http://islamic-danger.blogspot.com/2007/01/virtue-and-purity-as-boasted-of-by.html
<http://islamic-danger.blogspot.com/> Islamic Danger
Islam imposes a threat to the whole world which is far worse than
deforestation, nuclear destruction or AIDS. It is an insidious, devilish
disease creeping into the veins of the world. Every individual must realise the
destructive and evil nature of this religion, for it eats away at the very
foundation of humanity which is an individual's ability to think individually
and act accordingly. http://www.flex.com/~jai/satyamevajayate/
"Virtue and Purity"
as Boasted of by Islamics
Islam and its Islamics (Islamic Clerics - contraction thereof) prides itself on
these two exemplars of Islam's superiority to everything that is not Islamic.
Let us examine these two characteristics in Islam of which its adherents make
so much and boast of them to make us seem decadent.
Virtue
ihsan (Arabic)
Virtue (Latin virtus; Greek ἀρετή) is moral excellence of a person. A virtue is
a character trait valued as being good. The conceptual opposite of virtue is
vice.
***
The English word virtue is derived from the Latin word virtus which is in turn
from vir meaning "man" in the masculine sense. The word virtus means "the male
function" conceived in terms of strength or force; hence "the power to
accomplish".
***
(The Roman virtue called virtus, indeed, specifically meant courage or strength
of arms, rather than 'virtue' in the broader English sense.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtue
[Note; wiki-wiki! Wikipedia, take care what it tells you. this, however,
appears reliable.]
OK, enough of that. BUT, as this word is oh-so-masculine, it fits right in with
the "a man is worth two women (or is it 4? Or is it that four men have to
testify as eye witnesses if a woman is raped to make the rape charge stick? Or
is it six men? Before the woman is stoned to death for adultery?
About the koran:
Language is poetic and arabesque, but the essence of the message is-- **
How Virtue is practiced by Islamics
Well, that is moot point. Point 1. It applies only in (social) intercourse with
other Islamics. The despised kafir (that's us non-Islamics) is left out. The
Islamic can lie to him deceive him (that's highly praiseworthy among the
Mahometans, when a kafir is the target) , rob him, kill him, take his wife and
children to do with what he wishes (no statuatory rape law is part of Sharia).
There is no Point 2. Virtue in Islam can be compared to what we call morality
and ethics--although ours apply to all man-(and woman-)kind. Ours derives from
the 10 Commandments, viz. Thou shalt not . . . murder, steal, etc.
Islamics do not consider killing a kafir (one of us) as immoral. In fact, it is
a step on the road to the sexual hot-house that Mahound describes as his
paradise.
How described by Mahound*
[*easier to type out than Mohammed; if pronounced rapidly, its almost
approximates the Arabic prononciation of Mo-ham-med--as does Mahomet. This
proper noun has been used in literature in Salman rushdie's The Satanic verses
(Warning! Danger! Fatwa issued on author) It is a transformed re-narration of
the life of the prophet <http://www.answers.com/topic/muhammad> Muhammad
(called the "Messenger" {and "Mahound"}in the novel) ]
How Mahound described "Virtue"
In fiction (Islamic, koran, etc.) and in fact
Purity
Purity means that something does not contain foreign material or pollutants;
the opposite of purity is impurity. The term may also be used to denote the
absence of immoral behaviour or qualities (see morality).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purity
In Islamic fiction (koran, etc.)
"The Koran . . . was originally written in the purest Arabic. Muhammad
continually appeals to its extraordinary superhuman beauty and purity, as an
evidence of the divine source from which he declared it to flow. He challenged
unbelievers to produce, even with the aid of genii, any passage worthy to be
compared with a single chapter in the Koran. Those who are acquainted with
Arabic inform us that in its purest type it is in the highest degree copious,
musical, and elegant; and that these qualities all meet in the Koran."
http://www.abcog.org/cislam2.htm
Language is poetic and arabesque, but the essence of the message is **
[footnote]
Virtue In Fact
Mahound's life
the Arabic word sunnah has come to denote the way Prophet Muhammad (saas), the
Messenger of Allah, lived his life. (There are examples of Mahound not being
virtuous: lying, deceit, coveting another's wife, etc.)
