RationalWiki:Annotated Qur'an/The Pilgrimage

Annotated Qur'an
Sura 22: The Pilgrimage
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Qur'an 22:1 O people, be conscious of your Lord. The quaking of the Hour is a tremendous thing.	Qur'an 22:1 Notes This chapter starts by employing petty fear tactics right away.

Qur'an 22:2 On the Day when you will see it: every nursing mother will discard her infant, and every pregnant woman will abort her load, and you will see the people drunk, even though they are not drunk—but the punishment of God is severe.	Qur'an 22:2 Notes Every nursing mother? Every mother-to-be? What motivates the All-Merciful Allah to terrify every single mother out of her motherly love? Does he even understand just how terrified and tormented loving mothers would be to abandon their children in this way?

Qur'an 22:3 Among the people is he who argues about God without knowledge, and follows every defiant devil.	Qur'an 22:3 Notes Notes for Qur'an 22:3-4: Allah frequently talks about unknowable knowledge that only belongs to Allah. No human believer ever would truly know these secrets. Of course, this verse absolutely needs to demonize anybody who does not believe in this particular god as described in this particular book.

Qur'an 22:4 It was decreed for him, that whoever follows him—he will misguide him, and lead him to the torment of the Blaze.	Qur'an 22:4 Notes See Qur'an 22:3.

Qur'an 22:5 O people! If you are in doubt about the Resurrection—We created you from dust, then from a small drop, then from a clinging clot, then from a lump of flesh, partly developed and partly undeveloped. In order to clarify things for you. And We settle in the wombs whatever We will for a designated term, and then We bring you out as infants, until you reach your full strength. And some of you will pass away, and some of you will be returned to the vilest age, so that he may not know, after having known. And you see the earth still; but when We send down water on it, it vibrates, and swells, and grows all kinds of lovely pairs.

Qur'an 22:5 Notes Allah chose to yap about how humans came into being. Literally reading this, humans weren't literally created by mixing motes of dust and a drop of some liquid. This verse hardly clarifies anything beyond Allah's bad science and worse writing. The wording may sound like beautiful poetry when recited, but it doesn't contain useful scientific information when Allah could have included that alongside the prose. Also, how does this verse try to tackle doubts of a completely separate event? Even those who believe that a creator deity made humans as described in the outlandish way presented, what proof points to Allah as described by this book being that creator god?

Qur'an 22:6 That is because God is the truth, and because He gives life to the dead, and because He is Capable of everything.

Qur'an 22:6 Notes That is utterly unconvincing drivel and fails to prove that Allah, as described in this book, is anything near the truth. Assertions are not evidence. This verse could tell believers to look at the trees, acknowledge that trees are real, and treat them as evidence for the claims surrounding a totally unrelated undemonstrated being that a dubious book mentions. The book claims that this unrelated being created everything, even the trees, and the trees are supposedly enough evidence for a totally undemonstrated being.

Qur'an 22:7 And because the Hour is coming—there is no doubt about it—and because God will resurrect those in the graves.

Qur'an 22:7 Notes There is plenty of justifiable doubt regarding a ridiculous day in which, according to the supposedly all-powerful all-knowing all-truthful being who created each human ever, people would be agonized by sheer terror, even the obedient slaves who happened against odds to worship the correct cosmic slave master. The Quran claims to prove it and dispel this doubt, assuming that it does a remotely convincing job in this, but the Quran's frail attempts at evidence repeatedly fall flat.

Qur'an 22:8 And among the people is he who argues about God without knowledge, or guidance, or an enlightening scripture.

Qur'an 22:8 Notes Notes for Qur'an 22:8-9: First, Allah chose to deprive these people of guidance or enlightenment. This can only be Allah's fault if Allah even considers it remotely a fault in the first place. Second, the Quran, contrary to incessant assertions, is not "an enlightening scripture". A truly enlightening scripture would waste less pages repeating this assertion into the ground and spend some time actually proving the claim beyond a doubt. Allah, the supposed all-knowing author of the Quran, knows exactly what would convince all humanity and chooses repeatedly to withhold the enlightening message that this Quran claims incessantly to convey clearly to humanity at large.

