Verse 106 instructs Muhammad to "turn aside from the pagans." Here and there in this section one can see some indications of Muhammads attitude toward the men of Mecca -- a mixture of disappointment, anger, and fatalistic acceptance. The text alludes to turning aside from unbelievers (v. 106), leaving them (v. 110), leaving them alone (v. 112), and to avoid eating their meat (v. 121). Within a year of this "revelation," Muhammad left Mecca and went to Medina.
Verse 108 says, "Do not insult those whom they worship other than Allah, lest they insult Allah wrongfully without knowledge." The first part of this sentence appears, at first glance, to resemble Exodus 22:28s command against reviling the gods; however, in Exodus, the term "gods" seems to designate judges and rulers (i.e., duly-appointed governmental agents of God), not rival deities. The reason the text gives to avoid degrading false gods seems strange: it is avoided so that (a) the pagans will not retort by insulting Allah, and (b) the pagans will imagine that their ways are proper. The question, "Why would a supreme Deity want polytheists to imagine that their ways are proper?" is a good question.
A previously-made point -- that the Meccans will not believe, whether they get a miraculous sign or not -- is asserted in verses 109-110. Some Meccans had told Muhammad that they would believe, if he would turn a mountain into gold, or raise their departed family-members from the dead, and other such things. But Muhammads reply was that Allah did not want to compel them via such signs, and that such signs placed the sign-requesters in jeopardy because if they doubted subsequent to being given such signs, they would receive terrible punishment (as suggested in 5:115). Verse 111 makes it perfectly clear that Muhammad did not perform the miraculous signs that people were asking for. This is in sync with a hadith in Bukhari, Vol. 9, Book 92, #379, in which Abu Huraira said that Muhammad said, "There was no prophet among the prophets, except he was given miracles, on account of which people had security or faith, but I was given the Divine Inspiration which Allah revealed to me." (Despite such statements in the Quran and in the Hadith, many Muslims insist that Muhammad /did/ perform miracles.)
Verse 112 states that Allah has "appointed for every prophet enemies -- Satans among mankind and jinn." The human enemies of Muhammad in Mecca are fairly easy to identify: Abu Jahl and Abu Sufyan, for example. The mention of enemies among the jinn is intriguing. Muhammad occasionally prayed for protection against a whispering jinn (in surah 114) and against those who blow on knots (in surah 113) -- thus alluding, it seems, to either spell-casters or to Satan. At www.2muslims.com/Quran_an...4.sbt.html one can read many hadith, several of which reveal Muhammads superstitious-looking view of the influence of the jinn.
Verse 113 explains that the reason why Allah allows enemies to oppose His messengers is so that those individuals will commit misdeeds. To me this makes about as much sense as causing the polytheists to remain attracted to polytheism. There is no mention here of any prospect of eventual enlightenment of these individuals.
The tone of v. 114 suggests that Muhammad had convinced himself that the Torah and the Injil foretold his coming. Here he presents a claim that "those to whom We gave the Scripture know that it is revealed from your Lord in truth." Later on, this would be denied by the Jews of Medina; here Muhammad seems to anticipate such disagreement by affirming that Allahs opinion -- as revealed by Muhammad -- is the only opinion that matters.
Verses 115-117 generally assert that Allahs word is better than the word of others, even if they are the majority. The opening phrase of v. 115 is vaguely similar to the words spoken by Solomon in Second Chronicles 6:10, though this does not appear to be a case of direct dependence. Many modern Muslims end their essays and articles with a phrase employed in v. 117: "Allah knows best." (Also, it is again stated that Allahs words cannot be changed; this is another piece of evidence against abrogation and against the claim of some Muslims that the Torah and Injil have been textually distorted.)
In verses 118-121, Muhammad -- and by inference, Muslims in general -- are instructed, in light of the superiority of Allah, to eat the meat of animals which were slaughtered with the name of Allah pronounced over them and avoid other meat. Here the validity of the "halal" standards (similar to the Judaic kosher-standard, but with significant differences) is re-asserted. Some Muslims were attracted to the case made by some Meccans that inasmuch as Allah had killed animals which were carrion, it ought to be permissible to eat carrion-food.
