Quran and its rejection of the Supernatural.

All new discoveries and discussions on present Scientific Knowledge and Theories and how they interact with Islamic thinking.
Post Reply
Our Beacon Group
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 10:31 pm
Contact:

Quran and its rejection of the Supernatural.

Post by Our Beacon Group »

Here all interpretations will be discussed on the Quran and its view on believe in Miracles and the Supernatural.

In the World of Command (Al-Amr), He makes Laws as He wills. Then, He
implements these Laws in the World of Creation (Al-Khalq or the Universe 7:54). These Laws NEVER change (35:43, 48:23). If we reflect, the magnificent gains of science and technology would have come to naught if the proverbial apple of Newton fell on the ground yesterday and flew in the air today.

18:27 (O Messenger) Convey to the world whatever of this Book is revealed to you from your Lord. (6:19). There is none that can alter His Words. And His Laws in Theory (Kalimatillah), and His Laws in Practice as implemented in the Universe (Sunnatillah), never change 6:34, 6:116, 10:64, 17:77, 18:27, 33:38, 33:62, 40:85 48:23. Tell them that you can find no refuge outside His Laws.
Arnold Yasin Mol

Quran and its rejection of the Supernatural.

Post by Arnold Yasin Mol »

Jonah

37:139 And, behold, Jonah was indeed among the Messengers.
37:140 When he fled like a runaway slave onto a laden ship. (‘Abaqa’ = Fled like a runaway slave. He migrated before Allah’s Command. 21:87).
37:141 He had cast an arrow and missed the mark. (Untimely action.)[Here, most translations are influenced by Biblical and other accounts. It isstated that the boat was overloaded and in order to save it, one man had to be cast into the sea. When the lots were thrown, it was Jonah who lost. But neither the verse means that nor do Prophets throw lots since it is a form of gambling.]

37:142 Then the Fish grabbed him while he was blaming himself. (Again, usually a whale is mentioned here. But the whale is a mammal and not a fish, and the Qur’an
which is never inaccurate, speaks of ‘Al-Hut’ = The Fish. ‘Fa-altaqamahu’ = Grabbed him in its teeth, not ‘swallowed’. The fiction of Jonah staying 40 days in the belly of a whale is demolished right thus).
37:143 And had he not been a valiant swimmer,(tasbihun)
37:144 (The fish would have eaten him up and) he would have remained in her belly disintegrated there and further until the Day of Rising.
37:145Then We cast him on the shore, while he was exhausted. (68:49).


Jonah was never swallowed by a fish, as EVERY fish known on earth will have to bite you in pieces before he can swallow you. Whales are not fish, but mammals. In the time of Muhammed this was unknown and through believing the Bible was a authority, the understanding became distorted. Even a spermwhale will not swallow you in hole but bite you several times. In the stomach you will also have oxygen shortage and the acid will be to strong to endure. The Laws of Nature do not allow the believe that Jonah survived the swallowing. Next to this is that the Arabic doesn’t even allow it.

The word iltaqama doesn't mean to swallow, it comes from the same root as laqm which means a small bite or little piece, iltiqama means he took him in his mouth/grabbed him in his teeth, as for example iltaqama fa-ha-fi-l-taqbil means he took her lips in his mouth during kissing. These verses are totally distorted by the Biblical account as the Bible was seen as an authority by the early commentators. Tasbih means one swims, gliding along smoothly, who go forth in their quest.

In 21:87 zoeloemat al-bahr means calamities or distress at sea. That it also refers to darkness is because the human is not able to find his way out of the distress and harm, and by thus is wandering in darkness. It is important to know the whole background of Arabic words to understand these verses. So by no means at all does the darkness refers to being inside a belly of a fish, which is also impossible as any belly contains acid. The darkness refers to the distress of the situation.

Al-Hoot/hut means Fish and not Whale. See for example the story of Moses:

37:142 Failtaqamahu al-hootu wahuwamuleemun
Then the Fish grabbed him while he was blaming himself.


