The reason I believe 1) the Qur'an is true is that it describes what people we see around do, in real-time, to a high degree of accuracy. 2) traditional Islam is not in the Qur'an.
This thread is a witness:
God: Here's a book of guidance for *anyone* who wants to live a righteous life (2:2)
Muslims: This is OUR book, and you "non-Muslims" have no right to interpret it. Can't even touch it, actually, if it's in Arabic.
(what about non-Muslim Arabs, how do they read?)
God: There is no compulsion in The Way (2:256)
Muslims: if you change your religion, you should be killed. If you have doubts, you should undergo rehabilitation. If you speak against it, you can be persecuted.
God: We have sent you (Muhammad) as a mercy for *ALL* the world (21:107)
Muslims: He is *our* prophet
God: Muslims do not differentiate between our messengers (2:136)
Muslims: Muhammad is the best and the chief of the prophets. God created the whole of creation for him.
God: Do not create divisions in my Message (6:159)
Sunni Muslims: I am a sunni, the shiites are astray
Shi'ite Muslims: I am a shi'ite, the sunnis are astray
Together: Ahmadis and Deobandis are astray!
God: Do not take anyone as partner or associate of God (9:31)
Muslims: You must do what Bukhari was told by someone who was told by another person who claimed to have seen and heard what Prophet said and did. And you must adhere to Imam Shafi'i, and Imam Ghazali, your local mufti
God: Follow what has been revealed (2:170)
Muslims: We follow our forefathers who followed their forefathers
God: 'You only enter paradise if you are a Muslim' is wishful thinking (2:111)
Muslims: You only enter paradise if you are a Muslim!
God: Believers, why do you say what you do not do? (61:2)
Muhammad: (on Judgment day) dear God, my people have abandoned the Qur'an (25:30)
The average Malay Muslim has been told so often that he is incapable of understanding the Qur'an on his own, that he is utterly dependent on someone else's interpretation to the point that the interpretation is now akin to the word of God Himself.
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As a result, these man-made interpretations cannot be questioned, and a different understanding of the verses cannot be comprehended or processed.
To be fair, there is no real basis for comparison, because he thinks he will not be able to understand a pure translation.
Because these interpretations have been accepted for centuries, the Qur'an is anchored to the period in which the interpretations were made, instead of being interpreted in light of the currently available evidence.
It's hard to defend your faith against detractors because there are so many similarities between the Taliban / ISIS and traditional Islam
Quran ✅
Sunnah & Hadith ✅
Ijma' (consensus) ✅
Qiyas (analogy) ✅
Even the attestation of faith is the same ✅
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In Shafi'i-centric Malaysia, there is even some amount of support for the Taliban.
So how can you glibly say "They are not Islam" to non-Muslims?
Are you even allowed to declare others who call themselves Muslims "non-Muslims"?
The minutiae of faith and actions are opaque to non-practitioners. Even practitioners themselves quibble over matters (hence ijma'), so how do you expect non-Muslims to know these fine details?
Actually, there is no specification of gender in the preceding verses at all - in fact, God mentions "For those who were mindful", meaning any and all genders get companions
Let's read from 78:31...
78:31 For those who were mindful of God there is a great achievement,
78:32 gardens and grapevines,
78:33 splendid companions, well-matched,
78:34 and a full cup.
And afterwards, we will find that conventional banking, with the policies that are reasonably good and equitable, is already Islamic, without needing specific labels.
And there is no need to compel people to use it either because the right way is clear from error.
But it's really difficult to get people to do so.
Even Islamic Banking experts who know there is something definitely wrong with it – and prefer to use conventional banking – are still not willing to find out what the Qur'an is actually saying.
So there's this huge flood one day, and an entire town looks like it's going to be swallowed up by the waters. And the Police and Rescue Agencies are running all over the place trying to get people to safety.
So they send the rescue boat over to this house where a guy's sitting on the roof with the water lapping around his ankles and they say "Come on, quickly, there isn't much time"
To which he says "Nah, it's ok, God will provide"
About an hour later they're zooming past in the boat again and they notice the guy's still there, only the water's up to his waist... "Quick" they say, get in the boat, it's going to get worse before it gets better.
"Nah, don't worry - God will provide"