Quran Talk Blog, Community

Quran Talk BlogGod is PhysicalGod as the only necessary being and therefore the Most Physical, against both the idea of God as formless spirit and of a comprehensible form. Drawing on Moses and the crumbling mountain in 7:143, it argues that God exists outside space-time, beyond our senses and vocabulary. Analogies of two-dimensional worlds, jinns, the Queen of Sheba's palace, and the allegorical descriptions of Paradise support the case.August 12, 2020

Quran Talk BlogReminding: Constructive Criticism vs. BullyingThe Quran's command to remind, and the line between reminding as constructive criticism and bullying someone into righteousness. Since God alone guides, reminding should serve one's own soul, and correction should be welcomed whatever its source, as Moses heeded an enemy's rebuke. The exchange between Moses and Pharaoh contrasts reason and compassion with intimidation, mockery, and arrogance.August 11, 2020

Quran Talk BlogA Tale of Two CommunitiesBelief matters most for the individual, but behavior matters most for a community, which must be equitable, kind, and tolerant whatever its members believe. Drawing on verses such as 4:48, 2:256, 60:8 and 60:4, the article answers two objections: that tolerance means condoning sin, and that freedom of thought corrupts religion. It argues that centralized religious hierarchies are easier for Satan to lead astray.August 5, 2020

Quran Talk BlogCommunity vs. CongregationThe Quran distinguishes a community, which can span a nation of many faiths, from a congregation, defined by shared laws and rites. For submitters the minimum threshold is the Quran alone as the source of law and the rites passed down from Abraham; beyond that, a congregation should weigh behavior over belief. Verses on hypocrites, infighting, and sects warn that division risks idol worship.August 5, 2020

Quran Talk BlogAn Analysis of the Arabic of 9:128 and 9:129Examines the Arabic of 9:128 to add linguistic evidence that 9:128 and 9:129 were inserted into the Quran after the prophet's death. Using the Quran as its own dictionary, it flags five problems: ʿazīz never meaning grievous, ḥarīṣ meaning desire, and raūf and raḥīm, singly and paired, describing God alone, never the prophet.July 29, 2020

Quran Talk BlogA Test of VirtueStanding with God when it goes against the crowd is the true test of faith, illustrated by a Princeton professor's thought experiment about 1860 Alabama and by the messengers who faced their people. Drawing on the Quran, the article explains that the test is mandatory, that forced concealment of faith is excused but cannot be permanent, and that believers should fear God rather than people.July 27, 2020

Quran Talk BlogAfrican American SuccessEconomist Glenn Loury's remark on EconTalk about the prosperity of African Americans prompts a question: why do BLM protests and corporate media portray black Americans as the most disenfranchised people in the world? The article answers through Quran 16:112, where God describes a secure and prosperous community that turned unappreciative of His blessings and tasted starvation and insecurity.July 26, 2020

Quran Talk BlogAllahu Akbar in QuranThe phrase Allahu Akbar and its meaning in Classical Arabic, where akbar is the comparative of kabir and means greater or greatest, as 2:219 shows. The phrase occurs twice in the Quran: 40:10 concerns God's abhorrence of the disbelievers, while 29:45 places it in the context of the contact prayer, where the remembrance of God is the greatest objective.July 26, 2020

Quran Talk BlogHow Man’s Light Distracts Us From God’s LightArtificial light from cities and screens hides the night sky and pulls attention away from remembering God, as shown by the 2003 Northeast blackout, when New Yorkers saw the Milky Way for the first time. Drawing on 96:6 to 96:7, 17:83 and 59:19, the article warns that wealth and self-sufficiency breed heedlessness, and turns to 24:35 to 24:39 and 57:12 to 57:15 on God's light.July 26, 2020

Quran Talk BlogThe Effects of Corruption in Society (Part 1)The Quranic term for corruption, fasād, whose root occurs fifty times and also means decay or rot. Using the image of one rotten apple spoiling the rest, it shows how corruption spreads through a society, as with tolerated bribery, citing 2:11, 2:30, 2:188 and 30:41. Per 4:85, those who originate corruption bear a share of every sin it causes.July 26, 2020

Quran Talk Blog9:123 And The Meaning of “yalūnakum”The Arabic word yalūnakum in verse 9:123, which most translators render as fighting disbelievers who are near you. The article argues its root is ل و ي, meaning to twist or recoil from a blow, rather than و ل ي, citing the root's other Quranic occurrences, Lane's Lexicon, and the Quran's non-aggression principle in 2:190. It concludes the verse permits fighting only disbelievers who attack.July 24, 2020

Quran Talk BlogWhat Is the Meaning of “Uhilla”?The Arabic word uhilla, found in the four Quranic verses on dietary prohibitions, is traced to its root, which also gives the word for new moon in 2:189. The article concludes that the fourth prohibition covers animals dedicated through slaughter to other than God. Drawing on 5:103 and 6:138, it argues that meat slaughtered without mentioning God or any other entity remains lawful to eat.July 24, 2020

