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Ulm-ul-Qur’an An Introduction to the Science of the Qur’an
(How to Study and Understand the Quran) By:
Dr.
Hasanuddin Ahmed, I.A.S.
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CHAPTER
- 11
ILMU TAFHIMIL QUR’AN
SCIENCE OF UNDERSTANDING THE QUR'AN
The very object of 'Ulum
al Qur'an is to have the knowledge of the essential objectives of the
Qur'an. The aim of all the 'Ulum’ is common: all of them, individually
and collectively, aim at having a better understanding of the Qur'an.
However, the study of explanation of the Qur'an and its main objectives have
been developed as a separate science, and it can be regarded as one of the
pivot studies. The field of other studies is limited to local areas whereas
the science of understanding the Qur'an takes an overall view and aims at
determining the subject matter and the broad classification thereof. Ilm
al tafhim is one of the most important areas of knowledge for the proper
understanding and explanation of the Qur’anic revelations. The position of
other 'Ulum al Qur'an is therefore that of auxiliary studies. The method adopted by the
other 'Ulum al Qur'an’, is to proceed from particular to general: They
proceed from limited and local studies and then attempt to determine the
overall message and object thereof. Ilm ma'ani, for example deals with
the meaning of the words and terms of the Qur'an. Understanding of the Qur'an
can be grasped if the Qur'anic vocabulary is properly understood. Ilm
tafsir, likewise, helps to understand the meaning of the Qur'an, ayah
by ayah and passage by passage. Ilm 'ijaz al Qur'an aims to
study the miraculous nature of the Qur'an with special reference to its
literary beauty. In such studies there are possibilities of drawing erroneous
conclusions. Even a slight deviation or inclination in one particular field
is most likely to end in wrong conclusion. The approach of the ‘Ilm
al tafhim’ is however, diametrically different. The method adopted in Tafhimil Qur’an is to form a
general idea about the basic teachings oif the Qur’an. It attempts to have a
knowledge of the Qur'anic message as a whole. Every discipline or study
suffers from one inherent defect: As one
goes deeper and deeper, in the process of un-ravelling the linguistic
intricacies and excessing analysis the main object is often lost sight of. 'Ulum
al Qur'an’ are no exception. It is the ‘Ilm al tafhim’ which
checks any deviation in other 'Ulum’ and helps to keep the main object
constantly in sight. There is no denying the
fact that in spite of the ambitious and exemplary human attempts to
understand the divine message, whatever is said so far in the ‘Ulum al
Qur'an’ is not all truth. The conclusions drawn are
not free from human error. The main function of 'Ilm al tafhim' is to
maintain the correct direction of the other 'Ulum al Qur'an’. Another function of 'Ilm
al tafhim' is to remove the obstacles which are found in the way of the
correct understanding of the Qur'an. The approach of the sufis as
found in their 'tafsir bil ishara', for example, goes against the
Qur'anic norms. Such approach as pointed out by several scholars, is an
obstacle. It is 'Ilm al tafhim' which determines the Qur'anic attitude
and warns against any approach or philosophy which is alien to the Qur'anic
teachings. The Companions of the
Prophet and the tabi'een knew the Qur'anic concepts and understood the
Qur'anic terms. They preserved the essence of the Qur'anic terms as a sacred
trust. In later centuries however, due to the negligence of the Ummah
and due to alien influences the original meanings of the Qur'anic terms which
are well preserved in the Qur'an, were diluted or almost lost. This again
became one of the obstacles in the correct understanding of the Qur'an. Any
deviation in the correct understanding of the terms can be detected from 'Ilm
al tafhim’. Sources of knowledge:
One important factor
distinguishes 'Ilm al tafhim' from other 'Ulum al Qur'an’. The
one and the main source of this discipline is the Qur'an. It is a matter of
great advantage that the Qur'an has given its own objectives and that every
