Departure of the religious
BY
Ehab Bakr
Researcher in Comparative
Religions
Ehab
Bakr's "Departure of the Religious" presents a critical analysis of
Abrahamic religions, especially Islam. The author questions
the logic, morality, and consistency within religious texts, particularly the
Quran. Bakr explores alleged contradictions, scientific inaccuracies,
and problematic verses concerning violence, slavery, and women's rights. He
scrutinizes the concept of free will, divine justice, and the descriptions of
heaven and hell, portraying them as human constructs. The text also
analyzes how religious rules may not be relevant to today's society, such as
verses that incite hatred of other religions or laws of jihad. Ultimately,
the author shares his personal reasons for leaving Islam, citing what he sees
as absurdities and moral issues within the faith.
Okay,
here's a briefing document summarizing the main themes and ideas presented in the
provided excerpts from "Departure of the Religious" by Ehab Bakr.
Briefing Document: "Departure of the
Religious" by Ehab Bakr
Overview:
This
document analyzes excerpts from Ehab Bakr's "Departure of the
Religious," a work that critically examines religious (primarily Islamic)
concepts, logic, and morality. The author expresses deep skepticism and
disillusionment, raising pointed questions about the nature of God, free will,
religious doctrines, and their impact on individuals and society. The document highlights
what Bakr perceives as inconsistencies, contradictions, and moral failings
within religious teachings.
Main Themes and Ideas:
1. Critique of Divine Attributes and Actions:
·
Inconsistency
and Contradiction: Bakr repeatedly points out perceived
contradictions between the attributes ascribed to God (e.g., mercy, wisdom,
justice) and the actions attributed to Him in religious texts. For example, he
questions how a merciful God could predestine individuals to disbelief and then
punish them eternally for it: "Isn't it God's will that makes the soul
that wants to believe reach its goal and actually believe, and at the same time
does not allow any other soul to believe no matter how hard it tries because it
contradicts the divine will, so why will the one who does not believe be
tormented in Hell!"
·
Moral Objection
to Divine Will: He challenges the concept of a God who
arbitrarily chooses who to guide and misguide, sealing hearts and blinding
eyes: "The meaning of this verse is that if God wants to guide a person,
He simply opens his chest to Islam, and if He wants to misguide a person, He
oppressively and unjustly narrows his chest so that he does not understand the
word of God and Islam does not enter his heart." Bakr suggests this
portrays God as unjust and sadistic.
·
Anthropomorphic
Depiction of God: He criticizes the anthropomorphic
depiction of God in religious texts, arguing that it's incompatible with reason
and wisdom. He finds it absurd that God would swear oaths repeatedly, act
jealous, or engage in petty actions: "The strange thing is that the God of
Muhammad is the one who swears the most, and there are about a hundred verses
that contain the style of an oath, and I have never read a book in my life
whose author makes all these oaths like what I found in the Qur’an."
1. Challenge to the Concept of Free Will:
·
Predestination
vs. Accountability: A central argument revolves around the
conflict between divine predestination and human accountability. Bakr argues
that if God has predetermined everything, including who will believe and
disbelieve, then it is unjust to punish individuals for their choices: "It
is not for a soul to believe except by permission of Allah, and the meaning of
that is that it is the will of Allah that chooses who believes and who
disbelieves, and the meaning of that also is that if a soul wanted to believe
and Allah did not give it permission, it would not believe." He sees this
as a fundamental flaw in the logic of religious justification for reward and
punishment.
·
Manipulation of
Minds: He posits that God controls people's
minds, intelligence, and understanding, therefore people do not have free will.
"Mind, intelligence and the way of understanding things are God's
creation! Resisting and refuting the whispers of demons is in the hands of God!
Sedition, conspiracies and luring people into sin from God! After all this, you
want to tell me that we as humans have free will!"
1. Critique of Religious Morality and
Practices:
·
Discrimination
and Exclusivity: Bakr objects to the idea that only those
within a specific religion (Islam) are guaranteed salvation, while those who
are "loving of good, friendly, kind, moral, helpful to humanity" but
belong to other faiths are condemned to Hell.
·
Questionable
Verses: Bakr suggests the verses in the Qur'an
are written by Muhammad to give himself more rights than the rest of Muslims:
"All these verses give Muhammad things that are not his right and warn
Muslims against speaking to him or entering his house without permission and
admonish his wives to treat him well, all to defend him and preserve his rights
."
