"1st, as already Arthur Jeffery in his "Foreign Vocabulary of the
Qur'an", Baroda 1938, p. 228, has remarked, "there seems to be no
evidence of the use of the word in Arabic earlier than the Qur'an". So
there is all the more no Arabic text prior to the alleged "revelation"
of the Koran in which "furqân" would have another meaning than
"salvation" or related concepts."
Language is "LIVING". Just because there is a lack of 'archaeological
evidence' regarding the word 'furqan' in pre-Islamic Arabic means
absolutely nothing. In fact, if we were to count the amount of words
found on the 'enscriptions' of Central Arabia and the Hijza prior to
the coming of Islam, and sometime afterwards, the dictionary of the
Arabic language would be a handful of words that would comprise a few
pages.
What does this mean?
The fact of the matter of is 'lack of evidence', especially when it
comes to linguistics, amounts to almost nothing. Language is an
ORGANIC PHENOMENON, and ORAL TRADITION IS THE PRIMARY MANNER IN WHICH
IT IS PRESERVED. This holds even more TRUE when it comes to a nation
like the Arabs, who were mainly illiterate.
This is precisely why revisionist theorists, among EVERY religious
faith, who rely solely on 'etymology' and a certain 'resemblance' of
the sound of words common to many languages make such outlandish that
Moses (AS) witnessed God on Moint Sinai in ETHIOPIA.
Further, etymology, as Yusuf Gersey pointed out, DOES NOT DEFINE
MEANING, but USAGE BY THE PEOPLE DOES. This is recognized by anybody
familiar with language.
"Leave these ridiculous theories and come back down to earth."
Imagine the foolishness of the person who says,
"What are you talking about? I am already on planet Earth."
These 'revisionist' theorists are so off-the-wall that they are
rejected in all scholarly circles, and very rarely do they get
attention, unless some un-educated journalist happens to publish a
report in some widespread publication, and the media gives it
attention. The sensation always ends once legitimate scholars are
consulted, leaving the gross speculations to die in the wind.
They reject anything that they deem fit, such as their rejection of
much of pre-Islamic poetry, so they can find some 'justification' for
their wild speculations.
"Furthermore in Surah 8:42, where reference is to "the day of the
furqan, the day when the two hosts met" it even is impossible to
understand "furqan" as "criterion" of "revelational scripture", but
makes good sense to understand it as "salvation".
Actually, it makes absolutely NO SENSE to understand it as salvation.
The idea of 'furqan, AS TESTIFIED TO BY ITS USAGE IN THE QURAN, is that
it sieves the truth from the false. It is a criterion in which this
'discernment' becomes clear. This is why, immediately after
proclaiming the Battle of Badr as the Day of Furqan, God Almighty
states:
Remember ye were on the hither side of the valley, and they on the
farther side, and the caravan on lower ground than ye. Even if ye had
made a mutual appointment to meet, ye would certainly have failed in
the appointment: BUT (THUS YE MET), THAT ALLAH MIGHT ACCOMPLISH A
MATTER ALREADY ENACTED; THAT THOSE WHO DIED MIGHT DIE AFTER A CLEAR
SIGN (HAD BEEN GIVEN), AND THOSE WHO LIVED MIGHT LIVE AFTER A CLEAR
SIGN (HAD BEEN GIVEN). And verily Allah is He Who heareth and knoweth
(all things).
Thus, the sifting of the people of people occured on this day, such
that the FOLLOWERS OF HAQQ WERE CLEARLY DISTINGUISHED FROM THE
FOLLOWERS OF BATIL. Those who perished, perished after perceiving the
clear signs, and those that survived, survived after perceiving the
clear signs.
This day was the actual blow to the Quraysh, when they lost 70 of their
leaders on Badr. In fact, this battle is what really what began the
ASCENDANCY OF ISLAM. The rest of the battles were attempts by the
Quraysh to RESTORE A LOST GLORY, which they never recovered. After
this battle, it was Abu Sufyan (R) who took on the reigns of leading
the fight against Muhammad (S), BECAUSE ALL THE MAJOR PLAYERS WERE
KILLED. Even Abu Lahab, who tried to escape the Battle, upon hearing
news of this loss, contracted a disease and died shortly thereafter.
His death was so humiliating even his sons feared to touch his dead
body. THE TRUTH WAS SIFTED FROM THE FALSE.
"I already had pointed to such an example of a totally misleading
instruction: the lengthy, non-fitting and obviously later inserted
verse Surah 74:31, which has no other aim than to solidify the
meanwhile traditional misunderstanding of the short
previous verse 74:30, which itself usually is misread as "Over it are
nineteen".
