The Quran Verse of the Week: Quran 19:64: A Shia Tafsir on Quran 19:64

The Quran Verse of the Week

[Gabriel said],‘We only descend [with revelation] at your Lord’s command––everything before us, everything behind us, everything in between, all belongs to Him––your Lord is never forgetful. (19:64)

In this post we are going to take a look at the interpretation from a Shia tafsir. The following is from An Enlightening Commentary into the Light of the Holy Quran vol. 9 by Ayatullah Allamah Al-Hajj Sayyid Kamal Faqhih Imani. This commentary is freely avaliable online at, https://www.al-islam.org/enlightening-commentary-light-holy-quran-vol-9

Occasions of Revelation

Upon the preceding verse, a group of commentators have said that the descent of the revelations of Allah was discontinued for a few days, Gabriel, the harbinger of divine revelation, did not come to the Prophet (S). After this period, when Gabriel came to the Prophet (S) he asked him why he delayed and he (the Prophet) was anxious to see him.

Gabriel said:

“I am more anxious (to see you), but I am a commissioned servant. When I am commanded to come, I come; and when I am not commanded, I restrain (to come).”ⁱ

For these verses, of course, there is a particular occasion of revelation, which was referred to in the above, but this matter does not hinder that there be a logical connection and relation between them and the former verses. This is an emphasis on the fact that whatever verses Gabriel has brought are utterly from the side of Allah and nothing is said from himself. The first verse, from the tongue of the harbinger of revelation, says: “And we (angels) do not descend but by the command of your Lord…” Every thing belongs to Him and we (angels) are some servants all submitted, because: “…to Him belongs whatever is before us and whatever is behind us and whatever is between these (two)!…” In short, the future and the past and present, here and there and everywhere, this world and Hereafter and the intermediate world all belong to the Pure Essence of Allah.And, you should also do know that your Lord has not been, and is not, forgetful. The verse says: “…And your Lord is not forgetful.”

i The Commentary of Qurtabi, vol. 6, p.4168, and Majma‘-ul-Bayan

The Quran Verse of the Week: Quran 19:64: Sunni Tafsirs On Quran 19:64

The Quran Verse of the Week

[Gabriel said],‘We only descend [with revelation] at your Lord’s command––everything before us, everything behind us, everything in between, all belongs to Him––your Lord is never forgetful. (19:64)

After looking up the reason for revelation, (ideally) the larger history surrounding the time in which the verse was revealed, related Quran verses, and ahadith, we are now ready to turn our attention to what some of the great masters of tafsir have to say about this verse.

In this post we are going to take a look at the interpretations of two classic Sunni tafsirs, Tafsir al-Jalalayn and The Tafsir of Ibn Abbas.

The following are taken from Tafsir al-Jalalayn translated by Feras Hamza and Tafsir of Ibn Abbas translated by Mokrane Guezzou, respectively. Both of these can be found online, for free, at http://www.altafsir.com/

Tafsir al-Jalalayn

When the Revelation did not come for a number of days, the Prophet (s) said to Gabriel, ‘What prevents you from visiting us more often than you do?’ and so the following was revealed: And We do not descend except by the commandment of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us, namely, ahead of us, of the affairs of the Hereafter, and all that is behind us, of the affairs of this world, and all that is between those [two], namely, all that takes place from this [point in] time until the coming of the Hour, in other words, to Him belongs knowledge of all of those things. And your Lord is never forgetful, meaning that He is never neglectful of you [even] when the Revelation is postponed from [being sent to] you.ⁱ

Tafsir of Ibn Abbas

(We (angels) come not down) from heaven (save by commandment of thy Lord) O Muhammad. Gabriel said this when Allah withheld the revelation from him for a while after being asked by the Quraysh about the spirit, the two-horned (Dhu’l-Qarnayn) and the people of the Cave. (Unto Him belongs all that is before us) of the matter of the Hereafter (and all that is behind us) of the matter of this worldly life (and all that is between those two) between the two blowings of the Trumpet, (and your Lord was never forgetful) your Lord has not forgotten you since He first sent you the Revelation.ⁱⁱ

iTafsir al-Jalalayn translated by Hamza 19:64

iiTafsir of Ibn Abbas translated by Guezzou 19:64

The Quran Verse of the Week: Quran 19:64: Tafsir By Ahadith

The Quran Verse of the Week

[Gabriel said],‘We only descend [with revelation] at your Lord’s command––everything before us, everything behind us, everything in between, all belongs to Him––your Lord is never forgetful. (19:64)

What are Ahadith?

