Dr Simon Reads...

The Daybreak (al-Falaq) The Night is Dark, and Full of Terrors 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 Daybreak (al-Falaq) 1-5   “ Say, ‘I seek the protection of the Lord of the daybreak from the evil of what He has created, and from the evil of the dark night when it settles, and from the evil of the witches who blow on knots, and from the evil of the envious one when he envies.’” I think that I’ve mentioned before that these final chapters remind me of the psalms, not least because many of them also seem to double as prayers or charms. This one, for example, is a prayer of protection from things that haunt the night, with

Monotheism (al-Ikhlas) Subtle Pokes At Trinitarian Christianity. 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 Monotheism (al-Ikhlas) 1-4 “ Say, ‘He is Allah, the One. Allah is the All-embracing. He neither begat, nor was begotten, nor has He any equal.’” -           Al-quran.info “Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, Nor is there to Him any equivalent."” -           Quran.com A quick note: although Al-quran.info calls this one “Monotheism”, the Arabic title it gives is translated as (variously) “Sincerity”, “Fidelity” or “the Purity”. It is given the alternative titl

Palm Fibre (al-Masad) Infamy For Abu Lahab And His Wife. 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 Palm Fibre (al-Masad) 1-5 “ Perish the hands of Abu Lahab, and perish he! Neither his wealth availed him, nor what he had earned. Soon he will enter the blazing fire, and his wife [too], the firewood carrier, with a rope of palm fibre around her neck.” -al-Quran.info “May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined, and ruined is he. His wealth will not avail him or that which he gained. He will [enter to] burn in a Fire of [blazing] flame And his wife [as well] - the carrier of firewood. Around her neck is a rope of [twisted] fiber.” - Qur

The Help (al-Nasr) Victory vs. Conquest (Nothing About Dodgy Chocolate Pie). 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 Help (al-Nasr 1-3) “ When Allah’s help comes with victory, and you see the people entering Allah’s religion in throngs, then celebrate the praise of your Lord, and plead to Him for forgiveness. Indeed He is all-clement.” - Quran.Info “ When the victory of Allah has come and the conquest, And you see the people entering into the religion of Allah in multitudes, Then exalt [Him] with praise of your Lord and ask forgiveness of Him. Indeed, He is ever Accepting of repentance.” -Quran.Com This is the last (c

The Faithless (al-Kafirun) I Will Not Worship Your False Gods, Sam-I-Am. 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 Faithless (al-Kafirun 1-6) “Say, ‘O faithless ones! I do not worship what you worship, nor do you worship what I worship; nor will I worship what you have worshipped nor will you worship what I worship. To you your religion, and to me my religion.’” According to the introductory notes, this surah is a response to some polytheists who suggested to the Prophet that they’d worship his God for a year if he worshipped their gods for a year. It’s a pretty succinct – “no”. It’s almost a “Green Eggs and Ham” of a surah

Abundance (al-Kawthar) Complex Arabic Superlatives. 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 Abundance (al-Kawthar 1-3) “ Indeed We have given you abundance. So pray to your Lord, and sacrifice [the sacrificial camel]. Indeed it is your enemy who is without posterity.” This is such a short surah I doubt I’ll have much to say about it. There’s not even anything particularly notable about the poetic structure that I can comment on – the transliteration runs “ʾinnā ʾaʿṭaynāka l-kawthar fa-ṣalli li-rabbika wa-nḥar ʾinnā shāniʾaka huwa l-ʾabtar u” And as you can see there’s not particularly much there in the way of alliteration o

Aid (al-Ma’un) Motivations for 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 Aid (al-Ma’un) 1-7 “ Did you see him who denies the Retribution? That is the one who drives away the orphan, and does not urge the feeding of the needy. Woe to them who pray, —those who are heedless of their prayers, those who show off but deny aid.” I think this chapter pretty much speaks for itself. It wishes woe on people that make a big show of praying but don’t really mean it, and don’t then act with charity. Those of you who’ve either followed my Bible series or have read it for yourselves may recognise that this kind of message is a popular o

Quraysh (Quraysh) A Brief History of the Battles of 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 Quraysh (Quraysh) 1-4 “ [In gratitude] for solidarity among the Quraysh, their solidarity during winter and summer journeys, let them worship the Lord of this House, who has fed them [and saved them] from hunger, and secured them from fear.” As with the previous surah , this one, I think, requires a bit of research for context. The Quraysh were an Arabic tribe, made up of smaller clans, that developed into a large mercantile organisation based at Mecca but controlling trade all across the Arabian peninsula. As a part of this th

The Elephant (al-Fiil) Mûmakil Attack! 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 Elephant (al-Fiil) 1-5 “Have you not regarded how your Lord dealt with the Men of the Elephant? Did He not make their stratagems go awry, and send against them flocks of birds pelting them with stones of shale, thus making them like chewed-up straw?” This surah requires a bit of historical context. The “ Men of the Elephant ” were the army of a Christian ruler named Abraha, war leader of a Yemeni people called the Aksumites. The Aksumites were Christians that had been ousted by a man called Dhu Muwas, leader of the Jewish Himyarite people. With

The Scandal-Monger (al-Humazah) Islam: The Platform Game, Chaplin In Hell, and “Mumadadda”. 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 Scandal-Monger (al-Humazah) 1-9 “Woe to every scandal-monger and slanderer, who amasses wealth and counts it over.” Although this surah is only nine verses, I’m not going to quote the whole thing here, since some of it is easily summarised. It’s an attack on “ scandal-mongerers ” and “ slanderers ”, but seems to equate this with also being a miser or hoarder of wealth, since it is the wealth that is directly attacked and not the slander - “ He supposes his wealth will make him immortal !” Recall th

Time (al-‘Asr) Seize The Day, and Do Righteous Things. 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 Time (al-‘Asr) 1-3 “By Time! Indeed man is in loss, Except those who have faith and do righteous deeds, and enjoin one another to [follow] the truth, and enjoin one another to patience.” “ wa-l-ʿaṣr ʾinna l-ʾinsāna la-fī khusr ʾillā lladhīna ʾāmanū wa-ʿamilū ṣ-ṣāliḥāti wa-tawāṣaw bi-l-ḥaqqi wa-tawāṣaw bi-ṣ-ṣabr” I’ll admit here that this is such a short surah I was at a loss to anything to say about it, so I went and did a little research. First, my untouched thoughts were that it’s overall pretty straightforward – unless one has fai

Rivalry (al-Takathur) Visiting Graveyards, or Counting Ancestors. 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 Rivalry (al-Takathur) 1-8 “Rivalry [and vainglory] distracted you until you visited [even] the graves. No indeed! Soon you will know! Again, no indeed! Soon you will know! No indeed! Were you to know with certain knowledge, you would surely see hell. Again, you will surely see it with the eye of certainty. Then, that day, you will surely be questioned concerning the blessing.” As you can see, this is a pretty straightforward eight-verse surah . I had a look at the Arabic and there’s not as much in the way of poetic device I