Quran Talk BlogNikah and the meaning of Marriage in QuranThe Arabic root of nikah, the Quran's word for marriage, and what its meanings reveal about marriage. Marriage is a mutually acceptable contract with an agreed dowry, sealed by consummation after a solemn pledge, and meant to be permanent, which rules out temporary marriage as a form of prostitution. Verse 4:6 is read as requiring sexual and mental maturity so each party can contract without a guardian.July 22, 2020

Quran Talk BlogThe Day Before: The Analogy of This WorldThe Arabic word for yesterday, bil-amsi, appears only four times in the Quran: once in the analogy of worldly life at 10:24 and three times in Sura 28, History. The stories of Moses and Qaroon, each losing everything within a day, show how false security leads to downfall. God redeems the righteous through such reversals and uses hardship to purify, while the arrogant are annihilated.July 19, 2020

Quran Talk BlogSupply and Demand Economics of God’s GraceGod's infinite grace is examined through the economics of supply and demand, asking why abundance leads people to take it for granted and feel entitled to it. Drawing on verses such as 42:27 and 14:7, the article explains why God sends provision in measured amounts and teaches that appreciation removes any limit to His grace, while ingratitude restricts it.July 17, 2020

Quran Talk BlogFalse Idols, BLM, & The Religion of WokeismPersecution of believers for refusing false worship, traced through Adam's sons, the people of the canyon, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, frames a response to the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests and demands to kneel. The article argues that everyone worships something, that wokeism functions as a religion, and that the Quran excuses coerced disbelief yet calls believers to stand firm and kneel for God alone.July 16, 2020

Quran Talk BlogChild MarriageResponding to a case in Indonesia where foster parents married a 12-year-old girl to a 45-year-old man through Nikah Siri, or secret marriage, the article argues from the Quran that such unions are prohibited. It cites verses against secret conspiracies, forced prostitution, and compulsion, and reads the Arabic root of nikah in 4:6 to show that marriage requires sexual maturity and the capacity to sign a contract.July 15, 2020

Quran Talk BlogHow to Avoid Idol WorshipIdol worship as believing anything independent of God can harm or benefit us, illustrated by taking medicine for a headache. The article explains three expressions from Sura 18, God willing, This is what GOD has given me, and No one possesses power except God, then draws lessons from Joseph's extra years in prison and the owners of the garden, concluding that all provisions come from God alone.July 13, 2020

Quran Talk BlogThe Places of Worship Belong to God AlonePlacing the prophet Muhammad's name beside God's name in mosques, and adding him to the declaration of faith, is idol worship according to the Quran. Citing 72:18, 47:19 and 3:18, the article argues that the places of worship and the Shahadah belong to God alone. It notes that only the hypocrites of 63:1 bear witness to Muhammad, and offers 39:45 as a test of true worship.July 10, 2020

Quran Talk BlogDrowned Out VoicesSura 17 seems to jump from Satan's exile to people stranded at sea, and the article explains the link through the Arabic word for entice in 17:64, meaning to scare or banish with his voice. Satan's followers drown out those who stand for the truth, as Moses, Lot, and David's petitioner felt. Believers who implore God for help must stay appreciative and not revert.July 9, 2020

Quran Talk BlogTower of Babel and The Deterioration of LanguageManipulation of speech is read as the sorcery taught at Babel in 2:102, linked to the Tower of Babel and to those who exploit multiple meaning verses in 3:7 to sow division. Euphemisms such as pleasure marriage and pro choice, and the redefinition of marriage, man, and woman, are presented as Satan's schemes that, per 35:43, backfire on their schemers.July 9, 2020

Quran Talk BlogCorruption – Lying by ObscurityThe connection between Quran 2:188, which forbids bribing officials, and 2:189, which says righteousness is being straightforward rather than beating around the bush. Evidence from Flesch Readability Scores of shareholder letters at well managed and scandal ridden companies, and from lobbyist Jack Abramoff's obscure legislative sentence, shows that confusing speech is a way to hide corruption in plain sight.July 8, 2020

Quran Talk BlogQuran and Freedom of SpeechFreedom of speech in the Quran, tested against Walter Williams' standard of tolerating despicable speech. God instructs believers to avoid those who mock His revelations rather than silence them, while disbelievers such as Pharaoh and the people of Lot threaten, banish, and kill to suppress opposing views. Blasphemy laws in so-called Islamic countries are shown to have no basis in the Quran.July 8, 2020

Quran Talk BlogA Heavy SoulRedeeming the soul, the real self, is the central aim of this life, since sin damages it in ways we cannot feel, much like congenital insensitivity to pain. Drawing on Sura 91 and the Arabic roots of its words for purifying and burying the soul, the article contrasts the heavy soul nurtured through righteous works with the neglected one, and how each fares on the Day of Judgment.July 4, 2020

