"The Qur'an was revealed with the open announcement that Prophet
Muhammad who received this revelation, was the last and final Messenger
to be sent by Allah and that no messenger or prophet would follow him."
"You should free your mind from bias and preconceived notions when reading this book. You should approach the Qur'an with sincerity, and read it to understand its message."
Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Islahi
Patron, 877-Why-Islam Project
The world has seen the horrific events by Islamic extremists that have inundated the news over the past decade, and I'm sure we've all heard many expressions of concern about Muslims in general. But at the same time, we have seen Muslims living normally among us in the United States and speaking of a peaceful and tolerant religion quite opposite the perceptions that may have understandably arisen. We have heard the terms extremists and fundamentalists tossed around, but we should also realize that an extremist is one who goes beyond acceptable bounds while a fundamentalist is one who adheres to fundamental principles. The question then is whether terrorists are indeed extremists or fundamentalists, or something in between. Who are the true fundamentalists of Islam - our westernized neighbors, the militant factions, or the majority of passive Middle Eastern Muslims caught in the middle of the fray?
Having read about Muhammad and the historical rise of Islam, and heard professors and missionaries speak about the Qur'an and its influence on world events, I still didn't know what the Qur'an itself said. I didn't understand how any faction of its believers could be so brutal, how Muslims perceive Christians in general, and if this religious document could have any spiritual or moral viability. I figured it was time to bypass the second-generation information I was relying on and read the Qur'an myself to see what made Muslims tick, and determine if I should be heeding the same wisdom or if there was a way to reach them with a better wisdom. That's what this effort is all about.
The two quotes above are from the Preface of the Qur'an used in this study, and they represent two important aspects of it. One is that the entire content of the Qur'an indeed came through one man and this is an important part of understanding the work. Second was that in reading this book, despite my applying the same discriminating eye I used in reading other religious scriptures and my own Bible, I still prayed that God might open my heart to any inspiration he truly offered in its verses no matter how great or small.
Unfortunately, I failed to discover inspiration here, but rather a work that convicted itself. This only becomes more understandable if you apply the same circumstance to the Bible. What if the "prophet and messenger" Jesus of Nazareth had written the entire New Testament himself without multiple first-hand accounts to attest to its content? What if he had constantly spoken condemnation and vengeance on disbelievers rather than reaching out to individuals and sinners including prostitutes and corrupt tax collectors? What if he and his apostles had militarily conquered his converts rather than teaching and healing them? How credible then would his message of peace, love, and salvation have been? It appears the Qur'an fails such scrutiny.
In reading the Qur'an, it becomes evident that almost anyone with minor literary skill and a passion to create his own version of theology could assemble such material by diligently logging a few ideas, perceptions, annoyances, and/or judgements on a daily basis. Constant repetition would be an asset. Though I'll offer Muhammad credit for wanting to satisfy an innate desire to know God, for having a poetic streak, and making what I believe were some sincere spiritual points, I didn't come across anything acceptable or honorable that was not simplistic and obvious or conspicuously biblical in nature except for ritualistic customs specific to the culture. These in and of themselves do not a divine work make.
In a process Muhammad appears to have followed, it was reasonable and necessary to draw from well-established doctrine, events, personalities, terminology and symbolism in the biblical record, and these make up a majority of the work. Creative additions to biblical stories would suggest a fresh legitimacy. However, avoiding direct historical elements regarding Muhammad's own history, unlike the exhaustive record of the biblical prophets and writers, would spare his work and himself of more objective scrutiny. With some final editing, such a book could easily be completed within a decade of starting the project though the first compiled Qur'an actually took fourteen to twenty years after Muhammad's death. Along with a few ardent supporters, targeting and identifying the scripture with a specific people group, especially one where ignorance and a spiritual vacuum exist, would be vital to entrenching the theology in a culture where it could flourish.
The problems arise when you compare the credibility of the Qur'an against the former biblical scriptures that it refers to so extensively, the latest of which preceded it by at least a half a millenium. While the Bible is corroborated through a vast and consistent collection from many contributors over the ages, the Qu'ran declares its legitimacy by reiterating (and altering) biblical events and doctrine as if it were a better part of that record and not the unique work of a sole individual, and at the same time stressing the lack of Jewish scripture's integrity based on its own openly recorded accounts of spiritual failures among the Jewish people. It is also important to remember that when contradictions arise among Muhammad's revelations, and they do, this is one writer contradicting himself within his own divinely-inspired revelations.
Muhammad surprisingly establishes his own legitimacy with his writing by ultimately assuming Jesus' role as being the Final Prophet, the ultimate Intercessor, the most loved of God, and one who the Jews also rejected. Surprising because the surahs constantly deride the idea of a son of God who serves as a divine intercessor. In fact, it is the worst of all sins to believe in such a "partner" to God. This subject is repeated more than any other specific issue of sin in regard to Jewish or Christian theology, but then this would be necessary in order to direct attention away from an ultimate savior's message and to a new prophet and theology.
Muhammad also appears conspicuously influenced by his own background, perceptions, and desires rather than that of divine and objective revelation. For example, as an orphan himself who adopted a son, he devotes a conspicuous amount of attention to orphans. Explanatory notes within the Qur'an itself also indicate that many surahs were based on his decisions and judgements and not on revelations of the Holy Spirit, yet they are still declared divine commandments. And even though Muhammad is recognized as an ordinary man, he oddly bestows himself unique privileges in rights of polygamy over all other men.
Where both Old and New Testament biblical accounts offer a well-defined record including events, customs, and civil laws specific to peoples, times, and places, the surahs are presented as timeless declarations rarely referring to doctrine or customs associated with a specific era. As such, these "commandments”, including those encouraging violence against non-Muslims and brutality against their own, can be interpreted as applicable to the present day and binding for all Islamic believers.
But don't take my word for it. As you proceed into the following chapters, you will have a chance to read in context some of the things the Qur'an actually says about selected topics. And there is a surprise ending in the last chapter that didn't become apparent until I had completed the project. It is also important to know that all these surahs and quotes are directly from the publication The Glorious Qur'an published by www.WhyIslam.org. The translation is used as an evangelical tool by Muslims and is, essentially, a "New Living" version of the Qur'an. As such, it attempts to accurately present the Qur'an in the best light. I believe it has actually revealed the Qur'an in its utter darkness.
4. JIHAD
5. LIFE & LOVE
6. MUHAMMAD