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Name
Hasan Abbas
-
Profession
Editor
Question
Could the available translations of the Qur'an replace the Qur'an. Can Muslims or non Muslims refer to the translations to get acquainted with it.
Answer
Hello Hasan,
Assalamu alaikum
Thank you for your question.
No translation can replace the Qur'an. In fact no translation can replace ANY good literary work. Each language reflects the sociology and culture of the people who use it. So, there are many words in the English language, for instance, which have no equivalents in Arabic or Hindi or Chinese; similarly there are many expressions in Arabic that have no equivalents in English or French or German.
Just one example: Give me the Arabic word for “toast” as in “the toast of the town”. (I do not deny that it is possible for some hackers in the Media world to offer some ‘translation’ to meet the need of certain pseudo western-Arab imitators of the western culture.)
It was the American poet, Robert Frost who defined poetry as “what is lost in translation”!
So dear brother, no translation of the Qur'an can replace the Qur'an proper. Because the translator uses words in another language that he considers equivalent to the words he is translating, according to his understanding of the original. But of course, we know it is impractical for all foreigners to learn Arabic for reading the Qur’an in the original. So we use a translation, with proper introduction and explanation; because we have no other way. For the same reason, Muslims and Non-Muslims can refer to the translations to get acquainted with the Qur'an.
And Allah knows best.
Name
Key
- Jamaica
Profession
Engineer
Question
On What issue Shia & Sunni confronts?
Answer
Thank you for your question.
In fact there is no reason for the Sunni and the Shia to “confront” each other. And you know that they move together and pray together, shoulder to shoulder, in Hajj, which symbolically represents the World Muslim Ummah.
Any differences can be peacefully discussed in the right forums and if no consensus is attainable, they can simply agree to disagree. That is all.
But of course, there are problems in Iraq for instance, fomented by the US-UK occupiers and their Israeli stooges. The Christian Zionists and Jewish Zionists have joined hands in their under-cover operations in the country to achieve their selfish goals. They have succeeded in inciting the sectarian violence that we see there now. This is likely to go on until the ignorant people realize the truth.
And Allah knows best.
Name
leena
- United Arab Emirates
Profession
house-wife
Question
Can you please give a link where I can find the translations of the Qur’an on your website on different languages, like French, Russian, etc? I came across it 2 years ago, but now I can’t find it. Thank you very much.
Answer
Hello Leena,
Thank you for your question.
Here are a couple of sites that give links to Qur’an translations in several languages:
You criticize the Christians for having different versions of the Bible but you also have the same thing. Just consider the number of English Qur'ans; they are more than ten, each is different from the other.
Answer
Hello DS,
Thank you for your question.
Please see the answer given to Hasan Abbas above. No translation of the Qur'an is the Qur'an proper. And you can have as many translations as there are persons who are prepared to translate the Qur'an. The real Qur'an is the Arabic Qur'an revealed to Prophet Muhammad, (peace be on him), and preserved intact.
But in the case of the Bible, the situation is different. The Bible contains a number of books written by a number of people over hundreds of years. The first five books of the Bible are called the Pentateuch and they are supposed to be the original Torah revealed to Moses. The original Torah in ancient Hebrew language – an Eastern language- (i.e. the language of Moses) doesn’t exist now. What we have are translations.
Similarly Jesus spoke Aramaic (an Eastern language) and the original “Gospel of the Kingdom” (as Jesus called it) was in Aramaic; and it doesn’t exist now. What we have are the four Gospels written decades after Jesus’ time, in the western language of Greek, allegedly by four disciples of Jesus. And we don’t have even the Greek originals of these four gospels too. Instead, there are several translations. The King James Version of 1611 is an example. The Catholics use a different version, which also is called, the Holy Bible, while it contains a number of books the King James Version DOES NOT contain.
On the contrary, the original Arabic Qur'an is safe and secure; and it has been the same since its first revelation up to the present; and this is what we call the Qur'an. A Pakistani Muslim may use an Urdu translation of the Qur'an for understanding the meaning of its verses. But he does not call his Urdu version, “the Qur'an". I REPEAT: THE QUR’AN IS THE ARABIC QUR’AN; AND NO TRANSLATION OF THE QUR’AN CAN BE CALLED, “THE QUR’AN”
Hope you see the difference between the Bible and the Qur’an.
