To rayes: Allah tiesHimself up in knots in The Cow

Submitted by Plato (India), Nov 4, 2007 at 10:33

Rayes, I have pasted two of my replies to Aamir Ali on this blog (September) regarding The Cow:

"Interestingly some of the major problems with Islam crop up in the surah:

1. Warning unbelievers is useless since Allah Himself has misguided them! (6,7)

2. Abusive nature of some verses, unbelievers called deaf, dumb and blind. (18)

3. The inane challenge to produce a surah like the Koran, and then immediately announcing that it cannot be done. (23, 24)

4. His granting special favours to the Jews and their breaking of the covenant they had with Him.(47, 83, 84) , roundly cursing them for their unbelief (89, 161), accusing them of slaying prophets without specifying which ones (91). It could not have been Jesus as the Koran claims Allah hoodwinked the killers.

5. Allah despising Jews and calling them apes. (65)

6. Allah gives himself the luxury of abrogating his own previous poor revelations for better ones. (106).

7. The standard accusation that Muslims have then and now against unbelievers, that they on account of envy deny the truth that is clearly obvious to them. (109)

8. Allah tells Mohammed to be indulgent with the unbelievers for now with the veiled threat - until Allah give command'. (106). What command did the prophet have to wait for Aamir? 9:111 comes to mind.

9. Allah contradicts Himself. In 136, 285 He says there is no distinction between the prophets but in 253, Allah says He has caused some to excel others while some He exalts in degree.

10. Accuses Jews of concealing the truth in several places without specifying what this great truth is (probably the coming of Mohammed?). 42, 99, 140, 146, 159, 174, 213,

11. Allah ordains Safa and Marwan as his symbols (what is the difference with idols?) (158)

12. Forefathers of Jews called unintelligent, i.e. stupid. (170)

13. War is ordained for Muslims even if they dislike it, and even if it be in the sacred months. (216, 217)

14. Menstruation is called and illness which makes them polluted and don't go near them until they are clean. (222)

15. Utter confusion in 253 when Allah says He willed those who followed his prophets to fight one another though he gave them clear proofs. (The translation is ‘if Allah had willed,…..would not have fought one another after clear proofs had come to them – which means the same thing).

16. Allah hammers home the point that He is the one responsible for people fighting one another by repeating ‘And if Allah had so willed it, they would not have fought one another; but Allah doeth what He will. (253 , Pickthal). Is this the being you call the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent? Does he not sound more like somebody bent on creating mischief and dissension on earth??

17. The quote so beloved of Muslims, ‘There is no compulsion in religion. The right direction is henceforth distinct from error….' Occurs in this surah. Why should there be compulsion when Allah claims that He misguides unbelievers and that He does as He wills. If there is any compulsion it is Allah who is responsible. (6, 7, 253)

18. 285 is also a nice example of pronoun confusion which indicates that Mohammed is the real author of the Koran. ‘..We make no distinction between any of His messengers –‘ Can a clear book written by Allah say His after using We when he should have used Our? Isn't this Mohammed saying he does not distinguish between His (Allah's) messengers?

(Aamir ali is in normal type)

2. The Cow

With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful.

[2:1]Alif.Lam. Mim .

One of Allah's mysterious messages?

[2:2]This Book has no doubt in it - a guidance for the God-fearing,

Aamir Ali you have disagreed with this ayat in no uncertain terms by saying that the Translation you have mentioned is the proper translation of the Koran. If this book had not doubt in it why would translations by other Arabic scholars be improper?

[2:3]who believe in the Unseen, and are steadfast in Salah (prayer), and spend out of what We have provided them;

Allah is asking to believe in the Unseen. Allah has to emphasise belief in the Unseen as otherwise people will question his very existence. And I believe in ghosts, fairies and goblins (jinns?) which are also unseen as per Allah's orders.

[2:4]and who believe in what has been revealed to you and what has been revealed before you; and they have faith in the Hereafter.

