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We have approaching the halfway point through the Qur'an in my Blogging the Qur'an series. There are 114 suras but since they are (roughly) arranged in order of length from the longest (sura 2) to the shortest, once you get through around sura 19 or 20 you're halfway through the book.
If you read the series you will see that I am not giving my own assessments of the meaning of various passages, but rather showing how mainstream, orthodox Muslim commentators have viewed and explained them. As such I present it as an aid to understanding the mindset of the jihadists who have vowed to destroy the West. The Qur'an is little read and even less understood by Western policymakers, and when jihadists have frequent recourse to it in explaining what they are doing and why, and gaining recruits within the Muslim community, that is unwise.
Anyway, here is sura 17, verses 2-111:
Muhammad was especially proud of sura 17, which goes by the titles “The Night Journey” and “The Tribe of Israel.” Of suras 17, 18, and 19 he said: “They are among the earliest and most beautiful Surahs and they are my treasure.” And according to his favorite wife, Aisha, he “used to recite Bani Isra’il [sura 17] and Az-Zumar [sura 39] every night.”
After the cryptic allusion to the Night Journey in verse 1, it continues (verses 2-8) with a warning to the Jews. Allah previously warned them that twice they “would they do mischief on the earth and be elated with mighty arrogance” (v. 4). Ibn Kathir elaborates: “Allah tells us that He made a declaration to the Children of Israel in the Scripture, meaning that He had already told them in the Book which He revealed to them, that they would cause mischief on the earth twice, and would become tyrants and extremely arrogant, meaning they would become shameless oppressors of people.” The crime of “mischief on the earth,” fasaad fi al-ardh, is punishable according to 5:33 by crucifixion, or the amputation of hands and feet on opposite sides.
Who were the servants of Allah “given to terrible warfare” who entered the homes of the Jews? Ibn Kathir doesn’t trust accounts from Jewish sources, apparently including Jewish Scriptures: “some of them are fabricated, concocted by their heretics, and others may be true, but we have no need of them, praise be to Allah. What Allah has told us in His Book (the Qur’an) is sufficient and we have no need of what is in the other books that came before. Neither Allah nor His Messenger required us to refer to them.” For the Jews’ disobedience to Allah “their humiliation and subjugation was a befitting punishment.”
Then verses 9-21 repeat warnings of the impending judgment. No one can bear another’s burdens (v. 15) – although 29:13 says that the unbelievers will “bear their own burdens, and burdens along with their own.” Allah always sends messengers to a disobedient people before he destroys it (v. 16), and warns Muslims that those who long for the transitory things of this life will be given them, but will be punished in hell (v. 18).
Verses 22-39 enunciate a moral code, the “wisdom wherewith thy Lord hath inspired thee” – that is, Muhammad (v. 39). Muslims should:
1. Worship Allah alone (v. 22);
2. Be kind to their parents (v. 23);
3. Provide for their relatives, the needy, and travelers, and not be wasteful (v. 26);
4. Not kill their children for fear of poverty (v. 31);
5. Not commit adultery (v. 32);
6. Not “take life — which Allah has made sacred — except for just cause,” and to make restitution for wrongful death (v. 33 – see the discussion here of 2:178);
7. Not seize the wealth of orphans (v. 34);
8. “Give full measure when ye measure, and weigh with a balance that is straight” (v. 35);
9. “Pursue not that of which thou hast no knowledge” (v. 36);
10. Not “walk on the earth with insolence” (v. 37).
Verses 40-71 once again excoriate the unbelievers for their perversity. The unbelievers “utter a most dreadful saying” in claiming that Allah has daughters, while they have sons (v. 40). The Qur’an reveals the truth, but only makes them resist it even more (v. 41). All creation reveals Allah’s glory (v. 44). Allah prevents the unbelievers from understanding the Qur’an (v. 46), and they accuse Muhammad of being “bewitched” (v. 47). They deny that Allah can restore the dead to life (vv. 49-52, cf. 98-99), yet their idols have no power (vv. 56, 67). All populations will be destroyed utterly or at least punished (v. 58), but Allah doesn’t send a miracle to confirm Muhammad’s message because others rejected miracles in the past (v. 59). The refusal of Satan to bow down to Adam is retold in vv. 61-65 – see the discussion of 7:11-25. The unbelievers should be mindful that Allah might bring a natural disaster upon them (vv. 68-69).
