Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Michelle Malkin

2009-05-24T20:16:22Z

Zach909:

[[Image:Mm7.jpg|right|thumb|Michelle Malkin]]
'''Michelle Malkin''' (born 1970) is an [[United States|American]] [[Asian]] [[Roman Catholic]] [[conservative]] [[pundit]], blogger, and television [[journalist]]. Malkin serves as a contributer to the [[Fox News Channel]] with a snide smirk on her face.

== Beliefs ==

Malkin's website has an entire section on articles against [[illegal immigration|illegal immigrant]] amnesty.<ref>[http://michellemalkin.com/category/immigration/amnesty/ Amnesty section] on MichelleMalkin.com</ref> Michelle has stated that she wants the U.S. to clear the legal immigrant backlogs ''first'', instead of trying to legalize illegals.<ref>[http://michellemalkin.com/2007/06/17/memo-to-washington-clear-the-damn-backlogs-first/ Memo to Washington: Clear the damn backlogs first], MichelleMalkin.com, June 17, 2007</ref> After the [[United States]] built a border fence with [[Mexico]] on the wrong side, Michelle wrote that she wonders if we can "do anything right on [[border security]]." Her appeal is "Border security now. Not later."<ref> [http://michellemalkin.com/2007/06/26/border-follies-us-sorry-for-building-barrier-that-encroaches-on-mexico/ Border follies: U.S. sorry for building barrier that encroaches on Mexico], MichelleMalkin.com, June 26, 2007 </ref>

Malkin highlighted a group of ex-Muslims hoping to change the terms of debate about [[Islam]] in [[Europe]]. <ref> [http://michellemalkin.com/2007/06/20/ex-muslims-stand-up-in-britain/ Ex-Muslims stand up in Britain]</ref>

Malkin argues that [[Jesse Jackson]] should be trying to stop black [[gang]]s instead of protesting gun shops. <ref> [http://michellemalkin.com/2007/06/24/the-desperate-jesse-jackson/ The desperate Jesse Jackson], MichelleMalkin.com, June 24, 2007</ref>

==Archives==
Following is a list of links to regularly covered topics on Malkin's personal web site:

*'''[[Abortion]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/abortion/]
*'''[[Animal rights]]''' wackos [http://michellemalkin.com/category/animal-rights/]
*'''[[Blog|Blogosphere]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/blogosphere/]
*'''[[Liberal hypocrisy|Double standards]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/double-standards/]
*'''[[Education]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/education/]
*'''[[Environmentalist|"Enviro-nitwits"]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/enviro-nitwits/]
*'''[[Fairness Doctrine]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/fairness-doctrine/]
*'''[[Feminism|Feminist Nonsense]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/feminist-nonsense/]
*'''[[Guns]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/guns/]
*'''[[Health care]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/health-care/]
*"'''[[Hollywood values|Hollyweird]]'''" [http://michellemalkin.com/category/hollyweird/]
*'''[[Immigration]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/immigration/]
*'''[[Islam]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/islam/]
*'''[[Israel]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/israel/]
*'''[[Media]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/media/]
*'''[[Media Bias]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/media-bias/]
*'''[[Moonbats]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/moonbats/]
*'''[[Political Correctness]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/political-correctness/]
*'''[[Politicians]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/politicians/]
*'''[[Politics]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/politics/]
*'''[[Social Security]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/social-security/]
*'''[[Supreme Court]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/supreme-court/]
*'''[[Terrorist attacks]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/terrorist-attacks/]
*"'''[[Unhinged]]'''" [http://michellemalkin.com/category/unhinged/]
*'''[[United Nations]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/united-nations/]
*'''[[Veteran]]s''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/veterans/]
*'''[[Voter fraud]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/voter-fraud/]
*'''[[War]]''' [http://michellemalkin.com/category/war/]

== See also ==

*[[Conservative Links]]
*[[Sher Zieve]]
*[[Elvira Arellano]]

==References==
<references/>

==External Links==
*[http://michellemalkin.com/ Michelle Malkin's blog]
*[http://www.townhall.com/columnists/michellemalkin/archive.shtml Malkin's Townhall.com column archive]
*[http://hotair.com/ Michelle Malkin's video blog]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Malkin, Michelle}}

