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t h i n k i n g i n a t r o u b l e d w o r l d • 101

THE QUR’AN: Reading for Moral Truth

David D. Peck—Department of History

The great religious leaders of the world such as Mohammed…received a portion of

God’s light. Moral truths were given to [him] by God to enlighten whole nations

and to bring a higher level of understanding to individuals…. [W]e believe that

God has given and will give to all peoples sufficient knowledge to help them on their

way to eternal salvation, either in this life or in the life to come. (First Presidency

Statement, February 15, 1978)

In recent years Latter-day Saints have expressed growing interest in learning about other religions, including Islam.1 Such investigations

seem worthwhile given the First Presidency statement quoted above, and in light of the mandates of the thirteenth Article of Faith. Any inquiry into the beliefs of Islam must include reading the Qur’an, the Muslim Holy Book. Although Muslims regard the Qur’an as the literal word of God, it is also considered the “true mirror” of the character and accomplishments of a man singled out by the First Presidency as a purveyor of moral truth received from God. If there is moral truth in the teachings of Muhammad it should therefore be found in the Qur’an.2

Sayyed Husayn Nasr, a prominent Islamic intellectual, informs us that: “The purpose of reciting the Qur’an and other spiritual exercises is to ‘awaken the soul from the dream of forgetfulness’ and enable it to ‘gain the supreme principal knowledge for the sake of which it was created.’”3 This is an invitation to pierce the “veil of forgetfulness,” which Islam likens to a dream state. The first commands given by God to man fit this context perfectly, for we are commanded to wake up and then to rise up to God. Thus, our existence is defined primarily as a two-stage process of awakening to our condition and of elevating ourselves morally. Lehi understood that Laman and Lemuel could make no moral progress until they began the process of awakening and rising up: “O that ye would awake; awake from a deep sleep, yea, even from the sleep of hell…. Awake! And arise from the dust….” (2 Ne. 1:13-14).4

The processes of awakening and of rising up can be discerned in the structure of God’s commandments and instructions, and lies as the heart of all moral progress. In this essay, the process will be simplified into a three-stage progression. The Qur’an, if read as moral literature, is useful in defining these stages and in causing the reader to reflect upon their own situation in terms of moral progress.

First, the text requires the reader to clarify their allegiance to God (versus their allegiance to mammon or the values of this telestial world). All humans must awaken to their condition as lovers of the things of this world, consistent with our natural tendencies, before further progress

The first

commands given

by God to man

fit this context

perfectly, for we

are commanded to

wake up and then

to rise up to God.

102 • p e r s p e c t i v e

is possible. The morality of one’s dedication to God above all else is frequently presented in the Qur’an in terms of idolatry. Muslims believe that the acceptance of idolatry in any degree is the essential immorality from which all others spring. So long as we are awake to our idols, we are asleep to God.

Second, the Qur’an informs the reader as to the morality of worship. It is not enough to abandon idols (representing one’s personal dedication to the world and its values). The believer must redirect the impulses of the natural man toward the creation of personal virtues. Worship of the one true God is a first step in turning our back on the world and its values, and in acquiring virtue. In an effort to induce a worshipful state of mind, the Qur’an includes poetry and prayers designed to lift the soul to God, in the same vein as Psalms, Isaiah, or the ecstatic prayers of Nephi.

Third, the Qur’an encourages the reader to perform acts of charity and service, as the mechanism for acquiring virtue. Allegiance and worship present an incomplete moral structure unless accompanied by active participation in God’s work and glory. The concept of accountability for one’s deeds is central to an understanding of the Qur’an. All good deeds, no matter how small or insignificant, will be rewarded. All evil deeds, no matter how small or insignificant, will be punished:

When the Earth is shaken to its utmost convulsion,

And the Earth throws up its burdens from within,

And man cries distressed: “What is the matter with it?”—

On that Day will it declare its tidings:

For that thy Lord will have given it inspiration.

On that Day when men proceed in companies sorted out, to be shown the

Deeds that they had done.

Then shall anyone who has done an atom’s weight of good see it!

And anyone who has done an atom’s weight of evil shall see it. (Qur’an 99:1-8)5

There is a consequence associated with our efforts at moral self improvement.

The Qur’an was given in a specific historical context that impinges upon our ability to understand its moral message: a brief presentation of the life of Muhammad and the development of the Qur’an is in order. Muhammad’s own efforts at eliminating idolatry, worshipping God and cultivating personal virtue make him the example that devout Muslims imitate.6

Who Was Muhammad?