18:61 But when Moses with his young friend reached the junction of the two streams, they forgot all about the fish/al-hoot, and it took its way into the sea and disappeared from sight. (Moses found himself caring little for the delicacies of life from then on).
Arnold Yasin Mol

Quran and its rejection of the Supernatural.

Post by Arnold Yasin Mol »

In this article I will discuss:

1. Jesus's misunderstood deeds interpretated and wrongly translated as miracles.
2. The populair belief in the Virgin Birth.
3. Jesus dying on the cross.

Jesus's 'miracles'

The word which is translated as 'miracles' inside the Christian Gospels is the misunderstood Greek word dunameis, which literally means an action of power and mostly is combined with the word teras=to astound people and semeion=sign, and referred to that Jesus broke all the cultural rules, that were established, which had created different classes. Jesus was a miracle worker, as he broke all the cultural rules, but he committed no miracles as they common dogma tells us now. The Quran also tells us this, but under influence of the Christians, the so-called miracles were forced on the verses.

The healings of Jesus are meant metaphorically. Like the words used in 3:49, the word is abras, one suffering from lukoderma, a disease that discolours the skin, and not judham, leprosy. Probably under evangelical influences did it got confused with leprosy. Metaphorically, however, it means, to have ones misfortune added to another. Ibn Faris says that al-biras means, barren portions of the desert, whence the metaphorical meaning of misfortune, so Jesus cured misfortunes by teaching people the truth.

3:49.......Those of you who are spotted with sin, I will heal them, and I shall grant real life to those who are just dragging on without purpose/al-abrasa

The Quran compares moral crimes to diseases, and calls those guilty of them, deaf, dumb and blind, as in 2:18 and diseased of the heart in 2:10 and even dead as in 27:80, that is why the scripture, which is the Truth, is called a healing in 41:44.

3:49 .........The blind among you will begin to see the Truth.

2:18 Deaf, dumb and blind of Reason! They will not return to begin their journey in the right direction (unless they use their faculties of perception and reasoning. (8:22, 16:76, 17:36)


3:49 ....and bring the dead back to life by God's leave/and I shall grant real life to those who are just dragging on without purpose....

2:10 This negative attitude is a disease in their hearts that reinforces itself according to the Divine Law of Cause and Effect....

27:80 But verily, you cannot make the dead (or the “living-dead”) hear, nor can you make the deaf of heart to hear the call when they turn back to retreat.

41:44 Now if We had made it a Qur'an in a non-Arabic tongue they would surely have said, "Why is it that its verses have not been made clear? Why - a foreign tongue and an Arab?" Say, "For those who accept it, this is a Guidance and medicine for a wholesome life. But as for those who will not believe (Arabs or non-Arabs), in their ears is deafness, and so it remains obscure to them. They are like people who are called to from afar. (26:200)


So through Tasreef we end up with this understanding:

3:49 And he will be a Messenger to the Children of Israel. He will say to them, “I come to you with Revelation from your Lord. If you follow me, I will raise you from dust to the heights of glory by the Command of Allah (7:176). The blind among you will begin to see the Truth. Those of you who are spotted with sin, I will heal them, and I shall grant real life to those who are just dragging on without purpose; all by Allah's leave and according to his Laws. I am here to establish justice and equity. I shall see to it how much you hoard in your houses and how much you spend on the community. My teachings are sufficient signs for you to believe.”

It is again, shown that people distort the metaphorical meanings, and don't take the Quran as its guide how to understand things. The Quran clearly says, that even with miracles, people still will not believe. Only the Truth can make people understand. Through Christian influences and commentaries written by Persians 300 years after the Prophet, the true Quranic message was hidden beneath superstition and illogical thinking. They took the Bible as a higher authority as commentary then the Quran itself.

Now let's try to understand the word Tair, which is commonly translated with Bird.

