Assalamu alaikum Sr. Zainab,
Please accept my sincere applogies in taking so long to reply. I pray you have had an enjoyable Eid and have been doing well.
Walaikum Salaam brother AOH. I went thru the 20 mins recitation of Surah An-Nur tonight. Alhamdulilah, what a refreshing recitation to listen particularly on a Ramadan night before retiring to bed. The translations of Abdel Haleem has been a good discovery for me thru you in addition to Pickthall of course. I concentrate carefully on the words while listening or reading a Quraanic translation. So far, I've always recommended Pickthall to my family and friends. Now I think I could recommend both Pickthall and A. Haleem. Thanks yet again dear brother.
Abdel Haleems translation is excellent due to its use of modern day easy to understand language. It does have common Sunni influences at places, usually the common places. For example, 4:34 uses the word 'hit' (though a lot better than 'beat', nevertheless I do not agree even with 'hit' either), or the Verse dealing with polygamy he places the word 'other' before women ie. marry [other] women, thereby allowing unrestricted and unconditional polygamy.
I do adjust the translation where I feel I can take out a Sunni influence and translate it a more accurately or improve the expression. For example, where he said 'they should let their headscarves fall to cover their necklines', I translated it as 'they shall cover their chests'. Or where he used the word 'adulterer', I changed it to 'those who have engaged in extramarital sex' to give the fuller meaning which is adultary and fornication.
"lower the gaze" I have changed to "humble their gaze" which is a more Qur'anic interpretation and is more accurate in giving the correct understanding to this misused Verse. I have reworded how Verse 31 is read to make it clearer for example, he said "and
not reveal their charms
except to" I changed it to "the
may show-off their charms
only to".
On the whole, Abdel Haleem's translation is excellent, mostly due its use of easy to understand and modern English. However, one needs to read around some Sunni influences. Out of all the translations I have read, this one tops the list.
Each time I turn the pages of the Glorious Quraan, how I wish I knew Arabic as much as I know English. But then, isn't it true that the Quraan is not just any Book? It is something very special. The Almighty Allah does not favour people with His guidance on the basis of language, rather He chooses His slaves for their sincerity and hard work. I guess that explains why I've come across several people who speak exquisite Arabic and yet they've misconstrued the ideology of the Quraan with a barrage of negative ideas and laws.
I agree with you fully. Allah guides whoever He wills regardless of their knowlege of arabic. Like you say, many people are misguided and disbelieve even when their mother tongue is the language of the Qur'an and they have read it. We know many disbelieved when the Prophet himself preached it to his people. You can be guided just by studying the
Qur'anic massage through various translations, because it is the
Qur'anic massage they deny.
To understand the Qur'an correctly requires having firm faith in Allah and the Hereafter, no matter how good your arabic is. This is stressed in a Verse where Allah says when the Prophet recites the Qur'an to the people (who knew the language of the Qur'an), that He places a veil betweeen the Prophet and those who do not believe in the Hereafter. Using reason and logic is also critical in its understanding, so much so that pondering over Verses has been stressed repeatedly in the Qur'an, and even in a Verse which says We clarify Our Revelations for those who think over it, ie. those who do not use their reason and logic will not be able to understand it. It is very possible a person fluent in arabic neither has the necessary belief in Allah, nor the ability to use his intellect in interpreting the Verses, thus ending up twisting it.
The Almighty Allah emphasises on the importance of modesty. It's just as important for both men and women. Be it cheap flirtation or physical intimacy out of marriage, lewd conduct is a serious offence in the case of both genders. In this very Surah, Allah makes it ample clear that those who are single (men or women) must keep chaste till married. Yet for reasons of their own, the men of our Ummah flatly maintain that a loose character is a much greater offence for women than men. Allah forgive!!! From where do these people get such ideas?
So much about the violations of the 'Muslim' community.