word of the divine message is fully preserved. What is required for any
scholar of this science is to make a thorough and deep study of the Qur'an,
in order to have a comprehensive knowledge of its contents. According to the present
arrangement, Surah Al-Fatiha is the first Surah and
serves the purpose of an introduction. It is an epitome of the Qur'anic
teachings. “Looking into the
character of the contents of this chapter, it becomes apparent that the rest
of the Qur'an is but a detailed commentary of the concentrated substance that
it contains, or that it gives out in an epitomized form the fundamental
objectives of the Faith so elaborately expatiated upon in the rest of the
Qur'an. If a person were to read nothing but this from out of the Qur'an and
grasp its meaning, he could understand all the essentials of the Faith which
form the subject of detailed exposition by the Qur'an”. 1 By grasping the central theme
of this Surah one can try to comprehend the divine design envisaged in
the Qur'an. Methodology
For the purpose of study
and correct appreciation of any book it is necessary to make a detailed study
of its subjects and to categorize them. Classification or categorisation is
of two kinds: 1. Categorisation under broad headings (muhtawiyat). 2. Categorisation under maximum
sub-headings by subdividing the subjects (tabwib) As far as the Qur'an is
concerned, in categorisation under broad headings all the ayaat
dealing with or related to one subject are clubbed together into sub‑headings.
This categorisation can be termed as synopsis or abstract. It gives a bird's‑eye
view of the Book. The Qur'an presents its innumerable subjects and topics by
repeating them for the sake of emphasis and for elucidation. We find a
variety in expression of the same subjects and topics. The concepts of the
Qur'an are co‑related. There is such a consistency and uniformity in
various concepts that while discussing one the Qur'an frequently introduces
another theme. The methodology adopted by the Muslim scholars in this field
of Qur'anic studies has been very scientific. Each scholar made a broad
classification of the Qur'an with regard to its contents, according to his
own understanding. These classifications differed from scholar to scholar but
they give a fair idea about the contents of the Qur'an. The classification of the
contents helps to get acquaintance with the main themes of the Qur'an and
also to know the relationship of ayaat (and the Surahs respectively)
with the preceding and succeeding ones. It also helps to know the mode of the
Qur'an. The classification also
helps to separate the repetitions and to identify the subjects. No classification
however, precise can be considered as perfect and final. It is not possible
for human mind to comprehend all and every aspect of the divine message. May
be there are many aspects which the human mind has not yet fully grasped and
which would become clearer as the human understanding develops. As the time
marches on and the boundaries of human learning and understanding are
extended, the Qur'an would certainly unfold more mysteries. Essential objectives of the Qur'an
The
Qur'an 1. Aims to present the attributes of Allah
in proper perspective. 2. Lays emphasis on the principles of
caution in life so as to suggest that, even as in nature, every cause has its
effect in the domain of human life, both individual and collective. 3. Aims to inculcate in man a belief in the
life hereafter by pointing out that man's life does not end with his earthly
existence, but that there is life to follow, where one has to account for his
life on earth and where the effect of past deeds becomes manifest, as a
matter of course. 4. Points the way to righteous or good
life. Eminent Muslim scholars
including Ali bin 'Isa al Ramani (d.384/994), Qazi al Ma'ali Uzairi author of
Al Burhan bi mushkilat al Qur’an and others have attempted to
categorise the contents of the Qur'an under broad headings. One broad classification
is that the Qur'an consists of 'Qabz' and 'bast'. Qabz
