Quran Talk Blog, Community

Quran Talk BlogBearing False Witness (4:135 – 4:139)God's command in 4:135 to be absolutely equitable as witnesses, even against oneself, one's parents, or relatives, alongside 4:136 to 4:139 on believing in God, His messenger, and His scriptures, and on hypocrites who ally with disbelievers. The verse's display at Harvard Law School is noted, with links to cases where false or mistaken testimony led to wrongful convictions.August 17, 2015

Quran Talk BlogDivorce (4:128)Verse 4:128 of the Quran teaches that when a wife senses oppression or desertion from her husband, the couple should try to reconcile, since conciliation is best. Questions follow about the ways a woman can sense oppression in a marriage and whether it must be physical. Links to videos on the impact of divorce on children accompany the verse.August 17, 2015

Quran Talk BlogOrphan Rights (4:126 – 4:127)Verses 4:126 and 4:127 of the Quran command restoring the rights of orphaned girls cheated of their dowries, protecting orphaned boys, and treating all orphans equitably. Poor, homeless orphans are described as among the most vulnerable members of society, whom God singles out for protection, with only the unborn child having fewer rights. Links to videos on orphans worldwide and in Kashmir follow.August 17, 2015

Quran Talk BlogPolygamy (4:129)Polygamy under the Quran, presented through verse 4:129 and Appendix 30. The Quran permits it only under strict conditions and warns that no man can be equitable among wives. The prophet Muhammad's marriages illustrate this: one wife for twenty five years, then widowed mothers of orphans and political unions. Closing criteria hold that polygamy must relieve suffering and is an abuse with a young family or to substitute a younger wife.August 17, 2015

Quran Talk BlogThe Law (4:123 – 4:124)God's law of recompense, set out through Quran verses 4:123 and 4:124 with supporting passages from 6:160, 42:30 and 42:34. Reward and punishment follow one's own deeds rather than anyone's wishes, righteous believers of either gender enter Paradise, a good work counts tenfold while a sin counts once, and God overlooks many sins without the slightest injustice.August 17, 2015

Quran Talk BlogTo God Belongs Everything in the Heavens and The Earth (4:130 – 4:134) + (4:126)God's ownership of everything in the heavens and the earth, a phrase repeated across verses 4:126 and 4:130 to 4:134. The verses promise that God provides for a couple who part, command reverence of God for those who received earlier scripture and for believers, and remind anyone seeking worldly materials that God possesses both this world and the Hereafter and can replace people with others.August 17, 2015

Quran Talk BlogDevil Will Mislead (4:119)The devil's vow in 4:119 to mislead people, from marking the ears of livestock to distorting the creation of God. Verses on invented dietary prohibitions show these as lies attributed to God. Distorting creation is read as using God's good creation for evil, with intoxicants, sorcery, and the point that bad things follow from our own deeds though God is the doer of everything.August 3, 2015

Quran Talk BlogFemale Idols (4:117 – 4:118)Verses 4:117 and 4:118 describe worshiping female gods besides God as worship of a rebellious devil, who vowed to recruit a share of God's worshipers. Khalifa's footnote holds that most believers in God fall into idolatry (12:106). The article sets these verses beside 53:19 to 53:22 on the idols Allaat, Al-Uzzah, and Manaat, and lists related verses on idolizing angels as God's daughters.August 3, 2015

Quran Talk BlogThe Devil’s Promise (4:120 – 4:122)Reading 4:120 alongside 2:268, the devil's promise of poverty is treated as an illusion born of failing to trust God, who calculated every creature's provision and sends it precisely measured. Verses on reverencing God, the stories of Joseph, David and Moses, and the call to give to charity in good times and bad show that God supplies whatever we need to do righteous work.August 3, 2015

Quran Talk BlogUnforgivable Sin (4:116)Idol worship maintained until death is the one sin God does not forgive (4:116), with idolatry defined as believing anything beside God can help you. Drawing on Appendix 27, the article holds that your god is whatever occupies your mind most, such as children, spouse, business, or ego. Verses show that messengers and idols are powerless to benefit or harm and do not know the future.August 3, 2015