Yes, this is a great corruption where so called Muslim men think women have to pray a greater price for not observing 'modesty', furthermore, 'modestly' as defined by their whms and desires.
Just for my own information, I'd like your opinion on the following point.
I was talking to some acquaintances recently about the importance of 4 witnesses as mentioned in the Quraan for charges against illegal sex. They maintained that the 4 witnessnes are meant to actually see the act of violation. But by reading the Quraan and using my rationale, I see it differently. A minimal of 4 witnesses are essential who need to testify to whatever evidence they may have concerning the couple's relationship .. much like a witness who would testify in a court of law today, either for the defence or the prosecution. I don't find anything in the Quraan that conveys the notion that the witnesses must have first hand visual information of the act of violation. Last but not least, according to the Quraan, a woman who's been a victim of rape does not have to produce any witnesses. How would you interpret this bit about the 4 witnesses?
I intepret it to mean four witnesses who visually witness the scene. Otherwise, what is the evidence those witnesses base their testimony on? Hearsay or rumour? What good is this testimony?
Let us look into the scenario described in the Qur'an where a beleving women was accused of illicit sex. There were many people who were spreading the rumour that she did engage in it. So if there were four people who were willing to "witness" (ie. by your current interpretation), does that make her guilty?
The Qur'anic requirement is necessarily tough, but possible.
AYou're right, a victim of rape does not require four witnesses according to the Qur'an. Rape is a crime committed against her (or him) at a completely different level. Rape involves a non-willing person who is forced into sex by the willing criminal, whereas the case of adultary and fornication is where two willing participants engage in sex solely for pleasure by both participants, and this word cannot be used to refering to rape.
When the Qur'an speaks of four witnesses, it is very obvious given the context of discussion, that it is discussing accusations made against two people who engaged in sex for pleasure (rape is a different genre all together). Also bear in mind the Qur'an's call for four witnesses when people accused the believing woman, who was obviously not a victim of rape from reading the Surah.
About posting in other forums, frankly by now I've had a showdown in all traditional forums. However much I try to avoid it, it seems inevitable. But most importantly, it's pretty much useless too. It's just impossible to have a civil discussion focused on the topic. Whether a Ph.D from Al-Azha University or just a disciple of a sheik, not a single person in any such forum has as yet analysed the contents of my posts. Instead, the standard response has constantly been a chain of personal attacks on my identity and perception. It's not just irritating, but thoroughly unfair. I've invited all such people here at MV for a civil debate on any topic of their choice, but they've never responded to that either. Thus, because of the depth of our incompatibility, I've given it a break for the time being .. and I wouldn't want to get hyped in the month of Ramadan 
It seems that it does not matter what the Qur'an says. As long as a scholar said it using his understanding of the Qur'an and Hadith, this would be accepted. They do not want to accept something from a "layman" no matter how logical, rational and reasonable the argument is. It just has to be from a scholar, no matter how irrational, illogical and unreasonable the argument is, it would be accepted. Recently, I also discovered that even the Sunnah does not matter, it has to be from an ulama. I was discussing mosques and segregation with a people who will not take the Qur'an as the only guide, so I told them that the Prophet never implemented segregation in his mosque without even discussing problem with Hadiths with them, but they would not acknowledge it but would only say they shall refer to their scholars and their opinions, they have no ability to interpret these 'advanced' issues.
I post in
www.islamicaweb.com/forums, a predominantly Sunni board with some Shia Muslims there. The mods are very open minded and never have I had a post deleted from there.
May Allah bless you brother for your enlightened efforts and sincere thoughts, and for beautifying our board with such a great post. I'll also go thru the other recitations in due course. While one is fasting there's always a crunch in one's daily schedule.
JazekAllah Khair / peace[/font]
May Allah reward you and give you more Qur'anic wisdom for your sincere efforts in spreading His Message.
Thanks for keeping this message board running.
Once again, applogies for the late response. Have a good remainder of the week and a good weekend, inshallah.
peace.
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