I could not stop hearing verse 7 of chapter 7 of the Qur’an: “Had we sent an angel, then it would have been finished, there would be no respite for you...” Like many others in the 1980s in South Africa, we held on to the humanity of the prophets in general, and the Prophet Muhammad in particular. What would he have done in the face of apartheid, discrimination and racism .... It was and remains an argument for a contextual understanding of religion and law and values....
When we focused our attention on the humanity of the prophets, we had to skip over the alternative, the angelic host. Last night, the reciter stumbled over this verse. Bless him... his slow and haunting recitation is generous for anyone willing to listen and reflect. As is the custom in the night prayer, the next reader returned to this verse, corrected and recited it again. This time, I could not ignore it.
When the angels descend on humankind, then there is no longer any doubt or question about truth, meaning and destiny. That descent would be final, an end time for the game of being human.
What is the game of being human, as seen in the choice between an angelic host and a human messenger?
Full certainty, that which comes with an angelic host, is deferred. It has to be deferred ...
In real human experience, full certainty is elusive. It is just beyond reach.
It is slippery. One moment you think it is there, as you can see it as clear as daylight.And then it slips away between your fingers.
And when you have it, you cannot share it with anyone.... each must acquire certainty for herself.
You can get a hint, or some help from the wise, the Prophets and the saints. You might get more than a hint when someone shows you, witnesses the truth for you....
But you are on your own... even face to face with a human messenger of God.
If the weight of human responsibility is difficult to accept, perhaps even to imagine.. then think of its implication for our diverse and bewildering world.
Absolute certainly is not part of our human communication, about our competing visions of the world. This is not a vision of endless play and deferred truth. It is not a mere celebration of diversity for the sake of diversity. The truth is there ... only the absolute truth is deferred.
Remembering the humanity of the prophet is important, even essential. But that new contextual reading might not be the arrival of the angelic host.... it cannot be.
No comments:
Post a Comment