Criticizing the Qur'an has been
the norm among non-Muslims since day one. All those who do not believe in
it are entitled to question its validity and prove it wrong. In a free
market place of ideas, anyone may say almost anything about the Qur'an and
Islam. However, it is the way one presents his views that makes it worthy
of objective debate or turns it into a pure insulting and misleading work
- only good for burning bridges of trust, compassion and understanding
within a volatile global order.
The latest high-profile assault on the
authenticity of the Qur'an came from one of the main organs of the
so-called mainstream media. Recent issue of Newsweek, July 28, 2003
has published an article titled "Challenging the Qur'an." A closer look
reveals the main problem lies as much with the unrecognized group of
German scholars dedicated to producing a "new interpretation of the Qur'an,"
as it lies with the Newsweek.
There can be two kind of responses to the
Newsweek's article. One, to respond to the ways in which it challenges the
authenticity of the Qur'an and two, to see how Newsweek has taken the
responsibility of this assault on the Qur'an and spreading hate on its
shoulders.
As far as the chief hypothesis of Luxenberg
et al -- that the original language of the Qur'an was not Arabic but
something closer to Aramaic -- is concerned even a short response from
Dr.
Maher Hathout is sufficient to shot it down before it could take off.
Luxenberg argues, "Arabic did not turn up as a written language until 150
years after Muhammad's [PBUH] death." A cursory research may reveal, the
Arabic script evolved from the
Nabataean
Aramaic script. It has been used since the 4th century AD, but the
earliest document, an inscription in Arabic,
Syriac and
Greek, dates from
512 AD, whereas Muhammad (PBUH) was born around 570 AD.
The earliest manifestation of a script form, which can be identified as
Arabic, is on a tombstone at Nemara in the Syrian desert, dated A.D. 328.
Luxenberg work will not stand the test of
historical facts and would face many touchstones when it arrives later
this year. It is a centuries old debate and too much research has already
been done to answer allegations and exaggerations of Luxenberg work. Some
links to this work is given at the end of this article.
The most important aspect of the latest
assault to analyze is the way Newsweek has presented this work with
the objective to associate the Qur'an and Islam with violence. This trend
of glamorizing the hate-Islam work in mainstream media will continue if
not properly addressed in time.
Newsweek has effectively achieved in
710 words what is costing Luxenberg and company many years and hundreds of
pages to accomplish. The common objective boils down to conveying that the
Qur'an is a misinterpreted historical document and Islam is nothing but a
historical construction that only severs to perpetuate violence.
The author starts working on this objective
right from the by-line of the article. He makes a reference to "virgins"
to develop a link with suicide bombers and the opening para then makes the
theme abundantly clear.
The article brings September 11 into the
discussion right away and quickly moves on to Palestine to establish that
in both cases the culprits are Muslims alone and the motive is nothing but
sexual gratification in paradise.
Needless to say Muslims are going to be
disturbed and justifiably angered by the abuse of Luxenberg's work when it
appears later this year. In the meanwhile, Newsweek has sown the seeds for
undermining the image of Islam and provoking reactionary responses.
The conclusion that Luxenberg group would
like the public to reach at is not new. Pro-Israel literature is filled
with this kind of polemics. And Islamic scholars with irrefutable
arguments and evidence have answered it. The phenomenal global growth of
Islam, through conversions not migration is indicative of their effective
work and the futility of anti-Islam propaganda.
The problem at hand is actually with
Newsweek, which is engaged in the same tactics based on which Al-Jazeera
is banned in most liberal countries, such as Canada.
The basic argument against Al-Jazeera is
that it spreads hatred. A reader of the Newsweek article sees the
same very clearly in its pages. It is typical of the discursive assault on
Islam which has been the hallmark of the last 30 years. It is so virulent
and consistent in spreading hatred that its hostility and venom can only
be compared to the actual hatred of Islam that prompted the Crusades.
Newsweek believes that when
Luxenberg work "is published this fall, it's likely to be the most
far-reaching scholarly commentary on the Qur'an." We need to look at this
statement from two perspectives. One, not many of the readers of the
Newsweek article are going to be Muslims with weak faith who will simply
discard their faith based on this article. Two, for non-Muslims, just the
title and the opening paragraph of the article is enough to further
confirm what they are incessantly subjected to by media outlets. Many may
not even bother to go through Luxenberg book. The objective is achieved.
A little journalistic trick helps the
author guide his reader to a particular conclusion. The author avoids
using the word "fundamentalists" but leads the reader to conclude that
Muslims are not at the same wavelength about the Qur'an. The article says:
"Islamic orthodoxy considers the holy book to be the verbatim revelation
of Allah, speaking to his prophet, Muhammad, through the Angel Gabriel, in
Arabic." A Western mind, used to the daily classifying Muslims does not
take "orthodoxy" as Islamic doctrine. It quickly concludes that only
"orthodox" Muslims look at the Qur'an in the aforementioned manner.
