbitrary manner. But none save God knows its final meaning. Hence, those who are deeply rooted in knowledge say: ‘We believe it; the whole is from the Sustainer – albeit none takes this to heart save those who are endowed with insight.”

We need to study the natural world first, look at the ayat of God as they appear in the world around us. Once we have knowledge of what happens in the real world, then we can apply what we know to the Quran and understand the metaphor.  We must always remember that our human interpretations are open to doubt and questioning, limited by our own limited knowledge. God has knowledge of everything and it is our Creator of the Worlds who possesses the definitive meaning. 

PAUSE

Al-Hamdu Lillahi Rabbil ‘Alameen Wassalutu Wassalmu ‘Alakhairil Mursaleen; Muhammadin Al-Nabiyil  Ummiyee, wa ‘Ala alihi wa mahbihi Ajma’een.

Praise be to Allah, the lord of the universe; May the greeting and peace of Allah be upon the best Messenger, Muhammad, the unlettered Prophet; and upon His family and upon all of His companions.

I asked my daughter to write about Ms Marvel, and why she thinks Ms Marvel is a good person.

Ms Marvel is a comic book  series written by G. Willow Wilson and illustrated by Adrian Alphona and Ian Herring. It is published by Marvel comics.

                Kamala Khan was just a regular girl, with no super powers or special abilities. At least, that is what she believed for about 15 years. It was a gloomy night, as the bright moon slipped beneath the crowded fog. Kamala was at a party, felling alone and excluded.  She immediately saw a mystic green fog, and her curiosity led her to the colored fog. She met the real Miss Marvel, and Kamala wished for one thing only: to be Miss Marvel. It was then where Kamala realized she is immortal, and actually has abilities. Kamala, now Miss Marvel, could shrink down to the size of a mouse, or grow to as wide as a car. She could stretch her legs and arms far more than most people, and can transform into other people. Kamala also has the ability to heal herself if she is injured. Kamala Khan is a great role model because she only uses her super powers to help others in danger. She has saved her classmates from drowning, being abducted, and from being killed. In conclusion, Miss Marvel, or Kamala Khan uses her superpowers for only good, which encourages others to help each other.

In learning about Kamala Khan, she reminded me of Nusaybah bint Ka’ab. Nusaybah was one of the companions of the prophet, who defended him during the battle of Uhud. When she saw the prophet was surrounded by enemy soldiers, she rushed to his defense. The Prophet said of her, “Wherever I turned, to the left or to the right, I saw her fighting for me.”

Ms. Marvel and Nusaybah teach us that in addition to being kind, it is also important to be courageous to  help those we love.

The closing du’a is from surah2, ayah 286

Our Lord! Do not punish us if we forget or make a mistake. Our Lord! Do not load on us a severe test as You did burden on those before us. Our Lord! Do not impose upon us that which we have not the strength to bear; and pardon us and forgive us and have mercy on us, You are our Defender, so help us against the ungrateful people.

Rabbana la tu’akhizna in-nasina aw akh-ta’na. Rabbana wa la tahmil ‘alayna isran kama hamaltahu ‘ala-llatheena min qablina. Rabbana wa la tuhammilna ma la taqata lana bih, wa- ‘fu ‘anna wa ‘ghfirlana warhamna anta Maulana fansurna ‘alal-ghawmil kafirin. Ameen.

-by HR, ZSR, and NR