RationalWiki:Annotated Qur'an/Sheba

Annotated Qur'an
Sura 34: Sheba
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Qur'an 34:1 Praise be to God, to Whom belongs everything in the heavens and the earth; and praise be to Him in the Hereafter. He is the Wise, the Expert.	Qur'an 34:1 Notes Proof be for any of that claims, if such proof can even exist!

Qur'an 34:2 He knows what penetrates into the earth, and what comes out of it, and what descends from the sky, and what ascends to it. He is the Merciful, the Forgiving.	Qur'an 34:2 Notes The despicable tyrant who creates people only to doom them to infinite torture after they die "is the Merciful, the Forgiving."

Qur'an 34:3 Those who disbelieve say, “The Hour will not come upon us.” Say, “Yes indeed, by my Lord, it will come upon you. He is the Knower of the unseen.” Not an atom's weight in the heavens and the earth, or anything smaller or larger, escapes His knowledge. All are in a Clear Record.	Qur'an 34:3 Notes Would such a clear record not be considerably more complex than the cosmos? How does that even work? What system can ensure that such a record is perfectly accurate? Will this chapter answer these questions that a sincere believer asked himself somewhat shortly before his apostasy?

Qur'an 34:4 That He may recompense those who believe and do good works. Those will have forgiveness, and a generous provision.	Qur'an 34:4 Notes So far so good on the Forviging spiel. The next verse had better not show a deplorable lack of mercy and forgiveness.

Qur'an 34:5 As for those who strive against Our revelations, seeking to undermine them—for them is a punishment of a painful plague.	Qur'an 34:5 Notes Here is that deplorable lack of mercy and forgiveness.

Qur'an 34:6 Those who received knowledge know that what is revealed to you from your Lord is the truth; and it guides to the path of the Majestic, the Praiseworthy.	Qur'an 34:6 Notes This ignores apostates. Many people received this knowledge, believed it earnestly, and later came to the conclusion that this could not possibly be truth revealed from a majestic and praiseworthy creator of the universe. The individual writing this annotation is no exception.

Qur'an 34:7 Those who disbelieved said, “Shall we point out to you a man, who will tell you that, once torn into shreds, you will be in a new creation?	Qur'an 34:7 Notes I have not, in my life, heard a disbeliever say anything like that.

Qur'an 34:8 Did he invent a lie about God, or is there madness in him?” Indeed, those who do not believe in the Hereafter are in torment, and far astray.

Qur'an 34:8 Notes I cannot say for certain that Muhammad did not believe each and every word coming through his mouth regarding Allah, as he may have sincerely believed. However, according to several Sahih Hadith (official Islamic sources held by many to be as reliable as the Quran itself), Muhammad would frequently show epileptic symptoms when receiving his revelations. People today find a striking correlation between people with similar mental conditions and sincere beliefs that they are God or closely connected to God.

Qur'an 34:9 Do they not reflect upon what lies before them and behind them, of the heaven and the earth? If We will, We can make the earth cave in beneath them, or make pieces of the sky fall down on them. In that is a sign for every devout servant.	Qur'an 34:9 Notes We reflect on what comes before or after us. We have no reason to fill that void with this specific God, however.

Qur'an 34:10 We bestowed upon David favor from Us: “O mountains, and birds: echo with him.” And We softened iron for him.	Qur'an 34:10 Notes Mountains and birds can echo if commanded by this god. Can people today observe such a phenomenon.

Qur'an 34:11 “Make coats of armor, and measure the links well; and work righteousness. I am Observant of everything you do.”	Qur'an 34:11 Notes Do the mountains and birds need to echo for the armor to stay strong?

Qur'an 34:12 And for Solomon the wind—its outward journey was one month, and its return journey was one month. And We made a spring of tar flow for him. And there were sprites that worked under him, by the leave of his Lord. But whoever of them swerved from Our command, We make him taste of the punishment of the Inferno.	Qur'an 34:12 Notes God loves sprinkling threats into his tall tales.

Qur'an 34:13 They made for him whatever he wished: sanctuaries, statues, bowls like pools, and heavy cauldrons. “O House of David, work with appreciation,” but a few of My servants are appreciative.	Qur'an 34:13 Notes Can any of this be demonstrated in the real world?

