Since the
September 11, 2001
tragedy and the wars in
Iraq,
Afghanistan
and
Pakistan,
the dialogue between followers of different
religious, spiritual and secular traditions
worldwide has reached new heights and depths.
While followers of some religious traditions are
dreaming of creating theocratic states, secular
minded people are working to preserve scientific
education in their schools and maintain the human
rights of women, children and minorities in their
communities and cultures.more...
Whether Qur’an is
relevant or not in the 21st century
will begin to make more sense if we study the
relevance of religion in our lives and the
nature of the Book itself.
It is not only the West that has
a distorted image of Islam, most Muslims have it
too. This is due primarily to the reliance on
the orthodox fundamentalist’s interpretation of
it. Now, the common Muslim is as simple and
naive as the common Christian, Jew or for that
matter a follower of any other religion.
Quran will
always be relevant because it is believed by 1.2
billion people to be God’s word, but it truly
becomes relevant if it is proved to be the Word of God.
For that it has to first be proved that God exists, and
that HE sent down this book unaltered. It should also
answer our most urgent questions and solve our
most pressing problems. You and I have been
deceived by atheists and creationists and now demand
indisputable proof.
The Holy Quran was revealed to Prophet
Mohammad over a period of 23 years. It was compiled a few years after
the Prophet had passed away. The Quranic chapters are organized such
that the shorter chapters follow the longer ones. The chapter 1, the
opening chapter, Fatah is however an exception. There is a
noteworthy reason for this exception. The opening chapter represents a
wish, a desire or a request by man to God. The rest of the book,
Chapters 2 to 114 represent God’s reply providing His guidance for the
humanity.
more...
The topic is, “Relevance of Koran in 21st
Century”. Koran is relevant in 21st century partly because it
has stood the test of time for more than 1400 years and partly because
more than a billion Muslims on the globe are faithful to this scripture
at this time. However, the word “21st century” in the topic
bears an existential connotation that requires us to viewing this sacred
scripture through historic developments. more...
First
and foremost, I guess the relevance of the Koran in
the 21st century is a matter of great concern to
countless confused Muslims residing away from their
homelands in the comfort and safety of the West.
The comfort and safety of those displaced or
misplaced Muslim exiles are marred by the discomfort
and danger of an identity crisis in which everyone
is blindly groping for an anchor in the turbulent
sea of change all around us.more...
The
reference here is to the eternal character of the
Quran. It is a claim made by the Quran fourteen
centuries ago-- a claim which in my opinion is quite
extraordinary in the light of more or less
established truths. The bulk of humanity has
witnessed and attested to these truths over time:
that societies perpetually evolve and social norms
change, therefore all societies need to reconsider
the laws regulating altered ethics. It is also a
claim that has not as yet been tested, as
undoubtedly scripture is often treated as
sacrosanct, demanding abject loyalty from the
faithful.more...
The Prophet received
the first Qur’anic revelation at the age of 40 in the
year 610. The revelations continued to come for the next
23 years, in fragments and ‘at intervals’, ending 82
days before the death of the Prophet in 632, with the
following verse: “Today have I perfected your religious
law for you, and have bestowed upon you the full measure
of My blessings, and willed that self-surrender unto Me
(Islam) shall be your religion.” (5:3)
