Ship of Fools: The 97th Surah

Thread: The 97th Surah Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by fletcher christian (# 13919) on :

Stumbling across this verse in the Qur'an has raised all sorts of questions for me. In the main, in contemporary Islam, it is understood as a definitive verse of the power and might of Islam. In the past (and to a certain extent today) it is understood as a reference to Ramadan. However, a rather fine translation I own picks apart the verses and their various meanings and hints at the birth of Jesus and the arrival of the 'Word', not necessarily a problematic reading for Muslims (although the stress on the 'Word' bit presumably is)

I knew of the 'controversial' critique of the Qur'an that 'reads back' (if that's the correct way to put it) Christian and Jewish imagery, scriptural and liturgical texts, but I always took it with a pinch of salt. Then I came across a situation I was reading about in Syria, where a dead Christian was identified by a distinctive Aqeeq ring of the 97th Surah. That got me thinking a bit and after a little trawling on the net I found an article (via Facebook of all things) on Aqeeq rings of the 97th Surah made in the Yemen, worn by Muslims, Christians and Jews - a practice which is slowly dying out. This article claimed that Christians wore it as a verse taken to mean an invitation to the Eucharist. Sadly, it didn't go much deeper and didn't explain at all why a Jew would be drawn to such a verse or wear such a ring. It was also a difficult article because it had been clearly translated into english....quite badly.

For those who might know here, can you cast any further light on this? Is this a reading back, or is it that this might be shared liturgical text from the past that found its way into the Qur'an?

Posted by Porridge (# 15405) on :

Well, I googled "aqeeq ring" and also the 97th surah, and I confess to being stumped by this OP.

Mebbe you could give us a link to the specific translation you're using? Hard to discuss it when we don't know what you've read.

Posted by fletcher christian (# 13919) on :

Well, if you type in '97th surah' into google the very first link you get is the text in english.... here.

Albeit a poor and flat translation, but it gives you the basic idea.

*edited to say that the translation I have runs into pages of text, picking out various meanings and references etc. A little hard to strat typing all that out.

[ 29. July 2013, 20:25: Message edited by: fletcher christian ]

Posted by Evensong (# 14696) on :

quote:
Originally posted by fletcher christian:
In the past (and to a certain extent today) it is understood as a reference to Ramadan.

My fasting family understands it to be a "night of power" when the Holy Spirit (Roh) is somehow closer to mankind. There are three or four during ramadan (from memory).

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :

quote:
Originally posted by fletcher christian:

I knew of the 'controversial' critique of the Qur'an that 'reads back' (if that's the correct way to put it) Christian and Jewish imagery, scriptural and liturgical texts, but I always took it with a pinch of salt. Then I came across a situation I was reading about in Syria, where a dead Christian was identified by a distinctive Aqeeq ring of the 97th Surah. That got me thinking a bit and after a little trawling on the net I found an article (via Facebook of all things) on Aqeeq rings of the 97th Surah made in the Yemen, worn by Muslims, Christians and Jews - a practice which is slowly dying out. This article claimed that Christians wore it as a verse taken to mean an invitation to the Eucharist. Sadly, it didn't go much deeper and didn't explain at all why a Jew would be drawn to such a verse or wear such a ring. It was also a difficult article because it had been clearly translated into english....quite badly.

For those who might know here, can you cast any further light on this? Is this a reading back, or is it that this might be shared liturgical text from the past that found its way into the Qur'an?

The wikipedia entry on the 97th Sura mentions briefly that some Christians liked to apply the "night of power" idea to the Eucharist, which seems like a fairly reasonable thing for a Christian to do--you can see the appeal of relating a gorgeous, splendid feast night to the Eucharist However, the only source listed for this seemed to be one article which seemed to be arguing the case that the entire Quran was some sort of large midrash based on a Christian lectionary. That seemed pretty sketchy to me.

Having said that, it is not ridiculous to suggest that Christianity had an impact on Islam-- heck, the Quran itself suggests it. Furthermore, Reza Aslan (it's so hip to quote him lately isn't it?) talks in his book No God but God about a Sunni tradition that said Mohammed, after receiving his first revelation, rushed back in terror to his wife Khadija, convinced he was insane. Khadija apparently enlisted one of his uncles-- a Christian-- to talk him down.

So I don't think it's a big leap to assume that early Muslims and local Christians occasionally found areas in which they could harmonize philosophically, and use each others imagery to enhance their own spiritual practice.

[ 31. July 2013, 18:40: Message edited by: Kelly Alves ]

Posted by quetzalcoatl (# 16740) on :

Reminds me of the old Sufi poem: the root is Abraham, and from this grows the stem which is Moses, on the stem is a bud which is Jesus, then the bud opens, and the flower is Mohammed.

I'm not proselytizing for Islam, honest! I just think it's pretty.

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :

It is pretty, and a nice synopsis of how the "Religions of the Book" relate to each other, from a Muslim point of view.

Heck, appreciating the way a poet describes a religious idea does not require a person to adopt that idea. I actually am getting interested in pursing some of the Islamic poets, mostly because I respect how much poetry was valued as a spiritual tool in Arabic culture.

And I probably won't agree with a lot of the religious stuff but I might have insights about God I might not otherwise if I didn't take a crack at it.
(all this to say, your post didn't strike me as proselytizing in any way.)

[ 01. August 2013, 05:52: Message edited by: Kelly Alves ]

Posted by quetzalcoatl (# 16740) on :

Yes, I've always seen Rumi as one of the greatest of religious poets, with extraordinary insights into mysticism. Along with Mr Eliot, of course.

"The wound is the place where the Light enters you". (Rumi)

Posted by quetzalcoatl (# 16740) on :

Do you think Leonard Cohen got his line from Rumi? 'There's a crack in everything - that's how the light gets in'. It's probably a universal idea. Jesus loves his broken pots.

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :

I'm digging on Ibn Arabi. It's like reading God's blog.

Wow, check this out:

quote:
When she kills with her glances, her speech restores to life, as tho she, in giving life thereby, were Jesus.
The smooth surface of her legs is (like) the Tora in brightness, and I follow it and tread in its footsteps as tho' I were Moses.

(full poem here-- scroll down a couple.)

(More evidence of Islamic ease with Christian concepts/ imagery.)

Posted by quetzalcoatl (# 16740) on :

I read all those - very beautiful.

Listen for the stream
that tells you one thing.

Die on this bank.
Begin in me
the way of rivers with the sea.

Rumi.

[ 02. August 2013, 07:58: Message edited by: quetzalcoatl ]

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