Quranology Blog

Ch 2 Vs 67-71 (The Cow)

Farouk A. Peru — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:20:14 +0000

2:67

وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تَذْبَحُوا بَقَرَةً قَالُوا أَتَتَّخِذُنَا هُزُوًا قَالَ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ

2:68

قَالُوا ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّنْ لَنَا مَا هِيَ قَالَ إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ لا فَارِضٌ وَلا بِكْرٌ عَوَانٌ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ فَافْعَلُوا مَا تُؤْمَرُونَ

2:69

قَالُوا ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّنْ لَنَا مَا لَوْنُهَا قَالَ إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ صَفْرَاءُ فَاقِعٌ لَوْنُهَا تَسُرُّ النَّاظِرِينَ

2:70

قَالُوا ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّنْ لَنَا مَا هِيَ إِنَّ الْبَقَرَ تَشَابَهَ عَلَيْنَا وَإِنَّا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَمُهْتَدُونَ

2:71

قَالَ إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ لا ذَلُولٌ تُثِيرُ الأَرْضَ وَلا تَسْقِي الْحَرْثَ مُسَلَّمَةٌ لا شِيَةَ فِيهَا قَالُوا الآنَ جِئْتَ بِالْحَقِّ فَذَبَحُوهَا وَمَا كَادُوا يَفْعَلُونَ

Finally we come to the eponym of this chapter, the cow. It seems the cow is a metaphor showing the absolute apex of civilisation. At first musa command them to sacrifice her and they asked, do you make us disgraced or contemptible. In other words, by sacrificing this apex, they will become like what we know today to be third world nations.

2/68 shows the peak of the cow’s age. It is neither settled/old nor young, the awan shows that it has reached its peak but not begun to decline.

2/69 shows the cow is pleasing for those who see her. Again it alludes to the pleasing richness of their civilisation perhaps in terms of physical achievements.

2/70 shows their inability or unwillingness to understand what the baqarah is. Perhaps it’s the sheer incomprehensibility of sacrificing one’s nation for the sake of Allah

2/71 is musa’s final instruction, that the cow is the musallamah, that is not dhalal (humiliated) or plowing through the earth. This shows the state of ease in their society. They are to sacrifice although the almost did not.

Filed under: Chapter 2, Textual Studies Tagged: quranology

Ch 2 Vs 63-66 (The Mount of Destiny)

Farouk A. Peru — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:35:31 +0000

2:63

وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَكُمْ وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَكُمُ الطُّورَ خُذُوا مَا آتَيْنَاكُمْ بِقُوَّةٍ وَاذْكُرُوا مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

By fufilling the covenant (possibly the one in 2/83 though I prefer 2/40-46 as it came first although it lacks the word mithaq), Allah raised above bani israil their destiny (thawwar is to augur, thoor is destiny). They are to take what is given to them with strength (showing physical and mental develpment) and to vivify what is in that covenant to be preservant.

2:64

ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ فَلَوْلا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ لَكُنْتُمْ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

The fadhl and rahmah (preference of Allah and the means of evolution) is necessary for those who turn away so they don’t become losers.

2:65

وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمُ الَّذِينَ اعْتَدَوْا مِنْكُمْ فِي السَّبْتِ فَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُونُوا قِرَدَةً خَاسِئِينَ

It seems to me that as-sabt in this case refers to a state of rest/rejuvenation after the taking one’s destiny. These people overstepped the limits of rest and thus have fallen into the state of ape-ishness (perhaps playfulness or even monkey see monkey do)

2:66

فَجَعَلْنَاهَا نَكَالا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا وَمَا خَلْفَهَا وَمَوْعِظَةً لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

This incident is an example for the muttaqeen, those who remain preservant against this process of degeneration

Filed under: Chapter 2, Textual Studies Tagged: quranology

Ch 2 Vs 61-62 (The One Food and the Types of Respondents)

Farouk A. Peru — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:17:26 +0000

2:61

وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَى لَنْ نَصْبِرَ عَلَى طَعَامٍ وَاحِدٍ فَادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُخْرِجْ لَنَا مِمَّا تُنْبِتُ الأَرْضُ مِنْ بَقْلِهَا وَقِثَّائِهَا وَفُومِهَا وَعَدَسِهَا وَبَصَلِهَا قَالَ أَتَسْتَبْدِلُونَ الَّذِي هُوَ أَدْنَى بِالَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ اهْبِطُوا مِصْرًا فَإِنَّ لَكُمْ مَا سَأَلْتُمْ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ وَالْمَسْكَنَةُ وَبَاءُوا بِغَضَبٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ النَّبِيِّينَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ ذَلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوْا وَكَانُوا يَعْتَدُونَ

2:62

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالنَّصَارَى وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

The one food here seems to be metaphorical (Thanks to Arif and Salman for that!) as it does seem to be more fitting into the statement ‘will you substitute what is lower with what is better’. If we take it literally, we don’t even know what the one food is let alone why its better than onions, garlic, cucumbers etc. This is likely to be a biblically influenced mistranslation. The phrase ‘dhuribat alayhim dhillah maskanah’ shows humiliation and stagnation. This does not fit eating onions and garlic!