To my forefathers was revealed the Vedas, the Geeta, the Upanishads, the Tripitak and the Buddhist sutras etc. I believe them. Why does Islam then object to believers in these scriptures and does dawa to convert them to an Arab religion?

[2:5]It is these who are guided by their Lord; and it is just these who are successful.

Let me be guided by what was revealed to my forefathers. Don't do dawa to me about a religion meant for the Arabs. (Read 14:4 I have pasted later in the post)

[2:6]Surely for those who have disbelieved, it is all the same whether you warn them or you warn them not: they do not believe.

If Allah is so sure that it is useless warning people (and He should know as He created them to be disbelievers in the first place as He Himself claims) why does He ask the prophet and other Muslims to preach Islam? Mark the underlined words. For instance I have disbelieved, so it is useless preaching to me.

[2:7]Allah has set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing; and on their eyes there is a covering, and for them awaits a mighty punishment.

2:6 and 2:7 are the verses I was asking you about. Have you really read them? How does your CEO story match up with this statement of Allah, Who says He has set a seal on their hearts? It is like the CEO creating a situation where employee A does not know that what he is doing is a crime. The CEO then proceeds to prosecute him and send him to jail.

[2:8]And among men there are some who say, .We believe in Allah and in the Last Day., yet they are not believers.

[2:9]They try to deceive Allah and those who believe, while they are not deceiving anyone except themselves, although they are unaware of it.

[2:10]In their hearts there is a malady, so Allah has made them grow in their malady; and for them there is a grievous punishment, because they have been lying.

Read 2:8-10 with some real care Aamir Ali. I suppose Allah is referring to the hypocrites of the prophet's time. Allah claims there is a malady in their hearts because they hypocritically claim to believe in Him while not doing do so.

So what does the Merciful, All-knowing Allah who created the hypocrites the way they are do. He increases their malady. Yet He claims He is All Merciful, All Powerful, Beneficent etc. What is the use of all these qualities if He will not use them for good (the good being merely recoginse His being the only god)? So who really is the Hypocrite here. Allah or the people He accuses of being hypocrites?????

[2:11]When it is said to them, .Do not spread disorder on the earth., they say, .We are but reformers..

[2:12]Beware, it is, in fact, they who spread disorder, but they do not appreciate.

Okay let us see who does not appreciate who is spreading disorder. A dictionary meaning of disorder is ‘a disturbance of the peace, breach of public order'. What did Islam tell Muslims to do during periods when peace prevailed all over Arabia?

[2:217] They ask you about the Sacred Month, that is, about fighting in it. Say, ―Fighting in it is something grave, but it is much more grave, in the sight of Allah, to prevent (people) from the path of Allah, to disbelieve in Him, and in Al-Masjid-ul-Harām, and to expel its people from there, and Fitnah (to create disorder) is more grave than killing.‖ They will go on fighting you until they turn you away from your faith if they could, while

A period when all Arabia was at peace for centuries was shattered with this verse. And what my dear Aamir Ali was the historical context of this verse? It was to legalise an unprovoked raid the prophet ordered in the holy month against a caravan on its peaceful way to Mecca.

So beware. It is Allah who claims He sent Mohamed as a reformer but also went about causing disorder. And it is happening in front your eyes. In the suicide bombings, in Pakistan, in Iraq in places where Muslims live.

[2:13]And when it is said to them, .Believe as people have believed,. they say, .Shall we believe as the fools have believed?. Beware, it is, in fact, they who are the fools, but they do not know.

So who are the fools really and do not know they are fools? It is an easy guess, so no prizes for guessing.

[2:14]When they meet those who believe, they say, .We have entered Faith;. but when they are alone with their satans, they say, .Indeed, we are withwe were only mocking you;

Allah abuses those who do not believe in Him as shaitans.

[2:15] It is Allah who mocks at them, and lets them go on wandering blindly in their rebellion.