The unbelievers even tried to tempt Muhammad away from the truth (verses 72-77). There are varying accounts of what form this temptation took. The Ruhul Ma’ani says that the pagan Quraysh asked Muhammad to replace the verses announcing Allah’s punishment with verses about his mercy, and vice versa – which would make the verses of mercy much more plentiful. But Allah kept Muhammad from being thus beguiled.
Verses 78-100 reiterate many of the same themes, returning most often to the wonders of the Qur’an itself. The Qur’an is “a healing and a mercy to those who believe,” while “to the unjust it causes nothing but loss after loss” (v. 82). The “whole of mankind and Jinns,” working together, couldn’t produce anything like it (v. 88). Yet still men are ungrateful (v. 89) and demand a miracle, which they will not get (vv. 90-96). No one can guide one whom Allah leaves straying (v. 97).
Verses 101-111 begin by returning to the story of Moses with Pharaoh, recounting that Allah gave Moses “nine clear signs,” but Pharaoh remained obstinate and denied Moses’ claims in language reminiscent of the Quraysh’s dismissal of Muhammad in v. 47 (v. 101). Allah gives the children of Israel the land (v. 104) – that is, Jordan and Palestine, according to the Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs. There are several prominent “moderate” Muslims who have made much of this, telling Jewish groups that the Qur’an guarantees Jews the land of Israel without getting around to telling them also that the Qur’an also says Jews are accursed for rejecting Muhammad (2:89) and that the Muslims are the true children of Abraham (3:67-68) and thus the true inheritors of this promise.
The sura concludes with more praise of the Qur’an, which has brought the truth, such that the pious receive it with grateful humility (vv. 105-109). Then comes Allah’s instruction to Muhammad to say, “Call upon Allah, or call upon Rahman [the Compassionate]: by whatever name ye call upon Him, for to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names” (v. 110). Apparently, the Meccans thought that Al-Rahman, the middle term of the Islamic invocation Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Rahim, “In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful,” was a deity distinct from Allah, and Muhammad is to tell them that they are but two different names for the same being. According to Ibn Kathir, “one of the idolators heard the Prophet saying when he was prostrating: ‘O Most Gracious, O Most Merciful.’ The idolator said, he claims to pray to One, but he is praying to two! Then Allah revealed this Ayah [verse, or sign].” Several historians have noted that Al-Rahman was the name of a pagan god in pre-Islamic Arabia, and was also used frequently by Jews and Christians — suggesting that Muhammad was trying to bring together several conceptions of the divine in order to unite the peoples of Arabia under Islam. There is even a hint of this in the Qur’an, when the unbelievers exclaim: “Has he made the gods (all) into one Allah? Truly this is a wonderful thing!” (38:5).
Next week: Sura 18, “The Cave” – one of the strangest and most influential of all the chapters of the Qur’an.
(Here you can find links to all the earlier "Blogging the Qur'an" segments. Here is a good Arabic Qur’an, with English translations available; here are two popular Muslim translations, those of Abdullah Yusuf Ali and Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall, along with a third by M. H. Shakir. Here is another popular translation, that of Muhammad Asad. And here is an omnibus of ten Qur’an translations.)
Posted by Robert at March 4, 2008 4:14 AM
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@Robert
Have you been following The Guardians "Blogging the Koran" series?
What do you make of it?
Posted by: Big Luke![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at March 4, 2008 5:58 AM
Big Luke:
It's a Big Whitewash. When I get a chance I'll write a few things about it here.
