tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-115064542024-03-18T02:32:33.045-05:00Planet GrenadaIslam is at the heart of an emerging global anti-hegemonic culture that combines diasporic and local cultural elements, and blends Arab, Islamic, black and Hispanic factors to generate "a revolutionary black, Asian and Hispanic globalization, with its own dynamic counter-modernity constructed in order to fight global imperialism. <a href="http://planetgrenada.blogspot.com/2005/10/hisham-aidi.html">(say what!)</a>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.comBlogger2390125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-38797821960032585542022-01-17T21:49:00.000-06:002022-01-17T21:49:38.548-06:00rufus is in the bible<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">So lately I've been living in a Hebrew Israelite / Kemetic / "conscious community" YouTube rabbit hole and I intend to share bits and pieces as I digest and reflect on it some more. But one idea I've been mulling over is how the children of Israel were originally an African nation (they came into Egypt as a largish family and after generations of intermarriage they became a nation of millions by the time of the Exodus).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">It reminds me of how in the Kevin Smith film Dogma, Chris Rock plays the Black 13th Apostle named Rufus. And even though in the film Rufus complains that he was censored from the Bible because of racism, one of my favorite factoids related to the film is that Rufus is actually in the Bible:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><blockquote style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><b>And they compelled a passer-by, Simon of Cyre'ne, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. - Mark 15:21 (</b>Note that Cyrene is in Africa, in Libya). </span></blockquote><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">And again</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><blockquote style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><b>Greet Rufus, eminent in the Lord, also his mother and mine. - Romans 16:13</b></span></blockquote><p></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">(Warning: Depending on how "prudish" you are, you might find the scenes on the vulgar side)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="339" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ol1TCTztolQ" width="408" youtube-src-id="Ol1TCTztolQ"></iframe></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="347" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RFV20UDqaNY" width="417" youtube-src-id="RFV20UDqaNY"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="347" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/re45XgOb_UU" width="417" youtube-src-id="re45XgOb_UU"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-53511889619828552002022-01-03T12:36:00.000-06:002022-01-03T12:36:11.684-06:00more of the elephant parade<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzNb48G3bLka7ERU-Uu8BS5mhSNo0brjG-VwDC6zLlcpvP4dUnPSnf8o3INhILXqgVItDx1Vu1S8Oisl8627dZ2UYG25TnogyJp-GBMSedpNhbD8mPF2r8-JN9V19tqO6hSH6RIMRQFHb9ulGJDlK1BggjZX9G9O9jYCfJibXYKCD1E6dSLg=s1000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzNb48G3bLka7ERU-Uu8BS5mhSNo0brjG-VwDC6zLlcpvP4dUnPSnf8o3INhILXqgVItDx1Vu1S8Oisl8627dZ2UYG25TnogyJp-GBMSedpNhbD8mPF2r8-JN9V19tqO6hSH6RIMRQFHb9ulGJDlK1BggjZX9G9O9jYCfJibXYKCD1E6dSLg=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-34786481249378293792022-01-03T08:21:00.002-06:002022-01-03T10:14:35.024-06:00haile selassie the mahdi?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcASrwBv3UBIRi2u9Ec2vSPmVyvWUT3ZKOatfpd2HlQNiilTQWJ4riQ30Sph2vlnv-8bEvWam1pUUGaIsnmlGrutu0uMMaBa6wmw-8FA5doV9Mv8BGeyhbZxTIKF5fbWnv4u8k83KWftwW0V0sqoAUH7-wbt0DfakoivrCQeQivf4c9PrIOA=s775" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="775" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcASrwBv3UBIRi2u9Ec2vSPmVyvWUT3ZKOatfpd2HlQNiilTQWJ4riQ30Sph2vlnv-8bEvWam1pUUGaIsnmlGrutu0uMMaBa6wmw-8FA5doV9Mv8BGeyhbZxTIKF5fbWnv4u8k83KWftwW0V0sqoAUH7-wbt0DfakoivrCQeQivf4c9PrIOA=w496-h640" width="496" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Recently I've "met" someone online who is a Muslim / Rasta / Ethiopian Orthodox Christian. (I'm not sure if that does justice to exactly how he identifies). But he did put forward the interesting notion that Haile Selassie was the Mahdi. He was basing his views on statements from Ibn al-Arabi, and hadith about an Abyssinian being prophecies to destroy the Kaaba along with other sources. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I don't agree with that position, but I wonder if it we could view him as a sort of antitype to Ashama, the Negus of the first Hijra. </div><div><br /></div><a href="https://amandala.com.bz/news/respect-an-islamic-tribute-to-him-haile-selassie-my-abyssinian-rasta-brethren/">RESPECT!: An Islamic Tribute to HIM Haile Selassie & My Abyssinian (“Rasta”) Brethren</a><div><p></p></div>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-64436649461466908612021-12-26T15:18:00.002-06:002021-12-26T15:20:51.067-06:00the camel (part three)<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I don't know if it is in response to this blog or other reasons but Ryan of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4HaLjgSyZklciZ8btvvTrA">Remnant Rendezvous</a> is getting more open about his Christian commitments. He still starts many of his videos with "Asalam-alaikum" and some of the people commenting on his channel still seem to be under the impression that he is Muslim. But he is being being more upfront about his Christian (specifically Seventh Day Adventist) beliefs, especially when it comes to eschatology. In one comment he says plainly (to a Christian): </span></p><p></p><blockquote style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">"I wouldn’t ask you to convert. I also hold the Bible and Jesus in the highest regard. Islam is really just means submission to God. The modern religion called Islam is a different thing entirely. I consider myself primarily a Torah observant follower of Yeshua."</span></blockquote><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><span>(In other words, he is not primarily a Quran observant follower of Muhammad [saaws])</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><span>And in another video </span><span> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REyPSW0OBZY"><span>Muhammad & Ellen White Compared</span></a> <span>he affirms that </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_G._White">Ellen G. White,</a><span> one of the founding figures of Seventh Day Adventism, is a prophet. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: courier;"><div style="text-align: justify;">What does Ellen G. White actually have to say about say about Islam or Muslims in particular?:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;">The Saviour has said, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” He says again, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.” <b>Mohammedanism has its converts in many lands, and its advocates deny the divinity of Christ. Shall this faith be propagated, and the advocates of truth fail to manifest intense zeal to overthrow the error, and teach men of the pre-existence of the only Saviour of the world? O how we need men who will search and believe the word of God, who will present Jesus to the world in his divine and human nature, declaring with power and in demonstration of the Spirit, that “there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”</b> O how we need believers who will now present Christ in life and character, who will hold him up before the world as the brightness of the Father’s glory, proclaiming that God is love! (The Home Missionary, September 1892).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;">In other words, if Ellen G. White is really accepted as a truth-speaking prophet then Islam is ultimately an error. (And that seems to ultimately be Ryan's view).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When I've asked him about it, Ryan generally denies having anything to do with <a href="https://planetgrenada.blogspot.com/2021/05/if-camel-once-gets-his-nose-in-tent-his.html">the Camel method</a> which we've described before. But it seems like the Adventist movement has its own ways to try to evangelize Muslims. (See Ministry Magazine: <a href="https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/2001/10/relating-to-muslims-an-adventist-view.html">Relating to Muslims: An Adventist view</a> )</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At least one Adventist approach is called "Faith Development in Context".