[[category:Journalists]]
[[Category:Conservatives]]
[[Category:Religious People]]

Michael Medved

2009-05-24T19:42:15Z

Zach909:

'''Michael Medved''' is a closed-minded [[Orthodox Jew]]ish film critic, author, and radio personality. Known for his [[conservative]] leanings and denigrating the lack of family values in media, he is a proponent of recognizing the strong ties between [[Christians]] and [[Jews]] and nurturing that bond. Medved loves traditional Jewish food and cinema. A supporter of the [[Christian Right]], he believes [[Israel]] has no greater friend outside of Jews than religious Christians and believes an increase in born again Christians is a good thing for [[Judaism]].

Unlike many in the Jewish community, he is not concerned with groups such as [[Jews for Jesus]] but instead is much more concerned with "Jews for nothing". He loves Jewish food and movies. He believes that the Jewish community spends so much time worrying about ethnic Jews believing in Jesus, that it misses the much larger number of Jews who become secular in nature and that's where the attention should be focused.

Medved is currently ranked 9th among radio talk show hosts with 2.75 million listeners daily<ref>Newsweek April 23rd, 2007 p. 29</ref>

==References==
<References/>

==External links==
*[http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/arts/al0033.html Hollywood's Three Big Lies]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Medved, Michael}}

[[Category:Conservative Commentators]]
[[Category:Orthodox Jews]]
[[Category:Conservatives]]

Michael Medved

2009-05-24T19:41:55Z

Zach909:

'''Michael Medved''' is a closeD-minded [[Orthodox Jew]]ish film critic, author, and radio personality. Known for his [[conservative]] leanings and denigrating the lack of family values in media, he is a proponent of recognizing the strong ties between [[Christians]] and [[Jews]] and nurturing that bond. Medved loves traditional Jewish food and cinema. A supporter of the [[Christian Right]], he believes [[Israel]] has no greater friend outside of Jews than religious Christians and believes an increase in born again Christians is a good thing for [[Judaism]].

Unlike many in the Jewish community, he is not concerned with groups such as [[Jews for Jesus]] but instead is much more concerned with "Jews for nothing". He loves Jewish food and movies. He believes that the Jewish community spends so much time worrying about ethnic Jews believing in Jesus, that it misses the much larger number of Jews who become secular in nature and that's where the attention should be focused.

Medved is currently ranked 9th among radio talk show hosts with 2.75 million listeners daily<ref>Newsweek April 23rd, 2007 p. 29</ref>

==References==
<References/>

==External links==
*[http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/arts/al0033.html Hollywood's Three Big Lies]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Medved, Michael}}

[[Category:Conservative Commentators]]
[[Category:Orthodox Jews]]
[[Category:Conservatives]]

Michael Medved

2009-05-24T19:39:33Z

Zach909:

'''Michael Medved''' is a close-minded [[Orthodox Jew]]ish film critic, author, and radio personality. Known for his [[conservative]] leanings and denigrating the lack of family values in media, he is a proponent of recognizing the strong ties between [[Christians]] and [[Jews]] and nurturing that bond. Medved loves traditional Jewish food and cinema. A supporter of the [[Christian Right]], he believes [[Israel]] has no greater friend outside of Jews than religious Christians and believes an increase in born again Christians is a good thing for [[Judaism]].

Unlike many in the Jewish community, he is not concerned with groups such as [[Jews for Jesus]] but instead is much more concerned with "Jews for nothing". He loves Jewish food and movies. He believes that the Jewish community spends so much time worrying about ethnic Jews believing in Jesus, that it misses the much larger number of Jews who become secular in nature and that's where the attention should be focused.

Medved is currently ranked 9th among radio talk show hosts with 2.75 million listeners daily<ref>Newsweek April 23rd, 2007 p. 29</ref>

==References==
<References/>

==External links==
*[http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/arts/al0033.html Hollywood's Three Big Lies]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Medved, Michael}}

[[Category:Conservative Commentators]]
[[Category:Orthodox Jews]]
[[Category:Conservatives]]

Michael Medved

2009-05-24T19:39:12Z

Zach909:

'''Michael Medved''' is a close-minded[[Orthodox Jew]]ish film critic, author, and radio personality. Known for his [[conservative]] leanings and denigrating the lack of family values in media, he is a proponent of recognizing the strong ties between [[Christians]] and [[Jews]] and nurturing that bond. Medved loves traditional Jewish food and cinema. A supporter of the [[Christian Right]], he believes [[Israel]] has no greater friend outside of Jews than religious Christians and believes an increase in born again Christians is a good thing for [[Judaism]].

