A Response to MENJ’s Proposed Harmonization of a Quranic Contradiction
In the article Who Suffers the Consequence of Sins according to the Qur'an? we sought to demonstrate that the Qur'an contradicts itself by stating in some verses that persons will only be held accountable for their own sins. Yet, in other passages the Qur'an holds individuals responsible for the sins committed by others. Here are just two of the many passages on this issue:
And every man's work have WE fasten to his neck; and on the Day of Resurrection WE shall bring out for him a book which he will find wide open. It will be said to him, ‘Read thy book. Sufficient is thy own soul as a reckoner against thee this day.’ He who follows the right way follows it only for the good of his own soul; and he who goes astray, goes astray only to his own loss. And no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another. And WE shall never punish until WE have sent a Messenger. S. 17:13-15 Sher Ali
That they may bear their burdens entirely on the day of resurrection and also of the burdens of those whom they lead astray without knowledge; now surely evil is what they bear. S. 16:25 Shakir
Mohd Elfie Nieshaem Juferi (MENJ) has written a response to our article, seeking to reconcile the conflicting passages. However, before we turn to an examination of the Muslim arguments, it may be helpful to explain what exactly are the issues and the implications which need to be discussed. The "consequences of sin" have at least three aspects:
Hardly anyone would deny the reality that in this world many people are bearing burdens which are the natural, and often inevitable, consequences of sins committed by others.
Although our human sense for justice demands that only those who are guilty be punished, i.e. that point 1. and 3. are in congruence, that is not always possible in this world. If a man commits a serious crime and is put into prison for several years, he may not be alone in suffering the punishment. His wife and children also suffer although they were innocent of his crime.
It is not the topic of this paper to discuss whether or not a certain punishment by God is just in our understanding. The issue of our original article as well as of this follow-up discussion is simply to point out that the Qur'an makes apparently contradictory statements regarding the question of whether Allah punishes only those who are guilty, or if others are also held responsible and/or punished for sins they are not guilty of.
MENJ begins his response to our first article with:
The missionaries have once again made an attempt to generate a so-called "contradiction" in the Qur'an. The gist of their claim is:
The Qur'an states that a person will only be responsible for his/her actions....17:13-15 Sher Ali; S. 53:38-42 Sher Ali. Yet these statements are contradicted by the next set of passages....S. 8:24-25 Sher Ali. Here, even the innocent will suffer the affliction that will smite the wrongdoers.
As it turns out, an appeal to the time-tested methodology of the Qur'ān explaining the Qur'ān would make this generated error "evaporate" into thin air, as we shall soon find out.
RESPONSE:
As we shall see the appeal "to the time-tested methodology of the Qur’an explaining the Qur’an" does absolutely nothing to reconcile the contradiction. In fact, appealing to the Qur'an further complicates matters. He writes:
Response
Both Qur'ān 17:13-15 and Qur'ān 53:38-42 are talking about the state of man on the Day of Resurrection, whereby man will face the judgement of God and therefore no one is accountable for his deeds/actions on earth except himself.
Qur'ān 8:24-25, however, is warning about internal discord or tumult, and has nothing do do with one suffering the "consequence of sin".[1] This is noted by A. Yusuf Ali in footnote 1198 as:
Fitnat has many meanings: (1) the root meaning is trial or temptation, as in ii. 102 and viii. 28; (2) an analogous meaning is trial or punishment, as in v. 74; (3) tumult or oppression, as i. 193; and here; and in vii 39; (4) there is here (viii. 25) the further shade of meaning suggested: discord, sedition, civil war.
This warning against internal discord or tumult was very necessary in the Civil Wars of early Islam, and was never more necessary than it is now. For it affects innocent and guilty alike.[2]
The above is further concured by the renowned Muslim scholar, the late Prof. Dr. HAMKA, in his famous exegesis (written in Indonesian) on the interpretation of Qur'ān, 8:24-25.[3]
RESPONSE:
It seems that MENJ has not read 8:25 very carefully, since if he had he would have realized that his response here doesn’t undermine our argument. In fact, it only strengthens it. First, MENJ cites Ali’s words and highlights definition (4), even though Ali himself says:
Fitnat HAS MANY MEANINGS: (1) the root meaning is trial or temptation, as in ii. 102 and viii. 28; (2) an analogous meaning is trial OR PUNISHMENT, as in v. 74; (3) tumult or oppression, as i. 193; and here; and in vii 39; (4) there is here (viii. 25) the further shade of meaning suggested: discord, sedition, civil war. (bold and/or capital emphasis ours)
Since Ali himself admits that fitnah can mean punishment, on what grounds then do MENJ or Yusuf Ali assume that the fourth definition given is the correct one in this case?
