I would venture to say that there is something inherently good in all human beings, deriving from, among other things, the attribute of social consciousness that we all possess. And, yes, there is also something inherently bad in all of us, flesh and blood as we are, with the attendant desire to perpetuate and pamper the self. From these premises arises the challenge to order our lives and mold our mores in such a way that the good in all of us takes precedence. In other words, we are not passive and hapless souls waiting for manna or the plague from on high. All of us have a role to play in shaping the society.
—Nelson Mandela, Nelson Mandela in His Own Words: From Freedom to the Future
The world is becoming increasingly polarized between the haves and the have-nots, between pragmatists and fundamentalists of all religious discourses, and between Judeo-Christians and the rest of the world. People of all faiths and goodwill are alarmed by the appalling condition of the human race—half of the world’s population lives on less than two dollars per day, and the combined wealth of the richest people on earth exceeds the combined assets of billions of people. Ethnic cleansing, forceful occupation, terrorism, economic exploitation, and corrupt governments have become the norm in many parts of the world.
This commentary on the Qur’an is intended for two audiences: (1) for Muslims, especially the young and the restless who cannot seem to obtain reliable, discussion-oriented, context-driven, and actionable sources of information for understanding the essence of Islam in the context of their language, time, and environment and (2) for others who want to increase their understanding of Islam and are willing to forge a global alliance of goodwill and common humanity. It is my firm belief that until we can bring the world of diverse faiths and ethnicities into a common framework where we are comfortable with our diversities yet can celebrate and appreciate our differences so that every person can exercise his or her free will and express his or her uniqueness, we will not succeed as a species, and we will not fulfill God’s will as His representatives on this earth.
I am very fortunate to be able to complete this volume 2 as I continue the journey into the Qur’an and continue to evolve in my faith in God and to understand His message to humanity. To those who have already read volume 1, I welcome you to this volume that covers chapters (surah) 3 and 4 of the Qur’an. Volume 1 covered chapters 1 and 2. I welcome your comments, observations, and suggestions; you can e-mail me at rashed@comcast.net or visit the book website at www.rashedhasan.com to share your thoughts, ideas, and any questions.
Why Initiate This Conversation?
As I have attempted to understand the Qur’an, the last revealed book of guidance from God (Allah), I have relied on various English translations along with my modest understanding of the Arabic language. In addition, I have read the Hadith (compilations of thoughts, ideas, and actions from the life of Prophet Mohammad as direct quotations) and books by Islamic scholars, as well as books by contemporary Muslim and non-Muslim scholars, writers, and commentators on Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Confucianism, other primitive religions, and religion in general. I have traveled far for business and commerce but also on a personal journey to see the world and to meet Muslims in various countries and people of various cultures to learn about religions that appreciate God’s earth and His creatures. I undertook these travels also to better attune myself to people of other cultures, religions, and values and to see the world from their perspective and from a broader human perspective.
Since the majority of Muslims today are non-Arabs, which has been the case for a long time and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future, it is imperative that we initiate and create conversations, discussions, commentaries, and translations of the Qur’an in a manner that is contemporary and reflects the language spoken and in the context of the place and prevailing cultural norms. As God said in the Qur’an, “And We [God] sent no messenger except that he spoke the language of the people so that he was able to explain clearly [the message]” (14:4).
On the other hand, knowing the language does not guarantee a good understanding of Islam as is amply demonstrated in the condition of the Arabic-speaking world, where Islam is practiced in rituals and not in spirit, where wealth is spent to build mosques and madrassas but not broader educational institutions, where leaders pay lip service to Islam but do not follow the tenets of Islam in their political practice, where the interest of the few is protected at the expense of citizens’ rights and collective privileges. This is unfortunate, given the clear directives of the Qur’an and the well-documented practices and examples of Prophet Mohammad and prominent Muslim leaders, educators, scientists, professionals, and average citizens over a period of fifteen hundred years.
