Until the advent of materialism and 19th c. dogma, Western Civilisation was superior to anything Islam had developed. Islam has not aided in the development of the modern world; in fact civilisation has only been created in spite of Islam. Proof of this resides in the 'modern' world and the unending political-economic and spiritual poverty of Muslim states and regions. Squatting on richer civilisations is not 'progress'. Islam is pagan, totalitarian, and irrational.
Running totals from Sura 2 to 21:
Total number of verses from Sura 2 to 21: 2588
Total number of verses in 2-21, which preach violence against non-Moslems: 526
Violent verses as a % of total from Sura 2 to 21: 20%
Sura 2 to 21 as a % of the Koran in pages: 50%
Sura 2 to 21 as a % of the 6346 verses in the Koran: 40%
[meaning still lots more violence to go....]
The first reaction of the cognisant and sentient when you view this chapter is 'oh no, not again'. Yet another diatribe about why and how men born millennia before Muhammad were really prophets of the Meccan 'ilah' cult. Another conflation and further dialectical elaboration. In Islamic theory Judaism and Christianity are mere 'stages' on the way to the perfect world of Islam. Hub'Allah or the 'one' supersedes Judeo-Christian monotheism. Muhammad trumps Christ and Moses. It is all very banal, yet accepted by the big brains in today's world as a 'religious fact'. Nonsense. As reviewed previously, this Sura has nothing interesting, ethical or religious to offer:
Allah – whatever it is – will conquer all and therefore those of 'faith' will simply submit themselves, prostrate their pathetic human forms, and grovel for Allah's approbation. An expression of humanism, hope, free-will and self-assertion this is not:
35. Every soul shall have a taste of death: and We test you by evil and by good by way of trial. To Us must you return.
92. Verily, this Brotherhood of yours is a single Brotherhood, and I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore serve Me (and no other).
108. Say: “What has come to me by inspiration is that your God is One God (Allah): will you therefore bow to His Will (in Islam)?”
There is not one sentence in this entire chapter about higher ethics, spiritual ideals or the benefits of leading a life outside of base egoistic concerns and narcissism. It is a chapter of demands, accusations and warnings. Nothing inspirational lies inside the words – just a litany of thou shall's.
Arabs taking a Meccan moon deity and conflating it with the Judeo-Christian ideal of an anthropomorphic single deity is a mildly interesting story-line. It can be useful as a political program and a cult organisation. But than to extrapolate from that and declare such a creation to be a religion, peaceful and moderate is not a sign of tolerance but of stupidity and laziness. Read the foundational text and behold its illiterate supremacism. It is not holy, just, or even well-written. It is what it is. A badly written document justifying Arab imperialism. That is all.
All true. Any analysis of the Koran including this chapter renders Islamic theology barren, illiterate and supremacist. In this chapter alone, the dialectical justification for destroying Jews and Christians contains no fewer than 20 verses of warnings, violence and hate against UnBelievers. The world riven in two. Moslems, pure and wonderful in everything in every way will win the right to a glorious afterlife. This includes Moslem prophets such as Jesus and Ezra:
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Verily those for whom the good has preceded from Us, they will be removed far therefrom (Hell) [e.g. 'Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary); 'Uzair (Ezra), etc.]. |
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They shall not hear the slightest sound of it (Hell), while they abide in that which their ownselves desire. |
Since Islam is the last 'stage' of Allah's master plan, if therefore stands to 'reason' that anything before Islam must be demolished. Hence the Moslem hatred of Jewish and Christian symbols of any type, and the Moslem obsession with eradicating all traces of the Jews and Christians.
Statements of violence against UnBelievers:
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Theme 1 |
Destroy the Unbeliever: |
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Not one of the towns (populations), of those which We destroyed, believed before them (though We sent them signs), will they then believe? |
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Then We fulfilled to them the promise, and We saved them and those whom We willed, but We destroyed Al-Musrifun (i.e. extravagants in oppression, polytheism and in sin). |
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How many a town (community), that were wrong-doers, have We destroyed, and raised up after them another people! |
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Then, when they perceived (saw) Our Torment (coming), behold, they (tried to) flee from it. |
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And that cry of theirs ceased not, till We made them as a field that is reaped, extinct (dead). |
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Everyone is going to taste death, and We shall make a trial of you with evil and with good, and to Us you will be returned. |
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If only those who disbelieved knew (the time) when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces, nor from their backs; and they will not be helped. |
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Nay, it (the Fire or the Day of Resurrection) will come upon them all of a sudden and will perplex them, and they will have no power to avert it, nor will they get respite. |
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And if a breath (minor calamity) of the Torment of your Lord touches them, they will surely cry: "Woe unto us! Indeed we have been Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.). |
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And We shall set up balances of justice on the Day of Resurrection, then none will be dealt with unjustly in anything. And if there be the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it. And Sufficient are We as Reckoners. |
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And a ban is laid on every town (population) which We have destroyed that they shall not return (to this world again, nor repent to Us). |
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And the true promise (Day of Resurrection) shall draw near (of fulfillment). Then (when mankind is resurrected from their graves), you shall see the eyes of the disbelievers fixedly stare in horror. (They will say): "Woe to us! We were indeed heedless of this; nay, but we were Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.)." |
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Certainly! You (disbelievers) and that which you are worshipping now besides Allah, are (but) fuel for Hell! (Surely), you will enter it. |
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Theme 2 |
Never doubt that Allah is supreme and that Muhammad is the greatest human in history: |
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Say (O Muhammad SAW): "I warn you only by the revelation (from Allah and not by the opinion of the religious scholars and others). But the deaf (who follow the religious scholars and others blindly) will not hear the call, (even) when they are warned [(i.e. one should follow only the Qur'an and the Sunnah (legal ways, orders, acts of worship, statements of Prophet Muhammad SAW, as the Companions of the Prophet SAW did)]. |
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And if any of them should say: "Verily, I am an ilah (a god) besides Him (Allah)," such a one We should recompense with Hell. Thus We recompense the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.). |
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With their hearts occupied (with evil things) those who do wrong, conceal their private counsels, (saying): "Is this (Muhammad SAW) more than a human being like you? Will you submit to magic while you see it?"
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They cried: "Woe to us! Certainly! We have been Zalimun (polytheists, wrong-doers and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah, etc.)." |
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Indeed (many) Messengers were mocked before you (O Muhammad SAW), but the scoffers were surrounded by that, whereat they used to mock. |
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Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were joined together as one united piece, then We parted them? And We have made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe? |
The above is pretty clear unless you are a politician, an academic or work in the media. Islam is the highest stage progression of mankind. Jews and Christians are wayward criminals who either must return to Islam or be tormented in this life and the next. Not following the moon deity Hub'Allah or Muhammad is a sin which can be cleansed only by hellfire, damnation and blood sacrifice. That much is clear. 20% of this Sura is preoccupied with why and how the Infidel will be destroyed. The rest is a long historical revision of why Jewish and Christians prophets are really Moslem. The two themes mixed together concoct a madness that is the opposite of a religious liturgy.