Cordially
Robert Spencer
at March 4, 2008 6:09 AM
"The Ruhul Ma’ani says that the pagan Quraysh asked Muhammad to replace the verses announcing Allah’s punishment with verses about his mercy, and vice versa – which would make the verses of mercy much more plentiful. But Allah kept Muhammad from being thus beguiled."
I am confused. I thought that Allah was compassionate and merciful. Maybe not so much.
Posted by: tanstaafl at March 4, 2008 8:33 AM
Compare
#1. Worship Allah alone (v. 22);
#2. Be kind to their parents (v. 23);
#3. Provide for their relatives, the needy, and travelers, and not be wasteful (v. 26);
#4. Not kill their children for fear of poverty (v. 31);
#5. Not commit adultery (v. 32);
#6. Not “take life — which Allah has made sacred — except for just cause,” and to make restitution for wrongful death (v. 33 – see the discussion here of 2:178);
#7. Not seize the wealth of orphans (v. 34);
#8. “Give full measure when ye measure, and weigh with a balance that is straight” (v. 35);
#9. “Pursue not that of which thou hast no knowledge” (v. 36);
#10. Not “walk on the earth with insolence” (v. 37).
And comparing this to 10 commandments. (from Wiki)
#1=
1 You shall have no other gods before me
2 You shall not make for yourself an idol
#none=
3 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of your God
#none=
4 Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy
#2=
5 Honor your Father and Mother
#6=(sortof)
6 You shall not murder
#5=
7 You shall not commit adultery
#7&8=(sortof /partly)
8 You shall not steal
#none=
9 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
3none=
10 You shall not covet your neighbor's house
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife
So nothing about lies or envy. They don't seem bad to me, just incomplete. And vague.
Don't steal from orphans and from those you are selling to - but not stealing outright? Or is this just read as don't steal?
And killing is NOT completely outlawed.
9. “Pursue not that of which thou hast no knowledge” (v. 36);
What does this mean exactly?
Don't study? What is this taught to mean?
And what does walk with insolence get understood as?
at March 4, 2008 9:12 AM
Have you suggested to The New Duranty Times, to The Bandar Beacon, that they might wish to run your "Blogging the Qur'an"? Surely readers need to have a dispassionate setting-out of the contents of that book, with glosses offered, as you do, by the Muslim commentators, for fellow Muslims, rather than, say, the kind of thing an esposito or an armstrong or a bowdlerizing "lyrical-suricist" would offer.
There is nothing tendentious -- not a phrase, and not a word -- to which objections might be raised.
Let's see what they say, those specialists in keeping us, over the past decades, and especially over the past six-and-a-half years which, dating fatidically from 9/11/2001, ought to have been spent by our press, in providing mass dissemination of the texts, and tenets, of Islam -- Qur'an, Hadith, Sira. But instead there has been nothing, with the promise of years of more nothing to come.
Give it a whirl.
For the suggestion my cut will be a most modest one.
Posted by: Hugh at March 4, 2008 9:20 AM
@ Robert,
You are going to publish this all in book form for those of us, who wish to purchase it to have physically at our fingertips? I so much would rather a leisurely time of reading a good book with a hot cup of tea, then squinting at a screen.
at March 4, 2008 10:11 AM
Senor Doeboy
Eventually, if any publisher wants it. I am going to publish a book in a different form called The Infidel's Guide to the Koran with Regnery next year.
Cordially
Robert Spencer
at March 4, 2008 11:17 AM
Robert,
I very much look forward to this upcoming book, as I have read several of your other works and found them to be invaluable in understanding, uh... "current events."
However, considering the mindset of the Mussulmen, it seems to me you should title your book:
"The Filthy, Unclean Kuffar Infidel Dog's Guide to the Koran."
Do you think Regnery would go for this?