Born in 570 ad, Muhammad was orphaned at an early age. His uncle, Abu Talib, took charge of the young orphan, and raised him in the city of Mecca (in western Arabia). Due to political shifts among the African

Qur’an includes

poetry and prayers

designed to lift the

soul to God, in

the same vein as

Psalms, Isaiah,

or the ecstatic

prayers of Nephi.


remnant states of the defunct Roman Empire, trade routes had shifted in Arabia. This transformed the small oasis of Mecca into an important regional commercial center. This change took place about a generation prior to Muhammad’s birth.

Within Mecca traditional Bedouin tribal values (called muruwa) mingled with a new entrepreneurial spirit (that took the form of cutthroat capitalism). Caesar Farah refers to the situation in ancient Mecca as a “social and spiritual crisis.”7 Muhammad saw the negative side of this mixture, and expressed concern that tribal values of communal support for were eroding. The weaker members of his society (widows, women and orphans) were either co-opted to serve the nouveau riche of Mecca, or were cast aside. Muhammad realized that muruwa tribal precepts were inadequate to address this situation and spent much of his youth searching for a moral code that promoted fairness for all members of society.

Muhammad married a wealthy widow named Khadija and helped manage a caravan business she owned. His subsequent travels from trading post to trading post brought him into contact with neighboring Jews and Christians. Their practices and teachings awakened an interest in Muhammad to learn about Abraham (Ibrahim), the father of the Arabs through Ishmael. There were in Mecca a number of Arabs called hanifa that claimed to follow the ancient teachings of Ibrahim. The hanifa taught that Ibrahim had been promised that one day “Allah” (a derivative of El, and similar to Elohim) would raise up a prophet unto the Arabs, and would teach them His truths in their own language. Muhammad joined with Meccan hanifa in hoping that the day would soon arrive in which this prophet would appear and teach truths to the Arabs designed to establish fairness and justice in boomtown Mecca.8

Muhammad engaged in the practices of the hanifa, including solitary meditation, prayer and fasting. In particular, the hanifa rejected idolatry (the religion of preference in the ‘new’ Mecca) in all of its forms. Idolatry was good business in Mecca, where an ancient building, called the Ka’aba was located. The Ka’aba, shaped like a large black-stone cube, housed numerous idols representing the animist gods of Arabia. Every twelfth lunar month Arabs from surrounding areas came to the Ka’aba to worship their gods. This ‘pilgrimage’ brought a good deal of money to Mecca. So long as the preaching of the hanifa was limited to “preaching” there was no conflict with local pagan businessmen and their moneymaking festivals. However, in 610 ad this changed when Muhammad came into town with a new message from Allah.

Muhammad spent

much of his youth

searching for a

moral code that

promoted fairness

for all members

of society.


What Did Muhammad Teach?

While fasting and praying in a nearby cave, Muhammad had a vision in which the Angel Gabriel appeared to him. Gabriel commanded Muhammad to “Recite in the name of God.” Muhammad replied that he was unlettered and could not write or recite. In a scene reminiscent of the experiences of Jacob or of Ezekiel, Gabriel embraced Muhammad in a fierce grip, and releasing him said, “Recite in the name of God!” Muhammad again denied his capacity to recite, and Gabriel embraced him again, nearly crushing the life out of him, and for a third time gave the command to:

Recite in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, who created—created humans out

of a clot of blood.9 Proclaim: “Thy Lord is most Bountiful, who taught man to

use the pen,10 taught man that which he did not know!” (Qur’an 96:1-5)

The visit of Gabriel was followed by other revelations that soon posed a threat to idolatry in Mecca: “Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is he begotten; and there is none like unto Him” (Qur’an 112). The injunction to worship Allah alone was combined with a threat of damnation to pagans: at the Day of Judgment Allah will cause the idolatrous to bring out their images and call upon them for salvation. Of course, images of wood and stone “will not hear” the cries for help. Those pagans that persisted in idolatry in spite of Allah’s warnings will then receive a vision of their final state, and be consigned to Hell.11 After these early revelations, the hanifa began to support Muhammad as a prophet, while the powerful pagans of Mecca began plotting his demise. Muhammad’s anti-pagan message was now in full conflict with the pursuits of the wealthiest and most power members of his society.

What followed was somewhat like the Mormon experience in Missouri. Abu Talib died and Muhammad’s tribal protection disappeared. With no protector to threaten a blood reprisal for his death, Muhammad had no refuge—he could be killed with impunity, ‘exterminated’ if you will. His Meccan opposition started openly persecuting, and killing members of the small band of Muslims. By 622 ad there was no choice but to flee. The Muslims fled with Muhammad northward to the city of Yathrib, later named Medina after Muhammad’s sojourn there: Madinat an-Nabi, or “City of the Prophet.”

