Koran Curious - A Guide for Infidels and Believers (13 page)
Read Koran Curious - A Guide for Infidels and Believers Online
Authors: C.J. Werleman
In these verses, Muhammad stresses the importance of maintaining justice. That justice is the vital thread in maintaining a strong and vibrant Islamic community.
[4:135] O you who believe, you shall be absolutely equitable, and observe GOD, when you serve as witnesses, even against yourselves, or your parents, or your relatives. Whether the accused is rich or poor, GOD takes care of both. Therefore, do not be biased by your personal wishes. If you deviate or disregard (this commandment), then GOD is fully Cognizant of everything you do.
Muhammad reminds Muslims to remain vigilant against the hypocrites and unbelievers. The hypocrites were those Muhammad accused of publicly declaring Islam but were unwilling to make sacrifices for it.
[4:137] Surely, those who believe, then disbelieve, then believe, then disbelieve, then plunge deeper into disbelief, GOD will not forgive them, nor will He guide them in any way.
[4:138] Inform the hypocrites that they have incurred painful retribution.
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
The Arabic title of this chapter is ‘Al-Maida’, meaning “the table” or “the feast”.
Containing one hundred and twenty verses, this sura was recited by Muhammad in Medina, somewhere between the sixth and seventh year after the migration. Surprisingly, the central topic of ‘the Feast’ is less to do with food or diet, and much to do with the respective missions of Jesus and Moses, as well as Muhammad’s claim his message from God is being corrupted and distorted by non-believing Jews and Christians.
The introductory verses, however, concern themselves with Muhammad’s return to Mecca, alongside 1500 of his Muslim brothers in AH 6. They had come not to make war, but to perform the ‘Umrah’ at the Kaaba. What is ‘Umrah’? It is a ritual whereby Muslims, and pagans before them, would circle the Kaaba seven times in a counter-clockwise direction, while chanting their prayers. Muhammad encouraged his followers to perform this at least one time every year, although not compulsory.
The Quraysh learned of Muhammad’s approaching and sent out a patrol to attack him on the outskirts of Mecca. Muhammad took evasion in a neighboring town, and in the days that followed, they offered Muhammad a peace treaty, the Treaty of Hudaibiyah, which allowed him to return to perform the Umrah in the following year.
Significantly, the Muslims were now in their sixth year of establishing themselves as an Arab society. They had successfully constructed mosques in several villages outside of their home in Medina, and their dress and behavior made them immediately identifiable as Muslims. Moreover, Islamic law was in full swing and Muhammad’s successes, socially and militarily, were being trumpeted throughout the land. Moreover, the Treaty of Hudaibiyah signaled an end to the constant skirmishing with the people of Mecca. This political breakthrough allowed Muhammad to spread his message and increase the rate of Islamic conversion at unprecedented rates.
Muhammad makes it clear that Muslims must be totally obedient in following all of God’s laws (Mosaic law) regarding prayer, diet, sex, and justice.
[5:3] Prohibited for you are animals that die of themselves, blood, the meat of pigs, and animals dedicated to other than GOD. (Animals that die of themselves include those) strangled, struck with an object, fallen from a height, gored, attacked by a wild animal - unless you save your animal before it dies - and animals sacrificed on altars. Also prohibited is dividing the meat through a game of chance; this is an abomination. Today, the disbelievers have given up concerning (the eradication of) your religion; do not fear them and fear Me instead. Today, I have completed your religion, perfected My blessing upon you, and I have decreed Submission as the religion for you. If one is forced by famine (to eat prohibited food), without being deliberately sinful, then GOD is Forgiver, Merciful.
[5:4] They consult you concerning what is lawful for them; say, “Lawful for you are all good things, including what trained dogs and falcons catch for you.” You train them according to GOD’s teachings. You may eat what they catch for you, and mention GOD’s name thereupon. You shall observe GOD. GOD is most efficient in reckoning.
[5:5] Today, all good food is made lawful for you. The food of the people of the scripture is lawful for you,
[and your food is lawful for them]*. Also, you may marry the chaste women among the believers, as well as the chaste women among the followers of previous scripture, provided you pay them their due dowries. You shall maintain chastity, not committing adultery, nor taking secret lovers. Anyone who rejects faith, all his work will be in vain, and in the Hereafter he will be with the losers.
Muhammad warns the Muslims they must not follow the wrongdoings of their predecessors, the Jews and Christians. In learning from their mistakes, the Muslims will advance their rewards in God’s kingdom.
It is here Muhammad implores the Arab Jews and Christians to give up their ways and to embrace Islam as the one true faith.
[5:14] Also from those who said, “We are Christian,” we took their covenant. But they disregarded some of the commandments given to them. Consequently, we condemned them to animosity and hatred among themselves, until the Day of Resurrection. GOD will then inform them of everything they had done.
[5:15] O people of the scripture, our messenger has come to you to proclaim for you many things you have concealed in the scripture, and to pardon many other transgressions you have committed. A beacon has come to you from GOD, and a profound scripture.
[5:19] O people of the scripture, our messenger has come to you, to explain things to you, after a period of time without messengers, lest you say, “We did not receive any preacher or warner.” A preacher and warner has now come to you. GOD is Omnipotent.