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">To be fair, the contextualization approach described in the article linked to above does not come off <b>quite </b>as dishonest as the Camel method. But it does match pretty well with what I've seen Ryan doing on his page. There are multiple steps to the method, and I've seen Ryan use many of them, especi</span><span style="font-family: courier;">ally Step 5. Move from Qur'an to Torah, Zaboor, Injil.</span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The end goal of this approach is one of several states:</div></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><blockquote style="text-align: justify;">Most of those who become favor able to Christianity and Adventism will fall into one of three possible configurations: (1) "Muslim Adventist," which provides for Muslim forms of worship and uses some redemptive analogies but maintains a basic Adventist identity in the context of being a follower of the faith of Abraham; (2) "Adventist Muslim," which maintains a basic Muslim cultural and spiritual (vs. "religious") identity such as "Hanif," while espousing Adventist beliefs—truly God's people in context; (3) Remain a secret believer.</blockquote></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At the end of the day, Ryan is still very much a Christian who is trying to evangelize Muslims.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In addition to "the Camel Method" and the "Faith Development in Context" approach, another label often used to describe these sorts of efforts is "contextualization" (basically trying to restate Christian beliefs in a Muslim context). Some Christians have even come up with a classification scheme to describe different kinds of communities along a continuum. Using this classification scheme, Ryan seems to be taking a C5 approach. </div></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: courier;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A BRIEF SUMMARY OF EACH CHRIST-CENTERED COMMUNITY DESCRIBED IN THE SPECTRUM</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">C1</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Missionaries establish a church that is basically identical to wherever they are from. Services are conducted in the language of the missionaries. They call themselves “Christians” and have very little cultural connection to the region where they plant the church.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">C2</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The same as C1, except the services are conducted in the language of the region.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">C3</div><div style="text-align: justify;">They have incorporated many non-religious cultural forms of the region into their community, such as dress, art, etc. They still reject any purely Islamic religious elements. They may meet in a traditional church building or in a more religiously neutral location. They call themselves “Christians” but try to have a more contextualized presence in the region.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">C4</div><div style="text-align: justify;">They are similar to C3, but they incorporate some Islamic religious elements into their community – like avoiding pork, praying in a more Islamic style, using Islamic dress and employing Islamic terminology. They call themselves “Followers of Isa” or something similar. Their meetings are usually not held in traditional church buildings. They are not considered to be Muslims by the Muslim community.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">C5</div><div style="text-align: justify;">They retain their legal and social identity within their Muslim community. They reject or reinterpret any part of Islamic practices and doctrine that contradict the Bible. They may or may not attend the mosque regularly, and they actively are involved in sharing their faith in Jesus with other Muslims. They may call themselves Muslims who follow Isa al-Masih, or just Muslims. They may be viewed by their community as Muslims that are a little unorthodox.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">C6</div><div style="text-align: justify;">They keep their faith secret because of an extreme threat of persecution, suffering or legal retaliation. They may worship secretly in small groups. They do not normally share their faith openly and have a 100% Muslim identity.</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Here is a short excerpt of Jay Smith talking about the C5 and C6 approach:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="319" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZJsWoFwSx-g" width="384" youtube-src-id="ZJsWoFwSx-g"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Planet Grenada:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://planetgrenada.blogspot.com/2021/11/the-camel-part-two.html">the camel (part two)</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://planetgrenada.blogspot.com/2021/05/if-camel-once-gets-his-nose-in-tent-his.html">"if the camel once gets his nose in the tent, his body will soon follow."</a></div></span><span style="font-family: courier;"></span><div class="style-scope ytd-comment-renderer" id="body" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"></div></div>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-92224905872579214812021-12-25T11:02:00.002-06:002021-12-25T13:18:03.933-06:00there is something about mary (part two)<p><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><span style="font-family: courier;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="352" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IZvEN20ZB_w" width="424" youtube-src-id="IZvEN20ZB_w"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Surah 3: The Family of 'Imran</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">35. Behold! a woman of 'Imran said: "O my Lord! I do dedicate unto Thee what is in my womb for Thy special service: So accept this of me: For Thou hearest and knowest all things."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">36. When she was delivered, she said: "O my Lord! Behold! I am delivered of a female child!"- and Allah knew best what she brought forth- "And no wise is the male Like the female. I have named her Mary, and I commend her and her offspring to Thy protection from the Evil One, the Rejected."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">37. Right graciously did her Lord accept her: He made her grow in purity and beauty [...]</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">42. Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah hath chosen thee and purified thee- chosen thee above the women of all nations.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">43. "O Mary! worship Thy Lord devoutly: Prostrate thyself, and bow down (in prayer) with those who bow down."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">44. This is part of the tidings of the things unseen, which We reveal unto thee (O Messenger.) by inspiration: Thou wast not with them when they cast lots with arrows, as to which of them should be charged with the care of Mary: Nor wast thou with them when they disputed (the point).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">45. Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">46. "He shall speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. And he shall be (of the company) of the righteous."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">47. She said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man hath touched me?" He said: "Even so: Allah createth what He willeth: When He hath decreed a plan, He but saith to it, 'Be,' and it is!</div></blockquote><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="364" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/14LcvpXmb74" width="439" youtube-src-id="14LcvpXmb74"></iframe></div><br /> <p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span><p><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-27774491606662007762021-12-25T09:06:00.001-06:002021-12-25T09:06:02.501-06:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6RvMki2UcDEjZ74GTMrIZIeunyCzdARdHZpt2VSqMs6lSRWF1aBMnlL2wAQk1-yufLh3BtIjmlStkMm9H9VzUJBp0Oh49JVEpVTI0tua6eYdV29OpvEOiGqQdPeKj46QD0B02Wrt-Z-pK_rrzeEtMA15Dbv4gUAVKSoa-kQOKhmJez2rN9g=s1600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1261" data-original-width="1600" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6RvMki2UcDEjZ74GTMrIZIeunyCzdARdHZpt2VSqMs6lSRWF1aBMnlL2wAQk1-yufLh3BtIjmlStkMm9H9VzUJBp0Oh49JVEpVTI0tua6eYdV29OpvEOiGqQdPeKj46QD0B02Wrt-Z-pK_rrzeEtMA15Dbv4gUAVKSoa-kQOKhmJez2rN9g=w400-h315" width="400" /></span></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;">"The Blind Men and the Elephant" by Laura