Messenger Audio 30.1 (7-Jan-1983)

00:00 Adhan 01:00 Person giving sermon (not Rashad) Discuss alteration of the Bible

(0:03) O people of the Quran, (0:04) O people of the Quran, (0:15) O Allah! (0:33) Praise is only for Allah, (0:35) Praise is only for Allah, (0:37) Who has given us faith and Islam. (0:39) I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, (0:41) and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. (0:52) I'm afraid that this kutba is going to be a little bit longer than this one, and I'll (1:00) try to be very fast. (1:03) So I beg of you, your attention and concentration. (1:07) I'll have to go very fast. (1:10) The kutba, the first part, will deal with the methodology or technique in understanding (1:19) better, or understanding the Qur'an, or how to get more out of the Qur'an. (1:26) The second kutba will be dedicated to just one example, to illustrate the point I've (1:32) seen in the first kutba. (1:36) Now let me just remind you about three quotations from the Qur'an. (1:41) Do you know this very well? (1:44) The staff has repeated and re-repeated it. (1:47) So let me repeat it again. (1:50) First, we did not leave anything out of this scripture or book. (1:58) Surah 638. (2:01) Remember that. (2:02) Second, shall I seek other than God a source of law, when He revealed to you this book (2:10) fully detailed? (2:12) The word of your Lord is complete in truth and justice. (2:19) Surah 638. (2:22) The third one. (2:25) After saying that he and Allah have put the Qur'an together, after reciting it, we say (2:31) then it is we who will explain it. (2:35) I think it is very clear. (2:37) Allah says He has not left anything out of this scripture. (2:40) It is complete, perfect, detailed, and He will explain it. (2:45) After He reveals, or after the recitation. (2:51) These quotations clearly imply that the questions raised by the Qur'an, see the Qur'an raises (2:56) questions, or questions raised by Muslims, the answers of these will be found in the (3:07) Qur'an itself. (3:09) If we take these quotations the way Allah presents it to us, it means if the Qur'an (3:14) raises a question, or if we raise a question, the answer must be found in the Qur'an. (3:22) I hope you agree with me on that point. (3:24) If not, then just listen to what I have to say. (3:31) Now, we must not talk in the Qur'an for irrelevant or insignificant things. (3:38) Let us not go to the Qur'an to find out a recipe for chicken curry, or Afghan pilaf, (3:46) etc. (3:49) But, certainly, if you know the Qur'an enough, the Qur'an tells us do not serve poisoned (3:54) curry to your friends, or to your enemies, etc. (3:58) On the contrary, if you are cooking curry and you have a hungry guest, you serve him, (4:03) you feed him, feed the hungry. (4:07) The Qur'an in many instances says that men of understanding know, or will come to know, (4:14) the revelations of Allah. (4:17) So it seems that there is another way of knowing the Qur'an, even of understanding. (4:21) But this is apparent, because if we ask the question, who are men of understanding? (4:27) They are the righteous. (4:29) And who are the righteous? (4:30) They are the believers, and they are those who study the Qur'an. (4:34) So either Allah explains it to you directly, and you will know the answer, or you have (4:41) understanding, but the men of understanding is one who goes to the Qur'an. (4:44) So in any case, the answer is indeed the Qur'an. (4:48) I hope this is a logical technique. (4:51) If A gives you B, and not A gives you B, since either A or not A, in any case, it is B. (4:58) So it is the Qur'an, in any case. (5:01) Whether Allah tells it to you directly, or you use your understanding, it is still the Qur'an. (5:07) Yet, there are dangers, or obstacles, or warnings, which I think we should mention, in trying (5:15) to get explanations to our questions, or to get further elucidation to Qur'anic verses. (5:24) The first warning. (5:26) But this is just my opinion, it is up to you to accept it or not. (5:31) First is, too much emphasis on the Jewish Bible in making us understand the Qur'an. (5:42) I said too much emphasis. (5:45) The Bible, the Jewish Bible in particular, has been edited, re-edited, and re-re-edited, (5:54) in its final form, only 150 years before Christ, after the Babylonian captivity. (6:03) That is after Ezra edited it, described, re-edited it. (6:10) Now this is accepted by the biblical scholars. (6:16) And Muslims must not have an inferiority complex, by depending so much on the