Quran Talk BlogSatan As A KhalifaThe meaning of khalifa in the Quran, traced through its Arabic root and its two occurrences in 2:30 and 38:26. The article argues that David is a ruler, while the khalifa God placed on Earth in 2:30 is Satan, the alternative to God for the Children of Adam. It explains Rashad Khalifa's rendering as a representative (temporary god) and Satan's authority over those who choose him.July 2, 2020

Quran Talk BlogArabic Triliteral Roots & QuranArabic triliteral roots offer a deeper understanding of Quranic words whose full meaning an English translation cannot always capture. The article works through one such root as an example of how tracing a word to its three root letters enriches a reader's appreciation of the Quran.July 1, 2020

Quran Talk BlogEarth: Egg-ShapedThe Arabic word daḥāhā in verse 79:30, read as egg-shaped and spread, set against the Earth's oblate spheroid shape and the Arabian ostrich egg. The article compares the Earth's layered interior to an egg and links the word's sense of spreading to plate tectonics and continental drift. It also reads verses calling the mountains moving, pegs, and stabilizers as references to the Earth's plates.July 1, 2020

Quran Talk BlogHourin in the QuranThe meaning of ḥūrin, the spouses promised to the righteous in Paradise, examined through its Arabic root, its link to the word for the disciples of Jesus, and its four occurrences in the Quran. The article reads the term, with the descriptions of Paradise, as allegorical: chaste, beautiful companions perfectly paired with their spouses, their wide white eyes signifying mutual attraction.July 1, 2020

Quran Talk BlogPlanet Orbit and QuranArabic root meanings in the Quran are read as describing the rotation and orbit of the Earth, sun, and moon. Verses 21:33, 39:5, 31:29, and 36:40 are examined, including the palindrome in the phrase for each in orbit, the link between He rolls and the word for ball, and the sun's own course around the Milky Way.July 1, 2020

Quran Talk BlogWe Are The Plants, God is the FarmerHardship is likened to fertilizer, which looks unpleasant from the plant's side while the farmer knows what his plants need to reach their potential. We are the plants and God is the farmer, so the reader is urged to trust in God and stay positive through difficult situations.July 1, 2020

Quran Talk BlogAnt CommunicationSolomon's exchange with an ant in Sura 27 is read alongside biologist E. O. Wilson's account of how ants signal danger and colony identity through scent. The feminine Arabic form in 27:18 is noted as fitting the fact that worker ants are female. Both points are offered as evidence that the Quran is from God and untampered, answering those who ridicule the passage.June 30, 2020

Quran Talk BlogAyat, Kitab, Wahi and InfallibilityDistinguishes ayat (signs), kitab (scripture), and wahi (inspiration) in the Quran, arguing that only God is infallible and that prophets and messengers erred personally but never in delivering the message. Applies this to Rashad Khalifa as a messenger who received ayat, such as the mathematical miracle, and wahi but no kitab, so his core teaching stands while his every word is not beyond critique.June 25, 2020

Quran Talk BlogBlack Hole Heart of DisbelieversThe hardened hearts of disbelievers are compared to a star that fuses iron, explodes as a supernova, and collapses into a black hole that emits no light. Drawing on Sura 57, Iron, and on 2:74, the article traces three responses of the heart to God's miracles. It closes with the hypocrites begging the believers for light on the Day of Judgment.June 22, 2020

Quran Talk BlogHuman WeaknessHuman weakness takes two forms in the Quran: the physical weakness God creates in infancy and old age (30:54), and a spiritual weakness of our own making. A reading of the Arabic of 4:28 traces the second to our choice before Earth to question God's absolute authority and accept the responsibility of freedom of choice (33:72), which brought us here bearing sin (95:4 to 5).June 22, 2020

Quran Talk BlogThe Quran is Not a Single VerseVerse 4:89 of the Quran, cited by critics as a call to kill disbelievers, is read here against 2:190 to 194 and 4:90 to 91 to show it concerns wartime self-defense. The article argues the Quran upholds a non-aggression principle and that no interpretation of a single verse is valid if it contradicts other verses.June 22, 2020

Quran Talk BlogIs America Systematically Racist?Argues against the claim that America today is systematically racist, holding that historic discriminatory laws were overturned long ago. Places the root of the problem in a victim mentality rather than lasting effects of old policies, pointing to immigrants such as Nigerian Americans who rise despite greater disadvantages, and stresses personal decisions over external factors.June 14, 2020

