Sunday, November 27, 2011

Taqwa and righteousness in Quran -Koran

http://quraan-today.blogspot.com/2011/11/taqwa-and-righteousness-in-quran-koran.html

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Brother Mohiddeen,
Thanks for sharing this. I have added the translations of Muhammad Asad to your work. However, in Asad Translations (http://www.islamicity.com/QuranSearch/) The word Taqwa did not show up. But righteousness showed up 9 times.  Piety 5 times (completely different than your search) and right conduct 3 times.
This is amazing, how the same word Piety is not referred to in the same verses by two different translators. Indeed, if an America born and raised Muslim who is well informed about other religious traditions as they present themselves ( and not as we want it to be) the word righteousness will dominate in the translations/ interpretations replacing the word piety.

The Quraan Translations have added to a deeper understanding and further research.
The Quran had been purposely mistranslated down through history.

(http://www.dallasnews.com/news/columnists/steve-blow/20100919-In-defense-of-Islam-pursuing-9397.ece)


In the Middle Ages, European leaders commissioned a hostile Quran translation to foster warfare against Muslim invaders.Later, Muslim leaders produced another translation to inflame Muslims against Christians and Jews. It was all for politics.

We had conducted a conference on Quraan Translations in Dallas,
“
Ghouse said he hopes to present Jeffress with a modern, faithful translation and challenge him to find evil verses."If he can, I will convert. I will join his church," Ghouse said. "If he can't, I will call on him to retract his statements and become a peacemaker."

The details are at: www.Quraanconference.com


I have given out copies of Asad’s translations to the clergy, politicians and influential leaders, indeed, I gave a copy to Pamela Geller (the one who initiated trouble against the ground zero mosque then and I have been against her on Radio and TV shows) and Sean Hannity (# 2 watched show in the US) – and here is what she writes: http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/10/pamela-geller-sean-hannity-and-quraan.html

Indeed, I am writing a personal note on the copies reminding people that Quraan is a book of guidance to the humanity and God does not discriminate anyone of his creation and the Prophet had emphasized in his last sermon the same. There are 25 translations now, 2 of them are ugly and false 23 are ok. This one is fine but more corrections need be made.

Mike Ghouse
Muslims together are committed to  cohesive and just societies
www.Islamtogetherfoundation.com

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Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmathullahu Wa Bharakhathuhu.

Recently you forwarded an email from sister Zina talking about Taqwa as the Ismaili Muslims see it. It is unfortunate that the email got deleted by mistake. Inshah Allah I would have helped the Ismaili Muslims by indicating her misconceptions.

Alhamdhulillah, I looked at the meaning of Taqwa as in the Holy Quran and the results are below.


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The word(s) "taqwa" appears 17 time(s) in 17 verse(s) in Quran.

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No.
Verse
Meaning
1
2:197
Right conduct
2
2:237
Righteousness
3
5:2
Righteousness and piety
4
5:8
Be just
5
7:26
Righteousness
6
9:108
Piety
7
9:109
Piety
8
20:132
Righteousness
9
22:32
Piety
10
22:37
Piety
11
47:17
Piety and restraint (from evil)
12
48:26
Self-restraint
13
49:3
Piety
14
58:9
Righteousness and self-restraint
15
74:56
Righteousness
16
91:8
Its right
17
96:12
Righteousness

Out of the above 17, we find:

9 times righteousness, 7 times piety, 3 self-restraint (from evil) and 1 be just

Please notice that ‘to be just’ appears only once. It is possibly because delivering justice is done by the Imam of the local Masjid within his community; by the local leader as the communities are combined for different congregations like Juma prayer, Umrah, and Hajj. Allah Subhana Wa Taala knows best.

The transliteration and the meaning of these 17 Verses are given below.


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Transliteration 2:197

Alhajju ashhurun maAAloomatun faman farada feehinna alhajja fala rafatha wala fusooqa wala jidala fee alhajji wama tafAAaloo min khayrin yaAAlamhu Allahu watazawwadoo fainna khayra alzzadi alttaqwa waittaqooni ya olee alalbabi

Yusuf Ali 2:197

For Hajj are the months well known. If any one undertakes that duty therein, Let there be no obscenity, nor wickedness, nor wrangling in the Hajj. And whatever good ye do, (be sure) Allah knoweth it. And take a provision (With you) for the journey, but the best of provisions is right conduct. So fear Me, o ye that are wise.

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Al-Baqara (The Cow)

2:197 (Asad) The pilgrimage shall take place in the months appointed for it. [180] And whoever undertakes the pilgrimage in those [months] shall, while on pilgrimage, abstain from lewd speech, from all wicked conduct, and from quarrelling; and whatever good you may do, God is aware of it. And make provision for yourselves - but, verily, the best of all provisions is God-consciousness: remain, then, conscious of Me, O you who are endowed with insight!


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Transliteration 2:237

Wain tallaqtumoohunna min qabli an tamassoohunna waqad faradtum lahunna fareedatan fanisfu ma faradtum illa an yaAAfoona aw yaAAfuwa allathee biyadihi AAuqdatu alnnikahi waan taAAfoo aqrabu lilttaqwa wala tansawoo alfadla baynakum inna Allaha bima taAAmaloona baseerun

Yusuf Ali 2:237

And if ye divorce them before consummation, but after the fixation of a dower for them, then the half of the dower (Is due to them), unless they remit it or (the man's half) is remitted by him in whose hands is the marriage tie; and the remission (of the man's half) is the nearest to righteousness. And do not forget Liberality between yourselves. For Allah sees well all that ye do.

