Monday, January 23, 2012

Sunnah in the Qur'an

A lot of people think you have to have the hadith to provide the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad. They say the Qur'an contains no sunnah. I'm sorry, your Qur'an must be different from mine. Mine contains a staggering number of questions by the people and directly answered by Allah. I'm going through them all to make sure, but wanted to provide the list I made to those who are interested.

"Say:"

Chapter 2
2:8 2:11 2:13 2:14 2:25 2:26 2:58 2:76 2:79 2:80 2:91 2:93 2:94 2:97 2:102 2:104 2:111 2:113 2:120 2:135 2:136 2:139 2:140 2:142 2:156 2:170 2:189 2:201 2:215 2:217 2:219 2:220 2:222
Chapter 3
3:7 3:15 3:16 3:20 3:26 3:29 3:31 3:32 3:61 3:64 3:73 3:84 3:93 3:95 3:98 3:99 3:119 3:154 3:165 3:168 3:181 3:183
Chapter 4
4:46 4:72 4:75 4:77 4:78 4:81 4:127 4:141 4:150 4:171 4:176
Chapter 5
5:4 5:17 5:18 5:19 5:41 5:59 5:60 5:61 5:68 5:76 5:77 5:83 5:100 5:104 5:109 5:116 5:119
Chapter 6
6:7 6:11 6:12 6:14 6:15 6:19 6:23 6:25 6:27 6:31 6:37 6:40 6:46 6:47 6:50 6:53 6:54 6:56 6:57 6:58 6:63 6:64 6:65 6:66 6:71 6:90 6:91 6:105 6:109 6:124 6:135 6:143 6:144 6:145 6:147 6:148 6:149 6:150 6:151 6:156 6:157 6:158 6:161 6:162 6:164
Chapter 7
7:28 7:29 7:32 7:33 7:37 7:43 7:47 7:53 7:95 7:158 7:161 7:169 7:173 7:187 7:188 7:195 7:203
Chapter 8
8:1 8:31
Chapter 9
9:24 9:49 9:50 9:51 9:52 9:53 9:61 9:64 9:65 9:81 9:83 9:86 9:94 9:105 9:124 9:129
Chapter 10
10:15 10:16 10:18 10:20 10:21 10:28 10:31 10:34 10:35 10:38 10:41 10:48 10:49 10:50 10:53 10:58 10:59 10:69 10:101 10:102 10:104 10:108
Chapter 11
11:7 11:8 11:12 11:13 11:18 11:35
Chapter 12
12:108
Chapter 13
13:7 13:16 13:27 13:30 13:33 13:36 13:43
Chapter 14
14:30 14:44
Chapter 15
15:89
Chapter 16
16:24 16:27 16:32 16:101 16:102 16:103
Chapter 17
17:24 17:42 17:47 17:50 17:51 17:56 17:80 17:81 17:84 17:85 17:88 17:93 17:95 17:96 17:100 17:107 17:108 17:110 17:111
Chapter 18
18:22 18:24 18:26 18:29 18:39 18:49 18:83 18:103 18:109 18:110
Chapter 19
19:26 19:75
Chapter 20
20:40 20:47 20:97 20:104 20:105 20:114 20:135
Chapter 21
21:4 21:24 21:38 21:42 21:45 21:46 21:108 21:109
Chapter 22
22:49 22:68 22:72
Chapter 23
23:28 23:29 23:84 23:85 23:86 23:87 23:88 23:89 23:93 23:97 23:109 23:118
Chapter 24
24:47 24:51 24:53 24:54
Chapter 25
25:6 25:15 25:17 25:27 25:57 25:60 25:63 25:65 25:74 25:77
Chapter 26
26:16 26:203 26:216
Chapter 27
27:59 27:64 27:65 27:69 27:71 27:72 27:84 27:92 27:93
Chapter 28
28:47 28:49 28:53 28:55 28:63 28:65 28:71 28:72 28:74 28:75 28:85
Chapter 29
29:2 29:10 29:20 29:29 29:46 29:50 29:52 29:55 29:61 29:63
Chapter 30
30:42 30:58
Chapter 31
31:21 31:25
Chapter 32
32:3 32:11 32:28 32:29
Chapter 33
33:16 33:17 33:63 33:66 33:67
Chapter 34
34:3 34:22 34:23 34:24 34:25 34:26 34:27 34:29 34:30 34:34 34:36 34:39 34:41 34:46 34:47 34:48 34:49 34:50 34:52
Chapter 35
35:34 35:40
Chapter 36
36:48 36:52 36:79
Chapter 37
37:18 37:36 37:52 37:151 37:167
Chapter 38
38:65 38:67 38:86
Chapter 39
39:8 39:9 39:10 39:11 39:13 39:14 39:15 39:38 39:39 39:43 39:44 39:46 39:53 39:56 39:57 39:64
Chapter 40
40:11 40:48 40:50 40:66 40:74
Chapter 41
41:6 41:9 41:13 41:21 41:29 41:44 41:47 41:50 41:52
Chapter 42
42:15 42:23 42:24 42:45
Chapter 43
43:9 43:77 43:81 43:89
Chapter 45
45:25 45:26
Chapter 46
46:4 46:8 46:9 46:10 46:11 46:17 46:34
Chapter 47
47:20
Chapter 48
48:11 48:15
Chapter 49
49:14 49:16 49:17
Chapter 52
52:30 52:31 52:33 52:44
Chapter 54
54:2 54:8 54:44
Chapter 56
56:47 56:49
Chapter 62
62:6 62:8 62:11
Chapter 63
63:1 63:7 63:8
Chapter 64
64:7
Chapter 66
66:8
Chapter 67
67:23 67:24 67:25 67:26 67:28 67:29 67:30
Chapter 68
68:51
Chapter 69
69:19 69:25
Chapter 72
72:1 72:20 72:21 72:22 72:25
Chapter 74
74:31
Chapter 78
78:40
Chapter 79
79:10
Chapter 83
83:32
Chapter 99
99:3
Chapter 109
109:1
Chapter 112
112:1
Chapter 113
113:1
Chapter 114
114:1

