"Is one who knows that what has been sent down unto thee from thy Lord is the truth like one who is blind? Only those who possess intellect reflect, who fulfill the pact with God and break not the covenant, who join what God has commanded be joined, fear their Lord, and dread an evil reckoning, and who are patient, seeking the Face of their Lord, perform the prayer, and spend from that which We have provided them, secretly and openly, and who repel evil with good."
Quran 13:19-22
As should be obvious by now, I am always drawn to sections within the Quran which form clearly drawn out guidelines for behavior (I know, I know, my fellow Muslims would no doubt point out that the entire Quran is a guideline for behavior); and I think this is especially true when the instructions convey both the ethereal and more tangible aspects of faith (both are essential, right?). These passages, drawn from surah number thirteen, usually rendered as "The Thunder," clearly fill that bill.
It starts off with a discussion about the differences between those who know and those who don't know, using a metaphor repeated several times throughout the Quran of those who can see and those who can't. It then goes a list consisting of the more ethereal (performing the prayer, seeking the Face of their Lord, not breaking the covenant) and the more worldly (being patient, spend from that which has been provided, repelling evil with good). In a few short passages a code of conduct is presented. In addition, I'm drawn to the line, "Only those who possess intellect reflect." In the Quran we are never instructed to mindlessly memorize stuff. Rather, we are told to think and reflect. If we're not constantly thinking, and I would argue questioning, our faith then what does it even mean? I'm thinking about this because it relates to one of the great mysteries plaguing the US today: the slavish devotion of the Evangelicals to Donald Trump, the most morally abhorrent person to ever hold the presidency. This is not entirely a trashing of the Evangelicals because all religions, including my own, are dumb in their own way. However, that said, seriously, Evangelicals, what is your deal with Trump? We're the ones in the popular imagination who act unquestioningly, although you only have to pick up any Quran that includes extensive commentary and you quickly get a sense of the theological debate inherent in the faith. And you certainly have that same debate, often over the same questions, inside of Judaism and Catholicism. When Luther dropped good works out of the traditional Catholic balancing act between faith and good works did he, unintentionally, set the stage for this age's uncritical blind faith? Debate and questioning are certainly a part of many branches of mainstream Protestantism, but it seems to have disappeared, at least temporarily, with the Evangelicals. There seems to be an utter rejection of the role of reason, or what we would call in Islam kalam, that would make a Wahabi proud.
Quran 13:19-22
As should be obvious by now, I am always drawn to sections within the Quran which form clearly drawn out guidelines for behavior (I know, I know, my fellow Muslims would no doubt point out that the entire Quran is a guideline for behavior); and I think this is especially true when the instructions convey both the ethereal and more tangible aspects of faith (both are essential, right?). These passages, drawn from surah number thirteen, usually rendered as "The Thunder," clearly fill that bill.
It starts off with a discussion about the differences between those who know and those who don't know, using a metaphor repeated several times throughout the Quran of those who can see and those who can't. It then goes a list consisting of the more ethereal (performing the prayer, seeking the Face of their Lord, not breaking the covenant) and the more worldly (being patient, spend from that which has been provided, repelling evil with good). In a few short passages a code of conduct is presented. In addition, I'm drawn to the line, "Only those who possess intellect reflect." In the Quran we are never instructed to mindlessly memorize stuff. Rather, we are told to think and reflect. If we're not constantly thinking, and I would argue questioning, our faith then what does it even mean? I'm thinking about this because it relates to one of the great mysteries plaguing the US today: the slavish devotion of the Evangelicals to Donald Trump, the most morally abhorrent person to ever hold the presidency. This is not entirely a trashing of the Evangelicals because all religions, including my own, are dumb in their own way. However, that said, seriously, Evangelicals, what is your deal with Trump? We're the ones in the popular imagination who act unquestioningly, although you only have to pick up any Quran that includes extensive commentary and you quickly get a sense of the theological debate inherent in the faith. And you certainly have that same debate, often over the same questions, inside of Judaism and Catholicism. When Luther dropped good works out of the traditional Catholic balancing act between faith and good works did he, unintentionally, set the stage for this age's uncritical blind faith? Debate and questioning are certainly a part of many branches of mainstream Protestantism, but it seems to have disappeared, at least temporarily, with the Evangelicals. There seems to be an utter rejection of the role of reason, or what we would call in Islam kalam, that would make a Wahabi proud.
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