I mentioned the other day that I'd finished reading the Quran, but I forgot to mention that I haven't quite finished posting my notes. As you may recall I read and wrote notes faster than I published them. So I have about 3 or 4 days of note posting left. A couple of ladies who've been faithfully adding their thoughts to many of my posts had the audacity* to ask me now to share my thoughts on the Quran as a whole and one wants me to summarize the message of the Bible and the Quran in five points each. So I will be, Lord willing, doing that within the next few days likely just after publishing my last sura notes. In the meantime, if you have other questions along the same lines, please let me know and I'll see what I can do about including those as well. I sincerely am so very grateful for all of you who have taken time to add your thoughts, commentaries, criticisms, differing opinions and what have you. It has made this time much richer and enjoyable ...not to mention y'all helped me learn! :)
* Really, I loved that they asked!
On to my notes . . .
I'm starting to get into the shorter suras now so I'm going to try flying through these in my notes. There's not a whole lot of new stuff as most of it is reminders of reminders of reminders of the Reminder that is the Quran. Follow that? ;)
Sura 77 - 90
Most of the first suras talk of the Day of Judgment and the Hour of which no one knows when it will come. There is talk of heaven, hell, those ledgers of deeds and even wishing that you'd sent deeds ahead of you into heaven instead of living only for yourself.
Sura 80 began with someone frowning and turning away from a blind man. Was Muhammad being chastised for this?
1. HE FROWNED AND turned away, 2. Because a blind man came to him.
I couldn't help but think of Jesus and how he was often interrupted by people, yet he always made time for them. He stopped to heal, to touch, to speak to others. He even went to people's houses when he was needed to heal someone who was sick. I never recall God giving command for people to go pay alms or do good works prior to their coming to talk to Jesus. I love the example Jesus gave of this because I am often less than thrilled when people interrupt me. I need to think of interruptions as divine appointments and maybe I'll have a better view of them!
From Sura 82, I thought this was an interesting question and answer to end the chapter.
18. How then can you comprehend what the Day of Judgement is? 19. It is the day when no soul will have power to do the least for a soul, and God's alone will be done.
Sura 83 had some new words such as the place where the wicked lodge - Sijjin - and the righteous - 'Illiyun. Also there is a verse about laughing at the infidels (vs. 34).
Sura 85 mentions the Quran being preserved on a guarded tablet. Is this because God's Original Word was allowed to be corrupted so God learned His lesson and is guarding it now?
Sura 86 speaks of the Quran being a decisive word. It also had this somewhat encouraging verse (17) though the two prior seem a bit sinister. I guess the Muslims were preparing for some holy war or striving in the cause of God...whatever it was He was plotting for them at this time.
15. They are hatching up a plot, 16. But I too am devising a plan. 17. So bear with unbelievers with patience, and give them respite for a while.
Muhammad was encouraged to recite the Quran in sura 87 so he wouldn't forget it. And sura 88 reminded Muhammad he was a reminder not a warden (vs. 22).
Sura 90 was nice as it encouraged people to do good, treat the orphans with kindness and persevere in doing nice things for others.
6 comments:
Just wanted to say I'm looking forward to your 5-point summary of each. Tough assignment!
Ha, ha...yes, can you believe those women! ;-)
For Sijiin and Illuyun,I thought they were records of people not places where dead souls are kept.Barzakh is more poplularly known as a place where souls are suppose to stay before the BIG day comes along.
"There's not a whole lot of new stuff as most of it is reminders of reminders of reminders of the Reminder that is the Quran. Follow that? ;)"
This is so cute! Yes the Quran is a reminder!
"...because God's Original Word was allowed to be corrupted so God learned His lesson and is guarding it now?"
Haha! :D Of course guarding something is not a difficult job for God as you obviously know.I think saying 'it' as a mother book is a form of expressing all written recod as the basis of everything taught to all prophets.Who knows it may not necessarily be in a book form but that is how basically people understand to read and learn knowledge.It's also a way that poeple can understand, like mother earth and so forth.It reaches more easily to the layman.That's how I understood :) I'm a layman..er...laywoman :)
Lat, you are so precious! Your comment made me smile. :) Thanks for letting me know your understanding of Sijiin and Illuyun. They were new to me since I'd nearly read all the Quran at this point and didn't recall them prior. And I enjoyed your "laywoman" POV on my statement about God's original word and all. Thanks for trying to understand my attempts at lightheartedness. :-D You're so kind!
You are always giving me homework and challenges to think about :) Serves you right!
:-D
Ha, ha! :-P****
True! :)
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