A hadith [ahadith, pl.] is a narration about the life of the Prophet (mhrih) or
what he approved - as opposed to his life itself, which is the Sunnah as
already mentioned.
At odds with Ten Commandments
which are more virtuous?
You make the call.
Lives of Islamics (Islamic clerics)
Toilet training a la Mahound.
Quite disgusting
sources, Islamic:
http://www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=565
Virtue amongst the Moslem masses
Islam is wonderful, but I can't stand the Muslims
http://www.islamfortoday.com/malik01.htm
Freedom is the prerequisite for Virtue
says Dinesh D'Souza
Egyptian writer Sayyid Qutb, a leading theoretician of Islamic fundamentalism
who has been called "the brains behind Osama bin Laden," argued in his books
that the West is a society based on freedom, while the Islamic world is based
on virtue.
He argued: Look at how badly the West uses freedom — the materialism,
triviality, vulgarity and promiscuity. Islamic societies may be poor, Qutb
said, but they try to follow God's will. Islamic laws are based on divine law,
higher than any human law. Virtue, Qutb insisted, is ultimately a higher
principle than freedom.
The classical philosophers, including Plato and Aristotle, would have agreed
that virtue, not freedom, is a good society's ultimate goal. And they would be
right.
***************
In theocratic societies such as Iran, the absence of freedom signals the
absence of virtue.
***************
"Sell USA's virtue to Muslim world"
By Dinesh D'Souza
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/2002/05/02/ncguest2.htm
The Book of Virtue, Good Manners and Joining of the Ties of Relationship (Kitab
Al-Birr was-Salat-I-wa'l-Adab)
by Muslim (full name Abul Husain Muslim bin al-Hajjaj al-Nisapuri)
Sahih Muslim is a collection of sayings and deeds of Prophet Muhammad (mhrih)
(also known as the sunnah). The reports of the Prophet's sayings and deeds are
called ahadith.
example:
Book 032, Number 6181:
"Abu Huraira reported that a person said: Allah's Messenger, who amongst the
people is most deserving of my good treatment? He said: Your mother, again your
mother, again your mother, then your father, then your nearest relatives
according to the order (of nearness).
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/muslim/032.smt.html
Honor your father and Mother includes a lot of the "virtue" morality of Mahound.
"Purity"
of which Moslems make so much is decribed (in Islam On Line) so:
Physical purity means cleanliness of the body, clothing and environment.
According to the rules of Islam, Muslims should keep their bodies and clothing
clean from any impurities, especially the body wastes of humans and animals.
Islam insists on the use of clean water to cleanse the body of impurities, and
only when water is not available can a person use other things. Even the
clothing should be perfectly clean from any impurities. For that reason, Muslim
bathrooms have a source of running water or pitchers of water next to the
toilet.
Similarly, any animal discharges — including the saliva of dogs — are unclean
and Muslims should make sure their clothing, environment, and bodies are free
of those impurities.
Muslims must have perfect physical purity to pray the Salah (ritual Prayers).
http://www.islamonline.net/english/introducingislam/Worship/Prayers/article01.shtml
Ablution
Example: "Wash your nose three times by sniffing water up the nostrils and
blowing it out."
[good way to get a sinus infection. I had a friend at one time who snorted
water up his nose and --but that's another story.]
A lot of this stuff comes from Judaism and was embellished to suit the desert
Arab. Now, the "proof's in the puddin"" as they say. And the puddin' often
don't smell too swell.
Here's another one:
Ghusl (Purifying bath)
Narrated Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (may
Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) said, "When a man sits in between the
four parts of a woman and did the sexual intercourse with her, bath becomes
compulsory." (Bukhari)"
Comment: No shtSherlock
Removing Impurity (Najasah)
Hadrat Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "He (meaning Allah's
Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) forbade us to face the
qibla when easing ourselves or passing water, or to wipe ourselves with the
right hand, or to wipe ourselves with less than three stones, or to wipe
ourselves with dung or bone." (Muslim)
sounds earthy rather than "pure."