Name
Mohammad
-
Profession
Question
Some people talk about the there are certain 'mathematical' miracles of the Qur'an and some numbers have certain secrets. What is your opinion.
Answer
Hello Mohammad,
Thank you for your question.
Yes, some people claim to have found certain ‘mathematical’ miracles in the Qur'an; and it is claimed that certain numbers have secrets etc.
But the Qur'an’s greatness as the Last Testament of Allah Almighty does not depend upon any secrets of numbers; it evidently is in the greatness of the Perfect Divine Guidance God gives to humanity through it.
And Allah knows best.
Name
Suzi
-
Profession
Question
Is it true that the word "God" was pronounced Allah in the Language spoken by Jesus?
Answer
Hello Suzi,
Thank you for your question.
You know that Jesus did not speak English; he spoke Aramaic, which is a dialect of Hebrew. According to scholars, the word “Eloh”, (plural “Elohim”) was used for God in Hebrew and Aramaic. This word (sometimes spelt “Elah”) could have been pronounced “Alah” or “Allah”; and no doubt Jesus used a pronunciation quite similar to the Arabic Allah, because his Aramaic language was a sister language of Arabic, belonging to the Semitic Family of Languages.
As we can see, “Eloh” and “Alah” are closely similar to Allah and today we find the word Allah used for God in the Arabic Bible.
And Allah knows best.
Name
mikhael
- Finland
Profession
Question
Assalaamualaikum,
Please help me understand this verse: [16:67]
"And from the fruits of the palm trees and grapevines you take intoxicant and good provision. Indeed in that is a sign for a people who reason."
Does it mean that making wine was allowed, until later it was made haram?
(that is, are some verses abrogated, later replaced with a new rules?)
wassalaam, thank you!
Answer
Hello Mikhael,
Thank you for your question.
Islam prohibited alcohol in two stages. In the Qur'an, you can find the verse banning the use of alcohol during prayer; and then you can see the verse banning the use of it categorically and completely at all times:
"O ye who believe! Strong drinks and games of chance and idols and divining of arrows are only an infamy of Satan's handiwork. Leave them aside in order that ye may succeed. Satan seeketh only to cast among you enmity and hatred by means of strong drinks and games of chance, and turn you from remembrance of Allah and from His worship. So will ye not then abstain?" (Al-Ma'idah 5:90-91)
It is clear from the explanation given by the Prophet that the word used for ‘alcohol’ (khamr) includes all kinds of intoxicants in any quantity. We should realize that alcohol was an almost inextricable part of the life of the Makkans of those days; and to prohibit it altogether, Allah commanded the Prophet to implement the ban in a gradual process; which was easier and more practical.
The verse you quoted (16:67) was of the time before the complete prohibition of alcohol; and in that particular context, the reference is to the various ways in which we can make use of the blessings of Allah contained in the things he has provided for mankind. So there is no mention of the prohibition part present there.
Also, to say that one rule given earlier was ‘abrogated’ or ‘replaced’ by another is NOT CORRECT. Stage-by-stage implementation or enforcement of a law would be a more appropriate description.
And Allah knows best.
Name
Essadik
- Cyprus
Profession
student
Question
As-salamu `alaikum
-Can someone see the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and speak to him awake?
-Is the second coming of Jesus (peace be upon him) mentioned in the Qur'an?
-How could you explain to non-Muslims the marriage of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with Umm Al-Mu'minin `Aishah at the age of 9? May Allah reward you.
Answer
Hello Esadik,
Thank you for your question.
As the Prophet is no more, we cannot see him before us and speak to him as we speak to an ordinary person in front of us.
The Second Coming of Jesus is not mentioned in the Qur'an; but it is mentioned in the Hadith.
It is a well known fact that the Prophet married `Aishah the daughter of Abu-Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), when she was 9 years old or thereabouts. There are conflicting reports about her actual age at the time of marriage; but there is no doubt that she was mature when they started living together. Such marriages were common and it is noteworthy that no contemporary has criticized the Prophet over this alliance. The criticisms come from modern enemies of Islam who wish to discredit Islam by maligning the Prophet, as though he had done something terrible.
Consider the strict provisions regarding man-woman relationship given by Islam; and study the character of the Prophet as recorded by his followers, especially with regard to his relationship to women: And you can find that all the charges brought against him are baseless, deliberately trumped up, and utterly false.
And Allah knows best.