Second, even assuming that Ali and MENJ are correct regarding the precise meaning of the word fitnah, one must still explain why Allah is sending a fitnah upon the Muslims. Read the passage again:
O ye who believe! respond to ALLAH, and the Messenger when he calls you that he may give you life, and know that ALLAH comes in between a man and his heart, and that HE it is unto Whom you will be gathered. And beware of an affliction (fitnah) which will surely not smite exclusively those among you who have done wrong. And know that ALLAH is severe in requiting. S. 8:24-25 Sher Ali
Either MENJ believes that Allah brought fitnah upon Muslims for absolutely no reason at all, or he will have to admit that the fitnah was caused by the evil deeds or sins of the wrongdoers.
If MENJ believes the latter to be the cause then he ends up acknowledging the very point we made. He will be affirming the fact that innocent people do suffer the consequences incurred by the sins of others! If the fitnah was caused by the sins of the wrongdoers, and if even the innocent people suffer fitnah because of it, then Surah 8:24-25 does have everything to "do with one suffering the consequence of another’s sins." Note that the last sentence of S. 8:25 makes it clear that this verse is about Allah's active punishment in this world (see point 3a. above).
This interpretation of S. 8:25 is confirmed in Ibn Kathir's commentary:
Warning against an encompassing Fitnah
Allah warns His believing servants of a Fitnah, trial and test, that encompasses the wicked and those around them. Therefore, such Fitnah will not be restricted to the sinners and evildoers. Rather, it will reach the others if the sins are not stopped and prevented. Imam Ahmad recorded that Mutarrif said, "We asked Az-Zubayr, `O Abu `Abdullah! What brought you here (for the battle of Al-Jamal)? You abandoned the Khalifah who was assassinated (`Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him) and then came asking for revenge for his blood.' He said, ‘We recited at the time of the Messenger of Allah, and Abu Bakr, `Umar and `Uthman ...
<And fear the Fitnah (affliction and trial) which affects not in particular (only) those of you who do wrong,>
We did not think that this Ayah was about us too, until it reached us as it did.’" `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said that the Ayah ...
<And fear the Fitnah (affliction and trial) which affects not in particular (only) those of you who do wrong,> refers to the Companions of the Prophet in particular. In another narration from Ibn `Abbas, he said, "Allah commanded the believers to stop evil from flourishing among them, so that Allah does not encompass them all in the torment (Fitnah)." This, indeed, is a very good explanation, prompting Mujahid to comment about Allah's statement ...
<And fear the Fitnah (affliction and trial) which affects not in particular (only) those of you who do wrong,>
"Is for you too!" Several said similarly, such as Ad-Dahhak and Yazid bin Abi Habib and several others. Ibn Mas`ud said, "There is none among you but there is something that represents a Fitnah for him, for Allah said ...
<Your wealth and your children are only a trial (Fitnah) ...> [64:15].
Therefore, when you seek refuge, seek it with Allah from the Fitnah that causes misguidance." Ibn Jarir collected this Hadith. The view that the warning in this Ayah addresses the Companions and all others is true, even though the speech in the Ayah was directed at the Companions. There are Hadiths that warn against Fitnah in general, thus providing the correctness of this explanation. Similarly there will be a separate book in which this subject will be discussed, Allah willing, as also is the case with the Imams, there being a number of writings about this. Of the most precise things that have been mentioned under this topic, is what was recorded by Imam Ahmad from Hudhayfah bin Al-Yaman that the Messenger of Allah said ...
<By He in Whose Hand is my soul! You will enjoin righteousness and forbid evil, or Allah will send a punishment upon you from Him; you will supplicate then to Him, but He will not answer your supplication.>
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Ar-Riqad said, "I heard Hudhayfah saying, ‘A person used to utter one word during the time of the Messenger of Allah and become a hypocrite on account of it. I now hear such words from one of you four times in the same sitting. Surely, you will enjoin good, forbid evil and encourage each other to do good or Allah will surround you all with torment, or make the wicked among you become your leaders. The righteous among you will then supplicate, but their supplication will not be accepted.’" Imam Ahmad recorded that An-Nu`man bin Bashir said that the Prophet gave a speech in which he said, while pointing to his ears with two of his fingers ...