The beauty and uniqueness of the Qur’an is that it is preserved as it was revealed to Prophet Mohammad, and we have the ability to go back to the original text of the Arabic Qur’an and refine the meanings through commentaries and/or translations if and when such a refinement is warranted, primarily in the context of time and societal norms in which we might happen to live. In the case of earlier revelations, such as the Old and New Testaments (the Bible and the Torah) that were revealed to Prophets Jesus (Isa in Arabic) and Moses (Musa in Arabic), the originals have been lost. We should also note that the Torah is now included as the first five books of the Bible.
These revelations as we know them today are compiled versions created by people who relied on their own recollections and injected their personal and prevailing views on God, mythology, faith, societal norms, and political realities. Furthermore, what we read today of the Bible and the Torah are translations of translations that have gone through centuries of sometimes deliberate and sometimes unintended changes, revisions, and personal conjectures, such as the concept of the Trinity in the Bible and the marginalization of God’s active presence as reflected in the Torah. Some of the even older religious books, such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads of the Hindu tradition, contain profound insight about human conditions, practical wisdom such as patience and forgiveness, and traces of God’s sublime attributes (e.g., oneness of God), but many of the religiously significant characters in these books have taken on mythological dimensions as opposed to human dimensions, making them, perhaps, less relevant to our time and condition. It is important to note that some Muslims who lack knowledge or proper understanding of the essence of God and prophethood tend to elevate Prophet Mohammad to some level of divinity while vehemently opposing any notion of divinity to Prophet Jesus, who is showered with divine attributes by his followers (i.e., Christians), such as being the Son of God. The fact is that these two men are the greatest of the prophets and the greatest of human beings but are real humans like you and me. The prominence of these two great men has been confirmed in an interesting way by Michael Hart, a NASA scientist, in his book The 100: A ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History, chapters 1 and 3.
Personally, I have not been satisfied with many of the English translations of the Qur’an, with a few exceptions, for several reasons:
1. Many of those who have translated the Qur’an lived in a time and place remote from contemporary time and place, and their language and interpretations are difficult to understand in today’s context.
2. Many of the explanations or translations (with suggested meanings in parentheses) offer a very narrow view of the meaning of the Qur’an and come across as if saying that the Qur’an is for Muslims alone and not for the entire human race.
3. For reasons of particular bias by certain authors or certain sponsoring organizations, many of the translators have a conservative and shallow view of Islam, and this gets reflected in their translations and commentaries, both of which distort the universal and purpose-driven messages of God to that of a ritualistic and narrower view of God’s message.
4. Many translations use language that is verbose and not of the common vernacular or style, which makes it very difficult for many, especially those of the younger generation, to comprehend the true essence of the messages.
Volume 1 (published in 2015) and this current volume, (part of the larger volume of work I intend to carry on to make the Qur’an and God’s revelations more relevant to our lives) are modest attempts to initiate a vigorous conversation and to offer a contextual commentary on (as opposed to a pure translation of) one of the greatest books on earth for the benefit of Muslims and non-Muslims alike. In other words, it is a book intended for the human race, since the Qur’an is for all humanity, and it has been commented on with that goal in mind. The Prophet of Islam had delegated every person of faith to convey the message of God and His teachings and values to the next generation. I believe that the Qur’an needs to be commented on and explained for every generation by every generation to facilitate better and more accurate understanding of Islam’s teachings and values in the contemporary language and in the context of contemporary culture, politics, and social norms; failure to do so will only reflect our own inability and lack of commitment as people of faith to make a difference in our world. It is a generational responsibility that we cannot and should not rely solely on the previous generations to achieve, nor can it be delayed for the next generation.
The Qur’an itself divides its verses into two broad categories as defined in chapter 3. “He [God] is the One Who has revealed the book to you. Some of its verses are foundational and decisive (Mohkamat), forming the basis of the book while other verses are allegorical, given as examples (Mutashabihat). But those whose hearts are steeped in perversity and seek to misguide, attempt to give meanings to these verses according to their own interpretation. Only God and those who have developed deeper knowledge understand these meanings, who say, ‘We believe in it, and it is all from our Sustainer [God].’ Only people of understanding will take note of this guidance” (3:7).