Name
farouk
-
Profession
Question
As-salamu `alaikum. The Qur'an is true and it is a just one, but its interpretation on the grounds of different opinion based on haddith makes its application somehow difficult. Please clarify.
Answer
Dear Farouk,
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah.
I don’t know what exactly you mean by this question. If you had given me examples of interpretation that caused you difficulty, I could have responded to them.
In fact the chief purpose of hadith is to help us understand the Qur’an. The Qur’an is the Guidance of Allah given in terse, epigrammatic verses often. In many cases people need explanations and interpretations. The Prophet’s role first of all was that of an interpreter par excellence of the Qur'an; and so we need hadiths to understand the Qur’an.
If by “interpretation on the grounds of different opinion based on hadith” you mean that those who try to interpret the Qur’an based on the hadith offer differing interpretations, it could be true in very few cases. Usually, this is not so much a problem in Islam as to make the application of the Qur’an “somehow difficult” as you allege.
Speaking of the application of the Qur’an, the Prophet has not only taught us how to live by the Qur’an, but he founded a society of Muslims who lived on the planet giving us glorious example as to how to live by the Qur’an and the Sunnah.
Now we know how to do all the rituals of Ibadah including Salah, Sawm, Zakah and Hajj; not only that, but also how to work out laws of inheritance, how to deal with other religious communities and how to implement civil and criminal laws etc.
It is true that there are differences of opinion; but they do not in any way prevent the application of the Qur’anic laws.
And Allah knows best.
Name
Gemma
-
Profession
Question
Please forgive the greediness in asking more than one question. As a new Muslim, there are so many things I want to know:
Why is the Qur'an not written down in the order it was revealed?
Why do some parts of the Qur'an seem to relate to the historic context, or were revealed according to a specific contemporary event? How do we equate this with the Qur'an as being timeless?
If Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was the most humble person on earth (as I see him), in what sense should we take the various hadiths which seem to contrast with the concept of humility (e.g. ‘I am the best of men’; ‘the greatest miser is the one who does not send durud upon me’). Is it just that my perception is wrong?
Answer
Hello Gemma,
Thank you for your questions.
No problem, you are welcome to ask any number of questions.
Your first question: Why is the Qur'an not written down in the order it was revealed?
Here I can say as you yourself said, some of the verses were revealed in answer to the requirement of certain contexts. But once that occasion was over, it was necessary to find the most suitable place for those verses. And the Prophet under Divine guidance showed the right place.
Secondly the needs of the new emerging Muslim society of the Prophet’s time were different from the needs of the later times, so the Prophet was directed to give an arrangement that was different from the merely chronological one.
The Qur'an represents life as it is experienced: In life you don’t have neat separations and boundary lines between one thought and another, one feeling and another, one experience and another… Life goes on in a continuous stream, and the Qur’an is for our life.
Your next question: Why do some parts of the Qur'an seem to relate to the historic context, or were revealed according to a specific contemporary event? How do we equate this with the Qur'an as being timeless?
Here, I can say that the Qur’an is timeless, period. The Qur’an is without a beginning and end. Take any page and read any verse: it could be the beginning or the end, (with a few exceptions of course)
Note the second verse of the second chapter: “This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear Allah.” (Al-Baqarah 2: 2) This could have been the first verse of the first chapter; or the last verse of the last chapter; but it is not so; and Allah knows best.
The Qur’an should be read along with the life of the Prophet. Or rather the life of the Prophet should be studied keeping the Qur’an open beside it.
Some verses were revealed in answer to specific historical contexts as you said. But these verses may very well be applied to similar contexts in our own life; provided we felt the need for guidance in such contexts. Often when we confront life situations, we forget we have Divine Guidance with us; and we stumble along, pushed on by the contingencies of the time, or by our haphazard impulses, not knowing where to go, or what to do; only remembering of Allah's Guidance when it is too late.
What I mean to say is that even verses revealed in answer to certain specific contemporary events, could be of universal application, relevant to our life here and now.
And of course, there are verses like: “Allah is the Light of the universe….” Timeless, eternal truths...
Thus if we care to ponder, we can see how the Qur’an becomes timeless even when it speaks of what happened, for instance, to the sleepers of the Cave, centuries ago. And Allah knows best.
