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Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Challenging the Qur’an |
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| struggling |
| 07/28/03 at 01:35:56 |
| [slm] I am wondering that I havent yet found any thing on the media about this article in the NEWSWEEK that hits right on the heart of our religion - the Holy Qur'an I have copied below only the first and the last paragraphs of this article which probably sums it all i.e. the intentions of these Islam/Quran-reinterpreters....... rest you can find on: http://www.msnbc.com/news/940974.asp Wassalam ___________________ Challenging the Qur’an A German scholar contends that the Islamic text has been mistranscribed and promises raisins, not virgins By Stefan Theil NEWSWEEK INTERNATIONAL July 28 issue — In a note of encouragement to his fellow hijackers, September 11 ringleader Muhammad Atta cheered their impending “marriage in Paradise” to the 72 wide-eyed virgins the Qur’an promises to the departed faithful. Palestinian newspapers have been known to describe the death of a suicide bomber as a “wedding to the black-eyed in eternal Paradise.” But if a German expert on Middle Eastern languages is correct, these hopes of sexual reward in the afterlife are based on a terrible misunderstanding. ....................... Still, Luxenberg may be ushering in a whole new era of Qur’anic study. “Luxenberg’s findings are very relevant and convincing,” says Mondher Sfar, a Tunisian specialist on the historic origins of the Qur’an in exile in Paris. “They make possible a new interpretation of the Qur’an.” In the West, questioning the literal veracity of the Bible was a crucial step in breaking the church’s grip on power—and in developing a modern, secular society. That experience, as much as the questioning itself, is no doubt what concerns conservative Muslims as they struggle over the meaning and influence of Islam in the 21st century. But if Luxenberg’s work is any indication, the questioning is just getting underway. |
| NS |
| Re: Challenging the Qur’an |
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| Nabila |
| 07/28/03 at 04:00:36 |
| [slm] Im sorry OK - but that is probably the most biased article Ive seen. uhm - 'There for them will be raisins purified' is probably not the best incentive in the world either ::) I dont think the Qur'an actually mentions an explicit number either does it? Also - isnt there a debate about whether these companions of Paradise are actually sexual in the sense they are there for men's pleasure? Some scholars talk of husbands and wives being reunited in Paradise right? (feel sorry for the guy with a nagging wife :D) Some say the word hur is unisexual, and its because the translations were done in a different era, this is missed out. They are portraying one image of Islam as if there were no debate :/ “houris” with “swelling breasts” In the index of my translation of the Qur'an I could only find two references to hur in the Qur'an, neitehr mentioned a number or 'swelling breasts' - have I missed unlisted references, perhaps? Luxenberg—a pseudonym—is one of a small but growing group of scholars, most of them working in non-Muslim countries, studying the language and history of the Qur’an. When his new book is published this fall, it’s likely to be the most far-reaching scholarly commentary on the Qur’an’s early genesis, I dont think far reaching and scholarly are words Id use for this - I honestly thought that was a spoof article. Islamic scholars who have dared ignore this taboo have often found themselves labeled heretics and targeted with death threats and violence. Ah yes, the brutal Ay-rabs cant handle criticism - but would any [i]Islamic[/i] scholar not actually consider the Qur'an the pure word of Allah as given to his last Prophet (pbuh)? Doesnt that pretty much go against, not Islamic tradition, but verified Sunnah and the Qur'an itself? Luxenberg, a professor of Semitic languages at one of Germany’s leading universities, has chosen to remain anonymous because he fears a fatwa by enraged Islamic extremists. *Yawn* - aren't they all? Luxenberg’s chief hypothesis is that the original language of the Qur’an was not