The ahadith are a collection of traditions containing sayings of the prophet Muhammad that, with accounts of his daily practice (the Sunna), constitute the major source of guidance for Muslims apart from the Quran. There are many different collections of ahadith and many of the major traditions in Islam have their own collections. In Sunni Islam the most important collection is that of Imam Al-Bukhari, while in Shia Islam it is Al-Kafi. It is not completely segregated however, as some Shia Muslims, such as the Zaidi, in addition to using their own collections, also use Sunni collections as well.ⁱ The Shia ahadith are like their Sunni counterparts, except that in addition to the words of the Prophet, they contain the sayings of his house as well. All groups that identify as Muslims accept ahadith, in some form, except for the Quranists (Also known as Quran alone Muslims and Hadith Rejectors).

Tafsir of Quran 19:64 by some Ahadith

[Note: I make no claim to authenticity (or lack thereof) in regards to the following ahadith]

(It has been narrated) from Amir-ul-Momineen – in a Hadeeth regarding the answer to the doubt – said: ‘And as for His Words [19:64] and your Lord was not forgetful, so our Lord Blessed and High is Higher and Greater, is not One with the forgetfulness, nor negligence, but He is the Knowledgeable Protector. And the Arabs are saying with regards to the matter of the forgetfulness, ‘So and so has forgotten us, so he does not remember us’; i.e., he does not order us any good, nor does he remembers us by it’.ⁱⁱ

‘I asked Al-Reza Ali Bin Musa about the Words of Allah Mighty and Majestic [9:67] They have forgotten Allah; so He has forgotten them. So he said: ‘Allah Blessed and High, neither forgets nor does He slip, but rather it is the creatures who forget and have slip of mind. Have you not heard the Mighty and Majestic [19:64] and your Lord is not forgetful? But rather, He Recompenses the one who forgets Him and forgets his meeting Him on the Day (of Judgement) by Making them forget themselves, just as the Mighty and Majestic Said [59:19] And be not like those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget their own souls: these it is that are the transgressors, and the Words of the Mighty and Majestic [7:51] That day shall We Forget them as they forgot the meeting of this Day of theirs’.ⁱⁱⁱ

iArticle by Sayyid ‘Ali ibn ‘Ali Al-Zaidi, A short History of the Yemenite Shi‘ites (2005).

iiTafsir Hub Ali 19:64

iiiIbid.

The Quran Verse of the Week: Quran 19:64: Tafsir of the Quran by the Quran

The Quran Verse of the Week

[Gabriel said],‘We only descend [with revelation] at your Lord’s command––everything before us, everything behind us, everything in between, all belongs to Him––your Lord is never forgetful. (19:64)

[Note continuing from yesterday’s post, normally, when doing tafsir, my next preferred step after finding the reason(s) for revelation for a verse is to use said reason(s) to locate it in a greater historical context. Unfortunately I am unable to locate the incident given in the Asbab Al-Nuzul literature in any of the major biographies of the Prophet, such as Ibn Ishaq’s, Tabari’s, or Ibn Saad’s. So for this week we will skip to the next step, and jump straight into tafsir.]

The Most Authoritative Form of Tafsir: Tafsir of the Quran by the Quran

Quite often themes and ideas are repeated in the Quran. This method of tafsir takes advantage of this and uses one occurrence of an idea or theme in one place to further elaborate on its mention in another verse. To put it another way:

“The best way to interpret the Qur’ān is by the Qur’ān. For what is elliptical (ujmila) in one place is explained more fully in another and what is in summary form in one place is expounded in another.”

–Ibn Taymiyya, Muqaddima, 93a

Some General Examples of Tafsir of the Quran by the Quran

Example 1. When Was The Quran Sent Down?

“truly We sent it [the Quran] down on a blessed night––We have always sent warnings––“ (44:3)

This verse talks about the sending of the Quran, but what night exactly is the blessed night that it was sent down?