(The Muslims reluctance to avoid all carrion is understandable, not in light of any great argument by the Meccans, but in light of the tight restrictions of the halal-regulations. For instance, Muslims are instructed that if a hunter with a bow and arrow shoots a deer, and the deer proceeds to disappear from the archers view and falls into a lake and drowns, the deers meat is regarded as carrion and therefore is forbidden.)
The text insists that the halal-standards should not be compromised. The grounds for the prohibition supplied in the text are an argument from authority (i.e., its a because-Allah-says-so matter), and the text plainly says that whoever disregards the halal-regulations, unless he is starving, thus becomes a polytheist (inasmuch as he has followed the polytheists standards rather than Allahs). The net effect of the halal-regulations was that the Muslims avoided eating meat prepared by non-Muslims (thus further marginalizing the Muslims in Mecca).
Verse 122 resembles the second part of v. 50; here, though, the text seems to compare believers to unbelievers. The imagery strongly resembles Luke 15:24 (where the prodigal son "was dead, and is alive again") and Ephesians 5:14 ("Awake, O sleeper, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.")
Verses 123-124 were aimed at a prominent Meccan opponent of Muhammad, an aged man named Al-Walid ibn Al-Mughirah Al-Makhzumi. Walid ibn Al-Mughirah had been involved in the "Satanic Verses" incident, and had briefly accepted Islam after it had appeared -- when surah 53 was initially delivered - that Muhammad approved of Lat, Manat, and Uzzah as intercessors. As v. 124 implies, Walid ibn Al-Mughirah reasoned that a deity who wanted to be accepted would give angelic visions to respected citizens such as himself, and not exclusively to Muhammad. The texts reply is that Allah is the best judge of who should be entrusted with His revelations. (Walid ibn Al-Mughirah is also in view in 74:11-26.)
In v. 125 some questions which may be accumulating in a readers mind (Why does Allah want to make polytheism seem attractive to polytheists in v. 108? Why does Allah want evil-doers to be pleased with their misdeeds in v. 113?) are answered: in this way Allah "puts the wrath on those who do not believe."
Verse 126 is a self-endorsement, affirming that Muhammads revelations are sent from Allah, a Straight Path for those who pay attention to it. (The term "Straight Path," seen before in surah 1, is described in detail in 6:151-153.) Then v. 127 notes that faithful Muslims will go to "the peaceful dwelling with their Lord." While this refers primarily to Paradise, this may also be an expression of hope that Muhammad and his followers would soon find some secure place on earth, away from Mecca.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
Verse 108 says, "Do not insult those whom they worship other than Allah, lest they insult Allah wrongfully without knowledge." The first part of this sentence appears, at first glance, to resemble Exodus 22:28s command against reviling the gods; however, in Exodus, the term "gods" seems to designate judges and rulers (i.e., duly-appointed governmental agents of God), not rival deities. The reason the text gives to avoid degrading false gods seems strange: it is avoided so that (a) the pagans will not retort by insulting Allah, and (b) the pagans will imagine that their ways are proper. The question, "Why would a supreme Deity want polytheists to imagine that their ways are proper?" is a good question.
A previously-made point -- that the Meccans will not believe, whether they get a miraculous sign or not -- is asserted in verses 109-110. Some Meccans had told Muhammad that they would believe, if he would turn a mountain into gold, or raise their departed family-members from the dead, and other such things. But Muhammads reply was that Allah did not want to compel them via such signs, and that such signs placed the sign-requesters in jeopardy because if they doubted subsequent to being given such signs, they would receive terrible punishment (as suggested in 5:115). Verse 111 makes it perfectly clear that Muhammad did not perform the miraculous signs that people were asking for. This is in sync with a hadith in Bukhari, Vol. 9, Book 92, #379, in which Abu Huraira said that Muhammad said, "There was no prophet among the prophets, except he was given miracles, on account of which people had security or faith, but I was given the Divine Inspiration which Allah revealed to me." (Despite such statements in the Quran and in the Hadith, many Muslims insist that Muhammad /did/ perform miracles.)
Verse 112 states that Allah has "appointed for every prophet enemies -- Satans among mankind and jinn." The human enemies of Muhammad in Mecca are fairly easy to identify: Abu Jahl and Abu Sufyan, for example. The mention of enemies among the jinn is intriguing. Muhammad occasionally prayed for protection against a whispering jinn (in surah 114) and against those who blow on knots (in surah 113) -- thus alluding, it seems, to either spell-casters or to Satan. At www.2muslims.com/Quran_an...4.sbt.html one can read many hadith, several of which reveal Muhammads superstitious-looking view of the influence of the jinn.
