Those nice tolerant Muslims

[Antman]

but tory backbenchers complained that the chan. of exc. should be more etonian and less estonian (in ref. to Lawson or Brittan)

[The Lone Gunman]

That's the problem with religion - it's open to interpretation. They need a good, detailed specification document instead

If you put it like that then:
The Koran = Customer requirements.
The Traditions = Detailed Specification.

The Koran is the word of God as passed down to Mohammed, which he wrote down word for word in its original Persian. The only language it can be read in. Any translation is not only forbidden but removes it from being the word of God.

The Traditions are then based on the life of Mohammed (and others) and show how his wisdom is based on the Koran and how he implemented the word of God.

In combination these are used to develope Sharia. The only interpretations in Islam are when new things occur and Imams make decisions on these based on the Koran and the traditions.

Where the Koran makes a statement it is the word of God and must be followed.
Where Mohammed made a statement or performed an act it is as good as the word of God.

This is my interpretation of the translations (which negates them) I have read. Apologies if I am failing to express things properly.

I am sure that were Mohammed alive today or had he left some method of succession (like the Pope) then Islam would have grown into a modern tolerant multi cultural religion. He was clearly astute and directed Islam in accordance with the politics of the day (I am getting close to Fatwah territory here).
The problem as I see it is that the ability to steer Islam died with him and so we are left with a religion incapable of moving out of the dark ages as the only bloke who could pass on Gods wishes has died leaving Islam with a set of rules that would have been sensible at the time.

[expat]

I am sure that were Mohammed alive today or had he left some method of succession (like the Pope) then Islam would have grown into a modern tolerant multi cultural religion.

I'm sure it wouldn't have. The Roman Catholic Church didn't.

[Board Game Geek]

So what you are basically saying is LTG, is that Islam is a bit like Windows 95 Revision A. Unfortunately, with the death of Mohammed, it never got patched to version B, or developed in to later editions.

Now I understand. Thank you.

[expat]

So what you are basically saying is LTG, is that Islam is a bit like Windows 95 Revision A. Unfortunately, with the death of Mohammed, it never got patched to version B, or developed in to later editions.

Now I understand. Thank you.

It's got the ME bug that it won't shut down and go away....

[Joe Black]

I have read the Koran and researched much of the traditions.
This is not about "interpretation". The Koran says a whole host of people must die. As it is the word of God it can not be interpreted (that would carry a death sentence too) and must be obeyed.

I think you have to read it in the original Aramaic though before you can appreciate it's real meaning, until then it's nothing but Chinese.

What suprises me though is that God wasn't multi-lingual, what with all those millenia to occupy himself with, surely he could have done a evening course or something?

[eternalnomad]

I think you have to read it in the original Aramaic though before you can appreciate it's real meaning, until then it's nothing but Chinese.

What suprises me though is that God wasn't multi-lingual, what with all those millenia to occupy himself with, surely he could have done a evening course or something?

Thats blasphemous and you should be beheaded

[expat]

I think you have to read it in the original Aramaic though before you can appreciate it's real meaning

Persian

[The Lone Gunman]

Actualy, I am not sure it isnt Arabic. Does that amount to the same thing?

Arabic of the time was part of a set of languages that were almost identical including Aramaic.

The original language died out so scholars had to ask the bedouin for the meaning of some of the language of the Koran as their language was the nearest anyone could get.

One could say that today nobody actualy understands the Koran at all.

[threaded]

Persian

I thought that was the point ... if you read it as if it was dictated by someone speaking Aramaic it supposedly makes quite a lot more sense.