Verse 97:1 has the answer: “We sent it down on the Night of Glory.” (97:1)

From these two verse we can conclude that the Quran was sent down on the blessed Lailat al-Qadr (translated above as the Night of Glory).

Example 2. How Severe are Hardships?

“Do you suppose that you will enter the Garden without first having suffered like those before you? They were afflicted by misfortune and hardship, and they were so shaken that even [their] messenger and the believers with him cried, ‘When will God’s help arrive?’ Truly, God’s help is near.” (2:214)

This verse was revealed about the Battle of the Trench and the hardships faced by the Muslims then. From this incident it puts forth the notion that life, even for, no, especially for the righteous is filled with hardships and tests. How bad can this suffering get? According to this verse so bad that even the people’s messenger cried out. But exactly how bad is this?

Verse 2:286 offers an answer: “God does not burden any soul with more than it can bear: each gains whatever good it has done, and suffers its bad” (2:286)

Interpreting these verses together we can reach the following comforting conclusion: We are going to suffer in this life, if we hope to reach the Garden. Even those closest to God, the prophets suffered, so if it is true for them it is more so true for us. Even with this however, God tells us that though we may face trials, it will not be more than we can handle, and even then God’s help is near.

Tafsir of Quran 19:64 by the Quran

“your Lord has not forsaken you [Prophet], nor does He hate you,” (93:3)

In this verse we can see that the Prophet, like in verse 19:64, is troubled by an extended pause in revelation. Interpreting these verses through one another we can come to the conclusion that the revelation only comes when God is ready to send it, and though it may take a long time, it does not mean He had forgotten, forsaken, or that He hated the Prophet.

“‘those who took their religion for distraction, a mere game, and were deluded by worldly life.’ Today We shall ignore them, just as they have ignored their meeting with this Day and denied Our Revelations.” (7:51)

In this verse, God is talking about ignoring people, as they had ignored Him previously. Interpreting this verse through 19:64, we can deduce that on the Day of Judgement, God will ignore those people for what they had done. To those people it may seem like God has forgotten them, as the ignored may sometimes believe is the case with the one who ignores, yet God reminds them in 19:64, “Your Lord is never forgetful.”

“Moses said, ‘My Lord alone has knowledge of them, all in a record; my Lord does not err or forget.’” (20:52)

In this verse Moses expands on the idea that “Your Lord is never forgetful.” Not only does He not forget, which is an err, He does not err in other regard. Not only does He never forget, but He has knowledge of all things.

Quran Verse of the Week: Quran 19:64: Reason For Revelation

The Quran Verse of the Week:

[Gabriel said],‘We only descend [with revelation] at your Lord’s command––everything before us, everything behind us, everything in between, all belongs to Him––your Lord is never forgetful. (19:64, Haleem Translation)

Reason for Revelation

When wanting to gain a deeper insight into the meaning of a Quranic verse it is important to look at the Asbab Al-Nuzul, or the reason for revelation. Knowing this can give us several benefits:

1) Can shed light on the application of the verse, such as if it is meant for general time/place/people or a specific time/place/person(s).

2) It tells us what was going on in the Prophet’s life the moment it was revealed. Knowing this can reveal the objective of the verse.

3)Knowing this can allow us to locate the moment verse was revealed in the greater historical setting. In other words if we know the moment the verse was sent down we can look at what was going on around the same time in the Life of the Prophet, The Muslim community, and the general history of Arabia and the greater Middle East.

Some notes on Reason for Revelation literature

1) There are multiple sources for Reasons for Revelation literature, it can be found in numerous tafsir, as well as several collections dedicated to the Reason for Revelation.

2) Most groups that identify as Muslim accept this literature except for most “Quranists” who dismiss such narratives as fabrications.

3) While different groups rely on different sources for their Reason for Revelation, it is not uncommon to find that the various traditions agree on the reason. Their sources draw on common traditions. On the other hand, while the reasons given below for Quran 19:64 agree, this is not always the case. There is sometimes not only disagreement between two sects, such as Sunni and Shia, but also within the sects as well.

