Speaking sense......

I saw this article just today on submitters perspective and for once i can say there there is sence in what the person who wrote the article is taalking about - the most important part (i have made in bold and my comments are in red))that made me acclaim - yes that's it - God wont leave you(person who wrote this article) and will bless you for saying this.

To read or not to read, That is the question… or is it?
Often new submitters ask if they should read the subtitles, footnotes and appendices in Dr. Rashad Khalifa’s translation of the Quran. Depending on whom they ask they will get different answers.
In some Quran study groups this has become quite an issue, with different Submitters taking different stances. Some say that they must not be read because they are not in the original Arabic Quran, while others say they must be read because they are the teaching of the Messenger of the Covenant. In a few situations perhaps even rules have been made.

But I would like to suggest that to read or not to read is not really the question. Rather it is: Why we are trying to tell how others they should be following Submission? (May God forgive me, I have done it too, so I am speaking to myself as well.) i too must admit that wether i like it or not - when i am trying to explain sometimes to people i fall into the trap of trying to tell others how to behave - but i recognise that this is wrong - i can only give my view point - what the person chooses to follow is up to them afterall.

In my personal understanding true Islam, Submission, is not an organized religion. To me there is no religious hierarchy but rather each of us is individually responsible to God alone. We stand before Him absolutely on our own. So to me each of us must make our own decisions; it is our neck. Of course we are encouraged to consult with one another: i fully agree with this statement whole heartedly - and this is when i acclaimed in happiness - what i have been trying to make people understand - we only answer to God - so many people - and in this case those who call themselves submitters - fall into a trap of wanting conformity - same prayers, same thoughts - but the human being is not a machine is he? i believe the race is towards rightwousness and each of us through Gods provisions upon us(individually) have different levels of logic and undestanding - it is not a case of one person is right and the other is wrong - it is rather in my view a case of our lives are different, our experiences are different - so therefore our understanding and thought processes will be different - there is no right or wrong - God knows those who are serving him and putting him first in all their decision processes - after all God is the best Guide and it is He who will provide us with the necessary logic/understanding to appreciate and know His words and how we are best placed to worship him. consulting is a way whereby we share ideas and viewpoints - we cannot get upset or angry at the another persons rationale or conclusion - life afterall and in essence the worship of God is a working Progress till the end of our life span.
the submitters that i know - want conformity - but with worshiping God - i believe the only conformity that can be appreciated is WORSHIPPING GOD ALONE. that is the utmost binding glue that makes us all kindred spirits - i guess it all about tolerance - one vital ingredient that WE ALL FORGET DUE TO ARROGANCE - and by arrogance i mean that voice in your head that makes you think you are superior because you think you have found the right explanation to things.essence of a verse or thought.

[42:38] They respond to their Lord by observing the Contact Prayers (Salat). Their affairs are decided after due consultation among themselves, and from our provisions to them they give (to charity).

However, this is different from our trying to make rules that others must follow. When we are consulted we should of course give our understanding while recognizing that indeed others have an equal right to their understanding. As per above statement

[2:256] There shall be no compulsion in religion: the right way is now distinct from the wrong way. Anyone who denounces the devil and believes in GOD has grasped the strongest bond; one that never breaks. GOD is Hearer, Omniscient.

I personally find wonderful information, knowledge and wisdom in Dr. Khalifa’s words, both written and spoken and captured on tape. But they are not a source of religious law. God tells us clearly that the scripture is the only such source: Personally i do not find them relevant to my path to God - i guess i regard it as any other article someone has written - i have never been able to follow through - i do not agree with some lines of thought - and i agree with the aurhot - khalifa's notes are not a source of religious law - but you will be amazed at the numbers of "submitters" that regard it as so.


Quran: Fully Detailed*

[6:114] Shall I seek other than GOD as a source of law, when He has revealed to you this book fully detailed?* Those who received the scripture recognize that it has been revealed from your Lord, truthfully. You shall not harbor any doubt.

*6:113-115 Upholding any source beside the Quran reflects disbelief in the Quran (Appendix 18).

Nor are they a source of guidance:

Quran, the Whole Quran, and Nothing But the Quran - sometimes we has humans forget that it is all about the QURAN and the guidance therein - it is God who will reveal its guidance to us - not for any man to be able to explain it to me -

[6:19] Say, "Whose testimony is the greatest?" Say, "GOD's. He is the witness between me and you that this Quran* has been inspired to me, to preach it to you and whomever it reaches. Indeed, you bear witness that there are other gods* beside GOD." Say, "I do not testify as you do; there is only one god, and I disown your idolatry."