Qur'an 34:14 Then, when We decreed death for him, nothing indicated his death to them except an earthworm eating at his staff. Then, when he fell down, it became clear to the sprites that, had they known the unseen, they would not have remained in the demeaning torment.	Qur'an 34:14 Notes God destroys evidence that would validate his claims yet again. The threat of torture is a necessary part of this verse.

Qur'an 34:15 In Sheba’s homeland there used to be a wonder: two gardens, on the right, and on the left. “Eat of your Lord’s provision, and give thanks to Him.” A good land, and a forgiving Lord.	Qur'an 34:15 Notes Sadly, the god is not forgiving enough.

Qur'an 34:16 But they turned away, so We unleashed against them the flood of the dam; and We substituted their two gardens with two gardens of bitter fruits, thorny shrubs, and meager harvest.	Qur'an 34:16 Notes Why does this god prefer destroying people's livelihoods before sending them to hell? Why does he prefer that to simply convincing them to bow down and kiss up to him constantly? I am aware that the all-powerful ruler of the worlds has no reason to adhere to our morals, but this still seems ridiculous.

Qur'an 34:17 We thus penalized them for their ingratitude. Would We penalize any but the ungrateful?

Qur'an 34:17 Notes Typically, to be ungrateful to someone, I would need to have a good reason to believe that this someone actually exists and did anything for me. Just as I do not need to thank Zeus or Thor for any benefits of lightning strikes and I do not need to thank Poseidon for the seas, I do not need to thank Allah for anything. I would not be ungrateful to any of those fictional gods because I do not believe that any of them exist and did anything.

Qur'an 34:18 Between them and the towns We had blessed, We placed prominent towns, and We made the travel between them easy. “Travel between them by night and day, in safety.”	Qur'an 34:18 Notes I thought for the longest time that urban planners did that. Granted, assuming this verse is remotely true, Allah missed a few towns in some difficult areas.

Qur'an 34:19 But they said, “Our Lord, lengthen the distances of our journeys.” They wronged themselves; so We made them history, and We scattered them in every direction. In this are lessons for every steadfast and appreciative person.	Qur'an 34:19 Notes Wait... that was the reason why people spread out to different areas? They asked the urban planner in the sky to take away something that they enjoyed? Or did the urban planning of the all-knowing creator of these towns leave something to be desired by the people living in these towns?

Qur'an 34:20 Satan was correct in his assessment of them. They followed him, except for a group of believers.	Qur'an 34:20 Notes Bad urban planning is apparently Satan's doing.

Qur'an 34:21 He had no authority over them; except that We willed to distinguish him who believes in the Hereafter, from him who is doubtful about it. Your Lord is Guardian over all things.	Qur'an 34:21 Notes God loves discriminating between his creations.

Qur'an 34:22 Say, “Call upon those whom you claim besides God. They possess not an atom's weight in the heavens or the earth, and they possess no share of either, and He has no backers from among them.”	Qur'an 34:22 Notes God possesses not an atom's weight in the heavens or the earth until he can be proven to exist and influence even an atom in this world.

Qur'an 34:23 Intercession with Him is of no value, except for someone He has permitted. Until, when fear has subsided from their hearts, they will say, “What did your Lord say?” They will say, “The truth, and He is the High, the Great.”	Qur'an 34:23 Notes Did this god provide evidence so that people know his words to be the truth?

Qur'an 34:24 Say, “Who provides for you from the heavens and the earth?” Say, “God. And Either you, or we, are rightly guided, or in evident error.”	Qur'an 34:24 Notes Prove that God was able to provide for anyone whatsoever. You are in evident error unless you can provide evidence of this God.

Qur'an 34:25 Say, “You will not be asked about our misdeeds, nor will we be asked about what you do.”	Qur'an 34:25 Notes You will, however, be asked for evidence.

Qur'an 34:26 Say, “Our Lord will bring us together; then He will judge between us equitably. He is the All-Knowing Judge.”	Qur'an 34:26 Notes How equitable can this system be? People who did nothing but good in this world and are only guilty of disbelief are sent by God straight to an eternal torture realm. Meanwhile, those people who believe in Allah and act as immorally as did Muhammad have a real shot at a paradise afterlife.

Qur'an 34:27 Say, “Show me those you have attached to Him as associates. No indeed! But He is God, the Powerful, the Wise.”	Qur'an 34:27 Notes It does not become true the millionth time you say it.

Qur'an 34:28 We sent you only universally to all people, a herald and warner, but most people do not know.	Qur'an 34:28 Notes They do not know because they lack the evidence supporting this random warlord who lived several centuries ago in some part of the Arabian Peninsula. He was sent to all people despite that?