Quran Talk BlogDo Not Defend the Transgressors (4:107 – 4:115)Verses 4:107 to 4:115 forbid arguing on behalf of those who wrong their own souls, and the article asks whether that rules out defending someone in court. It separates fair legal representation from supporting open disbelievers, warns against falsely accusing the innocent, citing wrongful conviction cases, and draws on Abraham pleading for Lot's people and David's careful judgment to urge certainty before condemning anyone.July 27, 2015

Quran Talk BlogJudging By Means of the Quran (4:104 – 4:106)Verses 4:104 to 4:106 and 38:26 ground the point that believers may judge among people only by means of the Quran, never by personal opinion. The rule of law of the Quran stands above any majority, and consultation follows 42:38. Voting is permissible when all parties agree, but winners carry greater responsibility to act equitably and not victimize others.July 27, 2015

Quran Talk BlogRemember God Always – The Contact Prayers (4:103)Remembering God always, drawn from 4:103, with the argument that the contact prayers are decreed at specific times and cannot be made up later. Supplication is treated as a form of worship, and asking God even for material things is permitted. The article warns against imploring God only in distress and then reverting, and contrasts pilgrims who ask for this world with those who ask for righteousness.July 27, 2015

Quran Talk BlogWar Precautions (4:102)Verse 4:102, on standing guard and holding weapons during the contact prayer in wartime, illustrates that God's system requires believers to carry out their part through action. Although God is doing everything, as 8:17 shows, people remain instruments who must show their faith, implore God for their needs, and not use His power as an excuse for inaction, as in 36:47 and 4:77.July 27, 2015

Quran Talk BlogApathy Condemned 4:97 – 4:101Verses 4:97 to 4:101 condemn those who claim oppression yet never emigrate, while exempting the truly weak and promising reward to those who emigrate in the cause of God. The article reads apathy as the affected person's own victim mentality and links it to personal responsibility, learned helplessness, 65:2, and the healing at the pool of Bethesda in John 5, with videos on overcoming hopelessness.July 20, 2015

Quran Talk BlogHigher Ranks for the Strivers (4:95 – 4:96)Verses 4:95 and 4:96 of the Quran distinguish believers who strive in the cause of God with their money and their lives from the sedentary, promising salvation to both but higher ranks, forgiveness, and mercy to the strivers. A companion verse, 49:17, reminds those embracing Submission that God does them the favor by guiding them to the faith.July 20, 2015

Quran Talk BlogHow to Deal With the Hypocrites (4:88-89)How believers should treat hypocrites, read through 4:88 to 4:91 and the basic rule of 60:8 to 9: refrain from befriending those who fight you because of religion and wish you harm, while staying kind and equitable toward others. Fighting is allowed strictly in self-defense, and the company we keep shapes our character. Steadfast trust in God turns persecution into growth.July 20, 2015

Quran Talk BlogYou Shall Not Kill (4:92 – 4:94)Verses 4:92 through 4:94 of the Quran on killing a believer: atonement for accidental killing, Hell for deliberate killing, and the command to be absolutely sure before striking. Drawing on 2:62, the article holds that people deserve the benefit of the doubt as believers, and it reflects on the curse of knowledge and applying the verses to oneself through steadfastness and the contact prayers.July 20, 2015

Quran Talk BlogMediating Good Deeds (4:85)Verse 4:85 teaches that whoever mediates a good deed shares its credit, and whoever mediates an evil work shares its burden, with God controlling all things and enabling our good deeds. Verse 58:11 on making room for one another accompanies it, along with the example of John Riordan, who saved 105 Vietnamese lives during the Vietnam War.July 6, 2015