Jewish scriptures. (6:27) Or, the other way around, Muslims should not be so proud that they know so much about the Jewish Bible. (6:35) Because you'll find out, if you read the tafsirs of our ancestors, anything that is difficult in the Qur'an to them, (6:45) they call the Bible, not so much to help us understand the Qur'an, but to show that they know so much about the Jewish Bible. (6:54) And in trying to show so much that they know about the Jewish Bible, they begin to forget the whole Qur'an. (7:00) Now this happens to various Muslims. (7:03) It is a defect which many of us have, including the humble self. (7:09) It's showing off. I notice that. I fall into the trap. (7:12) I always want to show that I know the Bible, at least to show that I didn't waste 12 years in a Catholic school. (7:19) Now we have to be, we have to check ourselves, check our pride, that we know something about the Bible, (7:24) and at the same time, not to have this inferiority complex. (7:28) Because in the first hundred years of Islam, when there were discussions with Christians in Syria and so on, (7:35) the Muslims had to show that they also knew what the Christians knew. (7:39) But this is historical. (7:42) We must also consider that the Jewish Bible serves national purposes, genealogical purposes. (7:51) And that's the meaning of the editing. (7:54) It's always to show that Jews are a distinct people, different from others. (7:59) And this overemphasis that they are the chosen people makes them, in their editing, emphasize more what is to their direct interest. (8:10) Also, it's not at all safe to always explain the Qur'an through the Bible as we now have it. (8:22) But, there is a falsification. (8:25) There is nothing wrong in pointing out certain correspondences between events or incidents or characters in the Qur'an and those in the Bible. (8:37) It's not just a matter of scholarship, but it is a matter of developing our understanding. (8:43) Please do not misunderstand me, brothers and sisters, or sisters and brothers, as it was in Proverbs. (8:51) I was saying we should not consult the Jewish Bible. (8:55) I said let us not overemphasize. (8:57) On the contrary, it is good to show certain correspondences in the final analysis if it helps us understand the Qur'an. (9:06) As long as events are consistent, we're in good. (9:10) But when there are discrepancies, then the Qur'an must be the final one. (9:15) It must supersede the Bible. (9:19) Other things in the Bible can be dismissed as irrelevant to the Qur'anic message. (9:24) Details about rituals, details about sacrifices, the lives of their kings, their adulteries, their incest, all of these things are irrelevant. (9:36) The great danger is to interpret or understand the Qur'an solely, exclusively in terms of the Bible, rather than letting the Qur'an explain itself. (9:47) Or letting Allah explain Himself to the Qur'an. (9:52) This, however, does not mean, as I said, that we must neglect the Bible entirely. (9:57) On the contrary, as I was trying to show, it will be of some help in giving additional information. (10:04) But, as I was trying to show, it is an information that can be reached back by the Qur'an and must be totally consistent with the Qur'an. (10:14) This is to say, that al-Baqir, of course, is consulting the Hadith to explain the Qur'an. (10:22) This is superfluous, eh? (10:25) There are people who use the Hadith to explain the Qur'an. (10:29) I will not give examples of this, because some of them are very comical, I would say. (10:35) In any case, this must be avoided. (10:38) A criteria to guide us is that the Qur'an is flawless, totally consistent, as stated in Surah 18, verse 1. (10:47) The Qur'an also talks about masalams, examples, speaks of allegories, similitudes, analogies, etc., together with direct verses. (10:57) And, let me quote, talking of Allah, (11:01) He is the one who revealed this scripture to you with perfect verses that must be taken literally as constituting the essence of the scripture. (11:12) Other verses are allegorical. (11:16) Mu'tashahibar. (11:18) Those who harbor doubts in their hearts dwell on the allegorical verses, to create confusion and misrepresentation thereof. (11:28) No one knows the correct interpretation thereof except God, and those well-founded in knowledge, those who listen to Allah, and so on. (11:40) And, it's very clear, some people avoid the clear verses of the Qur'an, or rather, they concentrate on the allegories, (11:51) to forget the clear verses of the Qur'an, in