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REASONS FOR MISINTERPRETING THE QUR'AN
Prejudice, Ulterior Motives and Lack of Sincerity
It is impossible to understand the Qur'an if one approaches
it with ulterior motives and prejudice. This is a law of God. No matter
how clever and cultured a person may be, if he views the Qur'an with an
insincere and concealed intent, he will not be able understand or interpret
it correctly, and will reach many false conclusions. That is why, according
to the Qur'an, an "obscuring veil" will form between someone
with a prejudiced and calculating approach and the Qur'an. This fact is
mentioned in a Qur'anic verse:
When you recite the Qur'an, We place an obscuring
veil between you and those who do not believe in the hereafter. We have
placed covers on their hearts, preventing them from understanding it,
and heaviness in their ears. When you mention your Lord alone in the Qur'an,
they turn their backs and run away. (Surat al-Isra': 45-46)
The Qur'an is an invitation to the right path for the whole of mankind,
but God directly addresses only those who believe in Him. This is why
the Qur'an has been revealed as a book that is only understood properly
by believers. The most important qualities of believers, that allow them
to understand the Qur'an, are their good consciences and sincerity. It
is only natural for people who are distant from religion and whose spiritual
state and character are far from those of a believer, to misunderstand
the Qur'an.
The Qur'an is written in a very clear, simple and understandable language
but, as we have already stated, it is a book that is only clear to those
believers with a pure conscience. If anyone who has not been introduced
to Islam yet, in other words who is still a non-believer, approaches the
Qur'an wholeheartedly, sincerely and without prejudice, which are the
traits of a believer, he will be able to realize by the use of his conscience
that it is the word of God. Everyone of good conscience would accept that
the Qur'an, whether from the magnificence of its style, its perfection
and clarity or from its superior scientific contents and wisdom, does
not represent the words of a man but is instead a holy book. If such a
conscientious person expresses faith and tries to comprehend the Qur'an,
then its wisdom will become apparent to him. God's messenger, the Prophet
Muhammad, also referred to this in a hadith:
Abdur Rahman bin Abi Bakra's father narrated that the
Prophet (saas) said: "If God wants to do good to a person, he makes
him comprehend the religion and of course knowledge is attained by learning."
(Bukhari 1/67)
The Qur'an will guide someone with a humble heart to salvation, while
it will misguide those who harbour ulterior motives and are hostile to
it. No one who uses misguided information, interpretations, lies and prejudices
taken from others, together with his own principles, world-view and philosophy
of life, as yardsticks can either understand the Qur'an nor benefit from
it. In fact, just the opposite applies; the Qur'an will simply increase
such a person's perversion and confusion. As he is unable to understand
the Qur'an, he will raise foolish and illogical objections and twisted,
nonsensical interpretations. As stated in the verse, "... it (the
Qur'an) only increases the wrongdoers in loss" (Surat Al Isra': 82)
he will be distant from the Qur'an and faith.
We will compare the foolish comments made by these imprudent people about
some of the Qur'anic verses with their correct meanings and interpretations
in the next chapters.
Confusing Intricate (Mutashabih) Verses With Perspicuous (Muhkam) Ones
The Qur'anic commandments have been explained in a clear and simple manner
so believers can easily abide by them. These are called the "perspicuous"
(muhkam) verses. These verses, according to the Qur'an, are the "Core
of the Book" and so make up its foundation. There is another type
of Qur'anic verses that are referred to as "intricate" (mutashabih)
verses. These types of verses contain various comparisons and similes.
People with no Qur'anic knowledge but ulterior motives can misinterpret
the "intricate verses" in many twisted and startling ways. This
is explained in the Qur'an as follows:
It is He who sent down the Book to you from Him:
verses containing clear judgements – they are the core of the Book – and
others which are open to interpretation. Those with deviation in their
hearts follow what is open to interpretation in it, desiring conflict,
seeking its inner meaning. No one knows its inner meaning but God. Those
firmly rooted in knowledge say, 'We have faith in it. All of it is from
our Lord.' But only people of intelligence pay heed. (Surat Al 'Imran:
7)
God alone knows the meanings of "intricate verses." No interpretations
outside these meanings reflect the truth about these verses. Throughout
history there have been perverted people, sects and movements that have
interpreted the "intricate" Qur'anic verses in order to serve
their own twisted aims and expectations. It is stated in this verse that
this is sedition and that only people with misguided hearts, and more
specifically those who have deviated from the right path, would resort
to such methods.