are such passages which are in the words of human beings adddressed to the
Almighty such as Surah Al‑Fatiha, Ayatal Kursi etc. Bast
are such passages which comprise the sayings of the Almighty such as Surah
Al Kauthar etc. These include messages addressed to the Prophet Muhammad
(s), other apostles, the believers and humanity at large. The eminent Muslim
scholar Shah Waliullah of Delhi (d.1176/1762) has classified the contents of
the Qur'an into the following subjects: I). Injunctions pertaining to matters of
worship, permissible (halal) and forbidden (haram) and dealings
with fellow men. II) Description of 'people of the Book' (ahle
Kitab) idolators (mushrikin) and hypocrites (munafiqin) III) Mention of Allah's rewards and His signs. IV) Narration of the past which relate to
reward for the righteous and punishment for the wrong doers. V) Eschatology i.e., details of life after
death, accountability, day of judgement, paradise, hell etc. Mawlana Abul Kalam Azad
(d. 1373/1958) in his book Tarjuman al Qur'an has suggested a
classfication. According to him the Qur'an: i) Has presented the attributes of god in
proper perspective for it is in his approach to them that man has often
blundered. ii) Lays emphasis on the principles of
causation in life so as to suggest that, even as in nature, every cause, has
its effect in the domain of human life, both individual and collective, so
much so, that a good action produces a good result and an evil action an evil
result. iii) Aims to inculcate in man a belief in the
life hereafter, by pointing out that man's life does not end with his earthly
existence, but that there is a life to follow, where one has to account for
his life on earth and where the effect of past deeds becomes manifest as a
matter of course. iv) Points the way to righteous or good life.1 The broad classifications
suggested by various scholars are as follows: 1. The contents of the Qur'an are divided
under the following four heads. In other words each and every ayah of
the Qur'an comes under one or the other head: i) Beliefs, ii)
Injunctions, iii) Narratives, iv) Similes, (amsaal). 2. One classification of the contents of
the Qur'an is as follows: i) Worship ii) Morality
or ethics iii) Dealings iv) Beliefs v)
Narratives. 3. One Classification is as follows: i) Narratives and
counsels (exhortations and warnings) ii) Injunctions regarding
beliefs, worship and jihad. iii) Moral and civic
instructions. iv) Good tidings and
promises for the righteous and warnings for the evil doers. v) Similes (amsaal)
which are meant for training. 4. One suggestion is that whatever is
described in the Six Thousand and odd ayaat of the Qur'an are: i) Description ii) Figuration iii) Explicit iv) Exquisite 5. One division of the contents is as
follows: i) Beliefs ii) Fiqh
iii) Narratives iv) Eschatology 6. One more suggestion is that all the
contents of the Qur'an are covered by the followings: i) Faith (Iman)
and its requirements. ii) Tawhid iii)
Prophethood. 7. Another suggestion is that the entire
Qur'an is covered by the following topics: i) Injunctions ii)
Sermons iii) Legal explanations iv) Guidance v)
Narratives. 8. The central protagonist in the over all
subject matter of the Qur'an is Allah. The principal subject of the Qur'an is
Allah in His relation to humanity. The characterization of Allah is the
central literary concern of the Qur'an. Allah as introduced in
the Qur'an is holy, transcendental, unlike anything in all creation. It
follows, then that language about Allah must be figurative, because it
attempts to describe in terms of this world the One who is totally different
from this world. One overwhelmed by
tawheed has declared that the entire Qur'an deals with Allah and Allah alone.
Whatever is mentioned therein is covered by the followings: i) Nature of
Allah (His attributes). ii) Allah's Din
and His injunctions. iii) Actions
which Allah wants us to do and not to do (awamir and navahi). iv)
Narratives of Allah's righteous servants and of those who disobeyed Him. v) The reward
which Allah gives to the righteous and the punishment He gives to the evil
doers. ('eschatology').