Arabic but something closer to Aramaic. He says the copy of the Qur’an used today is a mistranscription of the original text from Muhammad’s time, which according to Islamic tradition was destroyed by the third caliph, Osman, in the seventh century. But Arabic did not turn up as a written language until 150 years after Muhammad’s death, and most learned Arabs at that time spoke a version of Aramaic. Rereading the Paradise passage in Aramaic, the mysterious houris turn into raisins and fruit—much more common components of the Paradise myth. I am sorry, but that is sooooo not true. Its true ancient Arabia was a society whose communication was primarily based on oral rather than written communication, but to say that there was no written Arabic is ignorance. Isnt there that glaring contradiction? We actually have the original copies of Othman (raa) Quran, right? (In Turkey somewhere?) I highly doubt that Uthman (raa) lived til 150 years after the death of the Prophet, and if we check the manuscrpts copies of Uthmans Quran, they are in Arabic right? Arabs took such pride in their language anyone that did not speak Arabic was 'Ajnabi' - dumb. Im pretty sure Ajnabi is an ARABIC word (in Aramaic it probably means assorted fruit basket or something). Dont we also have fragments of pre-Islamic poetry? The Arabs are called the Arabs for a reason - they speak ARABIC... I think thats kinda logical. Rereading the Paradise passage in Aramaic, the mysterious houris turn into raisins and fruit—much more common components of the Paradise myth. And in French you get a pretty good chilli con carne recipie. It claims that the Qur’an’s commandment for women to cover themselves is based on a similar misreading; in Sura 24, the verse that calls for women to “snap their scarves over their bags” becomes in Aramaic “snap their belts around their waists.” Plain lie. No where in Sura 24 does it meantion snapping scarves over bags. Ergo, belts ditto. Even more explosive are readings that strengthen scholars’ views that the Qur’an had Christian origins. Well duh. its called common ground in polite circles, however. The whole point is 'correcting' what Muslims believe to be corrupted religions, hence we share values, parables and Prophets. If he finds this surprising, he's weird. Sura 33 calls Muhammad the “seal of the prophets,” taken to mean the final and ultimate prophet of God. But an Aramaic reading, says Luxenberg, turns Muhammad into a “witness of the prophets”—i.e., someone who bears witness to the established Judeo-Christian texts. This really smacks of a Christian missionary agenda - can someone find an online Aramaic dictionary? I really dont trust this. The Qur’an, in Arabic, talks about the “revelation” of Allah, but in Aramaic that term turns into “teaching” of the ancient Scriptures. ditto. see above. The original Qur’an, Luxenberg contends, was in fact a Christian liturgical document—before an expanding Arab empire turned Muhammad’s teachings into the basis for its new religion long after the Prophet’s death. So please enlighten us:- what do 9:30, 5:17, 5:75, 4:171, 43:59, 43:63-64 translate to? After all, revisionist scholars have been persecuted for much less; in 2001, Egypt’s Constitutional Court confirmed the “apostasy” of former University of Cairo scholar Nasr Hamid Abu-Zayd, for considering the Qur’an a document written by humans. Still, Luxenberg may be ushering in a whole new era of Qur’anic study. “Luxenberg’s findings are very relevant and convincing,” says Mondher Sfar, a Tunisian specialist on the historic origins of the Qur’an in exile in Paris. “They make possible a new interpretation of the Qur’an.” Havent heard of these people. Who are these people? Who have they studied with? How are they specialists? In the West, questioning the literal veracity of the Bible was a crucial step in breaking the church’s grip on power—and in developing a modern, secular society. agenda becomes clearer - tell em all they have is Christinity in a new box, then tell them how Christianity cant be used to produce a modern functioning society then lets get em to be secular. When you sound this paranoid its time to stop. But if Luxenberg’s work is any indication, the questioning is just getting underway. Tell me about it - Im sure we all have many questions. ma asalaamah and take care |