If you want to read more of this, look at
http://www.iqra.net/Hadith/tahara.php
I mean, pure is like the angels, white robes, no sexual organs, certainly no
defecation or urination or any of those other "impure" acts such as sexual
congress, which can be (I hear) rather nasty, I mean, as far as bodily fluids,
and two of the four senses are concerned.
Here are more instruction, directed mostly for the haj (trip to Mecca) but
applicable to daily life:
As for personal hygiene, we should bathe daily at least once in order to remove
dust, dirt, germs and contaminants. Washing the hands, face and feet frequently
helps keep infections at bay; here are the obvious benefits of ablution five
times per day. It is important to cut the nails before making the Haj as dirt
and germs easily accumulate under them. Clothes should be practical and easily
washable so that they can be laundered daily. If we follow these simple
procedures, we will gain the appearance of devout Muslims while avoiding
contamination. Islam demands purity of soul, body, mind and dress.
Particular attention should be given to food, not only from the aspect of
hygiene but also from that of nutrition. To remove parasites and undesirable
microorganisms, raw fruits and vegetables should be treated in a special way.
All greens, root vegetables and fruits, as well as all other edible raw plants
should be soaked for 15 minutes in water with apple cider vinegar added to it —
one tablespoon of vinegar per gallon of water. Vinegar is a good disinfectant,
readily available and easily affordable.
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=57671&d=17&m=1&y=2005
Now, I am not trying to poke fun at this--or at Moslems or
may-the-good-Lord-forbid at Mahound. These detailed instructions are good for
the unwashed masses (I count myself among them, the descamisados [unshirted
ones]), but cannot be claimed exclusively by Moslems. A lot of this is taken
from Judaism and embellished with more detail for areas where water is at a
premium.
The main point is: Virtue and Purity are not exclusive to Moslems. Mahound took
from wherever he wanted to (he was a purloiner and robber) and re-formed it to
suit his needs. So, when you hear Moslems boast how they are the only ones in
the world that are Virtuous and Pure, try to remember a few of the points I
have made here. (Try, I say, I can hardly remember one or two of them any
longer--guess I have read this stuff after writing it).
And--as this is not meant to be an exhaustive study of Virtue and Purity as
boasted of by Moslems--in the immortal words of the Fictional film character
Forrest Gump as portrayed by Tom Hanks, is all I'm going to say about that.
this, then is the End of another Nitschean piece of writing. I do not mean in
brilliance nor pithiness of content but in the fragmentary method of putting
down thoughts.
Addendum
Re "Purity" and the koran
koranic thought police on patrol on the internet
The koranic Trojan [a trojan horse, like a computer virus--not the condom] was
prevalent in 2005; I do not know whether it still exists today. I have never
encountered a koranic verse that I did not ask for, but then I do not ever seek
out pornographic sites as I am pure in spirit, thought as well as in body.
[could I be a new "messenger?" Naw, I don't have what it takes, chuzpah, gall,
an unmitigated drive for plunder, other men's womenfolk, and killing all those
who do not believe that I am the new messenger. Oh well, back to the keyboard.]
A new Trojan horse displays a message from the Muslim holy book when a user
visits what could be a pornographic Web site.
A new Trojan horse is serving as a moral guard of sorts, displaying text from
the Koran if users visit what could be a pornographic Web site, Sophos warned
on Monday.
The Trojan horse, dubbed "Yusufali-A," scans the title bar of the active Web
browser window, which typically contains the name of a Web site. The program
jumps into action when it sees any one of nine terms, including sex, teen, xxx,
penis and exhibitionism, Sophos said in a description of the Trojan on its Web
site.
When it determines that a pornographic Web site is being shown, the Trojan
minimizes that window and displays a message from the Koran instead, Sophos
said. If the offending site is not closed, a button labeled "For Exit Click
Here" will appear. Moving the mouse to that box will lock it in and the user is
forced to log out of Windows, according to Sophos.
Because of the way it is programmed, the Yusufali Trojan may also block
innocent Web sites such as medical, educational and sites targeted at
teenagers, Sophos notes.
