Once More On The Qur’an’s Prophecy Of America’s Role In The Middle East

Bald eagle, not in Arabia — An actual photograph of the very eagle prophesied at Qur’an 9:11. In this Wikimedia Commons public domain photograph, the eagle soars high above the hot and arid deserts of the Arabian Peninsula.

It has come up yet again, and so I’ll attempt to swat it down yet again, as clearly and decisively as I am able:

Does Qur’an 9:11 actually prophesy that “the wrath of the eagle” will cleanse the lands of the Arabs?

No!

No, it doesn’t!

No!

No! It does not!

Several years ago, a member of the Church whom I had known for quite some time (but who has since passed away) shared this alleged Qur’anic passage with me, wondering what I made of it. I pronounced it completely bogus. I told him that it doesn’t exist. He looked at me very sadly, gently shook his head, and commented that I shouldn’t rely on dishonest translations.

But, of course, I don’t.

Although, as I did just last semester, I use an English translation of the Qur’an when I teach the Qur’an in English — lately, I’ve been using M. A. S. Abdel Haleem’s version in the Oxford World’s Classics series — I generally (and often, including some today for a class) read the Qur’an in Arabic, and I would never dream of making any argument from it or of seriously discussing a passage in it without first consulting the relevant verse or verses in the original language.

Nothing about eagles or the lands of the Arabs — The real Qur’an 9:11 in Arabic, with a sort of decent enough English translation below it.
(Wikimedia Commons public domain image)

Snopes does a workmanlike job on this totally false claim:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/war/quran911.asp

I’ve been confronted with this alleged prophecy more times than I can count. There is no merit in it. None. Zero. Zilch. Zippo. Nada. The word eagle (or, more precisely, its Arabic equivalent) never occurs anywhere in the Qur’an, let alone at 9:11.

Here’s a translation of my own for the passage, of which I supply the Arabic above for the convenience of anybody who wants to check my rendition:

“But if they repent, establish [liturgical] prayer, and give alms, then they are your brethren in religion — and we explain the signs to a people who know.” (Qur’an 9:11)

Come on, folks. Look at the reference: 9/11. Really?

I assume — I certainly hope — that this thing began as a joke. However, it’s long since passed the joke stage, and it shouldn’t be transmitted any further. If somebody presents it to you in earnest, please tell him or her that there’s no truth to it.

Once more on the Qur’an’s prophecy of America’s role in the Middle East