Muhammad stayed in Medina for the nearly ten years.12 He organized the city’s government. He led the Medinans in battle against the Meccans. He received revelation defining the “community of the faithful” (called umma in Arabic). This was an important step in the development of Islam. Paganism would thrive so long as tribal members remained loyal to their tribe, rather than professing loyalty to Allah. Muhammad’s solution was

The visit of Gabriel

was followed

by other revelations

that soon posed

a threat to idolatry

in Mecca.


to redefine loyalty so that Allah was superior to the tribe. The revelations at Medina concerned marriage, inheritance, divorce, and resistance against any that threatened the actual practice of Islam. The experiment to redefine Arabian society along monotheistic lines was successful. Converts came to Muhammad from surrounding areas.

Exile in Medina came to and end when Muhammad tapped into the now numerical superiority of the umma: in 632 ad he returned victorious to Mecca. Immediately upon his return visited the Ka’aba, and

“cleansed” it of idols in true iconoclastic form by smashing the images into pieces. Later than year he delivered a farewell speech from nearby Mt. Arafat that reminded the Muslims of their duty to establish justice within the umma: “[Remember] that you have to present yourselves to the Lord who will demand that you give an account of your deeds… Shun injustice.”13

Muhammad’s overall message included the rejection of idolatry, the practice of prayer, the giving of alms and other acts of charity, fasting, and the rites of worship associated with the Ka’aba. Karen Armstrong points out that Muhammad was a very successful spiritual leader:

[I]t took the ancient Israelites 700 years to break with their old religious allegiances

and accept monotheism, but Muhammad managed to help the Arabs achieve

this difficult transition in a mere 23 years.14

After his death, Muslims set about the task of defining the practice of Islam in even more detail. In particular, the gathering of revelations into a single volume (the Qur’an) would occupy the faithful for the next quarter-century or more.

After Muhammad’s death, four men (who had known Muhammad personally) governed the umma from 632 to 660 ad. They assumed the title Caliph rasul Allah, or Successor to the Prophet of God. The first Caliph, Abu Bakr (r. 632 634) recognized the need to compile all of Muhammad’s revelations into a single volume, or codex.15 Some of the revelations were written on several media, including smooth stones, dried palm leaves and parchment. Other revelations had been written in the breast of certain believers, meaning that they were memorized. The passage of time became a serious threat to the dissemination of revelation. He appointed Zayd ibn Thabit to make the compilation. It was completed in 657 during the reign of Uthman, the third Caliph.

The Qur’an was arranged into 114 numbered suwar (“chapters,” sing, sura). Each has a name, and Muslims generally use it when citing the text (for example sura 14 is called Ibrahim and sura 93 is called The Glorious Morning Light). The name of each sura is taken from a unique passage of text found within it. Since it is common among Westerners to cite scripture by chapter and verse, many translations of the Qur’an

The gathering of

revelations into a

single volume

(the Qur’an) would

occupy the faithful

for the next quarter-

century or more.


into Western languages use this system. The reader may find that two different translations cite the same passage with different verse numbers. The sura are arranged by size, with the longest coming first in the book, and the shortest coming last (with the exception of the sura called The Opening which, like the first section of Doctrine and Covenants, serves as an introduction to the entire work). The overall organization evidences no preoccupation with historical continuity.

The Qur’an repeats itself frequently. Western readers often become frustrated, and quit reading the text as a result. However, this is due in part to its oral roots. If you have read the Odyssey, for example, then you understand how a text can be repetitive because it was rooted in an oral tradition. The repetitive phrases may signal the end of one section, or the beginning of another. Often they are used to make someone’s name fit a particular rhyme scheme. In the case of the Qur’an, repetition draws the listener’s attention back to an important theme or principle that is being developed. For example, sura 2 deals with the fate of the wicked versus the righteous. The text discusses a particular way in which people can be wicked, and then repeats a set of warnings about the consequences of wickedness. A familiar and repeated warning is “fear the fire whose fuel is men.” The most often repeated sections involve promised blessings for righteousness. The promise of a terrestrial paradise for the faithful is repeated 41 times in the Qur’an. Here are some examples:

And (as for) those who believe and do good deeds, We will make them enter

gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide in them for ever; they shall have

therein pure mates, and We shall make them enter a dense shade. (Qur’an 4:57)

Allah has promised to the believing men and the believing women gardens,

beneath which rivers flow, to abide in them, and goodly dwellings in gardens

of perpetual abode; and best of all is Allah’s goodly pleasure; that is the grand

achievement. (Qur’an 9:72)

The promise of paradise has tantalizing language for the LDS reader about beautiful robes and high places with couches (kursi, or “throne” in Arabic) for the faithful:

These it is for whom are gardens of perpetuity beneath which rivers flow,

ornaments shall be given to them therein of bracelets of gold, and they shall wear

green robes of fine silk and thick silk brocade interwoven with gold, reclining

therein on raised couches; excellent the recompense and goodly the resting

place. (Qur’an 18:31)

And (as for) those who believe and do good, We will certainly give them abode

in the high places in gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein; how

good the reward of the workers. (Qur’an 29:58)

The Qur’an repeats

itself frequently.

