The first surah or chapter of the Qur\u2019an, called the \u201cFatihah\u201d or \u201cOpener\u201d (Wikimedia Commons)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Over the next while, I\u2019m going to be assembling into meaningful units some of the notes that I\u2019ve taken from a careful recent reading of the Qur\u2019an (on which, by the way and coincidentally, I\u2019m currently teaching a class). \u00a0Where I cite an English translation, the version that I\u2019m citing is the Oxford edition by M. A. S. Abdel Haleem. \u00a0When I finally publish the results of my work, though, I\u2019ll probably use my own renderings.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
One noteworthy aspect of the Qur\u2019an is its frequent reference to more than one \u201cworld\u201d of which God is said to the \u201cthe Lord.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thus he is described as \u201cLord of the Worlds\u201d at 1:2; 6:45, 71; 7:121; 10:10, 37; 26:16, 23, 47, 77, 98, 109, 127, 145, 164, 180, 192; 27:8, 44; 28:30; 32:2; 39:75; 40:64, 65, 66; 43:46; 45:36; 59:16; 69:43; 83:6, and as \u201cthe Lord of all Worlds\u201d at 5:28; 6:162; 7:54, 61, 67, 104, 37:87, 182; 41:9.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
That this not merely a reference to, say, \u201cthis world\u201d and \u201cthe next world\u201d is shown, among other things, by the fact that the word worlds<\/em> in Arabic (al-\u2018alamin<\/em>) is in the plural, not in the dual.\u00a0 The reference, accordingly, is to at least three \u201cworlds,\u201d not merely two.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Moreover, the word that\u2019s typically used for \u201cthe present world\u201d (3:185) or \u201cthis lower world\u201d (7:169) or \u201cthis world\u201d (6:70, 130; 10:7, 24, 70) or \u201cthis life\u201d (10:15) or \u201cthis present life\u201d (10:23), as opposed to \u201cthe Hereafter\u201d (as at 2:114, 130, 200, 201, 217; 4:77; 5:41; 6:32; 7:169; 8:67; 9:74) or \u201cthe next\u201d (as at 2:220; 3:22, 45; 4:134; 9:69) or the world \u201cto come\u201d (3:152; 4:74; 7:156; 9:38, 69; 10:19; 11:22), is completely distinct.\u00a0 It\u2019s al-dunya<\/em> (literally, \u201cthe near [life]\u201d), as contrasted with al-akhira<\/em> (literally, \u201cthe further [life]\u201d or \u201cthe latter [life\u201d).\u00a0 It refers, simply, to the world of everyday reality around us.\u00a0 In Egyptian colloquial Arabic today, for instance, it\u2019s common to say such things as id-dunya bard \u2018awi<\/em> (\u201cIt\u2019s very cold,\u201d or, literally, \u201cThe world is very cold\u201d).<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the Qur\u2019an, the word typically as a moral connotation rather more than a locational one:<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe life of this world is made to seem glamorous to the disbelievers, and they laugh at those who believe.\u00a0 But those who are mindful of God will be above them on the Day of Resurrection.\u201d\u00a0 (2:212)<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201csome of you desire the gains of this world and others desire the world to come\u201d\u00a0 (3:152)<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe present world is only an illusory pleasure.\u201d\u00a0 (3:185)<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLittle is the enjoyment in this world, the hereafter is far better for those who are mindful of God.\u201d\u00a0 (4:77)<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe life of this world is nothing but a game and a distraction; the Home in the Hereafter is best for those who are aware of God.\u201d\u00a0 (6:32)<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cthe life of this world with all its finery\u201d\u00a0 (10:15)<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Posted from Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Over the next while, I\u2019m going to be assembling into meaningful units some of the notes that I\u2019ve taken from a careful recent reading of the Qur\u2019an (on which, by the way and coincidentally, I\u2019m currently teaching a class). \u00a0Where I cite an English translation, the version that I\u2019m citing is the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67575","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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![\"Al-Fatiha](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/186\/2016\/10\/FirstSurahKoran.jpg\")
<\/a>