Winge</span></div></div><p></p>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-79565573319689164052021-12-25T08:49:00.001-06:002021-12-25T08:49:22.307-06:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiswoljhjHVpda4bs8k3y_Omh_u_akE2ET5rvFEa-Rwch3StyIGxDSrV0M9KOUxcMed6VRc-zFoE2peclu9zRAs9_8R-WNTSpWlxZoSUwxGdEGus7k8zdF55pUILJxkkOH3pmGGvzv7ELacaZntIckvE3wde30NttiTSqQX7AJUkCswR2V5Gg=s3811" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3049" data-original-width="3811" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiswoljhjHVpda4bs8k3y_Omh_u_akE2ET5rvFEa-Rwch3StyIGxDSrV0M9KOUxcMed6VRc-zFoE2peclu9zRAs9_8R-WNTSpWlxZoSUwxGdEGus7k8zdF55pUILJxkkOH3pmGGvzv7ELacaZntIckvE3wde30NttiTSqQX7AJUkCswR2V5Gg=w400-h320" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Title: Blind Men and the Elephant</div><div style="text-align: center;">Period: Meiji period (1868–1912)</div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p></p>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-49097883741096446442021-12-25T08:35:00.000-06:002021-12-25T08:35:00.506-06:00prayer and fasting<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">I'm amazed at how close the ancient Christian traditions (and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in particular) are so similar in form to Islam. They include regular prayers at specified times a day with given postures and a qibla and fasting much of the year. </span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b></b></div></b><blockquote><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Manner of Prayer</b></div></b><div style="text-align: justify;">The Fetha Negest, or Law of the Kings, reminds us that prayer is man’s way of communicating with Almighty God. In prayer, man thanks God, praises Him and recognizes His domain, confessing hid sin and seeking on his part the way of pleasing Him. The following precepts are laid down for one who prays. Firstly, he should stand up, as enjoined on the words of the Lord; “When you rise up for prayer; you shall stand up.” Secondly, he should gird himself with girdle; as the Lord has said “Let your loins be girt.” Thirdly, he should turn towards the east, for that is the direction from which Christ will appear in His second coming. Fourthly he should make the sign of the cross from the forehead downward and from left to right. Fifthly he should recite the prayer in fear and trembling. Sixthly he should kneel down and prostrate himself, since the gospel tells us that on the night of his passion, our lord prayed prostrating himself and kneeling.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Times of Prayer</b></div></b><div style="text-align: justify;">The faithful should pray seven times each day. First upon arising from bed in the morning and before beginning work. Secondly at the third hour; thirdly, at the sixth hour; fourthly, at the ninth hour; fifthly, the evening prayer; sixthly, the prayer before sleep and lastly, the midnight prayer</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Fasting</strong><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />In the Fetha Negest* fasting is defined as follows:<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />“ Fasting is abstinence from food, and is observed by man at certain times determined by law, to attain forgiveness of sins and much reward, obeying thus the one who fixed the law. Fasting (also) serves to weaken the force of concupiscence so that (the body) may obey the rational soul.”<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Fasting is strictly observed by all faithful members of the church. There are approximately 250 fast days in the year, although not all of these are compulsory for everyone. The average person may fast about 180 days in the year. There are seven official fasting periods for Ethiopian Christians.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />1. All Wednesday and Fridays, except for the 50 days after Easter.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />2. The Lenten fast of 55 days.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />3. The Nineveh fast of 3 days.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />4. The vigils, or gahad of Christmas and epiphany.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />5. The fast of the apostles; this varies in length, depending upon the date of Easter, and maybe a minimum of 14 days and maximum of 44. This fast commemorates St. peter and St. Paul.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />6. The fast of the prophets of 43 days.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />7. The fast of the assumption, 15 days in august.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Of these fasts, the fast of the apostles and the fast of the prophets are compulsory for clergy only, although they are also observed by many of the faithful. All the other fasts are considered obligatory for all devout Christians, except children under seven. During fasting periods, Christians abstain from meat and all animal products: meat, milk, butter and eggs. No food or drink is taken before noon, at the earliest: even then only a simple repast should be taken. Pregnant women, the seriously sick and travelers are exempted from fasting. In Holy Week no food is taken before 1 p.m. or later. The really devout fast completely from Good Friday till Easter Sunday, while others eat only the evening meal on these days. The Lenten fast is traditionally broken by a joyful feast that takes place after midnight mass, at about 3 a.m., or the first cock- crow or Easter Sunday morn. <a href="https://www.ethiopianorthodox.org/english/ethiopian/worship.html">(source)</a></p></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.ethiopianorthodox.org/english/ethiopian/worship.html"></a></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"> </p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.ethiopianorthodox.org/english/weekly/eotcholyweek.pdf"><span style="font-family: courier;">The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church Faith and Order</span></a></div></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/2b106ff2/files/uploaded/THE%20ORDER%20OF%20FASTS%20IN%20ETHIOPIAN%20ORTHODOX%20TEWAHIDO%20CHURCH.pdf" style="font-family: courier;">The Order of Fasts in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church</a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-19235659462916510122021-12-24T14:04:00.002-06:002021-12-24T14:58:03.285-06:00can black peter be redeemed / reimagined?<p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGYMM7o3e7m1G5GBTD8MFCSH7ABWFs0_kXbt5qIQt_ksmwmbBmrX1maPvXAepTuFqzoBO6_A--OR8JDN5HC2Q1oAYM-2AHW3S1h-q3GyMhK9pnYNgFjiZ0VtyJuTw9TA8G9Sb7VGaoVQElShURMebCSev0Wae7EQT25NbawacYDBFcHX0RsQ=s300" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="209" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGYMM7o3e7m1G5GBTD8MFCSH7ABWFs0_kXbt5qIQt_ksmwmbBmrX1maPvXAepTuFqzoBO6_A--OR8JDN5HC2Q1oAYM-2AHW3S1h-q3GyMhK9pnYNgFjiZ0VtyJuTw9TA8G9Sb7VGaoVQElShURMebCSev0Wae7EQT25NbawacYDBFcHX0RsQ=w446-h640" width="446" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For a while now I've been thinking about writing a children's book where <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwarte_Piet">Black Peter</a> leads a revolution against Saint Nick and replaces Santa's sweatshops with a socialist gift-giving cooperative based out of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmares_(quilombo)">Palmares</a> in Brazil (or maybe <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mondragon_Corporation">Mondragon,</a> Spain). Somehow it will probably connect to kwanzaa and the black wise men too. Hopefully saying it out loud will help light a fire under my behind.... we'll see...</div></span><p></p><span style="font-family: courier;"><div style="text-align: justify;">I still haven't seen the film <i>Santa and Pete</i> but I just found out that it it is free on Tubi so maybe I'll get around to it this "holiday season". Apparently Ishmael Reed has also played with Black Peter in some of his recent fiction. