{"id":81813,"date":"2020-01-08T00:11:12","date_gmt":"2020-01-08T07:11:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/?p=81813"},"modified":"2020-01-19T20:31:45","modified_gmt":"2020-01-20T03:31:45","slug":"once-more-on-the-qurans-prophecy-of-americas-role-in-the-middle-east","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2020\/01\/once-more-on-the-qurans-prophecy-of-americas-role-in-the-middle-east.html","title":{"rendered":"Once more on the Qur\u2019an’s prophecy of America’s role in the Middle East"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Bald<\/a>
An actual photograph of the very eagle prophesied at Qur\u2019an 9:11. In this Wikimedia Commons public domain photograph, the eagle soars high above the hot and arid deserts of the Arabian Peninsula.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

It has come up yet again, and so I\u2019ll attempt to swat it down yet again, as clearly and decisively as I am able:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Does Qur\u2019an 9:11 actually prophesy that \u201cthe wrath of the eagle\u201d will cleanse the lands of the Arabs?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

No!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

No, it doesn\u2019t!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

No!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

No! \u00a0It does not!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u2019anic passage with me, wondering what I made of it. \u00a0I pronounced it completely bogus. \u00a0I told him that it doesn\u2019t exist. \u00a0He looked at me very sadly, gently shook his head, and commented that I shouldn\u2019t rely on dishonest translations.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

But, of course, I don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Although, as I did just last semester, I use an English translation of the Qur\u2019an when I teach the Qur\u2019an in English \u2014 lately, I\u2019ve been using M. A. S. Abdel Haleem\u2019s version in the Oxford World\u2019s Classics series \u2014 I generally (and often, including some today for a class) read the Qur\u2019an 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.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Nothing<\/a>
The real Qur\u2019an 9:11 in Arabic, with a sort of decent enough English translation below it.
(Wikimedia Commons public domain image)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Snopes does a workmanlike job on this totally false claim:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.snopes.com\/politics\/war\/quran911.asp<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been confronted with this alleged prophecy more times than I can count. \u00a0There is no merit in it. \u00a0None. \u00a0Zero. \u00a0Zilch. \u00a0Zippo. \u00a0Nada. \u00a0The word eagle<\/em> (or, more precisely, its Arabic equivalent) never occurs anywhere in the Qur\u2019an, let alone at 9:11.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s 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:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBut if they repent, establish [liturgical] prayer, and give alms, then they are your brethren in religion \u2014 and we explain the signs to a people who know.\u201d \u00a0(Qur\u2019an 9:11)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Come on, folks. \u00a0Look at the reference: \u00a09\/11. \u00a0Really?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I assume \u2014 I certainly hope<\/em> \u2014 that this thing began as a joke. \u00a0However, it\u2019s long since passed the joke stage, and it shouldn\u2019t be transmitted any further. \u00a0If somebody presents it to you in earnest, please tell him or her that there\u2019s no truth to it.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 It has come up yet again, and so I\u2019ll attempt to swat it down yet again, as clearly and decisively as I am able: \u00a0 Does Qur\u2019an 9:11 actually prophesy that \u201cthe wrath of the eagle\u201d will cleanse the lands of the Arabs? \u00a0 No! \u00a0 No, it doesn\u2019t! \u00a0 No! \u00a0 No! […]<\/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":[5247,82],"class_list":["post-81813","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-eagle","tag-quran"],"yoast_head":"\nOnce more on the Qur\u2019an's prophecy of America's role in the Middle East<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"    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\u2019an 9:11\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2020\/01\/once-more-on-the-qurans-prophecy-of-americas-role-in-the-middle-east.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta 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