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Al-Baqara (The Cow)


2:237 (Asad) And if you divorce them before having touched them, but after having settled a dower upon them, then [give them] half of what you have settled - unless it be that they forgo their claim or he in whose hand is the marriage-tie [226] forgoes his claim [to half of the dower]: and to forgo what is due to you is more in accord with God-consciousness. And forget not [that you are to act with] grace towards one another: verily, God sees all that you do.


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Transliteration 5:2

Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo la tuhilloo shaAAaira Allahi wala alshshahra alharama wala alhadya wala alqalaida wala ammeena albayta alharama yabtaghoona fadlan min rabbihim waridwanan waitha halaltum faistadoo wala yajrimannakum shanaanu qawmin an saddookum AAani almasjidi alharami an taAAtadoo wataAAawanoo AAala albirri waalttaqwa wala taAAawanoo AAala alithmi waalAAudwani waittaqoo Allaha inna Allaha shadeedu alAAiqabi

Yusuf Ali 5:2

O ye who believe! Violate not the sanctity of the symbols of Allah, nor of the sacred month, nor of the animals brought for sacrifice, nor the garlands that mark out such animals, nor the people resorting to the sacred house, seeking of the bounty and good pleasure of their Lord. But when ye are clear of the sacred precincts and of pilgrim garb, ye may hunt and let not the hatred of some people in (once) shutting you out of the Sacred Mosque lead you to transgression (and hostility on your part). Help ye one another in righteousness and piety, but help ye not one another in sin and rancour: fear Allah. for Allah is strict in punishment.

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Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread)

5:2 (Asad) O you who have attained to faith! Offend not against the symbols set up by God, nor against the sacred month [of pilgrimage], nor against the garlanded offerings, [4] nor against those who flock to the Inviolable Temple, seeking favour with their Sustainer and His goodly acceptance; and [only] after your pilgrimage is over [5] are you free to hunt. And never let your hatred of people who would bar you from the Inviolable House of Worship lead you into the sin of aggression: [6] but rather help one another in furthering virtue and God-consciousness, and do not help one another in furthering evil and enmity; and remain conscious of God: for, behold, God is severe in retribution!
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Transliteration 5:8

Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo koonoo qawwameena lillahi shuhadaa bialqisti wala yajrimannakum shanaanu qawmin AAala alla taAAdiloo iAAdiloo huwa aqrabu lilttaqwa waittaqoo Allaha inna Allaha khabeerun bima taAAmaloona

Yusuf Ali 5:8

O ye who believe! stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do.

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Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread)

5:8 (Asad) O YOU who have attained to faith! Be ever steadfast in your devotion to God, bearing witness to the truth in all equity; and never let hatred of any-one [19] lead you into the sin of deviating from justice. Be just: this is closest to being God-conscious. And remain conscious of God: verily, God is aware of all that you do.


Transliteration 7:26

Ya banee adama qad anzalna AAalaykum libasan yuwaree sawatikum wareeshan walibasu alttaqwa thalika khayrun thalika min ayati Allahi laAAallahum yaththakkaroona

Yusuf Ali 7:26

O ye Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover your shame, as well as to be an adornment to you. But the raiment of righteousness,- that is the best. Such are among the Signs of Allah, that they may receive admonition!

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Al-A'raf (The Heights)

7:26 (Asad) O CHILDREN of Adam! Indeed, We have bestowed upon you from on high [the knowledge of making] garments to cover your nakedness, and as a thing of beauty: [17] but the garment of God-consciousness is the best of all. Herein lies a message from God, so that man” [18] might take it to heart.


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Transliteration 9:108

La taqum feehi abadan lamasjidun ossisa AAala alttaqwa min awwali yawmin ahaqqu an taqooma feehi feehi rijalun yuhibboona an yatatahharoo waAllahu yuhibbu almuttahhireena

Yusuf Ali 9:108

Never stand thou forth therein. There is a mosque whose foundation was laid from the first day on piety; it is more worthy of the standing forth (for prayer) therein. In it are men who love to be purified; and Allah loveth those who make themselves pure.

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At-Tauba (The Repentance)


9:108 (Asad) Never set foot in such a place! [144] Only a house of worship founded, from the very first day, upon God-consciousness is worthy of thy setting foot therein [145] -[a house of worship] wherein there are men desirous of growing in purity: for God loves all who purify themselves.


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Transliteration 9:109

Afaman assasa bunyanahu AAala taqwa mina Allahi waridwanin khayrun am man assasa bunyanahu AAala shafa jurufin harin fainhara bihi fee nari jahannama waAllahu la yahdee alqawma alththalimeena

Yusuf Ali 9:109

Which then is best? - he that layeth his foundation on piety to Allah and His good pleasure? - or he that layeth his foundation on an undermined sand-cliff ready to crumble to pieces? and it doth crumble to pieces with him, into the fire of Hell. And Allah guideth not people that do wrong.

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At-Tauba (The Repentance)


9:109 (Asad) Which. then, is the better: he who has founded his building on God-consciousness and [a desire for] His goodly acceptance-or he who has founded his building on the edge of a water-worn, crumbling river-bank, so that it [is bound to] tumble down with him into the fire of hell? For, God does not grace with His guidance people who [deliberately] do wrong:


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Transliteration 20:132

Wamur ahlaka bialssalati waistabir AAalayha la nasaluka rizqan nahnu narzuquka waalAAaqibatu lilttaqwa

Yusuf Ali 20:132

Enjoin prayer on thy people, and be constant therein. We ask thee not to provide sustenance: We provide it for thee. But the (fruit of) the Hereafter is for righteousness.

