![\"morning-star\"](\"http:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Morning-Star.jpg\")
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My course through the Qur’an continues today with chapters\u00a086, 54 and 38. I’m tackling fewer chapters in this post because Surah 38 is quite long and I have quite a lot to say about it…<\/p>\n
Surah 86\u00a0– “The morning star” (At-Tariq<\/a>)<\/strong> Questions<\/span><\/p>\n Q1.\u00a0What does aya 4 \u00a0mean when it says\u00a0“There is no soul but that it has over it as a protector”<\/span>? Is it saying that every soul has a protector? If so, is this Allah or an angel?<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Q2. Does semen really emerge “from between the backbone and the ribs”<\/span>? sperm production is far lower than that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Surah 54 – “The moon” (Al-Qamar<\/a>)<\/strong> Each of these examples are separated with the refrain “And We have certainly made the Qur’an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?”<\/span>.<\/p>\n Questions<\/span><\/p>\n Q1.\u00a0I’ve heard it asserted multiple times that Muhammad did no miracles except the production of the Qur’an itself. On the basis of this chapter, I assume this is incorrect?<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Q2. What is the “seizure”<\/span> referred to in relation to Pharaoh? Is this a describing the death of the first-born recorded in the Old Testament?<\/em><\/p>\n Q3. How literal should we understand “all things We created with predestination”<\/span>?\u00a0Does Allah destine people for Hell?<\/em><\/p>\n Q4. Does “Our command is but one”<\/span>\u00a0simply mean “worship Allah alone”?<\/em><\/p>\n Surah 38 – “The letter sad” (Sad<\/a>)<\/strong> The poem begins with the musings of the Quraysh concerning\u00a0Muhammad, saying that he “is a magician and a liar”<\/span>, that “he made the gods [only] one God”<\/span>. The leaders\u00a0of the tribe instruct the others to continue in defense of their gods and that Muhammad is only trying to gain prestige for himself. They also say that\u00a0“We have not heard of this\u00a0in the latest religion”<\/span>. A footnote in my Qur’an says that this is a reference to either Christianity or the Paganism of the Quraysh. I think the latter is more likely, unless the people misunderstood Christianity since it also teaches\u00a0monotheism. Allah is indignant that “they are in doubt about My message”<\/span> and follows-up by saying\u00a0that “they have not yet tasted My punishment”<\/span>.<\/p>\n We now retreat familiar territory by recalling all the people to whom God sent prophets:<\/p>\n All these people were punished for not believing the prophets Allah sent them. The implication concerning Muhammad is clear.<\/p>\n Muhammad is told to be patient and to recall\u00a0“Our servant, David, …who repeatedly turned back [to Allah]”<\/span>. The text alludes to the psalms and there are then a couple of lovely ayat which describe the birds and the mountains praising God along with David. It then recounts an event in David’s life which isn’t recorded in the Old Testament, but which bears more than a passing resemblance to the parable<\/span> told to David by the Prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 12:1-15<\/a>)…<\/p>\n We are told that\u00a0two men climb over the wall of David’s “prayer chamber”<\/span>, startling him. They then ask him to judge a\u00a0case between them\u00a0. We find out that one brother who has 99 ewes and has “overpowered…in speech”<\/span> the other brother and took the only ewe of his possession.\u00a0David judges in favour of the brother who lost his ewe. David himself then repents to Allah. The text doesn’t make it clear as to why he does this, but my footnote says that it is “For his errors, such as fear and suspicion of the two men at the outset, any mistake in judgment he might have made, concealed feelings of partiality”<\/span>.<\/p>\n
\nThis chapter begins by reminding man from what he was\u00a0made. In the same way that Allah created them from nothing, He is able to give them life again on Judgement Day. The authority of the Qur’an is reasserted, as is God’s control over the events of life.<\/p>\n
\nThis chapter refers\u00a0to the miracle performed by Muhammad for the people of the Quraysh, but is dismissed by them as “passing magic”<\/span>. Allah tells Muhammad that the people have already received fair warning and to leave them for Judgement Day. In an effort to warn the Quraysh, the Qur’an once more\u00a0recalls those who disbelieved in the past and who were destroyed:<\/p>\n\n
\nThis is quite a long chapter with 88 ayat and it covers quite a bit of ground in terms of material. Here we encounter many of the characters from the Old Testament, albeit in stories not recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures.<\/p>\n\n