Your third question: If Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was the most humble person on earth (as I see him), in what sense should we take the various hadiths which seem to contrast with the concept of humility (e.g. ‘I am the best of men’; ‘the greatest miser is the one who does not send durud upon me’). Is it just that my perception is wrong?
I can say that in actual life and character Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was very humble; he was even shy. But remember the task Allah entrusted him with: He had to rise to the occasion; he could not remain at the back bench when leadership was needed. When the very existence of the new Muslim community was in danger, he had to be in the forefront leading them, guiding them, commanding them. Thus he had to forget his humility and take up the command. Also, he had to be the teacher par excellence, the model for all. So, often he had to teach through his exemplary actions, and occasionally he had to tell them that it was HE whom they should imitate and no one else. This also to some extent undermined his humility, but there was no other way. You know the people: most of them illiterate and ignorant; even now you can see how they are easily beguiled and cheated by clever people. To them no insinuation would work, he had to tell them plainly: you see “I am the best of men” – Follow me etc.
Hope you understand.
And Allah knows best.
Name
Mina
-
Profession
Question
How your Prophet conveyed the message to his people?
Answer
Hello Mina,
Thank you for your question.
The Prophet conveyed the message by meeting people and talking to them personally. And when he got a few followers, they too did the same; meeting people and addressing them. Much later when his mission was almost near completion, he sent emissaries to distant lands with the message. Before his death, he addressed a large gathering of his followers (at the Farewell Pilgrimage) who consisted of tens of thousands, and asked them the question: Have I conveyed to you the Message of Allah? And they answered: "Yes" in a thousand voices. There he exhorted those present to convey the Message to those absent. From that day on, the Message brought by the Last Prophet was being conveyed to the people in distant lands by his devoted followers; and it goes on and on even now.
And all praise is to Allah.
Name
Han
-
Profession
Question
The Qur'an was collected in the time of the Caliph `Uthman, about 13 years after Muhammad, does not this long period allow for some alteration in its text.
Answer
Hello Han,
Thank you for your question.
God in the Qur’an clearly said: "Without doubt, We sent down the Message and We will preserve it" (Al-Hijr 15:9).
The whole of the Qur’an was written down during the Prophet’s lifetime, by his appointed scribes under his direct supervision so that nothing could be deleted, added, or changed. All copies of the Qur'an in existence during the 14 centuries of Islam are exactly the same. Unlike other earlier Scriptures, the Qur'an was preserved in its original form or text and in the language in which it was revealed.
As explained earlier, each revealed verse was memorized by many Companions and written down by scribes chosen by the Prophet specifically for that purpose. The Prophet also told them where to place it in the Qur’an. These appointed scribes of the Revelation, copied the pieces for themselves and preserved them. Allah Himself said: “It is for Us to collect it and to promulgate it” (Al-Qiyamah 75:17) The Qur’an’s verses and chapters were arranged and collected according to the Prophet’s instructions while he was still alive.
It was when a disagreement appeared over the pronunciation of certain words, that the formal preserved Qur'an was copied and sent to important centers during the reign of Caliph `Uthman ibn `Affan (644-56). He authenticated the preserved Qur’an and promulgated it in his name. That is how `Uthman comes into the picture here.
So, the Qur’an we have today is the same Qur’an that the Prophet received from God. Its authenticity and genuineness cannot be contested. No Muslim scholar worth his salt has ever doubted this, and none has questioned the Qur’an’s contents as we have them today.
And Allah knows best.
Name
Matthew
-
Profession
Question
Did Muhammad receive the whole Qur'an before his death?
Answer
Hello Matthew,
Thank you for your question.
The whole of the Qur’an was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), while he was alive. He was the Last Prophet of God, and after him, there was no other as the title makes it clear. The verses of the Last Testament were not revealed at one time; they were revealed piecemeal at different times. But the whole of the Qur’an was revealed fully to the Last Prophet before he died. It was he who dictated it to his scribes, and they wrote it down. After writing, the written text was read out to the Prophet who verified it and found to be perfectly accurate. And his followers preserved the written down Qur’an intact, without the slightest change.
Moreover, the whole of the Qur’an from cover to cover as it were, was learned by heart by thousands of Muslims from the time of the Prophet to the present.
The Qur’an was in the hands and hearts of the people from the moment of its revelation to the present, unlike the Bible.
And Allah knows best.
Name
Editor
-
Profession
Question
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Answer
Dear visitors,
Thank you very much for joining us in this active Live Dialogue.
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