More about the 98th Surat
klei...@astound.net
another treatment of the same analysis I hope will be easier to follow.
I start with four fragments so small they could be called slogans. The
vertical lines indicate where the final Qur'an has more material.
A:
LM Y.KN | AEL AL-KTAB | MNFK.YN
HTY T.ATY.EM AL-BYNEh
RSWL MN ALLE Y.TLW CHFA MXEREh
FY.EA KTB QYMEh
The People of the Book were not free
Until the clarity came to them
A Messenger from Allah speaking pure pages
Containing correct rules
B:
W MA T.FRQ AL-Dh.YN AWT.WA AL-KTAB
ALA MN BOD MA GAT.EM AL-BYNEh
W MA AMR.WA ALA | HNFA |
W DhLK DYN AL-QYMEh
Those who were given the book did not differ
Until after the clarity came to them
All that was commanded was the Hanifa
And that is correct religion
C:
AN AL-Dh.YN KFR.WA AWLK EM ShR AL BRYEh
AN AL-Dh.YN AMN.WA AWLK EM KhYR AL BRYEh
Those who disbelieve are those who are the worst of people
Those who believe are those who are the best of people
D:
GZA.E | OND RB.E |
RChY ALLE ON.E
W RCh.WA ON.E
DhLK | KhShY RB.E
His reward is from his Lord
Allah is pleased with him
and he is pleased with Allah
This one fears his Lord
One can view A and B as either alternative versions of the same
original or as a pair of parallel verses that have always been paired.
I see no way to decide between these two alternatives. Note that they
both contain an internal rhyme and are probably to be considerd as two
verses long.
Fragment D has a different but very closely related rhyme scheme. It
has four short lines in this rhyme.
Then as these fragments were used liturgically they tended to expand
and, first, A and B were combined, then later AB, C and D were
combined. As far as the evidence goes they all three put together at
the same moment. Expansions that were probably made before the
combinations are:
1. In A expanding AEL AL-KTAB into AL-DhYN KFR.WA MN AEL AL-KTAB in
order to clarify the meaning. This was not too successful because the
Jews in the time referred to could not KFR because the revelation had
not yet happened. Hence it has been necessary for the commentators to
argue this phrase away in order to understand the passage.
2. In B expanding ALA HNFA to make it clear what HNFA meant. L Y.OBD.WA
ALLE MKhLC.YN was inserted to explain what new Muslims were expected to
do and MKhLC.YN added to that because there were difficulties with
people who gave only lip-service to Allah. That left HNFA standing
alone so L.E AL DYN was added to explain what HNFA meant.
3. In C the first expansion probably happened very early. NAR GENM
KhALD.YN FY.EA was inserted to indicate the final destination of the
disbelievers in Hell and GNAT ODN KhALD.YN FY.EA to indicate the final
destination of the believers in the Garden.
4. I believe that all the changes in D are late except the change from
singular to plural in the first and second lines.
The changes I would assign to later times are banal. As I noted I
believe W AL-MShRK.YN was added mechanically to AEL AL-KTAB to
differenentiate between Hews and Christians while condemning both. In
B the description of proper religion was expanded by more routine
material W Y.QYM.WA AL CLAEh W.Y.T.WA AL ZKAEh "keep up prayer and pay
the zakat". In C the reference to Dh.YN KFR was expanded, probably
under the influence of what is now in A by the explanation MN AEL AL
KTAB W AL MShRK.YN. In D a fuller, but still routine, description of
the Garden GNAT ODN T.GRY MN THT.EA AL-ANEAR KhALD.YN FY.EA ABD.A was
inserted and the meaning of the last phrase was changed. Originally it
described the believers. It was changed, by inserting L MN, to
described the garden as belonging to the believers.
Theologically I believe these changes have changed nothing significant.
So far as I can tell, the revelation remains unchanged in all its
important aspects. Only the words have been meddled with. As a matter
of fact, this is not a very interesting surat, theologically speaking.
The only thing worth pointing out is that, even though it uses the
vocabulary of the Madinan surats and is critical of the Jews, it never
mentions jihad.