Qur'an 22:9 Turning aside in contempt, to lead away from the path of God. He will have humiliation in this world, and on the Day of Resurrection We will make him taste the agony of burning.	Qur'an 22:9 Notes See Qur'an 22:8.

Qur'an 22:10 That is for what your hands have advanced, and because God is not unjust to the servants.	Qur'an 22:10 Notes He's incredibly, sadistically unjust to disbelievers who only disbelieve as Allah predestined them to disbelieve. Creating a sentient being only to give this being a comparative instant of normal experiences and throwing them to a realm of infinite horrifying torture sounds unbelievably unjust and cruel.

Qur'an 22:11 And among the people is he who worships God on edge. When something good comes his way, he is content with it. But when an ordeal strikes him, he makes a turnaround. He loses this world and the next. That is the obvious loss.	Qur'an 22:11 Notes That's another one for the list!

Qur'an 22:12 He invokes, instead of God, what can neither harm him nor benefit him. That is the far straying.	Qur'an 22:12 Notes Allah still has yet to demonstrate that he can in any way harm or benefit anything and anyone instead of taking credit for natural phenomena and hard-to-understand events.

Qur'an 22:13 He invokes one whose harm is closer than his benefit. What a miserable master. What a miserable companion.	Qur'an 22:13 Notes Allah made a Hell, doomed countless of his own humans to wallow in there forever, and still has the audacity to call other fake gods "miserable" in any way.

Qur'an 22:14 God will admit those who believe and do righteous deeds into Gardens beneath which rivers flow. God does whatever He wills.	Qur'an 22:14 Notes God finally chose to put the stick down and focus on an equally imaginary carrot for good servants.

Qur'an 22:15 Whoever thinks that God will not help him in this life and in the Hereafter—let him turn to heaven, then sever, and see if his cunning eliminates what enrages him.	Qur'an 22:15 Notes That's another one for the list!

Qur'an 22:16 Thus We revealed it as clarifying signs, and God guides whomever He wills.	Qur'an 22:16 Notes Just reading the fifteen verses before this, readers with a reasonable level of skepticism can find that this book clarifies Allah's lust for torture more than real signs pointing to this specific overlord even existing, let alone doing anything for which this book gave him credit.

Qur'an 22:17 Those who believe, and those who are Jewish, and the Sabeans, and the Christians, and the Zoroastrians, and the Polytheists—God will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection. God is witness to all things.	Qur'an 22:17 Notes Will any of these theists be spared the infinite wrath of a petty, insecure god despite not kissing up to the correct god in the correct way? The evidence for Islam shown in the Quran could, with equal effectiveness, show any of these others to be a correct religion.

Qur'an 22:18 Do you not realize that to God prostrates everyone in the heavens and everyone on earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains, and the trees, and the animals, and many of the people? But many are justly deserving of punishment. Whomever God shames, there is none to honor him. God does whatever He wills.	Qur'an 22:18 Notes The book claims that too. What does it mean for a star or a planet to prostrate? How can mountains prostrate when they are inanimate? How could every single animal except some humans prostrate to Allah?

Qur'an 22:19 Here are two adversaries feuding regarding their Lord. As for those who disbelieve, garments of fire will be tailored for them, and scalding water will be poured over their heads.	Qur'an 22:19 Notes Notes for Quran 22:19-22: These verses could easily be made into a single verse and retain its poetic beauty. The heinous meaning would also stay, but the capricious Allah cares not for silly things like that. Besides, Allah has littered his message with such horrid threats, and these threats aren't even special.

Qur'an 22:20 Melting their insides and their skins.	Qur'an 22:20 Notes See Qur'an 22:19.

Qur'an 22:21 And they will have maces of iron.	Qur'an 22:21 Notes See Qur'an 22:19.

Qur'an 22:22 Whenever they try to escape the gloom, they will be driven back to it: “Taste the suffering of burning.”	Qur'an 22:22 Notes See Qur'an 22:19.

Qur'an 22:23 But God will admit those who believe and do good deeds into Gardens beneath which rivers flow. They will be decorated therein with bracelets of gold and pearls, and their garments therein will be of silk.	Qur'an 22:23 Notes This verse sounds frankly underwhelming. We have those in this world. Then again, anything would be better than Hell.