Qur'an 34:29 And they say, “When is this promise due, if you are truthful?”	Qur'an 34:29 Notes That is a valid question. Failing to answer this question does not, on its own, discredit the entire faith.

Qur'an 34:30 Say, “You are promised a Day, which you cannot postpone by one hour, nor bring forward.”	Qur'an 34:30 Notes Where can we see receipts of this promise?

Qur'an 34:31 Those who disbelieve say, “We will never believe in this Quran, nor in what came before it.” If you could only see the wrongdoers, captive before their Lord, throwing back allegations at one another. Those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant, “Were it not for you, we would have been believers.”	Qur'an 34:31 Notes People who see apparent contradictions and impossibilities in a book will never believe it to be inerrant. Would you believe that a perfectly circular square exists in the real world and fits in a single spatial dimension? Would you believe that a completely empty tissue box which can be demonstrated to be empty actually contains seven million tons of bricks?

Qur'an 34:32 Those who were arrogant will say to those who were oppressed, “Was it us who turned you away from guidance when it came to you? No indeed, you yourselves were sinful.”	Qur'an 34:32 Notes God has no idea what actually goes on in the minds of his own creations.

Qur'an 34:33 And those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant, “It was your scheming by night and day; as you instructed us to reject God, and to set up rivals to Him.” They will hide their remorse when they see the retribution. We will put yokes around the necks of those who disbelieved. Will they be repaid for anything other than what they used to do?	Qur'an 34:33 Notes They will clearly be repaid for far more than that. Every single human being to ever exist, without exception, has only committed finite sins if anything at all, so any infinite punishment is definitionally overkill.

Qur'an 34:34 We sent no warner to any town, without its affluent saying, “We reject what you are sent with.”	Qur'an 34:34 Notes God deliberately chose to send prophets who, despite trying, will not successfully persuade the affluent people.

Qur'an 34:35 And they say, “We have more wealth and more children, and we will not be punished.”	Qur'an 34:35 Notes Suuuuure they did. Every single upper class in every single town said that without exception. Besides, destroying and torturing people for doing nothing wrong as far as any of them have ever known is not punishment. Needless torture for non-crimes is not punishment.

Qur'an 34:36 Say, “My Lord spreads out His bounty to whomever He wills, or restricts it; but most people do not know.”	Qur'an 34:36 Notes That very same lord claims to be the reason why most people do not know.

Qur'an 34:37 It is neither your wealth nor your children that bring you closer to Us, but it is he who believes and does good deeds. These will have a double reward for what they did; and they will reside in the Chambers, in peace and security.	Qur'an 34:37 Notes Prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that this god even exists so that people would actually want to be with him.

Qur'an 34:38 But those who work against Our revelations, seeking to undermine them—those will be summoned to the punishment.	Qur'an 34:38 Notes People seek to undermine these revelations because, believe it or not, these revelations have proven incredibly dangerous and deadly throughout Islamic history. This harm has been clearly demonstrated while the supposedly abundant truthfulness and benefits to them are... well, lacking in the evidence department.

Qur'an 34:39 Say, “My Lord extends the provision to whomever He wills of His servants, or withholds it. Anything you spend, He will replace it. He is the Best of providers.”	Qur'an 34:39 Notes Say that and hope that nobody asks for any real evidence.

Qur'an 34:40 On the Day when He gathers them all together, then say to the angels, “Was it you these used to worship?”	Qur'an 34:40 Notes Prove that angels exist and that this day has a chance of coming.

Qur'an 34:41 They will say, “Be You glorified; You are our Master, not them. In fact, they used to worship the jinn, and most of them had faith in them.”	Qur'an 34:41 Notes Very few people worship jinn. Far more people simply worship nobody and nothing. Throughout history, people did worship other fictional gods and some charismatic cult-leading humans, though would they be considered jinn now?

Qur'an 34:42 “Today, none of you has the power to profit or harm the other.” And We will say to those who did wrong, “Taste the agony of the Fire which you used to deny.”

