The Islam Issue "Muhammad violates Islamic law"

The Islam Issue "Muhammad violates Islamic law"

The condemnation in sura nur of suspicion, false charges and gossip in the context of slander, is extended elsewhere general matters 

33:70"be careful of (your duty to) Allah and speak the right word" 

49:12"avoid most of suspicion, for surely suspicion in some cases is a sin, and do not spy nor let some of you backbite others. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? By no means, [since] you would hate it". 

Dishonouring a Muslim brother is likened to consuming the flesh of his dead body. Making mention of ‘dead body’ is owing to the fact that backbiting is done behind people’s back in the same manner that the dead are unable to defend themselves. It is such a gross and cowardly act that the limbs of the backbiter will be made to testify against him 17:36. 

All people therefore have the benefit of the doubt and Muslims are told to assume the best rather than the worst in people, unless there are solid reasons for suspicion, especially if they are from one's own community 24:12-18. 

One's privacy, including the privacy of public figures, cannot be compromised based on suspicion 49:4-5,24:27-29. The code of law of many developed nations do not issue a search warrant unless there is solid evidence to back up an accusation. This notion reaches such an extent in Islam that one of the early caliphs suspected that a particular individual was committing adultery, jumped over his wall and caught him in the act. The man protested that even the caliph had no right to spy on him in this manner, to which the caliph relented, continued his inspection of the city and mentioned nothing of the man's identity to anyone. 

As always, when trying to understand a Quranic passage and even more so a particular hadith, it is with the aforementioned relevant information that one should interpret all related topics. For example when the prophet told Ali to go kill a man rumoured of adultery with Maria the copt, without requiring first the high standard of testimony, then it should be understood, as it was by the scholars of hadith, including as early as Jaafar al Saadiq, that the prophet was teaching those who slandered Maria, that presuppositions can be totally baseless and harmful. It is to be kept in mind that the prophet told Ali that whatever mission he sends him to accomplish, he must first make a proper investigation prior to acting as per the prophet's orders 

"Ali said: I said: O Messenger of Allah, when you send me on a mission, should I go and do what you tell me to do (with no delay) or witness and find out what someone who is not there cannot find out? He said: 'Witness and find out what someone who is not there cannot find out".

Ali acted exactly as per the prophet's recommendations, and as it turned out, the man in question was an eunuch, who was consequently left unbothered. The whole incident strongly demonstrated the prophet's as well as the Quran's repeated warnings against false suspicions. This eunuch's name was Jaarih and was gifted to the prophet along with Maria by an Egyptian notable, to serve Maria within the prophet's household. Common sense dictates that the prophet was aware of Jaarih's condition and that the Egyptian ruler had told him about it.  There is a reason why the hadith compiler himself did not include that narration in his book of legal judgments and so he did not understand it as setting a legal precedent. Furthermore this was by no means the only rumor spread by the prophet's malicious opponents. There are other occasions where the prophet and his household, as reported both in the Quran and ahadith were the unjust targets of slander and never did the prophet adopt such unilateral, punitive measures against the accusers or the alleged culprits. On would expect to find a precedent, a pattern indicating the prophet's supposed inclination for impulsive, arbitrary judgements the likes his opponents claim in regards the incident with Jaarih.

The Quran reforms society in matters of preservation of sexual morality in the most intricate of ways, not only through issuing threats of sanctions and punishments. Sura nur, the sura of chastity, begins with stipulating the punishment of adulterers, then paves the ground for a sound marriage, speaks of modest clothing for both men and women, prohibiting lecherous staring, warns against slander, ending with children's taking permission at the time of entering parents’ room, so as to preserve them too from being exposed to inappropriate situations. Even immature children are taught not to enter the parents’ room without permission at least at three special times (before morning ritual prayer, after night prayer, and at noon time when parents are taking rest).

