Dr Simon Reads...

The Catastrophe (al-Qari’ah) What It Is? I’m Not Going To Tell You. Welcome to the next instalment of An Atheist Explores Sacred Texts (Qur’an version). In this series I work my way chapter-by-chapter through the Qur’an, commenting on it from the point of view of the text as literature and mythology. For more detail, see the introductory post https://bit.ly/2ApLDy0 For the online Qur’an that I use, see here http://al-quran.info and http://quran.com The Catastrophe (al-Qari’ah) 1-11 “The Catastrophe! What is the Catastrophe? What will show you what is the Catastrophe?” What? What will show me what is the Catastrophe? If that’s supposed to mean “what the Catastrophe is”. Well, I’m going to leave that hanging for a bit for dramatic suspense. Firstly, although the last line is oddly phrased, that’s a nice opening with gradually increasing verse length repeating the word “Catastrophe”; this highlights the importance of the Catastrophe, particularly as a subject matter for thi

The Chargers (al-‘Adiyat) A Waste Of Good Poetry. Welcome to the next instalment of An Atheist Explores Sacred Texts (Qur’an version). In this series I work my way chapter-by-chapter through the Qur’an, commenting on it from the point of view of the text as literature and mythology. For more detail, see the introductory post https://bit.ly/2ApLDy0 For the online Qur’an that I use, see here http://al-quran.info and http://quran.com The Chargers (al-‘Adiyat) 1-11 “By the snorting chargers, by the strikers of sparks [with their hoofs], by the raiders at dawn, raising therein a trail of dust, and cleaving therein a host!” In this part of the Qur’an there’s a by-now familiar pattern of surah s beginning with a sworn oath against something, followed by the declaration being sworn to. This one departs from the common theme of heavenly bodies and instead paints a striking image of charging horses. This, I’m sure, would have been a recognisable image to the Prophet’s Arabic aud

The Quake (al-Zalzalah) Arabic Poetic Structure and Theories of Altruism. Welcome to the next instalment of An Atheist Explores Sacred Texts (Qur’an version). In this series I work my way chapter-by-chapter through the Qur’an, commenting on it from the point of view of the text as literature and mythology. For more detail, see the introductory post https://bit.ly/2ApLDy0 For the online Qur’an that I use, see here http://al-quran.info and http://quran.com The Quake (al-Zalzalah) 1-8 “When the earth is rocked with a terrible quake and the earth discharges her burdens, and man says, ‘What is the matter with her?’ On that day she will relate her chronicles for her Lord will have inspired her. On that day, mankind will issue forth in various groups to be shown their deeds. So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.” You could almost fit these words to the tune of REM’s “Man on the Moon”. I think it’s beca

Dr. Simon Reads Appendix N: Edgar Rice Burroughs This is sporadic feature, in which I explore classic fantasy and science fiction works. You will either know what I mean by “Appendix N”, or you will have no clue.   If you understand, you can skip the next bit. In the original Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Dungeon Masters Guide, Gary Gygax provided a large number of appendices, from random smells to reputed magical properties of herbs and gemstones. Appendix N was a bibliography of works that inspired him. Back in 1982 when I first got hold of this book, there were only a couple of items on there that I’d read, and only a few other authors that I’d even heard of. Many years later, after much reading, I returned to Appendix N expecting to have added greatly to the works on there that I’d read; but actually, there were still very few. Many of the authors were obscure or out of print authors of, for want of a better expression, golden age pulp; the kind that feature in Amazing Storie

The Proof (al-Bayyinah) Schisms Prove God. Plus: A deep dive into psychological integration. Welcome to the next instalment of An Atheist Explores Sacred Texts (Qur’an version). In this series I work my way chapter-by-chapter through the Qur’an, commenting on it from the point of view of the text as literature and mythology. For more detail, see the introductory post https://bit.ly/2ApLDy0 For the online Qur’an that I use, see here http://al-quran.info and http://quran.com The Proof (al-Bayyinah) 1-8 “The faithless from among the People of the Book and the polytheists were not set apart until the proof had come to them:” Finally! Some undeniable proof demonstrating that the claims in the Qur’an are based on solid factual observation. What is this proof? “ an apostle from Allah reciting impeccable scriptures, wherein are upright writings.” Oh. Okay everyone, repeat after me: “The claim is not the evidence”. However, let’s overlook that for now. What this surah is sa

