How Do We Relate to Our Sacred Texts?

Questions for Discussion

• What does the concept of a divinely revealed text mean to you and how important is it in how you relate to scripture.
• What are the varieties of approaches to understanding scripture within your religious tradition?
• Aside from the Qur’an or the Bible, what kinds of texts within your tradition influence your religious practice?
• How does your religious community relate to modern scholarship which suggests that texts within the Bible or Qur’an may have evolved over time and show evidence of having been edited at different times in history?

Additional Questions

What kind of history has your community had when it comes to those who espouse non-traditional views about the origin or interpretation of sacred scripture?

If you decide that you are not going to follow the dictates of Scripture %100 or of other legal texts, how do you decide what to follow and what not to follow? Are you troubled by making those choices?

Does your sacred Scripture contain passages which you feel are troublesome? If so, how do you and your community deal with those passages?

Do you believe your religious community’s sacred Scripture is somehow more authentic than that of other communities and if so, how might that influence your perception of that other community?

Which passages from your Scripture seem to be in the greatest conflict with values of modern society to which you subscribe?

How central is the study of your Scripture and other important religious texts to your life and religious practice?

Christian Texts

From the New Testament (RSV translation)

1  “Every one who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who build his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winde blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it.” (Gospel of Matthew 7:24-27)

2   “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. ... He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.... If someone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.” (Gospel of John 14:18-24)

3  “13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emma′us, about seven miles[d] from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cle′opas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened.22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning 23 and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see.”25 And he said to them, “O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, 29 but they constrained him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them,34 who said, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.” (Gospel of Luke, 24:13-35)

4 “4 And when a great crowd came together and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: 5 “A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the path, and was trodden under foot, and the birds of the air devoured it.6 And some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew with it and choked it.8And some fell into good soil and grew, and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said this, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”9 And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, 10 he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, that they may not believe and be saved. 13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy; but these have no root, they believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. 14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. 15And as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience.” (Luke 8:4-15)

 5  From the Fathers of the Church

 “Whoever, then, thinks that he understands the Holy Scriptures, or any part of them, but puts such an interpretation upon them as does not tend to build up this twofold love of God and our neighbor, does not yet understand them as he ought.” 
(Augustine of Hippo, On Christian Doctrine  4th century)

6 The Divine Scripture is a sea, containing in it deep meanings, and an abyss of prophetic mysteries; and into this sea enter many rivers. There are Sweet and transparent streams, cool fountains too there are, springing up into life eternal, and pleasant words as an honey-comb. Agreeable sentences too there are, refreshing the minds of the hearers, if I may say so, with spiritual drink, and soothing them with, the sweetness of their moral precepts. Various then are the streams of the sacred Scriptures. There is in them a first draught for you, a second, and a last. (St. Ambrose of Milan ca. 338-397, Letter 2.3: To Constantius, A Newly Appointed Bishop) 

7  From a contemporary Catholic woman:

 “We will carry to paradise how we have lived all this: whether we have lived in accord with the word of God, which gives us means to express our charity. So, let us get up cheerfully each day be it stormy or sunny, and let us remember that our day will be worthwhile to the extent that during it we have ‘assminlated’ the word of God.... We can admire how the word of God, the Truth, makes us free. . . (see John 8:32, 36), free from circumstances, free from his body of death (see Rom 7:24), free from tials of the spirit, free from the world that as it surrounds us seeks to spoil the beauty and fullness of the reing of God in us.” (Chiara Lubich, Spiritual Works, 121-122)

Jewish Sources

1…10 [L]isten to the voice of the Lord your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the Torah, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul. 11. For this commandment which I command you this day, is not hidden from you, nor is it far off. 12. It is not in heaven, that you should say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it to us, that we may hear it, and do it? 13. Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, that we may hear it, and do it? 14. But the word is very near to you, in your mouth, and in your heart, that you may do it.
          —Deuteronomy 30:10-14

2And this is the Torah [instruction] which Moses set before the people of Israel (Deuteronomy 4:44) by the order of the Lord, through the hand of Moses (from one of several biblical verses, e.g. Numbers 10:13).
        —The Daily Prayer Book, recited when Torah reading has been completed and the Torah is lifted in the air and will be covered prior to its return to the Ark. 

