On the Second Day of Ramadan

Yesterday (Saturday) was the first day of Ramadan, the holiest month in the Muslim calendar. In this sacred time, which celebrates the revealing of the Quran to Mohamed, followers of the god of the Old Testament, New Testament and Quran have three major reponsibilities: Fasting from sunrise to sunset, prayer, and reflection upon the Quran (the final book sent to Man by God). In honor of the start of Ramadan, and since I have been reading the Quran at bedtime the last several weeks, I thought we might celebrate this holy time with some inspirational messages from God. At the end, I will also post President Obama's official video marking the start of this holy month.

I will conduct this celebration of Quranic wisdom over the course of several posts. If you wish to follow along with me and celebrate the perfect religion, as sent to earth by God, you can either get your own free copy of the Quran at www.yourmuslimneighbor.com, as I did, or buy a copy (use the link at the bottom of this post).

It is worth pointing out that the god of the Quran is the same god who authored the Old Testament and New Testament. The Quran, this god tells us, is the final revelation, the perfection of religion. If you are a Christian or Jew, this is your God talking to you. We know this the same way we know of the validity of his previous works: because he says so.

Below are some passages that I have highlighted (with my Holy Highliter). Verses from the Quran will be italicized (These were not cut and pasted, I typed them directly from the Quran, so any typographical mistakes are mine). My comments will reflect, I hope, an open mind and an open heart, both of which my friends at yourmuslimneighbor.com said were required to read the Quran. I have tried not to read anything into the passages.

I will start with Chapter Two, since Chapter One doesn't have much content:

2:2 - This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear God.

2:6 - As to those who reject Faith, it is the same to them whether you warn them or do not warn them; they will not believe.

2:7 - God has set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing, and on their eyes is a veil; great is the penalty they (incur).

2:10 - In their hearts is a disease; and God has increased their disease; and grievous is the penalty they (incur), because they are false (to themselves).

If I understand the above correctly, this god chooses who will believe, and then gives those chosen to choose not to believe heart disease. This is something quite verifiable: Muslims, according to the Quran, should not get heart disease -- only non-Muslims should get heart disease. Has this study been done? If the results of such a study showed that some Muslims do get heart disease, we could conclude that they are obviously not true Muslims.

And since heart disease is a direct result of the actions of this god, I think we could safely conclude that fighting heart disease is a direct affront to this god. Therefore, anyone who works to cure heart disease, no matter how indirectly (funding heart disease research, investing in companies that make heart drugs or related technology, etc.) must be a Unbelievers.

Such a study could be cross-referenced during Ramadan. Since true believers will be observing Ramadan, then anyone eating between sunrise and sunset could easily be identified as Unbelievers and as such, will either have or will be getting heart disease.

Some might think that the use of the word "heart" is metaphoric in nature, but I would counter that God would not mislead His Believers like that. Also, having a full knowledge of human anatomy (he invented it, right?), if he meant the prefrontal cortex or whatever part(s) of the brain is/are involved in such matters, He could have said so.

In 2:65, about those "who trangressed in the matter of the Sabbath" this god points out "[b]e you apes, despised and rejected."

Wow, that's a little rough on the apes. I find it odd for two main reasons: 1. Apes must be a creation of this god, so why should they be despised and rejected? Why (and how) would a perfect god create something that is to be despised and rejected? And why the apes? If something in creation was to be despised, why that which is closest to humans and not viruses, or tapeworms, or other things that harm the pinnacle of creation? Which brings us to 2. Humans are a type of ape. If you believe in the creation of all existence by a god such as the one in the Quran, you have to suspect that the fact that we are nearly identical to other ape species might imply that the other ape species should be held in higher esteem, not despised and rejected. Odd.

As for people who do not worship the god of the Quran: 2:170 - When it is said to them: "Follow what God has revealed:" they say: "Nay! we shall follow the ways of our fathers." What! even though their fathers were void of wisdom and guidance?

I have actually had a similar discussion with some Christians on MySpace. One of these Unbelievers, as predicted by the Quran, wanted proof of God's word. Many, many times in the Quran, the fate of those who question Faith is made explicit: they will be "Companions of the Fire" and no help will be given to them despite their cries. These discussions, I have to remind myself at some point, are useless, because we know that God decides who will be the Believers and Unbelievers.

2:213 - Mankind was one single nation, and God sent Messengers with glad tidings and warnings; and with them He sent the Book in truth, to judge between people in matters wherein they differed; but the People of the Book, after clear Signs came to them, did not differ among themselves, except through selfish contumacy. God by His grace guided the Believers to the Truth; concerning that wherein they differed. For God guides whom He will to a path that is straight.

Chapter Two touches on the fairer sex (there will be much more about this later, as Chapter Four's title is "The Women")...

2:221 - Do not marry unbelieving women (idolaters), until they believe: a slave woman who believes is better than an unbelieving woman, even though she allure you.

2:222 - They ask you concerning a woman's courses. Say: They are a hurt and a pollution: so keep away from women in their courses, and do not approach them until they are clean.

The above two verses point out a couple of interesting facts:

1. It becomes clear as one reads the Quran that it is written for men (and maybe butch lesbians, I haven't seen anything prohibiting that yet).

2. The fact that atheism never condemns women for their reproductive biology or professes slavery, shows just how evil it is. This could be used as another test of true Muslims, by the way. We can pretty safely assume that men who approach women during their "courses" are not true believers (and, therefore, will be suffering from heart disease at some point).

2:256 - Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And God hears and knows all things.

The "no compulsion" clause, while I agree with it wholeheartedly, seems to conflict with all the threats in the Quran, as does the idea that truth is self-evident. I would think that the very need to write that something is self-evident negates that claim.

2:267 - ... And know that God if Free of all wants, and Worthy of all praise.

If this god is free of wants, then why does it care what we believe? Or if we praise it?

2:272 - ...God sets right on the path whom He pleases

Again, the Unbelievers are such because God intended it that way. This is made very clear throughout the Quran.

2:276 - ... He does not love ungrateful and wicked creatures.

The fact that this god made things that he does not love is odd. But who am I to question that?

That is a nice start, for now. I suggest that you get your own copy of the Quran and read it with an open mind and an open heart.

As you watch President Obama's message to Muslims below, keep in mind that fact that the Quran makes it quite clear, as we shall see in upcoming chapters, that Unbelievers, including Christians, are to be fought, slain, and subdued (9:29, among others).

Since it is now after sunset, I am going to go find something to eat. Have a lovely week. :-)