The Qur'an and doubt, part 2

In this blog, part 2 on doubt, Sardar makes some throw away remarks about atheists, backed up by some quotes from the Qur'an. Lest we forget, in his world that's a form of evidence. It's perhaps worth listing the verses he quotes, and putting them in context. In particular, let's see what happens to the people the verses refer to.

So, we can be arrogant, apparently, us atheist types. He quotes sura 35, verses 42-43 (but when a warner came to them, it has only increased their flight (from righteousness), On account of their arrogance in the land and their plotting of Evil, but the plotting of Evil will hem in only the authors thereof), sura 39 verse 59 (Nay, but there came to thee my Signs, and thou didst reject them: thou wast Haughty, and became one of those who reject faith!) and sura 45 verse 31 (But as to those who rejected Allah, to them will be said: "Were not Our Signs rehearsed to you? But ye were arrogant, and were a people given to sin!).

We can also become self-satisfied and engage in self-exaltation , which is apparently best illustrated by sura 27 verse 14 (And they rejected those Signs in iniquity and arrogance, though their souls were convinced thereof: so see what was the end of those who acted corruptly! ) and sura 38 verse 2 (But the Unbelievers (are steeped) in self-glory and Separatism).

Finally, we try to privilege our own position in society through political expediency or opportunism. Here Sardar cites the first verse quoted above again (35: 42-43).

According to Sardar, atheism is not in itself a problem for Islam. He has many atheist friends, he says ( he consistently reminds us of his liberalism and pluaralism, and it's not a bad example for the other god-botherers). However, he does specifically include his friends in his criticisms.

And yet, if you read the verses immediately following the ones he's offered, it's clear what happens to arrogant, self-satisfied, self-exalting people in the end. On the Day of Judgment wilt thou see those who told lies against Allah;- their faces will be turned black; Is there not in Hell an abode for the Haughty? (39: 60). This Day We will forget you as ye forgot the meeting of this Day of yours! and your abode is the Fire, and no helpers have ye! (45: 34)

Each of the five verses quoted follows up with references to punishment, the two above with the usual burning of skin, dismissed by Sardar as a metaphor, yet constantly, exhaustingly repeated again and again throughout the entire book. If it is a metaphor, it's clearly a metaphor for something extremely unpleasant.

You might think I've been a little harsh in this blog, too mocking, too unwilling to compromise, too set on my Western rationalist course. Well, I can make one claim in my defense, which is that I've never actually threatened anybody. Disagreeing with me does have a consequence. You will be vigorously debated. If you've annoyed me, you'll know about it. But it stops there. Arrogance? Self-exaltation? Stop with the playground taunts of divine retribution, and we can talk about it.

Not that Sardar explicitly threatens anyone (although he has referred to the inevitability of divine punishment on Judgement Day in previous posts). It's just that every time he tries to strike a liberal pose, the fundamental illiberalism of his own book rises up to undercut him.