order to bring dissension and so on. (11:57) But Allah does not tell us that we should not try to study these allegories. (12:02) We should try to understand these allegories of the Qur'an, but not use them to create dissension. (12:09) One of the ideas here of this verse is that such allegories must not be interpreted in an arbitrary manner, (12:16) so as to cause dissension for religious or sectarian motives. (12:22) Their interpretation must be in terms of the Qur'anic verses, in a consistent or logical manner. (12:31) Allah says, (12:33) In brief, Allah Himself declares that He explains or elucidates His allegories. (12:53) In the second khutba, we will have one example to explain all of these things that we have mentioned along theoretical lines. (13:10) Now, this is one example for your elucidation, or rather not elucidation, for your edification and entertainment. (13:22) One subject only, to illustrate what we have discussed. (13:25) The problem of the nakedness of Adam and Eve. (13:32) All of us, especially we who live in the Western world, are inheritors or victims of Western culture, (13:41) of Western paintings, of Western movies, TVs and so on. (13:46) What do we always see? (13:48) We always see Adam and Eve depicted as physically naked. (13:55) Even before the so-called Torah, there is a movie, I saw a movie, that is the trailer. (14:03) A young boy, a young girl, running. (14:06) Well, there are things around, but naked. (14:09) Then you see Michelangelo's painting, half-open. (14:16) A young man, a young woman, naked. (14:22) So, that is now your mind. (14:27) Now, paradise was a kind of a nudist colony. (14:35) And from this, as well as our reading of the Bible, we begin to accept the second element, (14:46) is that because of this nakedness, they use fake lips. (14:52) Okay? (14:52) Okay? (14:53) I don't know why big lips, I have an answer for that. (14:58) But it is a bit off-color, so I will not say. (15:01) But if you look at the shape of the big lips, it's good enough to cover three aspects of a man's body. (15:08) Okay. (15:10) The Bible specifically mentions fake lips. (15:15) The Koran does not, huh? (15:17) The Koran does not say that Adam and Eve covered themselves with fake lips. (15:23) The Koran only says they covered themselves with leaves of the garden. (15:29) More versatile. (15:33) Now, the Bible says that after the fall, when they covered themselves with fake lips, (15:41) the good Lord taught them how to use skins. (15:45) That's very interesting. (15:47) So Allah, in the Jewish Bible, becomes a tailor. (15:51) He tells Adam and Eve, no, big lips not good enough, skins. (15:56) Maybe the garden was becoming colder. (16:01) What does this Koran say? (16:03) Okay, let's go slowly and carefully. (16:07) Surah 20, verses 117, 118. (16:11) How is it? (16:12) Surah 20, verses 117, 118. (16:16) Allah warns Adam and Eve not to let Satan lead to their evictment from the garden and to cause them misery. (16:29) For in the garden, Adam and Eve were guaranteed food and they were guaranteed that they will not go naked. (16:41) What follows from this is that Adam and Eve in the garden were told not to worry about food and clothing. (16:49) Things that they will have to worry when they are evicted. (16:54) And Allah says, and I quote from the translation of the Quran, (16:59) You are guaranteed that you will not hunger therein nor go naked. (17:05) Conclusion, logical conclusion. (17:08) Adam and Eve were not naked in paradise, okay? (17:15) It's very clear. (17:17) Number two, and Allah says in Surah 7, verse 27, (17:25) O children of Adam, let not the devil mislead you as he evicted your parents from paradise (17:34) and removed their garments in order to show them their bodies. (17:38) This is the start of the translation. (17:40) Others, instead of bodies, say expose their skin, their sinful parts, etc. (17:46) This is something else. I will not talk about that. That is for another time. (17:50) Now, what does Allah say that the devil will remove your garments if you are naked? (17:57) Huh? (17:58) Allah says the devil will remove your garments. (18:01) And you combine that with the verse. (18:03) It's very clear. They have clothes. (18:07) In Surah 7, verse 27, Allah says, very clear, (18:16) that Adam and Eve had garments which Satan removed from them or caused to be removed from them. (18:23) Now, this is a digression. (18:26) Translators, I'm duly influenced by the Bible, put a parenthesis after robe or garment, (18:34) and they say, and