> all Muslims are categorically instructed Lots of people are categorically instructed to do many things in religion, but very few actually do them. We can't s

> all Muslims are categorically instructed Lots of people are categorically instructed to do many things in religion, but very few actually do them. We can't say 'the scripture of X says to do Y, so all (or most) people of that religion do Y'. It's just not realistic or even good reasoning. In this forum of scientific thinkers, where is the empirical data? Why are we suddenly accepting this silly speculation, especially about something so hurtful and dangerous? I stand by my claim that the statement is ignorant. To add to the discussion of translations for anyone reading (and based on many hours of amateur research - I have more if you are interested): * Ahmed Ali's: This is leading Shiite translation; note that Sunnis are the vast majority of Islam and the sects have many differences. In my notes: An "Indian scholar of Arabic and Persian" ... "Relies strongly on the commentary of translator's spiritual advisor, Ayatollah Mirza Mahdi Pooya Yazdi, Iranian focused on mysticism" ... "Disparages some Sunni figures". ... "has a rich introduction about the Qur an, its English translations, and the Shia doctrines. It provides useful information about the Shia-Sunni differences" * Arberry's: You say Arberry is fairly painful and hard to read. You are of course entitled to your opinion. I like it so far and most reviews I read seem to praise it: "The first English translation that attempted to capture the flavor of the Arabic text" ... "widely considered to be the most poetic of all translations" ... etc. Also: "Leading translation for western academics, widely admired" ... "He rendered the Qur'an into understandable English and separated text from tradition. The translation is without prejudice and is probably the best around" * Muhammed Asad's: Asad is an Austrian journalist, a Jewish convert to Islam. "more popular in the academic circles and among certain groups of people who are looking for a rational and more liberal approach towards the Qur'an" ... "Saudi Arabia banned it" ... "vitiated by deviation from the viewpoint of the Muslim orthodoxy on many counts." ... ""brings a modernist perspective to his translation of the Qur'an," ... "a notable addition to the body of English translations couched in chaste English ... highly readable translation contains useful, though sometimes unreliable background information"