Qur'an 22:24 They were guided to purity of speech. They were guided to the path of the Most Praised.	Qur'an 22:24 Notes This is stated frequently. However, does that really mean a lot when, per this book, they were guided by "the Most Praised" to praise him in the first place?

Qur'an 22:25 As for those who disbelieve and repel from God’s path and from the Sacred Mosque—which We have designated for all mankind equally, whether residing therein or passing through—and seek to commit sacrilege therein—We will make him taste of a painful punishment.	Qur'an 22:25 Notes This Sacred Mosque requires people living on the other side of the world to deal with Saudi bureaucracy to enter the country alongside an expensive plane ticket and months waiting to actually be allowed to enter.

Qur'an 22:26 We showed Abraham the location of the House: “Do not associate anything with Me; and purify My House for those who circle around, and those who stand to pray, and those who kneel and prostrate.”	Qur'an 22:26 Notes Abraham, the guy who definitely existed as described in the Abrahamic religions...

Qur'an 22:27 And announce the pilgrimage to humanity. They will come to you on foot, and on every transport. They will come from every distant point.

Qur'an 22:27 Notes The 27th verse finally addresses the thing in this chapter's title. For starters, do any Abrahamic religions not based in this specific part of the Middle East even reference this worship site or command people to travel there? This verse clearly, unambiguously states that Abraham told followers that they should fulfill this pilgrimage, so other Abrahamic religions must have commanded people to go to a specific place in a faraway desert. According to Muslims, Judaism and Christianity are changed, but despite that, some historical records should, whatsoever, indicate Jews and Christians at any point in recorded history going to this religious site for a duty which their religion commanded unambiguously.

Qur'an 22:28 That they may witness the benefits for themselves, and celebrate the name of God during the appointed days, for providing them with the animal livestock. So eat from it, and feed the unfortunate poor.	Qur'an 22:28 Notes Feeding the poor really is based, so this chapter finally gives good advice.

Qur'an 22:29 Then let them perform their acts of cleansing, and fulfill their vows, and circle around the Ancient House.	Qur'an 22:29 Notes That was nice for how short it was.

Qur'an 22:30 All that. Whoever venerates the sanctities of God—it is good for him with his Lord. All livestock are permitted to you, except what is recited to you. So stay away from the abomination of idols, and stay away from perjury.	Qur'an 22:30 Notes What exactly was recited, whatever that means, to Abraham, and what does that even mean for Muslims today?

Qur'an 22:31 Being true to God, without associating anything with Him. Whoever associates anything with God—it is as though he has fallen from the sky, and is snatched by the birds, or is swept away by the wind to a distant abyss.	Qur'an 22:31 Notes Allah, insecure as a supposed deity worthy of worship by some microbes on a pebble in some random galaxy in the vast universe, tries to show his creative side in dehumanizing those polytheists and atheists who, for any reasons that the all-knowing creator of mankind knows totally, don't worship this specific god.

Qur'an 22:32 So it is. Whoever venerates the sacraments of God—it is from the piety of the hearts.	Qur'an 22:32 Notes Translation: "Whoever obeys and loves my specific deity is good. Whoever, for any reason, doesn't do that is a big dumb idiot stinkyface."

Qur'an 22:33 In them are benefits for you until a certain time. Then their place is by the Ancient House.	Qur'an 22:33 Notes Could Allah make the "clear" message clear?

Qur'an 22:34 We have appointed a rite for every nation, that they may commemorate God’s name over the livestock He has provided for them. Your God is One God, so to Him submit, and announce good news to the humble.

Qur'an 22:34 Notes This "good" news, in case this perfectly clear book was not clear, is that Allah created humanity to worship him but will only allow a relatively small number of these humans believe in him, leaving the rest all in the worst afterlife possible with zero mercy because Allah specifically sealed their hearts and minds to the truth that could possibly spare them the infinite punishment for Allah's transgressions. This god also claims that he is the most loving, most merciful being whatsoever and that his just mercy for the select few is why any of them are spared this horrific despot's endless wrath and misery. This is not good news.

