Questions about the Qu'ran

[quirk]

I have just began to read the Qu'ran and intend to read it all over the coming weeks. Already I have several questions and I hope that those on this forum may be able to help me with them. I apologise if some of what I ask seems very basic but I am relatively new to this. I will try to present my questions Surah by Surah as I read through. I intend to convert to Islam in the near future however I think that I should read the Qu'ran first.

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Suarah Al-Baqara (The Cow)

[2.7] Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing and there is a covering over their eyes, and there is a great punishment for them.

My question in relation to this particular verse is if Allah set a seal upon their hearts then as Allah is all powerful nothing they do can remove this seal, therfore why punish them for something which they are unable to change?

[2.23] And if you are in doubt as to that which We have revealed to Our servant, then produce a chapter like it and call on your witnesses besides Allah if you are truthful.

Who is "we" in the above verse?

[2.185] The month of Ramazan is that in which the Quran was revealed, a guidance to men and clear proofs of the guidance and the distinction; therefore whoever of you is present in the month, he shall fast therein, and whoever is sick or upon a journey, then (he shall fast) a (like) number of other days; Allah desires ease for you, and He does not desire for you difficulty, and (He desires) that you should complete the number and that you should exalt the greatness of Allah for His having guided you and that you may give thanks.

This says that the Qu'ran was revealed in the month of Ramazan yet this verse is at the begining of the Qu'ran before it was revealed. I am aware that Allah would already have been aware that this was the case however my question is more to do with if this is all the case with this or if this may have been revealed near then end of the month yet be included near the begining. Basically was the Qu'ran revealed in the order in which we have it today?

[2.228] And the divorced women should keep themselves in waiting for three courses; and it is not lawful for them that they should conceal what Allah has created in their wombs, if they believe in Allah and the last day; and their husbands have a better right to take them back in the meanwhile if they wish for reconciliation; and they have rights similar to those against them in a just manner, and the men are a degree above them, and Allah is Mighty, Wise.

If men and women were created equal then how are men a degree above them? What am I not getting about this?

[onegodforall]

Quirk,
The people that Allah seals heart, and their hearing and covering their eyes are those people who deny notification of Allah relegion. (Al-Játhiya 23) “My Beloved, don’t you see those who have made their fancies and desires (their souls) deify to themselves (those who depend on their souls` desires), ALLAH leaves them in deviation with the science they learned and seals their heart, the hearing (SEMI) center in their heart, and conceals the seeing center in the heart (BASAR) of them with a curtain. Who makes them reach HIDAYET after ALLAH? Don’t they think?”
So we can see from (Al-Játhiya 23) that people follow their desires, only those people Allah seals them.. They get punihed because they ignore Allahs relegion and follow their souls desires thats why they get sealed.
Please feel free to continue asking your questions, I can also answer them from msn , my msn in positive78@gmail.com

[onegodforall]

I wanted to answer rest of the questions as well but at the moment I have not much time but I will save this link to my favorites and come back for it.

[onegodforall]

Let me quickly anwer your second question;
Allahu Teala uses the word 'we' when ALLAH does some thing and uses either jinns . humans, or angels to get to result then Allahu Teala says 'we'

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[Khaldun]

Hi Quirk!

Im happy that you actually take up the will to ask, this is a very praise worthy thing. And I hope you will one day understand the Quran fully.

Just as a thumb-rule, the Quran more often then not, explains itself, meaning if you read one verse and run with it, you will often end up confused or will get a distorted picture. A good example is your first question, on the face of it, it really doesnt make sense, a God that seals hearts and then punish people for something they can not control? Yet further on in the Quran this is explained, such as in these coming verses, concerning the Jews.

And when Musa said to his people: O my people! why do you give me trouble? And you know indeed that I am Allah's apostle to you; but when they turned aside, Allah made their hearts turn aside, and Allah does not guide the transgressing people. [Surah Saff verse 15]

Whoever does good, it is for his own soul, and whoever does evil, it is against it; and your Lord is not in the least unjust to the servants. [Surah Fussilat verse 46]

So this shows that Allah is never unjust and He does not seal hearts, rather its the people themselfs by their own actions that cause their hearts to be sealed and eventually punished.

And We did not destroy any town but it had (its) warners

To remind, and We are never unjust. [Surah Shu'ara verses 208-209]

Surely Allah does not do injustice to the weight of an atom, and if it is a good deed He multiplies it and gives from Himself a great reward. [Surah Nisaa verse 40]

Surely Allah does not do any injustice to men, but men are unjust to themselves. [Surah Yunus verse 44]


Your second question is a issue that comes back quite frequently, and thats the use of "We" in the Quran, to keep things short this "We" is a so-called Royal "We" where one person uses plural when they speak of themselfs rather then singular and this shows majesty etc. This is present in many language as well as in arabic. So when you see "We" in the Quran it refers to Allah, and Him alone.

About the Quran being revealed in Ramadan, there is a few statments on this, but the most authentic is that the Quran started to be revealed during this month and carried on for a span of 23 years. And no, the Quran was not revealed in the order it is today, it was compiled by the companions of the Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)

The last verse you qouted goes back to the thumb-rule I stated in the beginning, it is explained more in full in surah Nisaa which I will qoute shortly, its true that men and women are equally, yet that doesnt mean in every single thing, Allah has made the man the provider for the family and it is his responsibility to care for his wife and children etc. This difference is a blessing from Allah, which enables each one, the man and the woman, to take up different roles in life.

Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; [Surah Nisaa verse 34]



I hope that explained abit, if you have any more question feel free to ask.