The foundational aspects of the Qur’an are very clear—belief in God, belief in the purpose of creation, human and social consciousness, freedom, truth, justice, gender equality, and human dignity. Other verses that pertain to the temporal human condition, societal norms, and legal injunctions are to be viewed within the context of societal norms and human understanding as we continue to evolve as God’s creatures. Not to do so leads to social stagnation, oppression and tyranny, extreme groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS, and larger social malaise as we see in many parts of the Muslim world and the world in general—rising corruption and abuse of power in governmental practices, ever-widening income inequality, societal control exercised by accumulation of wealth by a few corporations and individuals, and an unprecedented and reckless abuse of natural resources and our environment on a scale never seen in human history.
I hope that you find this commentary helpful, not necessarily comprehensive. How you want to see the world for yourself and your fellow human beings will depend on your own drive to understand and fulfill your commitment to God and to the human race. The outcome of this effort will be determined by my ability to strike a chord with your sense of who you are, what you want to be, how you see yourself benefiting the human race, and how you relate to God as His special creature. In this regard, we should remember a few key rules and aspects about the human condition from the Qur’an:
· We are created in the nature of God (30:30)—we have limitless potential for good.
· God does not change the condition of a people until they change themselves (13:11)—we have to act to make changes.
· God gives what one strives for (good or evil—basic construct of causality) (92:4–12)—results we achieve are in direct proportion to our intent and effort.
· God does not put a challenge on people beyond what they are capable of accomplishing or overcoming (in any generation) (2:286)—we can solve any problem or challenges before us.
· Each one of us strives for a goal (explicitly or implicitly)—directing toward good is aligned with our nature (2:148). We have to have a purposeful life.
There are three key takeaways from the above rules:
1. Overcoming any and every challenge in this world and in our lives is within our reach, since God has built those potentials in us.
2. The results of our efforts are in direct proportion to the intensity of our endeavors and our true intent.
5. Our condition (whether good or bad) is directly a result of our own doing. I hope that we read and understand the Qur’an in light of the above universal and self-evident truths.
I have also kept my commentary to a minimum, as this is not meant to be an encyclopedia of Qur’anic understanding but rather a quick reference manual for aspiring young minds and a reminder for adults. My goal is to challenge us to think deeply about the Qur’an and its role in our lives. I have an unfailing belief and trust in human capacity since we were created by God, the source of infinite wisdom and knowledge, which in itself assures us that each one of us is capable of understanding the Qur’an and has the potential desire and ability to follow its guidance. What is needed is to provide well-thought-out and challenging commentaries to push us out of our comfort zones, challenge us to go on a deeper quest for knowledge, and, more importantly, make this knowledge relevant to the daily choices that we make.
It is quite possible and likely that not every commentary has succeeded in conveying the true meaning of what was intended. This may have happened not because of a lack of effort but because of our own limitations of understanding and communicating. Since collective wisdom and understanding are always better than solely those of an individual, I sincerely hope that you find this commentary on the Qur’an beneficial, and I welcome your helpful comments and suggestions.
All proceeds from this Qur’anic commentary will be directed to a nonprofit organization, MyLLife Inc., which is dedicated to bringing people of all faiths together for our common vision of human dignity and peace for all. We hope that you will contribute to this cause as well as benefit from this commentary. If you would like to make further contributions to MyLLife Inc., please go to our website at www.myllife.org or send contributions to the following address:
MyLLife Inc.
PO Box 22460
Alexandria, VA 22304
USA
May God help us in our sincere endeavors to be better human beings and to help our fellow beings achieve a higher platform of performance and position, as was intended by God when He asked the angels to bow before Adam, the first person and representation of the human race. I pray and sincerely hope that each one of us strives hard to achieve that goal and remembers God’s call: “Mankind, you have to engage in a deliberate and sustained effort [for goodness] toward your Sustainer [God] until you meet Him” (84:6).