The fact that only God knows the true meanings of these intricate verses
is also made clear in the verse. God can reveal the information necessary
for the interpretation of these verses to whomever He pleases. However,
believers accept all of these intricate verses, the knowledge of which
has not been revealed to them. They would never stoop to making perverted
interpretations like those who wish to see conflict and whose hearts are
twisted.
Lack of Expertise in Qur'anic Interpretation Techniques
The Qur'an is a miraculous Book that contains all of the essential information
mankind needs. This is due to the endless divine wisdom present in it.
A finite number of verses contain infinite knowledge that has been placed
in them with superior wisdom. The verses contain meanings that may be
apparent, hidden, inter-woven or overlapping. They also produce countless
other meanings when they interact with other verses. There are times when
a single verse can take a whole book to explain. That is why, in order
to be able to interpret the Qur'an correctly and take in all of its contents,
one must be capable of grasping it in its entirety and must also be skilled
in all the required interpretation techniques.
One significant technique consists of analyzing a verse according to
its context in the Qur'an. The meaning of a Qur'anic verse can often be
explained according to the theme around it. The way a verse begins and
those verses which follow it help to clarify its meaning. This topic is
referred to in Islamic literature as the verse's "Sibaq u Siyaq"
or "the whole context of a word". This is the reason why many
of the verses can be misinterpreted if they are taken out and translated
only in terms of the words they consist of and without any regard to their
entire context.
Such misinterpretation of the Qur'anic verses throughout history, whether
due to ignorance or perverted intent, has resulted in misunderstanding
of the Qur'an, and certain groups with ulterior motives have even slandered
it.
Another important method is to interpret the words that make up the verses
by taking their context in that particular verse into consideration. Much
Qur'anic vocabulary has specially intended meanings. The meaning of one
Qur'anic word often derives from the way it is used in another part of
the Qur'an. Time and again a word can have more than one meaning. So the
meaning of such a word is to be deduced from the manner in which it is
used in a different section of the Qur'an. Just looking the word up in
a dictionary and applying the first meaning we come across can result
in an extremely inaccurate interpretation; and sometimes, the interpretation
that results can even be the opposite of the true meaning. One can see
from this that the Qur'an is self-explanatory. The explanation of one
verse can sometimes be hidden in the meaning of another verse or verses.
Another important rule in the interpretation of the Qur'an is to fully
grasp its essence. In order to do that, one has to see it as a whole.
Furthermore, it should be explained in the light of the many verses which
reflect the infinite mercy, compassion and justice of God.
Since the Qur'an is a divine book it is quite unlike any other book and
should never be compared to them. The Qur'an has a unique style. One has
to grasp the overall style along with its underlying essence to do justice
to the explanations, particularly when reading the "intricate"
verses. It is important to adopt a wider perspective and cover the intensely
spiritual aspects of the Qur'an to be able to properly understand the
various facts revealed by God.
Insufficient Knowledge of Arabic
God states that He has sent the Qur'an as a book written in Arabic. Obviously,
translations into other languages are sufficient when one only needs to
understand very basic concepts, such as learning about God, the main principles
of faith and their essential applications, as well as seeking guidance
and meditating on it. Nonetheless, none of these translations can, in
any way, match the original language of the Qur'an. Even in a direct,
word for word translation, a lot of vocabulary as well as meanings will
be missed since it is quite impossible to grammatically adapt many Arabic
words in their correct sentence form to any other language. Therefore,
so-called "translations of the Qur'an" do no more than give
an overall feel of its contents and never actually reflect the exact meanings
of the verses.