Lane's Lexicon says:

ط ي ر
= Tay-Ya-Ra = flew, hasten to it, outstripped, become foremost, fled, love, become attached, famous, conceive, scatter/disperse, fortune.


Tair has multiple meanings besides to bird, as this is the traditional translation of this verse, that Jesus made a live bird out of clay. Tair it also means omen as in 7:131, 27:47, 36:19, actions and register of deeds as in 17:13, and it also means destiny or fortune, as in this verse. Jesus people were in a deplorable state 3:112, and he raised them up out of that dust/low state.

See any other translation to confirm these meanings:

7:131 ........ they blamed it on the bad omen/yattayyaroo of Moses and his companions. Most people know not that there is no such thing as a bad omen or a good omen/ta-iruhum. People determine their destiny according to Allah’s Laws. In that sense, then, omens are with Allah alone.

27:47 They answered, "We consider you, and your companions a bad omen/ittayyarna for us." He said, "Your omen/ta-iru is determined by Allah’s Laws. Nay, you are but a folk who are being tested."

36:19 The Messengers replied, "Your destiny/ta-iru rests with yourselves, now that you have been reminded. (There is no such thing as a bad omen 17:13). Nay, but you are a people who are wasting away your potentials.” (10:12).

17:13 All deeds/ ta-ira of the humans are instantly recorded on their “Self”, as if the record book is fastened to their own necks. And We shall bring forth this record book wide open to them on the Day of Resurrection.


The Quran rejects unreasonable thinking as Allah always refers to reason and research (3:191). Allah does not change His Laws in the Universe, as His fixed Laws express His Will in the world of Khalq, Creation. The need for miracles is a psychological escape out of Reality, and thus they remain in a state of illusion. It is a psychological state which is sustained as the mind cannot cope with Reality and is still in an infant state of denial.

The Quran is send to us to create the correct relation to Reality so we can use the Universe in the best way to attain Paradise in this Life. Through understanding Nature, which is demanded throughout the Quran, and the use of Tasreef, crossreference of words and subjects, we attain the correct understanding of verses:

5:110 When Allah will say, “O Jesus, son of Mary! Recall My blessings upon you and your mother. I strengthened you with Sacred Revelation, enabled you to speak eloquently to the people while still in childhood, and also at a later age (3:45). I gave you revelation and wisdom including the Torah and the Gospel. Recall when you formed the state of your people's destiny and that you would raise them from dust up into the heights of glory by My leave (7:176). You made people see the Truth otherwise given to blind following by My leave. You healed the wounds of inequity on people by My leave, and you gave a new meaning to life to those who were otherwise no better than dead by My leave (3:48, 3:111, 6:123). Recall, how I prevented the Children of Israel from harming you when you came to them with all evidence of the truth (4:157). And those who were bent upon denying the truth said, “This is nothing but clear deception.”

Normally this verse is translated that Jesus makes a bird alive out of clay, which goes against the fixed laws of nature. For the first generations of Islamic scholars, it is understandable they understood it as a miracle understanding where Jesus really made a bird out of clay. There ignorance of the laws of nature and also the influence of Christian literature are the causes of these interpretations. Now through science we know this is nonsense, and through Biblical studies we also know now that the Christian literature cannot be trusted as an authentic source.

The misunderstood story of Jesus on the Maidah, normally translated with Table with food:

5:114 Jesus, son of Mary, said, “O God our Lord! Help us create the Heavenly System on earth that ensures abundance of provision for all of us. Let there be a happy feast/id for the founders and the followers (of the Divine System). This will be a Sign from You that Your Commands are blissful. Provide for us and You are the Best of providers.”

Maidatun means to furnish with provisions, Knowledge which is spiritual Food. The ‘id’ which is used, points out to a constant returning source of happiness and joy. So this cannot be a real table with food coming from the Heavens, as it refers to something that returns constantly. As the Quran is meant to create the Deen, the Perfect System of life, the Table of Food here refers to the Deen which will provide constantly to a constant joy.

