Peace Mattus,
This is a very interesting question and one that I can answer rather humorously.
Such issues have already been raised due to many various interpretations of the Qur'anic text. One such example was a fatwa issued by Grand Mufti Shiekh Ibn Baaz titled "The Transmitted and Sensory Proofs of the Rotation of the Sun and Stillness of the Earth" Long story short, the Shiekh claimed the earth was flat, the sun revolved around the earth and that all evidence to the contrary was a Western Conspiracy. Although his fatwa used a few verses from the Qur'an, they were taken incredibly out of their literary context of metaphoric descriptions.
However, the most recent hurdle for traditional Islam is that of Evolution, mostly because they take one interpretation to be absolute, when the language of the Qur'an is incredibly adaptable. I've seen it go both ways from both pro and anti-evolutionary stances. As for me and many other Muslims like me, we have no problem with Evolution and honestly do believe it aligns with the Qur'an. Although that would best be saved for another question if it comes up.
I guess the short answer is that the Qur'an, like any piece of literary work, is open to interpretation for those who want to achieve a slant. However, to date, I haven't encountered any passages that directly contradict what we know.
Salamo Alaykum Ryan,
If you say that the quran is like any other literary work..... how can it be the word of GOD?
If it is the word of GOD then it should NOT be open to interpretations like any other literary work.
If the quran was written by God then it ought to be interpreted UNAMBIGUOUSLY.
Otherwise the quran WOULD BE POINTLESS.....because how would we know which interpretation is the CORRECT one?? What would be the point of a revealed book that cannot be CORRECTLY understood.
How should I know that one interpretation of a MULLAH is better than another interpretation of an IMAM and whether either is better than that of Ibn Katheer or yours or mine or whoever????
If GOD should write a book it should be extremely miraculous that every time one reads it the words should IMPRINT INTO ONE’S BRAIN or SOUL or INNER MIND the CORRECT INTENDED meaning and as such ANY AND ALL who read it should GET IT RIGHT.
The problem of Christianity is they cannot read the Bible in its ORIGINAL language and not even Jews can do that either.
BUT....the Quran is supposed to be preserved and available in its ORIGINAL language. And the Arabs can read it and presumably understand it....no?
Then any arabic speaker SHOULD be able to GET IT RIGHT.
But it seems to me that many are NOT AGREEING.
By the way....what is the meaning of those 3 or 4 letter words that start some of the Suras .... NO MOSLIM knows their meaning.....so are they a SECRET CODE..... do you know that in Judaism there are LETTER CODES that are meant to indicate some meaning to the INITIATED..... does that mean the Muhammad was using Hebrew CODE to indicate some secret code to some RABBIS who only them understood these letter codes?
e.g. ALM in Sura 1 (The Cow)
or ALMS in Sura 7 (A-raaf the Heights)
﴿المص - كِتَـبٌ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ فَلاَ يَكُن فِى صَدْرِكَ حَرَجٌ مِّنْهُ لِتُنذِرَ بِهِ وَذِكْرَى لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ - اتَّبِعُواْ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُواْ مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَآءَ قَلِيلاً مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ ﴾
(1.
Alif-Lam-Mim-Sad.) (2. (This is the) Book (the Qur'an) sent down unto you, so let not your breast be narrow therefrom, that you warn thereby; and a reminder unto the believers.) (3. Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord, and follow not any Awliya' (protectors), besides Him (Allah). Little do you remember!) We mentioned before the explanation of the letters ﴿such as, Alif-Lam, that are in the beginning of some Surahs in the Qur'an﴾.
or KHYA'S in Sura 19 (Maryam = Mary)
﴿كهيعص - ذِكْرُ رَحْمَتِ رَبِّكَ عَبْدَهُ زَكَرِيَّآ - إِذْ نَادَى رَبَّهُ نِدَآءً خَفِيّاً - قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى وَهَنَ الْعَظْمُ مِنِّى وَاشْتَعَلَ الرَّأْسُ شَيْباً وَلَمْ أَكُنْ بِدُعَآئِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيّاً - وَإِنِّي خِفْتُ الْمَوَالِىَ مِن وَرَآئِى وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَتِى عَاقِرًا فَهَبْ لِى مِن لَّدُنْكَ وَلِيّاً - يَرِثُنِى وَيَرِثُ مِنْ ءَالِ يَعْقُوبَ وَاجْعَلْهُ رَبِّ رَضِيّاً ﴾
(1.
Kaf Ha Ya `Ain Sad.) (2. A reminder of the mercy of your Lord to His servant Zakariyya.) (3. When he called his Lord ﴿with﴾ a call in secret.) (4. He said: "My Lord! Indeed my bones have grown feeble, and gray hair has Ashta`al on my head, and I have never been unblessed in my invocation to You, O my Lord!'') (5. "And verily, I fear Mawali after me, and my wife is barren. So give me from Yourself an heir.'') (6. "Who shall inherit me, and inherit (also) the posterity of Ya`qub. And make him, my Lord, one with whom You are well-pleased!'')
How do you interpret the following
Sura 13 (Ar-Rad = Thunder)
﴿اللَّهُ الَّذِى رَفَعَ السَّمَـوَتِ بِغَيْرِ عَمَدٍ تَرَوْنَهَا ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ يَجْرِى لأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّـى يُدَبَّرُ الاٌّمْرَ يُفَصِّلُ الآيَـتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ بِلِقَآءِ رَبِّكُمْ تُوقِنُونَ ﴾
(2.
Allah is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars that you can see. Then, He rose above (Istawa) the `Arsh ﴿Throne﴾. He has subjected
the sun and the moon, each running (its course) for a term appointed. He manages and regulates all affairs; He explains the Ayat in detail, that you may believe with certainty in the meeting with your Lord.)