Reason for Revelation for Quran 19:64

(We (angels) come not down save by commandment of thy Lord…) [19:64]. Isma’il ibn Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Hamawayh informed us> Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ma’mar al-Shami> Ishaq ibn Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Rus’ani> his grandfather> al-Mughirah> ‘Umar ibn Dharr> his father> Sa’id ibn Jubayr> Ibn ‘Abbas who said: “The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said [to Gabriel, peace be upon him]: ‘O Gabriel, what prevents you from visiting us more often than you do?’ And so this verse was revealed (We (angels) come not down save by commandment of thy Lord. Unto Him belongeth all that is before us and all that is behind us and all that is between those two, and thy Lord was never forgetful). This was a response to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace”. This was narrated by Bukhari from Abi Nu’aym from ‘Umar ibn Dharr. Mujahid said: “The angel [Gabriel] took quite a while to come to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace. When he finally came to him he said: ‘Did I take too long to come to you?’ The Prophet said he did, upon which the angel said: ‘Why should I not delay my coming when you [the community of the believers] do not polish your teeth by using small sticks (siwak), do not cut your nails and do not clean the joints of your fingers’. And then he added (We (angels) come not down save by commandment of thy Lord…)”. ‘Ikrimah, al-Dahhak, Qatadah, Muqatil and al-Kalbi said: “Gabriel, peace be upon him, failed to come to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, when his people asked him about the people of the Cave, Dhu’l-Qarnayn and the Spirit. He did not know what to answer them and was hoping that Gabriel, peace be upon him, would come to him with an answer. When his coming was delayed, the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, was very aggrieved. When Gabriel, peace be upon him, finally came, the Prophet said to him: ‘You delayed your coming so much that I had some misgivings, and I have missed you’. Gabriel, peace be upon him, said: ‘I have missed you more but I am only a slave who obeys orders. When I am sent, I come; and when I am kept back, I remain where I am kept’. Allah, exalted is He, then revealed (We (angels) come not down save by commandment of thy Lord…)”.

(Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi treanslated BY Mokrane Guezzou)

Upon the preceding verse, a group of commentators have said that the descent of the revelations of Allah was discontinued for a few days, Gabriel, the harbinger of divine revelation, did not come to the Prophet (S). After this period, when Gabriel came to the Prophet (S) he asked him why he delayed and he (the Prophet) was anxious to see him.

Gabriel said:

“I am more anxious (to see you), but I am a commissioned servant. When I am commanded to come, I come; and when I am not commanded, I restrain (to come).”

(The Commentary of Qurtabi, vol. 6, p.4168 cited in An Enlightening Commentary into the Light of the Holy Quran vol. 9 compiled under the direction of Ayatullah Allamah Al-Hajj Sayyid Kamal Faqhih Imani)

Soul Food For The Week Of 10/29/2014

Soul food is a weekly collection of verses, stories, and quotes from various traditions to meditate on. All verses from the Hebrew Bible, Deuterocanonical books, and New Testament, unless otherwise noted, are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). All verses from the Quran, unless otherwise noted, are from the MAS Abdel Haleem Translation.

Jewish

Torah

“Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”                                                                                                                                   -Exodus 20:12

Talmud

“All my life I have been raised among the wise, and I have found nothing better for the body than silence. The essential thing is not study, but deed. And one who speaks excessively brings on sin.”                                                                                                  -Ethics Of The Fathers 1:16

Deuteroncanon and Pseudepigrapha

Listen every day to the words of your father and mother,                                                                  and seek not to offend and dishonor them;                                                                                             for the son who dishonors and offends his father and mother,                                                             God ponders his death and his misfortune.                                                                                     Honor your father in the proper way.                                                                                                         -Sentences Of The Syriac Menander 20-24

Other

A man appreciates the love of his grandchildren more than the love of his own children.                      -Zohar

Christian

New Testament

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”–this is the first commandment with a promise: “so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.                                                                                                                             -Ephesians 6:1-4

Church Fathers

Children, obey your parents, and have an affection for them, as workers together with God for your birth [into the world].                                                                                                                                -Ignatius, The Epistle Of Ignatius To The Philadelphians

New Testament Apocrypha

If you take on the guardianship of orphans, you will be the father of many children (and) you will be beloved of God.                                                                                                                                       -The Sentences of sextus 340

Other

Honor your parents and the lord will honor you.                                                                                      -Woodrow Kroll

