Monday, June 21, 2010

The Qur'ān DOES NOT ABROGATE the Torah

"Oh People of the Book! You have no guidance [in life] until you maintain the observance of the Torah and the Gospel and that which has been revealed to you from your Lord; and certainly that which has been revealed to you [O Muhammad] from your Lord will make many of them [who do not observe the Torah or the Gospel's commandment to continue observing the Torah until Heaven and Earth pass away] to increase in rebellion and disbelief [in their aforementioned Scriptures]." - Qur'ān 5.68

قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لَسْتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَيْءٍ حَتَّىٰ تُقِيمُوا التَّوْرَاةَ وَالْإِنْجِيلَ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ ۗ وَلَيَزِيدَنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنْهُمْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ طُغْيَانًا وَكُفْرًا ۖ فَلَا تَأْسَ عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ

Friday, June 11, 2010

Poetry from Baḥya

And if you do not grant me grace and forgive my transgression,
to whom shall I lift my eye?
If a master does not have compassion upon his servant and
forgive his guilt
To whom can he cry other than his master?...
Whither shall I go away from your spirit, and whither shall I flee?
If I go up to heaven, there you are; if I go down to Sheol, there
you are.
Therefore, from you to you I shall turn (mimkha elekha asurah)
From before you to you I shall flee (minegdekha `alekha evraḥah)
From your judgment to your mercy I run
From your quality of judgment to your quality of mercy I shall take refuge.

- Baḥya ibn Paqudah