What the Bible Says…
For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge the more grief. (Ecclesiastes 1: 18).
… The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?… (Ecclesiastes 2: 15).
What the Qur'an Says…
He grants wisdom to whom He wills, and he, to whom wisdom is granted, is indeed granted abundant good. (Qur'an 2: 269).
Allah will exalt those who believe among you, and those who have been granted knowledge, to high ranks. (Qur'an, 58:11).
Monday, March 2, 2015
Sunday, March 1, 2015
The Biblical and Qur'anic Styles
The Biblical Style...
The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, there were two women.. They became prostitutes in Egypt, engaging in prostitution from their youth. In that land their breast were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed. The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah… Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalim…
When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her nakedness.. there she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. (Ezekiel 23:1-20).
The Qur'anic Style…
And Allah puts forward the example of a city enjoying security and quiet, abundantly supplied with sustenance from every place, but it disbelieved in the Favors of Allah. So Allah made it taste extremes of hunger and fear, because of that which they used to do. (Qur'an 16:112).
As for Aad, they were arrogant in the land without right, and they said: "Who is mightier than us in power?" Did they not see that allah Who created them was mightier than us in power?"And they used to deny Our signs. So, We might make them taste the torment of disgrace in the life of this world. And verily, the torment of the Hereafter will be more disgracing, and they will not be helped.
And as for Thamud, We gave them guidance, but they preferred blindness to guidance; so the stunning punishment of humiliation overtook them because of what they used to earn. And We saved those who believed and used fear Allah, keep their duty to Him and avoid evil. (Qur'an, 41: 15-18).
Commentary …
In order to show the seriousness of idolatry and sins committed by Israel and Judah, the Bible pictured Samaria and Jerusalim as two sisters who engaged in prostitution. This prostitution metaphor is often used in the Bible, (Ezekiel 16:2-32; Jeremaiah 3:1).
The writer of these verses used very lewd sexual expressions and words which obviously cannot be from Allah. If any moral person cannot utter these words, then how could we believe that Allah spoke them!
In contrast, when the Qur'an talks about the sins committed by some people and their punishment, it uses very noble and impressive language which moves the reader to tears and fills the heart with awe. It does not take long for the reader to recognize the beauty and majesty of the word of Allah.
- Two adulterous sisters
The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, there were two women.. They became prostitutes in Egypt, engaging in prostitution from their youth. In that land their breast were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed. The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah… Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalim…
When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her nakedness.. there she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. (Ezekiel 23:1-20).
The Qur'anic Style…
And Allah puts forward the example of a city enjoying security and quiet, abundantly supplied with sustenance from every place, but it disbelieved in the Favors of Allah. So Allah made it taste extremes of hunger and fear, because of that which they used to do. (Qur'an 16:112).
As for Aad, they were arrogant in the land without right, and they said: "Who is mightier than us in power?" Did they not see that allah Who created them was mightier than us in power?"And they used to deny Our signs. So, We might make them taste the torment of disgrace in the life of this world. And verily, the torment of the Hereafter will be more disgracing, and they will not be helped.
And as for Thamud, We gave them guidance, but they preferred blindness to guidance; so the stunning punishment of humiliation overtook them because of what they used to earn. And We saved those who believed and used fear Allah, keep their duty to Him and avoid evil. (Qur'an, 41: 15-18).
Commentary …
In order to show the seriousness of idolatry and sins committed by Israel and Judah, the Bible pictured Samaria and Jerusalim as two sisters who engaged in prostitution. This prostitution metaphor is often used in the Bible, (Ezekiel 16:2-32; Jeremaiah 3:1).
The writer of these verses used very lewd sexual expressions and words which obviously cannot be from Allah. If any moral person cannot utter these words, then how could we believe that Allah spoke them!
In contrast, when the Qur'an talks about the sins committed by some people and their punishment, it uses very noble and impressive language which moves the reader to tears and fills the heart with awe. It does not take long for the reader to recognize the beauty and majesty of the word of Allah.
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