Unlike many in the Jewish community, he is not concerned with groups such as [[Jews for Jesus]] but instead is much more concerned with "Jews for nothing". He loves Jewish food and movies. He believes that the Jewish community spends so much time worrying about ethnic Jews believing in Jesus, that it misses the much larger number of Jews who become secular in nature and that's where the attention should be focused.

Medved is currently ranked 9th among radio talk show hosts with 2.75 million listeners daily<ref>Newsweek April 23rd, 2007 p. 29</ref>

==References==
<References/>

==External links==
*[http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/arts/al0033.html Hollywood's Three Big Lies]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Medved, Michael}}

[[Category:Conservative Commentators]]
[[Category:Orthodox Jews]]
[[Category:Conservatives]]

Homosexual behavior

2009-05-24T19:31:54Z

Zach909:

'''Homosexual behavior''' is sexual contact between two people or animals of the same sex, i.e., two males or between two females. Homosexual behavior can vary from non-consequential, incidental acts to full-fledged [[homosexual act]]s. The former are excusable and often serve other purposes, while the latter are genuine displays of homosexual longing and an espousal of the [[homosexual lifestyle]]. The distinction lies in the intent: some homosexual behavior is homosexual only on the technical ground that it involves animals or people of the same sex, but the purpose of the behavior is not intrinsically linked to the involvement of two people of the same sex.

If a male animal (such as a [[ruminant]]) mounts another male, it is not necessarily a homosexual act; instead it is just dominance behavior or possibly the result of poor vision leading to a case of mistaken identity. The act of mounting is a dominant act, irrespective of the sex of the mounted animal -- the act is "homosexual" solely on the technical ground that it involves two bulls, but it is not homosexual because the bulls are not do not display an intent that the mounted be male.

A commonly seen example in people is one athlete patting the backside of another athlete on his team. In the literal sense of the word, this is "homosexual" behavior since it involves two people of the same sex, yet it is not a homosexual act since the intent of the act was not linked to the person being male, but rather to the person being a teammate. If one were to follow the technical definition of "homosexual" then all sorts of everyday acts would be considered "homosexual behavior", such as grappling in [[wrestling]] or getting changed in a same-sex locker room. But clearly these acts are not homosexual because they are incidentally between people of the same sex, not intentionally and with ulterior motives.

The [[Roman Catholic]] Church makes a distinction between harboring homosexual inclination (or {{show2|sexual|orientation}}) and actually acting upon that inclination. Thus, it deems the former acceptable while joining most other [[Christian]]s as well as [[Jew]]s in condemning the latter as sinful. Muslims simply publicly hang homosexuals, no matter what age they are.

== See also ==
* [[Homosexuality and the Bible]]
* [[Homosexuality and biblical interpretation]]

[[category:Homosexuality]]
[[category:Catholic Church]]
[[Category:Judaism]]
[[Category:Islam]]

Koran

2009-05-24T19:26:58Z

Zach909: /* Verses of Violence */

[[Image:Opened Qur'an.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A copy of the Qur'an opened for study.]]
The '''Qur'an''', also called the '''Koran''' ('''القرآن''' in [[Arabic]]), is the sacred scripture of [[Islam]].

The Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet [[Muhammad]], who is known to have wives under the age of 13, over a number of years in the 7th century AD, purportedly through the [[angel]] [[Gabriel]]. The scripture is organized (roughly) according to the length of the chapters. There are 114 suras (or chapters), with many of the later and more warlike ones appearing near the beginning. The Prophet's first revelations were received in [[Mecca]]. He was exiled from Mecca after commanding the people to repent of [[polytheism]] and join the One True God, (in [[Arabic]], his name is [[Allah]]). The Prophet Muhammad then travelled to [[Medina]] and converted the entire city. He led them to a victory over the polytheists at Mecca.