<The parable of the person abiding by Allah's order and restrictions in comparison to those who violate them, or sit idle while they are being violated, is that of those who drew lots for their seats in a boat. Some of them got seats in the lower part, which is the most rough and worst part, and the others in the upper. When the former needed water, they had to go up to bring water and that troubled the others, so they said, ‘Let us make a hole in our share of the ship and get water, saving those who are above us from troubling them, so, if the people in the upper part let the others do what they suggested, all the people of the ship would be destroyed, but if they prevented them, both parties would be safe.>
This was recorded by Al-Bukhari, but not Muslim, in the Book of Partnerships and the Book of Witnesses. It was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi through a different route of narration ...
Imam Ahmad recorded that Umm Salamah, the Prophet's wife, said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah saying ...
<If sins become apparent in my Ummah, Allah will surround them with punishment from Him.> I said, ‘O Allah's Messenger! Will they have righteous people among them then?’ He said ...
<Yes.> I asked, ‘What will happen to them?’ He said ...
<They will be stricken as the people, but they will end up with Allah's forgiveness and pleasure.>"
Imam Ahmad recorded that Jarir said that the Messenger of Allah said ...
<Every people among whom sins are being committed, while they are mightier and more numerous than those who do wrong, yet they did nothing to stop them, then Allah will surround them all with punishment.>
Ibn Majah collected this Hadith. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) Volume 1, Parts 1 and 2 (Surat Al-Fatihah to Verse 252 of Surat Al-Baqarah), abridged by a group of scholars under the supervision of Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri [Darussalam Publishers & Distributors, Riyadh, Houston, New York, Lahore; First Edition: May 2000], pp. 288-292; online edition; underline emphasis ours)
Let us repeat the relevant portions:
... In another narration from Ibn `Abbas, he said, "Allah commanded the believers to stop evil from flourishing among them, so that Allah does not encompass THEM ALL in the torment (Fitnah)." ...
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Ar-Riqad said, "I heard Hudhayfah saying, ‘A person used to utter one word during the time of the Messenger of Allah and become a hypocrite on account of it. I now hear such words from one of you four times in the same sitting. Surely, you will enjoin good, forbid evil and encourage each other to do good or Allah will surround YOU ALL with torment, or make the wicked among you become your leaders. The righteous among you will then supplicate, but their supplication will not be accepted.’" ...
Imam Ahmad recorded that Umm Salamah, the Prophet's wife, said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah saying ...
<If sins become apparent in my Ummah, Allah will surround them with punishment from Him.> I said, ‘O Allah's Messenger! Will they have righteous people among them then?’ He said ...
<Yes.> I asked, ‘What will happen to them?’ He said ...
<They will be stricken as the people, but they will end up with Allah's forgiveness and pleasure.>"
It is quite clear from Ibn Kathir that even the righteous will suffer disaster resulting from the sins of the wrongdoers if nothing is done to prevent the evil. Note that the Qur'an is speaking here not just about a natural consequence of sin (category 2 above), but about Allah's active punishment of the Ummah! (Category 3a.)
Furthermore, the Qur'an states not only that innocent people will suffer under God's punishment of sinners in this world (3a), but it also says that (some) people will indeed carry the burdens of others on the Day of Judgment (3b). Thanks to MENJ, we have added two citations to our original paper: surahs 16:25 and 29:12-13. Both these texts state that some persons will bear both his/her own burdens and the burdens of others. Instead of merely repeating those quotes here, we will present Ibn Kathir's commentary on these citations beginning with 16:25:
<They will bear their own burdens in full on the Day of Resurrection, and also of the burdens of those whom they misled without knowledge.> meaning, ‘We decreed that they would say that, so they will carry the burden of their own sins AND SOME OF THE BURDEN OF THOSE WHO FOLLOWED THEM AND AGREED WITH THEM,’ i.e., they will be held guilty not only for going astray themselves, but also for tempting others and having them follow them. As it says in a Hadith...
<Whoever invites people to guidance, he will receive a reward like that of those who follow him, without diminishing their reward in the least. And whoever invites people to misguidance, HE WILL BEAR A BURDEN OF SIN LIKE THOSE WHO FOLLOW HIM, without diminishing their burden in the least.> Allah says...
<They shall bear their own loads, and other loads besides their own; and they shall be questioned about their false allegations on the Day of Resurrection.> (29:13) Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas that it is like the Ayah...
<That they may bear their own burdens in full on the Day of Resurrection, AND ALSO OF THE BURDENS OF THOSE WHOM THEY MISLED without knowledge.> (16:25) Allah says...