The principle of not sitting in judgement of other people's hidden motives the moment they declare their faith or good intentions is again reflected in Nuh's answer to the unbelievers. They questioned his followers' motives because of their past behaviour, but he answered that he is not concerned with their past and they will only have to answer to God when they meet Him. Only then their true worth will be established 11:31,26:111-5. This principle extends to the followers of any system that leads them to 

6:52"call upon their nurturing Lord in the morning and the evening, they seek His face". 

Muslims should not to be repulsed by such people whose beliefs may not fully answer to the demands of the Quran. Rather they should provide help, explanation and clarifications. Ultimately, 

"neither are you answerable for any reckoning of theirs, nor are they answerable for any reckoning of yours, so that you should drive them away and thus be of the unjust".

Similarly a woman who deserts her husband for the sole sake of her new faith, not for any worldly issues, and solemnly declares her Islam, then, in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, this must constitue enough proof of her truthfulness, and she must be integrated within the community. This is because God alone is fully aware of the reality of the hearts 

60:10"examine them; Allah knows best their faith". 

Wisdom and spiritual awareness are not the monopoly of the elite, and neither is social status a criteria of truth. The Quran demonstrates this point as it quotes the chiefs and the elders of the community who comforted themselves in their opposition to the Quran by arguing that had there been any truth to it, they, as the most eminent and cultivated members of society would have been in the forefront to accept it. Yet only the common people, ie of lesser wisdom and intelligence have adopted it 46:11. 

Consequently a society may judge only by external evidence, which comprises a person's words and deeds for only Allah knows what is in the hearts of men 3:29,29:10-11. These hidden thoughts will be inevitably brought to light 47:29, but in the meantime none can perceive the disease of another person's heart except when it surfaces through his social affinities 58:22 or his behavior 

47:30"And if We please We would have made you know them so that you would certainly have recognized them by their marks and most certainly you can recognize them by the intent of (their) speech" 

and even if one succeeds in hiding his disbelief in this world or seems to meet the standards of righteousness, it does not mean in any way that such a one will succeed in escaping justice in the Hereafter 9:105.

The Islam Issue "Scientific miracles part 2: The Big bang and Quran 21:30"

The Islam Issue "Scientific miracles part 2: The Big bang and Quran 21:30"

The Quran is meant to provide spiritual, not scientific guidance. The miraculous way of the Quranic speech, its description of the universe and nature made sense to the ancient people all the while maintaining sufficient flexibility and space so that when the intellect and knowledge of men reach its peak, then that same Book becomes a permanent evidence. 

For example the verses 2:22,20:53,40:64 draw the image of a comfortable and protective tent with a sheltering binaa' above (the word is applied to tents and canopies and the like used by Bedouins). The ancients, just like us today, would firstly understand that the binaa' provides them with protection which in turn would ignite their God-consciousness and gratitude 

88:18-20"And the heaven, how it is reared aloft, And the mountains, how they are firmly fixed, And the earth, how it is made a vast expanse". 

This is the spiritual intent of the verses and if that is appreciated then the Quran has fully reached its objective. The readers and listeners can then go after the collateral, indirect and ambiguous meanings. They may inject their own erroneous views of nature onto the broad and ambiguous terms by equating binaa' with a solid physical canopy, just like we can blend our current scientific knowledge with the general words, so as to equate binaa'/structure with the protective atmosphere and upwards such as the magnetosphere. The Quran's ambiguous wording on the other hand would neither confirm nor negate any of the 2 interpretations. The only explicit stance of the Quran is as regards the spiritual portent of the verse, which both ancient and modern readers can grasp regardless of their understanding of nature.

It is worthy of note that although the Quran was revealed in the backward milieu of pre-Islamic Arabia, it nevertheless repeatedly calls its audience and readers upon reflection and observation of every aspect of creation, most often the universe, in order to increase in spirituality, not in scientific discovery. It is not one of the Quran’s goals to tell everything about the universe; its main goal is to guide its audience to the apparent significances that they can see with their eyes and feel. This is why the Quran only speaks of the apparent significances like the sky, earth, mountains, sun, moon, clouds and so on. 