The verses are of two kinds: Meccan and Medinan. Meccan verses are characterized by praise of a monotheistic God and condemnation of polytheism. Medinan verses reflect divine laws and commandments that would help Muhammad in his new role as a leader of men; that is to say, the verses are concerned more with the social laws and obligations of Muslims.

The Qur'an has influenced a great number of people over the centuries, especially in the [[Middle East]]. (A link to the text of the Qur'an and translations can be found below.)

Several commentaries on the Qur'an exist. These are labelled as "tafsir" (the word for "commentary.") Allah himself is regarded as the greatest Tafsir. Muhammad is the second-best (his tafsir is called "[[hadith]]," the Words of the Prophet). The Companions of the Prophet also produced their own tafsirs. It is important to note that "tafsir" is ''not'' scripture; it is a companion to understanding scripture.

It is also important to note that Muhammad is not worshiped as a God. The Muslims are [[monotheistic]]. The Qur'an states that God has no equals, nor was he begotten by a greater being, ''nor has he begotten any other being.'' Muslims may occasionally view [[Jesus]] and the [[Holy Spirit]] as infringing on God's divinity. The Christian doctrine of the [[Holy Trinity]] is regarded as tantamount to polytheism by Muslims.

==Translation==
The Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet [[Muhammad]] in what the Angel said was "clear Arabic." This has come to mean (for many reasons) that Arabic is the most beautiful language of all. The Qur'an also contains a challenge: if you do not believe that the Qur'an is the word of God, try to make something just as beautiful and good as it! This is the doctrine of inimitability (no copy can be made), or "i'jaz." These two doctrines, along with the inherent difficulty of translation, severely limit the value of translations of the Qur'an. In other words, the only Qur'an is the Arabic Qur'an. English versions of the Qur'an are regarded as commentaries.

Translating the Qur'an and distributing it is not tolerated, and the resulting punishment is often death.

Two of the most famous and widely-read English translations of the Qur'an are those by A. Yusuf Ali and M. Marmaduke Pickthall <ref>http://www.wokingmuslim.org/pers/pickthall/conversion.htm</ref> (and see links below).

==Sources==
Scholars and theologians have identified six main sources for the contents of the Qur'an. ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'' states: "The sources of the Koran be reduced to -

*The [[Old Testament]] (canonical and apocryphal) and the hybrid [[Judaism]] of the late rabbinical schools. During Mohammed's time the Jews were numerous in many parts of Arabia, especially around Medina. Familiarity with them is undoubtedly responsible for many Old Testament stories alluded to in Qur'an. Later Judaism and Rabbinism are equally well represented (Geiger, "Was hat Mohammed aus dem Judenthum aufgenommen?", Wiesbaden, 1833; tr. "Judaism and Islam", Madras, 1898).
*The [[New Testament]] (canonical and apocryphal) and various heretical doctrines. On his journeys between Syria, Hijaz, and Yemen, Mohammed had every opportunity to come in close touch with Yemenite, Abyssinian, Ghassanite, and Syrian [[Christianity|Christians]], especially heretics. Hence, while the influence of orthodox Christianity upon the Qur'an has been slight, apocryphal and heretical Christian legends, on the other hand, are one of the original sources of Koranic faith. (See Muir, op. cit. infra, 66-239; Tisdall, "The Original Sources of the Qur'an", London, 1905, 55-211.)
*[[Sabaism]], a combination of Judaism, [[Manicheism]], and old disfigured Babylonian [[heathen]]ism.
*[[Zoroastrianism]]. On account of Persia's political influence in the north-eastern part of Arabia, it is natural to find Zoroastrian elements in the Qur'an.
*[[Hanifism]], the adherents of which, called Hanifs, must have been considerable in number and influence, as it is known from contemporary Arabian sources that twelve of Mohammed's followers were members of this sect.
*Native ancient and contemporary Arabian heathen beliefs and practices. Wellhausen has collected in his "Reste des arabischen Heidentums" (Berlin, 1897) all that is known of pre-Islamic Arabian heathen belief, traditions, customs, and superstitions, many of which are either alluded to or accepted and incorporated in the Koran. From the various sects and creeds, and Abul-Fida, the well-known historian and geographer of the twelfth century, it is clear that religious beliefs and practices of the Arabs of Mohammed's day form one of the many sources of Islam. From this heathen source Islam derived the practices of [[polygamy]] and [[slavery]], which Mohammed sanctioned by adopting them."<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08692a.htm Koran], by Gabriel Oussani, ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''</ref>

