Sura 10 is like all of the Koran, a bizarre and badly written chapter purportedly centered on yet another appropriation from Jewish tradition – that of Jonah and the whale. Jonah makes a single appearance in verse 98 when the Allah or the Muhammad uses Jonah's people and their exemption from misery a proof of Allah's mercy.
Jonah was a Jew, and his story is intended to be an allegory about finding purpose in life through monotheism and faith through effort and reason. Jonah did not pray to the Meccan ilah and he would have had no knowledge about Hub'Al[lah] or the moon deity which was the 'ilah' or 'one' of the Meccan celestial cult since that cult was formed in earnest about 600 years before Christ or about 900 years after the first telling by Jews of Jonah's story. Further there is nothing in the Koran which elevates reason, effort, or good works as the Torah and New Testament clearly do. The Koran is simply a cult document about following and submitting.
The crux of Sura 10 is in verse 37:
“This Qur'an is not such as can be produced by other than Allah; on the contrary it is a confirmation of (revelations) that went before it, and a fuller explanation of the Book – wherein there is no doubt – from the Lord of the Worlds.”
There is no doubt therefore that the ilah, the Hub'Allah, the 'one', the moon deity of Mecca, produced the uncreated perfect piece of literature, one which was destined to rule over the entire world and given to the most important man in history – Muhammad – and the most important people in history the Quraish Arabs.......
If verse 37 is true then all Infidels and non-Moslems must die in a tortured state, as evinced in this verse of tolerance and hope:
10:4 To Him is the return of all of you. The Promise of Allah is true. It is He Who begins the creation and then will repeat it, that He may reward with justice those who believed (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) and did deeds of righteousness. But those who disbelieved will have a drink of boiling fluids and painful torment because they used to disbelieve.
To sin in Islam is to disbelieve in Allah, Muhammad or the Koran. This is why apostasy is punished by death. Leave the cult and the cult will kill you. Criticize the moon cult and your life is forfeit. Death for apostates is a clear expression of an intolerant and quite insecure cult. It is not what a religion would offer.
Sura 10, like most of the Koran, makes a clear distinction between the followers of Muhammad [blessed by Allah and guaranteed a future after-life]; and the rest of mankind who will suffer torment in this life and the next. It is an oriental-Persian and quite Manichean view of life. Good and bad. Light and darkness. Submission versus individualism. The following verses from this chapter emphasize to the reader the oriental nature of Islam, itself a melding of Assyro-Babylonian paganism and even Zoroastrian ideas about the black and white nature of existence.
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Those, their abode will be the Fire, because of what they used to earn. [note this follows from verse 7 which criticizes “...those who are heedless of Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.),” |
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And were Allah to hasten for mankind the evil (they invoke for themselves and for their children, etc. while in a state of anger) as He hastens for them the good (they invoke) then they would have been ruined. So We leave those who expect not their meeting with Us, in their trespasses, wandering blindly in distraction. (Tafsir At-Tabari; Vol. 11, Page 91) |
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And indeed, We destroyed generations before you, when they did wrong while their Messengers came to them with clear proofs, but they were not such as to believe! Thus do We requite the people who are Mujrimun (disbelievers, polytheists, sinners, criminals, etc.). |
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But when He delivered them, behold! They rebel (disobey Allah) in the earth wrongfully. O mankind! Your rebellion (disobedience to Allah) is only against your ownselves, - a brief enjoyment of this worldly life, then (in the end) unto Us is your return, and We shall inform you that which you used to do. |
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And those who have earned evil deeds, the recompense of an evil deed is the like thereof, and humiliating disgrace will cover them (their faces). No defender will they have from Allah. Their faces will be covered, as it were, with pieces from the darkness of night. They are dwellers of the Fire, they will abide therein forever. |
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And on the Day when He shall gather (resurrect) them together, (it will be) as if they had not stayed (in the life of this world and graves, etc.) but an hour of a day. They will recognise each other. Ruined indeed will be those who denied the meeting with Allah, and were not guided. |
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Then it will be said to them who wronged themselves: "Taste you the everlasting torment! Are you recompensed (aught) save what you used to earn?" |
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And if every person who had wronged (by disbelieving in Allah and by worshipping others besides Allah), possessed all that is on earth, and sought to ransom himself therewith (it will not be accepted), and they would feel in their hearts regret when they see the torment, and they will be judged with justice, and no wrong will be done unto them. |
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And what think those who invent lies against Allah, on the Day of Resurrection? [i.e. Do they think that they will be forgiven and excused! Nay, they will have an eternal punishment in the Fire of Hell]. Truly, Allah is full of Bounty to mankind, but most of them are ungrateful. |
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Say: "Verily, those who invent lie against Allah will never be successful" - |
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A brief enjoyment in this world! - and then unto Us will be their return, then We shall make them taste the severest torment because they used to disbelieve [in Allah, belie His Messengers, deny and challenge His Ayat (proofs, signs, verses, etc.)]. |
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And be not one of those who belie the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah, for then you shall be one of the losers. |
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Even if every sign should come to them, - until they see the painful torment. |
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Was there any town (community) that believed (after seeing the punishment), and its Faith (at that moment) saved it (from the punishment)? (The answer is none,) - except the people of Yunus (Jonah); when they believed, We removed from them the torment of disgrace in the life of the (present) world, and permitted them to enjoy for a while. |
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And if Allah touches you with hurt, there is none who can remove it but He; and if He intends any good for you, there is none who can repel His Favour which He causes it to reach whomsoever of His slaves He will. And He is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. |
The above verses can be categorized as incoherent ramblings which are trying to impress upon the unlucky reader some key points.
First, Allah is uber alles. If he wants you to disbelieve so he can punish you, then that is your fate. You have no free-will. Only Allah has free-will [see 107 for eg.].
Second, evil in Koranic theology is not accepting Allah or his Messenger. 'Evil' in this context is in fact the greatest crime one can commit. If you reject the cult of the Koran you are destined for torment.
Third, any lie against Allah or any invention outside of the Koran is likewise to be punished by violence and certain death. You cannot ascribe anything to Allah – no depiction, no 'sons', no 'mothers', no idols, no images – nothing. The same is true of his or its messenger, the great man Muhammad.
To 'lie' against Allah or his Messenger means to invent something that is not in the Koran and connect it to either figure. This is why painting a cartoon of Muhammad leads to riots within the Moslem world. It is a desecration of the Koranic rule not to associate any human form, activity or illustration with either Muhammad or Allah – both of whom sound suspiciously the same in the Koran.
Sura 10 is a 'moderate' chapter in its incitement to hate and violence against the infidel. Only about 15% of the chapter is thus concerned. The rest is the usual litany about the terrifying results of not following the cult of Allah. One can read this chapter and find it completely devoid of any higher purpose, ecclesiastical message or ethical tribute.