Jun 13 2009
Obama & The Quran
Robert Spencer and Islamic scholars were quick to note the verse that Obama quoted in his Cairo speech. The text”according to Aaron Klein, Jerusalem branch of WND is, as follows: “As the Holy Quran tells us, ‘Be conscious of God and speak always the truth.’ That is what I will try to do – to speak the truth as best I can, humbled by the task before us, and firm in my belief that the interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart.”
Obama was quoting from chapter 9 verse 119 of the Quran, which deals with the theme of not abandoning Muhammad. Now, the next verse 120 always accompanies that verse: “Neither the dwellers of the city, nor the Arabs around them, shall seek to stay behind the messenger of Allah (when he mobilizes for war). Nor shall they give priority to their own affairs over supporting him. This is because they do not suffer any thirst, or any effort, or hunger in the cause of Allah, or take a single step that enrages the disbelievers, or inflict any hardship upon the enemy, without having it written down for them as a credit. Allah never fails to recompense those who work righteousness.” The two verses taken together usually mean to scold the Muslims for not following the Holy War, or jihad.
The actual verse quoted by Obama usually taken to mean: “First that you should follow the truth of Allah, but in specific to follow those who are in jihad with the prophet in spite of the great heat of going to war.”
Clumsy? I doubt it. This speech has been in the planning for months. What I am surprised about is that Obama did not deliver the speech in Arabic.