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Ta-Ha


20:132 (Asad) And bid thy people to pray, and persevere therein. [But remember:] We do not ask thee to provide sustenance [for Us]: [117] it is We who provide sustenance for thee. And the future belongs to the God-conscious. [118]


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Transliteration 22:32

Thalika waman yuAAaththim shaAAaira Allahi fainnaha min taqwa alquloobi

Yusuf Ali 22:32

Such (is his state): and whoever holds in honour the symbols of Allah, (in the sacrifice of animals), such (honour) should come truly from piety of heart.

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Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage)

22:32 (Asad) This is [to be borne in mind]. And anyone who honours the symbols set up by God [47] [shall know that] verily, these [symbols derive their value] from the God-consciousness in the [believers’] hearts


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Transliteration 22:37

Lan yanala Allaha luhoomuha wala dimaoha walakin yanaluhu alttaqwa minkum kathalika sakhkharaha lakum litukabbiroo Allaha AAala ma hadakum wabashshiri almuhsineena

Yusuf Ali 22:37

It is not their meat nor their blood, that reaches Allah. it is your piety that reaches Him: He has thus made them subject to you, that ye may glorify Allah for His Guidance to you and proclaim the good news to all who do right.

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Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage)

22:37 (Asad) [But bear in mind:] never does their flesh reach God, and neither their blood: it is only your God-consciousness that reaches Him. It is to this end that We have made them subservient to your needs, so that you might glorify God for all the guidance with which He has graced you. And give thou this glad tiding unto the doers of good:


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Transliteration 47:17

Waallatheena ihtadaw zadahum hudan waatahum taqwahum

Yusuf Ali 47:17

But to those who receive Guidance, He increases the (light of) Guidance, and bestows on them their Piety and Restraint (from evil).

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Muhammad

47:17 (Asad) just as for those who are [willing to be] guided, He increases their [ability to follow His] guidance and causes them to grow in God-consciousness. [21]


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Transliteration 48:26

Ith jaAAala allatheena kafaroo fee quloobihimu alhamiyyata hamiyyata aljahiliyyati faanzala Allahu sakeenatahu AAala rasoolihi waAAala almumineena waalzamahum kalimata alttaqwa wakanoo ahaqqa biha waahlaha wakana Allahu bikulli shayin AAaleeman

Yusuf Ali 48:26

While the Unbelievers got up in their hearts heat and cant - the heat and cant of ignorance,- Allah sent down His Tranquillity to his Messenger and to the Believers, and made them stick close to the command of self-restraint; and well were they entitled to it and worthy of it. And Allah has full knowledge of all things.

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Al-Fath (The Victory)


  48:26 (Asad) Whereas they who are bent on denying the truth harboured a stubborn disdain in their hearts - the stubborn disdain [born] of ignorance [36] God bestowed from on high His [gift of] inner peace upon His Apostle and the believers, and bound them to the spirit of God-consciousness: [37] for they were most worthy of this [divine gift], and deserved it well. And God has full knowledge of all things
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Transliteration 49:3

Inna allatheena yaghuddoona aswatahum AAinda rasooli Allahi olaika allatheena imtahana Allahu quloobahum lilttaqwa lahum maghfiratun waajrun AAatheemun

Yusuf Ali 49:3

Those that lower their voices in the presence of Allah’s Messenger,- their hearts has Allah tested for piety: for them is Forgiveness and a great Reward.

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Al-Hujurat (The Dwellings)


49:3 (Asad) Behold, they who lower their voices in the presence of God’s Apostle - it is they whose hearts God has tested [and opened] to consciousness of Himself; [and] theirs shall be forgiveness and a reward supreme.


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Transliteration 58:9

Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo itha tanajaytum fala tatanajaw bialithmi waalAAudwani wamaAAsiyati alrrasooli watanajaw bialbirri waalttaqwa waittaqoo Allaha allathee ilayhi tuhsharoona

Yusuf Ali 58:9

O ye who believe! When ye hold secret counsel, do it not for iniquity and hostility, and disobedience to the Prophet; but do it for righteousness and self- restraint; and fear Allah, to Whom ye shall be brought back.

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Al-Mujadilah (The Disputation)

58:9 (Asad) [Hence,] O you who have attained to faith, when you do hold secret confabulations, do not conspire with one another with a view to sinful doings, and aggressive conduct, and disobedience to the Apostle, [16] but [rather] hold counsel in the cause of virtue and God-consciousness: and [always] remain conscious of God, unto whom you all shall be gathered.


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Transliteration 74:56

Wama yathkuroona illa an yashaa Allahu huwa ahlu alttaqwa waahlu almaghfirati

Yusuf Ali 74:56

But none will keep it in remembrance except as Allah wills: He is the Lord of Righteousness, and the Lord of Forgiveness.

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Al-Muddaththir (The One Enveloped)

74:56 (Asad) But they [who do not believe in the life to come] will not take it to heart unless God so wills: [30] [for] He is the Fount of all God-consciousness, and the Fount of all forgiveness.


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Transliteration 91:8

Faalhamaha fujooraha wataqwaha

Yusuf Ali 91:8

And its enlightenment as to its wrong and its right;-

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Ash-Shams (The Sun)


  91:8 (Asad) and how it is imbued with moral failings as well as with consciousness of God!

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Transliteration 96:12

Aw amara bialttaqwa

Yusuf Ali 96:12

Or enjoins Righteousness?

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Al-Alaq (The Clot)

96:12 (Asad) or is concerned with God-consciousness? [6]

Kindly pass on to all the Ismailis you know so that they understand Taqwa in its many aspects and do not blindly follow a mortal and his interpretatation.

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With prayers to Allah Subhana Wa Taala,

Your brother,

Mohideen Ibramsha


Was Salaam.

