On Islam...

According to the records of Islamic civilization, the Prophet Muhammed or “Messenger of Allah”, when not waging 'Jihad' against the Jews, the Meccan Aristocracy, Christians and competing Arab Tribes, found the time to produce the doctrines eventually forming the 'Holy' book known as the Quran.

A brief perusal of this ancient tome, shows a very large proportion of these 'teachings' are complete and utter tripe, however, besides the grossly simplistic, prejudicial and ill informed statements littering this unflinching affirmation of submission before 'divine' authority ~which, in the ancient world was; and sadly, in many parts of the modern world atrophied by the practice of this religious ideology, still is mistaken for 'the ripest fruit from the utmost boughs of the tree of knowledge'~ there are a lesser but still significant number of not only inspiring, but also informative and dare one say it; logical instructions on subjects ranging from personal hygiene, marital relations and financial advice, to economic efficiency and statecraft, buried though they are amongst the incessant, idle threats, racism, absurd moral imperatives, countless examples of sexism and impossible promises of endless, 'water feature' laden gardens to be bestowed upon the faithful.

Something worth remembering about the Quran, and which we should perhaps be grateful about for the wonderful architectural legacy it has left us throughout Persia, Arabia and even as far West as the Black Sea and eastern border of Russia, is: that it was unreadable to a large majority of the population for whom it was intended, therefore had to be recited orally, by the minority of the population who were actually able to read it.

Once elevated to eminence, receiving their rewards accordingly, this 'party faithful' beneath their alienated Caliph and his God, set about constructing one of the most successful expansionist cultures the world has ever seen, but they needed incubation chambers in which to cultivate this thought virus, and so, as with Christian Europe circa 1200ad, construction of architecture dedicated to the transmission of religious ideology to the masses; the indoctrination of ritualized submissiveness before alienated forms of power, flourished.

We should consider this dichotomy in their ability to comprehend the work, between the 'intellectual' elite, who by rejecting their Pagan deities, gained opulent new Mosque's and the large communities of ignorant, zealous adherents[0.05] devoutly worshipping within them.

Thus, by their conformity with the Prophet's designs, the emerging hieratic elite also gained an esteemed place in the emerging society compared to the large multitudes beneath them, whom, observing recitations of the book in these awe-inspiring buildings constructed in Allah's name, were moved by the conviction with which the words were transmitted, to adopt and embody the 'divine will' these recitations transmitted.

To this day the Quran and five times daily prayer readings evoke fervent exultation, fear and trembling, but also comfort, a sense of community, confidence and resignation, not to mention their ability to imbue the harsh, insignificant lives of a populace with a considerable sense of purpose, meaning and hope.

This elite thus able to convey the message of the book in safety with absolute conviction, to multitudes whom, lacking geopolitical aspirations of their own or alternative means of acquiring this message for themselves, adopted a sense of certainty in words espoused by priestly castes.

Becoming convinced of their holding a share in the 'glories to come', early followers would find the emerging force redefining and constructing the world around them, irresistable.

As Numa, successor to Romulus in ruling the fledgling Roman State recognized, not only religion but the Fear of God particularly, is an instrument above all others essential for the maintenance of a coherent State, and irreplaceable tool in the domination of it's population. [0.1]

One can't help but notice in reading the Quran's first five chapters, that it is clearly designed to appeal to the sense of justice, pride and community spirit of it's audience, but also to their fears, desires and rational self interest, it seeks to bolster the believer while driving the potential critic, “in whose hearts is perversity”[0.2] cowering to the door of their local mosque to seek salvation.

At points it is clear that what one is reading is a foundational document, not only of one of the World's main religions, but of a cultural identity fashioned by the power of the written word interpreted and spoken of as not only law, but the law of an incomprehensible, imaginary omnipotent being.

The book's first five chapters are filled with rules and regulations, punishments and rewards, definitions of good and of evil, of righteousness and unrighteousness, it's the testament of the creation of a new Man, Islamic man, the ultimate in servile submissive schizophrenia, willing to destroy himself and others in order to display his adherence to the divine dictats derived from the Quran by his appointed Imams, Caliphs and above all God for whom Muhammed considered himself the mouthpiece; “Alif Lam Mim”[0.5].

A new Prophet, revealing a new religion, revealed by a reconstituted God in the process of fashioning a new man, one who must entirely submit before new laws for new reasons not altogether reasonable, nor -we should recognize- completely distinct, from the imperatives inherent to Christianity and their mother culture Judaism.

