Wednesday, November 6, 2019

What It Means - Day 233

"Say, 'I am only a human being like you. It is revealed unto me that your God is only one God. So go straight unto Him and seek forgiveness from Him.'"
Quran 41:6

I think that this is the first time, at least in this online reflection, that I've visited the 41st surah, Fussilat, here rendered as "Expounded" (outside of this online discussion I've read it many times, and hope to live long enough to read it many more times). In this instance Muhammad was directed to respond in this fashion to the Quraysh, the wealthy leaders of Mecca. They had attacked him as "only a human being," and thus not one who could possibly convey a message from God. To Muslims this, along with Muhammad's "unlettered" status, is proof of the miracle. So, in this case the Prophet would not be shying away from the accusation, but rather emphasizing it. Additionally, his status as one of them insured that the Quran was delivered in a language, Arabic, which meant that a prophetic message was finally their own.


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