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While this isn't a religious forum, and we try not to get into discussions relating to religion, I thought that this link might be of interest to some of the readership.

This link came to me via email from ClicksToday and I have not actually perused it. Here is the copy that accompanied the link:

"The site includes an online library that features commentary on a wide variety of Muslim texts. Learn about the basis of Jehad, Islam's relationship with science, Jesus' role in Islam, and much more. You can even listen to the head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community answer questions in English."

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community



-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001

Answers

Thanks, Barefoot.

The excerpts of the Koran that I have heard are not too promising (as far as it being a peaceful religion). I have also been told that the Arab version is quite beautiful, but loses in translation, especially if translated by Non-Muslims.

To the extent that a religion is a driving force behind a movement (in this case a holy war), how it is supposed to be interpreted isn't nearly as important as how it is actually interpreted. And there seems to be quite a lot of variation in that.

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001


Now that i have looked at a small small sampling of what this site offers, it has shown me that the taliban, and any other group that proposes to limit women in any way, are against the teachings of Islam.

http://www.a lislam.org/library/links/00000144.html

"The pursuit of knowledge (education) was stressed for both sexes:

The pursuit of knowledge is a duty to every Muslim, men and women. (Hadith)"

and

"Muhammad (saw), 1300 years ago assured to the mothers, wives, and daughters of Islam a rank and dignity not yet generally assured to women by the laws of the West."

Most interesting. I cannot spend much time on this today. But I'll have to continue to read. There is one other item I would like to quote:

"Duties to God, and duties toward fellowmen. Since we would expect Islam to provide a more refined spiritual guidance, we would expect the precepts of Islam to be also in keeping with what human beings have discovered through years of progress. To name a few, 1500 years ago, Islam declared that all men are created equal (an idea expounded by the French philosopher Rousseau around the year 1750). To quote the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw),

... Even as the fingers of the two hands are equal, so are human beings equal to one another. No one has any rights, any superiority to claim over another. You are as brothers. O men, your God is One and your ancestor is one. An Arab holds no superiority over a non-Arab, nor a White over a Black person, nor vice-versa, but only to the extent to which he discharges his responsibility to God and man. Only the God-fearing people merit a preference with God."

Yes, most interesting...

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001


Now will y'all please read the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayam? The Brit guy who translated it did a wonderful job. Omar was a bit of a lapsed Muslim, liked the wine and women a wee bit too much, but was much more poetic than Clinton :)

Rubaiyat on line

Some of Omar's Rubaiyat warn us of the danger of Greatness, the instability of Fortune, and while advocating Charity to all Men, recommending us to be too intimate with none. Attar makes Nizam-ul- Mulk use the very words of his friend Omar [Rub. xxviii.], "When Nizam-ul-Mulk was in the Agony (of Death) he said, 'Oh God! I am passing away in the hand of the wind.'"

If you want to cut straight to the chase, scroll down the screen until you reach the beginning of the poem. Read long enough and you'll find the entire quote about the loaf of bread, jug of wine and also the moving finger.

Omar is the only reason I got through my first computer class--it was taught by an Iranian who was tickled because I knew how to pronounce the Farsi sound for "kh." His name was Dakhoda, you see. It was easy--same as the Scottish "ch" in "loch" and I knew it from reading Omar the Tentmaker's stuff.

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001


Link, please, Ms. Git??

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001

Oh hell, I forgot the html. All better now, see above.

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001


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