2/62 corroborates this by showing people responding to this process of 2/61. The amanoo respond to the one ‘food’, the hadoo superficialise it, the nasara assist the process, the sabi’oon are perhaps new entries. These all believe in Allah and the period of outcome.

Filed under: Chapter 2, Textual Studies Tagged: quranology

Ch 2 Vs 60 (The Ultimate Social Formula?)

Farouk A. Peru — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:35:47 +0000

2:60

وَإِذِ اسْتَسْقَى مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ فَقُلْنَا اضْرِبْ بِعَصَاكَ الْحَجَرَ فَانْفَجَرَتْ مِنْهُ اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ عَيْنًا قَدْ عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُنَاسٍ مَشْرَبَهُمْ كُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا مِنْ رِزْقِ اللَّهِ وَلا تَعْثَوْا فِي الأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ

Here musa (ever the leader in this whole passage 2/47-103) is seeking ‘water’ for his people. I wonder why no derivative of ‘maa’a’ (water) isn’t used for the ‘seeking water’ (istasqa). So Allah told him, part the rock (perhaps referring to the ossified aspects of his society). From there will arise a spring characterised by the folding of society (ithna asharah ) , that is to say, bringing the two ends of society together. When this happens, each ‘unas’ knows its drinking place and enjoys ‘rizqi Allah’ (showing a maximum point of rizq). It ends with saying dont be mufsid/mischief makers meaning that this act is the ultimate concilatory act.

Filed under: Chapter 2, Textual Studies Tagged: quranology

Ch 2 Vs 58-59 (Entrance to the City)

Farouk A. Peru — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 07:33:32 +0000

2:58

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا ادْخُلُوا هَذِهِ الْقَرْيَةَ فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمْ رَغَدًا وَادْخُلُوا الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا وَقُولُوا حِطَّةٌ نَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ خَطَايَاكُمْ وَسَنَـزِيدُ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

2:59

فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا قَوْلا غَيْرَ الَّذِي قِيلَ لَهُمْ فَأَنْـزَلْنَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا رِجْزًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ

So at this point, bani israil are meant to enter a qaryah, or a town. This marks a new phase in their evolution (or devolution as the case may be). They are given a given a choice in how to consume but also to humble themselves as they enter the door. The ‘muhsineen’ at the end of 2/58 shows the propensity to do good comes with sajda.

This fisq (lack of drive for striving) led them to change the saying given them to them (tabdeeli qawlan) and for them to turn oppressors. So a dirt (rijz) was sent down to heaven for them.

Filed under: Chapter 2, Textual Studies Tagged: quranology

Ch 2 Vs 55-57 (The Spiritual Process of bani israil)

Farouk A. Peru — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:00:30 +0000

2:55

وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَى لَنْ نُؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّى نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَأَنْتُمْ تَنْظُرُونَ

2:56

ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَاكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَوْتِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

2:57

وَظَلَّلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْغَمَامَ وَأَنْـزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَى كُلُوا مِنْ طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَكِنْ كَانُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ

This to me doesn’t seem like a bad thing. They asked to see Allah manifestly in order to attain belief and were seized with a thunderbolt like experience. This results in a death (mentioned in 2/55) after which Allah brings these people to life. I believe by askint to ‘see’ Allah (i.e. his system, as shown by 7/143 which is then linked to 89/21-22) they were struck and resurrected spiritually. It was only after that 2/57 comes into play and they are given various blessings by Allah.

Filed under: Chapter 2, Textual Studies Tagged: quranology

Ch 2 Vs 54 (Turning to the Maker)

Farouk A. Peru — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:39 +0000

2:54

وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ يَا قَوْمِ إِنَّكُمْ ظَلَمْتُمْ أَنْفُسَكُمْ بِاتِّخَاذِكُمُ الْعِجْلَ فَتُوبُوا إِلَى بَارِئِكُمْ فَاقْتُلُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ عِنْدَ بَارِئِكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ

musa tells his people that they have oppressed themselves. This is the fifth stage and the point of al-kitab wal-furqan (in 2/53). They are then to turn to their maker (bari). This word is used here because ‘bari’ is one who initiates creation as oppose to khaaliq who evolves. Therefore our initial position is the soul (thereby confirming 2/47-48). They are to turn to their maker and neutralise their souls from its worship of al-ijl (hasty, materialistic selves). Allah turns to them (fataba 3alaykum) just like in 2/187 showing that they have undertaken a life devoted to Allah.