Verse 113 explains that the reason why Allah allows enemies to oppose His messengers is so that those individuals will commit misdeeds. To me this makes about as much sense as causing the polytheists to remain attracted to polytheism. There is no mention here of any prospect of eventual enlightenment of these individuals.
The tone of v. 114 suggests that Muhammad had convinced himself that the Torah and the Injil foretold his coming. Here he presents a claim that "those to whom We gave the Scripture know that it is revealed from your Lord in truth." Later on, this would be denied by the Jews of Medina; here Muhammad seems to anticipate such disagreement by affirming that Allahs opinion -- as revealed by Muhammad -- is the only opinion that matters.
Verses 115-117 generally assert that Allahs word is better than the word of others, even if they are the majority. The opening phrase of v. 115 is vaguely similar to the words spoken by Solomon in Second Chronicles 6:10, though this does not appear to be a case of direct dependence. Many modern Muslims end their essays and articles with a phrase employed in v. 117: "Allah knows best." (Also, it is again stated that Allahs words cannot be changed; this is another piece of evidence against abrogation and against the claim of some Muslims that the Torah and Injil have been textually distorted.)
In verses 118-121, Muhammad -- and by inference, Muslims in general -- are instructed, in light of the superiority of Allah, to eat the meat of animals which were slaughtered with the name of Allah pronounced over them and avoid other meat. Here the validity of the "halal" standards (similar to the Judaic kosher-standard, but with significant differences) is re-asserted. Some Muslims were attracted to the case made by some Meccans that inasmuch as Allah had killed animals which were carrion, it ought to be permissible to eat carrion-food.
(The Muslims reluctance to avoid all carrion is understandable, not in light of any great argument by the Meccans, but in light of the tight restrictions of the halal-regulations. For instance, Muslims are instructed that if a hunter with a bow and arrow shoots a deer, and the deer proceeds to disappear from the archers view and falls into a lake and drowns, the deers meat is regarded as carrion and therefore is forbidden.)
The text insists that the halal-standards should not be compromised. The grounds for the prohibition supplied in the text are an argument from authority (i.e., its a because-Allah-says-so matter), and the text plainly says that whoever disregards the halal-regulations, unless he is starving, thus becomes a polytheist (inasmuch as he has followed the polytheists standards rather than Allahs). The net effect of the halal-regulations was that the Muslims avoided eating meat prepared by non-Muslims (thus further marginalizing the Muslims in Mecca).
Verse 122 resembles the second part of v. 50; here, though, the text seems to compare believers to unbelievers. The imagery strongly resembles Luke 15:24 (where the prodigal son "was dead, and is alive again") and Ephesians 5:14 ("Awake, O sleeper, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.")
Verses 123-124 were aimed at a prominent Meccan opponent of Muhammad, an aged man named Al-Walid ibn Al-Mughirah Al-Makhzumi. Walid ibn Al-Mughirah had been involved in the "Satanic Verses" incident, and had briefly accepted Islam after it had appeared -- when surah 53 was initially delivered - that Muhammad approved of Lat, Manat, and Uzzah as intercessors. As v. 124 implies, Walid ibn Al-Mughirah reasoned that a deity who wanted to be accepted would give angelic visions to respected citizens such as himself, and not exclusively to Muhammad. The texts reply is that Allah is the best judge of who should be entrusted with His revelations. (Walid ibn Al-Mughirah is also in view in 74:11-26.)
In v. 125 some questions which may be accumulating in a readers mind (Why does Allah want to make polytheism seem attractive to polytheists in v. 108? Why does Allah want evil-doers to be pleased with their misdeeds in v. 113?) are answered: in this way Allah "puts the wrath on those who do not believe."
Verse 126 is a self-endorsement, affirming that Muhammads revelations are sent from Allah, a Straight Path for those who pay attention to it. (The term "Straight Path," seen before in surah 1, is described in detail in 6:151-153.) Then v. 127 notes that faithful Muslims will go to "the peaceful dwelling with their Lord." While this refers primarily to Paradise, this may also be an expression of hope that Muhammad and his followers would soon find some secure place on earth, away from Mecca.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