Porn and malicious code have been married before, but more often explicit
images are used to trick people into downloading a Trojan horse. Earlier this
year however, Sophos found the Baba-C worm, which traveled by e-mail posing as
a tool to clean porn from PCs.
The Yusufali Trojan horse is not widespread, Sophos said. Regardless, the
Abingdon, England-based antivirus company, advises users to keep their
antivirus software up to date.
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/2100-1009-5851679.html
On Purity in the koran
according to Imam Sulayman S. Nyang of Howard University in Washington, D.C.
quoted in "Koran a Book of Peace, Not War, Scholars Say"
Peter Standring
National Geographic Today
September 25, 2001
[I especially like that "Scholars Say." It can be set to music--Johnny Mathis
singing "Chances Are." "Scholars Say, the Koran's a Book of Peace, a book quite
slim, they say with a silly grin . . . " I do not think that I will be great
song writer, a good one, perhaps, but not great.]
[The following bit is about the jihads!]
"The Koran is very specific with regard to the nature of human struggle,
because in order for a human to be at peace with himself, they must control
their baser instincts," says Nyang.
The quest to control base instincts such as greed, lust, and cruelty and to
seek spiritual purity is known by Muslims as the "great jihad." Featured widely
in the Koran, the "great jihad" is a person's most important internal struggle.
Nyang quotes Chapter 3, verse 172, of the Koran: "Of those who answered the
call of Allah and the messenger, even after being wounded, those who do right
and refrain from wrong have a great reward."
But also in the holy scripture is a reference to "lower jihad," a more earthly
and physical—and controversial—struggle. "To those against whom war is made,
permission is given [to fight] because they are wronged; and verily, God is
most powerful for their aid," quotes Nyang.
This verse speaks of combat or war to be waged against one's oppressors—a
struggle sanctioned by God.
But the Koran also states in Chapter 2, Verse 190: "Fight in the cause of Allah
those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loves not
transgressors."
The essence of the verse, Nyang says, is to fight back "if you are attacked by
your persecutors, but don't fight back indiscriminately. Follow the rules of
engagement." According to mainstream Muslim clerics, those "rules of
engagement"' are explicit: women, children, and innocent civilians are off
limits.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/09/0925_TVkoran.html
Purity and the physical book - the koran
At Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where jihadists are detained
http://rofasix.blogspot.com/2005/06/army-rules-on-handling-koran-at.html
A woman menstruating and preserving the purity of the koran:
The Left Hand and Moslem Purity
a Muslim swearing on the Koran will not "raise his right hand", but rather will
place the right hand on the Koran, while not raising any hand.
So, no left hand on the book, use gloves when touching the book.
also see Gitmo Rules re koran:
http://rofasix.blogspot.com/2005/06/army-rules-on-handling-koran-at.html
But at [Keith] Ellison's fake, photo-op make-believe swearing-in ceremony, both
these rules were violated, [as seen in this picture (see original at
http://twoconservatives.blogspot.com/2007/01/did-keith-ellison-desecrate-koran.html
)
The woman is holding the Koran with bare hands, including her unclean left
hand. And Ellison has his unclean left hand on the book. Earlier (not
pictured), Nancy Pelosi also touched the book with her uncovered left hand.
"Muslims consider their left hand "unclean" -- they use it to wipe themselves,
and not much else."
One can only hope that the aide holding the Koran is not menstruating.
Requirements of ritual purity may seem to restrict a woman's access to
religious life, but are viewed as concessions. During menstruation or
postpartum bleeding, she may not pray the ritual salah or touch the Koran and
she does not have to fast; nor does she need to fast while pregnant or nursing.