Quran Talk BlogRumors (4:83 – 4:84)Rumors, gossip, and unproven accusations, read through 4:83 and passages from Suras 49, 24, and 66. The article distinguishes gossip from rumor, warns against suspicion, spying, and backbiting, and shows from 24:11 to 24:21 how believers should respond to a big lie. It also asks what a listener owes when hearing a rumor and when correcting inaccurate talk is worth it.July 6, 2015

Quran Talk BlogYou Shall Be Courteous (4:86 – 4:87)Returning every greeting with a better or at least an equal one, as 4:86 commands, and opening with peace to set a positive tone between people. The article draws on 41:33 to 41:35 to urge the nicest possible response, separates personal disputes from firmness toward enemies of God using Abraham's example in 60:4 to 60:7, and advises community members to lead by example when greetings are neglected.July 6, 2015

Quran Talk BlogCharity WaterMasjid Tucson's 2015 fundraiser for Charity Water, which helps people around the world gain access to clean water, runs through September 30. After raising over $50,000 the previous year, the community aims for $38,000 and shares a donation link, citing Quran 2:195 that God loves the charitable.June 29, 2015

Quran Talk BlogEquality of Believers (4:69 – 4:74)Equality among believers, drawn from 4:69 through 4:74 and related verses on men and women and on righteousness as the only criterion God uses to distinguish people. The article asks whether everyone who believes in God and His messengers counts as a saint or martyr, or only some. It traces the Quran's uses of saint, close to truthful friend, and martyr, one killed in the cause of God.June 29, 2015

Quran Talk BlogGod is Doer of Everything (4:78)God as the doer of everything, with verses and Dr. Khalifa's footnotes explaining how bad things still follow from our own deeds under God's laws. The fire analogy, the provisions of 16:67, and 10:44 show that people wrong their own souls. Believing any power exists independently of God is idol worship, and the commandment of 18:39 is to say no one possesses power except God.June 29, 2015

Quran Talk BlogNothing Bad Comes From God (4:79 – 4:81)Verses 4:79 to 4:81 teach that anything good comes from God and anything bad comes from our own deeds, supported by 42:30, 16:33, 34:50 and 3:108. Personal accountability is the focus, with Job and Joseph showing that apparent misfortune can serve our good and that consequences of sin correct us. The gematrical value of Muhammad and God as sufficient witness are also noted.June 29, 2015

Quran Talk BlogProof of Divine Authorship (4:82)The Quran's divine authorship, argued from its freedom from contradiction and nonsense though revealed in the dark ages, with verses 4:82, 10:37, 27:84 and 41:53. The piece then turns to the Quran's mathematical code from Appendix One, whose coding of suras, verses, words and letters immediately exposes the slightest distortion of the text.June 29, 2015

Quran Talk BlogThe Believers are Fearless (4:75 – 4:77)Verses 4:75 to 4:77 call believers to fight in the cause of God for the oppressed, and rebuke those who feared people as much as God once fighting was decreed. The article argues that righteousness goes beyond the contact prayers and obligatory charity, drawing on 2:177, 9:19, and 9:120, and closes with Jeremiah 29:11 and 16:1 on God's already written plan.June 29, 2015

Quran Talk BlogGod’s Tests Are Never Unreasonable (4:66-4:68)God tests each person according to their means and creates them for the exact life and obstacles they will face, so doubting oneself means doubting God. Drawing on 4:66 through 4:68, the article shows that obeying even hard commands strengthens faith and brings guidance. The story of Moses in 20:39 through 20:47 illustrates a life shaped by God's precise plan.June 22, 2015

Quran Talk BlogHappy Fathers DayFathers and what they mean to their children, marked for Father's Day. Contributors each answer one question about their own dads: the most important lesson or best advice he gave, favorite memories and childhood recollections, reasons for gratitude, what makes him special, and whether they would hang out with him if he were their age today. A linked video, Calls For Dad, accompanies the piece.June 22, 2015