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkeXP_5EH1o684qXMgoYVyA4fmv2nbQF2TvzJpMwts29BsVmElXO3Sv1-oux7unYRZWk4IbqbxxDAx2onYQQrxKinnQa_MPlKfp4_XoC8dr9aezdFRxyxRLrU5OAoEdjYC2t3CIE58Nr4RSzxTwF03jWAfxuO5IVKSUSGUgydCm7komSR8Rg=s1200" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkeXP_5EH1o684qXMgoYVyA4fmv2nbQF2TvzJpMwts29BsVmElXO3Sv1-oux7unYRZWk4IbqbxxDAx2onYQQrxKinnQa_MPlKfp4_XoC8dr9aezdFRxyxRLrU5OAoEdjYC2t3CIE58Nr4RSzxTwF03jWAfxuO5IVKSUSGUgydCm7komSR8Rg=w400-h209" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Planet Grenada:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://planetgrenada.blogspot.com/2010/12/so-apparently-elves-are-black-and.html">so apparently the elves are black... and muslim</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://planetgrenada.blogspot.com/2006/01/wise-men.html">the wise men</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://planetgrenada.blogspot.com/2006/01/adventures-of-black-jesus.html">the adventures of black jesus</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://planetgrenada.blogspot.com/search?q=kwanzaa">past posts on Kwanzaa</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">NPR: <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/06/24/882816031/so-long-black-pete">So Long, Black Pete</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">WSJ: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-SEB-78940">Ishmael Reed on "The Terrible Twos" and "The Terrible Threes"</a></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-82618248427957287162021-12-16T20:11:00.004-06:002021-12-21T20:32:18.140-06:00"no thicker than this line"<p></p><span style="font-family: courier;"><div style="text-align: justify;">For a while now I've been really curious about Oriental Orthodoxy, and especially Ethiopian Orthodoxy. It is amazing that Christianity starts off as an African / Middle Eastern religion but that the forms of Christianity which originate in MENA cultures (Coptic, Ethiopian Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, etc.) are considered heretical by the majority. Ostensibly, this is because these churches rejected to <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#">Council of Chalcedon</a> of 451 CE and developed a subtly different Christology.</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">In particular, I have started to wonder if, from an Islamic perspective, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church should be thought of as having a special status among the People of the Book. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">One of the main inspirations for this notion is the story of the Muslim emigrants who sought asylum in Ethiopia from the Negus Ashama. Muhammad (saaws) himself called this Christian Negus a righteous king, had the Negus represent him in a marriage and even led his funeral prayer. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><b><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="331" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CiTY3VJ-l5M" width="398" youtube-src-id="CiTY3VJ-l5M"></iframe></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><b>(Scene from the film "The Messenger")</b></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><span><span> Al Hakam: </span><a href="https://www.alhakam.org/king-negus-the-holy-prophets-representative-and-true-follower/"><span style="font-size: small;">King Negus: The Holy Prophet’s representative and true follower</span></a></span><br />An Ethiopian Journal: <a href="https://tseday.wordpress.com/tag/first-hijra/">First Hijra</a></span></p><div><span style="font-family: courier;">Planet Grenada<br /><a href="https://planetgrenada.blogspot.com/2006/07/ive-seen-ethiopians-knocking-out-rome.html">"i've seen ethiopians knocking out rome"</a><br /><a href="https://planetgrenada.blogspot.com/2006/07/ive-seen-ethiopians-knocking-out-rome_10.html">"i've seen ethiopians knocking out rome" (part 2)</a><br /><a href="https://planetgrenada.blogspot.com/2006/07/ideology-and-temperament-habashis.html">ideology and temperament (the habashis</a>)</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">To be continued...</span></div>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-36223868737579179062021-12-08T22:06:00.004-06:002021-12-08T22:22:35.369-06:00khalil andani on the injil<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="342" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0r0r8wYiUus" width="412" youtube-src-id="0r0r8wYiUus"></iframe></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">This is a fascinating conversation between Dr. Khalil Andani and Paul Williams. (Although they both go to great pains to say that Dr. Andani is there as an academic expert and not any kind of religious authority. I found it to be a little excessive. It seemed like Williams is worried to death that he will be accused of giving an endorsement to an Ismai'li). </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Adani has some interesting ideas of what the Quranic "Injil" is. He argues that there is a parallelism in the Quran / Islam between "Quran and sunnah" , "Kitab and Hikmat" and "Torah and Injil". And specifically he argues that the Injil isn't really a separate independent scripture in its own right. It should primarily be seen as the "wise application of the Torah" as taught by Jesus (as) and not a stand-alone text. In particular, it can't possibly be the New Testament or Biblical gospels. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Finally, Andani points to some research which (contrary to what many Christian missionaries tend to say) there is a very long history of Muslim scholars accusing the Christian Bible of textual corruption. One claim which you might see Christians make is that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Hazm">Ibn Hazm</a> (is it anachronistic to call him Hispanic?) of the 11th century was the first Muslim to accuse the Bible of textual corruption. But in fact, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Jahiz">Al Jahiz </a> , the black Iraqi scholar, was accusing the Bible of textual corruption several centuries earlier. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;">I've <a href="http://planetgrenada.blogspot.com/search?q=jahiz">mentioned al-Jahiz in this blog before</a>. </span><span style="font-family: courier;">I feel like I need to be more familiar with him. Many years ago, I read a translation of his Al-Fakhar al-Sudan min al-Abyadh. He is also famous for having foreshadowed the theory of evolution. A real polymath.</span><br /> <p></p>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-66331955716011001252021-12-08T09:59:00.004-06:002021-12-08T14:00:49.613-06:00good friday (part two)<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxRX8XH2QFigbSc0mTQtbpZSRoXmvCSmpIfrmrv-J7areW9L4owtqIY2b-k1M12VHDwmuV-YZG6pVcx15B2nCfWm2vl4XxQnTCFaeRBpV7AyH264H5Lx4XYlBguUTOGy80pkS/s627/Crucifixion+%2528Corpus+Hypercubus%2529+Salvador+Dali.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxRX8XH2QFigbSc0mTQtbpZSRoXmvCSmpIfrmrv-J7areW9L4owtqIY2b-k1M12VHDwmuV-YZG6pVcx15B2nCfWm2vl4XxQnTCFaeRBpV7AyH264H5Lx4XYlBguUTOGy80pkS/w408-h640/Crucifixion+%2528Corpus+Hypercubus%2529+Salvador+Dali.webp" width="408" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Corpus Hypercubus by Salvador Dali</span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><b><blockquote style="text-align: justify;">That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah";- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not: (4:157)</blockquote><p> </p></b></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><span>For a while now, I've started to become aware that "the" Islamic understanding of the crucifixion is not *quite* as simple as I once believed. Most Muslims maintain, based on 4:157 that Jesus (as) in no sense, died on the cross, nor was he ever even put on it. In this camp, some maintain that somehow Judas was made to look like Jesus and that he was put on the cross instead. </span><span>But there have also been minority opinions which to varying degrees have allowed for more points of contact with the Christian narrative (including some which even affirm Christ's biological death on the cross).</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><span><span><span>One good resource in this area is the book by </span>Todd Lawson, <a href="http://toddlawson.ca/pdf/lawson_crucifixion_quran.pdf">The Crucifixion and the Quran</a> which looks at a wide range of Muslim commentaries on 4:157. The author is a Bahai, and so perhaps one could argue that he wrote the book, in part, out an interest to gather evidence which supports Bahai interpretations of topic. (The Bahais affirm that the Quran is "absolutely authentic" including 4:157. But they also accept the validity of much of the Bible, in particular they, affirm the basics of the Biblical passion narrative. According to Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahai Faith</span></span>, "The crucifixion as recounted in the New Testament is correct. The meaning of the Qur'ánic version is that the spirit of Christ was not Crucified. There is no conflict between the two.")</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Whatever his agenda, Lawson's book is an interesting and valuable round-up of different tafsirs on the crucifixion verse and different Muslim narratives on the end of Christ's ministry on Earth. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><span>If you have the time (roughly 2 hours), Dr. Ali Ataie, a professor at Zaytuna College, has a lecture where he gives an overview of different Muslim perspectives of the crucifixion which takes heavily from Lawson's book. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="342" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/09-JthSnyic" width="411" youtube-src-id="09-JthSnyic"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">What is also interesting is that Dr. Ataie himself seems to affirm the bodily death of Jesus. I would recommend listening to his own words on the subject. But his basic point is that 4:157 says "<b>they</b> killed him not" which still allows the possibility that Jesus (as) gives up his life willingly. As the Bible says: "<span style="text-align: left;">For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again; this charge I have received from my Father." (John 10:17-18).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I don't mean to be flippant, but I am almost tempted to compare this to the scene in Star Wars when from a distance it only seems as if Darth Vader kills Obi-Wan Kenobi. But in reality, Vader neither killed Kenobi, nor cut him with a light saber. It only appeared so. In reality Obi-Wan <b>chooses </b>to surrender to the Force at the end of his earthly life. He primarily engages in a duel with Vader to distract him and give the rebels enough time to escape the Death Star.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="324" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/to2SMng4u1k" width="390" youtube-src-id="to2SMng4u1k"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another point which Dr. Ataie makes has to do with the question: What is accomplished by Jesus' death? And his interesting (and actually plausible) answer is Jesus death literally saved the people of Jerusalem from the wrath of the Romans for a generation. As the Bible itself says after the raising of Lazarus:</div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></span><div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-family: courier; text-align: start;"></span></span></p><blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-family: courier; text-align: start;"><b>John 11</b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><b><span style="text-align: start;">[</span><span style="text-align: start;">45</span><span style="text-align: start;">] Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him;</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">[</span><span style="text-align: start;">46</span><span style="text-align: start;">] but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">[</span><span style="text-align: start;">47</span><span style="text-align: start;">] So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council, and said, "What are we to do? For this man performs many signs.</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">[</span><span style="text-align: start;">48</span><span style="text-align: start;">] If we let him go on thus, every one will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation."</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">[</span><span style="text-align: start;">49</span><span style="text-align: start;">] But one of them, Ca'iaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all;</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">[</span><span style="text-align: start;">50</span><span style="text-align: start;">] you do not understand that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish."</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">[</span><span style="text-align: start;">51</span><span style="text-align: start;">] He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation,</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">[</span><span style="text-align: start;">52</span><span style="text-align: start;">] and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">[</span><span style="text-align: start;">53</span><span style="text-align: start;">] So from that day on they took counsel how to put him to death. </span></b></span></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-family: courier; text-align: start;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">or if you are a fan of Jesus Christ Superstar:</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="343" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lN4TxOd9I8Q" width="413" youtube-src-id="lN4TxOd9I8Q"></iframe></span></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">In other words, Jesus' growing popularity while associated with messianic claims (i.e. claiming to be the king of the Jews when under Roman occupation) was politically subversive in a way which would bring about massive retaliation from the Romans. (And in fact we know this was realistic concern because only one generation later a different popular Jewish rebellion would cause the Romans to strike against the Jews and destroy Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD.) Dr. Ataie seems to be arguing that if it weren't for Jesus' death on the cross, this destruction would have occurred much sooner.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Also note that according to John 11, Caiphas "</span><span style="font-family: courier; text-align: left;">did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation". This is an interesting, but seldom discussed point. The Jewish authorities who sought to kill Christ were not <b>just</b> acting out of jealousy or resentment over Christ's popularity or a selfish fear for their own political position. They were at least partially motivated by a legitimate concern for the fate of the Jews under Roman occupation.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: courier;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Ismaili scholar Khalil Andani has also done some really interesting work elaborating on Muslims who have affirmed the material reality of crucifixion. (Apparently this is the mainstream Isma'ili position)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">First here is Dr. Andani giving a talk on Shi'a Isma'ili Muslim Christology with an emphasis on the crucifixion:</div></span><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="391" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r2Hy1j7-zCE" width="470" youtube-src-id="r2Hy1j7-zCE"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">And then here is a paper which covers much of the same ground but with more detail:</span><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span><a href="https://www.themathesontrust.org/papers/islam/andani-crucifixion.pdf" style="font-family: courier;">“They Killed Him Not”: The Crucifixion in Shi‘a Isma‘ili Islam</a><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrI6-ii3d3zXK3zQWcM-Z7PNBcUi4vs37mDMitRC5m5f5lgHs0c-31dHuUkSkK1nbvu6vE-uMY8LsaliWSuOY30yh8g6L37Tb2-qBg7eOlJXBYbMRMWqwCRfJB1PFeknuPFWcT/s1200/2021-talk-gnosis-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrI6-ii3d3zXK3zQWcM-Z7PNBcUi4vs37mDMitRC5m5f5lgHs0c-31dHuUkSkK1nbvu6vE-uMY8LsaliWSuOY30yh8g6L37Tb2-qBg7eOlJXBYbMRMWqwCRfJB1PFeknuPFWcT/w546-h307/2021-talk-gnosis-2.jpg" width="546" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">What is really interesting here (and this is elaborated on in both the paper and the video) is that the Ismailis don't just tentatively concede the physical reality of the crucifixion. Instead they give full-throated support to the crucifixion as a theologically significant event (although it still isn't some atoning sacrifice as Christians generally believe). And they even go so far as to say the symbol of the cross can be esoterically identified with the shahada of Islam)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Lots to unpack...</span></div><p></p><span style="font-family: courier;">Planet Grenada:</span></div><div><span><a href="https://planetgrenada.blogspot.com/2005/03/good-friday.html" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Good Friday</span></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://planetgrenada.blogspot.com/2008/02/jah-would-never-give-power-to-baldhead.html"><span style="font-family: courier;">"jah would never give the power to a baldhead/ run come crucify the dread."</span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#" style="color: black;"><br /></a></div></span><p></p></div>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-51008591032342298422021-12-08T09:47:00.002-06:002021-12-08T09:50:29.768-06:00"jah would never give the power to a baldhead/ run come crucify the dread."<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(this is actually an old post which ended up getting republished)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cSgrHQVIN2Y" width="320" youtube-src-id="cSgrHQVIN2Y"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I've been listening to Bob Marley's </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Natural Mystic</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> in my car these days. And I'm especially intrigued by the song </span><a href="https://genius.com/Bob-marley-and-the-wailers-time-will-tell-lyrics" style="font-style: italic;">Time Will Tell</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> (which is where the title of this blog entry comes from). To be honest, I still don't know for sure how the different groups of Rastafari understand the crucifixion of Christ, but whenever I hear this song I can't help but wonder if the Rastafarian perspective is similar to the Islamic one. In any case, this is all just a roundabout way of introducing the following </span><a href="http://planetgrenada.blogspot.com/search?q=crucifixion" style="font-style: italic;">(see also Grenada and the crucifixion)</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: courier; font-style: italic;">:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">