| Re: Challenging the Qur’an |
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| Maliha |
| 07/29/03 at 11:23:54 |
| [slm] this is really interesting...when i was doing research on the anti hadith movement, my imam said...the anti hadith movement was started just like this..by the orientalist, and now Muslims have caught on to it. He said they are doing the same thing to the Quran right now, and do not be surprised if in 50 years you find Muslims repeating the same garbage. it scared me then. seeing this is like a confirmation of his omnious warning. But I take comfort in Allah's words, His promise to Protect the Truth despite their vain efforts to try and extinguish it with their mouths...May Allah protect us and give us firm adherance to the Truth. (Amin). Sis, Maliha |
| Re: Challenging the Qur’an |
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| WhatDFish |
| 07/29/03 at 13:33:54 |
| Hűr(un) `Een: Clear Raisins or just Sour Grapes? Author: Shibli Zaman Publishing date: 22.12.2002 23:11 On March 2, 2002 the New York Times published an article entitled “Radical new views of Islam and the Origins of the Koran” by Alexander Stille which ventured to introduce the derided theories of an obscure and unknown German academic by the name of Christoph Luxenberg. This man is literally unknown and whether or not this is his real name is also unknown. What is known is that he has released the first volume of a proposed two volume set entitled "Die Syrisch-Aramaeische Lesart des Koran. Ein Beitrag zur Entschluesselung der Koransprache" ("The Syro-Aramaic Reading of the Qur’ân. A Contribution to Decyphering the Qur’ânic Language"). This book attempts to propose the theory that the Qur’ân was originally based upon a Syro-Aramaic compilation of Christian hymns. Thus, he attempts to trace the words of the Qur’ân back to their ancestral Syro-Aramaic lexemes to “rediscover” what the Qur’ân truly says. Among his “findings” are that the term “Hűr(un) `Een”, which Muslims commonly understand as a reference to heavenly consorts, is actually an Aramaism for “Crystal clear grapes or raisins”. He suggests that the “Furqân” mentioned in the Qur’ân as a name for itself, and after which a chapter in it is entitled, is actually a reference to Jesus Christ and that the opening verses of this chapter are a testimony to the vicarious atonement. If these suggestions sound preposterous, well, quite frankly, they are. Anyone with any competence in Semitic Etymology and Philology will immediately recognize that these “theories” are completely based upon Christian missionary fantasies. These fantasies are being propagated on the internet via Dr. Christoph Heger who refuses to divulge what his doctorate is in, and in book form by an Iranian atheist by the pen name “Ibn Warraq”. Ibn Warraq is the author of “Why I Am Not A Muslim” and is currently including translations of Luxenberg’s works with Dr. Heger’s help in an upcoming follow up to his book “What the Koran Really Says”. Ibn Warraq claims he uses a pen name because he “fears for his life”, yet it is also convenient for both “Dr” Heger, and “Ibn Warraq” that we may not find out their credentials and competency in Semitic Etymology and Philology (or anything about them at all) due to their opportune anonymity. Below is a debate I conducted with Dr. Heger in regards to one of the far-fetched theories he parrots from Luxenberg regarding the Qur’ânic reference to “Hűr(un) `Een” as found in Sűrat al-Wâqi`ah 56:22 and elsewhere. For some creepy reason Dr. Heger chooses to call me names such as “Foul Mouth Zaman” and I have not heard names like this since I was in Kindergarten. I also do not know why he finds my mouth or language “foul”. His attempts to swerve attention away from his inability to answer a question are clumsily executed and not even slightly surreptitious. There are many debates that have occurred between the good “doctor” and myself which I have compiled and will make available soon for all to enjoy. His strange behavior is often times amusing, so at least one can get some comedy value if they are not able to follow the complex