This is also why the end of verse 3:49 must be understood as such:

3:49 ... I am here to establish justice and equity. I shall see to it how much you hoard in your houses and how much you spend on the community. My teachings are sufficient signs for you to believe.

There are people who interpretated this verse as if Jesus played a game where he told people what they had in their closest as if he had X-ray vision. This shows how people have been misguided in the purpose of the Quran. Revelations are send to create the best societies on Earth, to give us eminence.

21:10 O Mankind! Now We have revealed unto you a Book that is all about you and it will give you eminence. Will you not, then, use your sense? (21:24, 23:70, 43:43-44).


Virgin Birth rejected

The Quran clearly mentions Jesus's father. In surah An-Aam verse 84-87 Allah mentions names of 18 prophets at a stretch. Of these, verse 86 specifically mentions name of Isa as: "…. And Zakariyya, and Yahya and Isa and Ilyas - everyone was of the righteous." After stating the names of the 18 prophets, in the very next verse 88 Allah goes on to say that:

6:88 And from among their fathers and their descendants and their brethren. And We chose them and We guided them towards the Right Path.

In the verse 6:88, the Arabic words "…. Wa min aaba ihim…" is critical. Let me break down the words: Wa means And, Min means From Aaba means Fathers Ihim means Among theirs. Together it means …. And from among their fathers….

Muslim scholars are in jeopardy with this statement from Allah. They desperately try to justify their faith that Jesus did not have a father. So now they start twisting the meaning and interpretation. At this time I want to emphasize that if Jesus did not have a father then the verse 6:88 should not have included his name or should have specifically stated that illa Isa or except Isa. Or would you say it was an oversight (nauzubillah!) on part of Allah!!! If the argument is that some HAD fathers, then which other prophet did not have a father? Can you tell me who was born without a father other than Jesus?

There are several other prophets whose fathers are not specifically mentioned in the Qur-an , for example, Nuh, Dawud, Ayyub, Musa, Harun, Zakariya, whose name exists in the list of 18 prophets in the above verses. Even though we don’t find the mention of fathers of these prophets we believe these prophets did have fathers. But in case of Jesus we make the exception that he did not have a father. We make this exception because the Christian teachings tell us that Jesus did not have a father, although time and again Bible refers to his father as a person named Joseph.

Muslims are more interested to uphold the Biblical statement at the cost of the Quranic declaration.

Jesus is called Messiah, which refers to him being a descendant of David. Mary wasn't family of David, but of Aaron. Joseph was descendant of David. Only through Joseph being his father, could Jesus being called Messiah. Also Jesus's father is not mentioned because he has no importance for us. Moses's father is also not mentioned, but no one doubts about Moses being born naturally. People are taught to see a virgin-birth in those verses. Even when people read the Quran alone without using outside literature, still they grew up with this concept, or have heard about it, and by thus, their subconciousness is filled in with the virgin concept. They fill in the blanks themselves, which is very dangerous. It is what you can call a mass-illusion.

If the common believe of virginbirth was not there, I would doubt anybody would ever have read virginbirth from the Quran. The common filled subconciousness which was influenced by the Christians, has determined the interpretation more then people like to admit.

Nowhere does the Quran imply Jesus was born in an unnatural way. God doesn't break His laws. Of course He can, but He says in the Quran He will not break them, this includes laws of Nature. The comparison of Adam and Jesus, is that like the first peoples, Jesus had gone through normal development as a foetus, just like the first humans were developed through guided evolution. Adam comes from adami, meaning mankind. Many times the plural use is used with adam, showing it is not one person.

49:13 O Mankind! Behold, We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes so that you might (affectionately) come to know one another. Verily, the most honored among you, in the Sight of Allah, is the one who lives most upright. Behold, Allah is Knower, Aware.

53:45 And that He it is Who creates the two companions, the male and the female (pairs and opposites among His creation).
53:46 From gametes that unite.


