The New Study Quran Raises Questions: Is This an Attempt to "Reform" Islam?

Ten years in the making under the editorship of Seyyed Hossein Nasr, using beautiful font, and published by Harper Collins, the Study Quran is modeled after various Study Bibles, such as the NIV, ESV, NASB, Catholic Study Bible, to name only those.

It is a new translation of the 114 surahs (suras) or chapters. Then on nearly every verse, sometimes down to a phrase or clause within a verse, the team of scholars offers comments.

First, in the General Introduction, Nasr says he wanted to employ only Muslim commentators who accept the Quran as the Word of God. He writes after reluctantly accepting the editorship, “[T]his would be a Muslim effort and that, although the book would be contemporary in language and based on the highest level of scholarship, it would not be determined or guided by assertions presented in studies by non-Muslim Western scholars and orientalists who have studied the Quran profusely as a historical, linguistic, or sociological document, or even a text of religious significance, but do not accept it as the Word of God and an authentic revelation” (xl).

So far I can’t quarrel with this exclusion of non-Muslims scholars who don’t see the Quran as inspired Scripture. I prefer my commentators to believe the Bible is the Word of God and are respectful of it. But there is concern about a deficiency in the “historical, linguistic, and sociological” aspects of the Quran, which respectful Christian scholars in Study Bibles will use

Second, still in the General Introduction, Nasr spells out the basic belief about Quranic inspiration -- dictation, really:

The Quran is for Muslims the verbatim Word of God, revealed during the twenty-three-year period of the prophetic mission of the Prophet Muhammad through the agency of the Archangel Gabriel … The meaning, the language, and every word and letter in the Quran, its sound when recited, and its text written upon various physical surfaces are all considered sacred. (xxiii) …

Does this mean that the Quran is still subjected to historical influences that came through Muhammad’s mind and then into the Quran? Or does that excerpt mean that Allah himself foresaw the historical influences and incorporated it into Gabriel’s verbatim messaging? Or maybe the excerpt says the Quran is too pure to be influenced by history.

Specifically, is there room to interpret some verses in the Quran as only historical, like hand-chopping for grand larceny (high dollar theft), or hitting one’s wife? Both of those examples come from an Arab cultural influence.

http://www.ProphetOfDoom.net

Islam’s Terrorist Dogma in Muhammad’s Own Words

Prophet of Doom is the best-documented, most comprehensive, presentation of Islam’s five oldest and most reliable scriptural sources. Ishaq’s Biography of Muhammad, Tabari’s History of Islam, and Bukhari’s and Muslim’s Hadith, were used to reorder the Qur’an chronologically and to set its surahs into the context of Muhammad’s life. When this evidence is evaluated systematically, the only rational conclusion is that Islam’s lone prophet was a ruthless terrorist, a mass-murderer, a thief, slave trader, rapist and pedophile.

In the New Study’s present form, it is difficult to discern if the goal is to refute or restate. However, just the fact that this Study was written in such a vaque, nebulous, generic and rhetorical manner could mean this is the first tiny step in the direction of reform. No doubt any Iman who advocates reform is going to be afraid of brutal backlash. So they may wait a few years before any further deliberation.

I do believe that even though America is being force fed Muslims now, a large percentage of them will assimilate to a great degree. I think after the first ten years of refugees have settled, they’ll realize we have something in America worth protecting and continuing. I know a number of Muslims who own businesses, and would agree with this pragmatic outlook. The first ten to fifteen years will be the most difficult for everyone.

a large percentage of them will assimilate to a great degree
***************************************

That may be true, the big drawback is the percentage that wants to jihad us into submission, following the example of their prophet.

[ Islam cannot be reformed.
Anyone who tries faces the retribution of Islam.
That usually involves severed heads. ]

Reform = Return to Original Values = ISIS

Islam will either need a REVOLUTION, ie. Throwing out the Violent parts, or it will need EXTINCTION.

“Reform = Return to Original Values = ISIS
Islam will either need a REVOLUTION, ie. Throwing out the Violent parts, or it will need EXTINCTION.”

If you try and throw out the violent parts of Koran and the commentaries on it, you won’t have Islam anymore.

How do you reform something that is demonic? Take away the old warmonger Mohammed, you leave a young Mohammed who tried pushing off a new gospel.

I’m sure the politicians would love to promote a reformed Islam, probably make it a one world religion.

“...they’ll realize we have something in America worth protecting and continuing...”

I think what you’re saying about assimilation was true 50 years ago.
The question now is, if immigrants are to assimilate, then, assimilate into what? What does it even mean to be an American anymore?
Do enough AMERICANS even realize we have something in America worth protecting and continuing?

Any nation, in order to survive, must have a cohesive, unapologetically dominant culture which tolerates minority cultures beneath its umbrella.
Problem is, we’ve allowed every ungrateful nut job minority to attack our generous, gracious, and forgiving Judeo-Christian culture, until our house is so divided against itself it cannot stand.
We’ve allowed indecent savages to persuade us that we’ve nothing decent to defend.
We cannot defeat ISIS with weapons or by promoting bikinis instead of burkas. It’s the Bible’s superiority to the Quran, a culture of life versus culture of death, and if we’re not willing to fight and die for American idealism and exceptionalism, then we are the ones who will be forced to assimilate.

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