Western readers

often become

frustrated, and quit

reading the text

as a result.

The promise of

paradise has

tantalizing

language for the

LDS reader


Once the reader understands the reasons for repetition, then it becomes less onerous. Remember, the Qur’an was not originally written, but was recited to a people accustomed to oral delivery.

How to Read the Qur’an

Many LDS readers have expressed frustration at their failure to glean much “meaning” from this important book. There are a variety of reasons why the meaning of the Qur’an sometimes proves doctrinally slippery to the Mormon reader.

One reason may be that we are accustomed to scripture with a strong historical component. The Book of Mormon and the Old Testament are replete with historical material, providing a narrative into which doctrine is posited. Because the Qur’an has little historical narrative, it can be difficult to read. This does not mean that there is no historicity to the Qur’an. In fact, the Qur’an uses historical material frequently, not as a single, connected narrative, but as examples of what happens to believers and what happens to disbelievers. Historical situation in the Qur’an thus serve a symbols and instructional modes. The Qur’an compares best with the Doctrine and Covenants—indeed LDS commentators have found abundant parallels between the life and sayings of Muhammad and Joseph Smith.16

The Qur’an may also present challenges because it demands respect, as does any scripture or book considered holy. One translator of the Qur’an, Abdullah Yusuf Ali, suggest the following standard for respect:

The Qur’an—indeed every religious book—has to be read, not only with the

tongue and voice and eyes, but with the best light that our intellect can supply,

and even more, with the truest and purest light which our intellect and conscience

can give us.

Respect does not demand faith. To the extent that the moral truth referred to by the First Presidency statement exists in the teachings of Muhammad, the reader is given the opportunity to recognize truth wherever it is found, and to recognize the plan of salvation as expansive and inclusive, driven by the love our Father has for all of His children:

But while one portion of the human race is judging and condemning the other

without mercy, the Great Parent of the universe looks upon the whole of the

human family with a fatherly care and paternal regard. He views them as his

offspring, and without any of those contracted feelings that influence the children

of men. He will award judgment or mercy to all nations according to their

several desserts, their means of obtaining intelligence, the laws by which they

are governed, the facilities afforded them for obtaining correct information,

and His inscrutable designs in relation to the human family; and when the

The Qur’an

demands respect,

as does any

scripture or book

considered holy.


designs of God shall be made manifest, and the curtain of futurity be withdrawn,

we shall all of us eventually have to confess that the judge of all the earth has

done right.17

This passage suggests that God’s work is to a certain degree situational: revelation and inspiration are given according to need, desire and circum-stance. Eternal truths are not thereby made relative. Instead a portion of truth is granted, given line upon line and precept upon precept. By reading the Qur’an, we can learn a great deal about how God functions with regard to a significant portion of the family of mankind. The question remains, however, of how to read it.

Jalal ad-Din Rumi, a famous Muslim poet, suggests that the reader approach the book as a new husband would his own tender bride:

The Qur’an is as a bride who does not disclose her face to you, for all that

you draw aside the veil… But if you do not try to draw aside the veil but seek

only its good pleasure, watering its sown field and attending on it from afar,

toiling upon that which pleases it best, it will show its face to you without your

drawing aside the veil.18

Respect and gentleness, not forcing an interpretation upon the text, are among suggestions that Muslims make to those that approach this book. In addition to these suggestions, here are some other guidelines for reading the Qur’an.

Read out load. The word “Qur’an” literally means “a recitation” and is derived from the verb “to recite.” Muhammad did not author or even write down contents of the Qur’an, but instead recited the revelation as he received them. During the Islamic month of fasting (Ramadan) families meet in evenings and read the entire Qur’an out loud over a twenty-nine day period. Muslims have professional readers who entertain audiences of thousands for hours through the beauty of their recitation.19 Here is a description of how a Western author reacted to the beauty of a formal recitation of the Qur’an by a professional reciter named Maria:

When [Hajja Maria] began, the sound came out of silence on a note so low it was

hard to believe it was a woman’s voice… Its authority was complete. By perfect

breath control and the subtle modulation of tongue and lips that formed letters

and syllables, she controlled the volume and the timbre of the words. When she

stopped and began matter-of-factly to discuss again the styles of reciting she

had demonstrated, the effect was jarring.20

Read slowly. The Qur’an is, among other things, a book of sacred poetry, like the Book of Psalms or the Book of Isaiah. The meaning of the poetry and symbolic language cannot be rushed. “Move not thy tongue concerning the Qur’an to make haste therewith” (Qur’an 75:16).

The word “Qur’an”

literally means “a

recitation” and is

derived from the

verb “to recite.”


