Use of "rebellion" in the Quran

[Nima Rezai]

Salaam,

I have a question regarding "rebellion" such as in 16:90.
I think many theocratic despots or allegedly religious governments
misuse the Qurans instruction to vilify those who criticize them or
protest against their rulership.
My "interpretation" of this word is different. I think "rebellion" is
not meant as an act directed against a(n) (islamic) state but against
Gods rules.
Thus "rebellion" can occur without the (islamic) public taking notice of it.
I see an analogy to Islam, which does NOT mean surrender to a person or
government but devotion/surrender to God (alone).

What is your opinion about my understanding of "rebellion"?

Brgds
Nima

[DKleinecke]

On Oct 19, 3:48=A0pm, Nima Rezai <rezai_n...@yahoo.de> wrote:
> Salaam,
>
> I have a question regarding "rebellion" such as in 16:90.
> I think many theocratic despots or allegedly religious governments
> misuse the Qurans instruction to vilify those who criticize them or
> protest against their rulership.
> My "interpretation" of this word is different. I think "rebellion" is
> not meant as an act directed against a(n) (islamic) state but against
> Gods rules.

> Thus "rebellion" can occur without the (islamic) public taking notice of =

it.
> I see an analogy to Islam, which does NOT mean surrender to a person or
> government but devotion/surrender to God (alone).
>
> What is your opinion about my understanding of "rebellion"?
>
> Brgds
> Nima

The root B-Gh-Y occurs a fairly large number of times in the Qur'an
and the readings it is given vary. But "rebel" does not seem to be a
good translation for any of them. Better translations would be "act
atrociously" or "misbehave badly". The time-honored - but incompetant
- translation is "exceed the limits".

In 16.90 it occurs in a list (of what Allah forbids) along with
"indecency" and "evil". Elsewhere it si associated with violence. I
can see no reason, other than polemic convenience, for reading it as
rebellion against any authority in the political sense of rebellion. I
would not read 16.90 as rebellion against Allah either unless one
reads the word "rebel" in the sense it is used in "the son rebels
against his father's ideas".

If I were translating the Qur'an 16.90 would cause trouble because all
three items are so abstract. So far as I can tell the verse says
"Allah forbids what Allah forbids". I think that to read anything more
into it is to practce endogesis.