Question:
I have a Hindu friend who asked me some questions regarding the Qur'an. They are as follows:
a) The is supposed to guide mankind across cultures and times (i.e. forever, even 10,000 years from now). Then why is there so much culture and time specific guidance included in Quran?
b) There are and were so many cultures across the world including the ones where rape is probably negligible. Why then include so much time and culture specific stuff in a book that is meant to provide eternal guidance for all cultures for all time to come?
c) Is it not fair to make the assertion that the Quran was never meant to be the one all and end-all eternal guidance from the divine to humanity? Would not the divine have foreseen the serious issues (e.g. Extremism and denial of basic human rights) such type of guidance would cause that much of the world is now trying to deal with. If a book can have such wide interpretations including creating extreme suppression of human rights...should it still be considered the eternal and final guidance from God?
I hope these questions are clear.
Answer:
It needs to be appreciated that the Qur'an is not a book of universal truths or quotations. It is not beyond the confines of time and space. On the other hand, it is couched in time and space because it conveys its message through a living and vibrant human tradition. Localized aspects in it relate to the type and nature of people present. This localization is because the human element is never subtracted from it, and those who read and follow it know that it is not something abstract -- it relates to humans. So though the verses are revealed in a localized setting, their message is eternal. It is like reading a powerful story which has a universal message -- which is the moral of the story.
As far as the second part of your question, it would be in order not to intermingle the teachings of the Qur’an with the deeds of the Muslims. It is like understanding the principles followed by a country through the behaviour of its citizens and not by reading its constitution. Would that be fare?
However, if your Hindu friend thinks that there are directives given by the Quran which are unfair or evil per se, he may kindly point them out so that their pertinence and wisdom can be explained.
Shehzad Saleem
30th March 2010
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