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Displaying Verse 1 through 9 of 9 Verse(s) found. ( 9 Verse(s) displayed). Back - Print This Page




Search For: RIGHTEOUSNESS - -
Al-Anfal (The Spoils of War)
  8:40 (Asad) and if they turn away [from righteousness],know that God is your Lord Supreme: [and] how excellent is this Lord Supreme, and how excellent this Giver of Succour!



At-Tauba (The Repentance)
  9:100 (Asad) And as for the first and foremost of those who have forsaken the domain of evil and of those who have sheltered and succoured the Faith, [132] as well as those who follow them in [the way of] righteousness - God is well-pleased with them, and well--pleased are they with Him. And for them has He readied gardens through which running waters flow, therein to abide beyond the count of time: this is the triumph supreme!



Hud (The Prophet Hud)
  11:116 (Asad) BUT, ALAS, among those generations [whom We destroyed] before your time there were no people endowed with any virtue [146] - [people] who would speak out against the [spread of] corruption on earth -except the few of them whom We saved [because of their righteousness], whereas those who were bent on evildoing only pursued pleasures which corrupted their whole being, [147] and so lost themselves in sinning.



Al-Mu'minun (The Believers)
  23:102 (Asad) And they whose weight [of righteousness] is heavy in the balance - it is they, they who will have attained to a happy state;



Al-Ahqaf (The Curved Sandhills)
  46:15 (Asad) NOW [among the best of the deeds which] We have enjoined upon man is goodness towards his parents. [16] In pain did his mother bear him, and in pain did she give him birth; and her bearing him and his utter dependence on her took thirty months. [17] and so, when he attains to full maturity and reaches forty years, [18] he [that is righteous] prays: “O my Sustainer! Inspire me so that I may forever be grateful for those blessings of Thine with which Thou hast graced me and my parents, and that I may do what is right [in a manner] that will meet with Thy goodly acceptance; and grant me righteousness in my offspring [as well]. Verily, unto Thee have I turned in repentance: [19] for, verily, I am of those who have surrendered themselves unto Thee!”



Al-Waqi'a (The Event)
  56:38 (Asad) with those who have attained to righteousness: [15]



Al-Waqi'a (The Event)
  56:90 (Asad) And if one happens to be of those who have attained to righteousness, [31]



Al-Muddaththir (The One Enveloped)
  74:39 (Asad) save those who shall have attained to righteousness: [25]



Al-Balad (The City)
  90:18 (Asad) Such are they that have attained to righteousness; [8]



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Search For: PIETY - -
Al-Baqara (The Cow)
  2:177 (Asad) True Piety does not consist in turning your faces towards the east or the west [143] - but truly pious is he who believes in God, and the Last Day; and the angels, and revelation, [144] and the prophets; and spends his substance - however much he himself may cherish - it - upon his near of kin, and the orphans, and the needy, and the wayfarer, [145] and the beggars, and for the freeing of human beings from bondage; [146] and is constant in prayer, and renders the purifying dues; and [truly pious are] they who keep their promises whenever they promise, and are patient in misfortune and hardship and in time of peril: it is they that have proved themselves true, and it is they, they who are conscious of God.



Al-Baqara (The Cow)
  2:189 (Asad) THEY WILL ASK thee about the new moons. Say: "They indicate the periods for [various doings of] mankind, including the pilgrimage." [165] However, Piety does not consist in your entering houses from the rear, [as it were,] but truly pious is he who is conscious of God. [166] Hence, enter houses through their doors, and remain conscious of God, so that you might attain to a happy state.



Al-Imran (The Family of Imran)
  3:92 (Asad) [But as for you, O believers,] never shall you attain to true Piety unless you spend on others out of what you cherish yourselves; and whatever you spend - verily, God has full knowledge thereof. [72]



Maryam (Mary)
  19:14 (Asad) and full of Piety towards his parents; and never was he haughty or rebellious.



Maryam (Mary)
  19:32 (Asad) and [has endowed me with] Piety towards my mother; and He has not made me haughty or bereft of grace.







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Search For: RIGHT CONDUCT - -
An-Nisa (The Women)
  4:25 (Asad) And as for those of you who, owing to cir­cumstances, are not in a position [29] to marry free believing women, [let them marry] believing maidens from among those whom you rightfully possess. [30] And God knows all about your faith; each one of you is an issue of the other. [31] Marry them, then, with their people's leave, and give them their dowers in an equitable manner - they being women who give themselves in honest wedlock, not in fornication, nor as secret love-companions. [32] And when they are married, and thereafter become guilty of immoral conduct, they shall be liable to half the penalty to which free married women are liable. [33] This [permission to marry slave-girls applies] to those of you who fear lest they stumble into evil. [34] But it is for your own good to persevere in patience [and to abstain from such marriages]: and God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.



Yunus (Jonah)
  10:108 (Asad) SAY [O Prophet]: "O mankind! The truth from your Sustainer has now come unto you. Whoever, therefore, chooses to follow the right path, follows it but for his own good; and whoever chooses to go astray, goes but astray to his own hurt. And I am not responsible for your conduct."



Hud (The Prophet Hud)
  11:46 (Asad) [God] answered: "O Noah, behold, he was not of thy family, for, verily, he was unrighteous in his conduct. [68] And thou shalt not ask of Me anything whereof thou canst not have any knowledge: [69] thus, behold, do I admonish thee lest thou become one of those who are unaware [of what is right]." [70]

Apostasy is anti-Islamic

Any Punishment for Apostasy, Let Alone Capital Punishment, is Anti-Islamic 
By Muhammad Yunus, NewAgeIslam.com

(Joint Author, Essential Message of Islam, Amana Publications, USA, 2009.)
A set of Qur'anic verses that are fundamental to its message clearly and conclusively refute the notion of punishing a Muslim man or woman who wants to convert to any other faith, or even renounce God. They are listed below under three headings.

