"Bear patiently that which they say, and remember Our servant David, possessed of might; truly he turned oft [unto God]."
Quran 38:17
Here is another passage drawn from Sad, the 38th surah. As we discussed yesterday, this is one of the 29 surahs that start with separated letters, in this case the letter sad, which gives its name to the surah.
As Nasr tells us in the Study Quran, "The injunction to bear patiently in the face of insults from the disbelievers (cf. 20:130; 50:39; 73:10) is addressed to the Prophet, but can also be understood as counsel for all believers. It can also be understood to convey an attitude of tolerance and forbearance that should prevail whenever circumstances permit . . ." (p. 1104)
As I've said in the past, one of the factors that drew me to Islam in the first place is its emphasis on patience, but also it's emphasis on tolerance. There are two many folks outside of the faith, and, sadly, inside of the faith, who have lost sight of that notion. There are some who argue that this specific Quranic injunction was abrogated by later, in the chronological order, revelations that empower Muslims to respond more forcefully in the face of oppression. I've made abundantly clear what I think of the whole abrogation argument so we don't need to go into that again; suffice it to say that when you're viewing the entire Quran, and not simply cherry-picking certain passages, it's hard to not understand the consistent call for toleration and understanding and, yes, patience, even with those who disagree with you and your faith.
Quran 38:17
Here is another passage drawn from Sad, the 38th surah. As we discussed yesterday, this is one of the 29 surahs that start with separated letters, in this case the letter sad, which gives its name to the surah.
As Nasr tells us in the Study Quran, "The injunction to bear patiently in the face of insults from the disbelievers (cf. 20:130; 50:39; 73:10) is addressed to the Prophet, but can also be understood as counsel for all believers. It can also be understood to convey an attitude of tolerance and forbearance that should prevail whenever circumstances permit . . ." (p. 1104)
As I've said in the past, one of the factors that drew me to Islam in the first place is its emphasis on patience, but also it's emphasis on tolerance. There are two many folks outside of the faith, and, sadly, inside of the faith, who have lost sight of that notion. There are some who argue that this specific Quranic injunction was abrogated by later, in the chronological order, revelations that empower Muslims to respond more forcefully in the face of oppression. I've made abundantly clear what I think of the whole abrogation argument so we don't need to go into that again; suffice it to say that when you're viewing the entire Quran, and not simply cherry-picking certain passages, it's hard to not understand the consistent call for toleration and understanding and, yes, patience, even with those who disagree with you and your faith.
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