Quran Talk BlogHonesty + Justice = Integrity & Hierarchy in Submission (4:58-4:59)Verses 4:58 and 4:59 frame God's commands to return what is entrusted, judge equitably, and obey God, the messenger, and those in charge. Those in charge are read as organizational rather than religious authorities, and the Quran warns against religious leaders who exalt themselves. Submission has no formal religious hierarchy, and the Apache model of decentralized leadership is offered as an example.June 22, 2015

Quran Talk BlogTrue Believers Follow The Word of God Alone (4:60 – 4:63)Verses 4:60 through 4:63 frame a contrast between believers who follow what God has revealed and hypocrites who uphold the laws of their idols, then claim good intentions when disaster strikes. The article argues that righteous intentions always show in actions, that God already knows our innermost thoughts and needs no explanations, and, citing 39:3, that idols as mediators bringing people closer to God is a myth.June 22, 2015

Quran Talk BlogUnquestioning Submission to God Alone (4:64 – 4:65)Unquestioning submission to God as the mark of true believers, drawn from verses 4:64 and 4:65. The article asks how obeying the messenger differs from following him, observing that the command to obey applies while a messenger is alive and that the Quran itself is a messenger. It cites verses showing believers make no distinction among any of God's messengers.June 22, 2015

Quran Talk BlogChoose Our Words Carefully (4:46 – 4:47)Quran 4:46 and 4:47 warn against twisting words to mock the religion, as with Raa'ena, and urge believers to choose their words carefully. The article shows how word meanings shift over time and cites Dr. Khalifa's 1989 renaming of Muslim Perspective to Submitters Perspective. Muslim and Islam are Arabic descriptions meaning Submitter and Submission, not names, and the messenger of the covenant unifies all believers.June 15, 2015

Quran Talk BlogFollow Only The Word of God (4:49 – 4:57)Starting from verses 4:49 to 4:57, the article argues that the Quran alone is the source of religious guidance and that Hadith and Sunna are satanic innovations. Drawing on Appendices 19 and 33, it lists practices and prohibitions the Muslims invented against Quranic principles and cites the mathematical miracle as evidence. It also faults Jews, Christians, and Catholics for laws God never authorized.June 15, 2015

Quran Talk BlogIdolatry – The Unforgivable Sin (If Maintained Till Death) 4:48Idolatry is the one sin God does not forgive, but only if maintained until death, since repentance before death remains open (4:48, 4:18). Verses show Muhammad worshiped idols before revelation and Joseph's reliance on other than God cost him years in prison. God's mercy forgives all sins, and submission is traced to Abraham's monotheism, which Muhammad followed.June 15, 2015

Quran Talk BlogWhat Nullifies Ablution (4:43 – 4:45)Ablution before the contact prayer and what nullifies it, read from 4:43 to 4:45 alongside 5:6. Questions follow on whether ablution carries from prayer to prayer, why intentions are stated, sleep or breaking ablution during prayer, and adding to the five contact prayers. The piece also warns against taking 4:43 out of context to permit intoxicants and against companions who wish believers to stray.June 15, 2015

Quran Talk BlogDivine Justice (4:40 – 42)God's justice, which never wrongs anyone by an atom's weight and multiplies the reward for righteous work, frames a set of Quran verses on witnesses raised from every community on the Day of Resurrection. Jesus testifies he preached only the worship of God, idols abandon their followers, and bodies bear witness. Abraham named the Submitters, and believing and striving with money and lives is the best deal.June 8, 2015

Quran Talk BlogDo Not Beat Your Wife (4:34)Verse 4:34 of the Quran is read as God prohibiting wife beating through a psychological approach, offering talking and then deserting in bed as alternatives before any last resort. The article ties this to the sura's theme of protecting women, to verses forbidding aggression, and to the history and prevalence of domestic violence, arguing that a believer who suppresses anger never reaches the final step.June 8, 2015

Quran Talk BlogDo Not Object to the Inheritance Laws Proposed by God (4:33)Inheritance in the Quran centers on verse 4:33, where God designates shares for parents, relatives, and those related through marriage. The Quran specifies the women's shares in many cases while leaving the male shares unstated, and these shares apply to whatever remains after the will is fulfilled and debts are paid. Believers are urged not to object to the inheritance laws God has set.June 8, 2015

