MesMorial wrote:
QUESTION 6
The Qur’an is a warning and a correction of scripture (e.g. the Father of Fire’s wealth will not avail him). Furthermore it was assumed that the people would know who Muhammad’s uncle was (the same way it is assumed that people knew how long a month was or how to count to twelve…though I am not sure there is a lesson on that in the ahadith.) Abu Lahab was quite famous as an enemy of the Prophet (SAW) it seems. It is not relevant to the ultimate purpose of the Qur’an in 5:3 (to perfect Islam). The Qur’an is literally saying “Remember him!”
"The power of Abu Lahab will perish, and he will perish. His wealth and gains will not exempt him. He will be plunged in flaming Fire, and his wife, the wood carrier, will have upon her neck a halter of palm-fibre" (111:1-5)
As a reader in 21st century how can anyone know Abu lahab is an uncle of Muhammad? How do future generations(todays ) know he was a famous enemy of islam from the quran alone? How can anyone believe in these verses without knowing whether Abu Lahab was really at fault or not?
In this case I dont even know whether Muhammad was cursing Abu Lahab out of mere grudge .How can anyone believe in Muhammad or the quran without knowing what happened between Abu Lahab and Muhammad?The answers to these questions are necessary if quran is to make sense and if muslims of today are to condemn Abu Lahab .This verse is in the quran so muslims of today also need to condemn guys like Abu Lahab because quran is for all times and not just for Muhammad.
MesMorial wrote:
QUESTION 7
Most probably the punishment for adultery. The victim is not punished.
Most probably is your answer? Well a book which claims has the final and complete guidance for mankind has no answer for a heinous crime like rape against woman? How can you believe such a book is complete? BTw hadiths do prescribe a punishment for rape.There is nothing you can do about it but accept that quran doesn’t prescribe punishment for rape . So tell me if quran doesn’t prescribe any punishment are you going to let the rapist go free ? so should we draw a conclusion that raping is allowed as per quran since no punishment has been mentioned? Do you see how incomplete quran is?
These basic things need to be included in the quran if at all you claim that it has the guidance that mankind needs.
MesMorial wrote:
“Let those who find not the wherewithal for marriage keep themselves chaste, until Allah gives them means out of His grace. And if any of your slaves ask for a deed in writing (to enable them to earn their freedom for a certain sum), give them such a deed if ye know any good in them: yea, give them something yourselves out of the means which Allah has given to you. But force not your maids to prostitution when they desire chastity, in order that ye may make a gain in the goods of this life. But if anyone compels them, yet, after such compulsion, is Allah, Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (to them).”
Qur’an 24:33
This verse is talking about slaves and it also doesn’t talk about punishment after rape.
MesMorial wrote:
QUESTION 8
There is a difference between direct inspiration of the Prophet (SAW) and revelation (which inspires all of humanity). Since Muhammad (SAW) is to be an example he is questioned about his conduct in not pleasing his wives. It is quite clearly stated and the rest of the incident simply describes how secrecy in the family is not welcome. The context is revealed in the first verse, and it is all we need though Allah (SWT) then describes how a secret was kept amongst his wives.
Please answer the following questions..
What was the secret that Muhammad was keeping in his mind? This is important because I need to know what secret Muhammad was keeping.IF we don’t know that it can lead all sorts of wild possibilities for e.g What if Muhammad was planning to kill one of his wife and one of the wife leaked it to the wife who was about to be killed? In that case the wife leaking secret is correct and such dirty secrets need to be exposed .Its not necessary that all the secrets be kept secrets especially when they are in worst interest of someone.
How does one know whether Muhammad was doing the right thing? Well you might say it’s a part of our belief but this cant be your answer here because then it would be blind belief. If a person is to come to a conclusion rationally then he needs to know the details. We need the context of those verses or else its plain stupidity to believe in them without questioning and knowing what happened.
IF you argue that those verses only wanted to tell us that secrets shouldn’t be disclosed then there was no need of all those 6 verses related to that incident. You claim that all we need to know is that secrecy is not welcome in a family then it would mean that the other verses are useless. Are you telling me that Allah revealed useless verses when the whole thing could have been said in a single line?
These verses if understood using hadiths don’t become useless or else they are simply wasting the readers time so the bottom line is we need hadiths to understand them and make sense out of them.
MesMorial wrote:
QUESTION 9
It is a mix of inspiration and revelation. The slander is given in 24:6 as falsely accusing a woman of adultery. It refers to a case of such slander known to the Prophet (SAW) at the time. It is in no way mysterious as to the purpose of these verses. Those who lie and are caught will be punished. Those who are not caught will be punished in the Hereafter. It is a personal inspiration to Muhammad (SAW) given so that he may reveal an example of such a situation to all believers (and encourage them).
Well 24-1 to 10 verses covers all what you said but yet again the incident of slander of Aisha is brought in the verses thereafter.What is the point of the mentioning some incident to explain a simple message which could have been explained even without the mention of incident especially when the same message was already conveyed in the verse 24:1-10?
If you are to buy your argument then it would mean those verses are redundant and hence useless unless the incident serves as an example confirming what was said previously in verses 24:1-10.
I hope you agree examples,incidents are mentioned in any book so as to clarify matters because people understand clearly with examples.It absolutely makes no sense to bring some little information on the incident and run away without telling what the incident was otherwise it defeats the basic purpose of using examples as a means of clarification .
That incident becomes clear if we read the hadiths and we understand things perfectly and hence you need hadiths to understand what happened exactly or else again those verses are useless..
MesMorial wrote:QUESTION 10
Alcohol is clearly condemned as detrimental and hence should be forbidden in an Islamic society. However since it is not explicitly prohibited then certainly believers must not indulge in it nor consume it around prayer. Great care should be taken to ensure that people are (to the best of their ability) in a state to most effectively remember Allah (SWT). Likewise gambling is a detriment. Now I believe explicit punishments were not given because it is assumed that true believers will not engage in them (this is a part of faith) and that society (i.e. the responsible law-givers) would prohibit them.
The punishments for such conduct would depend on the consequences, but as I said in the sphere of Islam it has no place. Muslims would most likely shy from any place where gambling and/or drinking were allowed (or they would exclude it from society).
What if one drinks alcohol? Since there is no punishment cant a person exploit this loop hole and enjoy alcohol for the rest of his life? You have to accept that quran is incomplete in this case.Please don’t tell me that he will be punished in after life
IF that was the case then we can say the same thing for every single crime that quran considered as a sin like adultery and there would have been no need of punishment for those crimes as well.
Further you claim that Allah assumed that true believers will not engage in alcohol? If that is so then Allah an all knowing God clearly got it wrong because I myself have seen some muslims consuming alcohol. Well if something is a sin then punishment is given throughout the quran but then why is this an exception?
Btw Muhammad beat a man who drank alcohol. This is mentioned in the hadiths.