A Christian Reads The Koran

Surah 2:1-141 البقرة Al-Baqarah or "The Cow"

2010-09-05T19:13:00.000-07:00

Blogger's Note: Since I last posted, I've been spending some time familiarizing myself with terminology, and looking at other translations of the Koran. I am far from being an expert at this, but the little background study I have done has made reading the Koran a bit easier for me. I initially thought the words in the Koran were from Prophet Muhammad, but have discovered that when reading the Koran, it should be read as if Allah (God) is speaking. Approaching the text in this way has been helpful. I'm not saying it makes it a lot easier, but it does help! Before reading this post, you might want to familiarize yourself with the information shown under the tab "Organization of the Koran."

Bismillah

Surah 2 is the longest Surah in the Koran. It was revealed to Muhammad in the Medinan period. It is comprised of 286 verses, or ayat. Due to its length it makes up most of Juz' 1, all of Juz' 2, and part of Juz' 3. This blog post will summarize and highlight my reading of Surah 2 through Ayah 141, which ends Juz' 1.

This Surah begins with Bismillah, which, with the exception of Surah 9, opens all Surahs. (More on this exception when Surah 9 is read.) Bismillah reads: "In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful." The opening of this Surah reads "Alif. Lam. Mim." These disjointed letters in the Koran are known as Al Muqatta'at. Muslims believe that only Allah truly knows the meaning of these letters. There are, however, a number of theories about the meaning of these letters. The Surah goes on to affirm that the Book (Koran) is, without a doubt, guidance to the God-fearing. The text tells us that all shall be well for those who believe, observe prayer, use the resources they are given by God for God, and believe in the next life. Those who do not believe are said to be deceiving themselves because they will never believe, and are called hypocrites.

Allah places Adam on earth and tells Adam and his wife (not referred to as "Eve") to live in the "Garden" and enjoy its bounty. Adam and his wife are warned to stay away from a specific tree. When Satan tempts them, they slip and God banishes Adam and his wife from the garden. The story of Adam's creation to his banishment from the garden is told in six brief ayat (30-36). The text says that Adam learned prayer from God, and because of that God turns back to Adam because He is merciful and loves to turn.

Ayat 40 - 120 focuses on Allah's guidance to the children of Israel. Many of these verses will be familar to Jews and Christians because of the stories found in the Old Testament. The stories are not told in exactly the same way, but are a shorter and sometimes less detailed versions. God tells the people of Israel to be true to God's covenant with them, and He will be true to his covenant with Israel. God reminds the children of Israel that he showed favor to them, rescued them from Pharoah's cruelty and parted the sea for Moses when they escaped. The children of Israel are also reminded that God forgave them when Moses went away for 40 nights and returned to find them acting wickedly and worshiping the calf. God reminds the people of Israel that manna and quail were provided when they needed sustenance, and when Moses asked for water God told Moses to strike a rock, from which came fountains of water for the tribes. God says that Muslims (believers), Jews (Yahud, followers of Prophet Moses), Christians (An-Naasara, helpers of Jesus in God's cause), and Sabians (residents of pre-Islamic Arabia who believed in One God) will all have their reward because they are believers in God.

This Surah gets its name, The Cow, from the text beginning with Ayah 67. The story is told of Moses telling the Israelites that God has told them to sacrifice a cow. The people doubt what Moses is telling them and ask many questions about the kind of cow to be sacrificed. They finally do believe that Moses is giving them a charge from God. The Koran points out that they almost didn't make the sacrifice.

The Koran continues to emphasize the importance of following Allah's guidance, and criticizes the actions of the people of Israel. The Koran says that Jesus, the son of Mary, was given clear proof of his mission by Allah and was guided by the Holy Spirit. Ayah 113 mentions disagreement between Jews and Christians and says that Allah will judge them in their quarrel on the Day of Judgment.

The last few Ayat in Juz' 1 speak about Abraham and his fulfillment of God's commands. Allah tells Abraham that he will make him an "imam (leader or role model) to mankind." Abraham and his son, Isma'il, raise the foundation of The House (The Ka'aba, an ancient, cube-shaped stone structure in Mecca) and then offer prayers to Allah to accept this service from them. Abraham and Isma'il ask Allah to make them Muslims (believers and followers God's teachings). The Koran says that Abraham and Jacob left this legacy to their sons: "Oh my children! truly God hath chosen a religion for you; so die not unless ye also be Muslims." (Ayat 132) This Juz ends by emphasizing again that Allah is all-knowing and all hearing.

EM
September 5, 2010

Following is a recitation of Surah 2:1-29, with English translation:

Surah 1: Al-Fatiha or "The Opening"

2010-08-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

The beginning Surah of the Koran is short and seems fairly straight-forward. There are seven verses in this Surah. Praise is given to the compassionate and merciful One God who is the only god to be worshipped and turned to when in need of help. God is asked to guide Muslims as they live their lives on the "straight path." Sohaib Sultan writes that the first Surah summarizes the entire message of the Koran.

This Surah is believed to be from the Meccan period of the Koran. It is also plays a big role in daily prayers of Muslims and is recited many times daily at the start of prayer.

To hear a recitation of the Al-Fatiha or "The Opening," please see the link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDhhHHVd2X8

EM

In The Beginning

2010-08-19T21:56:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of the Koran that I just purchased from the bookstore. I've never had a copy of the Koran on a bookshelf in my home. I've never read the Koran. I chose a plain vanilla paperback book for this project. There were other copies of the Koran on the bookstore shelves. Some had beautiful binding and gold lettering. Some of the books were titled the Koran and others titled the Qur'an. As I understand it, either title is acceptable because both are transliterations from the Arabic word which literally means "the recitation." I will use the Koran in this blog, because that's what is written on the front of the book I purchased.

If you've read the "About Me" tab, you know a little about this blogger. If not, I'll give you the brief version because it is worth repeating in this first post. As you know, I'm a Christian. I was raised in a Christian family. I attended a Southern Baptist Church from the time I was very young until my early adulthood. Several years ago, I was confirmed in the Episcopal Church and still worship in an Episcopal community. Although I have studied different religions, with a heavy focus on Christian theology, I am not a scholar. I am a seeker and enjoy exploring and discussing different points of view on many topics. I am not reading this book because I have an interest in converting to Islam. I am reading this book because I want to learn more about Islam and its followers to better understand the religion of my Muslim brothers and sisters.

I know that Islam, like Christianity and Judaism, is an Abrahamic religion. Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are monotheistic religions, believing in the same God. Each of these three religions trace their origin to Abraham. I know much more about Christianity, and even Judaism, than I do about Islam. In fact, I've told you just about all I know about Islam!

My hope is that reading the Koran from cover to cover will give me a better understanding of Islam and its followers. If you choose to follow this blog and comment, please read the "Commentary Rules" at the top of the home page.

I will read the first Surah and post my interpretations and thoughts on the text within a couple of days. If you care to read my blog and offer your comments, I welcome you.

EM