ethel waters once opined, "god don't make no junk." which is another way of saying, of course, that god does not make mistakes. and, that "... the fundamental things apply ..." as time goes by. especially, as time goes by.
let us consider the following passage from the koran. (which i prefer to qur'an. a small matter, to me.)--
sura 3. the family of "imran."
1. alif lam mim
2. god: there is no god but him, the ever living, the ever watchful.
3. step by step, he has sent the scripture down to you [prophet] with the truth, confirming what went before: he sent down the torah and the gospel 4. earlier as a guide for people and he has sent down the distinction [between right and wrong.] those who deny god's revelation will suffer severe torment: god is almighty and capable of retribution. 5. nothing on earth or in heaven is hidden from god: 6. it is he who shapes you all in the womb as he pleases. there is no god but him, the mighty, the wise: 7. it is he who has sent this scripture down to you [prophet]. some of its verses are definite in meaning--these are the cornerstone of the scripture--and others are ambiguous. the perverse at heart eagerly pursue the ambiguities in their attempt to make trouble and to pin down a specific meaning of their own: only god knows the true meaning. those firmly grounded in knowledge say, "we believe in it: it is all from our lord"--only those with real perception will take heed-- 8. "our lord, do not let our hearts deviate after you have guided us. grant us your mercy: you are the ever giving. 9. our lord, you will gather all people on the day of which there is no doubt: god never breaks his promise."
sura 3, verses 1-9, the qur'an, a translation by muhammad a.s. abdel haleem, oxford university press, 2004, u.s.a.
and, here is the precise problem referred to in the previous post, this blog. for allah relates/reveals to mohammed that which god has revealed to the writers of the torah and of the gospels is true, just as what god relates to mohammed is true. elsewhere it is related in the koran that abraham, moses and jesus are the prophets of allah, and this is true, and what those prophets related of god's truth, is also true.
it seems, perforce, given that god is almighty and infallible, that what was true when related to abraham, moses and jesus remained true at the time of mohammed, and that it remains true to this day.
for islam, this presents some matters of delicacy.--
there is the matter of the covenants between abraham, jacob, and moses in which god makes the jews the chosen people. and, there is the gift of the promised land to the jews, and god's delivery of the same through the good offices of moses.
now, in the second sura of the koran, god relates that the jews have not obeyed their end of the bargains in the covenants with absolute felicity, but, neither do i read as of yet as i proceed through the koran, that god renounces or revokes his covenants with the jews. or, for that matter, that he denies jesus as either his son or his prophet.
and, more specifically, does god deny what he has communicated via his prophesy delivered to abraham, jacob, moses and jesus. as a matter of fact, i seem to recall in sura 1 that the prophesy of those worthies preceding mohammed is accepted, and endorsed, and acknowledged as true.
this strikes me as presenting very real theological and policitical problems for modern islam, which they do not seem to confront either as brought forward by external forces, e.g., bloggers in rural n.e. oregon, or as raised by internal discussion.
divine truth is divine truth, whenever uttered. divine choice is divine choice, whenever made.
it does not become less divine, less absolute, mallable in the interests of man, as time goes by. "you must remember this, a kiss is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh, the fundamental things apply, as time goes by." "as time goes by," music and words by herman hupfeld.
john jay @ 07.26.2011
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