THE QUR’AN: Rea d i n g f o r M o r a l Tru t h
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)
I
n 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
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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.
Qur’an includes
poetry and prayers
designed to lift the
soul to God, in
the same vein as
Psalms, Isaiah,
or the ecstatic
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:
prayers of Nephi.
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 Muhamm a d ?
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
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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.
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Muhammad spent
much of his youth
searching for a
moral code that
promoted fairness
for all members
of society.
What Did Muhamm a d Te ac h ?
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.
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
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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
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The gathering of
revelations into a
single volume
(the Qur’an) would
occupy the faithful
for the next quartercentury or more.
The Qur’an repeats
itself frequently.
Western readers
often become
frustrated, and quit
reading the text
as a result.
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
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:
tantalizing
These it is for whom are gardens of perpetuity beneath which rivers flow,
language for the
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
LDS reader
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)
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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 Qu r’ a n
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 The Qur’an
does any scripture or book considered holy. One translator of the Qur’an,
demands respect,
Abdullah Yusuf Ali, suggest the following standard for respect:
as does any
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,
scripture or book
and even more, with the truest and purest light which our intellect and conscience
considered holy.
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
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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 circumstance. 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
The word “Qur’an” write down contents of the Qur’an, but instead recited the revelation as he
received them. During the Islamic month of fasting (Ramadan) families
literally means “a
meet in evenings and read the entire Qur’an out loud over a twenty-nine
recitation” and is day period. Muslims have professional readers who entertain audiences
of thousands for hours through the beauty of their recitation.19 Here is
derived from the
a description of how a Western author reacted to the beauty of a formal
verb “to recite.” 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).
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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 Qu r’ a n
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
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I feel that I understand 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
Righteous
[2:8] Of the people there are some who say:
[2:2] This is the Book: in it is guidance sure,
“We believe in Allah and the Last Day;” but
without doubt, to those who fear Allah;
they do not really believe.
[2:3] Who believe in the Unseen, are stead-
[2:9] Fain they would deceive Allah and
fast in prayer, and spend out of what we
those who believe; but they only deceive
have provided for them;
themselves, and realize it not.
[2:5] They are on true guidance from their
[2:16] These are they who have bartered guid-
Lord, and it is these who will prosper.
ance for error: but their traffic is profit-less,
[2:41] And believe in what I reveal, confirm-
and they have lost true direction.
ing the revelation which is with you [i.e.,
[2:79] Then woe to those who write the
Muhammad] and be not the first to reject
Book with their own hands, and then say:
“This is from Allah, to traffic with it for a
faith therein, nor sell My Signs for a small
price; fear Me, and Me alone.
miserable price!—Woe to them for what
their hands write and for the gain they
make thereby.
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
Most scholars insights. Most scholars agree that this version of Joseph’s story existed
independently from the Genesis version, and was handed down by oral
agree that this
tradition among the Arabs, culminating in an “official” version given to
version of Joseph’s Muhammad as revelation. Note the symbol of Joseph’s shirt. The shirt
represents a mantle that serves several purposes. First, it is symbolic of
story existed
the mantle of a prophet: When Jacob ignores Allah’s warning not to let
independently from 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
the Genesis version.
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.
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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 Adam symbolizes
God in human form. He is called the Perfect Man in Qur’anic tradition.
the image of God
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 in human form.
other angels (including Iblis), giving a hierarchy of being that should
He is called the
resonate with LDS sensibilities.
Perfect Man in
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
Qur’anic tradition.
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.
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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)
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.
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
D o c t r i n e a n d C ove n a n ts
And if ye are in doubt as to what we have
Now, seek ye out of the Book of
revealed from time to time to Our ser-
Commandments, even the least that is
vant [Muhammad] then produce a sura
among them, and appoint him that is the
like thereunto; and call your witnesses or
most wise among you;
helpers (if there be any) besides Allah, if
your doubts are true.
Or, if there be any among you that shall
make one like unto it, then ye are justi-
But if ye cannot—and of a surety ye
fied in saying that ye do not know that
cannot —then fear the Fire whose fuel is
they are true;
Men and Stones—which is prepared for
those who reject faith. (Qur’an 2:23-24)
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 unrighteousness in them, and that which is righteous
cometh down from above, from the Father
of Lights. (Doctrine and Covenants 67:8-9)
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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 crossreferencing 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
And He found thee
Wandering, and He gave
Thee Guidance.
Morning Light,
And He found thee
And by the Night
In need, and made
When it is still—
Thee independent.
Thy Guardian-Lord
Hath not forsaken thee,
Nor is He displeased.
And verily the hereafter
Will be better for thee
Than the present.
Therefore treat no
The orphan with harshness,
Nor repulse the petitioner
Unheard;
But the Bounty
Of thy Lord—
And soon will thy
Guardian-Lord give thee
Rehearse and proclaim!
That wherewith thou
Shalt be well-pleased.
Did He not find thee
An orphan and give thee
Shelter and care?
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
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In Muslim tradition,
Abraham traveled to
the area of Mecca
to find Hagar and
Ishmael, who were
dying of thirst.
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:
Remember Abraham said:
“O my Lord! Make this city
“O our Lord! Truly Thou
Dost know what we conceal
One of peace and security;
And what we reveal:
And preserve me and my sons
For nothing whatever is hidden
From worshipping idols.
From Allah, whether on earth
“O my Lord! They have indeed
Or in Heaven.
Led astray many among mankind;
Praise be to Allah. Who hath
He then who follows my ways
Granted unto me in old age
Is of me, and he that
Isma’il [Ishmael] and Isaac: for truly
Disobeys me—but Thou
My Lord is He, the Hearer
Art indeed Oft-forgiving,
Of Prayer!
Most Merciful.
“O our Lord! I have made
“O my Lord! Make me
One who establishes regular prayer,
Some of my offspring to dwell
And also raise such
In a valley without cultivation,
Among my offspring
By Thy Sacred House;
O our Lord!
In order, O our Lord, that they
And accept Thou my Prayer.
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! 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)
O ther themes in t h e Qu r’ a n
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.
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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, inclusionary 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
Of if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to
Endnotes
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).
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.
Seyyed Hossein Nasr, “Al-Serat: the Spiritual significance of Jihad,” vol. IX, No. 1,
http://al-islam1.org/al-serat.
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expansive,
of salvation
heaven give good things to them that ask him? (Matthew 7:9-11)
3.
Heavenly Father’s
of the plan
give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in
2.
represents
inclusionary vision
Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
1.
The Qur’an perhaps
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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.
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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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