==Verses of Violence==
The Qur'an contains scores of verses exhorting Muslims to engage in violence against non - Muslims:

*"I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore '''strike off their heads''' and '''strike off every fingertip of them'''" (Sura 8 verse 12). <ref>http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Quran/023-violence.htm</ref>

*"Say to the Unbelievers, if (now) they desist (from Unbelief), their past would be forgiven them; but if they persist, the punishment of those before them is already (a matter of warning for them). And '''fight them''' on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there '''prevail justice and faith in Allah''' altogether and everywhere; but if they cease, verily Allah doth see all that they do" (8:38,39)<ref>http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/008.qmt.html#008.038</ref>.

*"So when the sacred months have passed away, then '''slay the idolaters wherever you find them''', and '''take them captives''' and '''besiege them''' and lie in wait for them in every ambush, then if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, leave their way free to them" (Koran 9:5).<ref>http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Quran/023-violence.htm</ref>.

*"The Jews call 'Uzair a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth!" (9:30) <ref>http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/009.qmt.html#009.030</ref>.

*"Soon shall We cast terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers, for that they joined companions with Allah, for which He had sent no authority" (Sura 3 verse 151). <ref>http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Quran/023-violence.htm</ref> This verse commands violence against Christians, who according to Mohammed 'joined Companions with Allah' and are thus infidels who must be killed, subjugated, or converted according to the Koran.

Ultimately, Islam is the religion of Peace, as can be seen in the turmoil of the Middle East over the past fifty years.

== See also ==

*[[Arab American]]

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://tanzil.info/ Tanzil Quran Navigator (searchable Quran and 41 translations)]
*[http://www.islam101.com/quran/yusufAli/ Ali English translation]
*[http://www.islam101.com/quran/QTP/index.htm Pickthall English translation]
*[http://www.answering-islam.org/Authors/Fisher/Topical/index.htm#contents A Topical Study of the Qur'an, From a Christian Perspective, M. J. Fisher]

[[Category:Religious Texts]]
[[Category:Islam]]

Koran

2009-05-24T19:23:37Z

Zach909: /* Translation */

[[Image:Opened Qur'an.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A copy of the Qur'an opened for study.]]
The '''Qur'an''', also called the '''Koran''' ('''القرآن''' in [[Arabic]]), is the sacred scripture of [[Islam]].

The Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet [[Muhammad]], who is known to have wives under the age of 13, over a number of years in the 7th century AD, purportedly through the [[angel]] [[Gabriel]]. The scripture is organized (roughly) according to the length of the chapters. There are 114 suras (or chapters), with many of the later and more warlike ones appearing near the beginning. The Prophet's first revelations were received in [[Mecca]]. He was exiled from Mecca after commanding the people to repent of [[polytheism]] and join the One True God, (in [[Arabic]], his name is [[Allah]]). The Prophet Muhammad then travelled to [[Medina]] and converted the entire city. He led them to a victory over the polytheists at Mecca.

The verses are of two kinds: Meccan and Medinan. Meccan verses are characterized by praise of a monotheistic God and condemnation of polytheism. Medinan verses reflect divine laws and commandments that would help Muhammad in his new role as a leader of men; that is to say, the verses are concerned more with the social laws and obligations of Muslims.

The Qur'an has influenced a great number of people over the centuries, especially in the [[Middle East]]. (A link to the text of the Qur'an and translations can be found below.)

Several commentaries on the Qur'an exist. These are labelled as "tafsir" (the word for "commentary.") Allah himself is regarded as the greatest Tafsir. Muhammad is the second-best (his tafsir is called "[[hadith]]," the Words of the Prophet). The Companions of the Prophet also produced their own tafsirs. It is important to note that "tafsir" is ''not'' scripture; it is a companion to understanding scripture.