Muhammad uses the story of Cain and Abel as a metaphor for the Medinan Jews’ plot to kill him.
[5:27] Recite for them the true history of Adam’s two sons. They made an offering, and it was accepted from one of them, but not from the other. He said, “I will surely kill you.” He said, “GOD accepts only from the righteous.
[5:28] “If you extend your hand to kill me, I am not extending my hand to kill you. For I reverence GOD, Lord of the universe.
Here Muhammad prescribes punishments for those who wage war against the Muslims. Believers are urged to remain vigilant against those who transgress.
[5:33] The just retribution for those who fight GOD and His messenger, and commit horrendous crimes, is to be killed, or crucified, or to have their hands and feet cut off on alternate sides, or to be banished from the land. This is to humiliate them in this life, then they suffer a far worse retribution in the Hereafter.
[5:37] They will want to exit Hell, but alas, they can never exit there from; their retribution is eternal.
Further chastisement for the Arab Jews and Christians, who Muhammad believes deviated from their respective Torah and Gospels. Muhammad urges Muslims to deal with the people of these faiths, as God would i.e. punish them.
[5:41] O you messenger, do not be saddened by those who hasten to disbelieve among those who say, “We believe,” with their mouths, while their hearts do not believe. Among the Jews, some listened to lies. They listened to people who never met you, and who distorted the words out of context, then said, “If you are given this, accept it, but if you are given anything different, beware.” Whomever GOD wills to divert, you can do nothing to help him against GOD. GOD does not wish to cleanse their hearts. They have incurred humiliation in this world, and in the Hereafter, they will suffer a terrible retribution.
Muhammad urges Muslims not to make alliances with anyone other than fellow Muslims. He warns Muslims that the unbelievers and the people of other faiths will try to corrupt their beliefs, and lead them away from the righteous path.
[5:51] O you who believe, do not take certain Jews and Christians as allies; these are allies of one another. Those among you who ally themselves with these belong with them. GOD does not guide the transgressors.
[5:55] Your real allies are GOD and His messenger, and the believers who observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), and give the obligatory charity (Zakat), and they bow down.
[5:66] If only they would uphold the Torah and the Gospel, and what is sent down to them herein from their Lord, they would be showered with blessings from above them and from beneath their feet. Some of them are righteous, but many of them are evildoers.
Muhammad claims Christians have misinterpreted Jesus’ message and turned him into a god. Muhammad believed Jesus was merely a prophet.
[5:73] Pagans indeed are those who say that GOD is a third of a trinity. There is no god except the one god. Unless they refrain from saying this, those who disbelieve among them will incur a painful retribution.
[5:75] The Messiah, son of Mary, is no more than a messenger like the messengers before him, and his mother was a saint. Both of them used to eat the food. Note how we explain the revelations for them, and note how they still deviate!
Muhammad describes further laws and regulations regarding vices and temptations.
[5:90] O you who believe, intoxicants, and gambling, and the altars of idols, and the games of chance are abominations of the devil; you shall avoid them, that you may succeed.
[5:93] Those who believe and lead a righteous life bear no guilt by eating any food, so long as they observe the commandments, believe and lead a righteous life, then maintain their piety and faith, and continue to observe piety and righteousness. GOD loves the righteous.
Muhammad foretells of a future conversation that will occur between him, the other Apostles, and God on Judgment Day. Its purpose is to warn Muslims against losing their faith or their morality.
[5:109] The day will come when GOD will summon the messengers and ask them, “How was the response to you?” They will say, “We have no knowledge. You are the Knower of all secrets.”
[5:119] GOD will proclaim, “This is a day when the truthful will be saved by their truthfulness.” They have deserved gardens with flowing streams. They abide therein forever. GOD is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. This is the greatest triumph.
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
“The Cattle”, or as it’s translated in Arabic, “An-’am”, was recited by Muhammad in Mecca. In fact, this is the first of the suras to be recited. Containing one hundred and sixty five verses, it is named as such with the purpose of mocking the pagans for their animal sacrifices.
It was too early for the prophet to foresee how successful his mission would ultimately become, and it was during these early years opposition became most active against his claims. In fact, opposition against Muslims in Mecca became so violent and untenable that dozens fled to Abyssinia and then later to Medina.
The main topics dealt within this sura include the reward-punishment model for the afterlife; how to overcome objections of those who mock Islam; and warnings to the unbelievers.
Muhammad opens with a barrage of warnings against all those who continue to doubt his authenticity and mission. He warns unbelievers, Christians and Jews to either submit to Islam or face the same fiery damnation as the atheists and pagans.
[6:4] No matter what kind of proof comes to them from their Lord, they turn away from it, in aversion.
[6:5] Since they rejected the truth when it came to them, they have incurred the consequences of their heedlessness.
[6:6] Have they not seen how many generations before them we have annihilated? We established them on earth more than we did for you, and we showered them with blessings, generously, and we provided them with flowing streams. We then annihilated them because of their sins, and we substituted another generation in their place.
These verses deal with refuting claims made against Muhammad.
[6:14] Say, “Shall I accept other than GOD as a Lord and Master, when He is the Initiator of the heavens and the earth, and He feeds but is not fed?” Say, “I am commanded to be the most devoted submitter, and, ‘Do not be an idol worshiper.’ “