<They shall bear their own loads, and other loads besides their own> (29:13). Mujahid said: "They will bear the burden of their own sins, AND THEY WILL BEAR THE SINS OF THOSE WHO OBEYED THEM, but that will not lessen the punishment of those who obeyed them at all." (Source)
However, Ibn Kathir made a substantial logical error in his commentary on S. 16:25 by confusing two very different things: Carrying (some of) the burden of another person is not the same as carrying a burden like the burden of the other person. If a person has a burden of 100 kg, and I share his burden by taking 50 kg off his back, then I carry (some of) the burden of this person. If I merely carry another burden of 100 kg, then my burden is like his burden, but I am not bearing any of the burden of the other person. My bearing a similar burden does not diminish his burden in the least; I am not bearing anything of his burden.
Surah 16:25 states: "They will bear their own burdens in full on the Day of Resurrection, and also of the burdens of those whom they misled without knowledge ...". To make things simple, let us assume Group A commits the sin of idolatry, worshipping something that is not God, and they also mislead Group B into following them in this sin. Assume the punishment value for idolatry is 100. Then, usually, both Group A and Group B would receive the same punishment (which has a value of 100). However, since Group B did not commit this sin in the same way as Group A did (i.e., stubbornly, despite being warned, see S. 16:22), but was misled into this sin by Group A, some of the punishment of Group B will be put on Group A. For example:
| Group | Punishment | ||
| A | 100 + 40 | = | 140 |
| B | 100 – 40 | = | 60 |
Ibn Kathir, on the other hand, wants to see only addition in punishment, without any subtraction, and claims the meaning of the verse is this:
| Group | Punishment | ||
| A | 100 + 40 | = | 140 |
| B | 100 | = | 100 |
Clearly, Group B bears every bit of its own burden, and Group A bears nothing of the burden of the people they misled, in clear contradiction to what S. 16:25 states: "They [Group A] will bear their own burdens in full on the Day of Resurrection, and also of the burdens of those [Group B] whom they misled without knowledge ...".
[ Question: Does the phrase "without knowledge" refer to those who misled (Group A) or those who were misled (Group B)? Ibn Kathir does not comment on this question, and the answer is of little relevance to this present discussion, but it is interesting to note that the Arabic is actually ambiguous. ]
Most likely Ibn Kathir was well aware of the plain contradiction between S. 17:13-15 and 53:38-42 on the one hand, and S. 16:25 and S. 29:12-13 on the other. His above interpretation is simply the rather unsuccessful attempt of harmonizing the two conflicting groups of passages.
Similarly, regarding S. 29:12-13 Ibn Kathir writes:
<And verily, they shall bear their own loads, and other loads besides their own.> Here Allah tells us that those who call others to disbelief and misguidance will, on the Day of Resurrection, bear their own sins AND THE SINS OF OTHERS, because of the people they misguided. Yet that will not detract from the burden of those other people in the slightest, as Allah says ...
<That they may bear their own burdens in full on the Day of Resurrection, and also of the burdens of those whom they misled without knowledge> (16:25). In the Sahih, it says ...
<Whoever calls others to true guidance, will have a reward like that of those who follow him until the Day of Resurrection, without it detracting from their reward in the slightest. Whoever calls others to misguidance, WILL HAVE A BURDEN OF SIN LIKE THAT OF THOSE WHO FOLLOW HIM until the Day of Resurrection, without it detracting from their burden in the slightest.> In the Sahih, it also says ...
<No person is killed unlawfully, but a share of the guilt will be upon the first son of Adam, because he was the first one to initiate the idea of killing another.>
<and verily, they shall be questioned on the Day of Resurrection about that which they used to fabricate.> means, the lies they used to tell and the falsehood they used to fabricate. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Umamah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah conveyed the Message with which he was sent, then he said ...
<Beware of injustice, for Allah will swear an oath of the Day of Resurrection and will say: "By My glory and majesty, no injustice will be overlooked today." Then a voice will call out, "Where is so-and-so the son of so-and-so." He will be brought forth, followed by his good deeds which appear like mountains while the people are gazing at them in wonder, until he is standing before the Most Merciful. Then the caller will be commanded to say: "Whoever is owed anything by so-and-so the son of so-and-so, or has been wronged by him, let him come forth." So they will come forth and gather before the Most Merciful, then the Most Merciful will say: "Settle the matter for My servant." They will say, "How can we settle the matter." He will say, "Take from his good deeds and give it to them." They will keep taking from his good deeds until there is nothing left, and there will still people with scores to be settled. Allah will say, "Settle the matter for My servant." They will say, "He does not have even one good deed left." Allah will say, "Take from their evil deeds and give them to him."> Then the Prophet quoted this Ayah...
