Virtue and Purity as Boasted of by Islamics

Islam and its Islamics (Islamic Clerics - contraction thereof) prides itself on these two exemplars of Islam's superiority to everything that is not Islamic.

Let us examine these two characteristics in Islam of which its adherents make so much and boast of them to make us seem decadent.

Virtue
ihsan (Arabic)

Virtue (Latin virtus; Greek ἀρετή) is moral excellence of a person. A virtue is a character trait valued as being good. The conceptual opposite of virtue is vice.
***
The English word virtue is derived from the Latin word virtus which is in turn from vir meaning "man" in the masculine sense. The word virtus means "the male function" conceived in terms of strength or force; hence "the power to accomplish".
***
(The Roman virtue called virtus, indeed, specifically meant courage or strength of arms, rather than 'virtue' in the broader English sense.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtue

[Note; wiki-wiki! Wikipedia, take care what it tells you. this, however, appears reliable.]

OK, enough of that. BUT, as this word is oh-so-masculine, it fits right in with the "a man is worth two women (or is it 4? Or is it that four men have to testify as eye witnesses if a woman is raped to make the rape charge stick? Or is it six men? Before the woman is stoned to death for adultery?

About the koran:
Language is poetic and arabesque, but the essence of the message is-- **

How Virtue is practiced by Islamics

Well, that is moot point. Point 1. It applies only in (social) intercourse with other Islamics. The despised kafir (that's us non-Islamics) is left out. The Islamic can lie to him deceive him (that's highly praiseworthy among the Mahometans, when a kafir is the target) , rob him, kill him, take his wife and children to do with what he wishes (no statuatory rape law is part of Sharia).

There is no Point 2. Virtue in Islam can be compared to what we call morality and ethics--although ours apply to all man-(and woman-)kind. Ours derives from the 10 Commandments, viz. Thou shalt not . . . murder, steal, etc.

Islamics do not consider killing a kafir (one of us) as immoral. In fact, it is a step on the road to the sexual hot-house that Mahound describes as his paradise.

How described by Mahound*

[*easier to type out than Mohammed; if pronounced rapidly, its almost approximates the Arabic prononciation of Mo-ham-med--as does Mahomet. This proper noun has been used in literature in Salman rushdie's The Satanic verses (Warning! Danger! Fatwa issued on author) It is a transformed re-narration of the life of the prophet Muhammad (called the "Messenger" {and "Mahound"}in the novel) ]

How Mahound described "Virtue"

In fiction (Islamic, koran, etc.) and in fact

Purity

Purity means that something does not contain foreign material or pollutants; the opposite of purity is impurity. The term may also be used to denote the absence of immoral behaviour or qualities (see morality).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purity

In Islamic fiction (koran, etc.)

"The Koran . . . was originally written in the purest Arabic. Muhammad continually appeals to its extraordinary superhuman beauty and purity, as an evidence of the divine source from which he declared it to flow. He challenged unbelievers to produce, even with the aid of genii, any passage worthy to be compared with a single chapter in the Koran. Those who are acquainted with Arabic inform us that in its purest type it is in the highest degree copious, musical, and elegant; and that these qualities all meet in the Koran."
http://www.abcog.org/cislam2.htm

Language is poetic and arabesque, but the essence of the message is ** [footnote]

Mahound's obsession with "purity." Was the man a compulsive obsessive?

[quote]

They rendezvous and exchange kisses, the mistress and her mister, or was it the gigolo and his social partner. Perhaps they are only friends and lovers. It does not matter. The two are having a tryst. I do not recall; has this escapade been going on for hours, days, months, or is it years. Sigh; it is unimportant. The two twist, tangle, and turn their bodies into one another as they walk down the street. They arrive at their destination. Swiftly, the couple enters their room. They passionately engage while on the sofa, on the floor, and finally, they fall into bed.

They “make love,” generate heat. The ordeal is hot and they are sweaty. Ultimately, they decide to shower together. Upon cleaning their bodies, the duo realizes they feel relieved. All their perspiration and transgressions were washed away.

