logos, qawl, word
just some reflections. an ayah that particularly struck me this morning was surah al an'aam, verse 73:
YUSUFALI: It is He who created the heavens and the earth in true (proportions): the day He saith, "Be," behold! it is. His word is the truth. His will be the dominion the day the trumpet will be blown. He knoweth the unseen as well as that which is open. For He is the Wise, well acquainted (with all things).
PICKTHAL: He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in truth. In the day when He saith: Be! it is. His Word is the Truth, and His will be the Sovereignty on the day when the trumpet is blown. Knower of the Invisible and the Visible, He is the Wise, the Aware.
SHAKIR: And He it is Who has created the heavens and the earth with truth, and on the day He says: Be, it is. His word is the truth, and His is the kingdom on the day when the trumpet shall be blown; the Knower of the unseen and the seen; and He is the Wise, the Aware.
aside from the sheer power of the statement "His Word is the Truth," understood in context with the simple words before it that are often repeated in the qur'an, "yaqoolu kun fayakoon", there are just layers of meaning here. Allah says, "Be," and a thing becomes. not just a thing, but all the heavens and the earth. look around - everything you see is His Word, everything you see is The Truth. i don't want to use the word manifestation, because that is an unnecessary intermediate. the heavens and the earth, His creation, are not just a manifestation of Allah's power, but they are His Word, they are Truth. subhanallah.
anyway, after i read this post by svend and had to go look up "soteriology" in wikipedia, i ended up clicking links till i ended up reading about the word "logos". that page has a section describing the use of the concept of "logos" in christianity ("in the beginning was the Word," etc). in fact, the current pope (ironically, what svend's post was about) mentioned this concept in a speech as cardinal in april 2005 and again in the recent controversial speech, according to wikipedia, though he used the concept in its meaning as "logic," saying christianity has always understood itself as the religion of reason. (really?)
well, considering the shared heritage of christianity and islam i guess it's no wonder that the concept of the Word of God has a similar place of power in each belief system (i think it was actually tolkien who said that Jesus was the Word of God made into man, but there's a complicated explanation behind that). i just happen to find it one of the most compelling, beautiful, awe-inspiring aspects of islam... it sort of strips away all the niggling little pettinesses we argue over in trying to define our faith and leaves only, well, The Truth...
YUSUFALI: It is He who created the heavens and the earth in true (proportions): the day He saith, "Be," behold! it is. His word is the truth. His will be the dominion the day the trumpet will be blown. He knoweth the unseen as well as that which is open. For He is the Wise, well acquainted (with all things).
PICKTHAL: He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in truth. In the day when He saith: Be! it is. His Word is the Truth, and His will be the Sovereignty on the day when the trumpet is blown. Knower of the Invisible and the Visible, He is the Wise, the Aware.
SHAKIR: And He it is Who has created the heavens and the earth with truth, and on the day He says: Be, it is. His word is the truth, and His is the kingdom on the day when the trumpet shall be blown; the Knower of the unseen and the seen; and He is the Wise, the Aware.
aside from the sheer power of the statement "His Word is the Truth," understood in context with the simple words before it that are often repeated in the qur'an, "yaqoolu kun fayakoon", there are just layers of meaning here. Allah says, "Be," and a thing becomes. not just a thing, but all the heavens and the earth. look around - everything you see is His Word, everything you see is The Truth. i don't want to use the word manifestation, because that is an unnecessary intermediate. the heavens and the earth, His creation, are not just a manifestation of Allah's power, but they are His Word, they are Truth. subhanallah.
anyway, after i read this post by svend and had to go look up "soteriology" in wikipedia, i ended up clicking links till i ended up reading about the word "logos". that page has a section describing the use of the concept of "logos" in christianity ("in the beginning was the Word," etc). in fact, the current pope (ironically, what svend's post was about) mentioned this concept in a speech as cardinal in april 2005 and again in the recent controversial speech, according to wikipedia, though he used the concept in its meaning as "logic," saying christianity has always understood itself as the religion of reason. (really?)
well, considering the shared heritage of christianity and islam i guess it's no wonder that the concept of the Word of God has a similar place of power in each belief system (i think it was actually tolkien who said that Jesus was the Word of God made into man, but there's a complicated explanation behind that). i just happen to find it one of the most compelling, beautiful, awe-inspiring aspects of islam... it sort of strips away all the niggling little pettinesses we argue over in trying to define our faith and leaves only, well, The Truth...
posted by Ayesha | 4:54 PM
4 Comments:
you know i have baby brain. the only truth i could absorb is the one in the next post.
:)
Salamaat,
The greatest truth you spoke is in the next post; i totally agree:)
How did your iftaar party go? And your Ramadhan in general? I pray all is well sis :)
jazaks! iftaar baarty went very well alhamdulillah. the imam's wife, whose iftar parties i wait for all year long, called ME to ask me for the recipe for my rice and lentil stuffed chicken!! i am humbled.
Salamaat,
wow! I am duly impressed:) nuff said.
Hugs and kisses to Musa:)
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