The Ordainment (al-Qadr) A Big Night For The Prophet. Welcome to the next instalment of An Atheist Explores Sacred Texts (Qur’an version). In this series I work my way chapter-by-chapter through the Qur’an, commenting on it from the point of view of the text as literature and mythology. For more detail, see the introductory post https://bit.ly/2ApLDy0 For the online Qur’an that I use, see here http://al-quran.info and http://quran.com The Ordainment (al-Qadr) 1-5 “Indeed We sent it down on the Night of Ordainment. What will show you what is the Night of Ordainment? The Night of Ordainment is better than a thousand months. In it the angels and the Spirit descend, by the leave of their Lord, with every command. It is peaceful until the rising of the dawn.” “It” in the first verse is the Qur’an, and this ties into my question last time about how much of the Qur’an was supposedly revealed to the Prophet in one go. My understanding since then is that it was revealed in bloc

The Clinging Mass (al-‘Alaq) God’s Gang, Lying Forelocks, Rebellious Contentment and the Power of Writing. Welcome to the next instalment of An Atheist Explores Sacred Texts (Qur’an version). In this series I work my way chapter-by-chapter through the Qur’an, commenting on it from the point of view of the text as literature and mythology. For more detail, see the introductory post https://bit.ly/2ApLDy0 For the online Qur’an that I use, see here http://al-quran.info and http://quran.com The Clinging Mass (al-‘Alaq) 1-19 “ Read in the Name of your Lord who created;” Here we are, the first, chronologically, of the chapters of the Qur’an. Although I must admit I’m a little unsure about the whole sequence of chronology. I’ve read somewhere that the chronological orders of the surah s does not necessarily follow the order of revelation, rather that they follow the order in which the Prophet wrote (or dictated) his revelations as he recalled them. In fact the notes to this cha

The Fig (al-Tiin) Humanity: Lowest of the Low. Welcome to the next instalment of An Atheist Explores Sacred Texts (Qur’an version). In this series I work my way chapter-by-chapter through the Qur’an, commenting on it from the point of view of the text as literature and mythology. For more detail, see the introductory post https://bit.ly/2ApLDy0 For the online Qur’an that I use, see here http://al-quran.info and http://quran.com The Fig (al-Tiin) 1-8 “ By the fig and the olive, by Mount Sinai, by this secure town” This is another 8 verse surah , so again you get the lot. It begins with an oath, by now a familiar format, but in this case the oath is sworn by things that evoke the Middle East. The “ secure town ” is a reference to Mecca. I’d guess at Mt. Sinai being considered sacred since that’s where Moses is supposed to have been given his Laws by God. Figs and olives – are they meant to specifically evoke thoughts of the Holy Land, as the commentary suggests, or are they

Opening (al-Sharh) If It’s Finished, Pour It. Welcome to the next instalment of An Atheist Explores Sacred Texts (Qur’an version). In this series I work my way chapter-by-chapter through the Qur’an, commenting on it from the point of view of the text as literature and mythology. For more detail, see the introductory post https://bit.ly/2ApLDy0 For the online Qur’an that I use, see here http://al-quran.info and http://quran.com Opening (al-Sharh) 1-8 “Did We not open your breast for you and relieve you of your burden which [almost] broke your back? Did We not exalt your name? Indeed ease accompanies hardship. Indeed ease accompanies hardship. So when you are done, appoint , and turn eagerly to your Lord.” Yes, we are getting into the tiny surah s, and for the most part, particularly those under ten verses, I’ll be quoting the whole thing. Which, hopefully, will give more of a feel for how the verses flow together (or not) instead of picking various representative v

The Morning Brightness (al-Duha) The Prophet: Orphaned Poet. Welcome to the next instalment of An Atheist Explores Sacred Texts (Qur’an version). In this series I work my way chapter-by-chapter through the Qur’an, commenting on it from the point of view of the text as literature and mythology. For more detail, see the introductory post https://bit.ly/2ApLDy0 For the online Qur’an that I use, see here http://al-quran.info and http://quran.com The Morning Brightness (al-Duha) 1-11 ” By the morning brightness, by the night when it is calm!” This surah is only eleven verses long, so I’m going to quote all of them, even though I’ll be chopping them up to comment. This will probably be the format from here-on since, apart from one of nineteen verses long, the rest are all very short. And note that the theme of swearing by celestial phenomena continues. I wonder if this is an Arabic traditional thing, so that the readers/listeners of the Qur’an would know that this is a very sol