Therefore unless the Qur'an is studied in its original language, Arabic,
one's ability to comprehend its intricacies will be severely limited.
Trying to explain Qur'anic verses from translations in other languages
may not always be accurate, and in fact, could even distort its meanings
and intention. Relying on single or equivalent meanings of the words used
in translations, without knowing their original and various other meanings
in Arabic, could result in misunderstanding the whole verse. Even worse,
an interpretation entirely at odds with the original meanings could result.
As we mentioned earlier, it is technically impossible to translate the
Qur'an into another language on a word for word basis. Nonetheless, explanations
and interpretations of the Qur'anic verses can, of course, be made in
other languages, and it may indeed be possible to understand the Qur'an
and learn about its verses from them.
Arabic is one of the deepest-rooted and richest languages in the world.
It is powerfully expressive and has an extensive vocabulary. However,
to claim that because of the language it is written in, the Qur'an has
only been sent to Arabs and that they are therefore the chosen people,
would be an assumption at odds with the ideals of the Qur'an. It is a
well-known fact the Qur'an emphasizes that the only criteria that constitute
superiority are fear of God (taqwa) and a person's closeness to God, and
that no criteria other than these apply. Furthermore, it is stated in
Surah Sad verse 87 that the Qur'an is "a reminder for all peoples."
People whose aims are to influence the ignorant and try to destroy Islam
make claims such that Islam is a religion only for Arabs. It is sufficient
to read the Qur'an itself to realize just how baseless and deliberate
such ideas are.
The Absence of God-Given Wisdom and Understanding
It is stated in the verses of the Qur'an that one has to have the wisdom,
understanding and comprehension provided by God in order to discover its
correct meanings. God's messenger, the Prophet Muhammad, also mentioned
this in a hadith:
Abdullah bin Umar narrated that God's Messenger (saas) said, "Do
not wish to be like anybody except in two cases: The case of a man whom
God has given wealth and he spends it in the right way; and that of
a man whom God has given religious wisdom (i.e., Qur'an and Sunnah)
and he gives his verdicts according to it, and teaches it to others."
(Bukhari 9/419 and 6/543)
The essentials necessary to interpret the Qur'an are a total acknowledgement
of the Qur'an, knowing the various methods of interpretation, and having
extensive Arabic skills. Nonetheless, even if one possesses all these
one still cannot benefit from the Qur'an unless one has God's gift of
understanding. This is why it is not sufficient to possess only the necessary
technical knowledge to correctly interpret the Qur'an. History is full
of examples of people who, with all their supposed technical abilities,
have fallen into the error of explaining the Qur'an with a twisted approach.
The founders of many perverse religious movements and sects seem proficient
in their fields, but are in fact devoid of the knowledge and comprehension
bestowed by God. These people have distanced themselves and their ignorant
and mindless followers from the true practice of Islam.
Moreover, the idolaters (mushrikun) of Mecca during the Prophet Mohammad's
time, who read, but did not understand and therefore rejected the Qur'an,
are clear examples that simply knowing Arabic is not enough to comprehend
the Qur'an.
The first rule in receiving the ability of understanding from God is
to fear Him and be sincere. It would not be possible to receive such comprehension
while indulging solely in the pleasures of this world. If one's approach
toward the Qur'an were made in a judgmental spirit, with a purpose and
perspective that would displease God, then this would in turn lead to
faulty understanding and interpretation. Someone who indulges in his own
desires will not have the right state of mind to conquer the true spirit
of the Qur'an and explore its finer points, mysteries and depths. Someone
who follows his own desires will lack the ability to reason, and so will
only be able to interpret the verses from a very superficial point of
view. Moreover, he will fail to see the divine miracles of the Qur'an.