It is also important to note that Muhammad is not worshiped as a God. The Muslims are [[monotheistic]]. The Qur'an states that God has no equals, nor was he begotten by a greater being, ''nor has he begotten any other being.'' Muslims may occasionally view [[Jesus]] and the [[Holy Spirit]] as infringing on God's divinity. The Christian doctrine of the [[Holy Trinity]] is regarded as tantamount to polytheism by Muslims.

==Translation==
The Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet [[Muhammad]] in what the Angel said was "clear Arabic." This has come to mean (for many reasons) that Arabic is the most beautiful language of all. The Qur'an also contains a challenge: if you do not believe that the Qur'an is the word of God, try to make something just as beautiful and good as it! This is the doctrine of inimitability (no copy can be made), or "i'jaz." These two doctrines, along with the inherent difficulty of translation, severely limit the value of translations of the Qur'an. In other words, the only Qur'an is the Arabic Qur'an. English versions of the Qur'an are regarded as commentaries.

Translating the Qur'an and distributing it is not tolerated, and the resulting punishment is often death.

Two of the most famous and widely-read English translations of the Qur'an are those by A. Yusuf Ali and M. Marmaduke Pickthall <ref>http://www.wokingmuslim.org/pers/pickthall/conversion.htm</ref> (and see links below).

==Sources==
Scholars and theologians have identified six main sources for the contents of the Qur'an. ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'' states: "The sources of the Koran be reduced to -

*The [[Old Testament]] (canonical and apocryphal) and the hybrid [[Judaism]] of the late rabbinical schools. During Mohammed's time the Jews were numerous in many parts of Arabia, especially around Medina. Familiarity with them is undoubtedly responsible for many Old Testament stories alluded to in Qur'an. Later Judaism and Rabbinism are equally well represented (Geiger, "Was hat Mohammed aus dem Judenthum aufgenommen?", Wiesbaden, 1833; tr. "Judaism and Islam", Madras, 1898).
*The [[New Testament]] (canonical and apocryphal) and various heretical doctrines. On his journeys between Syria, Hijaz, and Yemen, Mohammed had every opportunity to come in close touch with Yemenite, Abyssinian, Ghassanite, and Syrian [[Christianity|Christians]], especially heretics. Hence, while the influence of orthodox Christianity upon the Qur'an has been slight, apocryphal and heretical Christian legends, on the other hand, are one of the original sources of Koranic faith. (See Muir, op. cit. infra, 66-239; Tisdall, "The Original Sources of the Qur'an", London, 1905, 55-211.)
*[[Sabaism]], a combination of Judaism, [[Manicheism]], and old disfigured Babylonian [[heathen]]ism.
*[[Zoroastrianism]]. On account of Persia's political influence in the north-eastern part of Arabia, it is natural to find Zoroastrian elements in the Qur'an.
*[[Hanifism]], the adherents of which, called Hanifs, must have been considerable in number and influence, as it is known from contemporary Arabian sources that twelve of Mohammed's followers were members of this sect.
*Native ancient and contemporary Arabian heathen beliefs and practices. Wellhausen has collected in his "Reste des arabischen Heidentums" (Berlin, 1897) all that is known of pre-Islamic Arabian heathen belief, traditions, customs, and superstitions, many of which are either alluded to or accepted and incorporated in the Koran. From the various sects and creeds, and Abul-Fida, the well-known historian and geographer of the twelfth century, it is clear that religious beliefs and practices of the Arabs of Mohammed's day form one of the many sources of Islam. From this heathen source Islam derived the practices of [[polygamy]] and [[slavery]], which Mohammed sanctioned by adopting them."<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08692a.htm Koran], by Gabriel Oussani, ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''</ref>

==Verses of Violence==
The Qur'an contains scores of verses exhorting Muslims to engage in violence against non - Muslims:

*"I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore '''strike off their heads''' and '''strike off every fingertip of them'''" (Sura 8 verse 12). <ref>http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Quran/023-violence.htm</ref>

*"Say to the Unbelievers, if (now) they desist (from Unbelief), their past would be forgiven them; but if they persist, the punishment of those before them is already (a matter of warning for them). And '''fight them''' on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there '''prevail justice and faith in Allah''' altogether and everywhere; but if they cease, verily Allah doth see all that they do" (8:38,39)<ref>http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/008.qmt.html#008.038</ref>.