1. Universality of the concept of Islam and of the criterion of divine judgment.

The Qur'an's use of the noun Islam and its other roots (asslama, Muslim) demonstrates that members of all faith communities - Christians, Jews, and others - regardless of whether or not they are mentioned in the Qur'an (4:164, 40:78) belong to the universal din (way of life) of Islam that espouses submission (orienting oneself, asslama) to God and doing good deeds. The followers of the Prophet Muhammad are also given this name.

"Indeed! Whoever commits (asslama) his whole being to God, and does good deeds - will get his reward from his Lord. There will be no fear upon them nor shall they grieve" (2:112).

"And who can be better in faith (din) than the one who commits (asslama) his whole being to God, and does good deeds, and follows the way of Abraham, the upright one, and God took Abraham as a friend" (4:125).
"And who is finer in speech than the one who invites to God, does good deeds and says: 'I am of those who submit to God (Muslimun)'" (41:33).

"When his Lord said to him (Abraham), 'Submit (aslim)', he said, 'I submit (Aslamtu) to the Lord of the worlds' (2:131). Abraham enjoined his sons to do so, as did Jacob: 'O my sons, God has chosen the religion (din) for you; so you should not die unless you have submitted to God (Muslimun)' (2:132). Were you (among) witnesses when death came to Jacob? He said to his sons, 'What will you serve after I am gone?' They said, 'We will serve your God; the God of your fathers, Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac - the One God; and to Him we have truly submitted (Muslimun)'" (2:133).

"Those who believe, and those who are Jews, Christians and Sabians - and (in fact) anyone who believes in God and the Last Day, and does good deeds - shall have their reward with their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they regret" (2:62).

"Those who believe, and those who are Jews, Sabians and Christians - (in fact) anyone who believes in God and the Last Day, and does good deeds - they have nothing to fear, nor will they regret" (5:69).

"And do not debate with the People of the Book, but in a way that is better (than theirs), except with those of them who oppress (others); and say 'We believe in what was revealed to us, and what was revealed to you, for our God and your God is One (and the same), and it is to Him that we (all) submit (Muslimun)'" (29:46)
"…This day, those who reject (this Qur'an) despair of (ever harming) your religion. Therefore, do not fear them; fear Me. This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor on you, and have chosen Islam for your religion…" (5:3).

Note: This has also been discussed at length in light of Qur'anic illustrations in a recent publication [1], but reproduced above to avoid any need for cross reference.
2 There is no compulsion in religion.

The Qur'anic spirit of religious pluralism, intrinsic to the universality of the concept of the Islam (1 above) is reflected in its following pronouncements on the freedom of religion:

"(There is) no compulsion in religion. Truth stands out clearly from falsehood; so whoever rejects false deities and believes in God, has grasped a firm handhold, which never breaks. (Remember,) God is All-Knowing and Aware" (2:256).

"If your Lord so willed, everyone on earth would have believed, all together. Will you then compel people until they become believers" (10:99)?
"We know best what they say; but you (O Muhammad,) are not to force them. So remind with the Qur'an those who fear My warning" (50:45).

"So remind (them, O Muhammad) - for you are one who reminds (88:21); and have no power over them" (88:22).

The Qur'an's position on religious freedom is amply demonstrated in a verse (60:11) dating from the Medinite period allowing pagan women to leave for Mecca, if they did not opt to convert to Islam along with their husbands:

"And if any of your wives should go over to the pagans, and then you have your turn (as many converted wives of the Meccan pagans left their pagan husbands and came over to Medina), then pay to those whose wives had left the equivalent of what they had spent (on their dower). And heed God in whom you believe" (60:11).

The Muslims who turn atheist will be punished after their death


The Qur'an declares:

"…And if any of you turn back from their faith and die in a state of atheism, their deeds will be of no avail in life, or in the hereafter; and they will be the inmates of hellfire and they will remain there" (2:217).
"…Anyone who, after believing in God, denounces his faith, - except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in faith - but such as open their breast to atheism, on them is Wrath from God, and theirs will be a dreadful punishment" (16:106).

"Those who turn atheist after entering faith and then go on increasing in their disbelief - their repentance will never be accepted. And they are those who are astray" (3:90).

"Those who believe, reject faith and then believe (again), and again reject faith, and go on increasing in atheism, God will not forgive them nor guide them along the (right) path" (4:137). [See also 47:25-27]
Finally, the Qur'an reassures the Muslims that "if anyone abandons his religion, God will replace him with others whom He loves and who love Him" (5:54).


These verses clearly demonstrate that apostasy will be punished only by God. Not a single verse in the Qur'an offers any basis to humans/ Muslims to punish an apostate, as apostasy is between a person and God and God is enough to deal with the apostates. Thus, there is no Qur'anic basis to legislate capital punishment, or, for that matter, any punishment for apostasy or for renouncing faith in God altogether (atheism).


Historically, in all major civilizations, the cessation from the established religion of the State was conflated with treason and carried most severe punishments. Thus, as late as 'the eighteenth century of the Christian era, the Christian churches in Western Europe condemned the heretics to the stake or the gallows; no distinction was made on the score of sex or age'. [2] In the Islamic world, the traitors turned apostates and joined the enemy camp. So the punishment for apostasy was in true sense the punishment for treason rather than for abandoning faith.


Conclusion. In the past centuries, the world was divided on strictly religious lines and apostasy equated with treason in the political and military sense for which death sentence was normative for the era. With a major paradigm shift in civilization in terms of the relegation of religion to the personal domain, commercialization and secularization of the armed forces, and evolution of secular nations, the religion of a soldier does not define his national identity or loyalty and the change of religion does not conflate with political treason or sedition. Therefore, in light of the Qur'an's recognition of the divinity of all religions (1 above), and its unqualified sanction of religious freedom, there can be no Qur'anic basis whatsoever for any punishment, let alone capital punishment, for changing religion or apostasy.