Studies conclude; the sense of cleanliness after committing adultery or sex that is not ordained by a moral authority appeases guilt. The sensation, that all is “right with the world” if I wash after violating a value or ethical principle, is called the “Macbeth Effect.”

This marvel of “washing away my sins” is operating in the minds of many. Researchers, Chen-Bo Zhong from the University of Toronto, and Katie Liljenquist of Northwestern University, establish there is a “psychological association between bodily purity and moral purity.”

They surmise it is no wonder. Religious rituals have focused on physical cleansing since the beginning of time. Initially, many of these rituals were in fact practical ways for controlling the transmission of diseases. Ultimately, the obsession to be clean or perhaps, guilt free led to an antibacterial trend. Numerous products touted they would prevent the spread of germs. After years of this campaign, scientist stepped in to remind the public, some bacteria is essential for good health. Society was shaken; people want to be cleansed, totally [inside and out.]

[end quote]

http://be-think.typepad.com/bethink/cleanliness_godliness/index.html

DID MAHOUND HAVE THIS?

Is this why the koran is so explicit about "purity," uncleanness, and toilet etiquette?

from an Islamic website:

http://www.islamic-world.net/psychology/psy.php?ArtID=173

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by unwanted recurrent thoughts and images that are invariably distressing because they are violent, loathsome, threatening, or obscene in nature. They are recognized as the individual's own thoughts even though they are involuntary and often repugnant. They are largely out of control of the person, and often the more the person tries to resist them the worse they become.

These unwanted thoughts generally produce a very high amount of anxiety. This is the obsessive component of the disorder. These thoughts lead a person to engage in such behaviors that would relieve the anxiety or threat. Since the thoughts are recurrent - non-stopping, the resultant defensive behavior is also repetitive. For example, if the obsessions are about catching germs or becoming unclean, the person frequently washes himself/herself. If the obsessions are about personal safety and security, the person engages in to repeatedly checking the doors and locks in his house. This is the compulsion component of the disorder. These repetitive behaviors take up so much time of their daily life that they become unable to live a normal life. Paradoxically, the more they engage in these defensive behaviors, the more they are attacked by these obsessions. Thus, the obsessions followed by compulsions become such a vicious cycle that they cannot easily break out of it.

Here is a case example that sufficiently illustrate the nature of this disorder and how it renders a person totally helpless and dysfunctional. The person states:

“I always feel that there is urine on my clothes so I feel unclean (napaak) and keep checking my clothes to see if they are wet. I keep changing my clothes. I always feel that if I step on something wet and my feet get wet than it is urine. If I burp or cough than or throw up, I think my clothes are now dirty and I feel unclean; so I change my clothes and keep washing my mouth. When I make wudu, I keep thinking it is not done right. When I pray Salah I keep thinking that my hands are dirty because my mind keep telling me that I have put my finger into my private part so I am unclean (napaak). So I keep washing my hands. The same thing happens when I recite the Qur’an. When I drive, I keep wiping my hand with damp tissue because I feel my hands are dirty. When I cook I keep washing my hands because again I keep thinking that I have touched my Dr. Mohammed Sadiq (April 2005) Page 2 of 6 private part and have become unclean. I always carry tissue in my hands so I know I did not touch my private part. I put safety pins on my dress to hold my dress down, so as to ensure that I don’t touch my private part. Because of the fear of throwing up, I have started putting tissues in my month, so I don’t throw up. I know all of these thing or so weird, but If I don’t do it, I feel scared and unclean (napaak), and lots of anxiety. I feel that I am crazy, my husband and the kids think so too. I try to stop thinking about these feeling, but they keep getting stronger so I give in to the washing so the feelings will go away, but they keep coming back.”

