Today I had the pleasure of joining a large gathering in Edinburgh to mark the official opening of this year’s Festival of Spirituality and Peace. There were speeches by Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill MSP and organisers of the festival, as well as a wide variety of performances and offerings for reflection.
My contribution was to recite a passage from the Qur’an, which I chose to do in a new way, alternating between each Arabic verse and its translation in English. Qur’anic recitation is a unique art form which I promote through an organisation I founded called Quranica, and which I practise as best I can. In terms of the science of accurate recitation, I am blessed to have learned from leading experts – mainly in Egypt – and received traditional ‘ijazah’ certification by reciting to them.
Since the theme of the 2009 Festival is “The Call of Home”, I explained before commencing that I chose these particular verses for three main reasons:
- They remind us that all humans beings share a common mother and father.
- They reveal that the true Original Sin – literally the very first sin to occur in the universe – was the arrogance of Satan in supposedly being made of a nobler substance: in other words, racism. It should be noted that Satan, also known as Iblis, was never an angel but was at one time in their company, hence his inclusion in the command directed to the angels.
- They remind us of our origin, and the home we must strive to return to by worshipping Almighty God and serving Him in these earthly lives of ours.
Surat al-A’raf 7:10-26
(with Yusuf Ali translation)
| وَلَقَدْ مَكَّنَّاكُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ وَجَعَلْنَا لَكُمْ فِيهَا مَعَايِشَ قَلِيلاً مَّا تَشْكُرُونَ |
| 10: |
| It is We Who have placed you with authority on earth, and provided you therein with means for the fulfilment of your life: small are the thanks that ye give! |
| وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَاكُمْ ثُمَّ صَوَّرْنَاكُمْ ثُمَّ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلآئِكَةِ اسْجُدُواْ لآدَمَ فَسَجَدُواْ إِلاَّ إِبْلِيسَ لَمْ يَكُن مِّنَ السَّاجِدِينَ |
| 11: |
| It is We Who created you and gave you shape; then We bade the angels prostrate to Adam, and they prostrate; not so Iblis; He refused to be of those who prostrate. |
| قَالَ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَلاَّ تَسْجُدَ إِذْ أَمَرْتُكَ قَالَ أَنَاْ خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِي مِن نَّارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُ مِن طِينٍ |
| 12: |
| (Allah) said: “What prevented thee from prostrating when I commanded thee?” He said: “I am better than he: Thou didst create me from fire, and him from clay.” |
| قَالَ فَاهْبِطْ مِنْهَا فَمَا يَكُونُ لَكَ أَن تَتَكَبَّرَ فِيهَا فَاخْرُجْ إِنَّكَ مِنَ الصَّاغِرِينَ |
| 13: |
| (Allah) said: “Get thee down from this: it is not for thee to be arrogant here: get out, for thou art of the meanest (of creatures).” |
| قَالَ أَنظِرْنِي إِلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ |
| 14: |
| He said: “Give me respite till the day they are raised up.” |
| قَالَ إِنَّكَ مِنَ المُنظَرِينَ |
| 15: |
| (Allah) said: “Be thou among those who have respite.” |
| قَالَ فَبِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لأَقْعُدَنَّ لَهُمْ صِرَاطَكَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ |
| 16: |
| He said: “Because thou hast thrown me out of the way, lo! I will lie in wait for them on thy straight way: |
| ثُمَّ لآتِيَنَّهُم مِّن بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَعَن شَمَآئِلِهِمْ وَلاَ تَجِدُ أَكْثَرَهُمْ شَاكِرِينَ |
| 17: |
| “Then will I assault them from before them and behind them, from their right and their left: Nor wilt thou find, in most of them, gratitude (for thy mercies).” |
| قَالَ اخْرُجْ مِنْهَا مَذْؤُوماً مَّدْحُوراً لَّمَن تَبِعَكَ مِنْهُمْ لأَمْلأنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ |
| 18: |
| (Allah) said: “Get out from this, disgraced and expelled. If any of them follow thee,- Hell will I fill with you all. |
| وَيَا آدَمُ اسْكُنْ أَنتَ وَزَوْجُكَ الْجَنَّةَ فَكُلاَ مِنْ حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلاَ تَقْرَبَا هَـذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ |
| 19: |
| “O Adam! dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden, and enjoy (its good things) as ye wish: but approach not this tree, or ye run into harm and transgression.” |
| فَوَسْوَسَ لَهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ لِيُبْدِيَ لَهُمَا مَا وُورِيَ عَنْهُمَا مِن سَوْءَاتِهِمَا وَقَالَ مَا نَهَاكُمَا رَبُّكُمَا عَنْ هَـذِهِ الشَّجَرَةِ إِلاَّ أَن تَكُونَا مَلَكَيْنِ أَوْ تَكُونَا مِنَ الْخَالِدِينَ |
| 20: |
| Then began Satan to whisper suggestions to them, bringing openly before their minds all their shame that was hidden from them (before): he said: “Your Lord only forbade you this tree, lest ye should become angels or such beings as live for ever.” |
| وَقَاسَمَهُمَا إِنِّي لَكُمَا لَمِنَ النَّاصِحِينَ |
| 21: |
| And he swore to them both, that he was their sincere adviser. |
| فَدَلاَّهُمَا بِغُرُورٍ فَلَمَّا ذَاقَا الشَّجَرَةَ بَدَتْ لَهُمَا سَوْءَاتُهُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ الْجَنَّةِ وَنَادَاهُمَا رَبُّهُمَا أَلَمْ أَنْهَكُمَا عَن تِلْكُمَا الشَّجَرَةِ وَأَقُل لَّكُمَا إِنَّ الشَّيْطَآنَ لَكُمَا عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ |
| 22: |
| So by deceit he brought about their fall: when they tasted of the tree, their shame became manifest to them, and they began to sew together the leaves of the garden over their bodies. And their Lord called unto them: “Did I not forbid you that tree, and tell you that Satan was an avowed enemy unto you?” |
| قَالاَ رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ |
| 23: |
| They said: “Our Lord! We have wronged our own souls: If thou forgive us not and bestow not upon us Thy Mercy, we shall certainly be lost.” |
| قَالَ اهْبِطُواْ بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ وَلَكُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمَتَاعٌ إِلَى حِينٍ |
| 24: |
| (Allah) said: “Get ye down. With enmity between yourselves. On earth will be your dwelling-place and your means of livelihood,- for a time.” |
| قَالَ فِيهَا تَحْيَوْنَ وَفِيهَا تَمُوتُونَ وَمِنْهَا تُخْرَجُونَ |
| 25: |
| He said: “Therein shall ye live, and therein shall ye die; but from it shall ye be taken out (at last).” |
| يَا بَنِي آدَمَ قَدْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاساً يُوَارِي سَوْءَاتِكُمْ وَرِيشاً وَلِبَاسُ التَّقْوَىَ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ ذَلِكَ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللّهِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ |
| 26: |
| O ye Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover your shame, as well as to be an adornment to you. But the raiment of righteousness,- that is the best. Such are among the Signs of Allah, that they may receive admonition! |
I would like to acknowledge Imam Fadel Soliman for sharing that insight about racism being the Original Sin.