Story of Jesus Through Iranian Eyes
By LARA SETRAKIAN
TEHRAN, Iran, Feb. 16, 2008 </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">A new movie in Iran depicts the life of Jesus from an Islamic perspective. “The Messiah,” which some consider as Iran’s answer to Mel Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ,” won an award at Rome’s Religion Today Film Festival, for generating interfaith dialogue. The movie will be adapted into a television series, shown on Iranian TV later this year. Filmmaker Nader Talebzadeh spoke to ABC’s Lara Setrakian in Tehran. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">LS: Why did you feel a movie showing Islam’s take on Jesus needed to be made? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">NT: I’ve been witnessing what’s been going on in Iran for the past 28 years; I’ve been living here after I lived a decade in America. Everybody knows Jesus, so why not make a film about something everyone relates to? And made in Iran.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">LS: What are the key differences between Jesus through Islam’s eyes and Jesus through the traditional Christian perspective? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">NT: We are talking about the same beautiful man, the same beautiful prophet, the same divine person sent from heaven. In the Koran, it emphasizes maybe three main points: about the birth, about the fact that he was not the son of God, and then, that he was not crucified. The rest is [the same] Jesus … the sermons, and the miracles, and the political situation.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">LS: So, when it comes to Jesus, the message and the reverence are there.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">NT: Yes.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">LS: But the virgin birth, the crucifixion… </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">NT: The virgin birth was the same. The difference in the Koran, God says Jesus was saved. Instead of having him hung and crucified, the person who betrayed Jesus was crucified. This is how the Koran sees it, through the Gospel of Barnabas.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">LS: So, you gave the alternate ending.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">NT: Yes, two endings. I thought, the Christians, when they see it, it'll be important for them. [In the Koran] God says, emphatically, he was not crucified. Somebody was crucified in his stead. In the Gospel of Barnabas, there are explications of this. The majority of [Muslims] say the one who betrayed Jesus [was crucified].</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">LS: There's plenty of news today about Christians being persecuted, or even killed, today, in Muslim countries. So, where does the Muslim reverence for Christians go off-track?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">NT: It doesn't go off-track. The Muslim reverence is very high for Jesus and Mary. This is the misunderstanding in the West — especially in America.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">LS: So, then, why in your mind do Muslims, in some places, kill Christians?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">NT: Well, those are not Muslims. They're murderers. First and foremost, they're murderers, and they dress as Muslims. Today, we have that problem. There is an evil strain in those people. They're, first, evil, and then they find a religion to address that evil, or to explain it, or as an excuse. But that's a minority that is aggrandized, and it's elaborated — it's constant. So, when you hear the word "Islam," you get a shock. Every time you hear "Islam," you get a little shock. What we lack is communication.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">LS: While production on this movie was happening, Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ" came out. What did you learn from watching that film?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">NT: We were almost finished filming when Mel Gibson started shooting. I saw the film, and it's the first time the Gospel of John has ever been depicted. It was nice. But it was the wrong story. In my film, I respect that common belief with all the good intentions the Christians have ... according to what Islam says. Yet, Jesus, at the night of the last supper, ascends to heaven [without being crucified]. A beautiful man, a beautiful prophet. Why should he be bloodied that way?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">LS: What kind of response have you gotten from Christians? What kind of feedback and interchange has there been since the movie was released?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">NT: Many thought this film is a good step for serious inter-religious dialogue. Many of them liked it — seeing the Koran-based ending. And I was very happy that the practicing Christians were very happy with the film. I have never found one case among practicing Christians who are offended [by the movie].
American Christians, I respect them very much. I think these Christians, the born-again Christians, especially, are a very interesting group that Iran is not aware of, because a whole generation of Iranians haven't been able to travel to America. And those who do move to America, stay in America. So, how to create serious communication, not at the political, but at the religious level? I thought this would be a shortcut.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">LS: Any plans for a movie that would help the dialogue between Muslims and Jews? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">NT: This film is about Jesus, who is the last Jewish prophet. The audience has to realize that Iranians have been living with Jews and Christians for centuries. Jews were saved by Iranian kings. This was always their home, and it still is their home. Also, the first Christian church was built in Iran. The first Christian tribe that became Christian, the first tribe — was the Armenians. Armenians were part of the Persian Empire ... they found comfort living with the Iranians.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">LS: What is your hope for the movie?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">NT: The film is an excuse to sit down and talk. Iran is so consistently demonized. Once an American visits Iran, they know it's a different story. So, how do we export our thinking? It's the movies. This is a film for students and for practicing Christians, for people to become curious, and go investigate more.
My hope for the movie was, and is, and will be, to make people think about how God sees the prophets, how God talks about Jesus in the Koran. What was the main message of Jesus? And what was censored out of history? Part of the message of Jesus was censored out, which was the coming of the next prophets.
If you listen to what Jesus said, Jesus talked about the Prophet Mohammad, many, many times. And it was eliminated in the Gospels and the Bibles that [made it through] history. In 325, the Council of Nice was out to destroy all the other Gospels. One of those Gospels was the Gospel of Barnabas, which I used in great detail.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">LS: And what did that say that was left out?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">NT: It had a lot of sermons of Jesus that you do not see in the Bible; miracles, and at least a hundred references to the Prophet Mohammad, about his coming. It's one of the biggest censorships of history. So, I thought somebody should say this, and then others might disagree, say, "Ahhh, this could not be! This is blasphemy!" But it's OK — this is the 21st century. It's time for information. It's time for communication. They can go check it out.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">LS: Anything else you felt while making the film?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">NT: I thought about Americans when I was shooting this ... I was thinking that I have very good memories of the '90s, living in Virginia, remembrances of kindness. The misunderstanding of the past three decades really burns my heart. There's so much misunderstanding about Islam today. And one of those key missing links, that would bind the chain together, is Jesus Christ.