From an Islamic perspective, these unwanted thoughts are called ‘Wasaawis’ (plural of Waswasah), which are whispered in the minds and hearts of people by Shayaateen. We find evidence of this in the holy Qur’an and Ahadith. Allah (swt) says: “Then Shaitaan whispered suggestions to them both in order to uncover that which was hidden from them of their private parts….” (7:20) “Then Shaitaan whispered to him saying, ‘O Adam! Shall I lead you to the tree of eternity and to a kingdom that will never waste away?’” (20:120) “Say: ‘I seek refuge with Allah, the Lord of mankind, the King of mankind, the God of mankind, from the evil of the whispers of the devil, who whispers in the hearts of men…. (114:1-4) And the Prophet (saw) said: Abu Huraira (r.a.) narrated: Allah's Apostle said, "Shaitaan comes to one of you and says, ‘Who created so-and-so and so-and-so?’, till he says, ‘Who has created your Lord?’ So, when he inspires such a question, one should seek refuge with Allah and give up such thoughts." (Bukhari, Muslim) These Wassawis play a significant role in many mental disorders that involve anxiety and cognitive distortions.

To a lesser degree, these obsessions and compulsions result in what is known as Obsessive Personality Disorder. A person suffering from this disorder shows peculiar idiosyncrasies. For example, he/she may be quite particular about a specific way of maintaining cleanliness, or washing dishes, or wearing clothes, or making their beds, or doing their work, etc. If things are not done exactly in that way, they become quite annoyed and frustrated. Some end up being perfectionists; they are hard to satisfy.

http://www.islamic-world.net/psychology/psy.php?ArtID=173

Virtue In Fact

Mahound's life

the Arabic word sunnah has come to denote the way Prophet Muhammad (saas), the Messenger of Allah, lived his life. (There are examples of Mahound not being virtuous: lying, deceit, coveting another's wife, etc.)

A hadith [ahadith, pl.] is a narration about the life of the Prophet (mhrih) or what he approved - as opposed to his life itself, which is the Sunnah as already mentioned.

At odds with Ten Commandments

which are more virtuous?

You make the call.

Lives of Islamics (Islamic clerics)

Toilet training a la Mahound.

Quite disgusting

sources, Islamic:
http://www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=565

Virtue amongst the Moslem masses

Islam is wonderful, but I can't stand the Muslims
http://www.islamfortoday.com/malik01.htm

Freedom is the prerequisite for Virtue
says Dinesh D'Souza

Egyptian writer Sayyid Qutb, a leading theoretician of Islamic fundamentalism who has been called "the brains behind Osama bin Laden," argued in his books that the West is a society based on freedom, while the Islamic world is based on virtue.

He argued: Look at how badly the West uses freedom — the materialism, triviality, vulgarity and promiscuity. Islamic societies may be poor, Qutb said, but they try to follow God's will. Islamic laws are based on divine law, higher than any human law. Virtue, Qutb insisted, is ultimately a higher principle than freedom.

The classical philosophers, including Plato and Aristotle, would have agreed that virtue, not freedom, is a good society's ultimate goal. And they would be right.
***************
In theocratic societies such as Iran, the absence of freedom signals the absence of virtue.
***************
"Sell USA's virtue to Muslim world"
By Dinesh D'Souza
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/2002/05/02/ncguest2.htm

The Book of Virtue, Good Manners and Joining of the Ties of Relationship (Kitab Al-Birr was-Salat-I-wa'l-Adab)
by Muslim (full name Abul Husain Muslim bin al-Hajjaj al-Nisapuri)
Sahih Muslim is a collection of sayings and deeds of Prophet Muhammad (mhrih) (also known as the sunnah). The reports of the Prophet's sayings and deeds are called ahadith.

example:
Book 032, Number 6181:

"Abu Huraira reported that a person said: Allah's Messenger, who amongst the people is most deserving of my good treatment? He said: Your mother, again your mother, again your mother, then your father, then your nearest relatives according to the order (of nearness).
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/muslim/032.smt.html

Honor your father and Mother includes a lot of the "virtue" morality of Mahound.

"Purity"

of which Moslems make so much is decribed (in Islam On Line) so:
Physical purity means cleanliness of the body, clothing and environment. According to the rules of Islam, Muslims should keep their bodies and clothing clean from any impurities, especially the body wastes of humans and animals.

Islam insists on the use of clean water to cleanse the body of impurities, and only when water is not available can a person use other things. Even the clothing should be perfectly clean from any impurities. For that reason, Muslim bathrooms have a source of running water or pitchers of water next to the toilet.