Actually, the only 'mis-reading' is done by Heger. The fact that the
unbelievers were 'picking straws' at descriptions of the unseen is
already known in Surah Baqarah. In the case of surah Baqarah, it was
'the parable of the fly', which is made in the context of the unique
nature of Paradise. As testified by the context of the Quran, this
instigation was actually being prompted by the People of the Book.
THUS, THERE IS NOTHING UNUSUAL IN THIS PORTION OF THE QURAN.
In fact, this style of elaboration is a common feature employed
elsewhere in the Quran, further substantiating the point.
In the above verse, the Quran addresses the same issue as Surah
Baqarah, but from the perspective of Hell.
The verse in questions begins with:
"Soon will I cast him into Hell-Fire!
And what will explain to thee what Hell-Fire is?
Naught doth it permit to endure, and naught doth it leave alone!-
Darkening and changing the colour of man!
Over it are Nineteen."
IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, GOD HAS CHOSEN 19 ANGELS TO MAINTAIN THE HELL,
which will not permit to endure anybody, nor will it leave anybody
alone. It becomes abundantly clear what instigated the response of the
Quran. The unbelievers began to mock this idea not once, but many
times. They often boasted about their 'numerical superiority'.
"O Muhammad, you claim Hell will do this to us, and that 19 angels
alone control US? You are saying that 19 angels will control a fire
that will continuously punish and and not let us endure. Even if we
were to go to Hell, our hosts would be enough."
Allah responds by saying:
"Thus doth Allah leave to stray whom He pleaseth, and guide whom He
pleaseth: and NONE CAN KNOW THE FORCES OF THY LORD EXCEPT HE and this
is no other than a warning to mankind." The fact that none "knows the
Host of the Lord" except He, is a COMMON THEME THROUGHOUT THE QURAN.
In Surah Iqra, God sarcastically remarks to the one whom boasts about
his 'numerical' superiority', that let him call his Hosts, and God will
call his.
The unbelievers have not grasped the reality of what they are mocking.
These angels are beyond anything one can imagine, thus they should take
this as a WARNING, not something to be made fun of.
The difference between the believer in the unseen and the disbeliever
is that, the believer finds nothing strange about matters such as the
Day of Judgement, and Paradise and Hell-Fire. The fundamental
difference of faith and disbelief is that the believer is willing to
accept realities that he cannot see, BUT ARE WELL TESTIFIED TO REASON.
On the other hand, the disbeliever will only believe when he sees Allah
descending from the clouds, with his angels accompanying him. But that
Day, his belief will not profit him.
Allah responds TO THE PETTY OBJECTIONS in both cases, in pretty much
the same manner.
"and We have fixed their number only as a trial for Unbelievers,- in
order that the People of the Book may arrive at certainty, and the
Believers may increase in Faith,- and that no doubts may be left for
the People of the Book and the Believers, and that those in whose
hearts is a disease and the Unbelievers may say, "What symbol doth
Allah intend by this ?" Thus doth Allah leave to stray whom He
pleaseth, and guide whom He pleaseth."
This is the same manner of which the response is addressed in Surah
Baqarah.
"Allah disdains not to use the similitude of things, lowest as well as
highest. Those who believe know that it is truth from their Lord; but
those who reject Faith say: "What means Allah by this similitude?" By
it He causes many to stray, and many He leads into the right path; but
He causes not to stray, except those who forsake (the path),"
Allah guides the people who want to be guided. It is the attitude
which determines whether a person will profit from the guidance given
by the Quran, and not anything else. The believers are INTENT on
understanding, while the questions of the unbelievers are motivated by
nothing but mockery.
Further, it becomes obvious, that just as the question referred to
earlier in Surah Baqarah WAS ALSO INSTIGATED BY THE AHL-KITAB, THIS ONE
WAS TOO:
"in order that the People of the Book may arrive at certainty... and
that no doubts may be left for the People of the Book"
As Allah says,
"Which army will save you from Ar-Rahman?"
If God's army was one angel, it would amount to enough to run Hell.
Gabriel, as even the People of the Book KNEW FULLY WELL revealing that
their question was nothing but persistent obstinancy, lifted the whole
town of Sodom and Gomorah up with ease, and flipped it upside down.
Thus, the Quran is subtly addressing these People of the Book that are
prompting the unbelievers to ask these questions, that they themselves
know the answers given by the Quran, and the truth of Muhammad (S) are
confirmed by their own scriptures. Do they not know that the guests of
Lot were enough to destroy the whole town of highway bandits and
sodomizers that were the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah?
"and that no doubts may be left for the People of the Book..."
