To Aamir Ali: Can you read Surah 9 with a neutral view point?

Submitted by Plato (India), Sep 3, 2007 at 22:17

>>To understand my comments you need a neutral view point....if you are not neutral then its impossible to understand my point of view...Its good to know that some of you replied to my comments this means that it was noticed...<<

Dictionary.com gives this meaning for neutral: not aligned with or supporting any side or position in a controversy: The arbitrator was absolutely neutral.

This would mean that the readers not make any judgment on whatever you say or neither support or oppose your statements. There would be no point in engaging in a debate with you then would there? I expect you probably mean an open mind.

>>Our life according to Quran is a testing phase which will be rewarded accordingly in the day of judgement...the same concept which is found in Bible and Hebrew..and all scripts sent by God.<<

Being neutral would mean neither supporting nor opposing this statement of yours. But keeping an open mind would mean this statement of yours should be proven to be true either logically or by some empirical test for me to decide on whether to accept what you say.

Since the day of judgment is not yet upon us the empirical testing will have to be postponed indefinitely. But we can examine the strength and truth of what you say using simple logic.

When you say the concept of ‘testing'is found in many scripture sent by god you apparently believe that some have not been sent by him, like the Buddhist scripture for instance which has nothing to say about god. Truth about the existence of god is not determined by a vote of the scriptures.

The person who sets these tests must be a joker of the highest order. Each and every test he has set is different. Yet he claims to be able to judge all the answers impartially. How is it possible?

We are all born into different circumstances. Some are born emotionally unstable because the person who is giving us these tests has chosen to give them a different kind of gene. We are born to parents who could be abusive and not care about our upbringing. We could be born to criminals who in turn train us to be criminals. We could be born to polytheists who will indoctrinate us to be polytheists or we could be born to monotheists who will teach us to hate all polytheists.

So what kind ‘testing phase' has been given to us? How does the person who wrote the Koran intend to reward or punish us after being unfair to so many of us.

>>Quran is misread by those who want to propogate wrong image of it..If there is something written regarding killing of non muslims its very much related to certain incident during Prophets Muhammad days..you cannot extract a single sentence and give your own meaning...<<

Once more the perennial safety blanket of Muslims – context and misreading. Can you tell us how you can misread or take out of context verse 9:111. Or 3:85. Or 9:29. When you find Koranic verses that are disagreeable you conveniently invoke context.

There are many verses calling for the killing of infidels (4:89, 8:12, 8:67….). Even if these verses have to be read in context, yet how do you explain the injunctions from a merciful Allah to kill his own creatures, however misguided they are. He even berates his prophet for not slaughtering his prisoners.

Or how about verses that demand that people be hostile to their parents if they oppose Mohammed. [9:23, 58:22]. Are these verses not relevant now?

The problem that also arises when you plead context is that a large number of verses in the Koran will have to be considered redundant. Along with the verses that call for killing infidels you will have to throw out verses that deal with the prophet's personal life.

His marriage to Zainab. Allah's advice to his wives. Allah's advice to Muslims to carry gifts when they go to consult the prophet or the advice to lower their voices in his presence. If one goes searching for such verses the Koran will have far fewer verses that can be used for guidance than they have at present.

>>For example if there is a para (Not from Quran)

"if some one attacks you or helping your enemy in war then you are bound to kill them wherever you find... you can capture the lands and wealth of your enemy.."

if i extract

"kill them wherever you find... you can capture the lands and wealth of your enemy"

then this single statement will have different meaning...this is what non muslims are getting from those who are against muslims...<<

Obviously you are trying to justify Surah 9 which is all about allah allowing Muslims to break their covenants (under the deception that the pagans broke the covenant first when in fact Mohammed himself broke it by not returning Umm Kulthum when she defected ) and attack the pagans and kill them after the sacred months are past. Apologists then hold aloft 9:6 where if one of the enemy seeks asylum the Koran asks the believers to take him to a safe place as though this is some kind of extraordinary magnanimity on the part of Allah. When one of the enemy comes over it would be extremely stupid to kill him. You try and keep him safe for the value he has for the information he carries and the demoralization he can cause. He is kept alive for purely selfish reasons, especially if he says the sahada.

This is one Surah every Muslim should read with care and attention. It exhorts Muslims to fight and kill the infidels, it abuses those who do not go out in support of the Prophet (the Bedouins for instance). Yes Aamir Ali read the whole of surah 9 context and all.

>>The same is in case of terrorists and misleaders among muslims who misquote Quran to their followers...<<

After you study Surah 9 you will realize that the terrorists are the true Muslims. The others are pretend Muslims who only pray five times a day.

In my opinion this is a two way traffic on single lane that is worsening the situation...

>>Your God and our Allah are same...there is no point to say who is Great...both are two names of single creator of Universe..the only difference is Shirk ( means to link Allah with Sons or otherwise) which we cannot..<<

How are you so sure there is only a single creator. Why can't there be many allahs? If one allah can arise without cause why can't literally billions of them?

Coming to shirk, Muslims commit shirk all the time. They almost always join Allah's name with that of his creature Mohammed. Is the shahada valid without Mohammed in the incantation?

>>I hope my view point is understood....<<

If you mean unbelievers have misunderstood Islam, then no, we understand that it is an ideology seeking world domination.

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