dinsdag 10 december 2019

The peaceful heart of Yunan Yusuf

Two years ago I received a book by Yunan Yusuf, of the Jakarta UIN, Islamic State University. It was his commentary on Qur'an Juz 24. Last October he donated me his next volume: on Juz 23. Only know I have started reading this new volume.
First, I was surprised to see how easily he writes. While in Australia he could write a volume of 600 pages in three months! It is all very pleasant reading. Not too much technicalities and very informative about the text of the Qur'an according to his vision of its meaning.
I saw now more clearly, that he considers the Qur'an as not (only) the collection of the 114 surahs but first of all for his commentary the collection of 30 juz. He even created a new name for this section. Not only the first Arab words wa ma lîy, but a more meaningful and poetic label: Qalbun salim, The words occur twice in the Qur'an, first in this juz, in sura 37:84 about Abraham who turned to God 'with a peaceful heart'.  Only once it is mentioned again in the Qur'an, in 26:89 when it is said that people who stand for God at the last judgment with a 'peaceful heart' (Qalbun salim) will be allowed to stay in paradise.
It was quite surprising for me to see even a distinct and new title for a somewhat fortuitous section of the Qur'an: it is a help to read the text in the thirty days of Ramadan. The basic division of the Qur'an is a sura, a distinct literary entity and the basis for good interpretation.

Above: the new volume by Prof. Yunan Yusuf and below (right) Yunan donating the book to me, last October in Ciputat.
Yunan himself also realised that the true division of the Qur'an is not according to juz but to sura, because the commentary starts not with verse 22 of sura 36 (where the juz begins), but with the  story from verse 13 of the sura YASIN itself. After the beginning verses (of course the praise of the Qur'an because of the mysetirous letters), from verse 13 on there is a story about a town or even city of unbelievers, where two messengers were sent, still followed by a third person. In traditional commentaries it is the city of the pagan Seleucid kingdom of Antiocheia. Sadok and his offspring were the high priest of Israel, from the time of David and Salomon until the Makkabee period. Therefore perhaps the two messengers to the town of Antiocheia were given the names of Sadiq, Saduq and Shalom.
Als in the Christian period Antioch was an important town: the first Christians got their name of 'Christian' here.
I am curious to see whether Yunan also explains why sura 36, Ya Sin, is so often recited in favour of the dead. Muhammadiyah people like he is himself, will not do this, but still it is a common ritual!


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