With warmest regards,
OOTLFPL
at March 4, 2008 1:07 PM
Senor Doeboy,
Right you are about a good book and a cup of hot tea! Let me suggest a nice little cup of Darjeeling sweetened with honey, just be sure to get the mildest tasting honey you can find so as not to overpower the subtle flavor of the Darjeeling. Also, I always pour BOILING water over the tea ( bagged or loose in a teaball ) and to get the full flavor let it steep for a good FIVE MINUTES, as there appear to be volatile fractions at low concentration. It is definitely an aquired taste: if you are not used to it, you must carefully LOOK FOR the subtle flavor overtones in Darjeeling, but once you get used to it there is nothing else quite like it.
Let me also recommend PG Tips, an excellent English tea commonly served in the Indian restaurants hereabouts.
at March 4, 2008 1:19 PM
We have approaching the halfway point through the Qur'an in my Blogging the Qur'an series at Hot Air. There are 114 suras but since they are (roughly) arranged in order of length from the longest (sura 2) to the shortest, once you get through around sura 19 or 20 you're halfway through the book.Robert
Does that mean that at some point after, you'll be handling multiple chapters per week?
Posted by: Infidel Pride at March 4, 2008 4:24 PM
A Conduct Not to Earn the Displeasure of God Almighty
The Quran is the last and final Book in the series of Revelations of God for the whole of mankind. Islam is a way of life and the Book Quran; contains the light and guidance in the way the Gracious God wants us to lead our success full and prosperous lives. But the sole effort of Robert Spencer in his deliberations on this site leaves most of the readers, confused and in oblivion about this Final Revelations. He is often found gleeful where he thinks that he is successful in misleading the readers but a few.
His usual plea that a group of followers in Islam are taking the extremists views of the term; Jihad and apparently shows his concerns that this myth is the sole cause of violence in certain parts of the societies. These are his personal views and he may have his rights to criticise that particular group of people. But truth of the matter is that this plea is mere a camouflage and concealment under the cover of which he keeps on maligning the Islam and instigates others to join in his chorus. The people of his stature and as per his acclaimed researches; he should be able to differentiate between the Truth in Islam and a maligning vendetta being implied by the oppressor forces against Islam. As a righteous person; he should not be found standing there as an abetter and a source of …instigation toward evil. The righteousness of man demands that evil are shun. A right must be differentiated from wrong and all the evils must be negated; right at the out set.
In his deliberation about the Surah 17; ‘The Night Journey’; although Mr Robert Spencer has brushed pass the salient of the subject Surah which hems at the conduct of Israelites and leaves us with the lessons for the believers that how best we must conduct ourselves not to earn the same displeasure of God Almighty the Israelites earned. It will not also justify the object of the commentary of this subject Surah if we try to brush pass main subject where Allah explains the parables of olds to warn the believers that as here in [17:3] And We gave Moses the Book and We made it a guidance for the Children of Israel, commanding, 'Take ye no guardian beside ME’
And in:
[17:4] 'O ye, the progeny of those whom We carried in the Ark with Noah.' He indeed was a grateful servant of OurS.
[17:5] And We had clearly conveyed to the Children of Israel in the Book: 'You will surely do great mischief in the land twice, and you will surely become excessively overbearing.'
[17:6] So when the time of the fulfilment of the first of the two warnings came, We sent against you some servants of OurS, possessed of great might in war, and they penetrated into your houses and it was a warning that was bound to be fulfilled.
[17:7] Then We gave you back the power against them and aided you with wealth and children and also made you larger in numbers than before.
[17:8] Now, if you do good, you will do good for your own souls; and if you do evil, it will be to your own loss. So when the time for the fulfilment of the latter warning came, We raised a people against you that they might cover your faces with grief, and that they enter the Mosque, as they entered it the first time, and that they might destroy utterly all that they conquered.
[17:9] It may be that your Lord will now have mercy on you; but if you return to mischief, We too will return to punishment, and remember We have made Hell a prison for the disbelievers.
[17:10] Surely, this Qur'an guides to what is most right; and gives to the believers who do good deeds the glad tidings that they shall have a great reward;
The two transgressions of the Israelites mentioned above in the verse [17:5] are also referred in the Book of Moses (Deut. 28:15, 49-53, 63, 64 & 30:15). Those amongst the Children of Israel who disbelieved were cursed twice by David and Jesus, son of Mary (5:79) and consequently were punished twice.