I'd say that a pretty comprehensive question/answer list. : )

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Show me the proof!

If someone is going to say things to me like "You won't enter jannah unless you love the prophet more than you love yourself", you'd better back it up with Qur'anic proof. If you can't find that proof, then perhaps you'd better re-evaluate the stuff you're parroting that you've heard from other people.

Believe what you want. I support that completely. But I will not accept the hadith as proof of an assertion in lieu of evidence from the Qur'an.

3:78 "And from among them is a group who twist their tongues with the Book so that you may think it is from the Book, while it is not from the Book, and they say it is from God while it is not from God, and they say about God lies while they know."

So bring it.

Monday, January 16, 2012

New year, healthier me.

I went running on Saturday for the first time in 6 months (okay, going on 7). It was just around the block. So why are my legs sore?! I guess I'm going to have to start all over on the running front... : ( I was running 4 miles with no problem. Not the fastest time (okay, I'm really the slowest kid alive), but the point is that I could DO IT. -.- I hate the first bit when I go back to running. It sucks.

However, I am utterly determined that I will NOT be the fat girl at my high school reunion! Yes, my 10-year reunion is this year. I will NOT be fat! Will not will not will not! Running, in combo with balanced diet, is my most effective source of weight loss.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Quranist Belief: the Myths and the Realities

I've noticed a lot of anti-Quranist sentiment among Sunni/Shi'a Muslims, so I figured I'd do a post to clear up some of the utterly mistaken things that are said about Quranists and our beliefs. Granted, many of those things were on Yahoo Answers' Ramadan section, and I know you sisters here are brighter than that bunch, but it doesn't hurt to clarify things.

What Quranists are:

Muslims who believe the Qur'an is the revelation of Allah and that Muhammad is the last in a long line of prophets sent from Allah.

Sounds like Sunni and Shi'a and everybody else, right?

What Quranists aren't:

Followers of Rashid Khalifa. The most common accusation levelled against Quranists is that we believe Rashid Khalifa was a prophet.

