A R C H I V E S
Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| What if Quran...? |
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| jaihoon |
| 05/24/02 at 06:35:40 |
| [slm] What do you think would have happened if Holy Quran was revealed in a language other than Arabic? Say English or Turkish or Persian or Indian? |
| Re: What if Quran...? |
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| mwishka |
| 05/24/02 at 07:17:59 |
| seems to me nothing would have happened, since it's god's words. it was revealed in arabic to an arab - for god's own reasons which we can't even know - but it could have been revealed anywhere to anyone in their own language. (do i hear murmurs and growls in the background? can't quite tell. maybe it's just people abusing urdu... hee hee) arabic is an extremely beautiful language, suited to expressing beautiful ideas. but there are many beautiful languages - maybe even all of them, to my ear. we're only human, stuck in our human languages.... mwishka |
| Re: What if Quran...? |
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| Dawn |
| 05/24/02 at 08:34:44 |
| Although it wasn't stated, there is actually another question which needs to be answered before the original can be answered. If the Qur'an would have been revealed in another language, are we still implying that it would have still been revealed to the Prophet in Arabia? Or, does the question imply that he would have been born somewhere else, with some other mother tongue, and the Book then would have been revealed to that particular people? If the former, then I doubt that the impact would have been very great on the "locals" and I don't think Islam would have spread the way it did. (Though if it would have been revealed in English, as we know it today, it would have been quite astonishing, as the language didn't yet exist. Imagine the consternation of the archeologists if an English insciption could be accurately dated to the seventh century!!!!!) If the latter, then I think the content of the book would have been similar (the same principles, etc.) but the details would have differed, as the cultural situation would have been different, and the scenarios which led to some of the revelations would not have happened. Likely, other situations would have occurred which would have allowed for revelations down the same lines. OK, I know the thinking is a bit unorthodox (not that my thinking has ever been really orthodox), but I suppose, so is the question, in a way. Peace, Dawn |
| Re: What if Quran...? |
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| mwishka |
| 05/24/02 at 09:04:39 |
| hee heee dawn, EXACTLY EXACTLY what i was going to say about english. i started to write 'well, it wouldn't have been english! since it didn't exist yet...", but decided that wasn't fair to the version of english that did exist. all languages, not just english, evolve over time - though some less than other, so i had to acknowledge my modern-english-language bias there in even thinking that. and i deleted it..... yep - context. jaihoon, were you making any assumptions in asking your question, or was it wide open? mwishka |
| Re: What if Quran...? |
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| se7en |
| 05/27/02 at 00:48:51 |
| as salaamu alaykum / peace we discussed the Arabic language a little bit, and why it was divinely chosen, [url=http://www.jannah.org/cgi-bin/madina/YaBB.pl?board=lighthouse;action=display;num=1018962445]here[/url]. :) |
| 05/27/02 at 00:49:18 |
| se7en |
| Re: What if Quran...? |
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| jannah |
| 05/27/02 at 01:10:09 |
| also if you study the history of Arabia at that time and the Arabs you can absolutely see why Muhammad [saw] was sent at that time, at that place to those exact people. it's pretty fascinating research.. i think sh. ramadan al bouty of damascus talks about it in his fiqh as seerah a bit too in the beginning so check it out! things like how arabia was isolated from the empires during that time of the Romans and the Persians so were uninfluenced basically this idea of diamonds in the rough. how they had alot of basic qualities that were polished by islam like generosity and loyalty and honor. also about how the oral tradition and memorizing was a trait of the ppl and of course the eloquence and unparalleled language of Arabic... |
| Re: What if Quran...? |
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| PeaceSeeker |
| 05/27/02 at 08:52:03 |
| [slm] I actually had an argument with someone on this same issue. This guy was trying to convince me that Allah had orchestrated the whole history of Mankind so "HE" could reveal "HIS" last revealation in arabic and on our beloved Messenger of Allah Muhammad [saw] . I agree God is the Owner of this universe and everything happens by his will but this theory of yours is just too farfetched. Come on man, you really think God would have had any problem revealing the Quran in any other language or even among completely different set of people. For instance, among the barbarians of Europe. For God sakes man "HE" is the Almighty who has neither any weekness or any limits. To take this further, didn't "HE" reveal the injeel(Gospels) in Aramaic. Isn't the Torah in Hebrew. To be honest, I dread this kind of thinking. It resembles the Jewish mentality of being the 'Chosen People'. |
| Re: What if Quran...? |
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| jannah |
| 05/28/02 at 01:39:36 |
| Umm if you are Muslim you believe that Allah knows everything and that nothing happens outside His Power. So it definitely is not a "mistake" or a "coincidence" that Muhammad [saw] was born in that land, at that time, to those people along with everything else that happened, along with everything else that will happen and is happenning until the end of time. Granted even our choice to make mistakes and do evil is still within His Power. Yes Allah sent prophets and Messengers before to people who needed them, but study the seerah. Study the jahaliyya before and the transformation process and the results. Everything is so perfect, it is beyond an "accident of history". Muslims themselves are not a "chosen people". They are just those who choose to follow Islam. And even this is not a guarantee of anything. But about Muhammad [saw], yes he was chosen to be a Messenger and the last one at that. |
| Re: What if Quran...? |
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| PeaceSeeker |
| 05/28/02 at 04:10:27 |
| [slm] Jannah it seems you've misunderstood me. I am not denying the fact it is Allah who decides everything. Neither am I saying it was all a coincidence and Allah had no part in the shaping of events. You are right all of it happened because "HE" willed it to happen and I am sure there is some great wisdom behind it. But the idea it could not have happened in any other way is what I disagree with. If Allah had willed things would have happened differently. Selection of a different Language or people would not have hindered God's will to reveal the last revelation. Thats all I'm saying. |
| Re: What if Quran...? |
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| jannah |
| 05/28/02 at 14:34:30 |
| ooooooooooohh in that case yes i agree alhamdulillah :) |
| Re: What if Quran...? |
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| jaihoon |
| 06/02/02 at 04:48:34 |
| [quote] What do you think would have happened if Holy Quran was revealed in a language other than Arabic?[/quote] well, [url]http://www.jannah.org/cgi-bin/madina/YaBB.pl?board=bookstore;action=display;num=1023008294;start=0[/url]what I think would have happened. |
| 06/02/02 at 04:58:56 |
| jaihoon |
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