3:59 The example of Jesus with God is similar to that of Adam; He created him from dust, then He said to him "Be" and he was.

So the question here is: Who is Adam then? Well adam comes from Adami, which means black skinned man as well mankind in total. For example, see:

7:11 And We created you, then We shaped you, then We said to the Malikah: "Submit to Adam=humankind;" so they submitted except for Satan, the selfish desire, he was not of those who submitted. [shaitan comes from shaat, which means long rope, shaitan refers to anything distanced from God and progress. Iblis literally means something frustrated and deprived of its goal, and is used as a description for man’s rebellious nature to go against the Truth and Laws of Nature.]

The word kun in 3:59, means ‘be’, and refers to an act that will happen with certainty, in this case the proces of creation, but this is a slow process as a yaum=timespan for God is 1000 yaums=timespans for us, see 32:5.

Kun doesn’t apply at all that this decree will go against the Laws of Nature, it only implies a certainty. Just like all humans, Jesus was made out of a mixture of male and female cells, God even makes it extra clear that Jesus is just like any other human by comparing him to adam, all mankind. Adam, or the first humans, as is shown by the second meaning of 'black skinned human', was made in stages and was a khalifah, a successor of the earlier human species. So it doesn't matter if you translate Adam with all of Mankind or just with the first humans, we all have been created in stages. That it refers to all of mankind is also clear from the verses 18:37, 22:5 and 30:20, where all humans are reminded they are created out of dust. And also the first humans were created through stages of guided evolution:

24:45 And Allah has created every living creature from water. (Life began in water 21:30). Some of them crawl on their bellies, some walk on two legs, and some walk on four. Allah creates things with a Purpose and according to His Laws. He has Supreme control over all things and events and verily, Allah is the Appointer of due measure of all things.

Muhammed Asad says in his translation:

3: 59 Verily, in the sight of God, the nature of Jesus is as the nature of Adam, whom He created out of dust and then said unto him, "Be" - and he is.* (3: 60) the truth from thy Sustainer; be not, then, among the doubters!

*Lit., "The parable of Jesus is as the parable of Adam...", etc. The expression mathal (rendered above as "nature") is often metaphorically employed to denote the state or condition (of a person or a thing), and is in this sense - as the commentators have pointed out - synonymous with sifah (the "quality" or "nature" of a thing). As is evident from the sequence, the above passage is part of an argument against the Christian doctrine of the divinity of Jesus. The Qur'an stresses here, as in many other places, the fact that Jesus, like Adam - by which name, in this context, the whole human race is meant - was only a mortal "created out of dust", i.e., out of substances, both organic and inorganic, which are found in their elementary forms on and in the earth. Cf. also 18:37, 22:5, 30:20, 35:11, 40:67, where the Qur'an speaks of all human beings as "created out of dust". That "Adam" stands here for the human race is clearly implied in the use of the present tense in the last word of this sentence.


What Mariam was blamed for?

In 19:22-23 Mary is shown grieving, then talking to her husband. Although married, they made a violation of the normal sanctuary rules, as she became pregnant in the non-holy months, so she fled the temple for a while and labor pains all add to her grief which she is expressing. This is why her family acted so offended in 19:27, and said she had done wrong by breaking the custom as she was part of a Royal Family. This is why they remind her of her lineage. In 19:28 she is said to have done bagiyaa, which means to go beyond the bounds of custom.

19:28 “O Sister of Aaron! Your father was not a bad man, nor was your mother a loose woman=bagiyaa, nor did she ever oppose the system=bagiyaa."