Quran Talk BlogProhibition of Intoxicants in the QuranIntoxicants are prohibited in the Quran, against the claim that 4:43 forbids only praying the contact prayer while intoxicated. The article warns against reading a single verse in isolation, then examines 5:90 and 5:91, which call intoxicants an abomination of the devil and command believers to avoid them. It compares that command with God's order to Adam and Eve not to approach the tree.June 13, 2020

Quran Talk BlogGod’s Response Regarding Noah’s Son (11:46)Noah's plea for his drowned son and God's reply in 11:46 are examined through the Arabic phrase most translators render as a judgment on the son's conduct. The singular word for deed points instead to Noah's single request as the unrighteous act, a reading that fits God's warning not to ask for what he does not know. Translations by Yusuf Ali, Pickthal, Shakir, and Sher Ali are compared.June 1, 2020

Quran Talk BlogHearing, Eyesight and BrainsThe four Quranic verses naming the hearing, the eyesight, and the brains follow the order of human development: hearing forms first in the womb, then eyesight, while the brain keeps developing for about 25 years. The article then ties hearing to death through 2:19 and the sealed ears of the Sleepers of the Cave, noting that hearing is the last sense lost when dying.May 29, 2020

Quran Talk BlogProphet (Nabi) vs. Messenger (Rasul)The difference between a prophet (nabi) and a messenger (rasul), drawn chiefly from the covenant in 3:81: prophets are given the scripture, while messengers confirm, recite, and teach it. The article traces this pattern across the Quran and argues from the phrase messenger prophet in 19:51 and 19:54 that every prophet is a messenger, though not every messenger is a prophet.May 27, 2020

Quran Talk BlogProphets (Nabi) vs. Messenger (Rasool) and 4:136 and 57:25The distinction between a prophet (nabi) and a messenger (rasool), answering the claim that 4:136 and 57:25 show messengers receive scripture. Drawing on 3:81 and the Arabic verbs for giving, sending, and sending down, the article argues that only prophets are given scripture while messengers confirm, recite, and teach it. It reads messenger prophet in 19:51 and 19:54 to mean every prophet is a messenger.May 27, 2020

Quran Talk BlogWhat kind of keys did Qaroon have?Qaroon's keys in verse 28:76, which were almost too heavy for the strongest band, and what that description means. The Arabic word for band is shown to mean a group of men, as in 12:8, 12:14 and 24:11. The large wooden crossbar locks and pin tumbler locks of Ancient Egypt explain why such keys could burden strong men.May 25, 2020

Quran Talk BlogWhen should someone no longer be allowed to frequent a masjid?Barring someone from the masjid, weighing aggressive conduct against beliefs that defy the Quran, with reference to 49:9 and 4:88 to 89. The article argues that 9:17 is misused to banish people for their beliefs. Read in context, it refers to idol worshipers of opposing communities who come to openly declare a false Shahada, not to community members who differ on a Quranic topic.May 24, 2020

Quran Talk BlogThe Ultimate PrayerVerse 10:10 and whether its ultimate prayer means the best prayer or the final one. Reading the Arabic in the context of 10:9, the article traces the sequence for those who reach Heaven: they are first invited with Be You Glorified, our god, then greeted with Peace, and finally say Praise be to God, Lord of the universe.May 17, 2020

Quran Talk BlogUnderstanding the Meaning of Sura 7: The Purgatory (Al-A‘arãf)The Purgatory, named in the title of Sura 7, is a state on the Day of Judgment between Heaven and Hell whose dwellers recognize each side by their looks, as told in 7:44 to 7:49 and Dr. Khalifa's footnote. The Arabic root of Al-A‘arãf, meaning recognition and universally known righteousness, is traced through 60:12 and Mount Arafat in 2:198.May 17, 2020

Quran Talk BlogWhat is the meaning of وَاضْرِبُوهُنَّ in 4:34 of Quran?The Arabic word وَاضْرِبُوهُنَّ in 4:34 is broken down by its root, which in the Quran means to strike, to travel, or to cite an example, and the article concludes it means strike. It then asks how a Most Merciful God allows this, reading the verse alongside the bans on aggression and the abused verse on intoxication and the contact prayer, as God's path to redemption for sinners.May 14, 2020

Quran Talk BlogMost of them are unappreciativeSatan's challenge in 7:17 that most people would prove unappreciative, and why the Quran's Arabic uses one word for unappreciative and disbeliever. Abundance tends to breed ingratitude, and the article proposes deprivation as the remedy, either imposed by God as in 16:112 or chosen willingly through the Ramadan fast to renew appreciation of God's blessings.May 3, 2020

Quran Talk BlogMecca – A Plantless ValleyAbraham's prayer in 14:37 describes Mecca as a plantless valley, and the article rejects the claim that the phrase only means uncultivated land. A study of the root ز ر ع across its fourteen Quranic occurrences, contrasted with حرث, shows the word covers both planted and naturally growing crops. Mecca, it concludes, had no plants at all and could not be cultivated.April 30, 2020

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