Qur'an 22:35 Those whose hearts tremble when God is mentioned, and those who endure what has befallen them, and those who perform the prayer and spend from what We have provided for them.

Qur'an 22:35 Notes The first condition in this verse is for those who shake in fear when hearing the name of a terrifying cosmic overlord. The rest is just being patient, praying to this very terrifying despot, and giving him any and all credit when enjoying any blessing or provision by just assuming that such a being even exists. For that last part specifically, this translation has "spend" while other translations use the word "donate" instead of "spend". This is ultimately minor, but these discrepancies just go to show this book's ambiguity.

Qur'an 22:36 We have made the animal offerings emblems of God for you. In them is goodness for you. So pronounce God’s name upon them as they line up. Then, when they have fallen on their sides, eat of them and feed the contented and the beggar. Thus We have subjected them to you, that you may be thankful.	Qur'an 22:36 Notes Again, the book can instruct people to genuine goodness. Feeding those in need is a genuinely good command that anybody with the means should try to do.

Qur'an 22:37 Neither their flesh, nor their blood, ever reaches God. What reaches Him is the righteousness from you. Thus He subdued them to you, that you may glorify God for guiding you. And give good news to the charitable.	Qur'an 22:37 Notes This part actually does give good morals. Of course, Allah is not worthy of praise, but people should avoid wasting food and be charitable with it.

Qur'an 22:38 God defends those who believe. God does not love any ungrateful traitor.	Qur'an 22:38 Notes Allah defends believers... how exactly? Throughout history, believers have faced much physical and mental anguish, so Allah does not mean it in this sense. Many others leave the faith, so this verse doesn't mean that he defends against apostasy either. By extension, he does not defend them against infinite suffering which he inflicts for apostates. What does Allah mean?

Qur'an 22:39 Permission is given to those who are fought against, and God is Able to give them victory.	Qur'an 22:39 Notes While retaliatory actions in warfare are often justified and lead to less harm in the long run, this verse should be clearer for people like Muhammad who waged multiple offensive wars.

Qur'an 22:40 Those who were unjustly evicted from their homes, merely for saying, “Our Lord is God.” Were it not that God repels people by means of others: monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques—where the name of God is mentioned much—would have been demolished. God supports whoever supports Him. God is Strong and Mighty.

Qur'an 22:40 Notes Nobody should be persecuted in any way for their religions, and this kind of persecution can be forced displacement, violent conquest and colonization, or any other means that Muhammad used to persecute nonbelievers. That being said, many Muslims are persecuted based on their religion, and such persecution and discrimination are not justified, and anybody of any religion, political beliefs, nationality, or ethnic background should defend themselves reasonably with the goal of reducing casualties and destruction, as religious persecution and discrimination are huge problems to this day that require more nuance than this book provides.

Qur'an 22:41 Those who, when We empower them in the land, observe the prayer, and give regular charity, and command what is right, and forbid what is wrong. To God belongs the outcome of events.	Qur'an 22:41 Notes Even granting that this book clearly defines right and wrong, how authoritarian should a society get when its leaders "command what is right, and forbid what is wrong"?

Qur'an 22:42 If they deny you—before them the people of Noah, and Aad, and Thamood also denied.

Qur'an 22:42 Notes Notes for Qur'an 22:42-45: While this book frequently talks at length about Noah, Aad, and Thamood, nothing in this book actually proves that any of them have any historical accuracy to them. It assumes them to be obvious to people who just observe the ruins of where they once lived, but even finding these ruins simply fails to prove who used to live, what these civilizations did, or that Allah destroyed them for disobeying a prophet after depriving them of their free wills. The two verses after this mention more fairytales that Allah could have kept together in a single verse.

Qur'an 22:43 And the people of Abraham, and the people of Lot.	Qur'an 22:43 Notes See Qur'an 22:42.

Qur'an 22:44 And the inhabitants of Median. And Moses was denied. Then I reprieved those who disbelieved, but then I seized them. So how was My rejection?	Qur'an 22:44 Notes See Qur'an 22:42.