ب غ ي

Ba-Ghayn-Ya =

Sought for or after, desired, endeavored to find and take and get (good or evil)
Loving or affecting a thing
Acting wrongfully, injuriously or tyrannically
Seeking or endeavoring to act corruptingly, wrongly and/or unjustly, insolent/disobedient
Exceeding due bounds or just limits in any way
Not right, proper or fit
Prostitute or adulteress, unchaste
Not seeking what one should not seek
Seeking game or prey
Place where a thing is sought, way or manner in which a thing is sought



All royal couples were expected to only procreate in specific months, so that their offspring would be born in Jewish Holy months. Sex outside of these months were seen as a grave offence. In 19:25 we are told Jesus was born when the dates are ripe. In Palestine this means between late September and early October. This period falls outside of the Jewish Holy Months as found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Dead Sea Scrolls are writings of the Nazarene Temple where Mary lived and Jesus was part of. The Dead Sea Scrolls were hidden before the destruction of the Temple in 70AD, and were found in 1945. These Scrolls are untampered and did not go through a long chain of oral tradition or rewritings. So they give a complete and authentic report of the Nazerene customs and beliefs.

And also the people accusing her of 'bagiyaa' are the same people who believe given a child to the Temple is a thing that would please Allah. This is why you should always analyze who says something and how the Quran describes such person's belief, before you can understand why the person says it.


Talking from the crib?

In verse 3:46 and 19:29 it says that Jesus talked from the crib to his people. The common interpretation is to take this literally and believe Jesus could talk while still being no more then a couple months to 2 years old. This understanding is not only completely illogical, it also rejects the very words he says from the 'crib':

19:29 Then she pointed to him. They said, "How can we talk to one who is in the cradle, a young boy?"
19:30 But he spoke up, "Behold, I am a servant of God. He has given me Revelation and appointed me a Prophet.”
19:31 “He has made me blessed wherever I may be. He has enjoined upon me to establish the Divine System and help set up the Just Economic Order as long as I live.”


A BABY must pay Zakat! How? This is ofcourse illogical. But there is more:

19:32 “And He has made me kind to my mother, and has not made me haughty, unblessed.”

How can a baby be kind to its mother? This all does not make sense unless we see it from a more logical point. Talking from the crib means that he was very young when he spoke against the wrongdoings of his people. A person of 20 years old will not be seen as wise, and especially not old enough to speak against the priesthood or custom. No young scholar is accepted as having authority on the Religion. Most Temples and orders have a group of scholars who all follow a much older scholar. This is why it means:

3:46 Talking to people while very young and in ripe old age in good health.”

19:29 Then she pointed to him. They said, "How can we talk to one who is in the cradle, a young boy?" (In the cradle, idiomatically means a young person. Mary and Joseph had stayed in Bethlehem for several years).



Did Jesus die on the cross and go up to Heaven?

The Quran:

3:55 “O Jesus! I will cause you to die of natural causes and I will exalt you in honor/raf'a and I will clear you of the slander of the disbelievers. ---.

The word Raf’a means honoring or exalting. "Nowhere in the Quran is there any warrant for the popular belief that God has taken up Jesus bodily into heaven."

19:56 And make mention of Idris (Enoch) in the Book. Verily, he was a man of truth, a Prophet.
19:57 And We raised him to a high station of honor/raf'a.


Muhammed Asad again:

4: 155 And so, [We punished them*] for the breaking of their pledge, and their refusal to acknowledge God's messages, and their slaying of prophets against all right, and their boast, "Our hearts are already full of knowledge"- nay, but God has sealed their hearts in result of their denial of the truth, and [now] they believe in but few things - ;**
(4: 156) and for their refusal to acknowledge the truth, and the awesome calumny which they utter against Mary,***
(4: 157) and their boast, "Behold, we have slain the Christ Jesus, son of Mary, [who claimed to be] an apostle of God!" However, they did not slay him, and neither did they crucify him, but it only seemed to them [as if it had been] so;**** and, verily, those who hold conflicting views thereon are indeed confused, having no [real] knowledge thereof, and following mere conjecture. For, of a certainty, they did not slay him:
(4: 158) nay, God exalted him unto Himself***** - and God is indeed almighty, wise.
(4: 159) Yet there is not one of the followers of earlier revelation who does not, at the moment of his death, grasp the truth about Jesus;****** and on the Day of Resurrection he [himself] shall bear witness to the truth against them.