This is false. FALSE. I don't know a single person who believes he was a prophet, or thinks much of him at all. When we do discuss him, we give him props for having the guts to say "Follow the Qur'an Alone. Worship Allah alone.", but in no way, shape, form, or fashion do we consider him a prophet. Actually, most of the people I've talked with consider him to have had a great idea but that he went coo coo for Cocoa Puffs after that.

We do not reject Prophet Muhammad. We reject the near-worship of him and the emphasis that is placed on him above all other prophets. The Qur'an instructs us not to elevate any prophet above another and not to make partners of anyone with Allah. What do you think the shahada does? Singles out Muhammad and joins his name with that of Allah.

Muhammad, in traditional Sunni/Shi'a practice, IS a partner with Allah. You don't see people react to cartoons of Jesus or Moses or Abraham with the outrage and hysteria that they do if someone makes a cartoon of Muhammad. People wish blessings on Muhammad because they think he can intercede for them -- despite the Qur'an saying that no one but Allah will be able to intercede for anyone on the last day, that Muhammad was just a warner, that he had no power over belief or disbelief, that no one shall bear another's sins.

When the Qur'an says "obey the Messenger", it doesn't mean copy every single thing Muhammad supposedly did or said and invoke his name so your prayers will be heard. It means to follow his teachings: the oneness of God, equality of the prophets, belief in the last day, and to deal with each other in kindness.

On Hadith:

There are a couple of different perspectives regarding hadith.

Some Quranists believe that you can accept the hadith that do not contradict or add to the Qur'an, but that you should interpret the hadith you accept only as good advice, not as guidance or a source of divine law. Others believe that you should not accept any hadith, period, but only the Qur'an.

By rejecting part or all of the hadith, we aren't rejecting the sunnah. Consider the many examples in the Qur'an where Allah instructed Muhammad to answer the believers. "Say:" is how it always began. These are the true sunnah. The Qur'an describes itself as the best hadith.

If you insist on having secondary sources to the Qur'an, the Qur'an tells us what our authorized sources are: the Torah and Gospel of Jesus! Being Muslim does not mean you exclude the other books from study. The three should be used in conjunction, to verify and clarify what is right and what is wrong.

Qur'an 10:94 "If you are in doubt regarding what We have sent down to you, then ask those who have been reading the Book from before you. The truth has come to you from your Lord, so do not be of those who doubt."

As Quranists, one of our highest ideals is to respect other faiths and other interpretations of Islam, so don't think I'm trashing your beliefs. I'm not. All I'm saying is: know what you believe and why. Be able to back it up. Be able to look at your beliefs with a critical eye and find answers to your questions.

For me, the beauty of Quran Alone is that it makes Islam simple again. It removes the cultural traditions and supersitions of the hadith and gives us the book revealed to and followed by Muhammad, untainted by centuries of "scholarly interpretation".

Do you seriously think you need a scholar to tell you what to think so that you can understand the Qur'an "correctly"? ("Correctly", of course, being that scholar's own POV.) Would you call Allah a liar by saying the Qur'an is too holy to be understood by the layperson and requires hadith to clarify it, when He says that it is a clear, detailed book of guidance for all mankind?

Thursday, December 29, 2011

2011 meme from Amber

I love doing these kinds of things!

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?

Spent half the year in Afghanistan. Never did that before.

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Didn't make any.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

My older brother and his girlfriend had a baby boy -- he's 3 months old now and one heck of a cute little nub. : P

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Nope.

5. What countries did you visit?

Brief stops in Spain, Iraq, Kuwait, Germany, and a long stay in the remote regions of Afghanistan.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

A decent job that will pay the bills but won't require me to be somewhere where I get rockets shot at my base.

7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

16 June 2011. The day my feet touched the ground in the US.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Making it back from the 'Stan in one piece.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Not being able to find a decent job after getting back.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I've been sick a couple of times, just enough to make me miserable but not life-threatening.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

I don't know....

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My cats for being excited to see me when I came home.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

My younger brother's.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Buying books!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Coming home to my kitties! Getting to see my friends and family. Being able to drive and buy books.

16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2011?

"DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" by Usher, "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele, every song on Darren Hayes' "Secret Codes and Battleships" album, "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

i. Happier or sadder?

ii. Happier in some ways -- I'm home!

iii. Thinner or fatter?

iv. Fatter (but only by a little bit!)

v. richer or poorer?

vi. Definitely poorer. :/

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Reading. I read about 70 books the first half of the year, but not so much since I've been home.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Shopping. :/

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

I spent it eating brunch at Denny's with a friend and working at the bookstore (we got bored and decided to come work and open the store for about 3 hours).

21. How many one-night stands?

None.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

"Army Wives"

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Yep, one person who showed themself to be a thief and liar.

24. What was the best book you read?

If I have to pick just one, I'd say "Just Kids" by Patti Smith. Close runner-up is "Built of Books: How Reading Defined the Life of Oscar Wilde" by Thomas Wright.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Being introduced to Muslim artists Native Deen and Maher Zain.

26. What did you want and get?

I wanted books and I got them.

27. What was your favorite film of this year?

I don't really have one.

28. What did you do on your birthday?

I ate a cheeseburger and chocolate ice cream at the DFAC with my platoon sergeant.

29. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?

1st half of the year: brown camo. Second half: jeans and t-shirts.

30. What kept you sane?

Reading, watching "Star Trek", and lots of prayer time.

31. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Chris Pine...

32. What political issue stirred you the most?

When the politicians almost didn't pull their heads out of their backsides and approve the budget so soldiers could get paid.

33. Who did you miss?

Everybody! (But my cats especially.)

34. Who was the best new person you met?

I don't think I met anyone new, really.

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

Family is important and freedom and peace shouldn't be taken for granted.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

The TBR Double Dare Challenge

Can you do it? I'm taking the dare to reading only the books in my TBR pile from 1 January until 1 April. I have literally hundreds of books waiting their turn to be read.

See here for more details:
http://readywhenyouarecb.blogspot.com/p/tbr-dare.html

Monday, November 7, 2011

Yet another quiz thingy

Mark things that apply to you with an X.

