Posted on: 05 Oct 2022
1) Is it true that a subsequent verse can cancel the previous verse in the Quran?
[Shri Anil asked: In a discussion forum a person asked following questions on Quran. I request You to give responses to it. At Your Lotus Feet-anil
Referring to the following Quran verses a person asks a question.
[Shakir 6:115] And the word of your Lord has been accomplished truly and justly; there is none who can change His words, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing. [Shakir 10:64] They shall have good news in this world's life and in the hereafter; there is no changing the words of Allah; that is the mighty achievement.
In the above Allah stated clearly that His words cannot change. But in the following verses Allah tells the contrary.
[Pickthal 16:101] And when We put a revelation in place of (another) revelation, - and Allah knoweth best what He revealeth - they say: Lo! thou art but inventing. Most of them know not. Here Allah was changing His words by replacement after He had said His words cannot change. Why did Allah (if God) tell a lie? Can God lie? Why was He inconsistent by changing His revelations? What happened to the ones earlier revealed that needed to be changed? Errors? Can God commit errors? If Quran is the word of God then why is it that a verse that has come after another verse can cancel the previous verse...why can't Allah say what He wants to say at once...why does He cancel the previously written verses ( as if a human wrote the book and then after realizing some mistakes he cancelled previously written verses)]
Swami replied:- There is no difference in Allah, the unimaginable God or the first energetic incarnation (without form) of God. The difference is only in the souls, which are the receivers of knowledge. The knowledge shall be preached in different ways as per the grasping capability of the souls. God Krishna told many lies in the war because a cheat needs such behaviour only to get the final punishment. Lying is not a sin. Cheating a good person is a sin. Cheating a bad person is not sin.
2. Why did the Prophet say the Quran was revealed to Him when Allah said that He preaches humans by the pen?
[Why did the prophet say that the Quran was revealed to him orally when Allah Himself told that He teaches humans by the pen[Q, S96: A4]? Why is there such contradictions between the words of the prophet and God?
Recite 1 in the name of your Lord 2 Who created, 3 created man from a clot of congealed blood.4 Recite: and your Lord is Most Generous, Who taught by the pen,5 taught man what he did not know. [Surah 96 Al-'Alaq, Ayat 1-5]]
Swami replied:- Teaching orally or through pen is not important at all. What is taught is the most important. The subject taught to a single person shall not have contradictions. Different people may be taught different concepts, which may contradict each other.
3. Why does Allah punish those who haven't committed sins just because they follow a different religion?
[Why does Islam say that on the day of resurrection, a Muslim who has as heavy sins as a mountain will be asked by Allah that he can save himself from hell and can throw in place of himself a Christian or a Jew in hell. Why does Allah punish those who haven't committed those "heavy sins"...just because they follow a different religion?? That sounds like a cheap statement to fool and convert people.
[Sahih Muslim 37:6668] Abu Burda reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: There would come people amongst the Muslims on the Day of Resurrection with as heavy sins as a mountain, and Allah would forgive them and He would place in their stead the Jews and the Christians.
[Sahih Muslim 37:6665] Abu Musa’ reported that Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: When it will be the Day of Resurrection Allah would deliver to every Muslim a Jew or a Christian and say: That is your rescue from Hell-Fire.]
Swami replied:- You can take such statements of God confined to a specific religion as encouraging the devotee to follow that religion sincerely without changing the religion. Concentration on one religion and one form of God is quite expected (Ekabhaktiḥ… Gita). This does not mean criticizing other religions and other forms of God.
4. Do You see any difference between a Muslim kissing the Black Stone and the Catholic, Pope John Paul II kissing the statute of Mary?
[In Islam, idol worship is prohibited but still Muslims bow in the direction of Kabba 5 times a day and Muhammad used to kiss the black stone... Isn't it ironical? My question is does one see any difference between the Muslim practice of kissing showing reverence and venerating the Black Stone and the Catholic practice of pope John Paul II kissing the statue of Virgin Mary with reverence and veneration?]
Swami replied:- Unimaginable or formless God is not suitable to the human minds because such meditation is full of misery as said in the Gita (Avyaktā hi… Gita). This is general human psychology and false concepts cannot work against this psychology.
5. Why did Muhammad command to destroy Idols and Churches?
[Why did Muhammad command to destroy Idols and churches...If Islam is a religion of tolerance? [Refer:- Sunan an Nasai 701, Sahih al Bukhari 4357]
[Sunan an Nasai 701]"We went out as a delegation to the Prophet (ﷺ); we gave him our oath of allegiance and prayed with him. We told him that in our land there was a church that belonged to us. We asked him to give us the leftovers of his purification (Wudu' water). So he called for water, performed Wudu' and rinsed out his mouth, then he poured it into a vessel and said to us: 'Leave, and when you return to your land, demolish your church, and sprinkle this water on that place, and take it as a Masjid.' We said: 'Our land is far away and it is very hot; the water is far away and it is very hot; the water will dry up.' He said: 'Add more water to it, for that will only make it better.' So we left and when we came to our land we demolished our church, then we sprinkled the water on that place and took it as a Masjid, and we called the Adhan in it. The monk was a man from Tayy', and when he heard the Adhan, he said: 'It is a true call.' Then he headed toward one of the hills and we never saw him again."]
Swami replied:- You must study the situation of those days. The idol worshippers might have been very rigid and cruel quarrelling with each other. Sometimes, things cannot rectify unless you remove the concept from its foundation. Those statements given in those days cannot apply today because the present situation is different.
6. Why did Muhammad ask His followers to expel Polytheists, Jews whereas He asked Muslims to fight against those who expel them?
[Why did Muhammad asked His followers to expel Polytheists, Jews whereas for Muslims He said that Muslims should fight those who try to expel Muslims from their own land. Why such double standards? [Refer Sahih al-Bukhari 4:53:392]
[Sahih al-Bukhari 4:53:392] Narrated By Abu Huraira: While we were in the Mosque, the Prophet came out and said, “Let us go to the Jews” We went out till we reached Bait-ul-Midras. He said to them, “If you embrace Islam, you will be safe. You should know that the earth belongs to Allah and His Apostle, and I want to expel you from this land. So, if anyone amongst you owns some property, he is permitted to sell it, otherwise you should know that the Earth belongs to Allah and His Apostle.”]
Swami replied:- As I told above, you shall not apply those statements of those days to the present world because the context has changed. You should not find fault with those statements in view of the present context.
7. Why Quran discourage to ask questions?
Why Quran discourage to ask questions?
"O ye who believe! Ask not questions about things which if made plain to you, may cause you trouble. Some people before you did ask such questions, and on that account lost their faith." (Surah 5:101-102).
"The prophet was asked about things which he did not like, and when the questioner insisted, the Prophet got angry. (vol. 1, no. 92) The Prophet got angry and his cheeks or his face became red. (vol. 1, no. 91) "Allah has hated you...[for] asking too many questions." [Vol. 2, no. 555; and vol. 3, no. 591, Bukhari's Hadith commenting on Muhammad's reaction to hostile questioners.]
Swami replied:- Again and again I tell the same concept. You cannot generalize all devotees in all times. Unless you know the full behaviour of devotees in that time, you shall not draw wrong conclusions standing in a different context.