Similarly, any animal discharges — including the saliva of dogs — are unclean and Muslims should make sure their clothing, environment, and bodies are free of those impurities.

Muslims must have perfect physical purity to pray the Salah (ritual Prayers).
http://www.islamonline.net/english/introducingislam/Worship/Prayers/article01.shtml

Ablution

Example: "Wash your nose three times by sniffing water up the nostrils and blowing it out."

[good way to get a sinus infection. I had a friend at one time who snorted water up his nose and --but that's another story.]
A lot of this stuff comes from Judaism and was embellished to suit the desert Arab. Now, the "proof's in the puddin"" as they say. And the puddin' often don't smell too swell.

Here's another one:

Ghusl (Purifying bath)
Narrated Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) said, "When a man sits in between the four parts of a woman and did the sexual intercourse with her, bath becomes compulsory." (Bukhari)"

Comment: No shtSherlock

Removing Impurity (Najasah)
Hadrat Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "He (meaning Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) forbade us to face the qibla when easing ourselves or passing water, or to wipe ourselves with the right hand, or to wipe ourselves with less than three stones, or to wipe ourselves with dung or bone." (Muslim)

sounds earthy rather than "pure."

If you want to read more of this, look at
http://www.iqra.net/Hadith/tahara.php

I mean, pure is like the angels, white robes, no sexual organs, certainly no defecation or urination or any of those other "impure" acts such as sexual congress, which can be (I hear) rather nasty, I mean, as far as bodily fluids, and two of the four senses are concerned.

Here are more instruction, directed mostly for the haj (trip to Mecca) but applicable to daily life:

As for personal hygiene, we should bathe daily at least once in order to remove dust, dirt, germs and contaminants. Washing the hands, face and feet frequently helps keep infections at bay; here are the obvious benefits of ablution five times per day. It is important to cut the nails before making the Haj as dirt and germs easily accumulate under them. Clothes should be practical and easily washable so that they can be laundered daily. If we follow these simple procedures, we will gain the appearance of devout Muslims while avoiding contamination. Islam demands purity of soul, body, mind and dress.

Particular attention should be given to food, not only from the aspect of hygiene but also from that of nutrition. To remove parasites and undesirable microorganisms, raw fruits and vegetables should be treated in a special way. All greens, root vegetables and fruits, as well as all other edible raw plants should be soaked for 15 minutes in water with apple cider vinegar added to it — one tablespoon of vinegar per gallon of water. Vinegar is a good disinfectant, readily available and easily affordable.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=57671&d=17&m=1&y=2005

Now, I am not trying to poke fun at this--or at Moslems or may-the-good-Lord-forbid at Mahound. These detailed instructions are good for the unwashed masses (I count myself among them, the descamisados [unshirted ones]), but cannot be claimed exclusively by Moslems. A lot of this is taken from Judaism and embellished with more detail for areas where water is at a premium.

The main point is: Virtue and Purity are not exclusive to Moslems. Mahound took from wherever he wanted to (he was a purloiner and robber) and re-formed it to suit his needs. So, when you hear Moslems boast how they are the only ones in the world that are Virtuous and Pure, try to remember a few of the points I have made here. (Try, I say, I can hardly remember one or two of them any longer--guess I have read this stuff after writing it).

And--as this is not meant to be an exhaustive study of Virtue and Purity as boasted of by Moslems--in the immortal words of the Fictional film character Forrest Gump as portrayed by Tom Hanks, is all I'm going to say about that.

this, then is the End of another Nitschean piece of writing. I do not mean in brilliance nor pithiness of content but in the fragmentary method of putting down thoughts.


Addendum

Re "Purity" and the koran

koranic thought police on patrol on the internet

The koranic Trojan [a trojan horse, like a computer virus--not the condom] was prevalent in 2005; I do not know whether it still exists today. I have never encountered a koranic verse that I did not ask for, but then I do not ever seek out pornographic sites as I am pure in spirit, thought as well as in body. [could I be a new "messenger?" Naw, I don't have what it takes, chuzpah, gall, an unmitigated drive for plunder, other men's womenfolk, and killing all those who do not believe that I am the new messenger. Oh well, back to the keyboard.]

