Scriptural vagueness is often a sign of dishonesty and inauthenticity
By Sumit Paul, New Age
Islam
10 November 2023
If arguments about
meaning never cease, how can it (The Quran) be called a "clear book"?
By Ghulam Mohiyuddin
08/11/2023
This is a very valid
question. Ali Dashti, an Iranian rationalist and member of the Iranian Senate,
who was one of the most trenchant critics of Islam and its holy book, was of
the view that the Quran was the most vague, repetitive and obscure book. There is
a famous Dutch saying mostly used in Theology, "Hentblenesta brit
menaerpetuvegunaenpitgo" (Scriptural vagueness is often a sign of
dishonesty and inauthenticity, attributed to Benedict Spinoza). Why do the
Quran, The Bible, The Gita and all scriptures require so many abstruse
interpretations? Shouldn't a Book from Allah or god be straightforward? Every
exegete is interpreting The Quran in his own way. There is so much
subjectivity. And what does this rather condescending statement mean: "In
the past, translators lacked modern tools to translate precisely, the intended
meaning"? What are those modern tools a contemporary exegete or
interpreter is supposed to be equipped with? Now when the raging conflict
between Israel and Hamas is going on, a spate of Quranic prophecies and
seemingly paradoxical interpretations of many Quranic verses are also doing the
rounds.
You call your Allah,
all-merciful and benevolent. But at the same time, there are people on whom
Allah's wrath will descend! Didn't Allah create all those people on whom his
wrath will descend? Why should Allah be angry with polytheists? Is he also as
jealous as humans are? Is he also as whimsical, erratic and wayward as all of
us? He will bestow his grace on those who believe in Nabi or Muhammad. Hardly
any non-Muslim believes in Nabi. Will they all be roasted in hellfire? All the
undesirable and inferior human traits are superimposed on a god or Allah,
concocted by primitive humans.
The Quran was written
more than 1400 years ago by the companions of Muhammad. It was the time when
Arabic was not in its linguistically standard form. Arabic was standardized
only after 840 CE. The verses of Al-Furqan 'descended' 200 years before
that. So, it stands to reason that a nebulous language will offer itself to a
variety of interpretations ab initio. I've read The Quran in Arabic and then
read a host of translations and interpretations of its verses. I never found
unanimity or any degree of clarity in the book. Quranic verses lack continuity
and uniformity. The book is awfully chaotic and all over the shop. If that's
the standard of a holy book, one had better avoid it because reading it will
add to your confusion.
Muslims will have to
accept that their desert book needs a thorough revamp in order to get universal
acceptance or else, more and more people will desert this faith. Mind you, this
is already going on with a vengeance.
A regular columnist for
New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with
special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier
publications in several languages including Persian.
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