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AH020387 Posted 16 years ago
Vocabulary
Never
There is a passage in the Quran that reads:
(God talking to moses after he asked to see God):
O Moses you will never be able to see Me.
Now one group of Muslims (Salafis) say that this means Moses will never be able to see God while in this world but it does not necessarily mean Moses will not see God in the hereafter, and another group of Muslims (Shias) say that the verse clearly means what it says that moses will NEVER be able to see God; this means both in this world and in the hereafter God will not/cannot be seen by the eyes.
I know the Quran's original language is Arabic but with regards to the English language is it correct to use the word 'never' with something that is transitory such as this world/life? Because does not the word 'never' imply eternity? And so a word which implies eternity can it be used with another word which implies transience?! To me this is illogical and that is why I take the Shia interpretation over the other.
Here is another example:
O Moses you will never be able to see Me in this world.
VS
O Moses you will not be able to see Me in this world.
To me the second sentence makes more sense, what do you guys think?
(God talking to moses after he asked to see God):
O Moses you will never be able to see Me.
Now one group of Muslims (Salafis) say that this means Moses will never be able to see God while in this world but it does not necessarily mean Moses will not see God in the hereafter, and another group of Muslims (Shias) say that the verse clearly means what it says that moses will NEVER be able to see God; this means both in this world and in the hereafter God will not/cannot be seen by the eyes.
I know the Quran's original language is Arabic but with regards to the English language is it correct to use the word 'never' with something that is transitory such as this world/life? Because does not the word 'never' imply eternity? And so a word which implies eternity can it be used with another word which implies transience?! To me this is illogical and that is why I take the Shia interpretation over the other.
Here is another example:
O Moses you will never be able to see Me in this world.
VS
O Moses you will not be able to see Me in this world.
To me the second sentence makes more sense, what do you guys think?
Top answer
Hi, I think your question is really theological rather than grammar-related. There are often limits implied with the word 'never'. eg Tom never got married.
- Hi, I think your question is really theological rather than grammar-related.
- There are often limits implied with the word 'never'.
- eg Tom never got married.
- We are speaking of his life-time.
- Clive
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2 Answers
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Hi,
I think your question is really theological rather than grammar-related.
There are of
I think your question is really theological rather than grammar-related.
There are of
00
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