Islamic

Quran

Your Lord has commanded that you should worship none but Him, and that you be kind to your parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, say no word that shows impatience with them, and do not be harsh with them, but speak to them respectfully and lower your wing in humility towards them in kindness and say, ‘Lord, have mercy on them, just as they cared for me when I was little.’ Your Lord knows best what is in your heart.                                                                                  -Quran 17:23-25

Hadith Al-Qudsi

A man sinned greatly against himself, and when death came to him he charged his sons, saying: When I have died, burn me, then crush me and scatter [my ashes] into the sea, for, by Allah, if my Lord takes possession of me, He will punish me in a manner in which He has punished no one [else]. So they did that to him. Then Allah said to the earth: Produce what you have taken and there he was! And Allah said to him: What induced you to do what you did? He said: Being afraid of You, O my Lord (or he said: Being frightened of You) and because of that Allah forgave him.                                                                                                                                                                   -Hadith Al-Qudsi 32, related by Muslim, Al-Bukhari, An-Nasa’i, and Ibn Majah

Hadith

“A sin that accelerates death and annihilation of man is breaking off paying visits to one’s own relatives.”                                                                                                                                                 -Majlisi, Bihārul Anwār, vol.74, p.94

Sufism

“Pride thyself on what virtue thou hast, and not on thy parentage”                                                          -Muslih-uddin Sadi

Other

“There is no love like a mother’s nor a place like your homeland.”                                                          -Turkish Proverb

Other Wisdom

Which is the greatest service? The service of parents is the greatest. Which is the greatest of charges? The charge of oneself is the greatest. I have heard of keeping oneself, and thus being able to serve one’s parents. But I have not heard of failing to keep oneself, and yet being able to serve one’s parents.                                                                                                                                         -Mencius, IV, 19

This is the reason why mothers are more devoted to their children than fathers: it is that they suffer more in giving them birth and are more certain that they are their own.                                            -Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, 9, 7

Soul Food For The Week Of 10/15/14

Soul food is a weekly collection of verses, stories, and quotes from various traditions to meditate on. All verses from the Hebrew Bible, Deuterocanonical books, and New Testament, unless otherwise noted, are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). All verses from the Quran, unless otherwise noted, are from the MAS Abdel Haleem Translation.

Jewish

Torah

And you shall hallow the fiftieth year and you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you: you shall return, every one of you, to your property and every one of you to your family.                                                                                                                        -Leviticus 25:10

Talmud

“Assume for yourself a master; stay away from doubt; and do not accustom yourself to tithe by estimation.”                                                                                                             -Ethics of The Fathers 1:16

Deuterocanon and Pseudepigrapha

Do not say, “Who can have power over me?” for the Lord will surely punish you.                                  -Sirach 5:3

Other

“Every virtuous man is free.”                                                                                                                    -Philo Of Alexandria, Every Good Man is Free 1

Christian

New Testament

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”                                  -James 4:7

Church Fathers

This was done that all might know that those who are of a double mind, and who distrust the power of God, bring down judgment on themselves26 and become a sign to all succeeding generations.       -1 Clement 11:25-26

New Testament Apocrypha

He who will know our great Power will become invisible, and fire will not be able to consume him. But it will purge and destroy all of your possessions. For everyone in whom my form will appear will be saved, from (the age of) seven days up to one hundred and twenty years. (Those) whom I constrained to gather all that is fallen – and the writings of our great Power, in order that he may inscribe your name in our great light – and their thoughts and their works may be ended, that they may be purged, and be scattered and be destroyed, and be gathered in the place which no one in it sees. But you will see me, and you will prepare your dwelling places in our great Power.                     -The Concept Of Our Great Power

Other

“The man who hastens to the Lord, and desires to be directed by Him, that is, who makes his own will depend upon God’s, who moreover cleaves so closely to the Lord as to become (as the apostle says) ‘one spirit’ with Him, does all this by nothing else than by his freedom of will.”                             -Pelagius, Defense of The Freedom Of The Will

Islamic

Quran

“Control of the heavens and earth belongs to God: and to God is the final return.”                               -Quran 24:42

Hadith Al-Qudsi

“My love is obliged to those who love each other for My sake, who sit with each other for My sake, who visit each other for My sake, and who give to each other generously for My sake.”                       -Al-Muwattah, Volume 51, Hadith 15