*"So when the sacred months have passed away, then '''slay the idolaters wherever you find them''', and '''take them captives''' and '''besiege them''' and lie in wait for them in every ambush, then if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, leave their way free to them" (Koran 9:5).<ref>http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Quran/023-violence.htm</ref>.

*"The Jews call 'Uzair a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth!" (9:30) <ref>http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/009.qmt.html#009.030</ref>.

*"Soon shall We cast terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers, for that they joined companions with Allah, for which He had sent no authority" (Sura 3 verse 151). <ref>http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Quran/023-violence.htm</ref> This verse commands violence against Christians, who according to Mohammed 'joined Companions with Allah' and are thus infidels who must be killed, subjugated, or converted according to the Koran.

== See also ==

*[[Arab American]]

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://tanzil.info/ Tanzil Quran Navigator (searchable Quran and 41 translations)]
*[http://www.islam101.com/quran/yusufAli/ Ali English translation]
*[http://www.islam101.com/quran/QTP/index.htm Pickthall English translation]
*[http://www.answering-islam.org/Authors/Fisher/Topical/index.htm#contents A Topical Study of the Qur'an, From a Christian Perspective, M. J. Fisher]

[[Category:Religious Texts]]
[[Category:Islam]]

Koran

2009-05-24T19:17:52Z

Zach909:

[[Image:Opened Qur'an.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A copy of the Qur'an opened for study.]]
The '''Qur'an''', also called the '''Koran''' ('''القرآن''' in [[Arabic]]), is the sacred scripture of [[Islam]].

The Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet [[Muhammad]], who is known to have wives under the age of 13, over a number of years in the 7th century AD, purportedly through the [[angel]] [[Gabriel]]. The scripture is organized (roughly) according to the length of the chapters. There are 114 suras (or chapters), with many of the later and more warlike ones appearing near the beginning. The Prophet's first revelations were received in [[Mecca]]. He was exiled from Mecca after commanding the people to repent of [[polytheism]] and join the One True God, (in [[Arabic]], his name is [[Allah]]). The Prophet Muhammad then travelled to [[Medina]] and converted the entire city. He led them to a victory over the polytheists at Mecca.

The verses are of two kinds: Meccan and Medinan. Meccan verses are characterized by praise of a monotheistic God and condemnation of polytheism. Medinan verses reflect divine laws and commandments that would help Muhammad in his new role as a leader of men; that is to say, the verses are concerned more with the social laws and obligations of Muslims.

The Qur'an has influenced a great number of people over the centuries, especially in the [[Middle East]]. (A link to the text of the Qur'an and translations can be found below.)

Several commentaries on the Qur'an exist. These are labelled as "tafsir" (the word for "commentary.") Allah himself is regarded as the greatest Tafsir. Muhammad is the second-best (his tafsir is called "[[hadith]]," the Words of the Prophet). The Companions of the Prophet also produced their own tafsirs. It is important to note that "tafsir" is ''not'' scripture; it is a companion to understanding scripture.

It is also important to note that Muhammad is not worshiped as a God. The Muslims are [[monotheistic]]. The Qur'an states that God has no equals, nor was he begotten by a greater being, ''nor has he begotten any other being.'' Muslims may occasionally view [[Jesus]] and the [[Holy Spirit]] as infringing on God's divinity. The Christian doctrine of the [[Holy Trinity]] is regarded as tantamount to polytheism by Muslims.

==Translation==
The Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet [[Muhammad]] in what the Angel said was "clear Arabic." This has come to mean (for many reasons) that Arabic is the most beautiful language of all. The Qur'an also contains a challenge: if you do not believe that the Qur'an is the word of God, try to make something just as beautiful and good as it! This is the doctrine of inimitability (no copy can be made), or "i'jaz." These two doctrines, along with the inherent difficulty of translation, severely limit the value of translations of the Qur'an. In other words, the only Qur'an is the Arabic Qur'an. English versions of the Qur'an are regarded as commentaries.

Two of the most famous and widely-read English translations of the Qur'an are those by A. Yusuf Ali and M. Marmaduke Pickthall <ref>http://www.wokingmuslim.org/pers/pickthall/conversion.htm</ref> (and see links below).

