Sura 13 -- al-Ra'd
In English this sura is "Thunder" and it's basically a chapter reminding us of God's creation and control over nature. It had quite lovely and picturesque verses.
2. It is God who raised the skies without support, as you can see, then assumed His throne, and enthralled the sun and the moon (so that) each runs to a predetermined course. He disposes all affairs, distinctly explaining every sign that you may be certain of the meeting with your Lord.
I thought this was a lovely verse declaring God's power in creation and also in putting things into place. However, I was curious about this phrase "distinctly explaining every sign" as I feel there are many things about God that are still mysteries to me. Perhaps this is a reference to God giving us His Word so we may be certain of things as the time approaches to meet Him on Judgment Day. What do you think?
4. On the earth are tracts adjoining one another, and vineyards, fields of corn and date-palm trees, some forked, some with single trunks, yet all irrigated by the self-same water, though We make some more excellent than the others in fruit. There are surely signs in them for those who understand.
I enjoy visualizing all of this and also imagining what fruit some may find more excellent. I know I really love cantaloupe and watermelon among others. How about you? Also I wonder what signs are in the fruit? Obviously I'm not among those who understand since I'm asking this question. Have any of y'all figured it out? :)
11. His angels keep watch over him in succession (night and day), in front and behind, by God's command. Verily God does not change the state of a people till they change themselves. When God intends misfortune for a people no one can avert it, and no saviour will they have apart from Him.
I've heard many Muslims quote this phrase ("God does not change the state of a people till they change themselves") on blogs. I recall my Syrian friend sharing how 20 to 40 years ago the Arab people were quite liberal, however, they saw themselves getting defeated and their countries basically being pitiful so they decided to "go back to" the religion. Thus the women started donning the headscarf and society got more conservative. Their hope was that God would notice how they were changing themselves so He would then step in as their Savior. I can see how this verse would be special as one I hear quoted quite often and in a similar fashion is this promise from God to the children of Israel,
"14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (II Chronicles 7)
Some preachers and other religious folks urge Americans to do this so that God will heal our land.
13. The thunder sings His praises, and the angels too, for awe of Him. He sends thunder-bolts and strikes whosoever He will with them: Even then it is God they contend about! But mighty is He in (His) power.
I love the first part of this verse and hope next time I hear thunder, I realize it's merely singing praises! Love that imagery! Reminds me of David's words in Psalm 19
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
3 There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.
their words to the ends of the world.
27. The unbelievers say: "How is it that no miracle was sent down to him by his Lord?" Say: "God leads whosoever He wills astray, and guides whoever turns to Him in repentance. 28. Those who believe and find peace in their hearts from the contemplation of God: Surely there is peace of heart in the contemplation of God!"
I've heard people say that God guides people to Himself, but I am not sure I've heard the same thing about God leading people astray. Those in Christianity who believe in predestination would say that man is so depraved - so sinful - that they follow their own lusts astray so God cannot be blamed for that. But in agreement with the Quran, they would agree that God guides people to Himself.
I love verse 28 and how contemplating God brings peace to our hearts. I suppose this is true only if we are in right relationship with God. I can't imagine a person living in sin enjoying thoughts of God. :)
I noticed descriptions of Paradise several times in the suras. It always sounds green and refreshing!
38. We sent many apostles before you, and bestowed on them wives and children, but it was not for any apostle to come up with a miracle unless by the leave of God. For every age there is a law. 39. God abrogates or confirms whatsoever He will, for He has with Him the Book of Books.
I thought this part about every age having a law, God abrogating and confirming to be interesting. I assume the "Book of Books" refers to the Quran?
43. Yet those who are disbelievers say: "You are not the apostle sent (by God)." Tell them: "God is sufficient as witness between me and you, and he who has knowledge of the Book."
I thought this was a nice assurance for Muhammad. God is a sufficient witness for him. Who is "he who has knowledge of the Book"? Was the Quran a book at this time? I keep seeing references to it as either "Book" or "this Quran." I was always under the impression it wasn't written down at this point except maybe on scraps of leather or paper. Does anyone know?