Remember, the Qur’an is as a young bride—haste will only cause her to withdraw into hiding. Gentleness and patience are required.

Read small portions. Most suwar are divided into smaller sections. Read one section at a time. Between sections ask yourself what the previous section has to do with the following one. It may even be helpful to outline the main themes in a single sura so that the overall structure and meaning become apparent. Many scholars suggest reading the book from back to front so that the simpler and shorter suwar are read first.21

Cross reference. You may be surprised at the amount of cross referencing that is possible when reading the Qur’an. I enjoy reading the Qur’an with my LDS scriptures handy. I am not looking to the Qur’an as a source of salvation doctrines, but as a guide to understanding moral truth, and a way of reflecting upon my own scriptural tradition. I feel that I understand the LDS canon better because of my readings in the Qur’an.

Examples from the Qur’an

These selections serve two purposes. First they illustrate the three moral senses suggested in the introduction to this essay, namely, awakening to one’s personal idolatry, worshipping God, and cultivating virtue. Second, they introduce LDS readers to methods for reading the Qur’an, such as deciphering symbolic language.

Symbolic meaning. There are a number of ways to read for meaning in the Qur’an. One important way is to identify symbolic language and to trace its development in a single sura. This selection is taken from sura 2, called The Heifer. Mankind, blessed with the bounties (physical and spiritual) of this world and this plane of existence is charged with using these gifts in the service of God. Righteous persons freely dedicate all that they have to God or to their fellow humans. The wicked, in contrast, attempt to appropriate the gifts of God for their own pleasure and profit. The gifts of God are called ayat (signs, or in some translations tokens) in Arabic. The Book of Moses provides a definition of signs compatible with the Islamic view:

And behold, all things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to

bear record of me, both things which are temporal and things which are spiritual;

things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and

things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above

and beneath: all things bear record of me. (Moses 6:63)

The central moral theme is that righteous people use ayat correctly and receive additional enlightenment. Wicked persons misuse and abuse ayat (consume them upon their lusts)22 and increase in spiritual blindness. Muhammad uses the language of commerce to portray the buying and selling of signs and hence the buying or selling of one’s own soul. The

I feel that I under-

stand the

LDS canon

better because of

my readings in

the Qur’an.


Qur’an itself is, for example, one of the chief Signs sent down by Allah to guide and enlighten the righteous. Watch for words like barter, sell, traffic, purchase, give and trade in this sura. By placing the text concerning the wicked side-by-side with the text concerning the righteous, the moral quality of the teaching becomes apparent.

Wicked

[2:8] Of the people there are some who say:

“We believe in Allah and the Last Day;” but

they do not really believe.

[2:9] Fain they would deceive Allah and

those who believe; but they only deceive

themselves, and realize it not.

[2:16] These are they who have bartered guid-

ance for error: but their traffic is profit-less,

and they have lost true direction.

[2:79] Then woe to those who write the

Book with their own hands, and then say:

“This is from Allah, to traffic with it for a

miserable price!—Woe to them for what

their hands write and for the gain they

make thereby.

Righteous

[2:2] This is the Book: in it is guidance sure,

without doubt, to those who fear Allah;

[2:3] Who believe in the Unseen, are stead-

fast in prayer, and spend out of what we

have provided for them;

[2:5] They are on true guidance from their

Lord, and it is these who will prosper.

[2:41] And believe in what I reveal, confirm-

ing the revelation which is with you [i.e.,

Muhammad] and be not the first to reject

faith therein, nor sell My Signs for a small

price; fear Me, and Me alone.

Suggestions for further symbolic reading: sura 12 (Yusuf, or “Joseph” in English). Although the facts of the story of Joseph differ from those of the Old Testament, the Qur’anic version offers several interesting insights. Most scholars agree that this version of Joseph’s story existed independently from the Genesis version, and was handed down by oral tradition among the Arabs, culminating in an “official” version given to Muhammad as revelation. Note the symbol of Joseph’s shirt. The shirt represents a mantle that serves several purposes. First, it is symbolic of the mantle of a prophet: When Jacob ignores Allah’s warning not to let Joseph visit his brothers alone, the shirt of Joseph leaves Jacob, and the mantle of prophecy departs. Jacob must wait until Joseph returns his shirt to Jacob before he can prophesy again. In an interesting twist, Potiphar’s wife offers to share her bed with Joseph and he refuses and flees. She catches him by the shirt, and tears it off of him from behind. Potiphar then opens the doors to the chamber and sees Joseph naked. The wife protests that Joseph tried to force himself upon her. Joseph replies “it was she who tried to seduce me from my true self.” (Qur’an, 12:16) Potiphar examines the shirt, and discovers that it was torn from behind, confirming Joseph’s version of events. The shirt thus confirms his innocence. It is a symbol of Joseph’s fidelity, and his covenant of chastity.