The first divine punishment overtook the Israelites after David, and the second after Jesus. It appears from the Bible that the Jews had become a very powerful nation after Moses, and in the time of David they laid the foundations of a mighty kingdom which continued to flourish for sometime after his death in its old might and glory. Then it fell a prey to gradual decay and in about 733 B.C. Samaria was conquered by the Assyrians, who annexed the whole of Israel north of Jasreel. In 608 B.C. Palestine was ravaged by an Egyptian force under Pharaoh Necho and the Israelites came under Egyptian sway (Jew, Enc., vol 6, p. 665). The loss of their temporal power and their destruction and desolation, however, did not induce them to mend their ways. They persisted in their old wicked practices. The Prophet Jeremiah warned them to give up their evil wats as the wrath of God was about to overtake them, but they paid no heed to Jeremiah’s warnings. In the reign of Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon made his first invasion of Palestine and carried off some of the Temple vessels, but the city was spared the rigours of a siege. In 597 B.C. also the city was invested and fell victim to a severe famine. The rebellion of Zedekiah, however, caused a second invasion by storm. King Zedekiah fled from the city but was taken prisoner. His sons were slain and his eyes were put out, and bound in fetters he was carried off to Babylon. The Temple, the King’s palace and all the great buildings in the city were burnt down, the chief priests and other leaders were put to death and many people were carried off in captivity (Jew, Enc, vol, 6, p. 665 & vol 7, p. 122 under ‘Jerusalem’).
The Jews fared well in exile. Most of them were employed on public works in central Babylonia and many among them eventually gained their freedom and rose to influential positions. Their faith and religious devotion were renewed; the literature of the Kingdom was studied, re-edited, and adapted to the needs of the reviving Community, and the hope of restoration to Palestine was preached and cherished. About 545 B.C., this aspiration took a more definite form. The Jews made a secret agreement with Cyrus, King of Media and Persia and helped him to conquer Babylon. The city surrendered to his army without resistance in July, 539 B.C. As a reward for their services Cyrus permitted the Jews to return to Jerusalem and also helped them to rebuild the Temple (Historians’ History of the World, vol II, p. 126: Jew. Enc., vol 7, under ‘Jerusalem;’ Enc. Bib., under ‘Cyrus’ and 2 Chronicles 36:22, 23). The Judean, Sheshbazzar (a governor under Cyrus) brought back to the Temples vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away and prepared to undertake the work at the expense of the royal purse. A large body of exiles returned to Jerusalem (Exra 1:3-5). The work of rebuilding the Temple steadily progressed and was completed in 516 B.C. It is to these events and the subsequent prosperity of the Jews that the verse under comment refers. All this however, was foretold by Moses long before it came to pass (Det. 30:1-5).
This verse speaks of the second relapse into iniquitous ways of the Jews and of the punishment which befell them in consequences,. They prosecuted Jesus and sought to kill him on the Cross and stamp out his Movement. Do God afflicted them with a terrible punishment when in 70 A.D. the Roman forces under Titus swept the country and amid circumstances of unparalleled horror Jerusalem was destroyed and the Temple of Solomon was burnt down (Enc. Bib., under ‘Jerusalem’). This disaster took place when Jesus was yet living in Kashmir(India). This was also foretold by Moses (Deut, 32:18-26). It may be noted here that this prophecy about the second punishment is mentioned in the Bible after the prophecy which speaks of the first punishment (Deut, chap 28). More than that, it is mentioned even after the prophecy which speaks of the return of the Jews to Jerusalem (Deut, 30:1-5). This shows that this prophecy (Deut, 32:18-26) refers to the second punishment, to which reference had been made in the Qur’an, viz., You will surely do great mischief in the land twice (17:5).