Hadith

“Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than anyone of you is pleased with finding his camel which he had lost in the desert.”                                                                                             -Al-Bukhari, Book 75, Volume 8, Hadith 321

Sufism

Why ponder thus the future to foresee,                                                                                             and jade your brain to vain perplexity?                                                                                                  Cast off your care,                                                                                                                                      leave Allah’s plans to him                                                                                                                            – He formed them all without consulting thee.                                                                                       -Omar Khayyam, Three Cops of Tea, Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

Other

“Things don’t just happen by accidents.”                                                                                                -Swahili Proverb

Other Wisdom

“Everything has its own destiny, and it is for us to accept our destiny in its true form.”                          -Mencius, VII, 2

“Thus said the maiden Lachesis, the daughter of Necessity: ‘You short-lived souls, a new generation of men shall here begin the cycle of its mortal existence. Your destiny shall not be allotted to you, but you shall choose it for yourselves… The responsibility lies with the chooser. Heaven is guiltless.’          -Plato, Republic, X, 617

Eid al-Adha

To my beloved readers please forgive the fact that this is not the post I promised last week. When I had made that promise I forgot that Sunday, the day I dedicate to working on my posts, was a major Islamic holiday, Eid al-Adha. This post is dedicated to that holiday and my experience. What follows is a description of what the holiday is, my experiences, and a few videos I made of the sacrificing ceremony. I must caution any one who is squeamish or are very sensitive over animals not to watch these videos or view the pictures. That being said I highly encourage all Muslims, especially those who never had the chance to see this ritual to watch them. I would also highly encourage all of my Jewish and Christian readers to watch them as well. This ritual is how the patriarchs made sacrifices and is similar to what was done in the Jerusalem temple, watching this will give you a better appreciation and understanding of your scriptures.

What is Eid al-Adha

Eid al-Adha is celebrated by Muslims worldwide each year. It commemorates the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, as an act of submission to God’s command, God then intervened and provided Abraham with a lamb to sacrifice instead. The meat from the sacrificed animal is preferred to be divided into three parts. The family retains one third of the share; another third is given to relatives, friends and neighbors; and the remaining third is given to the poor and needy. In the lunar-based Islamic calendar, Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah and lasts for three days. In the international Gregorian calendar, the dates vary from year to year, drifting approximately 11 days earlier each year.

My Experience of Eid al-Adha

I was very excited to see the goats and cows get slaughtered and had been waiting for it with much anticipation. I had wanted to see this for both spiritual and academic reasons. I am Muslim man, but also I am a secular scholar who has studied Judaism, Christianity, and Islam for the later half of my life. I have never had the chance to witness something like this. This is very similar to how the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, and their children would have sacrificed goats, as well as very similar to how the sacrifices were done in the Jerusalem Temple. This ritual in particular was connected to Abraham, it goes back to when God asked him to sacrifice his son. Seeing that he was willing to, God stopped him and commanded him to sacrifice a goat or ram instead.

Once I got there to the Masjid (mosque), the slaughterers were in the process of slaughtering a cow. As the cow lay dying it looked up at me. At that moment I had to walk away. It had nearly brought me to tears. I had to pause and reassess the situation, myself, and my view. The problem was that I was a 27 year old, white American, viewing a ritual that likely originated thousands of years ago in the ancient Near/Middle East, through the eyes of a modern American. In order to appreciate this I had to try to see it the way it would have been originally viewed.

The cow that looked at me.

After getting myself together, I viewed quite a few more ritual slaughterings of goats and cows. When an animal is to be killed, the butcher makes sure his knife is sharp and perfect, to make sure the animal suffers as little as possible. The animal is tied up with their neck laid over a hole. The phrase “Allahu Akbar” is recited, then their throat is sliced. The meat is then divided up and distributed to the poor and needy.

A goat being butchered to divide up its meat.

What really surprised me more than anything was how much of a spectator event, this ritual slaughter was. More so I was amazed that there were children, some were just two or three years old, who eagerly awaited the ritual. Not only were they excited to see it, they also joined in in saying “Allahu Akbar”. They sat around eating snacks, drinking juice, and joking. Though I was uneasy at first, by the time I left I was very grateful that I had the opportunity to witness this ritual. I feel as though I have a somewhat improved understanding of the world view of the prophets.

Children watching a cow get slaughtered.

