By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
3 January
2022
" Something unchallenged and unquestioned
doesn't mean that it's irreproachable and infallible. Sensible people and even
those with a modicum of sanity, don't challenge fools and their asinine
theories."
-Goethe
This refers
to a gentleman's much bandied about 5-point summary which he erroneously thinks
to be perfect and above scrutiny. Rumi used a Pahlavi word ' Fiqsag '
for such over-confident 'interpreters'. Etymologically, ' Fiq ' is a
bone in Pahlavi or archaic Persian and ' Sag ' is a dog in Persian and also in
Urdu. You may have noticed that dogs have a habit of chewing dry bones
continuously.
Those who
'interpret' and waste their time and energy on such useless pursuits are veritable
dry-boners. What purpose does it serve for mankind? Do stupid Quranic
interpretations or for that matter, such analyses of religions and scriptures
can ever get a morsel to a famished person?
Our poor
brethren need food to survive. This Five-point summary is of no use to them. We
often say in Persian, 'Shikam Banda Nader Parastayad Khuda ' (you cannot
worship on an empty stomach).
We've just
entered a new year. It's time to do and decide something that can be helpful to
the world and mankind can benefit out of it. Instead of indulging in otiose
discussions like whether Quran meant a flat earth or round, it'll be much more
prudent and advisable to focus on flat breads and round Chapatis. Have a
semblance of rationality and a scintilla of common-sense. There are far more
pressing existential issues than the dead-end interpretations of antediluvian
verses of the Quran, Bible or Gita.
----
A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul
is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He
has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several
languages including Persian.
URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/discussions-quranic-flat-round-earth/d/128781
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