A new Trojan horse displays a message from the Muslim holy book when a user visits what could be a pornographic Web site.

A new Trojan horse is serving as a moral guard of sorts, displaying text from the Koran if users visit what could be a pornographic Web site, Sophos warned on Monday.

The Trojan horse, dubbed "Yusufali-A," scans the title bar of the active Web browser window, which typically contains the name of a Web site. The program jumps into action when it sees any one of nine terms, including sex, teen, xxx, penis and exhibitionism, Sophos said in a description of the Trojan on its Web site.

When it determines that a pornographic Web site is being shown, the Trojan minimizes that window and displays a message from the Koran instead, Sophos said. If the offending site is not closed, a button labeled "For Exit Click Here" will appear. Moving the mouse to that box will lock it in and the user is forced to log out of Windows, according to Sophos.

Because of the way it is programmed, the Yusufali Trojan may also block innocent Web sites such as medical, educational and sites targeted at teenagers, Sophos notes.

Porn and malicious code have been married before, but more often explicit images are used to trick people into downloading a Trojan horse. Earlier this year however, Sophos found the Baba-C worm, which traveled by e-mail posing as a tool to clean porn from PCs.

The Yusufali Trojan horse is not widespread, Sophos said. Regardless, the Abingdon, England-based antivirus company, advises users to keep their antivirus software up to date.
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/2100-1009-5851679.html

On Purity in the koran

according to Imam Sulayman S. Nyang of Howard University in Washington, D.C.

quoted in "Koran a Book of Peace, Not War, Scholars Say"
Peter Standring
National Geographic Today
September 25, 2001

[I especially like that "Scholars Say." It can be set to music--Johnny Mathis singing "Chances Are." "Scholars Say, the Koran's a Book of Peace, a book quite slim, they say with a silly grin . . . " I do not think that I will be great song writer, a good one, perhaps, but not great.]

[The following bit is about the jihads!]

"The Koran is very specific with regard to the nature of human struggle, because in order for a human to be at peace with himself, they must control their baser instincts," says Nyang.

The quest to control base instincts such as greed, lust, and cruelty and to seek spiritual purity is known by Muslims as the "great jihad." Featured widely in the Koran, the "great jihad" is a person's most important internal struggle.

Nyang quotes Chapter 3, verse 172, of the Koran: "Of those who answered the call of Allah and the messenger, even after being wounded, those who do right and refrain from wrong have a great reward."

But also in the holy scripture is a reference to "lower jihad," a more earthly and physical—and controversial—struggle. "To those against whom war is made, permission is given [to fight] because they are wronged; and verily, God is most powerful for their aid," quotes Nyang.

This verse speaks of combat or war to be waged against one's oppressors—a struggle sanctioned by God.

But the Koran also states in Chapter 2, Verse 190: "Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loves not transgressors."

The essence of the verse, Nyang says, is to fight back "if you are attacked by your persecutors, but don't fight back indiscriminately. Follow the rules of engagement." According to mainstream Muslim clerics, those "rules of engagement"' are explicit: women, children, and innocent civilians are off limits.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/09/0925_TVkoran.html

Purity and the physical book - the koran

At Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where jihadists are detained
http://rofasix.blogspot.com/2005/06/army-rules-on-handling-koran-at.html

A woman menstruating and preserving the purity of the koran:

The Left Hand and Moslem Purity

a Muslim swearing on the Koran will not "raise his right hand", but rather will place the right hand on the Koran, while not raising any hand.

So, no left hand on the book, use gloves when touching the book.
also see Gitmo Rules re koran:
http://rofasix.blogspot.com/2005/06/army-rules-on-handling-koran-at.html

But at [Keith] Ellison's fake, photo-op make-believe swearing-in ceremony, both these rules were violated, [as seen in this picture (see original at http://twoconservatives.blogspot.com/2007/01/did-keith-ellison-desecrate-koran.html )

The woman is holding the Koran with bare hands, including her unclean left hand. And Ellison has his unclean left hand on the book. Earlier (not pictured), Nancy Pelosi also touched the book with her uncovered left hand.

