The Sanctity of Quranic Text
Sacred or So What?
Interesting take by gospelofmoll via J.E.H. Smith’s blog about why burning the Quran is no different than burning an old newspaper since you’re not burning “the” actual revelations of God per se. They’re just copies of copies, and translations of the actual and more authentic arabic text at that. This provokes an interesting counterfactual: would people feel as disgusted with Pastor Jones if he busted out 10,000 USB flashdisks containing PDF files of the Quran? Are those versions no less sacred than the translated Penguin edition that I have sitting on my shelf?
Although the Qur’an brouhaha has passed, I wanted to share this snippet from philosopher (and all-around interesting dude) J.E.H. Smith:
For better or for worse, the sacred texts of the Abrahamic faiths are of the same ontological variety. You can’t really do anything at all to them, because they are not physical objects. It follows from this more general fact that some cheap paperback English translation of the Qur’an is not the Qur’an. And it follows from this that it is not holy, or any more holy than old newspaper, and so also that the Rev. Jones could not have done anything particularly unholy no matter how hard he tried. The dignified response, therefore, would have been to ignore him.
Do yourself a favor, if you’re not already religiously reading Smith’s blog, then start now.
Indeed, the physical book form of the Quran did not even exist during Prophet Muhammad’s time, but was commissioned into a single book over a decade after his death by the first Muslim Caliph Abu Bakr. Until then, revelations the Prophet received over the span of 23 years were memorized by him and his closest companions. Suffice to say, the Quran’s early existence in purely oral form suggests that its actual significance is not in print form, but in the hearts and minds of followers who read it and are inspired by the message.
Perhaps that’s why I wasn’t terribly offended when I first heard about Pastor Jones’s stunt. But I did wonder, should I be? After all, I’ve been taught that it is blasphemy in Islam to desecrate or intentionally insult the Quran. I’ve always grown up to venerate the physical book itself, ritualistically performing a required cleansing routine known as wudu before reading it. (sura 56:77–79: “That this is indeed a Qur’an Most Honourable, In a Book well-guarded, Which none shall touch but those who are clean.”) Unlike the modest stack of newspapers, magazines and books sitting in my bathroom for my toilet reading pleasure, I would never dare bring any form of the Quran in there.
So while I agree with the overall point that some random edition of the Quran is not intrinsically significant in the way, say, an original painting is, I still consider its textual form - whether in PDF print out, on a USB disc or Ipad screen - as a holy and sacred communication. As any Muslim will tell you, the communicated words are the direct and actual words of God - not some human generated article in the New York Times or Maxim, or a symbolic object like the flag as Fox news suggests. Sure, it may be an English version downloaded for free read on a macbook screen, but the connection made between a follower and God as the words are read is arguably no less profound or meaningful than if it were read from the parchment of very first version ever compiled. Obviously one might feel a heightened connection in the latter example, but the connection made in the former is no less sacred to the reader.
The “dignified response” then would not have been to simply ignore Pastor Jones. This even assumes that it would have been possible to have done so in the first place. In an age of rapid global communication, it’s dubious to think that Muslims in America or other parts of the world would not have found out about the burning if the media had just ignored it. It’s not like youtube, twitter, group forums, google or facebook don’t exist on computers owned by Muslims. All it takes is a camera phone or a facebook group to publicize an act or agenda to the world.
Instead, the dignified response was collectively made by Americans when Pastor Jones was widely condemned and he retreated back into his hate hole surrounded by boxes of unopened Qurans. Although for secularists, non-Muslims and even some practicing Muslims it wouldn’t have been a big deal had he gone ahead with the burning, it was nevertheless important to decry the act. Not because it was necessary to prevent inflaming jihadists even more - frankly, speech liberties shouldn’t be curtailed on their account - but because a democratic and tolerant society ought not casually accept an act inspired by extreme religious hatred and attempt to intimidate.
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paxahmedicana reblogged this from gospelofmoll and added:
Quran is no different than burning an old newspaper since you’re not burning “the” actual revelations of God per se....
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