Besides, a person who follows his baser self will be inclined to interpret
the Qur'an according to his own whims and convenience, so it will not
be possible for him to find the true meanings of the verses as they are
intended by God. It is stated in one of the verses of the Qur'an how a
self-absorbed person is incapable of true understanding:
Have you seen him who has taken his whims and desires
to be his god? Will you then be his guardian? Do you suppose that most
of them hear or understand? They are just like cattle. Indeed they are
even more astray! (Surat al-Furqan: 43-44)
People like that find it quite difficult to contemplate the Qur'an. They
might even be incapable of understanding subjects that others consider
to be perfectly elementary. They cannot establish the necessary connections
between verses, or between verses and events. As a result, they will declare
that those verses they are unable to understand are contradictory. Their
minds are so closed that in one verse they are described as less than
cattle.
Lack of Thinking
It says in the Qur'an that, in order to make a sound interpretation of
its contents, one has to think about and contemplate it thoroughly. If
the Qur'an is viewed superficially and read as if it were just another
ordinary book, then the true benefits of this endless source of wisdom
will not surface. In the Qur'an, God constantly invites man to use his
reason and to think. Thinking, using one's reason, and making an effort
to try and grasp the meanings, finer points, mysteries and miracles of
the Qur'an are essential if one is to truly appreciate it. The Qur'an
reveals to everyone information about himself, the purpose behind his
creation, the true nature of this world, the reasons for what goes on
around him, along with many other subjects concerning him and his surroundings.
Accordingly, one should try to establish a connection between the verses
and himself, his surroundings and the events he experiences, and strive
to understand the Qur'an by thinking deeply on all of these. It is stated
in the Qur'an that it was revealed to those who reflect:
This is the path of your Lord – straight. We have
made the Signs clear for people who remember. (Surat al-An'am: 126)
…In this way We make Our Signs clear for people
who reflect. (Surah Yunus: 24)
Since the verses have been revealed only for those who reflect, it is
clear that those who do not do so will not comprehend the meanings of
any of the verses in the Qur'an.
It is a fact that a person's life is filled with numerous lessons he
learns from the events he experiences within himself and in his surroundings.
The Qur'an is a guide that shows people how to interpret the lessons in
their lives and how they should react once they have understood them.
Therefore, the Qur'an is a guiding light that structures a person's daily
life and explains each moment of his existence. One can only come to the
true meaning of the Qur'an if one reads it with the proper contemplation
that God, the Possessor of infinite knowledge and wisdom, deserves. It
has already been stated in a Qur'anic verse that the Qur'an is a book
that one should contemplate seriously and use as a source of guidance
"It is a Book We have sent down to you, full of blessing, so
let men of understanding ponder its Signs and take heed." (Surah
Sad: 29). Yet again, in another verse,
the importance of genuinely thinking about the Qur'an has been emphasized:
Do they not ponder these words (of God)? Has anything
come to them that did not come to their ancestors the previous peoples?
(Surat al-Mu'minun: 68)
The Qur'an is the source of limitless and superior knowledge because
it has been revealed by God, the Lord of all the Worlds. The Qur'an covers
countless topics, from the attributes of God to the wonders of creation,
from the intricacies of the human soul to the facts and mysteries of the
universe and the Hereafter, and so on. So the appreciation of such vast
amounts of information encased in such a pure and essential language can
only be possible with a combination of deep thought, awareness, attention
to detail, a sincere heart and a strong conscience.
Arrogance and Superiority
Arrogance will prevent anyone from understanding the Qur'an. Since an
arrogant person considers himself to be superior, he will not possess
the necessary humility and awareness needed to approach the Qur'an properly.