==Sources==
Scholars and theologians have identified six main sources for the contents of the Qur'an. ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'' states: "The sources of the Koran be reduced to -

*The [[Old Testament]] (canonical and apocryphal) and the hybrid [[Judaism]] of the late rabbinical schools. During Mohammed's time the Jews were numerous in many parts of Arabia, especially around Medina. Familiarity with them is undoubtedly responsible for many Old Testament stories alluded to in Qur'an. Later Judaism and Rabbinism are equally well represented (Geiger, "Was hat Mohammed aus dem Judenthum aufgenommen?", Wiesbaden, 1833; tr. "Judaism and Islam", Madras, 1898).
*The [[New Testament]] (canonical and apocryphal) and various heretical doctrines. On his journeys between Syria, Hijaz, and Yemen, Mohammed had every opportunity to come in close touch with Yemenite, Abyssinian, Ghassanite, and Syrian [[Christianity|Christians]], especially heretics. Hence, while the influence of orthodox Christianity upon the Qur'an has been slight, apocryphal and heretical Christian legends, on the other hand, are one of the original sources of Koranic faith. (See Muir, op. cit. infra, 66-239; Tisdall, "The Original Sources of the Qur'an", London, 1905, 55-211.)
*[[Sabaism]], a combination of Judaism, [[Manicheism]], and old disfigured Babylonian [[heathen]]ism.
*[[Zoroastrianism]]. On account of Persia's political influence in the north-eastern part of Arabia, it is natural to find Zoroastrian elements in the Qur'an.
*[[Hanifism]], the adherents of which, called Hanifs, must have been considerable in number and influence, as it is known from contemporary Arabian sources that twelve of Mohammed's followers were members of this sect.
*Native ancient and contemporary Arabian heathen beliefs and practices. Wellhausen has collected in his "Reste des arabischen Heidentums" (Berlin, 1897) all that is known of pre-Islamic Arabian heathen belief, traditions, customs, and superstitions, many of which are either alluded to or accepted and incorporated in the Koran. From the various sects and creeds, and Abul-Fida, the well-known historian and geographer of the twelfth century, it is clear that religious beliefs and practices of the Arabs of Mohammed's day form one of the many sources of Islam. From this heathen source Islam derived the practices of [[polygamy]] and [[slavery]], which Mohammed sanctioned by adopting them."<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08692a.htm Koran], by Gabriel Oussani, ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''</ref>

==Verses of Violence==
The Qur'an contains scores of verses exhorting Muslims to engage in violence against non - Muslims:

*"I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore '''strike off their heads''' and '''strike off every fingertip of them'''" (Sura 8 verse 12). <ref>http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Quran/023-violence.htm</ref>

*"Say to the Unbelievers, if (now) they desist (from Unbelief), their past would be forgiven them; but if they persist, the punishment of those before them is already (a matter of warning for them). And '''fight them''' on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there '''prevail justice and faith in Allah''' altogether and everywhere; but if they cease, verily Allah doth see all that they do" (8:38,39)<ref>http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/008.qmt.html#008.038</ref>.

*"So when the sacred months have passed away, then '''slay the idolaters wherever you find them''', and '''take them captives''' and '''besiege them''' and lie in wait for them in every ambush, then if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, leave their way free to them" (Koran 9:5).<ref>http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Quran/023-violence.htm</ref>.

*"The Jews call 'Uzair a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth!" (9:30) <ref>http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/009.qmt.html#009.030</ref>.

*"Soon shall We cast terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers, for that they joined companions with Allah, for which He had sent no authority" (Sura 3 verse 151). <ref>http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Quran/023-violence.htm</ref> This verse commands violence against Christians, who according to Mohammed 'joined Companions with Allah' and are thus infidels who must be killed, subjugated, or converted according to the Koran.

== See also ==

*[[Arab American]]

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://tanzil.info/ Tanzil Quran Navigator (searchable Quran and 41 translations)]
*[http://www.islam101.com/quran/yusufAli/ Ali English translation]
*[http://www.islam101.com/quran/QTP/index.htm Pickthall English translation]
*[http://www.answering-islam.org/Authors/Fisher/Topical/index.htm#contents A Topical Study of the Qur'an, From a Christian Perspective, M. J. Fisher]

[[Category:Religious Texts]]
[[Category:Islam]]