Bismika Alllahuma

Asif Iqbal

In ihrer tendentious Liste von „Qur' hatten Widersprüche“, die padres an „antwortendem Islam“ unterstrichen einige Widersprüche im Qur' �nic Darstellung der Anbetung eines goldenen Kalbs durch die Israelite, die sie „sehr verwirrend“ finden. Ein Versuch wird folglich im folgenden, diese zwei zu adressieren „Widersprüche“ und den padres zu helfen ihre, „confusions“ zu überwinden gebildet.

(i)

… in 7:149, repented die Leute über das Anbeten des goldenen Kalbs, BEVOR Moses zurückkam, aber entsprechend 20:91 lehnten sie zu repent aber eher fortgefahren, das Kalb anzubeten es ab, bis Moses zurückkam. (Hauptgewicht bereits im Anführungsstrich)

Ist hier eine genaue übertragung des Qur' die �nic Verse, die in zum oben genannten Anführungsstrich angespielt werden:

Aber, als sie auf ihre Hände fielen, und sie sah, daß sie sich verirrt hatten, sie sagte: „Sicherlich, wenn unser Lord uns Gnade nicht zeigt und uns verzeiht, sind wir von den Verlierern.“ (7: 149)

Als Moses zu seinen verärgerten Leuten zurückkam und sich Sorgen machte, sagte er: „Ich habe ye diente als meine Nachfolger, nachdem ich ließ Sie…“ (7: 150)

Sie sagten: „Wir hören nicht auf, zu es bis Moses Rückkehr zu uns zu zerspalten.“ (20: 91)

Sogar ist ein kurzer Blick auf sie für ein sorgfältiges übertragen für die Kennzeichnung des Irrtums in der Argumentation des Autors des obenerwähnten Anführungsstriches genügend: sein Mißverständnis des Faktors, deren Auftreten die Israelite zu repent verursachte.

Dieser Faktor, nach dessen Auftreten Moses' (P) Leuten repented, wird im Vers 7:149 als ihre Realisierung von ihrem verirrend spezifiziert:

„Aber, als sie auf ihre Hände fielen, und sie sahen, daß sie sich verirrt hatten, sie sagten: …“

dieser Vers oder der Vers 7:150, oder irgendein anderer Vers in diesem Kontext, zu sagen, daß die Israelite sie verwirklichten, hatte sich an einem Punkt in der Zeit bevor Moses' (P) zurückkommt verirrt? Oder, das heißt, erklärt der Vers 7:149 oder 7:150 uns, daß die Israelite ihre Störung bevor Moses' (P) Rückkehr verwirklichten?

Nein. Was der Vers 7:149 als der Faktor beschreibt, der die Israelite zu repent verursachte, war ihre Realisierung ihrer Störung (d.h., „, als sie repented“ stolperten).

Keine Informationen werden in diesen Versen gegeben, ob sie repented vor oder nach Moses' (P) Rückkehr stolperten. Just because the verse 7:150 begins with the words:

“When Moses returned to his people, angry and grieved…”

does not imply that the stumbling/repenting of the Israelites was sequentially earlier than Moses’ (P) return to them. In short, the only factor, which the verse 7:149 actually mentions as having caused the Israelites to repent, was their realization of their having gone astray, which is independent of Moses’ (P) return.

On the other hand, since the (above-cited) other Qur’�nic verse 20:91 clearly makes the Israelites say that they would not abandon the golden calf until Moses’(P) return, therefore, this additional information leads us to conclude that the realization by the Israelites of their having gone astray, when Moses(P) told them that they had grievously sinned, is what caused them to repent, and which occurred only after Moses’(P) return.

Therefore, the verses 7:149-50 and 20:91 are complementary, and not contradictory.

(II)

> In Sura 20:85, Allah told Moses “We have tested
> thy people in thy absence; the Samiri has led them
> astray”. Allah did not place any blame on Aaron.
> Aaron admitted that he did no wrong: “O my people!
> Ye are being tested in this … so follow me and
> obey my command” (20:90).
>
> Since Moses knew this (because Allah told him already),
> why did he place the blame on Aaron? “O Aaron! What
> kept thee back, when thou sawest them going wrong,
> from following me? Didst thou then disobey my order?”
> (20:92). And why did he drag him by the hair (7:150)?
> These two accounts contradict.
>
> According to (7:151), Aaron was partly responsible
> for the sins of his people because Moses prayed for
> Aaron’s forgiveness. And this time (contrary to his
> other confession), Aaron admits to idol making/idol
> worshipping in verse 150 “because of the people who
> nearly killed him when he tried to resist it. But
> seemingly he gave in and did as they said.

All�h told Moses(P) that his people were being tested in his absence. That test was in the form of Samiri’s fraud. By definition, those submitted to a test can either pass or fail it depending upon their training and capability. So, the reason why Moses(P) upon return reprimanded Aaron (P) was not that he was holding the latter responsible for leading his people astray. On the contrary, the reason why Moses (P) rebuked Aaron (P) was that he had been made the man in-charge in his absence by Moses (P) (see 7:142) and was therefore expected by Moses (P) to have rescued his people by dint of his leadership, which he had been unable to do.

In contrast to Exodus 32, at no place in the Qur’�n is Aaron(P) blamed for the sin of the Israelites. In 7:151, Moses(P) prays for forgiveness, not just for Aaron(P), but for himself as well - not because they were responsible for making the Israelites sin, but because they were unable to stop them from sinning.

We have thus used the traditional method of Qur’�nic exegesis, i.e., al-Qur’�n yufassiru ba’duhu ba’dan (different parts of the Qur’�n explain each other). What is given in a general way in one place is discussed in detail in some other place in the Qur’�n. What is dealt with briefly at one place is expanded in some other place.

It is further interesting to note that the New Testament contradicts the Old Testament on the matter of blaming Aaron(P). Exodus 32 squarely puts the responsibility of making the calf on Aaron:

“HE (Aaron) took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf.” (Exodus 32:4)

Compare this with Stephen’s speech in the Acts of the Apostles, which clearly shifts the blame on the Israelite people themselves by employing the plural number:

“At that time THEY made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.” (Acts 7:41)

And only God knows best.