He will be unable to bear to see the verses that remind a servant his
weaknesses and the fact that God is the One Who has given him everything
he has ever owned and all of his attributes. He cannot bring himself to
receive the warnings, follow the given commandments, distance himself
from what is forbidden or surrender to the wisdom of God. His pride and
assumed superiority prevent him from doing so. That is the reason why
he will see the Qur'an as a threat to his character, which is based on
arrogance. He will fight with all his might to seek ways to contradict
the Qur'an. In so doing he will argue about the verses. It has been stated
in the Qur'an that those with pride cannot comprehend its verses:
I will divert from My Signs all those who are
arrogant in the earth without any right. If they see every Sign, they
will not believe in it. If they see the way of right guidance, they will
not take it as a way. But if they see the way of error, they will take
that as a way. That is because they denied Our Signs and paid no attention
to them. (Surat al-A'raf: 146)
Who could do greater wrong than someone who is
reminded of the Signs of his Lord and then turns away from them, forgetting
all that he has done before? We have placed covers on their hearts, preventing
them from understanding it, and heaviness in their ears. Though you call
them to guidance, they will nonetheless never be guided. (Surat al-Kahf:
57)
Arrogance is a tool for viewing one's own intelligence, culture and knowledge
as superior. So the accomplishments of an arrogant person, such as his
academic career, culture and expertise, will actually serve to distance
him from the Qur'an. The unwise claims made by seeming experts or intellectuals
regarding the Qur'an are proof of the fact that pride prevents anyone
from truly acknowledging the Qur'an. This sort of people are described
in many verses:
Certainly those who argue about the Signs of God
without any authority having come to them have nothing in their breasts
except for pride which they will never be able to vindicate. Therefore
seek refuge with God. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. (Surat al-Mu'min:
56)
Who hears the Signs of God recited to him and
then persists in his arrogance just as if he had never heard them. Give
him the news of a painful punishment. (Surat al-Jathiyah: 8)
So we can conclude that in order to understand the Qur'an, one has to
have the attributes of modesty, humility and obedience, and show total
submission to God with the awareness that one is nothing before His greatness.
Trying to Interpret the Qur'an with Old Traditions
One of the greatest mistakes made when trying to interpret the Qur'an
is making use of hearsay and superstitions from one's forefathers and
of old traditions which are claimed to be the words of religion. People
who do that follow an inherited traditional religion rather than the Qur'an,
and at the same time try to adapt the Qur'an to that perverted religion.
Their twisted mentality has been described in the Qur'an:
When they are told, 'Follow what God has sent down
to you,' They say, 'We are following what we found our fathers doing.'
What, even though their fathers did not understand a thing and were not
guided! (Surat al-Baqarah: 170)
This twisted view of religion, that is widespread among the uneducated,
puts forward a model of belief that is completely different from and contradictory
to the Islamic one. This model, which is presented under the name of Islam,
in fact has no relation whatsoever with the true religion, ethics and
lifestyle that are described in the Qur'an. This distorted model is based
on traditions and old-fashioned superstitions and not on the Qur'an. The
followers of this warped practice try to adapt the Qur'an and its verses
to fit their traditions and superstitions. It is obviously impossible
to explain the Qur'an with such nonsense. However, as mentioned in the
Qur'an, these fabrications that are manufactured by "distorting the
book with tongues" only serve to distance one from the Qur'an.
Such people try to give the impression that they base what they say on
the Qur'an when trying to authenticate their ideas, interpretations, judgments
and applications that are, in truth, far from anything the Qur'an actually
represents. Yet, they cannot put together any logical explanation for
their unfounded claims. No matter how hard they try, anyone with common
sense can see through their ridiculous explanations. Those who put such
superstitions forward are actually well aware of the fact that they cannot
make the Qur'an fit their twisted approach, so they content themselves
with just distancing people further from the true book. Reading the Qur'an
with awareness and a strong conscience would result in exposing the true
face of such warped beliefs. It would also lead to a loss of status of
those who maintain such beliefs, who have based their lifestyles and interests
upon this twisted religion and have used it to build their position and
rank.
The Qur'an reports the situation of people who are far from realizing
the true meaning of the Qur'anic verses and yet try to turn people away
from the right path with uneducated explanations:
But there are some people who trade in distracting
tales to misguide people from God's Way knowing nothing about it and to
make a mockery of it. Such people will have a humiliating punishment.
When Our Signs are recited to such a person, he turns away arrogantly
as if he had not heard, as if there was a great weight in his ears. So
give him news of a painful punishment. (Surah Luqman: 6-7)
Evidently, those who have such warped intentions and understanding, together
with their ignorant, blind followers, will have an equally distorted perspective
on and approach to the Qur'an. They will attempt to explain the verses,
which are quite straightforward to the true followers of Islam, in a perverse
way. In so doing they will strive to link their warped religion to the
Qur'an.