Allah refusing to guide disbelievers to the right path. Instead of using His power to guide them He mocks them! Or does He not have the power?

[2:16]These are the people who have bought error at the price of guidance; so their trade has brought no gain, nor have they reached the right Path.

Reading the previous aya the only error they have made is not believing in a god who refuses to guide them despite having the power to do so. Good for them.

[2:17]Their situation is like that of a man who kindles a fire, and when it illuminates everything around him, Allah takes away their lights and leaves them in layers of darkness, so that they see nothing.

What can the poor disbelievers do? Even if they strike up a light to see the truth the All-Powerful Allah takes it away and leaves them in darkness. And then He balmes them for being in the darkness! Par for the course in weird Islamic theological logic.

[2:18]Deaf, dumb and blind, they shall not return.

Allah makes them blind so they cannot see the path by which they can return. He puts out the light of the disbelievers so that they remain in their disbelief.

[2:19] Or (it is) like a rainstorm from the sky, bringing darkness, thunder and lightning; they thrust their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps for fear of death, ___and Allah encompasses the disbelievers__

Allah missed a great chance to demonstrate His knowledge of science. If He had said lightning and thunder then his slaves could have claimed that Allah is demonstrating his knowledge that light travels faster than sound. The verse seems to be about Allah putting the fear of Allah into the disbelievers. I have seen plenty of believers also covering with fright during thunderstorms.

[2:20]and lightning (all but) snatches away their eyesight; every time a flash gives them light, they walk by it; and when darkness falls upon them, theystand still. And if Allah willed, He would certainly take away their hearing and their eyes: surely Allah is powerful to do anything.

Does lightning blind only the unbelievers. If you believe that statement of the Koran you will believe anything.

[2:21]O people, worship your Lord who created you and those before you, so that you may become God-fearing.

[2:22]He is the One who made the earth a bed for you, and the sky a roof, and sent down water from the sky, then brought forth with it fruits, as a provision for you. So, do not set up parallels to Allah when you know.

Here is another ayat that shows that Allah has no clue to what He has created. He says the sky is a roof. He does not realize that there is nothing out there in space except space and bits and pieces of matter scattered around.

[2:23] If you are in doubt about what We have revealed to Our servant, then bring a Surah similar to this, and do call your supporters other than Allah, if you are true.

[2:24]But if you do not It has been prepared for disbelievers.– and you will never be able to – then guard yourselves against the Fire, the fuel of which will be men and stones.

I have told you in my previous post how inane this challenge sounds when He say in 2:24 they will not be able to do so.

[2:25] And give good news to those who believe and do righteous deeds that for them there are gardens beneath which rivers flow. Every time they are given a fruit from there to eat, they will say, .This is what we have been given before.; and they will be given (fruits) resembling one another. And for them there shall be wives purified; and there they will live forever.

A verse giving inducements to believe. What is this about ‘wives purified'? ?Were their wives corrupt before they reached heaven? Or are they being made into virgins all over again? Men in heaven seem suspiciously like Muslim males on earth with their need for corruption-free virgins.

[2:26] Indeed, Allah does not feel shy in citing any parable, be it that of a gnat or of something above it (in meanness). Now, as for those who believe,they know it is the truth from their Lord; while those who disbelieve say, .What could Allah have meant by this parable?. Bythis He lets many go astray, and by this He makes many find guidance. But He does not let anyone go astray thereby except those who are sinful

Confused logic from Allah. He lets those who are sinful go astray. Aren't they the ones He should guide rather than the sinless ones. Where is the need to guide people who are already believers?

[2:27]disorder on the earth - it is these who are the losers.those who break the Covenant of Allah after it has been made binding, and cut off the relations Allah has commanded to be joined, and spread

This verse again exposes Allah's powerlessness. A binding covenant was made and the people He created broke it. Poor Allah, what kind of people did He create?

[[2:29] It is He who created for you all that the earth contains; then He turned to the heavens and made them seven skies— and He is the knower of all things.

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