<And verily, they shall bear their own loads, and other loads besides their own; and verily, they shall be questioned on the Day of Resurrection about that which they used to fabricate.> There is a corroborating report in the Sahih with a different chain of narration...
<A man will come on the Day of Resurrection with good deeds like mountains, but he had wronged this one, taken the wealth of that one and slandered the honor of another. So each of them will take from his good deeds. And if there is nothing left of his good deeds, it will be taken from their evil and placed on him.> (Source)
In fact, the Qur'an even says that people will be punished with hellfire for sins committed by others:
Surely (as for) those who disbelieve in the communications of Allah AND SLAY THE PROPHETS UNJUSTLY and slay those among men who enjoin justice, announce to them a painful chastisement. S. 3:21 Shakir
Allah has certainly heard the saying of those who said: Surely Allah is poor and we are rich. I will record what they say, AND THEIR KILLING THE PROPHETS UNJUSTLY, and I will say: TASTE THE CHASTISEMENT OF BURNING. This is for what your own hands have sent before and because Allah is not in the least unjust to the servants. S. 3:181-182 Shakir
The surrounding context of these passages deals with the Jews of Muhammad’s time. Note that the Jews are blamed for killing the prophets who lived centuries before their time, and will suffer the fire as a result of it. The question here is, ‘How could the Jews of Muhammad’s time be held accountable for sins committed centuries before their time?’ After all, according to Islamic theology, the last Prophet before Muhammad was Jesus, and he lived on this earth more than 500 years before Muhammad was born!
Finally, the Islamic traditions teach that individuals suffer as a result of other people’s sins:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "Adam and Moses argued with each other. Moses said to Adam. ‘O Adam! You are our father WHO DISAPPOINTED US AND TURNED US OUT OF PARADISE.’ Then Adam said to him, ‘O Moses! Allah favored you with His talk (talked to you directly) and He wrote (the Torah) for you with His Own Hand. Do you blame me for action which Allah had written in my fate forty years before my creation?’ So Adam confuted Moses, Adam confuted Moses," the Prophet added, repeating the statement three times. (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 77, Number 611)
Moses holds Adam personally responsible for the expulsion of mankind from Paradise. Instead of saying to Moses that he was incorrect, Adam basically blames Allah for decreeing his sin which led to humanity’s expulsion from the Garden!
According to Muhammad, we are also suffering the consequences brought on by the sins of Eve and the nation of Israel:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "Were it not for Bani Israel, meat would not decay; and were it not FOR EVE, no woman would ever betray her husband." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 55, Number 611)Hammam b. Munabbih said: These are some of the ahadith which Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) narrated to us from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), and one of these (this one): Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Had it not been for Bani Isra'il, food would not have become stale, and meal would not have gone bad; and had it not been FOR Eve, a woman would never have acted unfaithfully toward her husband. (Sahih Muslim, Book 008, Number 3472)
MENJ continues:
As for where the verses that discuss the worship of the Golden Calf, the Qur'ān does not cast blame on the present-day Jews or hold them accountable for the sin of their ancestors. Rather, it warns them of the consequences if they insist on repeating the mistakes of their forefathers. As Qur'ān 8:24-25, as we had noted earlier, is totally unrelated to the issue at hand, there is little to add from here.
RESPONSE:
MENJ is making it more evident that he didn’t bother reading the verses or our paper carefully. First, we did not say that the Qur'an blames the Jews of today for the sins committed during the Exodus. Here is what we actually said:
... Yet, the Qur'an (Allah / Muhammad) levels accusations at the Jews in the 7th century for the sins of some of their ancestors in about 1400 BC, roughly 2000 years earlier. These accusations are clearly in contradiction to the "general principle" that nobody shall bear the sins (burdens) of others.
Significantly, this is not a thing of the past, but has consequences in our time. To this day, MUSLIMS [Note that we said Muslims, not the Qur'an or Muhammad] vilify the Jews because of the sins of some Jews of long ago. Jews are still the favorite objects of Muslim contempt based on the quranic condemnation of them. Also Christians are still summarily accused and maligned for the crusades, although the last one was some 700 years ago.