Tabwib Qur'an
Another categorization of
the contents of the Qur'an is `tabwib' in which detailed
classification is made under maximum headings by dividing the subject. After
categorisation under broad headings further division of contents into sub‑headings
becomes necessary. Tabwib is a detailed subject wise classification of
the Qur'anic contents. It is an important aid for acquiring the understanding
of the Qur'an (tafhim al Qur’an). Each
main head such as injunctions, narratives, eschatology, etc., can be further
divided into scores of sub‑headings. There
are several advantages of tabwib. It helps to acquire clear concept of
the Qur'anic contents. It facilitates to have all the ayaat pertaining
to a particular subject at one place. The
traditional methodology, adopted by the exegetes, is to offer explanations ayah
by ayah. There is one serious drawback in such approach. In respect of
certain topics the Qur'an has made several observations at different places,
Unless all such observations are brought together in one place and considered
carefully it is not possible to come to a definite and realistic conclusion. In
the traditional approach the exegete himself is most likely to act as a
source of unQur'anic and alien influences. His explanations, as a human
being, seriously interfere with the understanding of the Divine intent of the
Qur'an. As against the traditional method there is
another and perhaps a much better method in which the contents of the Qur'an
are explained topicwise. When all the ayaat pertaining to a particular
topic theme or concept are brought together the intended meaning become very
clear. There is no possibility, then of unQur’anic or alien influences
interfering with the Divine intent. In such exegetic approach tabwib
is not only helpful, it is inevitable. Certain difficulties are
encountered by the scholars in this field of study. There are some Qur'anic ayaat
which can be categorised under more than one sub‑heading. The work of tabwib is an
exercise in which it is necessary to divide the headings into such
subheadings that all the ayaat of the Qur'an come under one or the
other subheadings. If the headings are not carefully sub divided there is
every possibility that some ayaat will remain uncategorised. The eminent scholar Maulvi
Waheeduzzama Khan of Hyderabad, India has prepared a very exhaustive subject
wise list and categorised the subjects into headings and sub‑headings
(in Urdu) It was published in 1909. Justice Khawaja Abdul
Muqtadar (d. 1994) of Hyderabad in his book ‘Subjects in the Holy Qur'an’
prepared a list of selected 247 Qur'anic topics and collected all the
relevant ayaat under each topic. The book was published in 3 volumes
in 1995. Is the Qur'an easy or difficult?
The question whether the
Qur'an is easy or not has been controversial among the Qur'anic scholars. In
this regard it is necessary to take various aspects into consideration. The scholars who maintain
the Qur'an to be difficult argue that the knowledge of Arabic language,
syntax and grammar is a pre requisite for the understanding of the Qur'an.
This condition is difficult for even those whose mother‑tongue is
Arabic and more so for others. These scholars base their views on the
following ayah. “Nay here (in the Qur'an)
are signs self evident in hearts of those endowed with knowledge” (Qur’an
29:39). They argue that where
knowledge is involved there can only be selected few who can claim to
understand the Qur'an. If the style of the
Qur'an, its way of expression, the peculiarities of the Arabic according to
the construction of the language are considered as part of its understanding
then the Qur'an is difficult, nay it is very difficult. There are several ayaat
which are untranslatable. In ayah 50:43 the pronoun 'we' has been used
five times. If this ayah is rendered into any language whatsoever the
use of the pronoun 'we' cannot be more than three. In the background of this
point of view the question arises: If the meanings of the Qur'an are really
difficult to comprehend and if it is not possible for each and every human
being to grasp them then how can it benefit the entire humanity? The Qur'an claims: “This (the Qur'an) is
nothing but a reminder for all the domains of existence” (Qur’an 38:87) As against this bold
claim Arabic is a language of only a part of the humanity. If the knowledge
of Arabic is a sine quanon for the understanding of the Qur'an then how the
claim of the Qur'an is justifiable? Is it that all the humanity will have to
learn Arabic so as to derive benefit from the Qur'anic message? If the knowledge of the
contents of the Qur'an is the monopoly of particular group (Even if this
monopoly is not of religious leaders but of scholars) is the entire humanity
destined to get acquaintance of the Qur'anic message through this group? When the question –
whether the Qur'an is easy or difficult – is posed it is necessary at the
outset to determine as to what it is that we mean as easy or difficult. It is true that the
knowledge of wisdom (hikmah) of the Qur'an its literary beauty (balaghat)
and such studies are difficult. The Qur’an is however, basically a book of
guidance and in that role it is not at all difficult. The Qur'an itself has
declared in unequivocal terms: “And We have indeed made
the Qur'an easy to understand and remember: then is there any that will
receive admonition?”(Qur’an 54:17) The right to understand
the Qur'an as guidance is not the monopoly of any particular group or of
people having knowledge of Arabic. In view of the above the
observation of Syed Rasheed Riza's statement in 'tafsir al minar’appears
to be exaggerated: "No one can be
benefited by the guidance of the Qur'an unless his inner self is fully
assured of the Qur’anic promises and is terrified by its warnings, unless one
achieves the ability of understanding its meaning and the beauty of its ways
of expression. " The Qur'an like the other
world classics is an open book from which the entire humanity can get
guidance and can be benefitted. Every one has access to each and every word,
term, ayah of the Qur’an and to their meaning irrespective of the
barrier of language. Its message is universal. The understanding of the
Qur'an is not dependent on the knowledge of Arabic. It depends on sincere
contemplation, investigation and research according to the individual’s capability.