Acknowledging this, it should follow that the reader can hardly be surprised to see, in order to distinguish itself, that a large proportion of this first section of the book, is literally filled with accusations and aspersions cast frequently towards these aforementioned rivals, in order to affirm not only it's own supremacy, but the transgressions and inferiority of Jews and Christians aswell as other potential rivals or critics.

The author clearly seeks to retain the basis of Jewish and Christian culture with one hand, while thumbing their nose and pointing an accusatory finger to Jews and Christians with the other,[1] allow me to provide a case in point in which the author, seems to pre-empt the suspicion of anyone who's critical faculties are developed beyond those of the average desert nomad circa 700ad:

“Verily, We gave Moses the Book and caused after him Messengers to follow in his footsteps; and to Jesus, son of Mary We gave manifest Signs, and strengthened him with the Spirit of holiness. Will you then, every time a Messenger comes to you with what you yourselves desire not, behave arrogantly and treat some as liars and slay others?” Al-Baqarah 2.88

The way the author attempts to conflate prudence with arrogance in attempts to affirm his own message, while dismissing not only potential criticism but the general right to be critical in the most absolute terms, must strike all but the most blinded adherents as suspect; undoubtedly some of these “messengers”, such as Jesus or Muhammed, were lying, or at least elaborating some aspects of “the message” favourable to their cause while excluding what wasn't.

“And when there came to them a Book from Allah, fulfilling that which is with them- and before that they had prayed for victory over the disbelievers- yet when there came to them that which they knew, they rejected it. The curse of Allah be on the disbelievers.

Evil is that for which they have sold their souls; that they should disbelieve in what Allah has revealed , grudging that Allah should send down His grace on whomsoever of His servants He pleases. So they incurred wrath upon wrath; and there is a humiliating chastisement for the disbelievers.

And when it is said to them: 'Believe in what Allah has sent down,' they say: 'We believe in what has been sent down to us;' and they disbelieve in what has been sent down after that, [and rightly so!] yet it is the Truth,[when you put it like that, 'how can I possibly disagree'?] fulfilling that which is with them. Say: 'Why, then, did you attempt to slay the Prophets of Allah before this, if you were believers?'” Al-Baqarah 2.90-92

The bulk of the first five chapters is composed predominantly of rules and regulations, designed to enforce not only a racist but a sexist sense of superiority in the Mohammedan faithful, the rest more or less resembles the kind of faire on display above, threats, curses, and corruptions of the Torah, in crude attempts to exploit it's perceived power over people.

In no large part does the content pertain to 'spiritual' matters, but rather to matters which would ensure the success, longevity, separateness and health of a temporal community, which in order to recognize itself as such, is given various reworkings of a cultural heritage common to that part of the world, namely the stories of Moses, Abraham, Mary, Jesus and others any reader of the Bible would recognize, all of which are represented throughout the first five chapters in altered form.

There is not an ounce of wisdom contained in these chapters comparable to any random selection from the Tao Te Ching, the collected sayings of the Buddha, various productions of the Republic of Rome or the Hebrew book of Proverbs, let alone those insights for which we are all[3] indebted to Western, Enlightenment Philosophy.

What few 'spiritual' 'teachings' in the first 5 chapters of this 'Holy' book, pertain largely to otherworldly rewards bestowed on the well behaved, punishments for “transgressors”, particularly the “worldly” (those focused on the only guaranteed life rather than a purely conceptual sequel); and gross, 'ipso-facto' interpretations of natural phenomena as “Signs from God”, however, to the reader sheltered from threats of punitive violence, or free from the coercion of their parents and immediate community to uncritically accept the religion, this book allegedly launched upon the desert nomads by Allah Himself; particularly the 'teachings' contained in the first five chapters, appear as nothing more than the utterly mundane threats of a power hungry despot.

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[0.05] how frequently these two appear, as though they are the sibling children of autocracy, marching hand in hand throughout human history, trampling all criticism, intelligence and insight beneath their black booted feet.

[0.1] this can be said of the ancient world at least, where people were less contemplative, literate, informed and being more ferocious; were more prone to violent methods of securing their ends.

[0.2] Al-Imran 3.8

[0.5] I am Allah, the All-Knowing

[1] if he did merely transcribe the book it's plausible that Muhammed, (likely being barely literate himself, let alone analytical) was unaware of this duplicity, if on the other hand he connived to forge an army or tribe by emulating Moses; producing a foundational document of 'divine' rules and regulations, then this duplicity was fundamental to the success of his new religious venture.

[2] which is to say those unwilling to give their life for Muhammed's cause (insert 4.75)

[3] even such as ISIL or Al-Qaeda, whom, while chastising the “decadence” and “corruption” of Western civilization, are more than happy to utilize the technological fruits of the very same culture.