Qur’an Cover-to-Cover: Day 1 (“The clinging substance”, …)
As previously mentioned, I am going to read through the Qur’an in chronological order from beginning to end. I will be writing up my notes from the chapters (“suwar”) each day, starting today with the chapters which were composed at the beginning of Muhammad’s ministry in Mecca: 96, 68, 73, 74, 1, 111 and 81.
Surah 96 – “The clinging substance”/”Recite” (Al-Alaq)
This short surah accuses a man of sinning because he sees himself as “self-sufficient”. We are reminded that God made man (with a vague description of human development), that God sees everything and that if the man does not repent, God will drag him by the hair and angels will throw him into Hell.
Questions
Q1. “Created man from a clinging substance”. Is this a reference to a fetus?
Q2. “Who taught by the pen”. Is this a reference to the Bible?
Surah 68 – “The Pen” (Al-Qalam)
This chapter begins by asserting that Muhammad is not crazy, nor afflicted by a devil as some people seem to suggest, but that he is a man of “great moral character” and will have an “uninterrupted reward”.
The text then denounces those who would deny Muhammad’s prophethood. Verses 17-32 seem to me to be something analogous to a parable, describing workers who go into a garden which Allah emptied of its fruit during the night, proving that things happens only “if Allah wills” (“in-sha-Allah”). The text offers this barren garden as a foreshadowing of Hell. It then goes on to tell Muhammad to leave the punishment of disbelievers to Allah, exhorting him to be patient, unlike “the companion of the fish”, the Prophet Jonah from the Old Testament.
Questions
Q1. What is the meaning of “Nun” at the beginning of the chapter? The notes in my Qur’an says that the meaning of some of the opening words isn’t known for certain. It says that there are a number of theories about these openings, but it doesn’t give any examples.
Q2. Are the “Legends of the former peoples” a reference to Moses and Jesus?
Surah 73 – “The one who wraps himself” (Al-Muzzammil)
Allah calls Muhammad to get up in the night to pray and recite the Qur’an. Once again, Muhammad is told to leave to God the punishment of the disbelievers. Allah compares Muhammad to Moses, whom He sent to Pharaoh in the Old Testament. The chapter ends with exhortations to prayer and care of the poor (“zakah”).
Surah 74 – “The one who covers himself” (Al-Muddathir)
More references to the Final Judgement. A man named “al-Waleed”, although he had initially been open to Islam, has rejected it. Muhammad is once again told to leave the disbelievers to Allah. Hell (“Saqar”) is then described. We are told that those who are in paradise (“the gardens”) will ask those in Hell why they are there. Four reasons are given in the text: failing to pray, failing to feed the poor, engaging in “vain discourse” and “deny[ing] the Day of Recompense”.
Questions
Q1. Is there any place for free will in Islam? This surah says that “Allah send[s] astray whom He wills and guide[s] whom He wills”, implying what Christians would call double predestination, but later verses imply free will.
Q2. Is it figurative when the text describes those in Heaven speaking to those in Hell?
Surah 1 – “The Opening” (Al-Fatiha)
This is a unique chapter of the Qur’an, in that it is a short prayer to Allah, rather than the words of Allah speaking to Muhammad. Allah’s mercy and sovereignty are extolled and the believer prays for guidance.
I seem to recall that this was one of the disputed chapters during the process of standardization of the Qur’an.
Q1. I’ve heard it said that the final ayah is a reference to Jews and Christians. Is that correct?
Surah 111 – “The Fiber/Flame” (Al-Masadd)
Made up of only five verses, this chapter condemns Abu Lahab, Muhammad’s uncle, who opposed Islam. We are told that Abu will burn in fire and that there will be a rope of twisted fibre around his wife’s neck.
Surah 81 – “The Wrapping” (At-Takwir)
Continuing with the theme of judgement, we are told that on Judgement Day each person will know the deeds they will bring with them before God’s throne. God then swears that the Qur’an is His inspired word and, once again, that Muhammad isn’t mad.
First Impressions
Even though I know much more about Islam in comparison to when I first attempted to read the Qur’an, the text is still rather hard to read. There are three reasons for this:
1. Stilted Text
I assume this is because the translators are attempting “static equivalence”, translating the Arabic text word-for-word, in the most literal manner possible
2. Background
The context of the chapter is rarely indicated and clues in the text are rare
3. Erratic
It seems to me that the text jumps around from topic to topic. The topics addressed thus far have also been fairly limited in number. I would sum up the message of the Qur’an thus far:
(a) Worship God
(b) Muhammad is not mad, but a Prophet of God
(c) The Qur’an is true
(d) Muhammed should leave the punishment of his persecutors to God
(e) These unbelievers and those who do evil will be sent to Hell
It’s hard not to notice that all but one chapter thus far has spoken of Judgment and Hell. This is going to be a fun couple of weeks!