Second, here also is a passage we had cited, this time adding verse 91 along with it:
And when it is said to them, Believe in what Allah has revealed, they say: We believe in that which was revealed to us; and they deny what is besides that, while it is the truth verifying that which they have. Say: Why then DID YOU KILL ALLAH'S PROPHETS BEFORE if you were indeed believers? And most certainly Musa came to YOU with clear arguments, THEN YOU TOOK THE CALF (for a god) IN HIS ABSENCE AND YOU WERE UNJUST. And when We made a covenant WITH YOU and raised the mountain OVER YOU: Take hold of what We have given you with firmness and be obedient. They said: We hear and disobey. And they were made to imbibe (the love of) the calf into their hearts on account of their unbelief SAY: Evil is that which YOUR belief bids YOU if you are believers. SAY: If the future abode with Allah is specially for YOU to the exclusion of the people, then invoke death if YOU are truthful. And they will never invoke it on account of what their hands have sent before, and Allah knows the unjust. S. 2:91-95 Shakir
We also include the following for added effect:
O Children of Israel! remember MY favours which I bestowed upon YOU and that I exalted YOU above the peoples of the time. And guard YOURSELVES against the day when no soul shall serve as a substitute for another soul at all, nor shall intercession be accepted for it, nor shall ransom be taken from it, nor shall they be helped. And remember the time when WE delivered YOU from Pharaoh's people WHO AFFLICTED YOU with grievous torment, SLAYING YOUR SONS AND SPARING YOUR WOMEN; and in that was a great trial for YOU from your Lord. And remember also the time when WE divided the sea FOR YOU and SAVED YOU and drowned Pharaoh's people WHILE YOU LOOKED ON. And when WE made Moses a promise of forty nights, THEN YOU TOOK THE CALF FOR WORSHIP IN HIS ABSENCE AND YOU WERE THE TRANSGRESSORS. Then WE FORGAVE YOU thereafter, that YOU may be grateful. And remember when WE gave Moses the Book and the Discrimination, that YOU may be rightly guided. And when Moses said to his people, ‘O my people, you have indeed wronged yourselves by taking the calf for worship; turn ye therefore to your Maker, and kill your evil desires; that is best for you in the sight of your Maker.’ Then HE turned TOWARDS YOU with compassion. Surely HE is Oft-Returning with compassion and is Merciful. And remember WHEN YOU SAID, ‘O Moses, we will not believe thee until we see ALLAH face to face;’ Then the thunderbolt OVERTOOK YOU, WHILE YOU WITNESSED WITH YOUR OWN EYES THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR CONDUCT. THEN WE RAISED YOU UP AFTER YOUR DEATH that you might be grateful. And WE caused the clouds to be a shade OVER YOU and sent down ON YOU Manna and Salwa, saying, ‘Eat of the good things We have provided for you.’ And they wronged us not, but it was themselves that they wronged. S. 2:47-57 Sher Ali
The above passages are obviously directed to the Jews of Muhammad’s time. It is equally obvious that the author of the Qur'an wasn’t simply warning the Jews "of the consequences if they insist on repeating the mistakes of their forefathers." The author quite clearly places the burden of guilt upon the Jews of Muhammad’s time for the sins committed during the Exodus, some 2000 years earlier.
Note also what Ibn Kathir says about 2:91 cited above:
Although The Jews denied the Truth, They claimed to be Believers!
Allah said ...
<And when it is said to them>, meaning, the Jews and the People of the Book ...
<Believe in what Allah has sent down> TO MUHAMMAD, believe in and follow him ...
<They say, "We believe in what was sent down to us."> meaning, it is enough for us to believe in what was revealed to us in the Tawrah and the Injil, and this is the path that we choose ...
<And they disbelieve in that which came after it>.
<while it is the truth confirming what is with them> meaning, while knowing that what was revealed to Muhammad ...
<it is the truth confirming what is with them>. This means that since what was sent to Muhammad conforms to what was revealed to the People of the Book, then this fact constitutes a proof against them. Similarly, Allah said ...
<Those to whom We gave the Scripture (Jews and Christians) recognize him (Muhammad) as they recognize their sons> (2:146). Allah said next ...
<"Why then have you killed the Prophets of Allah aforetime, if you indeed have been believers">.
This means, "If your claim that you believe in what was revealed to you is true, then why did you kill the Prophets who came to you affirming the Tawrah's Law, although you knew they were true Prophets. You killed them simply out of transgression, stubbornness and injustice with Allah's Messengers. Therefore, you only follow your lusts, opinions and desires." Similarly, Allah said ...