*The statement relating to their punishment - clearly implied here - is made explicit in verse.

**See 2: 88 and the corresponding notes.

***The calumny referred to is the popular Jewish assertion that Jesus was an illegitimate child.

****Thus, the Qur’an categorically denies the story of the crucifixion of Jesus. There exist, among Muslims, many fanciful legends telling us that at the last moment God substituted for Jesus a person closely resembling him (according to some accounts, that person was Judas), who was subsequently crucified in his place. However, none of these legends finds the slightest support in the Qur’an or in authentic Traditions, and the stories produced in this connection by the classical commentators must be summarily rejected. They represent no more than confused attempts at "harmonizing" the Qur’anic statement that Jesus was not crucified with the graphic description, in the Gospels, of his crucifixion.

The story of the crucifixion as such has been succinctly explained in the Qur’anic phrase wa-lakin shubbiha lahum, which I render as "but it only appeared to them as if it had been so" - implying that in the course of time, long after the time of Jesus, a legend had somehow grown up (possibly under the then-powerful influence of Mithraistic beliefs) to the effect that he had died on the cross in order to atone for the "original sin" with which mankind is allegedly burdened; and this legend became so firmly established among the latter-day followers of Jesus that even his enemies, the Jews, began to believe it - albeit in a derogatory sense (for crucifixion was, in those times, a heinous form of death-penalty reserved for the lowest of criminals). This, to my mind, is the only satisfactory explanation of the phrase wa-lakin shubbiha lahum, the more so as the expression shubbiha li is idiomatically synonymous with khuyyila 1i, "[a thing] became a fancied image to me", i.e., "in my mind" - in other words, "[it] seemed to me" (see Qamus, art. khayala, as well as Lane II, 833, and IV, 1500).

*****Cf. 3: 55, where God says to Jesus, "Verily, I shall cause thee to die, and shall exalt thee unto Me." The verb rafa ahu (lit., "he raised him" or "elevated him") has always, whenever the act of raf’ ("elevating") of a human being is attributed to God, the meaning of "honouring" or "exalting".

Nowhere in the Qur’an is there any warrant for the popular belief that God has "taken up" Jesus bodily, in his lifetime, into heaven. The expression "God exalted him unto Himself" in the above verse denotes the elevation of Jesus to the realm of God's special grace - a blessing in which all prophets partake, as is evident from 19: 57, where the verb rafa nahu ("We exalted him") is used with regard to the Prophet Idris. (See also Muhammad ‘Abduh in Manar III, 316 f., and VI, 20f.) The "nay" (bal) at the beginning of the sentence is meant to stress the contrast between the belief of the Jews that they had put Jesus to a shameful death on the cross and the fact of God's having "exalted him unto Himself".

******Lit., "who does not believe in him before his death". According to this verse, all believing Jews and Christians realize at the moment of their death that Jesus was truly a prophet of God - having been neither an impostor nor "the son of God" (Zamakhshari).

SIR SYED AHMED KHAN
(1817 to 189)

That great wizard of a genius was a commentator of the Qur'an par excellence. Follow his pen.

"Our (Muslim) commentators of the Qur'an have blindly followed the Christian traditions to forge such Ahadith. These so-called experts have assigned totally erroneous meaning to "Raf’a" or the raising of the prophets Jesus (3:55) and Enoch (19:56). The Qur'an absolutely does not portray the raising of these prophets bodily up into the heavens. It describes raising them in honor. The prophecies of the coming of Mahdi and Messiah have been introduced into our history by non-Muslims. The Qur'an is absolutely free of these ridiculous statements. (Ref. Tafseer vol I part 7 pg 123, vol 2 several pages)

I hope I know have cleared up all the misconceptions on Jesus and his deeds.
Post Reply