"Muslims consider their left hand "unclean" -- they use it to wipe themselves, and not much else."

One can only hope that the aide holding the Koran is not menstruating.

Requirements of ritual purity may seem to restrict a woman's access to religious life, but are viewed as concessions. During menstruation or postpartum bleeding, she may not pray the ritual salah or touch the Koran and she does not have to fast; nor does she need to fast while pregnant or nursing.

All this about the left hand [of a ?] at
http://twoconservatives.blogspot.com/2007/01/did-keith-ellison-desecrate-koran.html

. . . Muslims used the left hand to perform certain "unclean" tasks (i.e. cleaning one's bottom after defecation). . . .This practice may no longer apply to Muslims born and/or raised in Western society, but by and large, the left hand is still considered "the unclean hand" in most predominantly Muslim countries.
http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/index.php?qid=20061224100356AAI7pkt

[Comment: After using rough stones, bones and other material for that task, it had to be finished up--oh well. TP is not one of the prescribed substances for the task. Moist wipes are also useful for this task, but not sanctioned by the koran. Therefore . . . Never shake the left hand of a Moslem--even if his right arm is broken and in a sling. Let the hand-shaker beware. Even with a domestic Moslem, why take chances?]

. . . when you pursue your jihad, make sure you adhere to the creed of loyalty and purity and let the Koran be your reference
--Zawahiri [the guy with the Mark of the Beast in the middle of his forehead]


the koran and its "purity"

This what the koran's fans say:

"And so it is that the Holy Koran cannot exist in translation. There are many translations of the Koran, but they are not the true Koran itself, for it is only the Arabic that transforms God's repetitive instructions and injunctions and warnings and threats—and his repetitive hatred of the infidel—into a miraculous song impervious to every challenge.

And so it is that every Muslim must try to master Arabic. It is not necessary that every Muslim succeed in his effort, for God made every man with different capabilities. But it is necessary for every man to try, once he becomes a Muslim. The effort is his obligation, his fard. God is merciful, wise. "
"The State of the American Man" By Tom Junod
Esquire, July 2006, Volume 146, Issue 1
http://www.esquire.com/features/articles/2006/060611_mfe_July_06_Innocent_1.html

BUT

The Koran, on the other hand, was originally written in the purest Arabic [purportedly the first WRITTEN Arabic, hence its purity--nothing with which to compare it, nada]. Muhammad continually appeals to its extraordinary superhuman beauty and purity, as an evidence of the divine source from which he declared it to flow. He challenged unbelievers to produce, even with the aid of genii, any passage worthy to be compared with a single chapter in the Koran. Those who are acquainted with Arabic inform us that in its purest type it is in the highest degree copious, musical, and elegant; and that these qualities all meet in the Koran.

Consequently there is scarcely any book in the world which loses so much by translation. The charm of its graceful, harmonious, rhythmical, sonorous sentences utterly evaporates, and the matter, stripped of its gaudy attire, appears to the ordinary reader insufferably dull and commonplace.

Nothing, however, more forcibly illustrates the poverty of the Koran, viewed as what it claims to be, a complete revelation of theological and moral truths, than its inability to stand the test of translation. If it was really a complete treasury of divine truth, the shape of the treasure-house would be of little importance compared with the jewels it enshrined. But such is not the case; and it is to the consideration of these contents that we now turn: from the form of the book to the book itself.

[emphasis mine, lw]
http://www.abcog.org/cislam2.htm

[Comment: The vessel (the koran in arabic) appears to be worth more than the substance it contains. Perhaps the "beauty" and "purity" of this original Arabic with its flowery language and perfumed metaphors masques that content so much that the reader (or reciter) is carried away by the language and so bewitched by it as to consider the content divine. bne that as it may, what wee are concerned with here is the "purity" in Islam. This quality is found, according to Islamicsources, in the koran, the life of Mahound, and the bodily functions of the Moslem.]

