"Whosoever brings a good deed shall have ten times the like thereof; but whosoever bring an evil deed shall be recompenses only with the like thereof, and they shall not be wronged."
Quran 6:160
I know I've posted similar passages before but I'm revisiting the concept because I think it's an important one, not only because it speaks to the external perception of Islam but also in regards to religions more generally. This specific passage is drawn from al-An'am, the 6th surah, here rendered as "The Castle." The point is a simple one, but one that sits at the heart of Islam: good deeds "weigh" more than evil deeds. Do I think they "weight" ten times more, and that God sits around with a gigantic scale measuring them? No, not really, for any number of reasons. However, do I think that good deeds are more important than bad deeds? Yes, I think they do. Moreover, this speaks to the fact that, despite popular perceptions to the contrary, that Islam is actually a very positive religions. It focuses on the positive benefits of doing the right thing, no matter how small the act, hence the emphasis on small kindnesses, as compared to threatening punishment. Are there references in the Quran to the "hellfire," yes, certainly, and doubtless too many of them. They pale in comparison to the number of references to doing the right thing. Early in this process we asked why it was that Islam was growing so fast, both globally but also here in the US. I think one of the reasons is that it is a very active, positive faith, and not one that gets people to tow the line for fear of hell. That said, there are definitely good many Muslims who operate within that intellectual/spiritual universe, but if we were just afraid of avoiding the hellfire that wouldn't explain why so many people love the faith.
Quran 6:160
I know I've posted similar passages before but I'm revisiting the concept because I think it's an important one, not only because it speaks to the external perception of Islam but also in regards to religions more generally. This specific passage is drawn from al-An'am, the 6th surah, here rendered as "The Castle." The point is a simple one, but one that sits at the heart of Islam: good deeds "weigh" more than evil deeds. Do I think they "weight" ten times more, and that God sits around with a gigantic scale measuring them? No, not really, for any number of reasons. However, do I think that good deeds are more important than bad deeds? Yes, I think they do. Moreover, this speaks to the fact that, despite popular perceptions to the contrary, that Islam is actually a very positive religions. It focuses on the positive benefits of doing the right thing, no matter how small the act, hence the emphasis on small kindnesses, as compared to threatening punishment. Are there references in the Quran to the "hellfire," yes, certainly, and doubtless too many of them. They pale in comparison to the number of references to doing the right thing. Early in this process we asked why it was that Islam was growing so fast, both globally but also here in the US. I think one of the reasons is that it is a very active, positive faith, and not one that gets people to tow the line for fear of hell. That said, there are definitely good many Muslims who operate within that intellectual/spiritual universe, but if we were just afraid of avoiding the hellfire that wouldn't explain why so many people love the faith.
No comments:
Post a Comment