A journey through the Qur’an, pt. 1

Last Friday, my day off, I went wandering through Minneapolis on my mountain bike. Snow was predicted for the next day, so I assumed this might be the last nice fall ride. I rode over the stone arch bridge. I passed a bridal party getting their pictures taken, tempted to ride up right behind them as they all smiled and make myself part of the family. There’s a Dunn Brothers coffee shop just up the hill where I rested for a few moments. I didn’t buy anything, so they asked me to leave—fair enough.

I rode over to the University campus and entered Kaufmann Union. I explored the three levels, the restaurants, the movie theater, the large meeting hall, the student book store, the large collection of couches and cushy chairs. I noticed some representatives from a local Mosque camped out by the escalators. At first I was disturbed that there was no Christian representation in the place, only Muslim. By the time I was ready to go, I walked past their table again and saw they were giving away paperback copies of their holy book, the Qu’ran. I asked if I could have one and they were more than eager, of course.

They started to discuss with me how good the book was and how it’s a continuation of what the other prophets said. One of their comments regarded how the gospels were not as reliable in fact as the Qu’ran because they were written by man, not words given by God. Having studied both Testaments that Christians believe in their original languages to some degree, and having a strong belief in the historical reliability of these texts, I pursued them further regarding the issue of the harmonizing the Mohammed with previously revealed Scripture.

It was an interesting discussion. The white guy with the long red—haired beard told me he had converted from Agnosticism to Islam and he dressed as he did to try and be like the prophets of old as much as possible. He gave me a book that defended the authority of Mohammed, and said they are there every Thursday and Friday. With that in mind, I thought, what if I were to actually read through the book that over 1 billion people on earth claim to be the last word on faith?

So, as best I can I seek to work through this holy book, ask questions and see what I can learn from original sources. Of course, this little paperback being in English is not the original source, as my Muslim friends are quick to point out. I will only get the truest meaning from the Arabic text. Granted, I understand this from the perspective that Biblical languages of Hebrew and Greek that our English Bibles are the most rich and meaningful resource any Bible scholar could tap. Here my questions start:

Is it possible to be a true Muslim without understanding the Qur’an in Arabic? Did Allah only intend Arabic speakers to understand its meaning? Are there cross-cultural principles and beliefs that this text teaches that are adequately translatable into other languages?

Certainly as a student of the Torah and the Christian Canon, we would never abandon the original languages or cultures or their study, but would say that modern English translations are effective at communicating a high percentage of the story and doctrines and principles of the faith.

I only feel qualified to speak about the validity and interpretation of Genesis and Revelation, so I will write to the issues raised by these devoted Islamic missionaries with respect to my understanding of Christian doctrine.

The Authority of Mohammed

Was Jesus speaking of the coming of Mohammed, not the Holy Spirit in John 16:7?

The Muslim argument goes that since Jesus was present and filled with the Holy Spirit that Jesus could not have been speaking about the Holy Spirit, since the Holy Spirit was already there. It doesn’t make sense that Jesus and Holy Spirit would have to go away for the Holy Spirit to come again. It refers instead to a different Counselor/Comforter that would come. These missionaries seemed to call the Holy Spirit “the Praised One’ also, which introduces a new idea to the text.

1. The word means "one who comes alongside." The Greek word used in the text is parakletos, meaning helper, encourager, one mediates on behalf of, I think the Muslim I talked with called it “the Praised One” which seems like a far wandering from the Greek word. I am curious to know if Mohammed acts and serves as a helper like one who comes alongside and helps his people. Does he acts as one who mediates on behalf of his people? If he does, how can we know if Allah will hear his advocacy? Does Mohammed even come close to doing what the Holy Spirit does in reminding people of the truth? Convicting men of sin and judgment? I will have to read the Qu’ran to find these things out. I have a sense that Mohammed is very good at accusing people of sin, however, does Mohammed function as an advocate?

2. The text argues that parakletos = the Holy Spirit. A look at the context of John 14-17, all passages in which Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit as he prepares his disciples for his upcoming departure, show three obvious uses of the word parakletos in extremely close association with the one titled Holy Spirit. In John 14:6, it says “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” The grammatical construction is what’s called an appositive, a renaming of one thing by another. Take for example, “Jim, the smelly guy by the door, regularly turned away customers from the restaurant.” Jim = the smelly guy. Two nouns next to each other meaning they refer to each other. John 15:26, John 14:16-17 also use parakletos in a similar appositive.

Why would Jesus or the gospel writers use the same term to refer mystically to a man who would appear 6oo+ years later? The context argues for agreement with a previously mentioned usages of parakletos where The Counselor=the Holy Spirit.

That’s all I have time for today.