nuances of the Semitic languages. These German missionaries are one funny bunch. TRANSCRIPT OF DEBATE Now we address the issue of the supposed Syro-Aramaic "reinterpretation" of the Qur'ân.. DR. HEGER: Shibli said: “Could you please provide some reference to that Hymn from Efraim as-Suryânî?” Look for the Hymn "About the Paradise" or as it is often quoted “De Paradiso’!” SHIBLI ZAMAN: Perhaps Dr. Heger did not quite understand what I asked. I didn't ask him to reiterate the same source over again like some sort of mantra. I asked him to reference where Efraim the Assyrian uses the term "Hűr" or "`Een" in reference to raisins or grapes. AN EXAMPLE. We all know why Heger didn't answer the question.. DR. HEGER: Shibli said: “Also, could you please tell me how you get ‘white raisin’ from ‘Hűr al-`Een’?.. I wonder why he makes this striking mistake. The usual Koran has no ‘Hűr al-`Een’, only a "Hűr `în" or with another manner of transliteration "Huwr `iyn". SHIBLI ZAMAN: Again, Dr. Heger does not answer the question. He only presents another one. To answer his question, Hűr al-`Een is a reference to the Hűr(un) `Een of the Qur'ân in the Arabic language since time in memorium. Perhaps he can look in Lisân al-`Arab of Ibn al-ManTHoor, volume 4, and read the cited stanza: "Hűr al-`Een li-annahunna bi-thabâ' wa-l baqar" It is “Hűr al-`Een” (as found extra-Qur’ânically) or “Hűr(un) `Een” (as found in the Qur’ân), but it is not “Hűr `in” as Dr. Heger writes erroneously without the necessary nunation. So much time is wasted on this man's straw man diversions from his horrible inability to address the arguments. DR. HEGER: Actually, as Christoph Luxenburg in his "Die syrisch-aramaeische Lesart des Koran. Ein Beitrag zur Entschluesselung der Koransprache" ("The Syriac-Aramaic Reading of the Koran. A Contribution to Decyphering the Koranic Language"), Berlin 2000, has made it plain.. SHIBLI ZAMAN: Komisar Luxenburg should learn Aramaic before writing about it. His theories range from ludicrous to hilarious. Or does he really know Aramaic and is simply LYING? It seems to be a trend amongst German missionaries. DR. HEGER: The "Huwr `iyn" have nothing to do with girls, but are "white, crystal clear (grapes) - an aramaism, which in the case of "Huwr" (white) was understood correctly by the Arabic commentators, but in the case of "`iyn" totally misunderstood (as they misread the preceding word "zawwajnaahum", "we join them" instead of “rawwaHnaahum", "we let them rest". SHIBLI ZAMAN: Now let us look at the words "Hűr" and "`Een" in Syro-Aramaic. Please refer to my numerous debates with Dr. Heger regarding these languages and watch how he constantly falls on his face yet gets up and begs for more each time. Hűr ARABIC: Hűr - "...And ‘Hawar’ is also the stark whiteness of the eye in contrast to the stark blackness (of the iris)" [Mukhtâr as-Sihâh, Abu Bakr ar-Râzî, Letter "Hâ'"] Example of Qur'ânic Usage: "wa-Hűrun `Een", meaning, "And the extreme whitness of the eye" [al-Wâqi`ah 22]. HEBREW: Chavar - "Be or grow white, pale (Arabic 'Hawir’ be white, 'Hawar' whitness, Aramaic 'Chűar’...Isaiah 29:22 '...va-lo `attâh pânâyv yeCHEVARU'..." [Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew English Lexicon, Strong's # 2357, p. 301] Example of Old Testament Usage: "lâkhęnkoh âmar Yahweh el-bęyt ya`aqob asher pâdâh eth-abrâhâm lo `attâh yębosh ya`aqob va-lo `attâh pânâyv yechevâru" "Therefore thus saith the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax PALE." [Isaiah 29:22] SYRO-ARAMAIC: Chűar - "..TO BECOME WHITE, to assume white, i.e. white clothing as a party badge; 'yachtűmî chűarű..' his garments became white..to make white or clear from the stains of sin.." [A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, Edited J. Payne Smith, page. 133] Example of New Testament Usage: "Aytaűhî hâweâ dayn chezűeh âyk barqâ walbűsheh CHUWOR hâweâ âyk talgâ" "His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment WHITE AS SNOW" [Matthew 28:3] Conclusion: "Hűr" means "white" in Arabic, "white" in Hebrew, and "white" in Syro-Aramaic. `Een ARABIC: `Een - "The sensor of sight (feminine). Plural 'A`yun(un)', 'Uyűn(un)', and 'A`yân(un)'. Diminutive '`Uyaynah', and '`Ayn' also