Most children were not bothered by the ritual, but one was.

Videos

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iastXyg5cOU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxtDPP-WOaA

Soul Food For The Week Of 10/8/14

Soul food is a weekly collection of verses, stories, and quotes from various traditions to meditate on. All verses from the Hebrew Bible, Deuterocanonical books, and New Testament, unless otherwise noted, are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). All verses from the Quran, unless otherwise noted, are from the MAS Abdel Haleem Translation.

Jewish

Torah

“Do not let anything devoted to destruction stick to your hand, so that the LORD may turn from his fierce anger and show you compassion, and in his compassion multiply you, as he swore to your ancestors”                                                                                                                                               -Deuteronomy 13:17

Talmud

“Scholars, be careful with your words. For you may be exiled to a place inhabited by evil elements [who will distort your words to suit their negative purposes]. The disciples who come after you will then drink of these evil waters and be destroyed, and the Name of Heaven will be desecrated.”                                                                                                -Ethics Of The Fathers 1:11

Pseudepigrapha

 Destroy all wrong from the face of the earth and let every evil work come to an end: and let the plant of righteousness and truth appear: and it shall prove a blessing; the works of righteousness and truth’ shall be planted in truth and joy for evermore.                                                                             -1 Enoch 10:16

Other

“The more difficult your challenges, the higher you can elevate spiritually and the more the Creator must add to your spiritual weights, knowing full well that you will be able to lift them.”                          – Karen Berg

Christian

New Testament

“Do not seek your own advantage, but that of the other.”

-1 Corinthians 10:24

Church Fathers

“Knowing that God is faithful and mighty, have faith in him and you will share what is his. If you are depressed, you do not believe. We all believe that he is mighty and we believe all is possible to him. As for your own affairs, behave with faith in him about them, too, for he is able to work miracles in you also.”                                                                                                                                      -Abba Euprepius

New Testament Apocrypha

His disciples said, “Show us the place where you are, for we must seek it.”                                           He said to them, “Anyone here with two ears had better listen! There is light within a person of light, and it shines on the whole world. If it does not shine, it is dark.”                                                            -The Gospel Of Thomas 24

Other

“Everything good, and everything evil, on account of which we are either laudable or blameworthy, is not born with us but done by us: for we are born not fully developed, but with a capacity for either conduct; and we are procreated as without virtue, so also without vice; and previous to the action of our own proper will, that alone is in man which God has formed.”                                                         -Pelagius, Defense of The Will, Book 1

Islamic

Quran

“Say [Prophet], ‘Bad cannot be likened to good, though you may be dazzled by how abundant the bad is. Be mindful of God, people of understanding, so that you may prosper.’”                                    -Quran 5:100

Hadith Al-Qudsi

“There are three whose adversary I shall be on the Day of Resurrection: a man who has given his word by Me and has broken it; a man who has sold a free man and has consumed the price; and a man who has hired a workman, has exacted his due in full from him and has not given him his wage.”                                                                                                                                                     -Hadith Al-Qudsi 21, Related by Al-Bukhari, Ibn Majah, and Ahmad Ibn Hanbal

Hadith

Abu Muntafiq said, “O Messenger of Allah, teach me what will save me from Allah’s punishment and enter me into Paradise.”                                                                                                                     The Messenger of Allah said, “Worship Allah and do not associate anything with Him, establish the prescribed prayers, give the obligatory charity, (and I think he said) fast the month of Ramadan, and however you love for the people to treat you, then treat them that way, and however you hate for the people to treat you, then do not treat them that way.”                                                                             -Al-Mu’jam Al-Kabeer At-Tabarani, Hadith 15833

Sufism

“As far as you can avoid it, do not give grief to anyone. Never inflict your rage on another. If you hope for eternal rest, feel the pain yourself; but don’t hurt others.” 
-Omar Khayyam, Quatrains

Other

“Three traits you cannot live in happiness if you have them: hatred, envy and ill manners.”                  -Ali ibn Abu Talib

Other Wisdom

“The real tragedy of life is not in what is or what is not, but in what could have been if only they had been slightly different. Without imagination, there would be no tragedy, and those with the deepest imagination feel the tragedy most deeply of all.”                                                                                                                    -Plato, Letters to my Son

“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”                                                                                       -Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

Soul Food For The Week Of 10/01/14

Soul food is a weekly collection of verses, stories, and quotes from various traditions to meditate on. All verses from the Hebrew Bible, Deuterocanonical books, and New Testament, unless otherwise noted, are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). All verses from the Quran, unless otherwise noted, are from the MAS Abdel Haleem Translation.