·
Devaluation of
Women: Bakr dedicates a significant portion of
the text to criticizing what he perceives as the devaluation and subjugation of
women in Islam. He challenges verses that promote obedience, allow for
wife-beating, and restrict women's freedom and equality: "Men are in
charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what
they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So the righteous women are
obedient, guarding in [the husband’s] absence what Allah would have them guard.
And as for those on whose part you fear ill-treatment, admonish them and leave
them alone in the beds and beat them."
·
Obsession with
Sex: Bakr criticizes what he sees as an
unhealthy obsession with sex in religious texts, particularly regarding the
rewards of paradise (virgins) and the Prophet Muhammad's special privileges:
"This gift is from the hidden partner whom Muhammad places next to him in
every distinction so that Muslims do not criticize or blame him."
1. Questioning the Authenticity and Clarity of
Religious Texts:
·
Distortion of
Religion: Bakr alleges distortion of religion, as it
came in the verse (O Messenger, let not those grieve you who hasten into
disbelief from among those who say, “We believe” with their mouths but their
hearts do not believe and from among the Jews. They are listeners to falsehood,
listeners to another people who have not come to you. They distort words from
their [proper] usages, saying, “If you are given this, then take it; but if you
are not given this, then take it.”"
·
Contradictory
Verses: He repeatedly points to verses he believes
are contradictory, undermining the claim that the Quran is a clear and
unambiguous guide. He believes the verses are so unclear that humans have
distorted them into completely different schools of thought. "Why are the
four schools of thought completely different in their analysis and prohibition
of things ? Aren't these Islamic sects emerging from under the cloak of Islam
?"
·
Cultural and
Historical Context: Bakr questions the universality of
religious teachings, highlighting their origins in a specific cultural and
historical context (7th-century Arabia). He also questions why the last message
would be in a rare language that only shepherds spoke.
1. The Role of Satan:
·
Satan as a
scapegoat: Bakr suggests that in Islam, Satan is
being used as a scapegoat. "I believe that these qualities belong to Satan
and not to a merciful God who loves goodness and desires to populate the
earth."
Key Quotes:
·
"If you
asked this question to a Christian or a Jew, the answer would be similar to the
Islamic religion. Meaning that every religion accuses all other religions of
blasphemy and threatens them with eternal torment in the fire of Hell."
·
"Among them
are Solomon, who subjugates the jinn and speaks to the animals, Noah, who
builds the ship to save the believers, then God floods the earth and kills all
creatures, Jonah, who was swallowed by the whale, and Dhul-Qarnayn, who fought
monsters and strange creatures. What sin did these people commit while
following the religion of their fathers and grandfathers ?"
·
"To make
sure that the alleged God does not want to guide people, and all he has done
and is doing is to increase the number of those being punished in Hell, as if
he is responsible for Hell and putting people in it increases his profits
!"
·
"And the
meaning of that is that it is the will of Allah that chooses who believes and
who disbelieves, and the meaning of that also is that if a soul wanted to
believe and Allah did not give it permission, it would not believe."
·
"All
Muslims around the world were happy with what ISIS was doing in Syria and Iraq,
but if we told them that ISIS will expand to enter your countries and impose
the laws of Muhammad, they will strongly object! So... why do you welcome this
thing while you ban it in your country? This is the contradiction that Muslims
live all over the world!"
Conclusion:
"Departure
of the Religious" presents a radical critique of religious dogma and
morality. Bakr questions the very foundations of faith, challenging the
attributes of God, the concept of free will, and the ethical implications of
religious teachings. While deeply critical, the text is driven by a desire for
a more rational, just, and humane worldview, free from what the author
considers to be the contradictions and moral failings of traditional religion.
The book seems to suggest that if there is a god, that the god would be proud
of and defend women.
Quiz
Answer each question in 2-3 sentences.
1. According to the text, why is a secret test
necessary to judge a person’s character and morals?
2. What is the author's initial reaction to
the warning against asking certain questions, and what field does he feel
compelled to explore?
3. According to the text, what is a common
accusation made by different religions against each other, and what potential
outcome awaits the individual who is "loving of good, friendly, kind,
moral, and helpful to humanity?"
4. What is the author’s argument regarding the
qualities attributed to God versus the qualities found in wise and strong
individuals?
5. According to the text, what is the meaning
of verses like "And it is not for a soul to believe except by permission
of Allah"?
6. According to the author, what attributes is
the "alleged God" missing?
7. What is the author's point about God
scattering humans between three completely different religions and the state of
heavenly books and language?
8. According to the text, how does Muhammad
try to prove he is a messenger from God?
9. What contradiction does the author
highlight regarding Muhammad's stance on ISIS?
10. What is the author's criticism of God's
frequent use of oaths in the Qur'an?