To get the benefit of its guidance neither the knowledge of Arabic is
required nor such requirements which render its understanding difficult. One
important condition for the understanding of the Qur'an is that it should be
studied without preconceived notions. The mind should be free of conventional
beliefs and fetters of customs. It should be free of bias and should be
committed to truth. If the contents of the Qur'an are studied by adopting
this approach then the Qur'an is bound to prove most effective. The condition
to get benefit from the Qur'an are so easy and so reasonable that one cannot
imagine a simpler and more reasonable approach. The Qur'an is fully in
conformity with nature. It is easy in the sense that it is free of
philosophical complexities and verbosity, there is no logical chicanery and
superstitions in it. Maulana Mohd. Haneef Nadvi in his Urdu book 'Mutal'a‑e‑Qur'an'
says:"There are no intellectual contradictions, confusions of ideas or
disagreement in the narration of the Qur'an”. As compared to other
religious books which are not free of interpolations and have been corrupted
by human beings with corrupt motives, the Qur'an is a simple straight forward
and an easy book. As compared to the Arab
orations and poetry of the pre Islamic era the Qur'an is very easy to
understand. A pre‑condition for
understanding the Qur'an: Maulana
Sayeed Ahmed Akberabadi in his Urdu book "Fahm‑e‑Qur'an”says:"For
acquiring perfection and insight in any discipline there are certain pre‑requisites.
The aspirant will succeed only if he fulfills all the conditions. In the same
way to fully understand the contents of the Qur'an apart from the knowledge
of various disciplines and a flair for Arabic language a most important thing
is atqa”. The word atqa used by the learned author is in fact
the purity of heart. In other words the mind should be free of other (alien
influences). The domination of preconceived notions on mind can be a
hinderance in deriving benefit from any book. It is certainly a hinderance in
the understanding of the Qur’an. It is one of
the main characteristic of the Qur'an that it rivets the attention of the
sincere reader and when one reads it carefully, it influences profoundly. The
Qur'an meets its reader at his own level of comprehension and reveals its
meaning to him according to his intelligence and intellectual capacity. However,
there is one important precondition for the study of the Qur'an that it
should be studied with a clean mind. Qur'an says: "Which
(the Qur’an) none touches except those (whose hearts) are clean."
(Qur’an 56:79) Mutahar does not exclusively
indicate cleanliness of the body. It also indicates cleanliness of the mind. This is
certainly the most reasonable condition. Misconceptions, doubts and hostile attitude regarding the Qur'an
During the Abbasid period
the work of translation from various languages into Arabic expanded.
