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Divine Wrath and Divine Mercy in Islam Their reflection in the Qur’ān and Quranic Images of Water
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Lawson, Todd |
| Copyright Year | 2008 |
| Abstract | In this essay in exploration of wrath and mercy in Islam, we will restrict ourselves largely to the quranic data in an attempt to let Islam speak for itself and minimize authorial intervention, distortion, manipulation and interpretation. Much of what follows, therefore, is actual quotation from the Qur’ān inasmuch as the Qur’ān is that which permeates the Islamic world view and regulates the actions and thinking of the followers of Mu1⁄2ammad to an exceptionally high degree – probably unparalleled in the other world religions. Authorial presence may be detected in the emphasis placed here on the relationship between these two divine attributes and the way in which the Qur’ān uses water imagery to communicate their reality and function, their drama. Allāh is by far the most characteristic designation of the utterly transcendent (Q. 112) yet infinitely close and intimate (Q. 50:16) creator and master of the cosmos. Its etymology, like the etymology of the English word “God” is somewhat foggy and/or elliptical. Being composed of two elements, the standard Semitic definite article and the Arabic word for “god” the usual rendering is “The one and only god deserving of allegiance and obedience”. This understanding reflects the Sitz im Leben of the original revelation in its polytheistic context, a context in which the supreme god Allāh was not unknown, but for that was not the sole focus of attention or spiritual and religious concentration. The task of the Prophet was to demonstrate and argue in this milieu that Allāh was in fact “the only god worthy of the name”, or more simply God. In this essay, God and Allah will be used interchangeably when referring to the master of creation and “Lord of all worlds” by Whose grace, providence and solicitude for hu- |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://toddlawson.ca/pdf/lawson_divine_wrath.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