More "Purity"

In the "Mary chronicles" of the koran:

‘O John! take the Book with strength;’ and we gave him judgment when a boy, and grace from us, and purity; and he was pious and righteous to his parents, and was not a rebellious tyrant. 8
So peace upon him the day he was born, and the day he died, and the day he shall be raised up alive. 9
And mention, in the Book, Mary; when she retired from her family into an eastern place; and she took a veil (to screen herself) from them; and we sent unto her our spirit; and he took for her the semblance of a well-made man. Said she, ‘Verily, I take refuge in the Merciful One from thee, if thou art pious.’ Said he, ‘I am only a messenger of Thy Lord to bestow on thee a pure boy.’ 10
Said she, ‘How can I have a boy when no man has touched me, and when I am no harlot?’ He said, ‘Thus says thy Lord, It is easy for Me! and we will make him a sign unto man, and a mercy from us; for it is a decided matter.’

Mecca Suras, The Chapter of Mary
Chapters from the Koran.
The Harvard Classics. 1909–14.
http://www.bartleby.com/45/5/124.html

[if you have a quarrel with that translation from the oh so pure Arabic of the original, either read it in that or pick another translation that pleases you. lw]

One last shot at Islamic "purity"

035.018
YUSUFALI: Nor can a bearer of burdens bear another's burdens if one heavily laden should call another to (bear) his load. Not the least portion of it can be carried (by the other). Even though he be nearly related. Thou canst but admonish such as fear their Lord unseen and establish regular Prayer. And whoever purifies himself does so for the benefit of his own soul; and the destination (of all) is to Allah.
PICKTHAL: And no burdened soul can bear another's burden, and if one heavy laden crieth for (help with) his load, naught of it will be lifted even though he (unto whom he crieth) be of kin. Thou warnest only those who fear their Lord in secret, and have established worship. He who groweth (in goodness), groweth only for himself, (he cannot by his merit redeem others). Unto Allah is the journeying.
SHAKIR: And a burdened soul cannot bear the burden of another and if one weighed down by burden should cry for (another to carry) its burden, not aught of it shall be carried, even though he be near of kin. You warn only those who fear their Lord in secret and keep up prayer; and whoever purifies himself, he purifies himself only for (the good of) his own soul; and to Allah is the eventual coming.

http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/035.qmt.html

I think that's about enough of "purity," it's so much, too much, that I'm about to gag. On to the footnotes, there is a lot more on Islam and two of its selling points there.

_______________________
*re Patience is a virtue:
From "Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings" by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996): "Patience is a virtue. The ability to wait for something without excessive frustration is a valuable character trait. The proverb has been traced back to 'Piers Plowman' (1377) by William Langland and is similar to the Latin, Maxima enim..patientia virtus (Patience is the greatest virtue) and the French, Patience est une grant vertu. (Patience is a great value.) Some ten years after Langland, Chaucer wrote in 'The Canterbury Tales' (1386) that 'Patience is a high virtue.' Sometimes followed by the wry rejoinder 'but virtue can hurt you.' First cited in the United States in 1724 in the 'Works of Thomas Chalkley' (1766)..."

Posted by Posted by ESC on May 12, 2000
at
http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/4/messages/1250.html


Patience is a virtue,
virtue is a grace,
Grace is a little girl
who didn't wash her face

often recited by AMDdeR (requiescat in pace)
(Floruit 20th cent. A.D.)

Regarding "Grace"
(the word, not the little girl who didn't wash her face)

Actual Grace
(defined . . . as "a supernatural help of God for salutary acts granted in consideration of the merits of Christ.")
http://store.newadventcd.com/caencd.html
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06689a.htm

Grace (gratia, Charis), in general, is a supernatural gift of God to intellectual creatures (men, angels) for their eternal salvation, whether the latter be furthered and attained through salutary acts or a state of holiness.

Before the Council of Trent, the Schoolmen seldom distinguished actual grace from sanctifying grace. But, in consequence of modern controversies regarding grace, it has become usual and necessary in theology to draw a sharper distinction between the transient help to act (actual grace) and the permanent state of grace (sanctifying grace). For this reason we adopt this distinction as our principle of division in our exposition of the Catholic doctrine. In this article we shall treat only of actual grace.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06689x.htm

But even in this footnote, I digress . . . back to the concern at hand:

**In the Koran, . . there is no continuity of design, but great uniformity in expression. On the one hand it is fragmentary and incoherent; on the other monotonous and level.