I thought, we should work on talking through something that's much more dear to us than other things. I thought that, through art, you could do a lot more than with the politics.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;"></span><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Story?id=4297085&page=1" style="font-family: courier;">ABC News</a></div>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-41282688878162621142021-12-04T15:21:00.000-06:002021-12-04T15:21:00.228-06:00medieval jain version of parable <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBpGtKf4N3giGWDorVAQbTCZt9f4w8swDw_6AHwIsQyx2Z8yzxf3Mh7SMYAQnFaWw-rOlia_6zY5ObMF_BhknNJhIBoDm_92K0rW2gMrBzOyy38MbjPZynh-bvWhQ_aXrSI8d/s440/Medieval_Jain_temple_Anekantavada_doctrine_artwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="440" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBpGtKf4N3giGWDorVAQbTCZt9f4w8swDw_6AHwIsQyx2Z8yzxf3Mh7SMYAQnFaWw-rOlia_6zY5ObMF_BhknNJhIBoDm_92K0rW2gMrBzOyy38MbjPZynh-bvWhQ_aXrSI8d/w400-h294/Medieval_Jain_temple_Anekantavada_doctrine_artwork.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-21117376632867374882021-12-03T13:50:00.006-06:002021-12-03T13:50:48.649-06:00lost property<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Part of the reason I've been on an elephant kick lately is that the fable is one of the better ways to make sense of religious diversity. It is humble and modest. Many other approaches to religious difference end up coming from a place of arrogance or presumption. I mean, in order to have a grand unified vision of all religions you are almost necessarily claiming to be able to judge the merits of vast traditions and spiritual systems from a place of authority and knowledge. A very top-down vision. And sure, maybe there are certain scholar-saints with the comprehensive knowledge to pull it off, but they'd have to be few and far between in human history. Everyone else is going to have non-trivial limitations and "blind spots".</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: courier;">A more modest ground-up approach makes more sense to me. I'm not a Perennialist who claims to know the Sophia Perennis. I'm just a Muslim with a charitable view of other religions. So I'm tentatively open to the idea that Buddha, Zoroaster, Aesop, Akhenaton, Lao Tzu and others were prophets and that the Book of Coming Forth By Day, Mandaean scriptures, the Gathas, the I Ching and other writings contain prophetic guidance (or at the very least, some good advice).</span><br /><span style="font-family: courier;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: courier;">I'm not trying to advocate for a syncretic approach. We should only follow one shariah, not mix-and-match among different rituals and commandments. </span><br /><span style="font-family: courier;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: courier;">But at the same time, we should be willing to learn from various sources.</span><br /><span style="font-family: courier;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: courier;">Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The word of wisdom is the lost property of the believer. Wherever he finds it, he is most deserving of it.”</span><br /><span style="font-family: courier;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: courier;">(Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2687)</span><br /></div><span style="font-family: courier;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></div>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-51236755747682939852021-12-02T19:49:00.001-06:002021-12-02T19:49:56.329-06:00"of elephants and blind men" by david meng<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TkEAHqHt9IUe9ON53ssnuQSdcy5zuk1prvORd8kipK7J8s8GBmVCfizwOYtCZB9LQQXQEkzKzi5fNjmC9-qEqHjiynhav438xUD3Q43Lr4riURyt8eoa2ACwvaXrPYXUkMy5/s1600/Meng_Web_ElephantsandBlindMen_D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1193" data-original-width="1600" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TkEAHqHt9IUe9ON53ssnuQSdcy5zuk1prvORd8kipK7J8s8GBmVCfizwOYtCZB9LQQXQEkzKzi5fNjmC9-qEqHjiynhav438xUD3Q43Lr4riURyt8eoa2ACwvaXrPYXUkMy5/w400-h299/Meng_Web_ElephantsandBlindMen_D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <a href="http://davidmengart.blogspot.com/2014/03/of-elephants-and-blind-men.html">"Of elephants and blind men"</a> by David Meng<p></p>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-2776877639177095512021-12-02T10:18:00.003-06:002021-12-02T10:18:58.934-06:00grenada's past<p style="text-align: justify;"> I don't want to do a lot of public navel-gazing on here but a certain amount seems unavoidable. From 2005 - 2010 I was blogging over 200 times a year. After 2011 I was down to a couple of times a month and then only a few times a year. This month I've started to blog a lot more frequently and I'd like to continue this uptick.... at least for a while. Let's see what my work schedule allows....</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Also, as I've made a return to blogging I've started to go back and look at old posts. I now realize that, unfortunately, my tendency to share links to content I found interesting did not age very well and so a non-trivial fraction links to pages and blogs are no longer functioning. This means that some parts of Planet Grenada are like an internet graveyard. Occasionally I can fix the links for some content which can still be found elsewhere, but other times there is no real solution (which I hope folks can forgive).</p>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-62938261261745973452021-12-02T09:19:00.002-06:002021-12-02T09:19:32.122-06:00elephant by beauchamp<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXKFem16oTOaK3SyQxGdxXdsnzhvny5OI1sreQIG0mYMHGK7cMCWDllOJnUlQU_hrDfl5qzNot2_Yri91BTJrzRvaHaaOpuIYpJEiof4VvKovEPjVsHgSIN6X0lmWsayBJJc6/s1425/elephant+parable.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1425" data-original-width="1140" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXKFem16oTOaK3SyQxGdxXdsnzhvny5OI1sreQIG0mYMHGK7cMCWDllOJnUlQU_hrDfl5qzNot2_Yri91BTJrzRvaHaaOpuIYpJEiof4VvKovEPjVsHgSIN6X0lmWsayBJJc6/w512-h640/elephant+parable.jpg" width="512" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">I saw this on the Etsy page for <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/beauchamping?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=747108063">Gregory Beauchamp</a></span></p>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-4617811121805357822021-12-01T19:11:00.006-06:002021-12-01T19:49:57.404-06:00quarreling over names<span style="font-family: courier;">A man gave four persons a silver coin. The (first) one (who was a Persian) said, "I will give this for (buying) some angûr."<br /><br />An other one (who) was an Arab said, "No! I want `inab -- not<br />angûr, O deceitful (man)!"<br /><br />The (third) one was a Turk and he said, "This (coin) is mine. I<br />don't want `inab. I want üzüm."<br /><br />The (fourth) one, an Anatolian Greek, said, "Quit (all) this talk! I<br />want istâfîl."<br /><br />3685 In (their) disagreement, those individuals were (soon) in a<br />fight -- since they were uninformed of the hidden (meaning) of the<br />names.<br /><br />They were striking at each other (with their) fists out of ignorance.<br />They were full of foolishness and (were) devoid of knowledge.<br /><br />If a master of (the meaning of) secrets, a venerable one (with<br />knowledge) of numerous languages, had been there, he would<br />have given them reconciliation and peace.<br /><br />Then he would have said, "By means of this one silver coin, I will<br />grant the wishes of all of you.