Most scholars

agree that this

version of Joseph’s

story existed

independently from

the Genesis version.


Reading for moral example. There are several suwar that involve personalities taken from the Old Testament and the New Testament. In addition to the story of Joseph (referred to above), there are stories about Jesus, Mary, Jonah and many others. Search out these biographies and discover how Muslims regard these persons. Here is a selection from sura 2. A large portion of this sura is dedicated to prophets within the Islamic tradition such as Adam, Moses, Abraham and Muhammad. Each one becomes a literal sign (ayat) from God as well as the bearer of God’s messages (which contain even more signs). Adam symbolizes the image of God in human form. He is called the Perfect Man in Qur’anic tradition. The following text juxtaposes Adam and Satan (Iblis), or the Perfect Man against the image of pride. The passage serves to place Adam above all other angels (including Iblis), giving a hierarchy of being that should resonate with LDS sensibilities.

Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: “I will create a vice-regent on earth.” They

said “Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief herein and shed

blood? Whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and Holy Name?” Allah said: “I

know what ye know not.”

And He taught Adam the names of all things; then He placed them before the

angels and said: “Tell Me the names of these if ye are right.”

[The angels said] “Glory to Thee: of knowledge have we none, save that which

Thou hast taught us; in truth it is Thou who art Perfect in knowledge and

wisdom.”

He said: “O Adam! Tell them their names.” When [Adam] had told them, Allah

said: “Did I not tell you that I know the secrets of heaven and earth, and I know

what ye reveal and what ye conceal?”

And behold, We said to the angels: “Bow down to Adam” and they bowed

down. Not so Iblis [Satan]: He refused and was haughty; he was of those who

reject faith.

We said: “O Adam! Dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden; and eat of the

bountiful things therein as when and where ye will; but approach not this tree,

or ye run into harm and transgression.”

Then did Satan make them slip from the Garden, and get them out of the state

of felicity in which they had been. We said: “Get ye down, all ye people, with

enmity between yourselves. On earth will be your dwelling place and your means

of livelihood for a time.”

Then learnt Adam from his Lord Words of Inspiration, and his Lord turned

towards him; for He is Oft-returning, Most Merciful.

Adam symbolizes

the image of God

in human form.

He is called the

Perfect Man in

Qur’anic tradition.


We said: “Get ye down all from here, and if, as is sure, there comes to you

Guidance from Me, whosoever follows My Guidance, on them shall be no fear,

nor shall they grieve.

But those who reject faith and belie Our Signs, they shall be the Companions

of Fire; they shall abide therein.” (Qur’an 2:30-39)

Other biographical sections in the Qur’an include sura 14 (Abraham), and sura 19 (Mary). This last sura includes the story of the birth of John the Baptist, of the annunciation, and the birth of Jesus, of whom the Qur’an teaches: “So peace is upon me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life again!” (Qur’an 19:33) While the Qur’an praises the virtues and miracles of Jesus, it denies his status as Son of God, since this, in the mind of Muslims, would create more than one God: “It is not befitting to the majesty of Allah that He should beget a son…” (Qur’an 19:35) Read the balance of this sura and the respect in which the Qur’an holds Jesus will be quite evident. Enoch and Abraham are also mentioned in this sura.

Reading to understand LDS scripture—Cross-referencing: The Qur’an provides a method for testing the inspired nature of its moral teaching that (again) should resonate with LDS readers. Its cross-reference comes from the Doctrine and Covenants, and directs the reader toward the worship of God as the sole author of truth:

Qur’an

And if ye are in doubt as to what we have

revealed from time to time to Our ser-

vant [Muhammad] then produce a sura

like thereunto; and call your witnesses or

helpers (if there be any) besides Allah, if

your doubts are true.

But if ye cannot—and of a surety ye

cannot —then fear the Fire whose fuel is

Men and Stones—which is prepared for

those who reject faith. (Qur’an 2:23-24)

Doctrine and Covenants

Now, seek ye out of the Book of

Commandments, even the least that is

among them, and appoint him that is the

most wise among you;

Or, if there be any among you that shall

make one like unto it, then ye are justi-

fied in saying that ye do not know that

they are true;

But if ye cannot make one like unto it, ye

are under condemnation if ye do not bear

record that they are true.

For ye know that there is no unrighteous-

ness in them, and that which is righteous

cometh down from above, from the Father

of Lights. (Doctrine and Covenants 67:8-9)

While the Qur’an

praises the virtues

and miracles of

Jesus, it denies

his status as Son

of God, since this,

in the mind of

Muslims, would

create more than

one God.