refers to a spring of water.." [Mukhtâr as-Sihâh, Abű Bakr ar-Râzî, Entry "`Ayn"] Example of Qur'ânic Usage: "wa-Hűrun `Een", meaning, "And the extreme whitness of the eye" [al-Wâqi`ah 22]. HEBREW: `Ayin - "Noun Feminine. Eye. 1. Literally as a physical organ...2. a. eyes as shewing mental qualities...3. Fig. of mental and spiritual faculties...4. Transferred meanings: a. visible surface of the earth...b. appearance...c. gleam, sparkle (of metal, jewels, etc)...Noun Feminine. Spring (of water)..." [Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew English Lexicon, Strong's # 5869, p. 744-745] Example of Old Testament Usage: "`Ayin tachat`ayin..." "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth..." [Exodus 21:24] SYRO-ARAMAIC: `Een - "...feminine, the eye...a) of men...b) intelligence, the mental eye...c) a view, opinion...d) the surface of the earth...e) the socket of the knee...f) the opening or span of a bridge...g) the buds of a vine...h) the color, sparkle of wine, of precious stones i)...a spring, fount, fountain, source.." Example of New Testament Usage: "...D'`eenâ chalaf `eenâ" "...And eye for an eye" [Matthew 5:38] Conclusion: "`Een/`Ayn" means "eyes, physical sight, insight, luster" or "spring" in Arabic, Hebrew and Syro-Aramaic. "Grape" or "raisin" is not found in ANY Lexicon or even a single verse of the Bible. It is the invention of Luxenberg parroted all over the internet by his pathetic fan Dr. Heger who in turn taught it to a cowardly Iranian by the pen-name "Ibn Warraq". Over all conclusion: The evidence has been presented clearly and the lies refuted. Now the onus of proof remains on the shoulders of the aforementioned 3 Stooges. |
| Re: Challenging the Qur’an |
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| Trustworthy |
| 07/29/03 at 17:22:26 |
| [slm] The Qur'an is a living miracle and is promised by Allah (SWT) that it will stay pure and unchanged. The other so called religions of Islam like the Nation of Islam was not able to rewrite the Qur'an. Just by word of mouth change it, however, not rewritten. I have no worries about it. Ma-asalaama... |
| Re: Challenging the Qur’an |
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| Taalibatul_ilm |
| 07/31/03 at 09:53:38 |
| [slm] That was pretty shamefulof Newsweek to print such a barrel of lies. Almost everything said is easily refuted, but I was very grateful for the piece on Aramaic/Arabic that Brother 'Uthman posted. Jazaka Allahu khairan Could you please give a reference or link brother 'Uthman, so I can read further? May I suggest to the Administration that either they move the reset botton far over to the left, or have a warning before completing the reset ? I wrote a long response to this post the first day it was up, but Allah willed that I hit the reset button when I wanted to hit the post button. |
| Re: Challenging the Qur’an |
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| timbuktu |
| 08/01/03 at 00:14:52 |
| [slm] the israelis have a few sites where thay have placed what they claim are surahs. i had copies of these & the site addresses about a year & a half ago, but no more. these are testing times. people were led astray by the ant-Hadith movement as sister Mystic said, & the false surahs by the israeli sites, & now this. may Allah (swt) protect us & our near & dear ones from fitnah. aameen. |
| Re: Challenging the Qur’an |
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| bhaloo |
| 08/02/03 at 20:07:42 |
| [slm] [quote author=Taalibatul_ilm link=board=ummah;num=1059366956;start=0#5 date=07/31/03 at 09:53:38] [slm] That was pretty shamefulof Newsweek to print such a barrel of lies. Almost everything said is easily refuted, but I was very grateful for the piece on Aramaic/Arabic that Brother 'Uthman posted. Jazaka Allahu khairan Could you please give a reference or link brother 'Uthman, so I can read further? [/quote] That was pretty much it. I was going to post the article but Uthman beat me to it. :) Here's a link with more articles from Shibli: http://www.nessia.org/refsites.aspx?sid=1 The brother has a website as well, that for some odd reason seams to be down. He's mashallah very knowledgable and he has helped address quite a few concerns I've had in the past, alhumdullilah. I've have put up an article in the past from him where he went int to the discussion of Hurs with references to tafsirs. |