23 comments:
13:2 - "distinctly explaining every sign" - God explains the signs of the Day of Judgment, or getting near the End of Days. I also take this as a pointer to all the scientific proofs that are in the Qur'an. These are what really moved me… and what helped me realize that this wasn't some book just written by a guy in Arabia. It always takes my breath away.
13:4 - The sign is that from one source - water - we are given the multitude of fruits and vegetation. Each comes from the ground, but some are more enjoyable than others. We are given choices for our pleasure in this world, within a wide realm of what is permissible… food! At least, this is how I understand it.
13:11 - I love this verse too!! I think this shoots pure predestination (people aren't responsible for their actions) in the face… to put it bluntly. We are told that we have the ability to change ourselves, if we want to… the fact is, so many people are all too comfortable with what they've always done and they would rather not change anything.
It's interesting to see Bible verses match so closely with Qur'an, yes? I believe I said it before, but it just shows to me that this is all coming from the same Creator, Sustainer, Life Giver, Judge…. God.
13:38 - "For every age there is a law" I think I mentioned this before, but the laws change through time, such as the children of Adam had to marry brothers and sisters while that is prohibited now. Judging by the OT accounts, there was no limit on how many women a man could marry, but now it is limited to 4.
The "Book of Books" is all revelation from God including the Scrolls of Abraham, Torah, Psalms of David, Injeel (Gospel), and Qur'an. Some ponder if the original Hindu book(s), stuff by Buddha, etc. are included in that. Allah knows best, but the ones I listed in the first sentence are mentioned in the Qur'an as being pure revelation in their time.
13:43 - The Qur'an was known to be a book, even if it wasn't in complete revelation at the time. People memorized word for word it as it was revealed (and this is one of the proofs that it has been preserved). I am not sure of when it was written down… I thought it was written down originally, but not in one volume.
Interesting note: "Qur'an" means recitation… it was meant to be recited and it is recited in each of a Muslim's prayer (as I'm sure you're aware). So while it is a book today, the core of the Qur'an is its beautiful recitation and in this is even further miracle of the Qur'an.
Durriyyah, I enjoyed your comments on so many verses! Thank you for what you shared. I agree it's neat how the ancient cultures tended to be strong on oral transmission. This is why I don't have a huge problem accepting things from the Bible since I know those people tended to be waaaaay better at oral transmission stuff than we are today.
I agree that the Quran sounds lovely recited and I did know it was recited in prayer, but, hey, you never know what I *don't* know so thanks much for sharing what you did! :)
Which Quranic miracles were most impressive to you? Was that the main reason for your seeing the Quran as a message from God?
Thank you again!
The scientific miracles is what brought me to know the Qur'an is from Almighty God. You gave me a topic to keep my blog alive, so here's some more on that:
http://durriyyah-wandering-star.blogspot.com/2010/05/why-do-i-believe-quran-is-word-of-god.html
The other miracles such as people memorizing it since the time of the Prophet (pbuh) and even millions have it memorized today have amazed me, but that wasn't what got me interested as a non-Muslim. Each of us are different though.
Awesome! I will be sure to check out your post. Thank you for letting me know. I hope others will read it as well.
Thanks, Durriyyah! :)
Hmmm...I remember enjoying this surah because of the imagery. I do have to say, the Qur'an does have some very pretty visuals. :)
'though We make some more excellent than the others in fruit.'
I thought that was just saying, for a plain, surface reading of the text, that some trees grow more fruit than others?
'There are surely signs in them for those who understand.'
And, I thought that this next sentence was pointing people towards a deeper meaning in the text. Going back to the imagery of religions/groups/people as trees, and the 'fruit' that they bear. So some are made to bear more 'fruit' or better 'fruit' than others. Due to their message, maybe?
'"God does not change the state of a people till they change themselves"'
It reminded me of the saying, 'heaven helps those who help themselves'. Sitting on your tush whining about your life isn't going to change anything. You have to get up and make an effort. God is not going to pick you up and plop you into a new situation. He'll have helps along the way, but you have to walk the path, as it were.