Notes:
[1] Muslims have NO Qur'anic basis for Religious Supremacism:
http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamAndSpiritualism_1.aspx?ArticleID=5802

[2] Asaf A.A.Fyzee, Outlines of Mohammadan Law, fifth edition 2005, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, p.178.

Muhammad Yunus, a Chemical Engineering graduate from Indian Institute of Technology, and a retired corporate executive has been engaged in an in-depth study of the Qur'an since early 90's, focusing on its core message. He has co-authored the referred exegetic work, which received the approval of al-Azhar al-Sharif, Cairo in 2002, and following restructuring and refinement was endorsed and authenticated by Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl of UCLA, and published by Amana Publications, Maryland, USA, 2009.
URL:
http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamicShariaLaws_1.aspx?ArticleID=5998



Sunday, August 21, 2011

Noble Qur'an - HH The Aga Khan

The Noble Qur’an – An Inexhaustible Well-Spring of Inspiration and Knowledge

By His Highness the Aga Khan
A portrait of His Highness the Aga Khan. Jehangir Merchant Collection.
…Rich in parable and allegory, metaphor and symbol, [the discourse of the Qur’an-e-Sharif] has been an inexhaustible well-spring of inspiration, lending itself to a wide spectrum of interpretations. This freedom of interpretation is a generosity which the Qur’an confers upon all believers, uniting them in the conviction that All-Merciful Allah will forgive them if they err in their sincere attempts to understand His word. Happily, as a result, the Holy Book continues to guide and illuminate the thought and conduct of Muslims belonging to different communities of interpretation and spiritual affiliation, from century to century, in diverse cultural environments.

The Noble Qur’an extends its principle of pluralism also to adherents of other faiths. It affirms that each has a direction and path to which they turn so that all should strive for good works, in the belief that, wheresoever they may be, Allah will bring them together.

Tradition honours the vocation of the learned scholars who are gathered here for this colloquium. The Qur’an itself acknowledges that people upon whom wisdom has been bestowed are the recipients of abundant good; they are the exalted ones. Hence Islam’s consistent encouragement to Muslim men and women to seek knowledge wherever it is to be found. We are all familiar that al-Kindi, even in the 9th century, saw no shame in acknowledging and assimilating the truth, whatever its source. He argued that truth never abases, but only ennobles its seeker. Poetising the Prophet’s teaching, Nasir Khusraw, the 11th century Iranian poet-philosopher, also extols the virtue of knowledge. For him, true jihad is the war that must be waged against the perpetrators of bigotry, through spreading knowledge that dispels the darkness of ignorance and nourishes the seed of peace that is innately embedded in the human soul.

This colloquium covers a range of Muslim expressions in the Arts, across time and space. Some among the eminent scholars present today have observed that, while the Qur’an may not propound a doctrine of Islamic art or material culture, it does offer imaginative scope in this direction. From early on, its passages have inspired works of art and architecture, and shaped attitudes and norms that have guided the development of Muslim artistic traditions.

In this context, would it not also be relevant to consider how, above all, it has been the Qur’anic notion of the universe as an expression of Allah’s will and creation that has inspired, in diverse Muslim communities, generations of artists, scientists and philosophers?

Scientific pursuits, philosophic inquiry and artistic endeavour are all seen as the response of the faithful to the recurring call of the Qur’an to ponder the creation as a way to understand Allah’s benevolent majesty. As Sura al-Baqara proclaims: ‘Wherever you turn, there is the face of Allah’.

Does not the Qur’an challenge the artist, as much as the mystic, to go beyond the physical – the outward – so as to seek to unveil that which lies at the centre but gives life to the periphery? Is not a great work of art, like the ecstasy of the mystic, a gesture of the spirit, a stirring of the soul that comes from the attempt to experience a glimpse of, and an intimacy with, that which is ineffable and beyond being?

The famous verse of ‘light’ in the Qur’an, the Ayat al-Nur, whose first line is rendered here in the mural behind me, inspires among Muslims a reflection on the sacred, the transcendent. It hints at a cosmos full of signs and symbols that evoke the perfection of Allah’s creation and mercy.

…It is my sincere hope that this colloquium will bring additional insights to an understanding of the Holy Qur’an as a message that encompasses the entirety of human existence and effort. It is concerned with the salvation of the soul, but commensurately also with the ethical imperatives which sustain an equitable social order. The Qur’an’s is an inclusive vision of society that gives primacy to nobility of conduct. It speaks of differences of language and colour as a divine sign of mercy and a portent for people of knowledge to reflect upon.

Ours is a time when knowledge and information are expanding at an accelerating and, perhaps, unsettling pace. There exists, therefore, an unprecedented capacity for improving the human condition. And yet, ills such as abject poverty and ignorance, and the conflicts these breed, continue to afflict the world.

The Qur’an addresses this challenge eloquently. The power of its message is reflected in its gracious disposition to differences of interpretation; its respect for other faiths and societies; its affirmation of the primacy of the intellect; its insistence that knowledge is worthy when it is used to serve Allah’s creation; and, above all, its emphasis on our common humanity.

Date article posted: Saturday, August 20, 2011
Credit: The Institute of Ismaili Studies, London, UK, www.iis.ac.uk.
______________
The above excerpts are from the speech delivered by His Highness the Aga Khan at the Ismaili Centre, London, on October 19, 2003. To read the full transcript and watch His Highness delivering the speech, please click Word of God.

