Friday, March 28, 2003
IN THE SHADOW OF THE KORAN
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the first impression of "in the shade of the Qur'an" was how different the tone of the Koran was and how different the image of the almighty was from the other religions...the Koran is an angry, violent, frightful book. over and over again there are vivid, horrific, Bosch-like images of the vengeance that awaits unbelievers.
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the metaphor used to describe the godhead in Christianity is the "father" with the connotation of benevolence, protection and tough love. the relationship between Allah and Muslims is one of dictator to subject.
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Qutb comments are not crackpot interpretations of the Koran. here he writes on surah 81: "The rhythm...is one of violent movement which leaves nothing in its place. everything is thrown, smashed or scattered away. the movement is so violent that it excites and frightens."
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Fear, not love, is what the Koran uses to influence behavior which is why the relationship between Allah and man was analogized to that of dictator and subject above. in surah 49 the prophet says:
"The noblest of you in Allah's sight is he who fears him most."
In commenting on this sentence Qutb writes that man's earthly concerns with family, power and wealth are made void by Islam, "which substitutes for them a single value [fear] derived directly from Allah, the only value accepted by him."
Qutb says in his commentary on surah 79, "The fear of Allah is the solid defence against the violent attacks of desire...fear of standing before his lord, the almighty, should be of great help to [man]."
"The [82nd] surah closes with an air of fear and speechless expectation, which contrasts with the air of violent horrors of the opening. in between the two man is addressed with that remonstrance which overwhelms him with a feeling of shame." Allah is a dictator who rules through fear....