Such wicked tendencies will lead these peoples' followers to loss in
this world and in the Hereafter. At the same time, they will cause those
without sufficient knowledge of religion to split away from Islam, and
prevent them from drawing close to God. These people will spark off the
utmost disruption and pose a threat to religion by attracting more ignorant
people like themselves to their side. However, the right will always be
victorious against the wrong and as the Qur'an informs us "the falsehood
is always bound to vanish". This is its destiny, and it cannot change
it. The Qur'an is present and clear. Anyone who holds on to it with the
gracious intent of finding the true path of God will, with His permission,
learn the actual religion, reach His salvation and be included in His
mercy.
There is no compulsion where the religion is concerned.
Right guidance has become clearly distinct from error. Anyone who rejects
false gods and has faith in God has grasped the Firmest Handhold, which
will never give way. God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. God is the Protector
of those who have faith. He brings them out of the darkness into the light.
But those who are disbelievers have false gods as protectors. They take
them from the light into the darkness. Those are the Companions of the
Fire remaining in it timelessly, for ever."(Surat al-Baqarah: 256-257)
Inability to Understand the Scientific Qur'anic Verses
Many scientific facts are mentioned either directly or indirectly in
the Qur'an. Many topics, from the creation phases of the universe, human
beings and the formation of rain to the movement of continents are mentioned
as proof of the perfection and superiority of God's creation. Nevertheless,
obviously the Qur'an is not a book of science. In the Qur'an, scientific
information is sometimes mentioned in a clear, lucid language, and at
other times it is explained by means of comparisons, indications or concealed
language. Being unable to realize the wisdom in such verses, some prejudiced
people, who do not possess the necessary basic knowledge of science and
scientific progress, nor a subtle comprehension, end up opposing the Qur'an.
Still, the people of the 21st century witnessed, through the use of the
latest technological observations, experiments and research, the miraculous
verification of various scientific facts pointed to in the Qur'an. Furthermore,
science was dominated by hearsay and unproven theories until the last
two centuries when all the while the Qur'an, written some 1,400 years
ago, was drawing attention to scientific facts that have finally been
proven today.
Numerous scientific topics, such as the Big Bang, the expansion of the
universe, the relativity of time, continental motion etc., were mentioned
in the Qur'an when it was revealed nearly 1,400 years ago. (For a detailed
analysis see Miracles of the Qur'an by Harun Yahya.) The secret of these
verses remained a mystery for Muslims, who had been reading them for years.
However, Muslims expressed faith in all of these verses, which they knew
to contain many secrets and great wisdom, without understanding their
true meaning, just as they believe without any doubt that the Qur'an is
the "truth" (haq) revealed by God. Those who use their reason
and are capable of intense thought perceive each verse as a part of the
endless knowledge of God. It is true that there remain some verses that
have yet to be fully explained and whose mysteries have still to be revealed.
Such verses are a source of excitement and enthusiasm for the true believer.
This concealed knowledge also makes them feel totally enclosed within
the boundless wisdom of God.
Those with ulterior motives commonly try to cast doubt on those verses
which have not yet been explained by the current standards of science
and technology. In the Qur'an it is said of those people:
Then when they arrive He (God) will say, 'Did you
deny My Signs even though you did not have proper knowledge of them. What
were you doing?' (Surat an-Naml: 84)
People like that, who approach the Qur'an with prejudice, are bound to
view verses, which their limited intelligence and knowledge fail to make
immediately clear, as evidence of inconsistency, as their real purpose
is seeking contradictions in the Qur'an. Just as there were verses which
had remained a mystery since the revelation of the Qur'an until it became
possible to explain them thanks to recent scientific developments, there
may be still more verses waiting to be clarified that will remain in the
shadows until future scientific discoveries. For instance, the Qur'an
gives indications of possible matter and scent transfer. Even though these
may appear to be impossible with today's technology, such ideas have already
made an appearance in science fiction. The verses related to these ideas
in the Qur'an are:
- A person of knowledge in the company of the Prophet Solomon brings
Queen Saba's throne from her palace, thousands of miles away:
He (Solomon) said, 'Council! Who among you will
bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?'