Qur'an 22:45 How many a town have We destroyed while it was doing wrong? They lie in ruins; with stilled wells, and lofty mansions.	Qur'an 22:45 Notes See Qur'an 22:42.

Qur'an 22:46 Have they not journeyed in the land, and had minds to reason with, or ears to listen with? It is not the eyes that go blind, but it is the hearts, within the chests, that go blind.

Qur'an 22:46 Notes This wording makes considerably more sense with the belief that the heart is the thinking organ and not the brain. Either way, Allah states that people disbelieve because they lack the cognitive ability to interpret the various "signs" around the world. Allah takes credit, as usual, for this and claims that those whose hearts Allah hasn't sealed would see the signs clearly, knowing them to point specifically to Allah and no other gods ever. While this assertion is ridiculous for a variety of reasons far more nuanced and interesting than "God blinded them and forbade them from believing" has ever been, this doesn't explain apostates who understand why they believed, carefully reevaluate their thinking, look at the same signs which they found convincing, understand them in greater detail, and find that these signs do not point exclusively and specifically to this same god.

Qur'an 22:47 And they ask you to hasten the punishment. But God never breaks His promise. A day with your Lord is like a thousand years of your count.	Qur'an 22:47 Notes Allah made a patently absurd promise. People ask for something, anything, that would prove beyond anybody's reasonable doubts that the promise has any truth to it whatsoever, but Allah would rather withhold this from them and torture them.

Qur'an 22:48 How many a town have I reprieved, although it was unjust? Then I seized it. To Me is the destination.	Qur'an 22:48 Notes How many a town ever have you definitely proven you destroyed?

Qur'an 22:49 Say, “O people, I am only a plain warner to you.”	Qur'an 22:49 Notes "Say also, "Allah commanded everybody to obey me, as Allah chose me to communicate to all of you." Surely, that will convince them that you are a warner and not a power-hungry, capricious, violent cult leader.

Qur'an 22:50 Those who believe and work righteousness—for them is forgiveness and a generous provision.	Qur'an 22:50 Notes Allah forgives people despite any of their transgressions ever being entirely made up by him. Also, despite calling himself "All-Forgiving", he only forgives believers.

Qur'an 22:51 But those who strive against Our revelations—these are the inmates of Hell.	Qur'an 22:51 Notes Those who strive against Allah's asinine revelations don't believe them to be revelations in the first place.

Qur'an 22:52 We never sent a messenger before you, or a prophet, but when he had a desire Satan interfered in his wishes. But God nullifies what Satan interjects, and God affirms His revelations. God is Omniscient and Wise.	Qur'an 22:52 Notes Now, Allah wants to blame Satan for interjections but claims to nullify them so that Satan's influence is entirely eliminated. Also, this simply raises the possibility that Satan corrupted the Quran and pretended like this pack of lies isn't corrupted by him to deceive people into accepting this book's atrocities unquestioningly.

Qur'an 22:53 In order to make Satan’s suggestions a trial for those whose hearts are diseased, and those whose hearts are hardened. The wrongdoers are in profound discord.	Qur'an 22:53 Notes Allah diseased and hardened their hearts, repeatedly stating this while demeaning all of them.

Qur'an 22:54 And so that those endowed with knowledge may know that it is the truth from your Lord, and so believe in it, and their hearts soften to it. God guides those who believe to a straight path.	Qur'an 22:54 Notes Perhaps they believe because Allah guided them in the first place?

Qur'an 22:55 Those who disbelieve will continue to be hesitant about it, until the Hour comes upon them suddenly, or there comes to them the torment of a desolate Day.	Qur'an 22:55 Notes Allah loves fear tactics.

Qur'an 22:56 Sovereignty on that Day belongs to God; He will judge between them. Those who believe and do good deeds will be in the Gardens of Bliss.	Qur'an 22:56 Notes So, of course, this carrot must hang along with the ever-horrifying stick.

Qur'an 22:57 But those who disbelieve and reject Our revelations—these will have a humiliating punishment.	Qur'an 22:57 Notes Seriously though, why is the entire Quran so repetitive with this barrage of reminders? The title of this chapter is "The Pilgrimage", so could Allah not have spared any parts for the fine details? The chapter says something about Abraham and a pilgrimage and could easily go into more details.