Translations of books in Greek language on physics as well as on metaphysics
formed part of the curriculum. The negative effect of this academic
enterprize was that the Greek philosophy influenced the minds of the younger
generations and created doubts in their minds. It gave rise to some
unnecessary and meaningless discussions and some of the basic beliefs of the
Muslims regarding the Qur’an were shaken. There was an imperative need to
attack at the root of the false notions of the Greek philosophy, and to
dislodge them. This was not done on a large scale. Thus apart from the other
factors the effect of the alien philosophies in the early centuries created
barriers in the way to the understanding of the Qur'an and gave rise to the
misconceptions and doubts. As regards the anti
Qur’anic literature based on misunderstandings, as well as on deliberate
opposition the Muslim Scholars and intellectuals should accept that they
alone are responsible. They are responsible
because it is one of their religious duties to convey the Qur'anic teachings
to the common man both Muslims and non Muslims. It is their duty to clear all
possible doubts and prejudices. The Muslim scholars and intellectuals have to
own the responsibility because the concept is gaining ground that the
contents of the Qur'an are difficult to understand or that they are
unintellegible. They have to accept the responsibility because some exegetes
have not differentiated between the authentic and unauthentic traditions and
at times the Qur'anic ayaat have been interpreted in such a way that
it gave rise to misunderstandings. The responsibility assumes more importance
because as a result of the modern facilities in the field of dissemination of
knowledge, literature is being published on a very large scale. As against
this situation the Muslim scholars have adopted a policy of indifference. It may be noted that from
the date of its revelation the Qur'an was beset with enemies from within and
without who tried to challenge it and misrepresent its contents. From the
moment it was first recited in 609 A‑D the opposition movement started
which continues to this date without any break. The opposition has taken
various forms in different periods of history, but the basic fact remains
that the opposition is based on ignorance, prejudice, narrow mindedness and
sticking to pre‑Islamic and un Islamic traditions. The entire history
of the Qur'an is, in fact the story of continuous opposition of the
opponents. The Prophet of Islam
reacted to the opposition in such a magnificent way that every move of the
enemies proved a blessing in disguise and the Prophet took its full
advantage. If any lesson is to be taken from history of the Qur'an the most
important lesson is to be aware of the tactics adopted by the Prophet in
countering the opposition, his sincerity of purpose and most intelligent (hikmah)
approach. The Muslim scholars
should accept the opposition of the Qur'an as a fact. The Qur'an has to live
with it. The opposition if handled carefully can prove to be a boon. Apart from deliberate and
motivated opposition there exist genuine misunderstandings about the Qur'an
among the Jews, Christians, Hindus and even many Muslims. While reacting to the
opponents the Qur'an has expressed in two ways. Either the Qur'an has put
forward strong and convincing arguments to silence the opponents or warned
them of divine wrath."And they say:'None shall enter Paradise unless he
be a Jew or a Christian' Those are their (vain) desires. Say:'Produce your
proof if ye are truthful.”( Qur'an 2:111) "Say:' With Allah is
the argument that reaches home: if it had been His will, He could Indeed have
guided you all. (Qur'an 6:149) ".
. . . But (thus you met) that Allah might accomplish a matter already
decided, That those who died might die after a clear sign (had been given),
and those who lived might live after a clear sign (had been given). And
verily Allah is He who heareth and knoweth (all things). (Qur'an 8:42) "They say, 'Allah
hath begotten a son! ' Glory be to Him! He is self-sufficient! His are all
things in the heavens and on earth! No warrant have you for this! Say you
about Allah what you know not?". (Qur'an 10:68) Ilm-al kalam
Isma'il al‑Ash'ari
(260/873 ‑ 313/925) is known as Imam ul‑Mutakallimin.
Among others his two disciples Abu Abdullah Muhmmad bin Ahmed bin Yaqub bin
Mujahid al Tai (d.370/981) and Qazi
Abu Bakr al‑Baqillani were more distinguished. Imam al Harmain
Abul Ma'ali,s eminent book and its abridged version 'Al Irshad' are
very important. Ihya'ul Ulum by Imam Abu Hamid al Ghazzali (450/1058 ‑
505/1111) is also an outstanding contribution on the subject, Ilm al kalam.
