Spreading the ‘true’ word of Islam?
IfYouAskme, the issue of what Islam is really about is very confusing. There is so much misinformation in the media, in speeches and statements by politicians and on the internet, about what the Koran says and so many different interpretations of how these quotes relate the terrorist crisis that we face today. On one hand we have the appeasers telling us that Islam is a religion of love and that the Koran promotes love and peace. On the other hand we have the anti-Islamists who tell us that the Koran promotes hate and deception and that the Koran, itself, is proof that Islam is totally incompatible with a modern, civilised society. To further complicate the issue, we have the Islamic radicals spewing forth hate speech and incitement for murder and claiming that they speak for all of Islam.
So what is the truth?
I have been trying to wade through this dilemma myself and so I decided that a good start, and a fair one, would be to read the Koran. However, reading the Koran is not easy because the Koran would have to be the most difficult document to read on the face of the planet. The Koran is disjointed, repetitive and generally talks in riddles. As a westerner, and even though I am someone who reads a great deal and reads regularly, I found the task of reading all of the Koran just hopeless.
So I decided to try a different approach and I have been searching for Koran verses, those that are often quoted in pro and anti Islam arguments, and then looking up those specific verses in the Koran, to see if they are genuine quotes and to try and find out who is telling the truth – the appeasers or the opponents.
What I discovered is alarming and seems to fit with the often stated allegation that the Koran instructs Muslims to deceive non-believers. The quotes of love and peace, that are on the net and often referred to by the appeasers, almost always seem to be misquotes and important words and phrases have been changed to give a totally different meaning to those quotes from the Koran.
The following are some of the quotes that I have found that have totally different meanings, when read as part of the Koran, rather than as the modified, stand-alone quotes that we are often bombarded with by both sides of this argument.
This is going to be a ‘live’ post in that, on an ongoing basis, I will be adding quotes from the internet and comparing them to the actual verses in the Koran. Every time I find a Koran quote I will check it and post the results here, so if you are interested in finding out what the Koran really says, then please revisit this post from time to time.
No Terrorism in islam?
To start, let us look at one of the most often used Koranic quotes and, it would seem, most misused quotes:
This quote, as seen in the sample poster above, reads:
“If anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land – it would be as if he killed all humankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all humankind”
If this quote was accurate, then it would seem to be evidence that Islam is opposed to terrorism and acts of murder, however, when you read the whole of Quran 5:32, a different picture emerges. What Quran 5:32 really says is:
“On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person – unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our apostles with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land. (Quran 5:32)”
So Quran 5:32 isn’t an instruction to Muslims, or to all people, against murder but an instruction specifically for the Jewish people. Is this an example of how Islam has one rule for themselves and another rule for everyone else?
Further, what is with the two ‘escape’ clauses in the middle of this quote? “…unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land..”. Far from promoting peace and opposing murder, this verse seems to be excusing murder!
Even if you could find a peaceful message in Koran 5:32, you only have to read the next verse, Koran 5:33, to get a totally different picture of Islam:
“The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land: that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the Hereafter. (Koran 5:33)”
If you want to read other interpretations of Koran 5:32 you can search for the verse online and read those interpretations for yourself but, to save you some time, here are a couple of websites that talk about this verse:
Wikiislam – If Anyone Slew a Person
Investigating Philosophies, Culture, History, Myths.
If you do an internet search for this verse, then you will also come across a couple of pro-Islam websites that offer a different interpretation of this verse. However, the pro-Islamic websites always seem to include other words into the verse to give it a different slant but by all means visit these sites and see what they have to say.
all humanity or just islam?
Here are some quotes from www.QuranicQuotes.com, with their artwork, that seems to promote love and peace among all people:
However, what the Koran really says is:
“The Believers are but a single Brotherhood: So make peace and reconciliation between your two (contending) brothers; and fear Allah, that ye may receive Mercy. (Quran 49:10)”
There is quite a substantial difference between the definitions of ‘Humanity’ and ‘Believers’, especially when ‘Believers’ obviously refers to the believers of Islam. Replacing the word ‘Believers’ with ‘Humanity’ is a very deceitful and dishonest act and so we have no choice but to write off this quote as most definitely false!
Righteous Values?
This quote seems to promote kind and worthy personal traits, but what does the Koran really say:
“Hold to forgiveness; command what is right; But turn away from the ignorant.”
Does the term the Ignorant refer to unbelievers or non-Muslims? If so, it hardly sounds like this verse is promoting peace and cooperation among all people. Instead, it seems to be promoting the irreparable division, of Muslim and non-Muslim, which is at the heart of the problems with radical Islam and the rest of the world.
Please revisit soon as there are more quotes and discussion to come.
What do you think? Please feel free to comment.