Qur'an 34:42 Notes Muhammad denied many Christian ideas floating around at the time, such as the Trinity. Does this mean that he deserved to be thrown in Hell on this mysterious future date by God the Father? Muhammad seemed to earnestly disbelieve in the Trinity and the idea that Jesus was the son of God in any literal sense. According to the moral system in this book, Muhammad undoubtedly deserves to go to the Hell in which most Christians believe assuming any difference between that Hell and the specific Hell mentioned here. Christianity may differ significantly from Islam, but both religions are unevidenced mythologies and people who deny either of them do not deserve infinite torture just for finding both religions unconvincing.

Qur'an 34:43 And when Our enlightening Verses are recited to them, they say, “This is nothing but a man who wants to divert you from what your ancestors used to worship.” And they say, “This is nothing but a fabricated lie.” And when the Truth comes to them, the blasphemers say of the Truth, “This is nothing but plain magic.”

Qur'an 34:43 Notes I, the author of this annotation, have Muslim parents and grandparents who themselves have Muslim parents and grandparents. My ancestors were Muslims as far as I could trace my lineage. I left this religion because, despite decades of indoctrination, I found that these verses were far from enlightening and left me in the dark in an ironic twist. I would not go as far as to say that my former religion "is nothing but a fabricated lie" per se, as it is a fabricated lie in which the prophet might have earnestly believed and that caused far too much destruction in Islamic history to deserve this minor line. I also no longer believe in the magic that I used to believe was very real and obvious.

Qur'an 34:44 But We gave them no book to study, and We did not send them any warner before you.	Qur'an 34:44 Notes The reason for that being?

Qur'an 34:45 Those before them also denied the Truth, yet they have not attained one-tenth of what We had given them. They rejected My messengers, so how was My disapproval?	Qur'an 34:45 Notes Your disapproval? You deliberately created them knowing each and every action that each and every one of them would take well in advanced. How do you disapprove of the way in which your own creation turned out after knowing that they would disbelieve?

Qur'an 34:46 Say, “I offer you a single advice: devote yourselves to God, in pairs, or individually; and reflect. There is no madness in your friend. He is just a warner to you, before the advent of a severe punishment.”

Qur'an 34:46 Notes Why, then, does Bukhari describe epileptic symptoms when talking about Muhammad receiving revelations? I have nothing against people who suffer from any sort of physical or mental disability. I am not insulting Muhammad for that reason. I just wanted to mention that, despite numerous verses denying it, Muhammad might have suffered from a serious malady that his followers had no idea was a naturally-caused condition independent of supernatural beings.

Qur'an 34:47 Say, “Whatever compensation I have asked of you, is yours. My compensation comes only from God, and He is Witness over all things.”	Qur'an 34:47 Notes Muhammad literally commanded people to obey him multiple times in this book.

Qur'an 34:48 Say, “My Lord projects the truth. He is the Knower of the Unseen.”	Qur'an 34:48 Notes I could ask for proof in yet another annotation claiming something without evidence. However, unlike the author of this book, I really dislike this mindless repetition and only do it because this book it mind-numbingly repetitive.

Qur'an 34:49 Say, “The Truth has come; while falsehood can neither originate, nor regenerate.”	Qur'an 34:49 Notes This Quran did not exist before Muhammad's time. It exists now. Falsehood can clearly originate or regenerate.

Qur'an 34:50 Say, “If I err, I err only to my own loss; but if I am guided, it is by what my Lord inspires me. He is Hearing and Near.”

Qur'an 34:50 Notes This verse tells believers to blame themselves for any of their mistakes and thank Allah for any of their good deeds. Also, why does Allah need to hear anything when he already knows in advance what each and every person alive says or thinks without exception? Either way, cults have used this exact kind of mind-control technique to get their members to demean themselves and submit themselves to the control of the cult leaders.

Qur'an 34:51 If you could only see when they are terrified, and there is no escape, and they are seized from a nearby place.	Qur'an 34:51 Notes I would not want to see the terrified looks of people who were doomed (by God) from the start.

Qur'an 34:52 And they say, “We have believed in it.” But how can they attain it from a distant place?	Qur'an 34:52 Notes They could... be inspired and guided by an omnipresent god as implied just now.

Qur'an 34:53 They have rejected it in the past, and made allegations from a far-off place.	Qur'an 34:53 Notes The present is not the past.

Qur'an 34:54 A barrier will be placed between them and what they desire, as was done formerly with their counterparts. They were in disturbing doubt.	Qur'an 34:54 Notes Disturbing doubt? The only reason why this doubt would be remotely disturbing is because some tyrant makes it disturbing by assigning the worst punishment possible to it. Otherwise, this doubt is entirely reasonable.