I'll admit verse 13 always reminded me of Zeus more than anything else...
'27. The unbelievers say: "How is it that no miracle was sent down to him by his Lord?" Say: "God leads whosoever He wills astray, and guides whoever turns to Him in repentance. 28. Those who believe and find peace in their hearts from the contemplation of God: Surely there is peace of heart in the contemplation of God!"'
I remember reading and understanding that these verses, about the miracles were revealed when people were calling Mohammed's prophethood into question by pointing out that other prophets had miracles, but Mohammed had none. I know Muslims consider the Qur'an itself to be a miracle, but aside from that, as I recall, there are very few miracles attributed to Mohammed. And the 'scientific miracles' in the Qur'an, if one looks, aren't miraculous at all.
The last verses, I was given to understand, when the Qur'an was referred to as a book, before it was physically compiled into a book, were referring to the Qur'an that exists with God in heaven. As in, the one Mohammed was giving to the people was just a portion of that 'book' (though one assumes that it wasn't even then a physical book, but the word of God, the message given to the prophets).
Hi Susanne,
Yes, this is a lovely surah. My favourite is Surah Fajr though. It is very beautiful. I generally enjoy the Meccan surahs more.
You asked about Quran being a book in Prophet’s lifetime.
I think I’ll do a post on it on my private blog. The answer is too long and I don’t want to eat up your comment space. Soon. Inshallah!
In short, no it wasn’t codified into a book in his lifetime but the concept of a book was very important to Muslims
I had another thought. Well, really, it's the same thought, just carried a bit further.
'4. On the earth are tracts adjoining one another, and vineyards, fields of corn and date-palm trees, some forked, some with single trunks, yet all irrigated by the self-same water, though We make some more excellent than the others in fruit. There are surely signs in them for those who understand.'
Ok. So. If we go with the metaphor that the trees are people, or religions, then the water would be the message, the word of God. All of them are drawing from the same water, but each tree will grow differently, and will produce both different types and different quality/quantity of fruit.
Hee. Please keep in mind I just made that up, so of course it's probably not at all what was meant. But if it is, I totally claim credit. :)
These posts are fun, Susanne.
Suroor, thank you! I shall look forward to a post on that one day! I keep getting confused when I read "Book" because, yes, I am holding and reading a book, however, I don't think it was together as a book when this passage I'm reading was revealed. So to what was it referring? Just like in the Bible when Scripture is referred to, it's OT scrolls. Not one big book like the Bible. When Jesus read in the synagogue he read from the scroll of Isaiah. So, yes, do explain that when you can! Please. :)
Amber, yes, some lovely visuals indeed!
"I thought that was just saying, for a plain, surface reading of the text, that some trees grow more fruit than others?"
Aha, I thought maybe there was some hierarchy of fruit! :-) Ohhhhh, a spiritual fruit connection. I never thought of that possibility...hmmm. Maybe it's because I didn't find this teaching much in my understanding of Quran's message. I think of spiritual fruit from a Christian POV and think "God working in us through the Holy Spirit," but maybe this is also true in Islam. Thanks...now I can mull over this a bit.
Zeus. :)
Wow, great stuff in the rest of your comment. I love when you share what you remember from reading about Islam! Thank you very much!
"These posts are fun, Susanne."
Methinks you like trying to solve these "riddles." Ha, ha! I love your answers and they are fun for me to read. I'm glad you are part of the discussion! I liked what you shared about the trees/water/fruit!
P.S. -- Suroor, please explain why a concept of a book was important to Muslims when you do your post. Or just answer me here. I'm curious now. Thanks!