| 08/02/03 at 20:09:25 |
| bhaloo |
| Re: Challenging the Qur’an |
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| WhatDFish |
| 08/03/03 at 00:43:14 |
| [slm] yeah it seems bro Shibli Zaman took his site down, hes very knowledgeable mashaa'Allah and he speaks almost 10 languages. i sought his help too when i needed to confirm the aunthenticity a certain ahadeeth a few years ago. he wrote a very good piece to refute Azizah al Hibri regarding the statues of Bamiyan, its in pdf format. lemme know if anybodys interested. |
| Re: Challenging the Qur’an |
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| Taalibatul_ilm |
| 08/03/03 at 08:09:57 |
| [slm] Jazaka Allahu khairan, Brother Bhaloo. That has a lot of good material on it. And Jazaki Allahu khairan, Jannah. No more reset button :) |
| 08/03/03 at 08:10:53 |
| Taalibatul_ilm |
| Re: Challenging the Qur’an |
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| stap |
| 08/05/03 at 13:37:32 |
| A Christian missionary in a recent article on conversion said something very interesting. He acknowledged that it is extremely difficult to make a convert out of a Muslim. When asked why the missionary group he worked for were spending so much time and money he stated that "we want to place a seed of doubt that slowly grows." Articles similar to this one are all over missionary sites. But this is the first time that I have seen it mainstream. Please just e-mail the Newsweek editor and lambast him over this. And tell friends and family to send e-mails as well. Such blatantly false rubbish are deliberately designed to ridicule Muslims and make them doubt their deen and lower their Iman. |
| Re: Challenging the Qur’an |
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| Maliha |
| 08/05/03 at 16:56:18 |
| [slm] it just occured to me are they doing this so that the Mujahideen will be like "oh never mind, it's a raisin....let's quit this Jihad thing" :-[ okay, i know it may seem far fetched, but there is this idea in the conquerors minds that they just can't understand why people fight back ::) The idea that especially Muslims are willing to give their lives so willingly and selflessly, is very alien to western cultures..and so they think.."oh it must be them virgins that they are after"...they are too dense to figure that it's the element of oppression that yields extremism in people who would normally not even think about it. ::) anywho, i just thought, hmmm interesting...how convenient to fund a research that concludes it's raisins for the Shuhadaa, raisins i tell you.. ::) okay me done with me speculations... :P sis, Maliha :-) [wlm] |
| Re: Challenging the Qur’an |
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| jaihoon |
| 08/05/03 at 17:35:24 |
| Muslim Scholar Refutes Newsweek Qur’an Article WASHINGTON, Aug 5 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - A highly respectable Muslim scholar refuted Monday, August 4, an article by a U.S. magazine claiming the Muslim Glorious Book was "mistranscribed." Even though attempts to smear Islam are not new, the article by the massively-circulated Newsweek caused an uproar among Muslim scholars, officials and the public, prompting the banning of the magazine in Pakistan and Bangladesh. The Newsweek, in its July 28 edition, published an article entitled "Challenging The Qur’an", based on what the article’s writer claimed were "academic findings by a German scholar." The chief hypothesis of the said scholar, identified as Christoph Luxenberg, is that the original language of the Qur’an was not Arabic but "something closer to Aramaic." He alleged that "Arabic did not turn up as a written language until 150 years after (Prophet) Muhammad’s death." Based on his hypothesis and rereading the Muslims holy book in Aramaic, he claimed that "reference to the faithful impending ‘marriage in Paradise’ to ‘houris,’ the 72 wide-eyed virgins, refer to nothing more than ‘white raisins’ and ‘juicy fruits.’" The said-to-be scholar also alleged that "the Qur’an’s commandment for women to cover themselves is based on a similar misreading; in Sura 24, the verse that calls for women to ‘snap their scarves over their bags’ becomes in Aramaic ‘snap their belts around their waists.’ " What is "something closer to Aramaic" wondered Hathout. "Who will understand something close to English or German?" Responding to the article, the senior advisor of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, Dr. Maher Hathout, started by questioning the credibility and professionalism of the article’s writer himself, through drawing the reader’s attention to certain points. "The article claims Professor Luxenberg's is ‘likely to be the most far reaching scholarly commentary on the Qur’an’s genesis, taking this infant discipline far into uncharted and highly controversial territory." Who is Luxenberg? An unknown scholar writing under a pseudonym. "The ‘scholar’ is hiding his name for fear of repercussions, despite the fact that several people have written on the same subject in the past and present without taking such a precaution," Dr. Maher, also spokesman for the Islamic Center of Southern California, said, in his article entitled "Response to "Challenging the Qur’an" Article in Newsweek", published Monday, August 4, on IBN News website. "The professor works at an unnamed "leading German university" and his research is acclaimed by "Moudher Sfar" - probably another pseudonymed scholar from Tunisia we've never heard of. So much for academic credibility." Hathout, then, used point-by-point analysis style to refute the points raised by the article’s writer. "Describing Luxenberg as one of a small but growing group of scholars studying the language and history of the Qur’an is amazingly wrong. For 1400 years, there have always been groups in the East and West of Muslims and non-Muslims, faithful and skeptical, who wrote volumes about the history and language of the Qur’an. The unknown author here is neither a pioneer nor a hero," he wrote. "The article surmises that "translations of the Qur’an are never considered authentic." Translations are judged as either accurate or inaccurate. No translation is authentic. When you translate Shakespeare to French or Voltaire to English, you may be accurate or not but the work will never be authentic, simply because it is not what was said by the original author. To make this sound like a peculiarity for the Qur’an or a particular thinking of Muslims lacks academic objectivity," he went on. "Luxenberg's chief hypothesis is that the original language of the Qur’an was not Arabic, but "something close" to Aramaic. What is the meaning of "something close?" What is it? Where is it? Who would understand it? Who will understand something close to English or German? These are questions that any semi-academic mind would ask. "He asserts that Arabic as a language and system of writing was not developed until 150 years after the death of Prophet Muhammad. This strange assertion contradicts the major volume of pre-Islamic poetry, which is used even today to help in understanding and interpreting the Qur’an. "This poetry includes seven famous pieces that students study in middle schools throughout the Arab world, known as "Al Muallaquat." This refers to poems that were hung on the walls of the Kaaba as exhibitions of the best literary work in the pre-Islamic era. (The Kaaba, a cubic temple, has always been attributed by Arabs to the patriarch prophet, Abraham.) "It also contradicts the Encyclopedia of Literature by Merriam-Webster, which states, "The intermittent revelations to Muhammad were first memorized by followers and used in ritual prayers, although verses were later written down during the Prophet's lifetime." "We have in Al-Azhar library a manuscript "explaining the unusual styles in the Qur’an" written by Imam Sagistani 153 years after the migration to Medina, in perfect classical Arabic. When we look to what is known as Christian Aramaic, we notice that Jesus spoke in Aramaic, while the gospels are written in Greek. It is far fetched that the Gospel would be written in Greek while the Qur’an would be written "in Aramaic," Hathout added. The Muslim scholar concluded the point saying, "So, the process upon which the rereading of the verses in Aramaic is