Mt Carmel,
. Thank you for your constructive dialogue here. From my reading of different translations, there has been far too much latitude to interpret certain verses according to the whims of the translators. While I am no scholar, nor have I ever studied Arabic, my understanding is that part of the enormous appreciation for the Quran is in the transformative melody of its verses, the cadence, and the means by which verses appear.
. Why the Surahs do not appear chronologically, I do not know, but from what I understand there was a gradual application of stronger prohibition on alcohol, for example, such that some tolerance was initially expressed, and later firmly forbidden.
. In looking at some of the harsh treatment of the infidels, from today’s standards, it seems hard to reconcile that this or that punishment could truly be from God until you set it next to what appears in Leviticus, for example. This brings to mind the question of whether essentially the same extreme punishments which we tend to accept under the implementation of the Laws of the Torah were being brought in similar fashion to the wild tribes of Arabia out of simple necessity to curb their carnal appetites.
. That there was a great transformation of the warring tribes is historically apparent, although the divisions which took place upon the death of Muhammad which caused immediate schism in the power struggle were sadly horrendous. There is a point of view that this was the fulfillment of the coming of “the Beast” in reference to the Ummayyads who were in fact insincere in their beliefs and devoted only outwardly to the principals of Islam and the teachings of Muhammad for their personal gain.
. Their desire for temporal power was evident, not only in their rejection of Ali, but His murder and the execution of all of the Imams over the course of 260 years. Thus, the path of Islam was tainted by the caustic influence and domination of those who followed their corrupt inclinations.
. The religion of God works in this way. Outwardly, for example, the evil ones triumph over good. In reality, this world is a testing ground of the soul in a spiritual journey which cannot be seen by outward eyes only. There is a wisdom even in the crucifixion of Christ, which “appeared” to put an end to His religion. In reality, He Who proclaimed Himself to be the Voice of “Before Abraham was, I am” can never be crucified, though the physical body hanging on the cross makes it appear otherwise. This underlies the misunderstanding of the Quranic verse regarding Jesus’ death, and even many (most?) Muslims fail to appreciate its significance.
. In reading the hadiths, there are credibility issues, rumors, and agendas to be considered. Whether some gained by exaggerating or fabricating events is more than merely probable, it is the only rational way to approach such things. Historically, the moon has never been “cleft asunder”, that we know. So what does this imply other than that the moon of understanding appears on the side of spiritual illumination, whereas darkness exists for all those who are hidden from the light of the Muhammadan Sun.
. This spiritual Sun is itself the appearance, or reappearance, of the Sun of Truth which appears in each Dispensation, as there is, and has ever been, but One Sun on the horizon of Revelation from age to age. Whether that Image appeared in the Mirror of Adam, Noah, Moses, or Jesus, these reflections are an outpouring of the same Single Source of Illumination.
. People prefer the confines of literal understanding, but in truth, such things are traps for those of superficial understanding. The depths must be probed to yield divine pearls of meaning hidden, in plain view, within the Verses of the Quran, and from this one gains an infinite appreciation of the true value ingeniously invested therein.