Qur'an 22:58 Those who emigrate in God’s cause, then get killed, or die, God will provide them with fine provisions. God is the Best of Providers.	Qur'an 22:58 Notes Allah loves people living their lives and even risking them outright for his endless ego.

Qur'an 22:59 He will admit them an admittance that will please them. God is Knowing and Clement.	Qur'an 22:59 Notes Notes for Qur'an 22:59-61: Clement deities don't restrict this clemency to the few who worship them because they didn't actively prevent this salvation.

Qur'an 22:60 That is so! Whoever retaliates similarly to the affliction he was made to suffer, and then he is wronged again, God will definitely assist him. God is Pardoning and Forgiving.	Qur'an 22:60 Notes See Qur'an 22:59.

Qur'an 22:61 That is because God merges the night into the day, and He merges the day into the night, and because God is Hearing and Seeing.	Qur'an 22:61 Notes How? Is this literal? Does Allah understand the cosmology of his created world? Days and nights suddenly exist as distinct entities that Allah can merge into each other because this god said that he fine-tuned the sun and moon several times?

Qur'an 22:62 That is because God is the Reality, and what they invoke besides Him is vanity, and because God is the Sublime, the Grand.	Qur'an 22:62 Notes That is baloney and little more.

Qur'an 22:63 Do you not see that God sends down water from the sky, and the land becomes green? God is Kind and Aware.	Qur'an 22:63 Notes People see water from the clouds without assuming that Allah involved himself in the natural processes resulting in rain. People can see rain and still need any real evidence pointing specifically to this specific creator deity. Rain also isn't the only thing that makes the ground green.

Qur'an 22:64 To Him belongs everything in the heavens and everything on earth. God is the Rich, the Praised.	Qur'an 22:64 Notes To him belongs the ego strokes and empty platitudes.

Qur'an 22:65 Do you not see that God made everything on earth subservient to you? How the ships sail at sea by His command? That He holds up the sky lest it falls on earth—except by His permission? God is Gracious towards the people, Most Merciful.

Qur'an 22:65 Notes Now this sky is solid enough and can fall down? People don't see that the sky could even fall down on the earth, let alone that a being has to continually hold it up. Also, everything is subservient to humanity, even the lions, sharks, mosquitos, and other deadly animals. The verse described everything on earth being subservient to humanity, and this verse looks, by the context around it, to be entirely literal and not at all metaphorical, though metaphorical verses would still need to not contradict basic observations.

Qur'an 22:66 And it is He who gives you life, then makes you die, then revives you. The human being is unappreciative.	Qur'an 22:66 Notes People observe birth and death all over the world constantly, and this god seems as involved in this process as Ra, Odin, Zeus, or any other gods.

Qur'an 22:67 For every congregation We have appointed acts of devotion, which they observe. So do not let them dispute with you in this matter. And invite to your Lord; you are upon a straight guidance.	Qur'an 22:67 Notes The appointed acts of devotion for Muslims are not very clear. Muslim scholars would not disagree on any of the major details regarding prayer, fasting, almsgiving, marriage, or leadership otherwise.

Qur'an 22:68 But if they dispute with you, say, “God is fully aware of what you do.”	Qur'an 22:68 Notes Say that as if saying it will make it true in anyone's minds.

Qur'an 22:69 God will judge between you on the Day of Resurrection regarding what you disagree about.	Qur'an 22:69 Notes Why does Allah need to judge? Allah already knows everything that he deliberately predestined to happen.

Qur'an 22:70 Do you not know that God knows everything in the heavens and the earth? This is in a book. That is easy for God.	Qur'an 22:70 Notes Do you not know that God takes credit for everything without actually having an iota of real evidence pointing his way? This is in a book. It is easy for God to claim credit, whether a claim has any grounding in reality or not.

Qur'an 22:71 Yet they worship, besides God, things for which He sent down no warrant, and what they have no knowledge of. There is no savior for the transgressors.	Qur'an 22:71 Notes Allah considers them transgressors again. How surprising...