false and as Muslim jurists wisely say, "what is built on fallacy is false." Dr. Hathout then went on to explain some concepts used by the Newsweek writer, showing complete lacking of understanding the meanings and concepts dealt with, throwing deep doubts over the writer’s objectives behind writing the article in the first place. "Then he talks about "houris," which are allegorically symbolic beings of bliss in paradise, as being raisins and fruits. It is his prerogative but this does not provide anything supernatural to look forward to the life of eternity. "It seems that what he was referring to as raisins is "kawaib." He challenges what he claims as the Arabic meaning of "beings with swollen breasts," while if he had known Arabic, he would have understood the term as "beings of distinction." For this translation, we refer him to a real Austrian scholar on the language of the Qur’an, later known as Muhammad Asad. (Review The Message of the Quran). "The claim that the Qur’an's commandment to women in surah 24 to "snap their scarves over their bags" becomes in Aramaic "snap their belts around their waists." I challenge the professor to show us where he brought this verse of snapping from? Qur’an is available and surah 24 is easy to read, " Hathout explained. ’Click here for Dr. Hathouts complete response. Newsweek Banned Last week, Bangladesh banned the Newsweek July 28 issue for containing "confusing and objectionable" information about the Qur’an. "The government has banned sale, distribution and preservation" of the issue "as it might hurt Muslim religious sentiments," an official statement said. Even though the statement did not specify which part of the magazine it was referring to, but it was clear "Challenging the Qur’an" was the reason. Dhaka's ban came four days after Pakistan imposed a similar ban on the same weekly issue for carrying material likely to incite Muslim religious sentiments. "We have ordered the customs authorities to seize all copies of the Newsweek issue as it contains material which can incite religious sentiments," Minister Sheikh Rashid said, adding that the objectionable article on page 40 was about the (Muslim holy book) Qur’an. Bangladeshi authorities later allowed copies of the magazines onto news stands with the offending pages ripped out. It is not the first time that Newsweek has been banned in Bangladesh. Copies of its February 11, 2002 issue were confiscated because they contained an image of the Prophet Mohammed. In September 2000, an issue which included an article on Islam was also banned. Bangladesh, which has a population of 130 million, is the world's third largest Muslim-majority country. |
| Re: Challenging the Qur’an |
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| Tesseract |
| 08/05/03 at 20:28:28 |
| Salaam, [quote]It is not the first time that Newsweek has been banned in Bangladesh. Copies of its February 11, 2002 issue were confiscated because they contained an image of the Prophet Mohammed. [/quote] :o :o :o :o :o Woah man! These people are too much. |
| Re: Challenging the Qur’an |
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| Anonymous |
| 08/09/03 at 03:05:27 |
| [slm] The full text http://www.islamonline.net/english/Contemporary/2003/08/article03.shtml. [quote] We have in Al-Azhar library a manuscript "explaining the unusual styles in the Quran" written by Imam Sagistani 153 years after the migration to Medina, in perfect classical Arabic. When we look to what is known as Christian Aramaic, we notice that Jesus spoke in Aramaic, while the gospels are written in Greek. It is far fetched that the Gospel would be written in Greek while the Quran would be written in Aramaic. [/quote] Beware of the logic. The planting of the "seed" of doubt is nothing new. Quran is truly a miracle and there is no text in the world which has its credentials. This gives all the more reason to understand this book more. With our inedeptness with our present and reminiscences of the past. We have a intellectual vaccum and our conscience is slowly being ebbed away. There is one powerful tool against propoganda...... - Knowledege, *not* rhetoric. Muslim-in-Mad-World |
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