Susanne,
Oh, I'm definitely reading Christian theology into the text, which isn't there in the first place. But I thought it was interesting to reinterpret it. :)
Yes, I do like solving riddles. :)
Amber, oh that's good to know. I wonder if Muslims also believe in spiritual fruit such as you and I think of it. I know some things from the Bible they accept as a continuation and/or proof of the same author. However much of the redemptive, God's gift, God produces fruit through us stuff is NOT in Islam as they believe they redeem their own lives through doing good deeds. Really not much need for God when you can do all the saving of yourself by trying hard. Interesting to consider though and from a Christian POV,I think you did a fantastic job solving the tree/fruit/water riddle! :-D
OK, if you insist :)
I thought this is where you will enjoy Bart Ehrman. In Misquoting Jesus he devotes an entire chapter to how societies without a Book were looked down upon by the Jews that had a book. Interestingly not everyone could read or write but the written word carried a lot weight. He writes, “One of the things that made Judaism unique among the religions of the Roman Empire was that these instructions, along with the other ancestral traditions, were written down in sacred book.” (p.18-19).
He mentions that books played no role in polytheistic religions and so all three Abrahamic religions boasted their superiority over these religions. Ethics and morals didn’t play any role in religion but it is wrong to assume polytheists had no morals. Even Hamza Yusuf explains that the pagans of Arabia were very moral people with great values like honesty and above all generosity. It was Judaism that linked ethics and religion together and created the concept of sin. It also wrote down all the ethic codes into books that had the status of “scripture” for the Jewish people.
The Jews of Arabia mocked the pagans as well and the early monotheists called the hanif had realised that the reason why there was no codified religious law with the pagans is because they didn’t have a book. That is what they said to people around them including Muhammad.
The Quran tells us even Abraham was given a book (87:19 – the word used is suhuf which closely translates to written word rather than book so there is definitely a concept that Abraham was sent down a written book) and Ishmael was also given a Message. Ishmael is believed to be an ancestor of Muhammad yet Muhammad’s people are told that no message or prophet was ever sent to the Arabs before Muhammad. So what happened to Ishmael’s prophethood, ministry and revealed message? No one knows. No one even asks.
The point to note is that since Abraham is the Patriarch and so important to Islam, it is inconceivable that he or his sons could not have been sent a book. This is not understood by Jews and Christians who fail to see just how importance a Book was to the early Muslims.
Thus very early on in Islam it was apparent that there would be a book. In the very second revealed surah (number 68), the verse 36 questions the pagans “ Do you have a book from which you study?” The question was both sarcastic and predictive – the Muslims would soon have a Book which will prove their superiority and exclusivity, but do you have a book?! That is another reason Islam connects itself to Judaism and Christianity because these were the only two religions that boasted a Scripture.
By the time of the 38th surah (surah 38 is also at number 38 of revelation), the concept was clear – there was going to be a book: “(Here is) a Book which We have sent down unto thee, full of blessings, that they may mediate on its Signs, and that men of understanding may receive admonition.” (38:29)
It should be noted that the very first verse called itself a ‘recitation’ in a way “Recite: In the Name of thy Lord who created … (96:1) which is always translated as Read but ‘iqra’ from qira means to recite orally (since many Muslims believe Muhammad couldn’t read) so the concept of a book developed with time.
Was it too long? ;)
13:4 - I think it's talking about signs of God's existence and merciful nature. In later suras it goes into that a looooot. :)
Suroor, wow, so cool! I didn't know that about a "Book"! Hmmmm, fascinating! Maybe I'll read BE's book after I finish the three I am currently reading! Sounds interesting.
"Even Hamza Yusuf explains that the pagans of Arabia were very moral people with great values like honesty and above all generosity."
Yes, I remember the lecture notes that you shared on this topic.
" Ishmael is believed to be an ancestor of Muhammad yet Muhammad’s people are told that no message or prophet was ever sent to the Arabs before Muhammad. So what happened to Ishmael’s prophethood, ministry and revealed message? No one knows. No one even asks. "
Fascinating!
"The point to note is that since Abraham is the Patriarch and so important to Islam, it is inconceivable that he or his sons could not have been sent a book. This is not understood by Jews and Christians who fail to see just how importance a Book was to the early Muslims."
Aha! Wow! I'm so glad I asked and that you graciously answered me! See, I think people can worship books. They can hold their holy books as idols and seemingly worship the Book more than the One Whom the Book is supposed to represent.
"Thus very early on in Islam it was apparent that there would be a book. In the very second revealed surah (number 68), the verse 36 questions the pagans “ Do you have a book from which you study?” The question was both sarcastic and predictive – the Muslims would soon have a Book which will prove their superiority and exclusivity, but do you have a book?!"