In fact, all those who believe in the
Qur'an can very well see it emphasizing at no less than 10 occasions that
it is revealed in Arabic (12:02, 13:37, 16:103, 20:113, 26:195, 39:28,
41:03, 42:07, 43:03, 46:12).
Muslims who care little about their faith can find more prudent reasons to
leave. It nevertheless helps achieve the unstated objective of spreading
hate against Muslim. The general audience of Newsweek is not knowledgeable
enough about the Qur'an to actually see how the magazine sees an
opportunity in Luxenberg work to use it for undermining Muslim faith.
Proving the Qur'an diluted and
misunderstood is beyond the scope of Luxenberg's book, let alone a single
Newsweek article. However, this is not the objective. The article
has been successful in perhaps dissuading non-Muslims who might be
beginning to take interest in Islam and provide a rationale for those who
were looking for ruses to tighten noose around practicing Muslims.
How should Muslims respond to such
assaults. If Muslims live by the Qur'an, they would not even feel the need
to respond to Luxenberg's half-backed assertions, such as "an expanding
Arab empire turned Muhammad's teachings into the basis for its new
religion long after the Prophet's death."
Furthermore, all Islamic organization,
particularly those of N. America, need to come together and start working
on exposing such hate mongering pieces not as a threat to the Qur'an and
Islam but to the survival of Muslims as equal human being under the
prevailing circumstances. The work of anti-Qur'an crusaders does not lead
to occupations of Muslim lands and the so-called war on terrorism. The
latest presentation by Newsweek, a mixture of hate and half quotes from
anti-Islam work, definitely does.
Suicide bombing will not go away with
proving "houris" as "white raisins." There are many other ways to have "houris"
and die a peaceful death. The reason bombers choose to blow themselves
from limb to limb is not because they love to quickly reach "houris," but
because they hate to live under the occupation and repression - the direct
results of injustice and polices based on hate and racism. The type of
article recently published by Newsweek simply sustains and promotes this
hate.
Notes:
.
Hathout, Maher,
"Response to 'Challenging the Quran' Article in Newsweek" Islam on Line
. See:
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/greek.htm
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/nabataean.htm,
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/syriac.htm, and
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/greek.htm
. Alfred Beeston,"Origin of Arabic
Script," The Arabic Language Today, See:
http://www.arabiccalligraphy.com/resources_detail.php?resId=4
'We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an, in order that ye may learn
wisdom.
"
Al-Qur'an 12:02.
.
Thus have We revealed it to be a
judgment of authority in Arabic. Wert thou to follow their (vain) desires
after the knowledge which hath reached thee, then wouldst thou find
neither protector nor defender against Allah. "
Al-Qur'an 13:37.
"We know indeed that they say, "It is a man that
teaches him." The tongue of him they wickedly point to is notably foreign,
while this is Arabic, pure and clear."
Al-Qur'an 16:103,
"Thus have We sent this down - an arabic Qur'an - and
explained therein in detail some of the warnings, in order that they may
fear Allah, or that it may cause their remembrance (of Him)."
Al-Qur'an
20:113,
"Verily this is a Revelation from the Lord of the
Worlds: With it came down the spirit of Faith and Truth - To thy heart and
mind, that thou mayest admonish. In the perspicuous Arabic tongue."
Al-Qur'an 26:193-195.
"(It is) a Qur'an in Arabic, without any crookedness
(therein): in order that they may guard against Evil."
Al-Qur'an 39:28
"A Book, whereof the verses are explained in detail;- a
Qur'an in Arabic, for people who understand."
Al-Qur'an, 41:03
"Thus have We sent by inspiration to thee an Arabic
Qur'an: that thou mayest warn the Mother of Cities and all around her,-
and warn (them) of the Day of Assembly, of which there is no doubt:
(when) some will be in the Garden, and some in the Blazing Fire."
Al-Qur'an 42:07.
"We have made it a Qur'an in Arabic, that ye may be
able to understand (and learn wisdom)."
Al-Qur'an 43:03.
"And before this, was the Book of Moses as a guide and
a mercy: And this Book confirms (it) in the Arabic tongue; to admonish the
unjust, and as Glad Tidings to those who do right."
Al-Qur'an 46:12.
Resources on Authenticity of the
Qur'an
Abid Ullah Jan, the
author of
"A War on Islam?,"
is a regular
contributor to
Media Monitors Network (MMN).
