Qur’an Cover-to-Cover: Day 10 (“The Angels”)
Today in Atlanta, my friend’s son was baptized and entered into the Body of Christ! However, there’s no rest for the wicked, so here I am writing up today’s text from Qur’an, Surah 35:
Surah 35 – “The Angels” (Fatir)
The chapter begins with a typical set of assertions relating to Allah’s soveignty and the denial of the existence of any other God.
Some interesting things are said about Satan and evil doers. One phrase I really liked was “[Satan] only invites his party to be among the companions of the Blaze”. This is why Satan’s parties are the worst! Ayah 8 affirms that “Allah sends astray whom He wills”, once again suggesting that Muslims believe in double-predestination.
Once again we read the argument comparing Allah’s ability to create the world with His ability to raise the dead.
We also are treated to a repeat of “the two seas…one…fresh…and one…salty” text. Once again, I’m not really sure what this example is trying to prove.
Also repeated is the assertion that false gods will deny unbelievers at the Resurrection.
Ayah 18 speaks about carrying the “burdens” of others. The summary of this message is simple: you can’t carry the burdens of others, you’re each on your own. It’s not clear from this text whether the “burdens” are sins, but the logic of this text does seem to be in contrast with the logic of the Calvary and prayer for the sins of others in 1 John 5:16. Here’s what the Qur’an says:
“And if a heavily laden soul calls [another] to [carry some of its load, nothing of it will be carried, even if he should be a close relative”
Ayat 19-22 contrast blindness and seeing, darkness and light, shade and heat. It then says “not equal are the living and the dead. Indeed, Allah causes to hear whom He wills, but you cannot make hear those in the graves”. This might be just refering to spiritualists/mediums, but given that the text only speaks about the dead “hear[ing]”, I wonder if it’s a rejection of Saintly intercession.
Continuity with the former revelation (i.e. Torah and Gospel) is affirmed since the Qur’an is “confirming what was before it”. Obviously, this is problematic with regards to the Qur’an’s teaching regarding Jesus.
There is an interesting verse in this chapter which is somewhat parallel to the New Testament’s Parable of the Dragnet. We are told that among those who inherit the Qur’an are those who sin, those who are “moderate” and those who are exceptionally holy. The Muslim Ummah is a mixed bunch.
Paradise and Hell are then described…
The chapter ends describing the sinfulness of all of creation, roughly equivalent to the Bible’s “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. It says that “if Allah were to impose blame on the peope for what they have earned, He would not leave upon [the earth] any creature”.
Q1. The first ayah speaks about angels having 2, 3 or 4 wings. However, the Bible speaks of the six-winged seraphim. Does Isalm deny these exist?
Q2. Once again we seem to have double predestination as ayah 8 says that “Allah sends atray whom He wills”. Correct?
Q3. What is the meaning of aya 12 and “the two seas”?
Q4. Are the “burdens” in aya 18 a person’s sins?
Q5. Is the reference to the dead hearing, a reference to the Christian intercession from the dead? Or is it against mediums?
Q6. We are told that “there was no nation but that there had passed within it a warner”. If this was the case, shouldn’t we find some reference to a monotheistic prophet in every nation of history? In fact, what counts as a “nation”?
Q7. Examples are often given in the Qur’an of when God punished a people who rejected his prophets. It’s noticable that these punishments were received in this world, rather than the next. Since I’m not aware of any supernatural punishment inflicted upon the people who rejected Muhammad, is this seen as a departure from the previous pattern of God’s interaction with mankind?
Q8. When the Qur’an speaks about those who “spend [in His cause]”, is this a reference to giving alms to the poor? Or something else?
Q9. Since ayah 31 describes the Qur’an being in continuity with the former revelations, yet contradicts the Bible’s description of Jesus, must the Muslims insist that these former revelations have been corrupted?
Q10. Do “he who wrongs himself” in ayah 32 still enter the “gardens of perpetual residence” described in ayah 33?
Q11. When speaking of itself, the Qur’an calls itself “the Book”. Was it really considered a single volume at this early stage? It seems a bit anachronistic.
Q12. Who are the people swearing an oath in ayah 42?
My notes are becoming a bit more fragmentary so as to avoid repeating myself when the same topics come up again and again. The Qur’an really hammers home the same set of arguments and points relentlessly. I’m also still finding the jumping between topics rather frustrating – I wish each Surah would focus on just one or two subjects.
Tomorrow we’ll be looking at the Surah related to Mary, the Mother of Jesus…