Please also click Seeking the Forgiveness of the Imam of the Time: A Short Explanation, published for Lailat al-Qadr (2011).

Courtesy: Simerg.com

About this site - Quraan Today

 
God wants his creation to co-exist in harmony and the Qur’aan is God’s guidance to live in peace with oneself and what surrounds one; life and matter. The human weakness manufactures imaginary enemies, so did the European Medieval Kings in the 11th century, who paid to deliberately mis-translate the Qur’aan for their obvious gains, they duped the public then, and most of non-Muslim Islamic Scholars today are doing the same thing.

Hilali Khan, a Muslim also mistranslated the book to appease his extremist friends, that is the free copy you may have it in your hands. Just remember God wants goodness for his creation, every one of it, then read Qur’aan in that light. Mohammad Asad’s translation is recommended at this time until a good one comes along where anyone on the earth can read it and feel that God wants all of us to live in peace and harmony. Finding the truth is your own responsibility.
PURPOSE

The purpose of this blog is to clarify the misunderstandings about Qur'aan. Qur'aan is the word of God, and God is about Justice and peace. It is his creation and he certainly wants harmony and co-existence and a balance for his creation.

Qur’aan is in Arabic language and every word of it is preserved through the process of memorization over a period of fourteen centuries. Every t and I are checked thoroughly to ensure its accuracy.

As the curiosity to learn about Islam arose, translation work began. Since, translations hinge on one's understanding of God's words, three versions were produced; Genuine translations, ill-translations and mis-translations.

The first known translation was made in 1143 CE upon the request of the Abbot of monastery and abounds in inaccuracies, several translations have occurred since then multiplying the errors. European knowledge base on Islam is founded on mis-translations. Most of the Christian and Jewish scholars draw their knowledge from it and propagate the same for material gains. The European and American Islamic Scholars need to add a refresh button to their knowledge.

To you, the common man, who has access to the translation in English, you are genuinely confused, which one is the right one.


Apply the litmus test: Does the translations build hatred and ill-will in you, then it is the wrong one. On the other hand if it causes you to think in terms of harmony and co-existence, you got the right one.

Today we have about 22 translations on the net; many are closer to the word of God and some are not. It is up to you to find the truth.

Recommended:  Mohammad Asad's translation.

Falsified Translation: Hilali Khan - it is the free Qur'aan you pick up in the market. It is hateful towards Jews and Christians.

Orgins of Islamophobia

Deliberate defamation & Propagation of Misconceptions.

Roots of Islamophobia in the early Orientalist Translations

The first Qur'an translation was into Latin by Robert of Ketton in 1143. It was made at the request of the Abbot of the monastery of Cluny. (Abounds in inaccuracies)
 
Another Latin translation by Ludovicus Marracci was published in 1698. It was supplemented with quotes from Qur'an commentaries "carefully juxtaposed and sufficiently garbled so as to portray Islam in the worst possible light" (Colin Turner, 1997 p. xii).

The title of the introductory volume of such translation was A Refutation of the Qur'an.

Such translations formed the foundation for a number of subsequent translations into English, French, Italian, German, etc.

The first English translation was that of Alexander Ross published in 1649. In his introduction, Ross says "I thought good to bring it to their colours, that so viewing thine enemies in their full body, thou must the better prepare to encounter … his Alcoran" (p. A3).


Similarly, H. Reckendorf (1857) says in his Hebrew translation of the Qur'an, "I can now stop writing and ask God's pardon for the sin I committed when I profaned our sacred language and transferred to it the talk of lies and falsehood" (as cited in Abdul Aal, January 29, 2006, p. 78).


In 1734, George Sale’s translation came out based on Marracci’s earlier notorious work. In 1861, J. M. Rodwell’s work provided a further example of a writer "gunning for Islam" (Turner, 1997, p. xii).


Courtesy: Ibrahim Saleh & Dahlia Sabry Researchers at Al-Azhar University, Cairo
Foundationless castles

You may discover to your chagrin, that many of the Neocons Doctors on Islam have built their castles on wrong foundation. In fact Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Billy Graham Junior's information on Islam comes from these falsities.

When the European Kings were attacked by the invading Arab Armies, one of the ways they could get their subjects to defend their Kingdoms was through a campaign of hate.

They roped in the pope to issue a fatwa against 'infidel' Muslims, and then paid the evil writers to mis-translate the Qur'aan with the intent of enraging the good Christians to go on crusades to kill the infidels. This is one part of the equation; the second part is even the Arab Kings had the Qur'aan mistranslated to enrage Muslims against the other infidels. Check out the Hilali translation in the title Bismillah on this Blog.

Neither Islam nor Christianity would have approved any of the non-sense of crusades, inquisitions and other massacres. It was all done to protect and annex the lands that belonged to each other.

I wish the average Christians and Muslims had not fallen into the trap of hatred for the gains of the dead Kings and today's virtual Live Kings with similar goals of controlling resources with no care for their faith or human lives.

It is time for the humanity to go for the truth. All religions were issued by the creator for the individuals to find a balance and peace for themselves and with other humans and environment.

The truth is all religions are for the good of mankind, where ever you see wickedness; it has the non-Godly element in it.

Musilms Together sites and Blogs

The following twelve (12) blogs highlight and nurture the pluralistic values embedded in Islam. To be a Muslim is to be a peacemaker, one who seeks to mitigate conflicts and nurtures goodwill for peaceful co-existence.
America Together Foundationwww.AmericaTogetherFoundnation.com

The organization is committed to bring Muslims together regardless of the denomination, it is something every Muslims dreams of, it is coming together to do good for humanity. What is good for Muslims has got to be good for the world and vice versa to sustain peace and goodwill for years to come. Our
Mission

World Muslim Congresswww.WorldMuslimCongress.org http://WorldMuslimCongress.blogspot.com

This site chronicles events that affect co-existence and offers solutions to build cohesive societies. It is about nurturing pluralistic values embedded in Islam.


www.WorldMuslimCongress.com
A new site is in the making, this would be the mother site for all the sites.