Quran Talk BlogMarriage Arbitration (4:35)Verse 4:35 instructs a couple facing separation to appoint one arbitrator from each family, with God helping them reconcile if they choose to. The article reads the verse as evidence that the Quran values preserving a marriage, permitting divorce yet strongly discouraging it, and urges spouses to work through their differences whenever possible.June 8, 2015

Quran Talk BlogMen and Women Endowed With Unique Qualities (4:32)Verse 4:32 of the Quran tells believers not to covet the distinct qualities God bestows on men and on women. The article explains that men and women are equal in faith yet differ physiologically, and points readers to the three episodes of the BBC Horizon documentary series Secrets of the Sexes on brain differences, attraction, and love.June 8, 2015

Quran Talk BlogRegarding the Neighbors (4:36 – 4:40)Verses 4:36 through 4:40 command worshiping God alone and regarding parents, relatives, orphans, the poor, neighbors, travelers, and servants, while condemning stingy hoarders and those who give charity to show off. Submitters are urged to treat the people around them fairly and kindly. Parallels come from Matthew on loving one's neighbor and giving in secret.June 8, 2015

Quran Talk BlogHow Human Beings Affected Their Own Creation (4:27 – 4:28)Verses 4:27 and 4:28, on God's wish to lighten the burden of a weak human being, are read alongside the double slit and delayed choice experiments, where observation seems to change a particle's past. The article argues that our decisions collapse many possible outcomes into one, so God knows what we will choose while the choice stays ours, as with Pharaoh's chance to reform.June 1, 2015

Quran Talk BlogMurder, Suicide, and Illicit Gains Prohibited (4:29 – 4:31)Verses 4:29 through 4:31 forbid consuming others' property illicitly and killing oneself, and promise remission of sins to those who avoid the gross sins. The article links these prohibitions to marriage and women's property rights, noting that suicide is a major problem where women's property is not respected and they are forced into marriage. It draws on the divorce laws of 65:1 and 65:2.June 1, 2015

Quran Talk BlogProhibitions in Marriage (4:22 – 4:26)Verses 4:22 to 4:26 list the women prohibited in marriage, with study questions on why those nursed by the same woman may not marry and why marrying a slave is a last resort. Mutual attraction, dowry, and a solemn pledge are named as the requirements of marriage. God's command not to break up existing marriages is linked to 2:102, with research on marriage's health benefits and 46:15 on a child's first thirty months.June 1, 2015

Quran Talk BlogWomen and Property Rights – Protection of Women (4:20 – 4:21)A husband who divorces to marry another wife may not take back what he gave his wife, according to verses 4:20 and 4:21 of the Quran. The solemn pledge is explained as an intention to stay together for ever, and the dowry as her own property, which a man commits theft by reclaiming. Property rights for women are tied to prosperity, with examples from Malawi and divorce in 1970s Iran.June 1, 2015

Quran Talk BlogAdultery and Society (4:15 – 4:16)Verses 4:15 and 4:16 on adultery are read through the footnote that the sura defends women's rights, so the quarantine of 4:15 is explained as protecting victimized women until God creates an exit, compared with Joseph's prison. The article argues morality cannot be legislated and that adultery harms society through fatherless households and abortion, citing statistics on both.May 25, 2015

Quran Talk BlogGod Communicates With Us Through His Messenger (4:13 – 4:14)Obeying God's laws, as verses 4:13 and 4:14 teach, means obeying God and His messenger, since God communicates with us through inspiration or by sending a messenger. The article addresses how to tell whether a messenger's information should be followed, urging acceptance of verified commandments even without understanding their logic. It draws on 61:10 to 61:14 and the Children of Israel's examples of the heifer and entering the holy land.May 25, 2015

Quran Talk Blog

Languages

With each verse

Quran Talk Blog