3  They asked the Torah: “How is the sinner to be punished?” It replied, “Let him bring a sacrifice and he will be pardoned.”

The asked prophecy: “How is the sinner to be punished?” It replied, “The person who sins,… he shall die (Ezekiel 18:4).
They asked David: “How is the sinner to be punished?” It replied, “May sinners disappear from the earth and the wicked be no more” (Psalms 104:35).
They asked Wisdom: “How is the sinner to be punished?” It replied, “Misfortune pursues sinners” (Proverbs 13:21).
The asked the Holy One Blessed be He: “How is the sinner to be punished?” It replied, “Let him do penance, and I will accept it, as it is written, ‘Good and upright is the Lord[;therefore He shows sinners the way]’ (Psalms 25:8).
     —Jerusalem Talmud, Makkot 2:6 (5th century), according to a genizah fragment 

4  Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Joshua (first and second centuries CE) disagree about whether an oven is clean, i.e., kosher and argue their positions before the court. To prove the oven is clean, Rabbi Eliezer calls on God to perform one miracle after another — a river changes course, a tree moves from here to there, etc. Rabbi Joshua argues that such miracles have no bearing on a court of law. Finally the voice of God calls out, “Don’t you know that Jewish law always follows the view of Rabbi Eliezer?” To which Rabbi Joshua replies — citing scripture against God! — “It [Torah] is not in heaven (Deuteronomy 30:12).  The members of the court side with Rabbi Joshua. The Talmud explains that following the revelation at Sinai we don’t heed the heavenly voice and besides the Torah says, “After the majority one must incline” (Exodus 33:2).  Later, a rabbi met Elijah the Prophet and asked him: “What did the Holy One, Blessed be He, do in that hour?”—“He laughed [with joy],” Elijah replied, saying, “My children have defeated Me, My children have defeated Me.”
       — Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia, 59b (6th century CE) 

5  PARDES: In the Middle Ages the word pardes was used as an acronym for the four types of biblical exegesis, and acronym of peshat (“the literal meaning”), remez (“hint,” i.e., veiled allusions … )  derash(“homiletical interpretation”), and sod (“mystery,” i.e., the esoteric interpretation, the word [Pardes] being made up of the initial letters of these words.
     —The Encyclopaedia Judaica 

6 But so long as there is to be found any room in the contemporary scene for Jewish life, the knowledge of Torah must figure in it, or that life will be anything but Jewish.
       —Mordecai Kaplan (1881-1983), Judaism as a Civilization, p. 410 

7  As a report about revelation the Bible itself is a midrash [i.e. an interpretation that seeks to draw out meaning].
       —Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972), God in Search of Man, p. 185. 

Texts from Islam

Texts from Qur’an and Hadis:

# 1. Qur’an the Holy Book was Revealed in Arabic and preserved in the same language. Arabic is a living language. Qur’an as atext has survived for over1400 years in its original language. Every year during Ramadan the entire Quran is recited , thus Quran is still being preserved through memorization. OriginallyQur’an was memorized as it was being Revealed,  than written down and preserved in a form of a book by third Caliph Uthman. (process of preservation had been started by second Caliph Omar.)

A “No falsehood can approach it from before or behind it: It is send down by the One full of Wisdom, worthy of all Praise” 41:42.

B  “It is He Who has sent down the Book (the Qur'ân) to you (Muhammad) with truth, confirming what came before it. And he sent down the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)” 3:3

C “…This day have I Perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion…” 5: 4

D "Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (Scriptures);― in the Law and the Gospel;― for he commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil: he allows them as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure); He releases them from their heavy burdens and from the yokes that are upon them. So it is those who believe in him honour, him, help him, and follow the Light which is sent down with him― it is they who will prosper” 7:157

E O you who have believed, obey God and His Messenger and do not turn from him while you hear [his order] 8:20 

#2. Hadis: Muslims also study the actions and sayings of Prophet Muhammed PBUH , recorded in the form of Hadis. There are 6 canonical books studied by Sunni and and Shia
(Shia study additional books).

