Peace brothers and sisters,
This is Said Mirza from willyounotreason.com and in today’s talk I wanted to give you my take on the Qur’an alone movement and a brief summary of some of the projects I am working on.
I give credit to Brother Gerrans for a lot of ideas presented in this work. You can read and download his entire work for free. All translations (except noted otherwise) used in this article are from The Qur’an: A Complete Revelation.
Current projects
As you are aware, the second edition of my book “Will You Not Reason? God’s arguments in the Qur’an” is now published. You can download a free PDF from my website or you can purchase a paperback version from Amazon. This book is a good introduction to the core teachings of the Qur’an which have, unfortunately been ignored by the religion of Islam i.e. God in the Qur’an is calling men to believe in Him, the Last Day and to do good works. The Qur’an guides towards moral righteousness and purification of the heart of a sincere man and to instill in him fear of God. This book also clarifies the meanings of key terms such as salaat, zakat, sujud which have been corrupted by the religion of Islam. Finally, the book serves as a primer to Brother Gerrans’ exhaustive work “The Qur’an: A Complete Revelation”.
Currently, I am working on creating a website for those of you who are interested in learning the Qur’anic Arabic and the meanings of words according to the Qur’an and not according to the hadith, Sunni or Shia perspective. As you know, a primary component of the Qur’an alone movement is that the Qur’an alone is sufficient for guidance. We reject the hadith or sunnah (as these terms are used interchangeably) and accept the Qur’an’s stance that is a clear, complete and fully detailed book which is open for all sincere men who wish to serve God alone. So, God willing, once the website is completed, I will share it with you. Due to the scope of this work, I am expecting it will take anywhere between 2-3 years to be completed. The next thing which I am working on is doing a Qur’anic recitation in parallel with the English translation (Brother Gerrans’ translation) and releasing that on Youtube piecemeal. The goal again here is to get people comfortable with the Qur’an’s Arabic as for too long we have been conditioned by the ulemas, muftis and our parents to think that the Qur’anic Arabic is difficult and inaccessible to the layperson (which is simply not the case). Apart from that, I will continue to write short articles on topics related to the Qur’an in hopes to make plain to mankind the scripture of God.
Thoughts on the Qur’an alone movement
So moving on to the topic of the Qur’an alone movement or as we are called: the Quranists; I am reminded of a heated discussion I had with my uncle who accused me of being in a cult i.e. he thought that the Quranists were a sectarian movement like the Sunni and Shia sects. However, the fact of the matter is that we are not a sectarian movement; we are simply calling men back to God. We are following the fine tradition of the messengers, prophets and men of God who have gone before us who also said the same thing to their people: Serve God alone. Neither am I advocating cutting ourselves off from the religious community that we are a part of. I identify myself as a Muslim and not as a Quranist. It is true that I do not participate in the rituals of Muslims but that is only because I do not agree with their facing the direction of a stone idol (the Kaaba) during their ritual prayers. Neither do I find the mosques particularly appealing as here in the U.S. they are mostly a social club; a place where men come to primarily socialize. The fact of the matter is that the Qur’an allows us to eat of the food of the people of the Book and to marry their women which makes it clear that those who follow God’s guidance are not to make a breach with their respective communities but to remain a part of them and continue to call them back to God. The prophets and messengers stayed within their respective communities and functioned as warners and reformers, not as cult leaders.
With this background, I wanted to look at Chapter 98 (in the latter part of the Qur’an) which, unfortunately, has been misinterpreted by the Muslims. The following is a traditional translation by A.J. Arberry:
The unbelievers of the People of the Book and the idolaters would never leave off; till the Clear Sign came to them,
a Messenger from God, reciting pages purified,
therein true Books.
And they scattered not, those that were given the Book, excepting after the Clear Sign came to them.
They were commanded only to serve God, making the religion His sincerely, men of pure faith, and to perform the prayer, and pay the alms — that is the religion of the True.
The unbelievers of the People of the Book and the idolaters shall be in the Fire of Gehenna, therein dwelling forever; those are the worst of creatures.
But those who believe, and do righteous deeds, those are the best of creatures;
their recompense is with their Lord-Gardens of Eden, underneath which rivers flow, therein dwelling for ever and ever. God is well-pleased with them, and they are well-pleased with Him; that is for him who fears his Lord.
(98:1-8)
Now since the religion of Islam renders the key terms such as salaat and zakat as prayer and alms respectively, they think that the Qur’an is condemning the people of the Book because they do not pray (as the Muslims do) and they do not give charity. However, once we understand that salaat means a duty to uphold a specific commandment of God (in this case to uphold the Writ) and zakat means purity of intention, we understand that this chapter is condemning those who hold to the scriptures of God (the Christians, Jews and the Muslims) of breaking up into various religions and sects when they were all commanded to serve God alone being sincere to Him in the faith and to uphold the Writ sincerely. That is all.
Those who ignore warning among the doctors of the Law and the idolaters were not to desist until the clear evidence came to them:
A messenger from God, reciting purified pages
In which are upright writs.
And those given the Writ were divided only after the clear evidence had come to them.
And they were commanded only to serve God, sincere to Him in doctrine, inclining to truth; and to uphold the duty, and to render the purity — and that is the doctrine of the upright.
Those who ignore warning among the doctors of the Law and the idolaters will be in the fire of Gehenna, they abiding eternally therein — it is they who are the worst of creatures.
Those who heed warning and do righteous deeds — it is they who are the best of creatures,
Their reward is with their Lord: gardens of perpetual abode beneath which rivers flow, they abiding eternally therein forever; God is pleased with them, and they pleased with Him; that is for him who fears his Lord.