*6:19 This verse proclaims the Quran as the only source of religious guidance. Those who uphold additional sources, such as Hadith & Sunna (lies attributed to the Prophet), are defined as idolators.

These are my thoughts, but I must respect those who have a different opinion. After all, God is guiding each of us individually. AGREED

[64:11] Nothing happens to you except in accordance with GOD's will. Anyone who believes in GOD, He will guide his heart. GOD is fully aware of all things.

One of the great joys of Submission is the diversity we are blessed with in our community. We come from different nationalities and different religious, cultural, educational and family backgrounds. And yet we form the bricks in one wall. And the fact that each brick is a slightly different shape makes us stronger, like walls of mortar-less natural stones whose shapes are so perfectly fitted together that they are still standing thousands of years later.

What a gift. Praise God. May He continue to make our wall a strong and resilient one!

copied from: http://www.masjidtucson.org/publications/books/SP/2011/nov/page3.html


this life is interesting indeed - personally speaking - when reading khalifas translation - i find omissions and his choice of words not a true representative of what i feel the verse is saying - but nevertheless - i have always maintained that the translation of Quran from original into any language is a tricky business and i commend anyone who tries to do it - it is always difficult - because the translator will first have to make sense of it - and by their making sense of it - they are already conditioned to be subjective and they are limited by their experiences and understanding - it is this limited scope that they are trying to pass on to others - i always encourage people to pick up the scripture and read themselves for themselves - Never let anyone tell you they can explain a verse to you - they can only give you their viewpoint - and that viewpoint is not binding - no matter how esteemed that person is to you or the community - for those who do not read arabic - it is best to get different versions of the translation and compare - God willing - God will direct one to the right meaning.
Khalifas translation is by no means in my view authorised - it contains mistakes and omissions where in a translation of the scripture of God there should not be any mistakes/omissions - but overall it is a good read - somewhat simplistic in its overview but a good base to start from - and as one reads and reads each day, one gets to see the chop and change of words that are used by the translator that makes it confusing to arrive at a logical sequence - but that in itself is a learning spurt spurring one to find out more about the choice of words, omissions and general flow of verses.

an example of the chop and change in a simplistic way is the use of the word "exalted" which he has translated from as tabaraka and taa'la -
for example - Most Exalted is God 7:54- he translates as Tabaraka llahu - also he uses Most Exalted is God - Fa taa'la llahu 20:114. but elsewhere he uses wataa'la llahu - He is the Most High.

on doing a bit of searching - "tabaraka" using the corpus arabic dictionary - is noted as "Blessed" - which for me rings somewhere in my head as the tail end of the word "Baraka" - is "Blessing" - http://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=brk

also when looking at the other word "Aa'la" - this i guess is used elsewhere as "High" - so by saying "wa taa'la" - will can mean as "Most High"

all i can say is comme si, comme ca - to God belongs the most beautiful names - whichever attributes one uses -

this notion that we submit to God alone - is what i feel many submitters who are in process forming alliances over the 3 vs 5 prayers - shoul adopt - i have been told that some 5 prayer submitters are saying that we should not pray with the 3 prayer submitters and shouls hsun them.

I for one will not and never do this - I will pray with anyone who is praying to God alone - be it christian jews or even those who are not fully practicing - as long as the prayer is directed to Him alone - everything else of for God to judge as he knows intentions better than anyone.

Division is a tool of the devil and we should start realising this and concentrate on God alone and worshipping God alone and stop worrying about peoples thought processes and fate - we should worry about our own neck and our fate.

no one can tell anyone else how it should be done, the best way to pray, the best way to worsip God, what to say in prayer - how to speak to God, this is up to the individual soul as it is the soul from each person that is accountable at the end of the day.

Praise be to the Lord of the Universe - there is no other God but thee my Lord, in this life and hereafter. Guide me to thee - with truth and with your light which illuminates and clears the way to thee. Keep me forever devoted to thee in this life and hereafter - to praise and glorify thee always. For all Glory is Thine, all Praise, Authority and Kingship, in this life and the hereafter , Be thou Glorified Most Gracious Lord.