Mahmoud Hussein Understanding the Qur an Today Translated by David Bond saqi
In memory of Khalid Muhammad Khalid Apostle of democracy in Islam, Our friend, For whom faith in God was inseparable from free thought. Published 2013 by Saqi Books In association with the Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations First published 2009 as Penser le Coran by Editions Grasset & Fasquelle Copyright Editions Grasset & Fasquelle 2009 Translation David Bond 2013 ISBN 978-0-86356-849-7 eisbn 978-0-86356-854-1 Mahmoud Hussein has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. First published 2013 in Great Britain Saqi Books 26 Westbourne Grove London W2 5RH www.saqibooks.com A full cip record for this book is available from the British Library. Printed and bound by CPI Mackays, Chatham ME5 8TD
On the eve of Arafa, the Prophet implored the clemency of God for the Muslim community. God answered: I forgive everyone, except those who have committed injustices. I must seek reparation from those who have committed injustices so that I may compensate their victims. The Prophet insisted: Lord, You can take from Paradise what is necessary to compensate their victims and nevertheless pardon those who have committed injustices. God did not answer. Having arrived at Muzdalafa, the Prophet again implored him in favour of all the members of his community. This time, God consented. Then the Prophet laughed joyfully. Al Ahādīth al-qudusiyya
Six The Qur an in its historical context The Revelation of the Qur an began around 610 and ended in 632 with the death of the Prophet Muhammad. This period is divided into two sub-periods, distinct in space and time. Firstly, for a period of twelve years, there were the revelations at Mecca. Then, from 622, for a period of ten years, there were the revelations which took place at Yathrib, renamed Medina after the death of the Prophet. These periods appear in the text of the Qur an, in which all the verses are situated in Mecca or Medina. A number of Qur anic themes are present in both periods, although there are certain basic characteristic themes particular to one or other of the periods. The difference in themes is a consequence of the different contexts of Mecca and Medina. During the Meccan period, believers were very few in 39
understanding the qur an today number. Their total number was no more than around a hundred. United by their common faith, they did not constitute, in daily life, a distinct community. They continued to live individually with their clans, in their respective families, even though they were more and more ill at ease, and treated intolerantly. The Word which the Prophet passed on to them, and which transformed them into a cohesive community around him, was centred on the main principles metaphysical, eschatological, ritual of the new religion. In other words, the vertical relationship between believers and God. God is unique, all-powerful and compassionate. Muhammad is His messenger. Human beings are called, during their earthly existence, to bear witness to the unique oneness of God, to the unity of His creation and to the finality of life itself, the return to God, whence it comes. People are personally responsible before God for their acts. They will account for their actions at the Last Judgement, when they will be individually rewarded or punished, for all eternity. While they were in Mecca, the Muslims, scattered among their kinsfolk, did not have to deal with the challenges inherent to a distinct, autonomous community. It was in Yathrib, from 622 onwards, the year of the Hegira (from hijra, meaning emigration ), that they 40
the qur an in its historical context began to form a community of faith and life, where spirituality inspired the organisation of daily life. The Muhajirun (or emigrants, who come from Mecca), the Ansars (or supporters, inhabitants of Yathrib who welcomed the Muslims into their homes) and the new arrivals who joined them gradually from all the tribes of Arabia, formed a pluralistic community, with tribal differences as well as social disparities. They also had to learn to define themselves as Muslims, in the face of other religions and, within a short space of time, to resist the external threat of tribal coalitions. They waited for God to teach them how to live, both among themselves and in relation to others, guiding them in the earthly relations that structure human interaction. Why did the Qur an not deal with these questions at Mecca? Why did it only start to deal with them at Yathrib? The answer is that these questions had not yet come to the forefront in Mecca and would only begin to do so at Yathrib. Before examining, one by one, the main themes reflecting the link between the text and its historical context, we need to evoke a wider time-framework in which the Qur an is situated: the history of Creation itself. 41