Although 'Ilm al
Kalam' started with countering the offensive objections of the opponents,
in due course of time the objectionable trends of Greek philosophy,
Zoarastrianism and Isra'iliyat influenced Ilm al Kalam itself. The
simple and straight forward teachings of the Qur'an were explained through
philosophical terms. The range of 'Ilm al
Kalam' however, is very wide. As far as hostile attitude against the
Qur'an is concerned, Muslim scholars have realized their responsibility and
have earnestly defended the Qur'an. They have elaborately discussed each and
every objection that was raised due to misconception or otherwise and gave
satisfactory explanations. Valuable literature was, thus produced and its
study itself assumed the status of an independent discipline. Ahmed bin
Mustafa Tashakbari Zadey (d. 964/1557) produced a monumental treatise, Miftahul
Sa'adat. Therein he styled the discussions as 'Ilm difa' mata'an il
Qur'an (Science of opposing the defamation of the Qur'an.) Although
discussions of this subject were started much earlier, Tashakbari Zadey can
well be accepted as the founder of this science. Willful defamation of the
Qur'an has assumed very serious proportions in the present century. It is but
necessary to develop the science of opposing the defamation of the Qur’an in
right earnest. At present it is
sufficient to mention the misconceptions found in a small group of people in
India. Basing their misconception on some ayaat of the Qur'an, they
strongly allege that the Qur’an, "promotes disharmony, feeling of
enmity, hatred and ill will between different religious communities and
incites people to commit violence and disturb public tranquillity". Such
misconceptions existed since long and individually expressed. Swamy Dayanand
Saraswati was the first to give a regular shape to these misconceptions. He
incorporated all defamatory observations in chapter XIV of his renowned book “Satyarath
Prakash". He was the founder of the Arya Samaj movement. Later some
scholars followed the lead given by the Arya Samaj and made concentrated efforts
to bring the so called 'criminal psychology embodied in the Qur'an' to
surface. The Muslim scholars and
intellectuals were not fully aware of these misconceptions and even if they
did, no serious notice was taken. In due course of time the misconceptions
assumed the shape of a dogma and a tirade against the Qur'an was organised
with zeal. In 1984 and 1986 the
intense feelings based on misconception were expressed in two different types
of legal actions. Indian Muslims have often
sought shelter under section, 153 A(2) and 295 A(3) of the Indian Penal Code
for preventing defamation of their religion. Quite a few publications were
banned under section 95(4) of the Criminal Procedure Code.[1] A group of misconceived
persons planned legal battle and decided to invoke the same provision of law
for seeking a ban on the Holy Qur'an. One Shri. Himangshu
Kishore Chakraborty sent a letter on July 20, 1984 to the Secretary,
Department of Home, Govt. of West Bengal, pointing out that the Qur'an
contains matter which makes its publication an offence under section 153 A
and 295 A of the I.P.C. In three Annexures to his letter he cited 85 ayaat
of the Qur'an which according to him preach 'cruelty, incite violence and
disturb public peace.' He requested that all copies of the Qur'an in the
original Arabic as well as in translation be forfeited forthwith to the
Government in terms of section 95 of the Cr.P.C. When there was no response
from the Secretary Home Department he sent a reminder on August 14, 1984. One
Shri. Chandmal Chopra joined the legal campaign and sent a letter on March
16, 1985 to the Secretary Home Department drawing his attention to the
earlier presentation of Shri. Charkraborty. He stated that if no steps were
taken by the Government within seven days he would take such steps as may be
advised. There was no response to
this letter. Shri. Chopra and one Sital Singh then joined together and filed
an application in the Calcutta High Court under Article 126 of the
Constitution of India praying for a writ of Mandamus directing the State of
West Bengal to declare each copy of the Qur'an (Original as well as in translation) as forfeited to the
Government. The writ petition came up
before Mrs. Justice Padma Khastgir on April 1, 1985. She admitted the