Filed under: Chapter 2, Textual Studies Tagged: quranology

Ch 2 Vs 53 (al-kitab of musa)

Farouk A. Peru — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:51 +0000

2:53

وَإِذْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ وَالْفُرْقَانَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ

In the fourth stage, possibly after musa returned from his ’4o nights’, he was given al-kitab wal-furqan which I read as a divine command or system along side a criteria. bani israil potentially (la3alla) gained guidance from this. It is important that he wasn’t given al-kitab tamaman (completely) here like he was in 6/154. So this a different in the musa evolution.

Filed under: Chapter 2, Textual Studies Tagged: quranology

Chapter Breakdowns – 5 (Al-Maidah)

Farouk A. Peru — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:34:08 +0000

5/1 : Call to amanoo – single word passage: talks about getting a stable or constant blessing from Allah.

5/2-5: Call to amanoo - about the perfection of the system. What needs to be done, what are the signs and rewards.

5/6-7 : Call to amanoo – the preparations for salat and bringing about the ni’ma or blessings of Allah

5/8-10: Call to amanoo – talks about establishing justice.

5/11-14: Call to amanoo- bringing about the blessings in the context of bani israil. What happened to the nasara or helpers.

5/15-18 : Call to ahl al-kitab - the coming of the clear book. God guides all to the paths of peace. Once again , we got the personality of isa and yahood and nasara personalities.

5/19-34: Call to ahl al-kitab – again reminding them of the messenger. musa’s experience with his people and the two sons of adam.

5/35-40: Call to amanoo – seeking a means to Allah and contrast with the act of theft

5/41-50: Call to the messenger (first time) and his system. tawrat and injeel are mentioned here. these are the metaphysics of the system.

5/51-53: Call to amanoo – these are ppl who are not totally into the system. not to take them as allies.

5/54-56: Call to amanoo – our real allies. once again vital to the system’s operations

5/57-66: Call to amanoo – their relationship to those who arent believers. also warmongers of the system

5/67-86: Call to the messenger who instructs the yahood and nasara in the system.

5/87-89: Call to amanoo – correct consumption for the believers

5/90-93: Call to amanoo – pitfalls for the believers

5/94: gods test in the matter of gains

5/95-100:

5/101-104: Call to amanoo – the quran is centralised to keep it flexible for problem solving

5/105: Call to amanoo to guard their souls

5/106-108: Call to amanoo – inheritance laws (again)

5/109 : Yawm the messengers’ knowledge of their response

5/110-115: the maida to isa

5/116-120: the scenario of the isa answering on judgement day.

Filed under: Chapter 5, Chapter Breakdowns, Chapter Studies Tagged: quranology

Chapter Breakdowns – 4 (An-Nisaa)

Farouk A. Peru — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:20:58 +0000

4/1-18: Call to humankinds - social practices like looking after the orphans etc. Also social control and wealth distribution.

4/19-28: Call to amanoo – first call to believers where they are to take care of the unfortunate ones in society.

4/29-42: Call to amanoo – trading with each other and its link to following the messenger

4/43-46: Call to amanoo - this time to approaching salat which is their connection with Allah through social action.

4/47-58: Call to for those who are given the book. To believe in what’s being revealed. To establish justice.

4/59-70: Call to amanoo – the command structure of the believers. the messenger is taken as the judge and must be obeyed

4/71-93: Call to amanoo – expeditionary strategy. Fighting in the way of liberation. Also talks about good and bad events.

4/94-134:Call to amanoo -expeditions. includes establishing salat and obeying the messenger. Includes also marital relationships.

4/135: Call to amanoo – single verse passage. establishing justice

4/136-143: Call to amanoo belief, hypocrisy and treating the word of God poorly.

4/144- 169: Call to amanoo taking non-believers as allies. includes stories of quranic personalities.

4/170: Call to humanmankind again, the coming of the messenger

4/171-173: Call to ahl al-kitab, about the three and this is contrasted with simply believing and doing good.

4/174-175: to mankind, proof has come and they are told to hold fast to Allah

4/176: very strangely. it could be about ‘inheritance’

Filed under: Chapter 4, Chapter Breakdowns, Chapter Studies