The further I get into this project, the less interested I am in parsing the Islamic surface of the text, and the more interested I am in untangling the Sufi depths. The former so far has come across as a generic, though not unenjoyable, religious text. The latter, however, specifically the mysteries of HU, Rabb, and ب , always seize my fascination when they arise.
1: The parallel between the restrictions of Ihram and those of Lent are irresistible. It is natural to find the links between all these Abrahamic religions, but one wonders if the link goes back even further to Zoroaster.
2-5: Even more parallels between the three "peoples of the book", with the addition of an injunction against resentment against people of hostile faiths one notable point of departure.
6: So-called "dry ablution" is another interesting feature, and I don't know of anything similar in other religions.
7: It never hurts to recall the overarching theme of Islam: submission.
8: Already reemphasizing the point in v2 (and in An-Nisa) against resentment and the cloudy thinking of antagonism.
9-10: These verses seem to play against each other, and it takes a bit of theology to reconcile them. On the one hand, those who practice their own religion faithfully are forgiven, whatever it may be. In the same breath, those who disbelieve the specific signs of this book are bound for Hell. As is usual in such cases, only Hulusi's Sufi perspective can make sense of it: it is not the disbelief in this particular Rasul that destines them for hell; it is a denial of reality, and specifically the reality of indivisibility.
11: A very straightforward verse that Hulusi confounds with his explication. He posits that the Name Wakil is being referenced in the penultimate phrase, but there neither seems to be justification for this vowel shift, nor explanation of such a Name in his extensive preface on names.
12-13: Several potential inroads into this section: who are the "we" that appointed the tribes of Israel? What is the "share of the realities" that they have forgotten (Sahih version assumes it is the share that related to The Prophet)? What effect does this hardening of hearts have? Is a member of such a "hardened" group forever locked out by blood?
14: To believe that the intersectional disputes between Christians are preordained by Allah brings a similar series of difficult questions. The Allah of the Quran seems scarcely less petty than that of the Bible.
15-16: There is an emphasis on نو in Hulusi's rendition that seems unjustified. Light is light, and does not seem to need explication. The hint is of some sufi metaphysical meaning, but what could be deeper than the literal in this case?
17: A deft blow to the ridiculous Christian notion of Christ's divinity.
18: Will the Quran keep to this, though, and refrain from claiming privileged status, or fall prey to ego as the Jews and Christians before did?
19: It is certainly tempting to think that a Divine messenger is thus destined to appear at intervals. We are certainly due for a new one.
20-26: A surprisingly straightforward section, almost exactly as it is described in the Pentateuch. Who, I wonder, are the two from among them who are said to have spoken up, though.
27-31: The alternate version of this story is fascinating. The addition of the crow is especially flavorful. Surely Abel threatening Cain with hellfire is anachronistic, however.
32-34: This would be a keystone verse in any text--were it not for the loopholes that modern day Muslims take to be the law itself.
35-37: Evidently the idea of eternal damnation was thoroughly trenchant by this time. One wonders whether it became so in Islam as a result of Greek (and ultimately Egyptian) influence, or from further East. In Christianity, at least, the corruption seems to begin with Tertullian in the 3rd century, and be thoroughly entrenched by the time of Augustine in the 5th.
38-39: Allah is all-forgiving--unless his followers get to the offenders first as in 34.
40: An interesting parallel with the LunHeng of Wang Chong, which I am reading concurrently. Don't bother questioning your fate. Heaven is capricious and petty, and does what it will.
41: At least the fifth time this troubling phenomenon has been highlighted. Who are those whose hearts Allah does not wish to purify? What are the criteria? When is it determined? The same problems exist with similar verses in the Bible, but the latter text does not emphasize it nearly so often.
42-43: One wonders why indeed Jews or Christians would come seeking Islamic justice.
44: The logic does not follow here, and I feel like I am missing a subtlety of the Arabic equivalent for "so". The second clause simply does not follow from the first.
45-47: It makes a bit more sense now. The effect seems to be, "Look: Jews and Christians have these same directions, and then twisted them. If you just go by what Allah has revealed, no matter which version, you'll be fine. But if you are worried about man's version of the same . . . well good luck with that."
48-49: And therefore, "If you stick to what Allah has revealed, it will become clear that which is common in all three."
50: ". . . you got a better idea, wiseguy?"