Discovering praise and worship in the Poetry of the Qur’an. This type of reading requires patience, but promises great spiritual rewards. The Qur’an contains some of the most beautiful sacred poetry written. Savor the language of the following passage, sura 93, given to Muhammad in a time of great distress prior to the flight from Mecca to Medina. Try cross-referencing it with Psalms 9, Mosiah chapter 4, Doctrine and Covenants sections 121 and 122, and Ezekiel chapter 16:

Al-Duha (The Glorious Morning Light)

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious,

Most Merciful.

By the Glorious

Morning Light,

And by the Night

When it is still—

Thy Guardian-Lord

Hath not forsaken thee,

Nor is He displeased.

And verily the hereafter

Will be better for thee

Than the present.

And soon will thy

Guardian-Lord give thee

That wherewith thou

Shalt be well-pleased.

Did He not find thee

An orphan and give thee

Shelter and care?

And He found thee

Wandering, and He gave

Thee Guidance.

And He found thee

In need, and made

Thee independent.

Therefore treat no

The orphan with harshness,

Nor repulse the petitioner

Unheard;

But the Bounty

Of thy Lord—

Rehearse and proclaim!

Reading for inspiration and worship through prayer. The Qur’an contains a number of prayers. This example is a prayer attributed to Abraham. In Muslim tradition, Abraham traveled to the area of Mecca to find Hagar and Ishmael, who were dying of thirst. (In the Book of Genesis, the story is a bit different—Abraham prays for them and an angel is sent to save Hagar and Ishmael.) In response to this prayer, Muslims believe that God sent down a meteor, which upon striking the ground produced a spring. Hagar and Ishmael were saved. The tradition continues that Abraham and Ishmael built a temple on the spot to commemorate God’s mercy and divine intervention. This temple, called bayt-Allah in Arabic, or

“The House of God” in English, is also known as the ka’aba, the black

In Muslim tradition,

Abraham traveled to

the area of Mecca

to find Hagar and

Ishmael, who were

dying of thirst.


Remember Abraham said:

“O my Lord! Make this city

One of peace and security;

And preserve me and my sons

From worshipping idols.

“O my Lord! They have indeed

Led astray many among mankind;

He then who follows my ways

Is of me, and he that

Disobeys me—but Thou

Art indeed Oft-forgiving,

Most Merciful.

“O our Lord! I have made

Some of my offspring to dwell

In a valley without cultivation,

By Thy Sacred House;

In order, O our Lord, that they

May establish regular Prayer:

So fill the hearts of some

Among men with love towards them,

And feed them with fruits:

So that they may give thanks.

“O our Lord! Truly Thou

Dost know what we conceal

And what we reveal:

For nothing whatever is hidden

From Allah, whether on earth

Or in Heaven.

Praise be to Allah. Who hath

Granted unto me in old age

Isma’il [Ishmael] and Isaac: for truly

My Lord is He, the Hearer

Of Prayer!

“O my Lord! Make me

One who establishes regular prayer,

And also raise such

Among my offspring

O our Lord!

And accept Thou my Prayer.

“O our Lord! Cover us

With Thy forgiveness—me

My parents, and all Believers,

On the Day that the Reckoning

Will be established!

(Qur’an 14:35-41)

Other themes in the Qur’an

In addition to the moral themes already presented, look for others while reading the Qur’an. Some of them have parallels in LDS doctrine, others reveal the uniqueness of Islamic teachings:

1. God has no peers. He requires complete submission to His will and complete faith in His promises.

2. God is merciful to all mankind, although some individuals often return ingratitude for His mercies and abuse God’s gifts.

3. All people must render an accounting of their acts on Judgment Day, and will receive rewards or punishments according to their just desserts.

4. God is omnipotent, the creator of all things.

cube-shaped building in Mecca. The prayer contained in sura 14 may well be a dedication prayer for the ka’aba and a blessing pronounced upon the descendants of Ishmael by this great patriarch:


5. God requires that His mercies be extended to all of mankind through acts of mercy and charity.

6. God commands all humans to live a higher moral standard and to develop personal virtue.23

Conclusion

LDS readers have a unique vantage point which allows them, if they are willing, to embrace all truth:

“Mormonism,” so-called, embraces every principle pertaining to life and salvation,

for time and eternity. No matter who has it. If the infidel has got truth it belongs

to “Mormonism.” The truth and sound doctrine possessed by the sectarian

world, and they have a great deal, all belong to this Church. As for their morality,

many of them are, morally, just as good as we are. All that is good, lovely, and

praiseworthy belongs to this Church and Kingdom.24

The Qur’an perhaps represents Heavenly Father’s expansive, inclusion-ary vision of the plan of salvation, one in which the love for all of His children is truly manifest in every age of time and in eternity. He gives truth to all people according to their “just desserts, their means of obtaining intelligence, the laws by which they are governed and the facilities afforded [them] for obtaining correct information.”25

Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

Of if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to

give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in

heaven give good things to them that ask him? (Matthew 7:9-11)

Endnotes

1. This tendency is not limited to those of our faith. It forms part of a religious and cultural curiosity

now shared by Westerners generally. In recent months sales of the Qur’an, for example, have

increased by a factor of five in many parts of the United States (NPR interview, Oct. 5, 2001).