petition. The affidavit in opposition was filed by the State Government. At
this stage Mrs. Justice Padma Khastgir released the matter from her list. The
Chief Justice assigned the case to Justice Bimal Chandra Basak. The Central
Government directed the Attorney Genernal to appear in the Calacutta High
Court and seek dismissal of the writ petition. On May 17, 1985 Justice Basak
dismissed the writ petition observing that the Qur’an is not prejudicial to
the maintenance of harmony between different religions and that the ayaat
quoted out of context cannot be allowed to dominate or influence the main aim
and object of the book. Soon after the dismissal
of the writ petition a small poster was published on behalf of the Hindu Raksha
Dal Delhi by its president, Sri. Indra Sain Sharma (who was also vice
president of the Hindu Maha Sabha) and its secretary Sri. Raj Kumar Arya. The
poster was in Hindi. The Caption of the poster was: ‘Why the communal riots
take place in the country’. In the poster Hindi translation of 24 ayaat
of the Qur'an (most of which figured in the writ petition of Chandmal Chopra)
were cited. It was alleged that these ayaat command the believers
(Muslims) to fight against the followers of other faiths. It was observed
that so long these ayaat were not removed from the Qur'an, riots in
the country cannot be prevented: Action was taken against
the publishers of the poster and they were arrested under the provision of
the Indian Penal Code. Sri. Z. Lohat
Metropolitan Magistrate Delhi on July 31, 1986 discharged both the accused
with the observation that accused had only expressed their opinion. He
further observed that with due respects to the Holy Book, a close perusal of
the ayaat shows that the same teach hatred and are likely to create
difference between different communities. Over a billion Muslims of
the world who have explicit belief in the Qur'an and regard it as the last
word as well as all those among the non Muslims who are just, fair and peace
loving are fully aware that the Qur’an is the custodian of highest moral
values. It contains principles of highest order as far as justice and equity
are concerned. The Qur'an gives a clarion call of peace and mutual
cooperation to entire humanity. All the twenty four ayaat
were all taken out of context. In actuality they refer to the period of war
wherein the Muslims are enjoined to retaliate against the agressors. The history of the Muslim
Ummah is a witness to the fact that the Muslims in accordance to the guidance
of the Qur'an, have always shown great respect to the founders of all
religions. They never did use any derogatory language for them. The Muslims
do not believe the dogma of 'sonship' or of 'Autar'. Yet they have
great respect for Jesus, Krishna, Gautama Buddha and Rama. Leave alone the
personalities, the Qur'an has forbidden the Muslims from using derogatory
language even for the idols. “Revile not those whom
they call upon besides Allah, lest they out of spite revile Allah in their
ignorance ....” (Qur'an 6:108) Muslims
never showed any disrespect to any religious book. As against the fair and
decent attitude of the Muslims, some of the followers of other religions have
used derogatory language against the Prophet of Islam and against the Qur'an.
The Muslims never resorted to such mean practice in retaliation. As far as
the teachings of the Qur'an are concerned there cannot be any slightest doubt
of creating enmity between people and people. It is nothing but the
narrow mindedness and meanness that even in the lofty divine teachings one
can see such impossibilities. Sita Ram Goel a bitter
critic of the Qur'an and an out spoken opponent of Islam under misconceived
notions has thrown a challenge: "There is, however, a court higher than the Calcutta
High Court or the Supreme Court of India. That is the court of human reason,
of human values, of human conscience, of human aspiration for a purer and
loftier life. The Qur'an should be brought before that court. The devotees of
the Qur'an should be invited to defend it in that court rather than in the streets”.1 It is an irony that the
Qur'an which is 'al-hikmat' is being challenged. The Muslim scholars
should readily accept the challenge by taking guidance from Ilm tafhim il Qur'an.
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