Jewish

Torah

“And he believed the LORD; and the LORD reckoned it to him as righteousness.”                                                -Genesis 15:6

Talmud

“Love work, loath mastery over others, and avoid intimacy with the government.”                         -Ethics Of The Fathers 1:10

Deuterocanonical Literature and Pseudepigrapha

“Revere the Lord all your days, my son, and refuse to sin or to transgress his commandments. Live uprightly all the days of your life, and do not walk in the ways of wrongdoing; for those who act in accordance with truth will prosper in all their activities. To all those who practice righteousness give alms from your possessions, and do not let your eye begrudge the gift when you make it. Do not turn your face away from anyone who is poor, and the face of God will not be turned away from you. If you have many possessions, make your gift from them in proportion; if few, do not be afraid to give according to the little you have.”                                                -Tobit 4:5-8

Other

“Every human being has been given free-will. If he wishes to incline himself towards the good way and to be righteous, he is free to do so; and if he wishes to incline himself towards the evil way and to be wicked he is free to do that… Every individual is capable of being righteous like Moses or wicked like Jeroboam, wise or foolish, merciful or cruel, mean or generous.”                   -Moses Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, 5.1–3

Christian

New Testament

“It is what comes out of a person that defiles. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”                                                                                                                                                         -The Gospel Of Mark 7:20-23

Church Fathers

“My child, flee from every evil and everything that resembles it.”                                                                         -Didache 3:1

New Testament Apocrypha

“Faith receives, love gives. [No one can receive] without faith, no one can give without love. Therefore we believe in order that indeed we shall receive, yet we love in order that we may truly give. Otherwise, if someone gives without love, he derives no benefit from giving.”                 -Gospel Of Philip 49

Other

“By perfection, I mean the humble, patient, gentle love of God and our neighbour, ruling our tempers, words and actions.”                                                                                                                       -John Wesley, A Plain Account of Christian Perfection

Islamic

Quran

“[How] prosperous are the believers! Those who pray humbly, who shun idle talk, who pay the prescribed alms, 5 who guard their chastity except with their spouses”                                              -Quran 23:1-5

Hadith Al-Qudsi

Allah says: The first of his actions for which a servant of Allah will be held accountable on the Day of Resurrection will be his prayers. If they are in order, then he will have prospered and succeeded: and if they are wanting, then he will have failed and lost. If there is something defective in his obligatory prayers, the Lord will say: See if My servant has any supererogatory prayers with which may be completed that which was defective in his obligatory prayers. Then the rest of his actions will be judged in like fashion.                              -Hadith Al Qudsi 9, related by Al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, An-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Ahmad.

Hadith

“Consideration is from God, and haste is from the devil.”                                                                                        -Al-Bayhaqi

Sufism

“Brother, stand the pain.
Escape the poison of your impulses.
The sky will bow to your beauty, if you do.
Learn to light the candle. Rise with the sun.
Turn away from the cave of your sleeping.
That way a thorn expands to a rose.”
-Rumi, The Essential Rumi

Other

Abu Hanifa said to Al-Sadiq: Abu Abd Allah, how patient you are during the prayers!                                     He said: Woe unto you! Nu’man, do not you know that the prayer is the sacrifice of the God- fearing, the hajj (pilgrim) is the jihad of the weak, every thing has Zakat and the Zakat of the body is fasting, the best act is to wait the ease from Allah, the propagandist without act is like the archer without string? So, memorize these words, Nu’man.

Other Wisdom

Master K’ung said, He who could put the Five into practice everywhere under Heaven would be Good.        Tzu-Chang begged to hear what these were.                                                                                                      The Master said, Courtesy, breadth, good faith, diligence, and clemency.                                                              -Confucius, Analects, XVII, 6

“A man should be of good cheer about his soul…if he has earnestly pursued the pleasure of learning, and adorned his soul with the adornment of temperance, and justice, and courage, and freedom, and truth.”              -Plato, Phaedo, 114