All this about the left hand [of a ?] at
http://twoconservatives.blogspot.com/2007/01/did-keith-ellison-desecrate-koran.html
. . . Muslims used the left hand to perform certain "unclean" tasks (i.e.
cleaning one's bottom after defecation). . . .This practice may no longer apply
to Muslims born and/or raised in Western society, but by and large, the left
hand is still considered "the unclean hand" in most predominantly Muslim
countries.
http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/index.php?qid=20061224100356AAI7pkt
[Comment: After using rough stones, bones and other material for that task, it
had to be finished up--oh well. TP is not one of the prescribed substances for
the task. Moist wipes are also useful for this task, but not sanctioned by the
koran. Therefore . . . Never shake the left hand of a Moslem--even if his right
arm is broken and in a sling. Let the hand-shaker beware. Even with a domestic
Moslem, why take chances?]
. . . when you pursue your jihad, make sure you adhere to the creed of loyalty
and purity and let the Koran be your reference
--Zawahiri [the guy with the Mark of the Beast in the middle of his forehead]
the koran and its "purity"
This what the koran's fans say:
"And so it is that the Holy Koran cannot exist in translation. There are many
translations of the Koran, but they are not the true Koran itself, for it is
only the Arabic that transforms God's repetitive instructions and injunctions
and warnings and threats—and his repetitive hatred of the infidel—into a
miraculous song impervious to every challenge.
And so it is that every Muslim must try to master Arabic. It is not necessary
that every Muslim succeed in his effort, for God made every man with different
capabilities. But it is necessary for every man to try, once he becomes a
Muslim. The effort is his obligation, his fard. God is merciful, wise. "
"The State of the American Man" By Tom Junod
Esquire, July 2006, Volume 146, Issue 1
http://www.esquire.com/features/articles/2006/060611_mfe_July_06_Innocent_1.html
BUT
The Koran, on the other hand, was originally written in the purest Arabic
[purportedly the first WRITTEN Arabic, hence its purity--nothing with which to
compare it, nada]. Muhammad continually appeals to its extraordinary superhuman
beauty and purity, as an evidence of the divine source from which he declared
it to flow. He challenged unbelievers to produce, even with the aid of genii,
any passage worthy to be compared with a single chapter in the Koran. Those who
are acquainted with Arabic inform us that in its purest type it is in the
highest degree copious, musical, and elegant; and that these qualities all meet
in the Koran.
Consequently there is scarcely any book in the world which loses so much by
translation. The charm of its graceful, harmonious, rhythmical, sonorous
sentences utterly evaporates, and the matter, stripped of its gaudy attire,
appears to the ordinary reader insufferably dull and commonplace.
Nothing, however, more forcibly illustrates the poverty of the Koran, viewed as
what it claims to be, a complete revelation of theological and moral truths,
than its inability to stand the test of translation. If it was really a
complete treasury of divine truth, the shape of the treasure-house would be of
little importance compared with the jewels it enshrined. But such is not the
case; and it is to the consideration of these contents that we now turn: from
the form of the book to the book itself.
[emphasis mine, lw]
http://www.abcog.org/cislam2.htm
[Comment: The vessel (the koran in arabic) appears to be worth more than the
substance it contains. Perhaps the "beauty" and "purity" of this original
Arabic with its flowery language and perfumed metaphors masques that content so
much that the reader (or reciter) is carried away by the language and so
bewitched by it as to consider the content divine. bne that as it may, what wee
are concerned with here is the "purity" in Islam. This quality is found,
according to Islamicsources, in the koran, the life of Mahound, and the bodily
functions of the Moslem.]
More "Purity"
In the "Mary chronicles" of the koran:
‘O John! take the Book with strength;’ and we gave him judgment when a boy, and
grace from us, and purity; and he was pious and righteous to his parents, and
was not a rebellious tyrant. 8
So peace upon him the day he was born, and the day he died, and the day he
shall be raised up alive. 9
And mention, in the Book, Mary; when she retired from her family into an
eastern place; and she took a veil (to screen herself) from them; and we sent
unto her our spirit; and he took for her the semblance of a well-made man. Said
she, ‘Verily, I take refuge in the Merciful One from thee, if thou art pious.’
Said he, ‘I am only a messenger of Thy Lord to bestow on thee a pure boy.’ 10
Said she, ‘How can I have a boy when no man has touched me, and when I am no
harlot?’ He said, ‘Thus says thy Lord, It is easy for Me! and we will make him
a sign unto man, and a mercy from us; for it is a decided matter.’