<Is it that whenever there came to you a Messenger with what you yourselves desired not, you grew arrogant. Some you disbelieved and some you killed.>
Also, As-Suddi said, "In this Ayah, Allah chastised the People of the Book ...
<Say (O Muhammad to them): "Why then have you killed the Prophets of Allah aforetime, if you indeed have been believers">."
<And indeed Musa came to you with clear proofs> meaning, with clear signs and clear proofs that he was the Messenger of Allah and that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. The clear signs - or miracles - mentioned here are the flood, the locusts, the lice, the frogs, the blood, the staff and the hand. Musa's miracles also include parting the sea, shading the Jews with clouds, the manna and quails, the gushing stone, etc.
<Yet you worshipped the calf> meaning, as a deity instead of Allah, during the time of Musa. Allah's statement ...
<after he left> after Musa went to Mount Tur to speak to Allah. Similarly, Allah said ...
<And the people of Musa made in his absence, out of their ornaments, the image of a calf (for worship). It had a sound (as if it was mooing)> (7:148).
<and you were Zalimun> meaning, you were unjust in this behavior of worshipping the calf, although you knew that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. Similarly, Allah said ...
<And when they regretted and saw that they had gone astray, they (repented and) said: "If our Lord have not mercy upon us and forgive us, we shall certainly be of the losers"> (7:149). (Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) Volume 1, Parts 1 and 2 (Surat Al-Fatihah to Verse 252 of Surat Al-Baqarah), abridged under the supervision of Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri [Darussalam Publishers & Distributors, Riyadh, Houston, New York, Lahore; First Edition: January 2000], pp. 296-298: online edition; underline emphasis ours)
Ibn Kathir acknowledges that S. 2:91 is directed to Muhammad’s contemporaries, which means that they are being blamed for acts which they did not personally commit. The author of the Qur'an blames the Jews of Muhammad’s day for worshiping the golden calf, for rejecting Moses, and for killing the prophets!
MENJ proceeds to make the following false allegations against us:
Hence the missionaries are guilty of proposing a red herring, i.e. going off the tangent by contradicting the understanding of renowned Muslim scholars, and their obvious hatred, paranoia and xenophobia are making them "difficult" to understand such simple passages as the above.
We have used the traditional method of Qur'ānic exegesis, i.e., al-Qur'ān yufassiru ba'duhu ba'dan (different parts of the Qur'ān explain each other). What is given in a general way in one place is discussed in detail in some other place in the Qur'ān. What is dealt with briefly at one place is expanded in some other place.
And only God knows best!
RESPONSE:
It seems that MENJ doesn’t really know what a red herring is, since it is not a red herring to bring up passages that contradict each other on a given subject. Furthermore, as our response has shown, we haven’t ignored the understanding of "renowned Muslim scholars", but have incorporated them to show that the Qur'an does in fact contradict itself. We turned to Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim and Ibn Kathir to substantiate our claim that the Qur'an is confused regarding the issue of who exactly suffers the consequences of sinful acts, whether in fact it is the person committing them or others who are innocent of those acts.
In fact, using MENJ’s appeal "to the traditional method of Qur'ānic exegesis, i.e., al-Qur'ān yufassiru ba'duhu ba'dan (different parts of the Qur'ān explain each other)", has helped us to strengthen our case that the Qur'an is not free of any factual and logical errors. MENJ’s proposed methodology has certainly helped us to refute his response.
In light of the foregoing, we can say that it is MENJ’s "obvious hatred, paranoia and xenophobia" which makes it difficult for him to see the glaring and obvious contradictions within the Qur'an.
Our Analysis of MENJ’S Appendix:
Evidence of MENJ’s Failure to Read Carefully
MENJ, in his appendix, has provided evidence for our charge that he hasn’t bothered to carefully read our article. MENJ writes:
Appendix: Is This An Error Too?
Now let us return the "favour" (inclusive of the mudhārābāh) and play the same game of the missionaries' pathetic attempt at Qur'ānic exegesis upon the Bible. It should be noted that people suffering from the iniquity of others is not inherently alien to the Judeo-Christian conscience. In the Bible, we read how God rained immediate punishment upon those who trangressed His Will. For example, we read how Deuteronomy 21:10 informs us about God delivering Moses' enemies into his hands:
"When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive..."
However, Ezekiel 18:20 also says:
"The soul that sins shall die. The son shall not be loaded with his father's iniquities nor a father with the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be put to his own account, and the wickednes of the wicked shall be put to his own account."