Whoa! See, I wish I knew which suras were revealed first and second and so forth so I could follow the progression rather than jump from hither to yon! I think this is partly why I have trouble when I read "Book" because I think "Was part of the Quran a book at this point?"
"It should be noted that the very first verse called itself a ‘recitation’ in a way “Recite: In the Name of thy Lord who created … (96:1) which is always translated as Read but ‘iqra’ from qira means to recite orally (since many Muslims believe Muhammad couldn’t read) so the concept of a book developed with time."
So would it be safe to say that "Allah" at first was going to make this a typical oral tradition and only later firmed in his mind that it would, in fact, be a book on par with the Jews and Christians?
It is kind of telling that we are referred to as people of THE BOOK after reading this explanation of yours! :)
Thanks so much for sharing!
Sarah, ahhhh, I will keep my eyes peeled then! :-D
"So would it be safe to say that "Allah" at first was going to make this a typical oral tradition and only later firmed in his mind that it would, in fact, be a book on par with the Jews and Christians?"
God knows what has happened, what is happening, and what is going to happen. For God to learn would deny His infallible Eternal Knowledge.
I've heard before people say "The people prayed to God and changed the fate of such and such." I think it can quickly take us into a dangerous place to think that someone, or a group of people, can pray to God with what they want and then God thinks "Oh yeah, that's a better idea. Let's do that. My bad." Audobillah (I seek refuge from God) from attributing such things. I believe there's an example of this in the OT. I asked my husband over chat, but he's working and not responding (how dare he! hehehe).
We do know that we can change our situation through prayer, but God knows we will pray this prayer with His Eternal Knowledge. Only we are constricted by time. God created time and thus is not subject to it in any way, including Wisdom and Knowledge.
We instead know that there is a Wisdom that God had in revealing the Qur'an orally at first, and then having compiled it as a book that we know today.
Susanne,
“They can hold their holy books as idols and seemingly worship the Book more than the One Whom the Book is supposed to represent.”
Yes, but Quran doesn’t represent Allah. Quran is the word of Allah, so if it seems like it holds immense importance for Muslims, it is because it is believed to be the unaltered word of Allah. A part of Allah.
“I wish I knew which suras were revealed first and second and so forth”
Your wish is my command :) – here: http://www.missionislam.com/quran/revealationorder.htm
“So would it be safe to say that "Allah" at first was going to make this a typical oral tradition and only later firmed in his mind that it would, in fact, be a book on par with the Jews and Christians?”
I think it is a natural progression – when there were enough verses to be compiled people began putting them together as a book. But it is said that the man who was given the responsibility to collect the Quran verses from memory of people and parchments said “it would have been easier to pull mountains together than do this.” So, it wasn’t such an easy task. Chapters had no names, no order, no verse numbers and actually no vowels or markers. English speakers can’t understand the complexity the lack of markers and vowels can have on contemporary reading. For example, look at these two letters:
ب ba
Ø« tha
If I didn’t put any dots how would you know which is ba and which is tha?
Then there are signs that are called /harakaat/ (short vowels) that can turn the sound into ba (dash on top of latter), bi (dash below the letter), bu (a curly figure on the letter).
When Quran was written there were neither dots, nor harakaat which caused people to recite the Quran in different ways and the Prophet himself said it could be recited in 7 different ways but that changes the meanings of many words completely. Take for instance the word, bakkah (in 3:96).
That is why there had begun to be various different versions of the Quran which were collected by Caliph Uthman and burned after he issued his standard codified text. This is a reason there are Muslims who claim there was a verse on stoning adulterers written on a leaf which a goat ate! By the time people realised that the verse was missing, the Quran was already codified, bound and distributed.
Quran as a book we have today, a book you are reading, was put together long after the Prophet’s death so he didn’t see it as it is, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t already written as individual verses. Muhammad had scribes.