Hadis: The Holy Prophet said: “ The people whose faith pleases me the most are those who will come after my time ,who will find pages contained in a book (the Qur’an) and they will believe in what is contained within it.”

 (At-Tirmidhi). “Lo! Those of mankind who have the best claim to Abraham are those who followed him, and this Prophet and those who believe (with him); and Allah is the Protecting Guardian of the believers.” 3:68

“He it is Who hath revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture wherein are clear revelations - they are the substance of the Book - and others (which are) allegorical. But those in whose hearts is doubt pursue, forsooth, that which is allegorical seeking (to cause) dissension by seeking to explain it. None knoweth its explanation save Allah. And those who are of sound instruction say: We believe therein; the whole is from our Lord; but only men of understanding really heed” 3:7

Quran recognizes that there are verses in it, which are allegorical and are understood by men of Understanding and they are the ones who heed!

# 3. Schools of Thought: There are 4 schools of Thought followed by Sunni and 5th one by Shia. These school of thoughts are explaining laws from Qur’an.( Maliki, Hanifi, Shafee, Hambali, Jafeeri.)

The four schools of Thought: (Taken from What is Islam by Yahiya Emerick.)

Islam is a way of life that can be adapted to any time and place.. The path is called Shariah. The source of information is Qur’an and Sunnah. If we face an issue that requires more help to answer, a scholar can do Ijtehad, or independent reasoning. If there is still no answer scholars can arrive at a solution guided by Islamic principles. This is called Qiyas, or applied thought.

When a decision is approved by other responsible scholars, a Fatwa, or official proclamation is announced. The verdicts are the scholar’s best attempts at answering a difficult issue .AFatwa is not to be considered as bindingfor all times, however, for later scholars may understand an issue better as more facts come to light. This science is known as Fiqh, or Understanding the Legal Positions.

In a way Shari’ah is the path of living Islam and Fiqh is the way we can understand how to do it better. Not everyone will agree on everything, so we have different schools of Fiqh/Thought each with its own particular method of research and interpretation.

Hadis: The Prophet PBUH said, “The Qur’an was revealed with five categories : Things lawful, things unlawful, clear and positive teachings , allegories and stories. So hold lawful what is lawful for you, and hold forbidden things forbidden. Act according to the clear and positive teachings , affirm your faith in the allegories and draw lessons from the stories.” (Mishkat and Balhaq).

The Prophet said: “Differences in my Ummah are a blessing.” There are clear etiquettes on disagreements. He also said: “A strong man is not someone who knocks other people out in a fight . A strong man is someone who controls himself when he is angry.” (Bukhari).

An example in the life time of the Prophet : Fight of Uhud, whether to fight from within the city of Medina or go to the Mountain of Uhud. There were differences of opinion, Prophet took the majority opinion and went to Uhud to fight the Meccans.

The four of schools of Thought are also called Madh-hab/Madhahib: They agree between themselves about 85 %, their differences are small: An example on disagreement between schools of Thought:   

A woman’s husband disappears while travelling without a trace and is never heard from again. When can the woman safely marry? One Madh-hab would say she has to wait a year while another will say she must wait for 99 years ! The scholars use Ijtehad and try to come up with an answer witch may be very different answer. Thus we can understand the nature of the differences between various Madhahib.

During the prayer should the hands be at the sides or folded up at the chest?

Imam Malik did not want people to follow him, or any other person, in place of following the Qur’an and sunnah. He quoted as saying: “The word of any person other than the Prophet is sometimes accepted and sometimes rejected.”

Imam Shafi’i once said: “My opinion is correct with the possibility of it being wrong. An opinion different from mine is wrong with the possibility that it is correct.”