LIBERTY UNIVERSITY

QURAN REVIEW

A PAPER SUBMITTED TO DR. ED SMITHER IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR

THE COURSE ICST 531

LIBERTY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

BY ELKE SPELIOPOULOS

DOWNINGTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2011

CONTENTS

CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................... iii INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 4 THREE KEY THEMES OF THE QURAN .................................................................................. 5 God as the only one to be worshipped ........................................................................................ 5 Man as an individual with an eternal destination........................................................................ 6 Living in societal structures ........................................................................................................ 7 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................... 8 BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................................... 10

INTRODUCTION Reading the Quran for the first time, one immediately realizes that the main theme of Islams holy text is that Allah (translated God in M.A.S Abdel Haleems translation, a term which will be kept in this paper) alone is worthy of worship, completely all-knowing and just, and that humans should rely on him in all things and put their trust in him. This theme stretches across the entire 144 Suwar of the Quran. Secondary but equally important themes are man as an individual with an eternal destiny and man as part of a broader society. As one encyclopedia explains, the Quran (which can often be seen transliterated as Koran) is a derivative of the verbal root qr, with the general meaning recite (orally). The imperative of the same verb, iqra, is generally acknowledged to be the opening of the first utterance revealed by God to the Prophet Muammad, in srah 96 (The Blood-Clot), v. 1, and is Gods command to Muammad that he proclaim Gods revelations. Qurn is thus best translated recitation.1 This recitation is a strong hint at the origin of the Quran, which, according to its prophet Muhammad, was given to him in Mecca and Medina in the seventh century AD in visions through the angel Gabriel, recited by him to his followers and then written down in the language of Muhammads tribesmen, Arabic.2 It also provides a glimpse into some of the religious behaviors of Muslims, as expressed in their worship where the recitation of key passages of the Quran are observed, e.g. the recitation of the first Surah, or portions thereof (such as 1:1) in prayer.
Erwin Fahlbusch and Geoffrey William Bromiley, The Encyclopedia of Christianity (Leiden, Netherlands: Wm. B. Eerdmans; Brill, 2005), 468. George W. Braswell Jr., Islam: Its Prophet, Peoples, Politics and Power (Nashville, TN: B & H Academic, 1996), 50.
2 1

THREE KEY THEMES OF THE QURAN While there are many themes in the pages of the Quran, the three dominant themes identifiable threading through its pages are God and man as a created being with an eternal destination and how man exists as a member of societal constructs. Within these themes, the reader of the Quran can find many subthemes, that fit under the broader category, but which could evolve into categories of their own, such as the Muslim believers dealing with the people of the Book. Reading through the Quran, as a new reader to the sacred text of Islam, one is struck by what the ESV Study Bible calls the dozens of superficial similarities between the Quran and the Bible.3 Time and time again, the reader recognizes similarities to the text of the Bible, sometimes to a very high degree of conformity, such as in the six day creation of the earth (25:59), and other times with more wide (and significant) variations, such as 37:100-111, where the text does not directly state Ishmael as the almost sacrificed son, but where it is clear that this is the suggested reading out of the context. God as the only one to be worshipped The Quran leaves no doubt as to the unity of God and the way God desires to be worshipped by the believers. Even though these elements are made abundantly clear, the reader of the Quran walks away with a somewhat limited understanding as to the traits and characteristics of God. The reader is, however, assured with every Surah that God is the lord and giver of mercy. God is one God, who is first and foremost, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy, a verse with which every Surah is begun. The possibility of a Son of God is strictly ruled out. According to the Quran, God was not created through procreation, nor does he have a partner or
3

Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2629.

offspring (6:101). Surah 112 states He is the God the One, God the eternal. He begot no one nor was He begotten. (112:1-3) Likewise, Surah 37 tells the reader that it is one of their lies when they say, God has begotten. How they lie! (37:151-152) Interestingly enough, Surah 39 almost seems to suggest this as a possibility, when it states God could have chosen any of His creation He willed for offspring, but He is far above this! (39:4) To Muslims, Christian belief in a Trinitarian Godhead amounts to compromising the unity of God and makes Christianity functionally tritheistic.4 God is the creator of the world and everything in it (6:1), as well as of mankind (7:189, 39:6). He is the Light of the heavens and earth (24:35). He gives life and death, and he sees everything his creatures do (3:156). He knows the unseen, and nothing, not even a speck of dust in the heavens or earth escapes His knowledge (34:3). God is not the God depicted in the beliefs of Jews and Christians, who are said to take their rabbis and their monks as lords beside God, as well as Christ, the son of Mary (9:31), and those who follow these beliefs are not among the believers. There are many verses that speak to the eternal fate of those who follow God in belief and trust, based on the understanding of who God is according to the visions Muhammad communicated, vs. those who do not follow these beliefs. As a general observation, while Muhammads visions originally show much respect for the people of the Book (such as in Surah 5), it becomes increasingly clear that the relationship of Muslims toward the people of the Book was becoming increasingly antagonistic (e.g. 98.6). Man as an individual with an eternal destination Many verses in the Quran deal with who man is or his role, but even more importantly his destiny. Much time is spent on behaviors that set man at risk of not being invited into the
4

Ibid.