Quiz Answer Key
1. A secret test is necessary because
individuals with bad character and non-existent morals can easily act and claim
to be good during an overt test. Therefore, a secret test ensures that the
examinees reveal their true nature without knowing they are being assessed.
2. The author is prompted to ask who "the
devil" is. This causes him to realize he doesn't know much about the power
and ability to manipulate people's minds.
3. Religions accuse other religions of
blasphemy and threaten them with eternal torment in Hell. According to the
text, one who is loving of good, friendly, kind, moral, and helpful to humanity
may still enter the fire of Hell and be tormented there forever.
4. The author argues that qualities like
excessive power and a desire for flattery are incompatible with true wisdom and
mercy. He uses examples of strong, wise, and rich people displaying humility,
few words, and generosity to contrast with the described divine qualities.
5. These verses imply that faith is
predetermined and that it is Allah's will that chooses who believes and who
disbelieves. Thus, those who disbelieve do so because Allah did not give them
permission to believe.
6. The "alleged God" is missing
mercy, wisdom, knowledge, and justice in His actions, words, and books. Because
of that, He wants to increase the number of those being punished in Hell, as if
he is responsible for Hell.
7. God did not care that he dispersed the
humans amongst completely different religions. He allowed heavenly books to be
distorted, rare languages, and isolated regions, so the humans would be misled.
8. He addresses himself in the verse, so the
listener believes God is directing these orders to him. He does so in the form
of thanks, condemnation, and reproach.
9. The author criticizes Muslims who welcome
harsh Islamic laws being implemented elsewhere, but would strongly object to
those same laws being implemented in their own countries. This is the
contradiction Muslims live all over the world.
10. The author criticizes God's frequent use of
oaths in the Qur'an as inconsistent with the purported divine nature, asking
why a divine being would need to swear so many oaths to convince people.
Essay Questions
1. Analyze the author’s critique of divine
justice and free will within the text. How does the author use specific verses
and narratives to challenge the traditional understanding of these concepts?
2. Explore the author’s perspective on the
portrayal of women in the text, particularly focusing on the verses and rulings
related to marriage, divorce, and obedience. How does the author argue that
these depictions contradict the idea of Islam being a religion that honors
women?
3. Discuss the author’s depiction of Muhammad
in the text. How does the author portray his character, motivations, and
actions, and how does this portrayal challenge traditional Islamic views of the
prophet?
4. Examine the author’s criticism of the
concept of Hell within the text. How does the author challenge the traditional
Islamic understanding of Hell, and what alternative perspectives does the
author suggest?
5. Evaluate the author’s overall argument
regarding the contradictions and inconsistencies within religious doctrine as
presented in the text. How does the author use logic, reason, and specific
examples to support the claim that these contradictions undermine the
credibility and rationality of the religious system?
Glossary of Key Terms
·
Blasphemy:
The act or offense of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things.
·
Free Will:
The ability to choose between different possible courses of action unimpeded.
·
Divine Justice:
The concept of a fair and morally balanced system of rewards and punishments
enacted by a divine being.
·
Qur’an (Koran):
The central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be the word of God.
·
Hadith:
Sayings or actions of the Prophet Muhammad that serve as models or sources of
legislation in Islam.
·
Sunni and
Shiite: The two main denominations of Islam,
differing in their beliefs regarding the rightful succession of leadership
after the Prophet Muhammad.
·
Jinn:
Supernatural creatures in Islamic mythology, often described as beings of
smokeless fire.
·
Sharia:
Islamic law derived from religious precepts, particularly the Qur'an and the
Hadith.
·
Infidel:
A person who does not believe in a particular religion, especially when the
religion is regarded as the true one.
·
Taghut:
Anything that is worshipped other than Allah. In the modern era, it refers to
those who rule by other than what Allah has revealed, thereby being worshipped
by their followers.
·
Jilbab:
A long and loose-fit coat or outer garment worn by some Muslim women.
·
Awrah:
The parts of the body that should be covered in Islam.
·
The Day of
Resurrection: The last day for those who have ever
lived.
·
Ascetic:
Characterized by or suggesting the practice of severe self-discipline and
abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.
·
The Seal of the
Messengers: A title used in Islam referring to
Muhammad, based on the belief that he is the last prophet sent by God.
·
Doubts:
A feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction.
·
Bedouin:
An Arab nomadic people.
·
Eloquence:
Fluent or persuasive speaking or writing.
·
Virtue:
Behavior showing high moral standards.
1. How does the author characterize traditional religious tests of faith and morality, and what are the author's criticisms of them?