<br /><br />"This coin will cause effects such as these when you submit (your)<br />hearts (to me) without deceit.<br /><br />"Your one coin will become (like) four (coins) for the desired<br />(result). (And) four enemies will become (as) one from unity (of<br />friendship).<br /><br />"The words of each one of you offer (only) fighting and separation.<br />But my words will bring you harmonious agreement.<br /><br />"Therefore, you be quiet (and) stay silent! So that I may<br />become your tongue for (needed) conversation."<br /><br />-- Rumi<br /><br />Dar-al-Masnavi: <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#">Quarreling Over Names</a></span>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-76671652458846369522021-12-01T18:58:00.004-06:002021-12-01T19:46:18.918-06:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0CQRY1ARUC7elwzZGpEBnTZM9BQpSKc3ulwhaAb5vvlOrTJv3Q68jZV6R0ZjRzwud6SJJjPpKCVGFeBLh1vL7cIBcp0rydZbxfcAQx1FJbjjPdLcxsJD0TnYiiprySIjrdzj/s300/blindmenelephant.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="300" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0CQRY1ARUC7elwzZGpEBnTZM9BQpSKc3ulwhaAb5vvlOrTJv3Q68jZV6R0ZjRzwud6SJJjPpKCVGFeBLh1vL7cIBcp0rydZbxfcAQx1FJbjjPdLcxsJD0TnYiiprySIjrdzj/w400-h387/blindmenelephant.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><span style="font-family: courier;">Mughal painting of the blind men and the elephant, from the 1600s AD (now in Walters Art Museum)</span>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-57280079565630313762021-12-01T18:54:00.004-06:002021-12-01T18:55:35.134-06:00the blind men and the elephant by katsushika hokusai<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1jKKEcLf6qOpOO3nI0Jrrq-JriJ3kdVW_7qpjaG7HLh50drMFpdDL5sCh_o8ducZXtlvt4V0KDATj8mMf6-u_GQds3LZ42Sc4Lrbf6eTJ1uph1iejqwZUCi_fYWwmMq96W9MJ/s1113/japanese+blind+men+elephent.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1113" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1jKKEcLf6qOpOO3nI0Jrrq-JriJ3kdVW_7qpjaG7HLh50drMFpdDL5sCh_o8ducZXtlvt4V0KDATj8mMf6-u_GQds3LZ42Sc4Lrbf6eTJ1uph1iejqwZUCi_fYWwmMq96W9MJ/w400-h288/japanese+blind+men+elephent.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Blind Men and the Elephant, by Katsushika Hokusai</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The illustration, which accompanies this story is a Japanese version drawn by the famous artist Hokusai (1760-1849) and taken from his collected prints in the Mangwa- Vol. 8, in which he increases the number of blind men to eleven. Because of the fact that in Japan (according to a recent book) elephants are rather uncommon we can well believe that this fable in Japan was borrowed from China or India.</div></span>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-55212780787310922022021-12-01T06:54:00.003-06:002021-12-01T18:47:47.342-06:00blind men examining an elephant<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-iFfCHAc7zVAmb9pIeEznoUYNQj-ADg3AnLuxhXCvTz1s5Jb80diZ0E_IJgBtjnbrAqr94IZVsFqXFdetZ25LAYT4M95f2-Ld7y2-2wu-St_HOM02-sdH9jO46AaewOXYPOK/s1024/blind_monks_examining_an_elephant1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="1024" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-iFfCHAc7zVAmb9pIeEznoUYNQj-ADg3AnLuxhXCvTz1s5Jb80diZ0E_IJgBtjnbrAqr94IZVsFqXFdetZ25LAYT4M95f2-Ld7y2-2wu-St_HOM02-sdH9jO46AaewOXYPOK/w512-h371/blind_monks_examining_an_elephant1.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><span style="font-family: courier;">Blind men (here, monks) examining an elephant by Japanese painter, poet and calligrapher Hanabusa Itchō (1652–1724)</span> <p></p>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-90945020970859341522021-12-01T06:47:00.005-06:002021-12-01T06:49:01.228-06:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSuu2h8BvQHxTecigLmWir_A2MolgHfIFtJ8CKaExBMWnFJSAeiCRZnuJuIyUPl-JYKBc1rO2gW9l_ZKaTlNEpOw8Cki3UAzxf9bwEP1u-nsS_yFE0lKOMQAJpBKk0fjkc_vi/s1747/elephant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1073" data-original-width="1747" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSuu2h8BvQHxTecigLmWir_A2MolgHfIFtJ8CKaExBMWnFJSAeiCRZnuJuIyUPl-JYKBc1rO2gW9l_ZKaTlNEpOw8Cki3UAzxf9bwEP1u-nsS_yFE0lKOMQAJpBKk0fjkc_vi/w533-h328/elephant.jpg" width="533" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-69102835917650210352021-11-30T14:32:00.001-06:002021-11-30T14:33:19.048-06:00elephant in the dark<p><span><span style="font-family: courier;">"Elephant in the Dark" (trans. Coleman Barks)</span></span></p><p class="reading"><span style="font-family: courier;">Some Hindus have an elephant to show.<br />No one here has ever seen an elephant.<br />They bring it at night to a dark room.<br />One by one, we go in the dark and come out<br />saying how we experience the animal.<br />One of us happens to touch the trunk.<br />"A water-pipe kind of creature."<br />Another, the ear. "A very strong, always moving<br />back and forth, fan-animal."<br />Another, the leg. "I find it still,<br />like a column on a temple."<br />Another touches the curved back.<br />"A leathery throne."<br />Another, the cleverest, feels the tusk.<br />"A rounded sword made of porcelain."<br />He's proud of his description.<br />Each of us touches one place<br />and understands the whole in that way.<br />The palm and the fingers feeling in the dark are<br />how the senses explore the reality of the elephant.<br />If each of us held a candle there,<br />and if we went in together,<br />we could see it.</span></p><p class="reading"><span style="font-family: courier;">-Rumi</span></p><div><br /></div>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11506454.post-36070663751548625122021-11-30T14:30:00.005-06:002021-11-30T14:33:30.384-06:00the elephant in a dark room<p><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span><span style="font-family: courier;">The Elephant in a Dark Room (trans. E.H. Whinfield)</span></p><p class="reading2"><span style="font-family: courier;">Some Hindoos were exhibiting an elephant in a dark room, and many people collected to see it. But as the place was too dark to permit them to see the elephant, they all felt it with their hands, to gain an idea of what it was like. One felt its trunk, and declared that the beast resembled a water-pipe; another felt its ear, and said it must be a large fan; another its leg, and thought it must be a pillar; another felt its back, and declared the beast must be like a great throne. According to the part which each felt, he gave a different description of the animal.</span></p><p class="reading2"><span style="font-family: courier;">The eye of outward sense is as the palm of a hand,<br />The whole of the object is not grasped in the palm.<br />The sea itself is one thing, the foam another;<br />Neglect the foam, and regard the sea with your eyes.<br />Waves of foam rise from the sea night and day,<br />You look at the foam ripples and not the mighty sea.<br />We, like boats, are tossed hither and thither,<br />We are blind though we are on the bright ocean.<br />Ah! you who are asleep in the boat of the body,<br />You see the water; behold the Water of waters!<br />Under the water you see there is another Water moving it,<br />Within the spirit is a Spirit that calls it.<br />Keep silence that you may hear Him speaking<br />Words unutterable by tongue in speech.<br />Keep silence, that you may hear from that Sun<br />Things inexpressible in books and discourses.</span></p><p class="reading2"><span style="font-family: courier;">-Rumi</span></p><div><br /></div>Abdul-Halim V.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03811018180731403335noreply@blogger.com0