Qur'an 22:72 And when Our Clear Verses are recited to them, you will recognize disgust on the faces of those who disbelieve. They nearly assault those who recite to them Our Verses. Say, “Shall I inform you of something worse than that? The Fire! God has promised it to those who disbelieve. And what a wretched outcome!”

Qur'an 22:72 Notes When will the book show clear verses to people that don't say something obviously incorrect, don't depict Allah as the pinnacle of sadism, and don't pile empty platitudes for Allah? Such verses, however scant, do exist and are nice, but these verses are not the verses disgusting the disbelievers. The verses about Allah's sadism and commanding atrocities are the truly disgusting, horrifying verses in an ultimately atrocious book overall.

Qur'an 22:73 O people! A parable is presented, so listen to it: Those you invoke besides God will never create a fly, even if they banded together for that purpose. And if the fly steals anything from them, they cannot recover it from it. Weak are the pursuer and the pursued.	Qur'an 22:73 Notes Does this not also apply to Allah? We have just as much evidence proving that this specific deity did anything as we do any others.

Qur'an 22:74 They do not value God as He should be valued. God is Strong and Powerful.	Qur'an 22:74 Notes This is because God doesn't want them to even acknowledge him whatsoever. Otherwise, he would not have sealed their hearts and doomed them from the start.

Qur'an 22:75 God chooses messengers from among the angels, and from among the people. God is Hearing and Seeing.	Qur'an 22:75 Notes God nears the end of this chapter and still needs to provide details about this pilgrimage.

Qur'an 22:76 He knows what is before them, and what is behind them. To God all matters are referred.

Qur'an 22:76 Notes If he really, truly wanted to stroke that infinite ego of his all chapter long, then he could have just made a chapter talking about Allah's attributes and how to properly worship him and clarify things as this confusing book says. This book would be much clearer, more meaningful, easier for Muslims to read and understand well at any level, more eloquent, and more translatable to other languages.

Qur'an 22:77 O you who believe! Kneel, and prostrate, and worship your Lord, and do good deeds, so that you may succeed.	Qur'an 22:77 Notes Obey! Obey! Obey!

Extra Verses

Allah has revealed these verses to me as an addition to this chapter. This is a divine revelation and must be treated as such.

Qur'an 22:78 And strive for God, with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you, and has not burdened you in religion—the faith of your father Abraham. It is he who named you Muslims before, and in this. So that the Messenger may be a witness over you, and you may be witnesses over the people. So pray regularly, and give regular charity, and cleave to God. He is your Protector. What an excellent Protector, and what an excellent Helper.

Qur'an 22:78 Notes What an excellent, excellent protector indeed when he does not measurably protect his believers, at least not in ways that align with the actions of an all-knowing all-loving deity!

Qur'an 22:79 And so We made Solomon understand it, and to each We gave wisdom and knowledge. And We subjected the mountains along with David to sing Our praises, and the birds as well—surely We did.	Qur'an 22:79 Notes Does any mountain continue to sing to this day? Can people nowadays hear what the mountains are singing?

Qur'an 22:80 And We taught him the making of shields for you, to protect you from your violence. Are you, then, appreciative?	Qur'an 22:80 Notes People made shields and somehow Allah takes credit.

Qur'an 22:81 And to Solomon the stormy wind, blowing at His command towards the land that We have blessed. We are aware of everything.	Qur'an 22:81 Notes Did that make Solomon a prophet and an airbender?

Qur'an 22:82 And of the devils were some that dived for him, and performed other, lesser tasks. But We kept them restrained.	Qur'an 22:82 Notes Devils exist as well...

Qur'an 22:83 And Job, when he cried out to his Lord: “Great harm has afflicted me, and you are the Most Merciful of the merciful.”	Qur'an 22:83 Notes Job says that about an overlord who agonized him, knowing that he has far worse planned in hell for people who will never get the sweet release of death and never see an iota of mercy.

Qur'an 22:84 So We answered him, lifted his suffering, and restored his family to him, and their like with them—a mercy from Us, and a reminder for the worshipers.	Qur'an 22:84 Notes Allah inflicts immense misery, lifts it years later, and calls himself merciful for it.