Satan took away from them the robes, they put parenthesis, of innocent, (18:41) but Allah never says of innocent. (18:44) He just says the devil took away the robes. (18:48) But translators, because they read the Bible, and they're still thinking of the Bible, (18:52) and with inferiority complex, they say of innocent. (18:55) Because the idea is that Adam and Eve were innocent. (18:59) But I don't think Adam and Eve were that innocent. (19:01) Allah had caused them to be naked. (19:03) Which the angels did not know. (19:05) So, they had no legs. (19:07) There is not a plan to make a piece of junk naked. (19:11) It's more than that. (19:14) Okay. (19:15) Surah 7, again, verse 22, and Surah 21, verse 21, (19:20) it says, that after they had lost their robes or garments, (19:25) they began to cover themselves with leaves of the garden. (19:30) Leaves from paradise. (19:33) And in 7, Surah 7, verse 26, it's very beautiful, (19:39) Allah reveals to them a better garment or raiment. (19:45) Ah, very beautiful. (19:47) You see? (19:48) In Jewish Bible, they were naked, they put fig leaves, (19:53) and Allah says, skins are better. (19:58) They were clothed, they lost their clothes, (20:04) and Adam and Eve made their own clothes on their own. (20:07) It's very important, on their own. (20:10) That's what Allah told them. (20:11) On their own, and Allah says, (20:13) O children of Adam, we have sent down to you, or revealed to you, (20:19) garments to cover your bodies, (20:20) as luxury. (20:24) That's translation. (20:25) Another possibility of luxury, (20:27) to cover your body in a splendid or magnificent manner. (20:32) I don't like the word, the old-school stuff. (20:36) I understand what it means by luxury. (20:38) It's something luxurious. (20:39) It just happens that the word luxury these days, (20:41) has a bad connotation now. (20:43) See, people are trying now to be more gorgeous. (20:45) Nothing luxurious. (20:47) But I understand what the luxury means. (20:51) Splendid or magnificent. (20:53) And Allah says, (20:54) the garment of righteousness is the best. (20:58) Now again, translation from the Quran. (21:00) They say, Allah did not like the leaves of paradise, (21:05) gave them splendid garments, (21:08) and then said, however, (21:10) better than the splendid garments, (21:13) are the garments of righteousness. (21:14) No, this is wrong. (21:17) I think it's bad translation. (21:18) I prefer Ustad's translation, (21:20) when he says, (21:21) the garment of righteousness is the best. (21:24) Ustad did not say that this is another garment. (21:27) Actually, I think, (21:28) the garment of righteousness (21:30) is the very garment which Allah (21:31) gave to Adam and Eve. (21:34) Something that is splendidly magnificent. (21:37) Because the Arabic word is, (21:39) what? (21:40) But again, (21:43) I read translation, (21:44) and because they're influenced by the Hebrew Bible, (21:46) they say, (21:48) Allah, (21:51) the Jewish Bible says, (21:53) leaves, and then Allah gives them skin. (21:56) And in Quran, (21:57) Allah gives them splendid raiment, (22:01) and then says, (22:04) the garments of righteousness (22:06) are better. (22:07) No, these are not the garments of righteousness. (22:09) The splendid vestments are (22:11) the garments of righteousness. (22:14) In other words, (22:14) because Allah (22:17) does not bother with skins (22:19) and so and so, (22:20) He just gave them a garment, (22:22) the garment of righteousness, (22:24) which is better. (22:25) He's also saying, (22:26) better than the fig leaves (22:29) are garments of righteousness. (22:32) These are luxurious, (22:33) magnificent, (22:34) or expensive. (22:37) To me, this is only one wrong. (22:40) One wrong is mentioned (22:41) in Surah 7, verse 26. (22:44) The garments of righteousness (22:45) is the splendid or luxurious garment. (22:49) The Arabic is what? (22:51) End. (22:52) It doesn't say, end something else. (22:54) He could refer to, (22:56) he is good and tall. (22:59) It's not that he's good now, (23:01) then he becomes tall. (23:01) He could be both good and tall. (23:03) But let me not go into this logical aspect. (23:06) Now let's go to the sequence. (23:10) Adam and Eve (23:12) are robed (23:13) in their garments. (23:17) They lost their robes. (23:19) Number three, (23:20) they made their own robes. (23:23) Number four, (23:24) Allah teaches them (23:25) or reveals to them (23:27) the best robes. (23:30) Now, (23:32) the problem of interpretation. (23:35) Allah, forgive