"Move not thy tongue therewith to hasten it. Surely it is for Us to gather it and to recite it. So when We recite it, follow its recitation."
Quran 75:16-18
This passage seems particularly well suited to this year-long reflection on faith. It is drawn from the 75th surah, al-Qiyamah, usually rendered as "The Resurrection." Obviously it is an admonition to spend time with the Quran and the concepts in it, to immerse yourself in it. As Nasr tells us, "These verses can also be taken as an admonition to hose who wish to understand the Quran to first read and reflect upon all of its teaching rather than drawing hasty conclusions." I've made the point before that one of the things that I like about Ramadan is the structured time that you set aside to read and re-read passages, especially when you're incorporating commentary, and peel away the layers of the onion. In much the same way this year has allowed me to continue to study in a more deliberate fashion. I also loved Nasr's point about the need to "first read and reflect upon all of is teaching rather than drawing hasty conclusions." This is the argument I find myself having with my fellow Muslims about their fascination with rules, especially ones that I find awfully intolerant and harsh. How does one read the entire Quran and its emphasis on respect and toleration and love and forgiveness but then draw out an ancient dictate to focus upon, and, I would argue, as justification for your own prejudice. I always try and think of the Quran, and the faith, as a whole, and not simply cull out the passages that agree with my worldview (although, obviously, sometimes I quite guilty of that; you could make an argument that I'm doing it every day this year on this blog . . .).
Quran 75:16-18
This passage seems particularly well suited to this year-long reflection on faith. It is drawn from the 75th surah, al-Qiyamah, usually rendered as "The Resurrection." Obviously it is an admonition to spend time with the Quran and the concepts in it, to immerse yourself in it. As Nasr tells us, "These verses can also be taken as an admonition to hose who wish to understand the Quran to first read and reflect upon all of its teaching rather than drawing hasty conclusions." I've made the point before that one of the things that I like about Ramadan is the structured time that you set aside to read and re-read passages, especially when you're incorporating commentary, and peel away the layers of the onion. In much the same way this year has allowed me to continue to study in a more deliberate fashion. I also loved Nasr's point about the need to "first read and reflect upon all of is teaching rather than drawing hasty conclusions." This is the argument I find myself having with my fellow Muslims about their fascination with rules, especially ones that I find awfully intolerant and harsh. How does one read the entire Quran and its emphasis on respect and toleration and love and forgiveness but then draw out an ancient dictate to focus upon, and, I would argue, as justification for your own prejudice. I always try and think of the Quran, and the faith, as a whole, and not simply cull out the passages that agree with my worldview (although, obviously, sometimes I quite guilty of that; you could make an argument that I'm doing it every day this year on this blog . . .).
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