The verse implied a warning for Muslims that, like the Jews, they too will be punished twice if they did not give up their evil ways. But they did not profit by the timely warning and did not give up their evil ways and were punished twice. Their first punishment overtook them when Baghdad fell in 1258 A.D. The barbarous hordes of Halaku completely destroyed that great seat of learning and power and some 18,000,000 Muslims are said to have been put to the sword. Islam, however, emerged triumphant from that dreadful catastrophe. The victors became the vanquished. The grandson of Halaku along with a large number of Mongols and the Tartars accepted Islam. The second punishment was decreed to overtake them in Latter Days.
The goal which the Qur’an sets before its followers is nobler and more sublime than that of the former peoples, and promises its true followers both spiritual and temporal blessings. They should, therefore, make great efforts to attain them and be on their guard against a lax of undisciplined life and in every way prove themselves deserving of the promised Divine boons.
-------------------------------------
Love for all, Hatred for None
at March 5, 2008 5:47 AM
“But the sole effort of Robert Spencer in his deliberations on this site leaves most of the readers, confused and in oblivion about this Final Revelations.”
No it doesn’t. No one here is confused or oblivious, and just because you say it doesn’t make it true.
“He is often found gleeful where he thinks that he is successful in misleading the readers but a few.”
You’re a damn liar. Show one example you puke.
“His usual plea that a group of followers in Islam are taking the extremists views of the term; Jihad and apparently shows his concerns that this myth is the sole cause of violence in certain parts of the societies.”
Yes, of course, it’s a myth. It must be those lying eyes of mine. No one believes Muslims would actually kill anyone. /sarcasm off/
“These are his personal views and he may have his rights to criticise that particular group of people.”
Mr. Spencer only posts what Muslims do. And how do you know his personal views? Do you know him personally?
“But truth of the matter is that this plea is mere a camouflage and concealment under the cover of which he keeps on maligning the Islam and instigates others to join in his chorus.”
Islam maligns itself. It doesn’t need any help.
“The people of his stature and as per his acclaimed researches; he should be able to differentiate between the Truth in Islam and a maligning vendetta being implied by the oppressor forces against Islam.”
Truth in Islam is an oxymoron.
“As a righteous person; he should not be found standing there as an abetter and a source of …instigation toward evil.”
This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. He’s a righteous person who instigates evil? Tell me A Khokar, how does that work? How do you get righteous person and instigator of evil in the same sentence in reference to one man?
“The righteousness of man demands that evil are shun.”
This is the first true, logical thing you’ve said so far. But I think your definition of evil is probably somewhat skewed.
“A right must be differentiated from wrong and all the evils must be negated; right at the out set.”
Wow, a second true and logical statement. Again, I doubt your definition of wrong or evil is the same as mine.
“The goal which the Qur’an sets before its followers is nobler and more sublime than that of the former peoples, and promises its true followers both spiritual and temporal blessings.”
So you see yourself as nobler than the “former peoples” eh? Think you’re better than us Infidels eh? Maybe you are. But, while we contemplate this god-given superiority, please, stand still for just one moment. I feel an urge to urinate on your shoes.
at March 7, 2008 8:24 PM
Dear Butterfly and Friends,
It is not a matter of being less noble or more; it is all about the word of God and our recognition of the Truth and accepting it as such; that is all. Nothing more, nothing less!
It is also not the matter of living in the non-harmonious prevalent state of interfaith quagmire or the numerous self created myths of monopoly of different kind pursued in Judaism or Christianity. It is simply believing in our Almighty; our living God and submitting to His will and to show our stead fastness under all the circumstances.
His latest commandments happen to be in the Holy Quran; giving us the latest and final Word of God revealed to Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. Islam is not some thing new; these are same old teachings of our common father Abraham; but duly reformed, refined, upgraded and selected by God for the whole of the mankind.
So; come willingly or unwillingly; but you have to!
-------------------------------------
Love for all, Hatred for none
at March 8, 2008 2:53 PM
Bite me.
Posted by: butterfly at March 8, 2008 9:19 PM
butterfly at March 8, 2008 9:19 PM
I will leave that job for you!
at March 9, 2008 6:13 PM
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