Absolute masterpiece, must read for every Muslim wanting to retain some level of sanity intact when approaching Islamic mythology.
Belief can blunt human reason and common sense, ideas that have been inculcated into the human mind in childhood remain in the background of his/her thinking. Consequently he/she will have the propensity to make facts conform with inculcated ideas which have no rational validity.
Dashti clears the fog and rationalises Islamic folklore which is a must if Islam has to remain relevant in this day and age. I still think that Islam can retain its brand value if more rationalising is allowed and accepted by the mainstream incredulous Muslims, otherwise it may whither into obscurity like its sister religions Jewism and Christianity. I think Dashti knew that his rationalistic narrative may stand a chance after his death, therefore made sure that his work be translated only after his death, not before.
Dashti has produced a critical piece of study on the genesis of Islam, its strong propensity for 'end justifying the means' in the quest of power which suddenly explains the actions of fundamentalist movements like the Taliban very clearly.
The following questions were raised in me as I went through the book....
How long will we (pious Muslims and their erstwhile apologists) let our prejudices blind us?
How many more clever justifications will we require to defend logical discrepancies in the Quran?
Isn't it time really present a rational commentary of the Quran before it too joins the ranks of the obscurity like old and new Testaments?
Or maybe it is too late already? When a community has succumbed to fever, it cannot be claimed with words and proofs. (Dashti)
But then again on reflection afterwards, I could not help wonder of the great achievements Islamic based cultures did manage to achieve. Regardless of of the alleged subjectiveness of the Quran, it remains a fact that Islamic folklore based culture did grow and glow, managing to carry the torch of knowledge and development during the dark ages in Europe. This was only broken convincingly by the indomitable Chengez Khan who obliterated the great culture of Baghdad. Maybe this is the fear which Dashti is alluding to which stops the Muslims from rationalising?
Belief can blunt human reason and common sense, ideas that have been inculcated into the human mind in childhood remain in the background of his/her thinking. Consequently he/she will have the propensity to make facts conform with inculcated ideas which have no rational validity.
Dashti clears the fog and rationalises Islamic folklore which is a must if Islam has to remain relevant in this day and age. I still think that Islam can retain its brand value if more rationalising is allowed and accepted by the mainstream incredulous Muslims, otherwise it may whither into obscurity like its sister religions Jewism and Christianity. I think Dashti knew that his rationalistic narrative may stand a chance after his death, therefore made sure that his work be translated only after his death, not before.
Dashti has produced a critical piece of study on the genesis of Islam, its strong propensity for 'end justifying the means' in the quest of power which suddenly explains the actions of fundamentalist movements like the Taliban very clearly.
The following questions were raised in me as I went through the book....
How long will we (pious Muslims and their erstwhile apologists) let our prejudices blind us?
How many more clever justifications will we require to defend logical discrepancies in the Quran?
Isn't it time really present a rational commentary of the Quran before it too joins the ranks of the obscurity like old and new Testaments?
Or maybe it is too late already? When a community has succumbed to fever, it cannot be claimed with words and proofs. (Dashti)
But then again on reflection afterwards, I could not help wonder of the great achievements Islamic based cultures did manage to achieve. Regardless of of the alleged subjectiveness of the Quran, it remains a fact that Islamic folklore based culture did grow and glow, managing to carry the torch of knowledge and development during the dark ages in Europe. This was only broken convincingly by the indomitable Chengez Khan who obliterated the great culture of Baghdad. Maybe this is the fear which Dashti is alluding to which stops the Muslims from rationalising?
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