An ifreet of the jinn said, 'I will bring it to
you before you get up from your seat. I am strong and trustworthy enough
to do it.'
He who possessed knowledge of the Book said, 'I
will bring it to you before your glance returns to you.' And when he (Solomon)
saw it standing firmly in his presence, he said, 'This is part of my Lord's
favour to test me to see if I will give thanks or show ingratitude. Whoever
gives thanks only does so to his own gain. Whoever is ungrateful, my Lord
is Rich Beyond Need, Generous.' (Surat an-Naml: 38-40)
- The Prophet Jacob senses the presence of his son, the Prophet Joseph,
from miles away:
And when the caravan went on its way, their father
said, 'I can smell Joseph's scent! You probably think I have become senile.'(Surah
Yusuf: 94)
It is only natural that some of the verses in the Qur'an, which is valid
till the Day of Judgment and contains information that is applicable to
all times, are not understandable when they are interpreted only by using
the currently available technological data, which have still not reached
the required level. However, as further advances are made, the "overlapping"
meanings in the scientific Qur'anic verses are becoming clearer.
Trying to Interpret the Qur'an According to the Flawed Values of the Established
Order
There are those who live by modern-day as well as social standards, who
accept the rules applied by the majority as absolute facts and use them
to try and interpret the Qur'an. People like this make up the majority
of those who try to object to the Qur'an, even though they are the least
educated and cultured. It is possible to come across such people in every
profession and part of society. They make up a majority, who do not think
too deeply or possess a certain world-view, and are obsessed only with
worldly pursuits and are only focused on their livelihood. Since they
seek simple pleasures, small calculations and profits, they perceive the
Qur'an as a threat that would limit their so-called freedom, alter their
simple lifestyles or expectations, and the order to which they are accustomed.
Therefore, they try to oppose the Qur'an with their primitive logic.
Members of this group make the same comments about the Qur'an that they
have heard from others, ideas originally not their own. They usually make
unreasonable and ignorant remarks about the Qur'an using sentences that
begin with such words as, "In the 21st century…", "In our
day and age…", "In the space age….", "In the West…."
, and so on.
They propose that the lifestyle described in the Qur'an and that of our
own time are incompatible, and that the former is in fact outdated. From
that perspective they subsequently make false claims concerning the Qur'an.
For example, they claim that such things as fasting and prayer interfere
with the pace of the modern lifestyle, that the Islamic ban on interest
cannot be practiced under current economic conditions and even that the
prohibition of adultery in this day and age is evidence of the impossibility
of applying the Qur'an to our daily lives.
They apply superficial logic and display great ignorance when addressing
the topics of the prayers, commands, and prohibitions in the Qur'an. They
introduce arguments about the wisdom in some commands which they do not
understand or the verses that they cannot comprehend. Worse still, they
defend their illogical claims with great ferocity. This stems in part
from the fact that what they are defending with such eagerness is based
on the ideas of the majority, rather than on logic or reason.
They accept society's general lifestyle and world-view, which they refer
to as "the facts of life," as the absolute truth and seek errors
and discrepancies in the Qur'an by taking them as a point of reference.
The notions they use as criteria have no actual scientific or logical
worth. The concepts that they assume to be the absolute truth, "the
facts of life" or the requirements of the modern age, are in fact
illusions with which they only deceive themselves and provide psychological
support for one another.
We are informed, in the Qur'an, of the twisted path of these people,
who gather all their strength from being part of the majority and think
that they are on the right path since they are in harmony with everyone
else:
If you obeyed most of those on earth, they would
misguide you from God's Way. They follow nothing but conjecture. They
are only guessing. (Surat al-An'am: 116)
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