literarydiscussions.myfreeforum.org

Sitaram · Site Admin Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 1079

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sitaram/message/1497

Shedding Light on the Qu'ran

I mentioned in my last post that I would like to see, side by side,
all the verses in the Qu'ran which mention "light" compared with all
the verses in the Bible which mention "light"

Here is a link to a Qu'ran search engine.

http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/reference/searchquran.html

I searched on "light" and found the following 94 verses. Note that
some verses speak of light as in "not heavy" rather than light in the
sense of illumination.

I shall merely post these results here for now. What I have in mind
for this entire project will take some days, or perhaps weeks.

But I think some of you can already see what a powerful analytical
technique we have with the Qu'ran and Bible search engines at our
disposal.

Just think if you took all the keywords from Jesus "Sermon on the
Mount", and assembled all the verses in the Qu'ran in which those
words appear. At times, you will be shocked to learn which words
never appear in the Qu'ran.

Anyway. Take a look at this, and also, if you like, start doing some
of your own experiments with search engine word analysis.

002.017 002.020 002.257 002.265 003.107 003.184 004.028 004.174
005.015

005.016 005.044 005.045 005.046 005.047 005.064 006.001 006.091
006.122

007.009 007.157 007.159 007.189 008.066 009.032 009.041 009.043
009.064

009.127 010.005 010.067 011.093 012.018 012.065 012.083 013.016
014.001

014.005 016.080 016.085 021.048 022.008 023.103 024.015 024.035
024.036

024.040 025.061 027.007 027.025 027.086 028.038 028.066 028.071
030.060

031.016 031.020 032.008 033.037 033.043 033.046 035.020 035.025
039.022

039.069 040.015 040.067 042.052 043.054 047.017 047.025 047.029
047.037

054.025 056.081 057.009 057.012 057.013 057.019 057.028 061.008
064.008

065.011 066.008 071.016 073.005 076.011 077.008 078.013 079.029
081.001

083.015 092.001 093.001 101.008

==============================================

Light: Jehovah give but Allah removes!

Our first reference to light in the Qu'ran shows Allah TAKING AWAY
the light!

002.017
YUSUFALI: Their similitude is that of a man who kindled a fire; when
it lighted all around him, Allah took away their light and left them
in utter darkness. So they could not see.

PICKTHAL: Their likeness is as the likeness of one who kindleth fire,
and when it sheddeth its light around him Allah taketh away their
light and leaveth them in darkness, where they cannot see,

SHAKIR: Their parable is like the parable of one who kindled a fire
but when it had illumined all around him, Allah took away their
light, and left them in utter darkness-- they do not see.

And we notice that light is not first mentioned until the SECOND
Surah, many many pages into the Qu'ran.

We see that Jehovah, God the Father, of the Old Testament Judeo-
Christian Bible GIVES light, and gives it very early, in the third
verse of chapter 1.

Genesis 1:1-3

In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth
was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the
deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw
the light, that it was GOOD; and God divided the light from the
darkness.

We may also remember that Jesus said: "I am the light of the world."

Well, so far, in our analysis, Jehovah seems to be something
connected with light, while Allah seems to be something connected
with darkness.

Interesting!?

=============================================

Jehovah leads but Allah blinds.

http://rosetta.reltech.org/ECanon/ECanon.html
I shall use this for my Bible search engine and search for all verses
which mention "light."

If you do this search, and examine the results, you will discover
that, after Genesis 1:1-3, where God creates light, the next really
significant mention of light is in the second book,

Exodus 13:21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a
cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to
give them light; to go by day and night:

This is saying both that God WAS a pillar of light by night to guide
all people, and also that God needed NO intermediary of an angel
Gabreel, but could appear DIRECTLY to human beings. To me, a God who
cannot enter into his own creation or appear or speak directly to
his own creatures is a very weak god.

Now, the second significant reference to light in the Qu'ran is:

002.020
YUSUFALI: The lightning all but snatches away their sight; every time
the light (Helps) them, they walk therein, and when the darkness
grows on them, they stand still. And if Allah willed, He could take
away their faculty of hearing and seeing; for Allah hath power over
all things.

PICKTHAL: The lightning almost snatcheth away their sight from them.
As often as it flasheth forth for them they walk therein, and when it
darkeneth against them they stand still. If Allah willed, He could
destroy their hearing and their sight. Lo! Allah is able to do all
things.
SHAKIR: The lightning almost takes away their sight; whenever it
shines on them they walk in it, and when it becomes dark to them they
stand still; and if Allah had pleased He would certainly have taken
away their hearing and their sight; surely Allah has power over all
things.

This second reference to light in the Qu'ran depicts Allah not only
as a being which darkens and blinds but also one who deafens. How
amusing that the verse ends by saying that Allah can do ALL THINGS.
If this were true, then why would Allah want to focus his energies on
blinding and deafening. Why not open the eyes and ears of all and
bring them to salvation and truth?

==========================

Allah leads believers, but to what?

The third mention of light in the Qu'ran is:
002.257
YUSUFALI: Allah is the Protector of those who have faith: from the
depths of darkness He will lead them forth into light. Of those who
reject faith the patrons are the evil ones: from light they will lead
them forth into the depths of darkness. They will be companions of
the fire, to dwell therein (For ever).
PICKTHAL: Allah is the Protecting Guardian of those who believe. He
bringeth them out of darkness into light. As for those who
disbelieve, their patrons are false deities. They bring them out of
light into darkness. Such are rightful owners of the Fire. They will
abide therein.
SHAKIR: Allah is the guardian of those who believe. He brings them
out of the darkness into the light; and (as to) those who disbelieve,
their guardians are Shaitans who take them out of the light into the
darkness; they are the inmates of the fire, in it they shall abide.

Let us compare this third mention of light in the Qu'ran with the
first mention of light in the New Testament:

The Gospel accorging to Matthew

4 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which
sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

5 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill
cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a
candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
6 22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be
single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of
darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how
great is that darkness!

10 27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what
ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.

Well, we see Allah doing a little bit of good here, but ONLY to those
who already have faith or belief in Islam, but once again we see that
Allah leads the evil ones from light into darkness. Is this not most
peculiar? The Judaeo-Christian God strives to lead sinners and
unbelievers and atheist to repentance and life, while Allah casts
unbelievers into further darkness. Since the believers in Allah are
so wonderful, one wonders why they have to be lead anywhere. Since
they already believe in Allah, is that not light enough? And, pray
tell, before they believed, were they not unbelievers. But we have
just been told that Allah blinds and deafens unbelievers and leads
them into further error. So who and what was it that lead the first
believers to belief in Allah, since the Qu'ran tells us that it
certainly could NOT have been Allah (perish the thought!)

I had always assumed that the physician came not to heal the healthy,
but to heal the afflicted.

Get your own free IRC Chat room