A more tolerant, more spiritual and more meaningful Quran

[Guest guest]

, " Violet "

<violetubb wrote:

>

> Dear Jagbir and all,

>

> This is fantastic that you have found Muhammad Assad's translation

> which is a more clear and truthful translation. It is already

> making a difference in understanding.

>

> warmest regards,

>

> violet

>

 

Dear Violet and all,

 

This alone is going to make a difference in understanding:

 

" As an example of how Asad's interpretation ennobles and broadens the

Quranic terminology consider his transformation of 'fear of God', one

of the most frequently recurring phrases of the Quran, into

'consciousness of God.' "

 

Fear is external, consciousness is internal. Fear instils fanaticism,

consciousness blossoms love. Fear paralyzes the mind, consciousness

heals it. Fear is medieval consciousness is contemporary. Fear is

ignorance, consciousness is knowledge. Fear is rebirth, consciousness

is liberation. Fear is human, consciousness is divine.

 

regards to all

 

jagbir

 

 

Commendable, December 8, 2000

By Vir " Virtus Sola Nobilitas " (USA)

 

This is the most beautiful rendition of the Quran in the English

language that I have come across so far. There are two broad

approaches that one can take with the Quran or any other religious

text for that matter. Either one can try to translate it verbatim or

interpret it in light of what one believes to be its core message.

Asad has done well to take the latter path. Of course much of Asad's

inspiration comes from the modernist Muslim reformer Muhammad 'abduh,

as a result of which we have a more tolerant, more spiritual and more

meaningful Quran than the one that seems to inspire violence,

exclusivity and intolerance in Muslim communities throughout the

world.

 

As an example of how Asad's interpretation ennobles and broadens the

Quranic terminology consider his transformation of 'fear of God', one

of the most frequently recurring phrases of the Quran, into

'consciousness of God.' Thus a Muslim is one who is not just a 'God

fearing' individual, but a 'God conscious' individual. But then this

is just one instance of how Asad's interpretation scores against mere

translations.

[Guest guest]

, " jagbir singh "

<adishakti_org wrote:

 

> Fear is external, consciousness is internal. Fear instills

> fanaticism, consciousness blossoms love. Fear paralyzes the mind,

> consciousness heals it. Fear is medieval, consciousness is

> contemporary. Fear is ignorance, consciousness is knowledge. Fear

> is rebirth, consciousness is liberation. Fear is human,

> consciousness is divine.

 

Dear Jagbir and all,

 

It has never made sense to me why we should 'fear' God unless we have done

something against the Divine, therefore fearing the consequences of our actions.

In Christianity i was taught that 'fear' of God meant awe, dread, or reverence

for God - which is 'consciousness' of God, whichever way you look at it.

 

Here are two passages from the Bible, with the word 'fear' in them:

 

" Remember the day you [israel] stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when the

Lord said to me [Moses], 'Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My

words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that

they may teach their children.' (Deuteronomy 4:10)

 

Even the worst 'fear-mongering-god' wouldn't expect people to fear him for the

rest of their lives - so the word 'fear' has to have another meaning, that of

'awe, dread, or respect', in other words a 'consciousness' of God.

 

Here is another passage:

 

" The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all

those who do His/[Her] commandments. " (Psalm 111:10)

 

The Spirit within which is more like a 'Her' does speak to the individual person

in the still, small voice of conscience. If the individual continually

disregards their conscience, which is their Higher Self/Spirit and follows the

doctrines of hypocrites and liars instead, who have a 'seared conscience', then

those individuals can start to 'fear' the 'Lord within':

 

" But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the

faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means

of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding

iron. " (I Timothy 4:1-2)

 

This 'fear of the Lord within' would be a subtle, innate and very natural fear

originating from within their own conscience. That is not a bad 'fear' but a

fear that could result in turning back to the still, small voice of conscience -

and that would then be the 'beginning of Wisdom'.

 

However, religious organisations have wrongly used/usurped this innate spiritual

feature within human beings and demanded submission to a man-made hierarchy of

mere mortals, without themselves having the consciousness of God. They are

therefore institutions spreading an external 'false fear' which is a diabolical

'doctrine of demons'.

 

The real God, is above all, a God of Love, not a 'god of fear'. And Jesus, the

Christ, completely revealed this God of Love! Other incarnations and prophets

also revealed it.

 

regards to all,

 

violet

 

 

 

> , " Violet "

> <violetubb@> wrote:

> >

> > Dear Jagbir and all,

> >

> > This is fantastic that you have found Muhammad Assad's translation

> > which is a more clear and truthful translation. It is already

> > making a difference in understanding.

> >

> > warmest regards,

> >

> > violet

> >

>

> Dear Violet and all,

>

> This alone is going to make a difference in understanding:

>

> " As an example of how Asad's interpretation ennobles and broadens the

> Quranic terminology consider his transformation of 'fear of God', one

> of the most frequently recurring phrases of the Quran, into

> 'consciousness of God.' "

>

> Fear is external, consciousness is internal. Fear instils fanaticism,

> consciousness blossoms love. Fear paralyzes the mind, consciousness

> heals it. Fear is medieval consciousness is contemporary. Fear is

> ignorance, consciousness is knowledge. Fear is rebirth, consciousness

> is liberation. Fear is human, consciousness is divine.

>

> regards to all

>

> jagbir

>

>

> Commendable, December 8, 2000

> By Vir " Virtus Sola Nobilitas " (USA)

>

> This is the most beautiful rendition of the Quran in the English

> language that I have come across so far. There are two broad

> approaches that one can take with the Quran or any other religious

> text for that matter. Either one can try to translate it verbatim or

> interpret it in light of what one believes to be its core message.

> Asad has done well to take the latter path. Of course much of Asad's

> inspiration comes from the modernist Muslim reformer Muhammad 'abduh,

> as a result of which we have a more tolerant, more spiritual and more

> meaningful Quran than the one that seems to inspire violence,

> exclusivity and intolerance in Muslim communities throughout the

> world.

>

> As an example of how Asad's interpretation ennobles and broadens the

> Quranic terminology consider his transformation of 'fear of God', one

> of the most frequently recurring phrases of the Quran, into

> 'consciousness of God.' Thus a Muslim is one who is not just a 'God

> fearing' individual, but a 'God conscious' individual. But then this

> is just one instance of how Asad's interpretation scores against mere

> translations.

>