Durriyyah, I’m certain Susanne can clarify what she said herself, but as a third person I wanted to add that to Christians and also to Jews, Allah is not Yahweh. We all use the word God, but Jews and Christians don’t believe that Prophet Muhammad was inspired by Yahweh, the God who revealed the Torah and sent Jesus who became the Gospel. That is why Susanne used the word Allah and not God and put it in inverted commas. To her Yahweh didn’t reveal the Quran, but was the product of Muhammad’s thoughts and interactions with others.
Durriyyah, thanks for what you added. I agree that God doesn't see what we have in mind and then think "Oh that's a better plan." My understanding is similar to yours about God knowing ahead of time how we'd pray and thus we can change our situations. Totally agree that God knows past, present and future. You are preachin' to the choir, Woman! ;) Thanks for your comment.
Suroor, thanks for the link! Now I have no excuse to not know the order, huh? :-)
"When Quran was written there were neither dots, nor harakaat which caused people to recite the Quran in different ways and the Prophet himself said it could be recited in 7 different ways but that changes the meanings of many words completely. Take for instance the word, bakkah (in 3:96). "
8-O -- that's my eyes bugging and mouth dropped open
Yeah,I actually learned the Arabic alphabet last year and was amazed at how the placement of dots was so important and then the letters change form within words. Bllllllllllllllllllah! So how did they know which of the 7 different ways was correct? :-D Is this where "houris" being lovely virgin women OR merely raisins comes into play? Ha, ha!
"This is a reason there are Muslims who claim there was a verse on stoning adulterers written on a leaf which a goat ate! By the time people realised that the verse was missing, the Quran was already codified, bound and distributed."
Oh thank God for that goat!
Thanks for your wonderful explanations. I'm learning so much - wow!
And, yes, you correctly identified my tongue-in-cheek use of "Allah." You know me well. :)
"So how did they know which of the 7 different ways was correct?"
According to a hadith, all seven ways are correct. The Prophet said Gabriel taught him 7 ways of reciting the Quran and all are correct.
"Is this where "houris" being lovely virgin women OR merely raisins comes into play?"
No that is from the Zoroastrian text of Ardah Viraf. The Zoroastrian prophet claimed he went to heaven and hell in a single night on a white horse kind of beast that flew faster than wind. He saw men and women being rewarded and punished and met all saints and apostles. There he met the true religion personified into a beautiful woman:
"18. And there stood before him his own religion and his own deeds, in the graceful form of a damsel, as a beautiful appearance, that is, grown up in virtue ; (19) with prominent breasts, that is, her breasts swelled downward, which is charming to the heart and soul; (20) whose form was as brilliant, as the sight of it was the more well-pleasing, the observation of it more desirable." (Arda Viraf)
In 7th Century Arabia people already believed that such creatures dwell in Heaven which is the result of good deeds in this world. Men sat together and asked sages again and again what these creatures looked like. Arda Viraf is several centuries older than Islam.
In the Quran verses 55:56, 56:35-36 and 78:33 all talk about such attributes including the famous 78:33 "Maidens of equal age with prominent breasts."
and then there is this hadith from Tirmidhi:
"A houri is a most beautiful young woman with a transparent body. The marrow of her bones is visible like the interior lines of pearls and rubies. She looks like red wine in a white glass. She is of white color, and free from the routine physical disabilities of an ordinary woman such as menstruation, menopause, urinal and offal discharge, child bearing and the related pollution. A houri is a girl of tender age, having large breasts which are round (pointed), and not inclined to dangle. Houris dwell in palaces of splendid surroundings."
Suroor, thanks for the follow-up comment.
If all 7 ways are correct, I guess this explains why there can be such vast interpretations of the Quran....unless the 7 ways differ so little, it hardly makes any difference. Hmmm, interesting about the houris being part of Zoroastrians' text and pre-Islamic Arabians. I guess it was just a thing the men hoped for enough in life that it made it into the Quran as one of those good things we will enjoy in heaven that we don't have here....kind of like the luscious gardens full of streams of water which are repeated often in the suras I've read so far. Things that would appeal to desert people, and of course the women in heaven would make a nice heavenly reward for the men.
Interesting!
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