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Treatment of Islam in the HBS Case "Saudi Arabia: Getting the House Order
Amira El-Adawi (NG) Shakeeb Alam (NF) & Masood Razaq (NK)
Issue date: 4/16/02 Section: News
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We would like to address two key issues (the use of Quranic verses out of context and the definition of Jihad) in the Saudi Arabia case that are very offensive to the Muslim students at HBS and play to many of the negative perceptions surrounding Islam and the Quran. There were several other inaccuracies, but we will focus our attention on these two principal concerns.
ISSUE 1: Mistranslation of the Quaran
The case (page 12) quotes a verse of the Quran: "Do not take the Jews and Christians for friends.....etc." We have 2 comments about this quote:
1. The translation is incorrect in the literal sense. The Arabic word used in the Quran is "awleyaa" which means Allies (protectors), and not Friends "asdekaa." The mistranslation alters the meaning considerably.
2. The Quran was not revealed as a list of teachings (like the Ten Commandments), but revealed as groups of verses usually in response to a question, situation or event that took place and needed clarification or correction. It is therefore important to read the complete collection of verses revealed together, and to do so with knowledge of the context under which they were revealed - otherwise it is difficult to understand what was meant by the revelation, since many of the teachings are situation-specific. The above verse was revealed as part of a several verses and to isolate it is not appropriate.
Specifically, the verses were revealed during a period of tribal conflict and the survival of the early Muslim community was under threat from belligerent pagan tribes who dominated 7th century Arabia. The Muslims had a treaty with Jewish and Christian tribes in Arabia for mutual protection. On the occasion of the verses, one of the non-Muslim tribes had violated the treaty and Ebada Ibnelsamet (a Muslim) went to the Prophet Mohammed and asked permission to be relieved from this treaty since it had been violated. At the same time Abdullah Bin Ubay Bin Saloul (another Muslim) heard this and argued that he did not want to break the treaty because it was very beneficial for his business. There were conflicting viewpoints among the Muslim community and thus these verses were revealed to the Prophet as guidance for this specific situation - a specific historical conflict.
ISSUE 1: Mistranslation of the Quaran
The case (page 12) quotes a verse of the Quran: "Do not take the Jews and Christians for friends.....etc." We have 2 comments about this quote:
1. The translation is incorrect in the literal sense. The Arabic word used in the Quran is "awleyaa" which means Allies (protectors), and not Friends "asdekaa." The mistranslation alters the meaning considerably.
2. The Quran was not revealed as a list of teachings (like the Ten Commandments), but revealed as groups of verses usually in response to a question, situation or event that took place and needed clarification or correction. It is therefore important to read the complete collection of verses revealed together, and to do so with knowledge of the context under which they were revealed - otherwise it is difficult to understand what was meant by the revelation, since many of the teachings are situation-specific. The above verse was revealed as part of a several verses and to isolate it is not appropriate.
Specifically, the verses were revealed during a period of tribal conflict and the survival of the early Muslim community was under threat from belligerent pagan tribes who dominated 7th century Arabia. The Muslims had a treaty with Jewish and Christian tribes in Arabia for mutual protection. On the occasion of the verses, one of the non-Muslim tribes had violated the treaty and Ebada Ibnelsamet (a Muslim) went to the Prophet Mohammed and asked permission to be relieved from this treaty since it had been violated. At the same time Abdullah Bin Ubay Bin Saloul (another Muslim) heard this and argued that he did not want to break the treaty because it was very beneficial for his business. There were conflicting viewpoints among the Muslim community and thus these verses were revealed to the Prophet as guidance for this specific situation - a specific historical conflict.