Whether we look at nature and the universe according to ancient beliefs or in light of the latest discoveries, our appreciation and awe of these phenomena, how they are regulated and preserved, is not diminished. Regardless of what we may call these laws, they continue to serve as evidence of the truth and of God’s power which is manifest in 

3:190"the creation of the heavens and the earth and in the succession of night and day".

This not only pertains to astronomy but other aspects of the observable nature, spoken of with just enough depth to be relevant spiritually, while maintaining a neutral wording so as to avoid either confirming or blatantly rejecting the scientific notions of the ancients. The Quran was not sent to clear their misunderstandings, rather to clear their ignorance of the higher realities of our existence, and which are present in every aspect of nature 

2:115"so whichever way you turn, there is the Face of Allah". 

It would have been counterproductive for the Quran to blatantly mention unknown science facts. It carried the risk of deflecting the audience's attention from the deeper message, confusing them further during the delicate process of spiritual reform. Early Muslims appreciated the spiritual portents of these verses but were then free to delve deeper into the unintended scientific aspect, interpreting it in accordance with their own views. We do the same today and others will continue after us, the more scientific advancements are made. 

To the spiritually aware, for whom all observation of nature is seen through the prism of God-consciousness, these advancements are simply unravelling further God's might. Islamically, this is the correct approach to all scientific endeavor. When devoid of the spiritual angle, observation of nature only scratches the surface of reality 

30:7-8"They know what is apparent of the worldly life, but they, of the Hereafter, are unaware. Do they not contemplate within themselves? Allah has not created the heavens and the earth and what is between them except in truth and for a specified term. And indeed, many of the people, in [the matter of] the meeting with their Lord, are disbelievers".

All Quranic facts are absolute, and non falsifiable which isnt the case for most scientific facts, because they are the evolutionary product of the human mind as it goes from the primitive to the complex. In the course of human search of knowledge, previous postulates evolved from a speck of truth, to half truth to certain truth then many times only to revert back to ignorance. Most of what we knew, know and will know as science facts always prove in the course of time to be transient.

That is why the modern trend of seeking science "fact" or "errors" in the Quran, while science itself is undergoing an evolutionary process through the human medium of reasoning, is a fundamental mistake in approaching the meanings of the Quran. This book doesnt need its “credibility” enhanced by means of technical, mathematical, or quantitative data. The Quran is an integrated and consolidated whole that is in no need of scientific confirmation, while science is in need of constant substantiation as it keeps moving from one theory to another. Finite man will never be able to produce infinite science; man will never be able to produce eternal facts.

Now as to 21:30, the Quran states the heavens and earth were closed, then pictures life coming forth by tearing its way, an imagery often employed in religious scriptures 1Kings8:35,2Chronicles7:13,Deut28:12. 

It is to be firstly understood it doesnt say heavens and earth were closed or joined together, rather that each on their own were closed. It is a phenomenon the addressees are told to observe in order to substantiate the spiritual import of the verse. The implication of both heavens and earth opening is that rain showers down from heaven (from the clouds 13:17,16:65,18:45,24:43,30:48,35:9,43:11) and vegetation germinates from the earth after ripping it apart 

"Do not those who disbelieve see that the heavens and the earth were closed up, but We have opened them/fataqnahum; and We have made of water everything living, will they not then believe?" 

86:11-12"I swear by the raingiving heavens, And the earth splitting (with plants)" 

80:25-26"We pour down the water, pouring (it) down in abundance, then We cleave the earth, cleaving (it) asunder".

The Quran often employs this image of God as the Almighty, giver of life and energy, causing life/action "to tear its way forth". The divine name "al-fatir" whose root meaning is "to split" is linked to that effect of creation through splitting 6:14. 