me, (23:36) this is not so good. (23:39) Adam and Eve, (23:40) I believe, (23:42) originally wore (23:43) the garments (23:48) of obedience. (23:49) They were wearing the garments (23:50) of obedience (23:51) in a natural state (23:53) or as a natural condition. (23:56) They were just obeying (23:58) because that is how (23:59) they were created, (24:00) just to obey. (24:02) But, as Surah 20, (24:04) verse 21 says, (24:07) Adam disobeyed Allah. (24:09) And thus in Surah 27, (24:12) they lost (24:13) this robe of obedience. (24:19) They disobeyed. (24:20) And that is what (24:21) the Quran says. (24:22) Adam took away from them (24:25) their robes (24:26) because they disobeyed. (24:29) Number three, (24:30) 20, 21. (24:32) Adam and Eve (24:33) robed themselves (24:35) on their own. (24:37) Not very effectively it seems. (24:39) Not very effectively (24:40) because Allah says (24:41) this is not the right one. (24:50) And Allah (24:52) teaches them (24:52) that the garments of righteousness, (24:55) that is the best. (24:57) And He teaches them (24:58) how to wear it. (25:02) And this garment of righteousness (25:04) is like the original garment. (25:06) One of obedience (25:07) but now being taught by Allah (25:10) with the consideration (25:11) that mankind (25:12) has now a free choice (25:14) to wear it (25:16) or not to wear it. (25:17) In other words, (25:18) it must be acquired (25:19) by free will. (25:21) The first garment (25:22) of obedience (25:23) was just given (25:24) to Adam. (25:25) He was not consulted. (25:27) Adam, do you want it or not? (25:28) He was just given (25:29) the garment of obedience. (25:30) But now, (25:31) the garment of righteousness (25:32) is there. (25:34) Do you want it (25:35) or you don't want it? (25:36) The element of free will (25:37) is there. (25:40) And it is very interesting (25:41) because precisely (25:43) in Surah 7, (25:45) 26, (25:45) God says, (25:47) These are God's revelations (25:48) to you (25:49) that you may take heed, (25:51) that you may remember. (25:53) And thus, (25:55) I submit to you (25:56) that the issue (25:58) on what nakedness (26:00) is, (26:01) or shame is, (26:03) with the sense (26:04) or symbolizes (26:04) in the story (26:06) of Adam and Eve (26:07) is something else. (26:09) We have not talked (26:10) about what does (26:10) nakedness mean. (26:11) I did not. (26:12) This is something else. (26:14) I am not going to discuss (26:16) the meaning. (26:18) All what I am pointing out (26:20) here (26:20) is that the issue (26:21) of physical nudity (26:23) or physiological nakedness (26:26) is not the main issue. (26:30) Physical nudity (26:31) is just one instance. (26:34) I am not saying (26:35) it is not involved. (26:36) I am only saying (26:37) that it is only one instance (26:39) among many other things (26:40) that falls under (26:41) the general category (26:43) or issue (26:44) of obedience (26:45) and righteousness. (26:48) Let me (26:48) repeat again. (26:51) I am not denying (26:52) that the element (26:53) of decency (26:54) is involved here. (26:56) I am only saying (26:57) that the element (26:57) of decency (26:58) is only one aspect (27:00) which falls under (27:01) the general category (27:02) of righteousness. (27:04) All right? (27:05) And therefore, (27:06) this emphasis (27:07) about the nakedness (27:08) of Adam and Eve (27:10) is not so important (27:12) to me now. (27:15) It is not (27:16) the main issue. (27:17) It is an issue (27:18) but not the main issue. (27:20) What is an issue (27:21) are really three concepts. (27:23) The concept of (27:23) obedience, (27:25) the concept of (27:25) disobedience, (27:27) and the concept of (27:28) righteousness. (27:29) And may I add, (27:30) righteousness (27:32) taught by Allah (27:33) Himself (27:35) rather than (27:36) man-made definitions (27:37) like the leaves (27:39) of the garden. (27:40) That is man-made. (27:44) Now, (27:45) with your kind (27:46) patience, (27:47) let us go (27:47) further. (27:49) Remember (27:49) three concepts, (27:50) all right? (27:52) Obedience, (27:54) disobedience, (27:55) and righteousness. (27:57) You recall (27:58) a few weeks ago (27:59) there was a discussion (28:00) in one of our (28:01) Quranic sessions. (28:04) I was going to say (28:05) session. (28:06) It almost came out (28:07) as section. (28:10) It has to do (28:11) with Surah (28:12) 95. (28:16) Mustafa mentioned (28:17) this is the Quran. (28:18) What he means (28:19) was the truth (28:25) and the olive, (28:27) and Mount Sinai.