Quraan Today
www.Quraantoday.com http://quraan-today.blogspot.com/
God wants his creation to co-exist in harmony and Qur’aan is God’s guidance to live in peace with oneself and what surrounds one; life and matter. There are nearly 25 translations available now with two of them deliberately mistranslated by the right wing European Kinds in 11th Century and right wing Muslims in the 20th century. At this time Mohammad Asad’s translation is recommended until a good one comes along where anyone on the earth can read it and feel that God wants all of us to live in peace and harmony. Finding the truth is your own responsibility.


Quraan Conference
www.QuraanConference.com http://www.quraanconference.com/

Myths are manufactured about others without any substantiation; it is an old business of maligning others to have a momentary gain. The purpose of this conference is to remove such myths in an open forum in the public and restore the cohesiveness of our society and build a safe and secure America. Details are in the link Qur’aan Conference. The holy book is about living in harmony with free will, there are mis-translations and mis-interpretations that are addressed, and it will done by non-Muslim clergy from all faiths.

Sharia Laws www.ShariaLaws.com http://sharialaws.blogspot.com/


First of all, Sharia Law is not divine; it is the human interpretation of God’s word to create just societies, as with all human endeavors, a few clauses of Sharia Law needs amendments. I have made an effort to write in an easy to understand language. The personal Sharia guides an individual to live a life of piety and gratitude to the creator while the Public Sharia governs the relationships between individuals and the society like the civil laws. Like all other laws of any given society, abuses creep into Sharia Law as well. The old west mindset is still prevalent in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Sudan and Nigeria, where 50 other Muslim majorities nations are are in line with the civil laws of the world.


The American civil and criminal laws serve justice to all of her population and American Muslims have no desire to replace the American laws with Sharia. Even though the right wingers among Muslims like the right wingers among Christians dream of imposing their laws on others, the desire to impose on others stems out of insecurity and inability to handle the otherness of other.

Women in Islamhttp://muslimwomenandmen.blogspot.com/.

Whether it is the American society, India, Chinese, Mexican, Greek, Arab or the English Autocrats, men have always taken advantage of women. While a few Muslim men shamelessly beat their wives, a few African men mutilate the women genitally do deprive them of the joys of live, a few American men will brutally kill their wives or drown them under water, Hindu Mother in laws may douse the women in Kerosene. While a few men will not go to a place of worship where women preach, the other would not shake hands with females that include Imams, Rabbis, Monks and Priests. No one can cast the first stone and all us must work on creating a spiritual balance and harmony between men and women to have a peaceful life with the fear of waiting for the opportunity to get even. Without any reserve men and women have equal rights in Quraan and Islam, even a few of the Muslims have misunderstood the value Islam places on justness and fairness.

Blasphemy Laws
www.BlasphemyLaws.com
http://blasphemylaws.blogspot.com/

The purpose of this site is to bring together differing views on Blasphemy, and develop an understanding from Islamic point of view for the good of all humanity. Current Blasphemy laws and practices do not go with the values of Islam; free will and respect for life. Quraan prohibits judgment, prejudice is discouraged and there is no punishment for the ones who maligns God or his prophet. It is a political tool of oppression by right wingers among Muslims.

Muslim Press Releases
http://muslimpressrelease.blogspot.com/ Muslim Press releases concerning issues of the day. Since the formation of the organization in 2003, we have continuously condemned any wrong doing and appreciated the good work. Much of the work is the blogs listed on the site.

Dallas Muslim Center www.DallasMuslimCenter.com http://dallasMuslimCenter.blogspot.com

The purpose of this site was to provide information about Dallas Muslims. The information is updated as and when I get the time.

Ramadan Exclusivehttp://ramadanexclusive.blogspot.com/

There are three great seminal articles on the spirit, politics and Rituals of Ramadan.
In the spirit of Ramadan, I pray that Ramadan gets into our hearts and minds and make us embrace all factions of Muslims without undermining their tradition and further pray that we treat every human on the earth with dignity, respect and care. The first year to set the pace, I worshipped and did the Iftaar (breaking the fast at the dusk) in every Muslim Denomination including praying at Masjid-al-Aqsa, the third most revered place of worship for Muslims, that completes my pilgrimage to all the three Mosques.

That is indeed the wisdom expressed in Qur'an, Al-Hujurat, and Surah 49:13: "O mankind! We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one another. The noblest of you, in sight of God, is the best in conduct. God Knows and is Aware of everything you do."


Ground Zero Mosque
http://groundzeromosque.blogspot.com/
This issue is engaging the American Public, both for and against, in this blog I will save the links of articles that come across my knowledge as a reference for the researchers. We have to find solutions for co-existence and sustainable harmony. It is a shrine and it is a catalyst to consciously create a society we desire; where all of us will learn to respect the otherness of other and accept the God given differences. It is anti-theatrical to radicals from all traditions.

Peter King Hearings
http://www.peterkinghearings.blogspot.com/

We are concerned about the hearings and hope and pray that Mr. King would be honest, sincere and fair, although his record is marred with bigotry. We hope he will not destroy the fabric of our society and pit one American against the other. If he does, the American people will not put up with it, as they have done that time and again. I trust our system and our people who have stood up against Vietnam War, Iraq war and supported abortion and civil rights and one of these days’ rights for GLBT and every American.