51-56: No doubt it would be tempting to side with the temporarily upper-handed, especially if the beliefs are fundamentally the same. Very clever of The Prophet to nip that in the bud here.
57-60: And it is tempting to mock rituals which we find unfamiliar or extreme. I sure received my share of it growing up. If one is committed to the course, though, this is the only response.
61-63: Which is to say, "The proof is in the pudding," or, "By their works you will know them."
64: I can't be certain from context, but the Jews in this verse seem to be saying that their wealth is proof of their blessing. Oh, what a pernicious doctrine, and how widespread among Christians today.
65: The reward here is an interesting one: the Gardens of Bliss are by no means a literal paradise, but easily seen as a state of enlightenment. Hulusi, naturally, takes advantage of this interpretation.
66: But there is danger here of readers falling into the same trap as in 64. If one follows the given Word, whether Torah, Gospel, or Quran, blessings will come. If, therefore, one is not so blessed, surely they are sinners.
67: This one is an enigma. Why should the Prophet need protection from the people? Of what should he be afraid?
68-69: I sure do like this ecumenical sentiment,and I sure do see little of it in modern Islam.
70-71: This tracks very well with the stories in the Torah.
72-73: And a valid critique of Christianity. It is astonishing the nonsense that modern Christians allw themselves to believe, and evidently it was no different in the 6th century.
74: A well-placed reminder that this is not malice, but ridicule.
75: A new critique of the doctrine of Christ's divinity: "Then why did he eat, dummies?"
76: Nothing to see here on the surface, but a hint from Hulusi at a deeper meaning of هُوَ
77: This book is beginning to sound like it's intended for other "people of the book" as much as it is for the people of Islam.
78: David is an interesting choice here. Of all the Hebrew prophets, he would not have not been in my top ten choices for an example of condemnation. I wonder what the Prophet is referring to here.
79-80: Lets of disagreement between the three translations here. I prefer Hulusi's version, especially in that it makes the eternal punishment one of ego, rather than of hellfire.
81-84: This is manifestly no longer true. Perhaps in the 7th century there were men among the Christians who matched this description: sincere, humble, and ascetic. I cannot think of an example in the last century, however.
85-86: This afterlife, while vague, certainly is appealing.
87-88: Almost exactly the sentiment of Peter in Acts 10.
89: I like that the breaking of an oath is not a sin against the recipient of the oath, but against reality itself, and the penalty corresponds.
90-92: Well I'm guilty of all of these on a weekly if not daily basis. I do not sense that it causes the animosity that is predicted here. I can see the point, though. Maybe if I did them with others instead of alone in my hovel the result would be as described.
93: In two of the translations, this is a perfectly natural extension of the preceding exhortations. For Hulusi, naturally, there is a deeper progression: from devotion to understanding to enlightenment to protection.
94-96: An interesting and seemingly disjunct prohibition. Why is hunting specifically prohibited during Ihram and not other activities?
97: The connection between these sacred practices and a reminder of Allah's omniscience is not intuitive.
98-99: Unless it is to be revealed through the punishment for violations.
100-102: A reasonable enough edict. Don't keep asking why; you may not like the answer, not because Allah doesn't care to be questioned, but because you may not like the answers and they aren't useful to you anyway.
103-104: No doubt a necessary injunction at the time, but mostly a historical footnote today.
105: This verse resonates on several levels. You are not your results. Worry about your dang self, and it will turn out alright, and you will be given understanding to boot.
106-108: A very practical regulation, with parallels in the Torah and the Gospel. The emphasis on material goods and wealth is what sets the Quran apart from the others.
109: Another lovely connection to 105. We are not called to task for the results of our actions, but for the actions themselves--even the prophets.
110-120: The longest coherent narrative I have yet encountered in the Quran, and wonderful in proportion to its fluidity. Not only is the idea of Christ being called to account on the Judgement Day a marvelous concept, but his answer as well. The inclusion of the account of Christ bringing a bird to life from clay here also gives weight to so-called apocryphal accounts like the Gospel of Thomas.
Perhaps most wonderful, though, is the eponymous "table", the مائِدَةً that is revealed to the believers. With no mention of a literal feast, it can only be taken as the glorious feast of revelation that is available to those who sincerely search for it. I hope to be among them.
No comments:
Post a Comment