2. There are several excellent sources of information about Muhammad and Islam, written by LDS

scholars. Here are a few of them: James B. Mayfield, “Ishmael, Our Brother” in Ensign, June 1979,

24-33; James A. Toronto, “A Latter-day Saint Perspective on Muhammad” in Ensign, August 2000,

51-60; James A. Toronto, “Islam” in Religions of the World: A Latter-day Saint View, Spencer Palmer,

et al., editors, Revised Edition (Provo: Brigham Young university Press, 1997). For more information,

see my website at http://www.byui.edu/RICKS/EMPLOYEES/PECKDD/Default.html.

3. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, “Al-Serat: the Spiritual significance of Jihad,” vol. IX, No. 1,

http://al-islam1.org/al-serat.

The Qur’an perhaps

represents

Heavenly Father’s

expansive,

inclusionary vision

of the plan

of salvation


4. The theme of awakening and rising up is found consistently in moral literature, such as Dante’s

divine comedy, which begins with Dante’s awakening in the Dark Wood of Error, having

fallen asleep to the things of the Spirit. The balance of the work is about his eventual upward

moral progression.

5. All citations of the Qur’an are taken from Abdullah Yusuf Ali, An English Interpretation of

the Holy Qur’an with Full Arabic Text, 2nd edition, (Lahore: Sh. Muhammad Ashraf, 1938). I

have made minor changes to this text on occasion to improve readability for a modern LDS

audience. These minor changes become apparent in comparing the text of this essay with

the printed original.

6. Karen Armstrong, Islam: A short History (New York: Morder Library Chronicles, 2000), 24.

7. Farah, 38-39.

8. “[In Mecca] drunken orgies were commonplace and the gambling impulse uncontrolled. The

prevailing religion watched from the sidelines, providing no check… The times called for a

deliverer.” Huston Smith, The World’s Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions (San Francisco:

Harper, 1991), 223.

9. An ovum. This is not a reference to Adam, who was “created,” but refers to all others “born

of woman.”

10. Referring to the fact that God taught language to humans.

11. Qur’an 28:62-67.

12. During the Medinan period Muhammad’s relations with local Jewish tribes suffered. The ensuing

turmoil resulted in the deaths of Jews and the exile of others, for complicity in helping the

Meccan armies attack the Muslims in Medina. Nevertheless, Jews fared comparatively well under

Muslim rule during the succeeding centuries: the Qur’an protects them so long as they do not

prohibit or interfere with the safety of Muslims or interfere with the practice of Islam.

13. Denny, 59.

14. Armstrong, History of God, 146.

15. Farah, 97.

16. James L. Toronto, “Islam,” in Religions of the World: A Latter-day Saint View, Spencer Palmer, et

al (Provo: Brigham Young University Press, 1997); For an anti-Mormon view of Joseph Smith as

“an American Muhammad” see Anonymous, “The Yankee Mahomet,” American Whig Review,

June 1951 (New York: Wiley & Putnam).

17. Joseph Fielding Smith (editor), Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith (Salt Lake City: Deseret

Book, 1976), 218.

18. Denny p. 148; also Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Ideals and Realities of Islam, 2nd edition (London:

Unwin, 1985), 58.

19. The Hindu Vedas are recited in the form of a ritual chants, as is the Hebrew scripture, concluding

that “not chanting one’s canonical texts is perhaps to be seen as an eccentricity of Protestant

Christianity.” Michael Cook. The Koran: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford: Oxford University

Press, 2000), 81-82.

20. Nora Durkee, “Reciting from the Heart,” Saudi Aramco World, vol 51, No. 3 (May/June, 2000),

32-35.


21. An excellent introduction to the Qur’an takes this approach. I strongly recommend it. Michael

Sells, Approaching the Qur’an: the Early Revelations (Ashland, Oregon: White Cloud Press, 1999),

includes audio CD of Qur’an recitators.

22. Doctrine and Covenants 46:9. Cross references to signs provide an interesting link between LDS

cosmology and Islamic cosmology.

23. Richard Bell and W. Montgomery Watt. Introduction to the Qur’an (Edinburgh: Edinburgh

University Press, 1977) 148-166; H.A.R. Gibb. “Islam,” Encyclopedia of the World’s Religions, R.C.

Zaehner, ed. (New York, Barnes and Noble Books, 1997), 169.

24. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham

Young (Salt Lake City: 1997).

25. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 218.

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