(98:1-8)
We find support for the idea of upholding the Writ sincerely in the beginning of the Qur’an in Chapter 2 where the Jews and Christians (the people of the Book) are accused of not being sincere to God in faith and of breaking the agreement with God. It is also interesting to note that the same phrase “uphold the duty and render the purity” is found in both 98:5 and 2:43.
O children of Israel: remember My favour wherewith I favoured you; and fulfil the covenant with Me, and I will fulfil the covenant with you; and Me — be you in fear of Me.
And believe in what I have sent down confirming what is with you, and be not the first to deny it; and sell not My proofs at a cheap price; and Me — be you in prudent fear of Me.
And clothe not truth with vanity, nor conceal the truth when you know.
And uphold the duty, and render the purity, and be lowly with the lowly.
Enjoin you virtue upon mankind, and forget yourselves when you recite the Writ? Will you then not use reason!
(2:40-44)
As can be seen clearly from the context, the children of Israel (the Jews) are warned to not sell the proofs of God for a cheap price i.e. they are not to compromise what God has commanded them through His scripture for worldly gain; in other words, to uphold the Writ of God.
And when We took your agreement and raised the mount above you: “Hold fast what We have given you, and remember what is therein, that you might be in prudent fear.”
Then you turned away after that; and were it not for the bounty of God upon you and His mercy, you would have been among the losers.
(2:63-64)
The same theme of upholding the Writ of God is repeated in the above section.
And among them are those unschooled: they know not the Writ save vain desires; and they are only assuming.
So woe to those who write the Writ with their hands, then say: “This is from God,” that they might sell it at a cheap price; so woe to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for what they earn.
And they say: “The Fire will not touch us save days numbered.” Say thou: “Have you taken a covenant with God — for God will not fail in His covenant — or do you ascribe to God what you know not?”
Verily, whoso earns evil, and his offences have encompassed him: those are the companions of the Fire; therein they abide eternally.
And those who heed warning and do righteous deeds: those are the companions of the Garden; therein they abide eternally.
And when We took an agreement of the children of Israel: “Serve not save God; and towards parents good conduct, and towards kin, and the fatherless, and the poor; and speak kindly to men; and uphold the duty, and render the purity,” then you turned away save a few among you; and you are averse.
And when We took your agreement: “Shed not your blood, and turn not your own out of your homes,” then you affirmed and bore witness;
Then are you those who kill your own, and turn a faction among you out of their homes, assisting one another against them in sin and enmity; and if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, but unlawful for you was their expulsion. Do you believe in part of the Writ and deny part? Then what is the reward of him among you who does that save disgrace in the life of this world? And on the Day of Resurrection they are sent back to the harshest punishment; and God is not unmindful of what you do.
Those are they who bought the life of this world at the price of the Hereafter, so the punishment will not be lightened for them, nor will they be helped.
(2:78-86)
Muslims — for all intents and purposes — uphold the hadith literature instead of the Qur’an. The hadith — which they claim to be Prophet Muhammad’s sayings — is used to explain the Qur’an. However, the Qur’an alone is divinely inspired and it has no need for a secondary literature for its explanation or clarification. This is nothing new as the Jews did the very same thing with the Torah. They created a secondary literature called the Talmud to explain the Torah; effectively bypassing the commandments of God. However, the agreement with God is simple and by upholding this agreement we are upholding the Writ.
And when We took your agreement and raised the mount above you: “Hold fast what We give you, and listen,” they said: “We hear and we oppose”; and they were filled with drinking the calf in their hearts for their denial. Say thou: “Evil is what your faith enjoins upon you, if you be believers.”
Say thou: “If the abode of the Hereafter with God be for you to the exclusion of other men, then wish for death, if you be truthful.”
But never will they wish for it because of what their hands have sent ahead; and God knows the wrongdoers.
And thou wilt find them the greediest of men for life. And of those who ascribe a partnership: one of them wishes to be granted life of a thousand years, but it will not remove him from the punishment were he to be granted life; and God sees what they do. (2:93-96)
Many among the doctors of the Law wish to turn you back as atheists after your faith out of envy from their souls after the truth has become clear to them. But pardon and forbear until God brings His command; God is over all things powerful.
And uphold the duty, and render the purity; and what good you send ahead for your souls, you will find it with God; God sees what you do.
And they say: “None will enter the Garden save such as hold to Judaism, or are Christians.” Those are their vain desires. Say thou: “Bring your evidence, if you be truthful.”
Verily, whoso submits his face to God and is a doer of good, he has his reward with his Lord; and no fear will be upon them, nor will they grieve.
(2:109-112)
And they say: “Be such as hold to Judaism, or Christians — you will be guided.” Say thou: “Nay, the creed of Abraham, inclining to truth; and he was not of the idolaters.”
Say: “We believe in God, and what has been sent down to us, and what was sent down to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac, and Jacob and the Grandsons, and what was given to Moses and Jesus, and what was given to the prophets from their Lord; We make no division between any of them, and to Him are we submitting.”
Then if they believe in the like of that in which you believe, they have been guided; but if they turn away, they are only in schism. And God will suffice thee against them; and He is the Hearing, the Knowing.
(2:135-137)
Whoso follows the creed of Abraham — a staunch monotheist — is guided irrespective of whether he belongs to Judaism, Christianity or Islam. Abraham was neither a Jew or a Christian or a Muslim; he was a man who submitted to God alone.
So, in summary, our job if we are to follow in the path of the messengers and prophets of God before us is not to get sucked into a sectarian thinking but to call all men to the path of God. Our job — which has been abandoned by all the religionists — is to make plain to mankind the scripture of God and not to conceal it.
And when God took an agreement of those given the Writ: “You are to make it plain to mankind, and not to conceal it,” then they cast it behind their backs, and sold it at a cheap price; and evil is what they bought.
(3:187)
Until the next time, God willing, peace and blessings be upon you.