One wonders, are the above contradictory to one another? Why is God (of the Bible) punishing all the enemies of Moses with utter disregard of who have committed iniquity against Him or otherwise? And with regard to the Jews, we read that:
"Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: You have seen all the calamity that I brought upon Jerusalem and upon all the cities of Judah. Look, this day they are a waste because of their wickedness which they committed, provoking Me to anger, in that they went to burn incense and serve other gods whom they did not know, neither they, nor you, nor your fathers." (Jeremiah, 44:2-3)
Do note that we do not in the least consider the above verses to be "difficult" for our understanding. However,the above exposition is to show the blind methodology of the missionaries, who are welling in their obvious hatred for the Qur'ān and could not think of any other way to disparage it apart from generating nonsensical "contradictions". Obviously, the missionaries' exegetical abilities with regard to their own Bible does not seem to rate much higher than their understanding with regard to the Qur'ān, and that much is to be expected!
RESPONSE:
It is truly amazing that MENJ could write such an appendix, especially in light of what we had initially written. Since MENJ missed it or didn’t bother to even read it, we have decided to post it here again with added emphasis:
Now, ONE REASON FOR EVEN BRINGING THIS UP IS BECAUSE OF THE COMMON APPEAL BY MUSLIMS TO SIMILAR STATEMENTS OF THE HOLY BIBLE in order to "prove" contradictions within the Sacred Scriptures. For instance, Muslims will try to pit Ezekiel 18:1-4, 20 against passages such as Deuteronomy 5:9-10 and Romans 5:12-21, especially as it relates to the Christian belief in Original Sin and the concept of Imputation (i.e., the sin of Adam and the righteousness of Christ being imputed to others).
The Muslim must deal with the preceding quranic passages, AND YET WHATEVER ANSWER HE/SHE COMES UP WITH TO RECONCILE THEM WILL APPLY EQUALLY TO THE BIBLICAL PASSAGES. In other words, IT BECOMES AN ISSUE OF CONSISTENCY AND INTEGRITY. Muslims in general, AND MUSLIM APOLOGISTS SPECIFICALLY, NEED TO LEARN TO APPLY THEIR METHODOLOGY FAIRLY and not simply adopt a method which seeks to undermine the Holy Bible WHEN THAT SAME METHOD CAN BE USED EQUALLY, IF NOT MORE FORCEFULLY, AGAINST THE QUR’AN.
Isn’t it truly amazing that MENJ tries to use our own argument against us WHEN WE HAD SPECIFICALLY STATED THAT THE VERY REASON WE WERE EVEN USING THIS METHOD WAS TO SHOW THE INCONSISTENCY OF MUSLIMS IN THEIR CRITICISIM OF THE HOLY BIBLE?
Did MENJ even bother to read that part? He must have since he claims to be addressing our paper. But then what was the point of his appendix? To show us that we are being inconsistent in our methodology, even though we plainly said that we were using it to show that Muslims are inconsistent and even dishonest for using THIS VERY SAME APPROACH?
It is quite obvious to us that the appendix is nothing more than a smokescreen and actually serves to reinforce what we ourselves had stated to be the problem with Muslim apologetics.
Furthermore, does MENJ even realize the significance his statements have on his position as a Muslim? If MENJ concedes the possibility that the sins of a person can negatively affect others who were not responsible for those sins, then he has now opened the door to the Christian doctrine of Original Sin! MENJ no longer has any valid or logical reason to reject the fact that Adam’s sin negatively effected the entire human race, plunging mankind into sin, especially when there are hadiths which affirm this point!
But if MENJ accepts that Adam’s sin did have negative effects upon all humanity, then he has no logical reason to reject the position that a man’s act of obedience can also bring positive effects upon others. In other words, MENJ no longer has any valid argument against the biblical teaching that Jesus’ act of obedience and death resulted in the salvation of all of God’s people. He also cannot logically object to Christ suffering the consequences of the sins of the people whom he came to redeem.
In conclusion, we are thankful for one thing. It seems that MENJ realizes that there is a problem in the methodology employed by Muslims. His comments are an indirect acknowledgment of our claim that this methodology can be used more forcefully against the Qur'an and Islam. But will this prevent MENJ from further using this methodology? We highly doubt it since one can find on his site some recent criticisms of the Holy Bible which, sadly, are still adopting this inconsistent critical approach to the Jewish and Christian scriptures (e.g., the articles Jesus' Association with Nazareth and John 8 and the Birth of Jesus).
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