Apologetics: Flippin’ Fatwa Friday – The Bible vs. The Quran: Surah al-Baqarah Verses 148-155

It’s been several weeks since I last dissected the Quran, so now that we’ve had a break, it’s back to this. We’re going to be picking up from where we left off at verse 148, and taking a look at the seemingly good, the bad, and the ugly. Let’s begin:

_^148. And everyone has an ideal for which he bears up, so (your ideal should be to) vie one with another in doing all (moral and physical) good deeds. Wherever you may be, Allah will bring you all together. Allah indeed is the Possessor of full power to do all that he will. ^149. And from wherever you (O Prophet!) may go forth keep your attention fixed in the direction of Masjid al-Haram (- the Holy Mosque at Makkah) for that indeed is the true commandment proceeding from your Lord, and Allah is not at all unaware of what you do. ^150. And from wherever you come forth (for saying your Prayer) turn your attention in the direction of Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you may be (O Muslims!), turn your faces in the direction of it, that people may have no excuse against you, except such of those as are unjust, then do not fear them (as they follow the wrong course), but you need only stand in awe of Me. And (this command has been given to you) that I may perfect my blessings upon you and that you may attain your goal. ^151. Just as (the Ka’bah is a means to your guidance so,) we have sent to you a great Messenger from among yourselves who recites to you our Messages and purifies you and teaches you the Book and the Wisdom and teaches you what you did not know. ^152. So glorify me and I will grant you eminence and be thankful to me and be not ungrateful to me (for my favors to you.) ^153. O you who believe! Seek (God’s) help with perfect patience and Prayer, for surely Allah is with the patiently persevering. ^154. And do not count as dead those who are killed in the cause of Allah. Rather (they are_ living only you perceive not (their life.) ^155. And we will certainly reward you (after discipling you) with something after fear and hunger and some loss of substance and of lives and with fruits (of your toils.) Give good tidings to the patiently persevering.

A good chunk of this passage (149-153) has already been discussed in previous blog posts, so if you want to learn more about the Ka’ba and the Qiblah (direction of prayer), you can read my previous posts concerning those.

The main verses I’ll be focusing on is 148 and 154-155. Verse 148 is interesting to me because Paul says something similar in Galatians 6:10 when he writes: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Elsewhere in the Bible, we’re also commanded to do good deeds.

However, the biggest difference here is the understanding of what it means to do good and what purpose it serves. The Christian understanding is that you do good as a result of having faith in Christ. As you are sanctified, the Holy Spirit convicts you of your sin and you’re encouraged to do good. In Islam, however, doing good is how you get to Heaven. Your works are what save you, not your faith. Thus, you’re essentially working to be better than the other person so you can hopefully get to Heaven.

Moving on from that to 154-155, about Allah blessing martyrs, this is an obvious endorsement of jihad. If you go and fight for Allah, you’ll either be rewarded in real life booty or you’ll get to go to Heaven and get your 72 virgins, which are discussed throughout the Quran. And we wonder how Islam spread so quickly throughout the Middle East when jihad was a win-win for the pagans that converted….

Until next time,

M.J.