The Koran consists of 114 chapters or Suras, each of which pretends to be a verbatim copy of a distinct revelation made to Muhammad. The revelations were written on palm leaves or mutton blade-bones, as Muhammad recited them to his disciples [starting in 610 A.D. until he died in 632 A.D.], and were after his death collected into one volume, but without the least regard to chronological order [they are ordered chiefly by length], first by his great friend and immediate successor, Abu Bakr, and afterwards by the Caliph Othman.

There is not much more connection between them than between the several grains in a heap of sand, or the several beads on a necklace. There is in the Koran no movement onwards, as in the Bible, from a definite starting point to a definite goal in the history of God's dealings with man. There is no sequence, no coherence between the parts. The perusal, therefore, may be compared, not to the unrolling of a scroll, but to the picking up of scattered leaves, on each of which some distinct oracle is inscribed.

But while there is no continuity, there is, on the other hand, very little variety. Approximate chronological arrangements of the several Suras have been made by Sir W. Muir and others, based on a careful comparison of their contents and style; and from this some variations in their character may be discovered, corresponding with the tone of the prophet's mind, and the circumstances of his life, when they were delivered.
http://www.abcog.org/cislam2.htm

W. R. W. Stephens: The apostolic mission of Muhammad having been once acknowledged, it was natural that he should undertake the regulation, not only of the creed, but also of the moral practice and ceremonial worship of his countrymen. The Koran consequently became the ethical digest, the civil code, the ceremonial hand book, as well as the theological oracle of his disciples. And it is obvious that if Muhammad's aim was to remodel the national life, the most effectual way of attaining it, his prophetic authority once established, was to frame a number of positive precepts touching every department of moral conduct.

A peculiar character is by this method quickly but forcibly stamped upon the recipients [of the koran]. They become `new creatures,' with new motives, and new purposes. They are capable of being conducted by their ruler to definite ends, because their movements are under control, because the people are more like a disciplined army, than are a people to whom greater freedom of thought and action is allowed.
http://www.abcog.org/cislam2.htm

The deity

[from whence comes the definitions of "virtue and purity"]

[quoted]

Islam - "Austere, Comfortless and Cold"

Such is Islam, viewed as a theological system - a vast advance upon polytheism, fetichism, gross and grovelling superstition of any kind; but how immeasurably below even the Jewish revelation of the nature of God, and of the relation between God and man! It is austere, comfortless, and cold. The Deity is represented not indeed as a mere philosophical abstraction, but yet as a Being, remote, unapproachable in majesty and might, wielding at His arbitrary will the destinies and movements of men, yet far aloof from them; a ruler of overwhelming power, rather than a loving and merciful, though almighty Father. There is nothing to fill up or bridge over the chasm which divides this tremendous Being from man; no divine Mediator, no quickening illuminating Spirit; for the action of angels is too precarious and vague to fulfil these offices.

Islam - resignation to the irresistible will and decrees of God - expresses very well the relation between man and his Maker as set forth in the Koran; the submission of obedient fear to a power, not the devotion of love to a person.

The theology, therefore, of the Koran fails to meet the profoundest religious needs of man; it removes the Creator to an immeasurable distance from the creatures whom He has made, and in the renunciation of all idea of mediation it falls infinitely below not Judaism only, but Magianism and Brahmanism, which in other respects it excels.

All that is good and true in the Koran concerning the nature of God, and worthy of the subject, is to be found in the Bible, if it be not borrowed from the Bible; all that is original is good for nothing, if indeed there be anything purely original, for probably most of the wilder statements could be traced to traditional sources.

The genius, indeed, of Muhammad as the founder of a theological system consisted, not so much in inventing or devising anything actually new, as in piecing together fragments of other creeds, and by his commanding personal influence, tact, enthusiasm, and self-confidence, imposing this patchwork system successfully on so large a number of his fellow-countrymen.
http://www.abcog.org/cislam2.htm

[all emphases mine. lw]


[First published on January 18, 2007 at the original Islamic Danger blog]