Mecca Suras, The Chapter of Mary
Chapters from the Koran.
The Harvard Classics. 1909–14.
http://www.bartleby.com/45/5/124.html
[if you have a quarrel with that translation from the oh so pure Arabic of the
original, either read it in that or pick another translation that pleases you.
lw]
One last shot at Islamic "purity"
035.018
YUSUFALI: Nor can a bearer of burdens bear another's burdens if one heavily
laden should call another to (bear) his load. Not the least portion of it can
be carried (by the other). Even though he be nearly related. Thou canst but
admonish such as fear their Lord unseen and establish regular Prayer. And
whoever purifies himself does so for the benefit of his own soul; and the
destination (of all) is to Allah.
PICKTHAL: And no burdened soul can bear another's burden, and if one heavy
laden crieth for (help with) his load, naught of it will be lifted even though
he (unto whom he crieth) be of kin. Thou warnest only those who fear their Lord
in secret, and have established worship. He who groweth (in goodness), groweth
only for himself, (he cannot by his merit redeem others). Unto Allah is the
journeying.
SHAKIR: And a burdened soul cannot bear the burden of another and if one
weighed down by burden should cry for (another to carry) its burden, not aught
of it shall be carried, even though he be near of kin. You warn only those who
fear their Lord in secret and keep up prayer; and whoever purifies himself, he
purifies himself only for (the good of) his own soul; and to Allah is the
eventual coming.
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/035.qmt.html
I think that's about enough of "purity," it's so much, too much, that I'm about
to gag. On to the footnotes, there is a lot more on Islam and two of its
selling points there.
_______________________
*re Patience is a virtue:
>From "Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings" by Gregory Y.
>Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996): "Patience is a virtue. The ability to
>wait for something without excessive frustration is a valuable character
>trait. The proverb has been traced back to 'Piers Plowman' (1377) by William
>Langland and is similar to the Latin, Maxima enim..patientia virtus (Patience
>is the greatest virtue) and the French, Patience est une grant vertu.
>(Patience is a great value.) Some ten years after Langland, Chaucer wrote in
>'The Canterbury Tales' (1386) that 'Patience is a high virtue.' Sometimes
>followed by the wry rejoinder 'but virtue can hurt you.' First cited in the
>United States in 1724 in the 'Works of Thomas Chalkley' (1766)..."
Posted by Posted by ESC on May 12, 2000
at
http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/4/messages/1250.html
Patience is a virtue,
virtue is a grace,
Grace is a little girl
who didn't wash her face
often recited by AMDdeR (requiescat in pace)
(Floruit 20th cent. A.D.)
Regarding "Grace"
(the word, not the little girl who didn't wash her face)
Actual Grace
(defined . . . as "a supernatural help of God for salutary acts granted in
consideration of the merits of Christ.")
http://store.newadventcd.com/caencd.html
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06689a.htm
Grace (gratia, Charis), in general, is a supernatural gift of God to
intellectual creatures (men, angels) for their eternal salvation, whether the
latter be furthered and attained through salutary acts or a state of holiness.
Before the Council of Trent, the Schoolmen seldom distinguished actual grace
from sanctifying grace. But, in consequence of modern controversies regarding
grace, it has become usual and necessary in theology to draw a sharper
distinction between the transient help to act (actual grace) and the permanent
state of grace (sanctifying grace). For this reason we adopt this distinction
as our principle of division in our exposition of the Catholic doctrine. In
this article we shall treat only of actual grace.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06689x.htm
But even in this footnote, I digress . . . back to the concern at hand:
**In the Koran, . . there is no continuity of design, but great uniformity in
expression. On the one hand it is fragmentary and incoherent; on the other
monotonous and level.
The Koran consists of 114 chapters or Suras, each of which pretends to be a
verbatim copy of a distinct revelation made to Muhammad. The revelations were
written on palm leaves or mutton blade-bones, as Muhammad recited them to his
disciples [starting in 610 A.D. until he died in 632 A.D.], and were after his
death collected into one volume, but without the least regard to chronological
order [they are ordered chiefly by length], first by his great friend and
immediate successor, Abu Bakr, and afterwards by the Caliph Othman.