Gardens of God in the afterlife, and instead of experiencing the horror of hell. The requirements for righteous behavior, warranting a good afterlife, are spelled out fairly clearly, and so there is no surprise in which behaviors God approves of, and which he does not. At the same time, there is no way outside of strict obedience to ensure that God will look mercifully upon man at his death. God created man out of clay (6:2, 15:26, 23:12) and created his form (23:12-14). He put man (Adam) in place as a successor on earth (2:30), ahead of the angels, yet Iblis (another name for Satan in the Quran) made Adam and his wife disobey God, taking them out of their elevated state (2:36). This disobedience cost them dearly, as they were taken out of the Garden, and their nakedness was exposed (7:20-25). Man is not expected to elevate himself to the level of God, but rather to serve him (3:79). He is to exhibit good deeds, not bad deeds (6:160), and he is expected to be completely devoted to God (3:85). If man strays from this path, the punishment is depicted as being agonizing torment (3:91, 4:138), containing garments of fire which will be tailored for those who disbelieve and scalding water will be poured over their heads, melting their insides as well as their skins. (22:19-20). At the same time, great delights in Gods Gardens await those who trust and believe. These Gardens are described as being graced with flowing streams where believers will be adorned with golden bracelets and pearls and silken garments (22:23). They will enjoy pure spouses and find cool refreshing shade (4:57). Living in societal structures Arabia at the time of Muhammad was a tribal region with strong family ties. This also becomes clear in the reading of the Quran, as much of the text relates to living within a societal construct, whether within a family, a tribe or between factions.

The Quran expounds on rules of societal living extensively, whether in the realm of size of family (4:3), husband and wife relationship, including the punishment of disobedient wives (4:34), and relationships to parents (46:15-17), but also engaging with disbelievers (and possibly eliminating them) (4:89). 24:27-30 is an example of how an individual is expected to live as a member of a group of people. In this case, it is proper entry behavior when entering someone elses home. This behavior is always placed in context of an all-seeing, all-observing God who judges behaviors as right or wrong, ultimately pointing back to the question of eternal destination. Additionally, verses are found that deal with commercial pursuits, such as the preoccupation with wealth, which might ruin a man (102:1-8), the topic of usury, which was apparently prevalent in the Jewish communities around them, but which God forbid (2:278-281), or contractual dealings (2:282-283). God demands correct measure, and the threat of hell is promised to those who attempt to deal wrongly with their customers (83:1:17). Spiritual matters are also a community issue. The Quran is clear that even familial ties cannot serve as a reason for building allegiances, if the family members are not believers (9:23). CONCLUSION The Quran is a guidebook for living, for living in the here and now, but also for achieving a positive outcome in the hereafter. Swartley writes that the text of the Quran is replete with verses inviting man to use his intellect, to ponder, to think, and to know, for the goal of human life is to discover the truth, which is none other than worship God in his oneness.5
5

Keith E. Swartley, ed., Encountering the World of Islam (Colorado Springs, CO: Authentic Books, 2005,

2008), 63.

As has been demonstrated, three major themes are observed throughout the pages of the Quran, the broad theme of who God is and what his expectations are toward man, man as a created being with an eternal destination, and how man exists as a member of society. To the first-time reader, the stress placed on the oneness of God without a possibility of any offspring becomes clear, yet at the same time, it is also apparent that the understanding of the Christian trinity was at best incomplete at the time Muhammad received the visions. The role of man, whether as an individual responsible to the one God or as a member of society in which he lives, is another strong thread that weaves its way through the pages of the Quran and ties the individual responsibilities to what has been revealed about God. The Quran is the cornerstone of the Islamic faith and needs to be well understood by the Christian who desires to engage a Muslim in a conversation that seeks to share the Christian faith. The works orientation of the Islamic faith is much more similar to Judaism, especially the Talmud-imprinted Judaism of today - and even to Christian denominations such as Roman Catholicism - than to a biblical understanding of the Bible. For the apologists to engage meaningfully, the implications of what has been bared through an initial reading of the Quran need to be understood and intensified in additional study. Fazlur Rahman has written a book, Major Themes of the Quran, now in its second edition, which might shed additional light on some of the major themes in the Quran and their understanding within a Muslim context.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Bibles, Crossway. The ESV Study Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008. Braswell, George W. Jr. Islam: Its Prophet, Peoples, Politics and Power. Nashville, TN: B & H Academic, 1996. Fahlbusch, Erwin, and Geoffrey William Bromiley. The Encyclopedia of Christianity. Leiden, Netherlands: Wm. B. Eerdmans; Brill, 2005. Swartley, Keith E., ed. Encountering the World of Islam. Colorado Springs, CO: Authentic Books, 2005, 2008.