(X) I am a cuddler.
(X) I am a morning person. (Yes I am, but oddly I am something of a night owl, too. @_@ How does that work?)
I am an only child.
I am currently in my pajamas.
I am currently pregnant.
(X) I am currently single. (Yep, but not for too much longer, inshaAllah!)
I am currently suffering from a broken heart.
I am left handed.
I am married.
(X)I am addicted to my myspace. (Change this to Facebook and the answer would be yes.)
I am online 24/7, even as an away message.
(X) I am a little shy around the opposite gender at first. (More like all the time. Unless they're Army guys. Then it's all "Hey, dude, what's up?" : P)
I bite my nails.
(X) I can be paranoid at times.
I don’t like anyone. (LOL)
I enjoy country music.
I enjoy jazz music. (I like it as background music on TV.)
(X) I enjoy smoothies. (Especially strawberry banana smoothies!)
(X) I enjoy talking on the phone. (I don't have much choice if I want to talk to my family!)
(X) I have a car. (Can't get anywhere here in a timely manner without one.)
(X) I have a cell phone. (Who doesn't?)
(X) I have/had a hard time paying attention at school. (I always got in trouble for reading in class, lol)
I have a hidden talent
(X) I have a lot to learn. (Don't we all?)
(X) I have a pet. (Four cats.)
I have a tendency to fall for the “wrong” guy/girl
I have all my grandparents
(X) I have at least one brother (Two older half brothers, one younger full brother)
(X) I have been to another country. (Mexico, Afghanistan, Kuwait, with brief stops in Germany, Spain, and Iraq that can be numbered in hours.)
(X) I have been told that I am smart
(X) I have been told that I have an unusual sense of humor.
I have OR HAD broken a bone.
(X) I have Caller I.D. on my phone.
(X) I have changed a diaper
(X) I have changed a lot over the past year. (I like to think I have, at least.)
I have done something illegal.
I have friends who have never seen my natural hair color
(X) I have had major/minor surgery. (Very minor, tonsils out when I was a kid.)
I have killed another person.
I have had my hair cut within the last week.
(X) I have mood swings (Don't we all?)
I have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life
(X) I have rejected someone before. (Yep. Five offers of marriage from Afghani guys while I was deployed, lol)
(X) I have seen The Lord of the Rings trilogy. (Extended version. Multiple times. All in a marathon row.)
I have seen the television show The O.C.
I like Shakespeare.
I like the taste of blood.
I love to cook.
(X) I like to sing. (At home with my cats and in the car)
I love Michael Jackson
(X) I love sleeping. (Quality sleep is the best thing ever.)
I love to play computer games.
(X) I love to shop. (For clothes? No. Hate it. For books? LOVE IT!!!)
(X) I miss someone right now.
(X) I own 100 CDs or more
(X) I own and use a library card
(X) I read books for pleasure in my spare time. (All the time.)
I sleep a lot during the day.
(X) I strongly dislike math (It is by far my worst subject.)
I watch soap operas on a regular basis.
I will try almost anything once.
(X) I work at a job that I enjoy.
I would classify myself as ghetto.
I would get plastic surgery if it were 100% safe, free of cost, and scar-free.
(X) I am currently wearing socks.
I am tired.
I love to paint/draw/sketch/sculpt.
(X) I have had/have a broken heart
Smoked cigarettes. (Nope. Never even remotely tempted to.)
Rode every ride at an amusement park.
(X) Collected something really stupid. (Barbies, lol)
(X) Gone to a rock concert. (Recently, I went to see Panic! at the Disco and Hanson. Two separate concerts, lol)
(X) Helped someone.
Gone fishing.
Watched four movies in one night.
(X) Gone long periods of time with out sleep. (28 hours. Woohoo!)
(X) Lied to someone. (Unfortunately. :( I try not to do it, though.)
Been dumped.
Failed a class. (No, but I've gotten pretty close.)
(X) Taken a college level course. (I graduated from community college.)
(X) Been in a car accident.
Been in a tornado.
Watched someone die.
(X) Been to a funeral.
(X) Burned yourself. (accidentally)
Ran a marathon.
(X) Your parents got divorced.
(X) Cried yourself to sleep.
(X) Spent over $200 in one day. (This happens far too often when I make the rounds of my favorite book stores...)
(X) Flown on a plane. (FAR too many times in the last year and a half. I'm so over it.)
Cheated on someone.
(X) Been cheated on. (Yes. We aren't going there.)
Written a 10 page letter.
Gone skiing.
Been sailing.
(X) Cut yourself. (Accidentally)
(X) Had a best friend.
(X) Lost someone you loved.
Shoplifted something.
Been to jail.
(X) Had detention. (In 5th grade...)
(X) Skipped school. (Senior year, one day, on a "Senior Skip Day".)
(X) Got in trouble for something you didn’t do. (Probably.)
Stolen books from the library.
Dropped out of school.
Been in a mental hospital.
Watched the “Harry Potter” movies.
(X) Had an online diary. (I reckon a blog counts, right?)
(X) Fired a gun. (M-16 A2 and M-4 rifles, woohoo! So good my nickname was "Annie Oakley", lol)
Gambled in a casino.
(X) Had a yard sale.
Been in a school play.
(X) Been fired from a job. (Yes, for stupid reasons, and I'm still mad about it. :/)
(X) Taken a lie detector test.
Swam with dolphins.
Gone to sea world.
Attempted suicide.
Voted for Pop Idol.
(X) Written poetry.
(X) Read more than 20 books a year.
Gone to Europe.
(X) Loved someone you couldn’t have.
(X) Had surgery. (minor)
Had stitches.
(X) Taken a taxi.
Seen the Washington Monument.
Had more than 5 IM’s/online conversations going at once.
Had a drug or alcohol problem.
Been in a fist fight.
Suffered any form of abuse.
Had a hamster.
Petted a wild animal.
(X) Used a credit card.
Gone surfing in California.
Dyed your hair.
Got a tattoo.
(X) Had something pierced. (ears)
Got straight A’s.
(X) Your parents sent you to a shrink.
Been handcuffed.
Known someone with HIV or AIDS.
(X) Taken pictures with a webcam.
Started a fire.
Had a party while your parents weren’t home.
Gotten caught having a party while they were gone.