There is not much more connection between them than between the several grains
in a heap of sand, or the several beads on a necklace. There is in the Koran no
movement onwards, as in the Bible, from a definite starting point to a definite
goal in the history of God's dealings with man. There is no sequence, no
coherence between the parts. The perusal, therefore, may be compared, not to
the unrolling of a scroll, but to the picking up of scattered leaves, on each
of which some distinct oracle is inscribed.
But while there is no continuity, there is, on the other hand, very little
variety. Approximate chronological arrangements of the several Suras have been
made by Sir W. Muir and others, based on a careful comparison of their contents
and style; and from this some variations in their character may be discovered,
corresponding with the tone of the prophet's mind, and the circumstances of his
life, when they were delivered.
http://www.abcog.org/cislam2.htm
W. R. W. Stephens: The apostolic mission of Muhammad having been once
acknowledged, it was natural that he should undertake the regulation, not only
of the creed, but also of the moral practice and ceremonial worship of his
countrymen. The Koran consequently became the ethical digest, the civil code,
the ceremonial hand book, as well as the theological oracle of his disciples.
And it is obvious that if Muhammad's aim was to remodel the national life, the
most effectual way of attaining it, his prophetic authority once established,
was to frame a number of positive precepts touching every department of moral
conduct.
A peculiar character is by this method quickly but forcibly stamped upon the
recipients [of the koran]. They become `new creatures,' with new motives, and
new purposes. They are capable of being conducted by their ruler to definite
ends, because their movements are under control, because the people are more
like a disciplined army, than are a people to whom greater freedom of thought
and action is allowed.
http://www.abcog.org/cislam2.htm
The deity
[from whence comes the definitions of "virtue and purity"]
[quoted]
Islam - "Austere, Comfortless and Cold"
Such is Islam, viewed as a theological system - a vast advance upon polytheism,
fetichism, gross and grovelling superstition of any kind; but how immeasurably
below even the Jewish revelation of the nature of God, and of the relation
between God and man! It is austere, comfortless, and cold. The Deity is
represented not indeed as a mere philosophical abstraction, but yet as a Being,
remote, unapproachable in majesty and might, wielding at His arbitrary will the
destinies and movements of men, yet far aloof from them; a ruler of
overwhelming power, rather than a loving and merciful, though almighty Father.
There is nothing to fill up or bridge over the chasm which divides this
tremendous Being from man; no divine Mediator, no quickening illuminating
Spirit; for the action of angels is too precarious and vague to fulfil these
offices.
Islam - resignation to the irresistible will and decrees of God - expresses
very well the relation between man and his Maker as set forth in the Koran; the
submission of obedient fear to a power, not the devotion of love to a person.
The theology, therefore, of the Koran fails to meet the profoundest religious
needs of man; it removes the Creator to an immeasurable distance from the
creatures whom He has made, and in the renunciation of all idea of mediation it
falls infinitely below not Judaism only, but Magianism and Brahmanism, which in
other respects it excels.
All that is good and true in the Koran concerning the nature of God, and worthy
of the subject, is to be found in the Bible, if it be not borrowed from the
Bible; all that is original is good for nothing, if indeed there be anything
purely original, for probably most of the wilder statements could be traced to
traditional sources.
The genius, indeed, of Muhammad as the founder of a theological system
consisted, not so much in inventing or devising anything actually new, as in
piecing together fragments of other creeds, and by his commanding personal
influence, tact, enthusiasm, and self-confidence, imposing this patchwork
system successfully on so large a number of his fellow-countrymen.
http://www.abcog.org/cislam2.htm
[all emphases mine. lw]
and so to bed. good night.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
--------------------------
Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL
PROTECTED]
--------------------------
Brooks Isoldi, editor
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.intellnet.org
Post message: [email protected]
Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
*** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has
not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of
The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT
YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of
intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods,
techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other
intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes
only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material
as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use
this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,'
you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
For more information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
