I'm Reading The Holy Quran

[the_Baron]

I have read english translations of the Koran before (keeping in mind that it is only accepted as the Divine Quran in its native Arabic), but this time around I am reading from a version that includes commentary and insight into the many surahs.

It is, to say the least, very amazing and captivating. God is present with a power and force that makes you take notice!

If you're not a Muslim, and have never read the translated Koran, I encourage you to do so.

Leaving aside our learned preconceptions of God, I think it would be very difficult to understand Islam and not accept it.

[Mephistopheles]

I've read it, and I can assure you it's filled with vague stuff so nobody can point out facts and say "hah, you're wrong" as it is with the bible. (some stuff in it is just plain bullshit, for instance god created the world at a certain moment, instead of evolution and everything) It's a very interesting book, yes, but some surah's are a bit weird. Problem is that because of the weird language (it's 100% pure poetry) that there are so many interpretations possible it allows 100s of different versions of islam.

[Knox The Hatter]

Q-19:35 looks pretty clear to me, and frankly, I agree with it.

[venray]

When He determines a matter, He only says to it, 'Be', and it is

[Haltickling]

Reading the original Qur'an was my main incentive to start learning Arabic, but I soon found out that a few years of studying just wasn't enough. It's like trying a medieval text in any foreign language, so I stuck to the translations with comments. A Syrian friend gave a copy in English to me, with comments from the official Madrassat al-Azhar in Cairo, the highest school of Islam.

If you haven't understood the Arabian mentality, reading the book won't help you much, as many suras make only sense in an Arabic society. Kids in Islamic schools don't talk much about the meaning of Muhammad's words, they mainly learn them by heart, and how to read them in the proper rythm and dialect. Only theology students learn to interpret the text.

It's one of the most fascinating books for me though, I wasn't too far away to convert to Islam, many years ago.

[the_Baron]

thats pretty interesting Hal.

Way back during the beginning of my religious quest, as a Jew who didn't acknowledge Christ as anything other than a Rabbi, the Koran seemed to intellectually answer all the questions I had. It debunked the Divinity aspect of Jesus, and essentially tied in the earlier Judaic and Christian scriptures, and resolved all confusion.

Funny how some years later I believe the Holy Spirit convicted me to have faith in Christ as my savior. That made sense of all the OT prophesies, and caused me to view Islam as not of a Holy origin.

Yet when I read it now, especially with the commentary, I feel like I am part of something very real and Blessed.

Talk about confusion!

[red indian]

.......is no different to any other "holy" book. You either buy in to it, or you dont. If you do buy in to it, you have to take leave of all common sense and reason. Thats what "faith" is. You make a decision to start believing their really are fairies at the bottom of the garden. Once you make that decision, be it christian, muslim, or anything else,you are no longer capable of objective argument.

[TKpervert]

Right on the button, red indian.

[BigJim]

Originally posted by Mephistopheles
I've read it, and I can assure you it's filled with vague stuff so nobody can point out facts and say "hah, you're wrong" as it is with the bible. (some stuff in it is just plain bullshit, for instance god created the world at a certain moment, instead of evolution and everything) It's a very interesting book, yes, but some surah's are a bit weird. Problem is that because of the weird language (it's 100% pure poetry) that there are so many interpretations possible it allows 100s of different versions of islam.


I've owned an English copy of the Koran for four or five years and I frequently scan it. I've had many a ding-dong in religious threads with Christians who say theirs is the right and just path, because Islam advocates the killing of non-believers.

DING-DONG!!!


And can someone please tell me how this differs from the Bible? It does'nt, not one jot. 46&2 asked me what I meant once when I referred to the Bible celebrities as a bunch of racists, child murderers and rapists. I gave him a whole list of verses which were as blood-curdling if not more so than anyhting you'll find in the Koran. (Admittedly I did forget to do it for eighteen months, then went back to it. I'll do the same for Steve's sources on the bombing of Japan sooner or later.)

Bottom line: they're all re-worded versions of the same doctrine with the same figures under different names and the same events. The people who see any other religion as inferior to theirs or more barbaric, are in my opinion, feeble-minded or a member of the "stick your fingers in your ears and do the Jesus/Mahommed is the way" happy-dance club. How billions of people have all believed exactly the same and slaughtered each other for millenia over whose particular version is the correct one, is totally beyond me. Wouldn't God be amazed if we actually realised that we're all neighbours and all deserving of respect and tolerance, no matter what we believe or don't believe?

Those of you who are religious and respect other cultures and beliefs have my undying admiration and respect, as you've sucessfully resisted your faith's doctrine about strict institutionalism. People like you express a loving spirituality through your faith, whatever it is, and I find that wonderful.