2017 07 The Light July 2017

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July 2017 The Light 10 LORD is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works.” — Psalm 145:8-9. It is true that there are verses in the Honoured Quran (and the Holy Bible) that could be used to justify violence, but we need to understand context, and why things were originally said, rather than using a few isolated verses to describe who Allah is and how we should behave. When I was younger, my parents had thirty clocks in the home. Big clocks, little clocks … clocks that ticked, and clocks that even made bird sounds on the hour! Very occasionally, 28 clocks would be telling us it was 2.30pm. But two clocks for example, might have stopped, or were running a little slow. But just because one clock was saying it was midnight, or one clock was saying it was ten to three in the afternoon, we knew the real time was 2.30pm because of the testimony of the vast evidence of the other clocks! No one would have ever suggested it was midnight or ten to three! Similarly, those who have committed ‘identity theft’ may try and justify their violent actions by looking at one or two verses in the Quran, rather than knowing the true character of Allah by reading everything else that is said. It is commonly said that “the heart of the problem, is the problem of the heart.” I wonder sometimes, if the real cause of evil mistakenly performed in the Name of Allah is not just found in misrepresenting and misreading a text in the Honoured Quran. Terrorism has no religion. Gardeners often speak of the perils of Japanese Knotweed. This weed is aggressive, and spreads rapidly. In summer, its bamboo like stems can shoot up to seven feet, and can choke and suppress the growth of good plants. In this climate of fear and violence all done in the name of religion (even by those declaring “Allahu Akbar”), maybe we need to understand the nature of spiritual Japanese Knotweed. What is it that can turn hearts that are as pure as ice, to hearts that are as black as the darkest cave with no stars or sunlight visible? Terrorism has no religion. In the Honoured Quran, we read: “And behold, We said to the angels: ‘Bow down to Adam’ and they bowed down. Not so Iblis, he refused and was haughty: He was of those of who reject Faith.” — Al Baqarah 2:34. Those who “reject faith” — these are strong words. Could it be that the real problem of those who are guilty of I Shall Love All Mankind. ‘identity theft’ (and distortion) of Allah’s character have also followed the haughtiness of Iblis … refusing to truly submit to Allah? Could haughtiness be like spiritual Japanese Knotweed, crushing and distorting hearts that were created to surrender to Allah the Lord of the Universe? A true surrender that honours God’s Law, and wants to willingly follow it? (To be continued) The Holy Quran Stellar Artistry By Shazia Ahmad At the age of seven, I felt I had done my duty by reciting from the beginning to the end a set of words that meant nothing to me; triumphant on completion, I shut the book, never believing that it would re-enter my life in subtle ways. In the 1980’s, I went through a haze believing this book to be nothing more than a set of edicts. A book of rules. However, at university, the haze began to clear; a smiling young woman set me on my journey, No, she countered; it is a book of arguments. This intrigued me; argument is an intellectual concept which I had never associated with the Quran. I started to attend lectures in and out of campus to learn more. I was startled when ideas that I was coming across in Mathematics started enigmatically to appear in the Quranic surah’s I was encountering at the time, e.g., the concept of axioms or foundational facts upon which further facts can be built or the ideas of existence and uniqueness — for example in Surah Ikhlas one of the last surah’s in the Quran, Allah (swt) declares Say: He is Allah who is One (here Allah is stating the fact that- He exists) The eternal refuge He begets not and is not begotten Nor is there to him any equivalent (Here Allah is making a statement of uniqueness) Structurally it is in the right place in the Quran, as the ayah’s and surah’s that have gone
July 2017 The Light 11 entire surah’s within the Quran are in ring formation. before offer proofs of His existence and uniqueness. It is interesting to note that the verse itself is also in logical order: He exists is declared before His uniqueness. One cannot show that something is unique until you can prove it exists. Magnetised, I explored further. I learnt that the first recipients of these recited words were mesmerised; believers and non-believers felt its impact. The bloodless conquest of Makah and the spread of Islam across the Arabian Peninsula happened in an unbelievably short burst of time. Al Aziz, the Mighty, one of the many titles of Allah Taala given in this book, had overpowered these people. By all accounts, it is a unique event in history. How wonderful it would be if I could get some sense of that impact, I thought. In this revered month, I would like to share with you some illuminating research that is going on in the literary aspects of the Quran. In France, Germany and here in the UK researchers are embarking upon a field of study focusing on the organisation of the Quran. It is a pursuit being taken up by Muslims and non- Muslims alike. Before I begin, I need to acknowledge my source: the Bayyninah blog, that goes into much more detail than I will be here. It also lists a set of books and authors studying this aspect of the Quran. I also need to explain some terms. To begin simply, I will introduce you to word parallelism. Here is a quote from Malcolm X: A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything. Here opposite words: Stand, fall, Nothing, Anything- connect the two parts of the sentence a man who with words, sentences, themes or A ring composition has a centre stands for nothingideas radiating out but connected will fall for anything in reverse order focussing on the Chiasmus is reverse parallelism. idea at the centre. I I Shall Love All Mankind. will explain this with an example. In Matthew 19:30 Jesus says: ‘But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first’. Here the term in the first clause: first will be last, is repeated but in reverse order (last will be first), tying the two clauses together. Whole books can be in written chiastic structure. The one newly discovered in the Quran is called the ring composition. A ring composition has a centre with words, sentences, themes or ideas radiating out but connected in reverse order focussing on the idea at the centre. I will try to explain this using Surah Yusuf. The following is the sequential order of the trials of Yusuf (AS). A. Joseph’s (AS) dream (vv. 4-6) B. The brothers’ plot against Joseph (vv. 7- 22) C. Minister’s wife attempt to seduce Joseph (vv. 23-29) D. Lynch pin of the whole incident A similar attempt by some ladies (vv. 30-34) E. Joseph’s imprisonment (vv. 35-42) F. The king’s dream (vv. 43-44) F’: The king’s dream interpreted (vv. 45- 49) E’. Joseph’s release from prison (v. 50) D’. Confession of the Egyptian ladies (v. 51a) C’. Confession of minister’s wife (vv. 51b-57) B’. The brothers learn their lesson (vv. 58-99) A’. Fulfilment of Joseph’s dream (vv. 100-101) And now the ring structure: The surah opens
Page 1 and 2: ِ ی م م الرَّح ن ِ سب
Page 3 and 4: July 2017 The Light 3 Hazrat Ameer
Page 5 and 6: July 2017 The Light 5 unite him wit
Page 7 and 8: July 2017 The Light 7 cave of Hira
Page 9: July 2017 The Light 9 the Holy Qura

2017 07 The Light July 2017

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