It is narrated that Amr b. Ubayd once went to Muhammad al-Baqir (a descendant of the prophet through his grandsons) to test him through a question. He asked:

 “May I be your ransom! What is the meaning of His words: Do not those who disbelieve see that the heavens and the earth were closed up, but We have opened them (21:30)? What does it mean to be ‘closed up’ and ‘opened up’?” Abu Jaʿfar (that is, al-Baqir) replied: “The heavens were closed up, not sending down rain; and the earth was closed up, not sprouting any plants. Thereafter God opened up the heaven with rain and opened up the earth with vegetation.” Given this answer, Amr b. ʿUbayd had nothing to say, could not find any objection, and went on his way".

6:95"Indeed Allah is the one who cracks open/faliq the seed and the fruit pit, including He makes the living come out of the dead and makes the dead come out of the living. This is Allah for you so how come you get mislead"

6:96"He is the Cleaver/faliq of the Daybreak"

113:1"I seek refuge with the Lord who breaks apart and brings forth everything/rabbil falaq"

Faliq from F-L-Q is used for something that cracks open and makes way for a new beginning or a new entity. It is used for example for the egg that hatches and brings about a new bird or as in the above instances with the cracking open of the seeds in order to have a new plant sprout. Because most things in nature come to existence after a former entity cracks open, the term F-L-Q is used for "creation" even when that creation does not necessarily include breaking a former entity, as illustrated in 6:96. Such verses come in the context of resurrection and are meant to show that it is easy for God to bring us back to life as He brings to life the heavens and the earth that were closed up/dead 

16:65,25:49,30:19,32:27,35:9,36:32-3,41:39,50:9-11,43:11"And He Who sends down water from the cloud according to a measure, then We raise to life thereby a dead country, even thus shall you be brought forth". 

One may argue that the seed is not necessarily dead but dormant or something like that. In Arabic, linguistically, and as demonstrated in the Quran, death is defined by inactivity and life is defined as activity. God has allowed this earth to be the cradle of the cyclic occurrence of life and death, the continuous repetition on a micro/macro scale, of activity and inactivity of every element on the earth, including the elements that make us, that will eventually return to their previous inactive state and then reintegrate the living 39:21,77:25 as a symbol of the resurrection 

"Most surely there is a reminder in this for the men of understanding" 

29:20"Travel in the earth and see how He makes the first creation, then Allah creates the latter creation; surely Allah has power over all things". 

The Creator is perfectly aware of 

34:2"what penetrates into the earth and what emerges from it and what descends from the sky and what ascends into it". 

Besides the refusal to accept ultimate accountability, it is the negation of that particular knowledge of God that led them to technically negate the concept of resurrection, the knowledge of the whereabouts of every atom composing a body when scattered throughout the earth and consequent capacity to gather them back 

32:10"when we have become lost in the earth, shall we then certainly be in a new creation?" 

Through several angles, the Quran answers this objection, the original creation of man from dispersed dust is no different than his recreation once he returns to scattered dust. In fact so comprehensive will the process be than even the conscience, the soul, is preserved from the moment of death 39:42. In the words of Muhammad Asad, this definition comprises things physical and spiritual: waters disappearing underground and reappearing; the metamorphosis of seed into plant, and of decaying plant into oil and coal; traces of old artifacts and entire civilizations buried in the earth and then reappearing within the sight and consciousness of later generations of men; the transformation of dead bodies of animals and men into elements of nourishment for new life; the ascent of earthy vapours towards the skies, and their descent as rain, snow or hail; the ascent towards the heavens of men’s longings, hopes and ambitions, and the descent of divine inspiration into the minds of men, and thus a revival of faith and thought and, with it, the growth of new artifacts, new skills and new hopes: in short, the endless recurrence of birth, death and re-birth which characterizes all of God’s creation.

We are thus in need of the One who put in place, and sustains this sytem, for spiritual guidance and life in this world as well as the hereafter regardless of whether we recognize Him and accept Him 

35:15"O men, you are they who stand in need of Allah, and Allah is He Who is the Self-sufficient, the Praised One".

The often repeated image of life splitting the earth appart 80:25-32 is metaphorically used in 13:31 for God's guidance, through the Quran, causing "the earth to be torn asunder".