Re: Why so green?
Sara, i am not rebuking those who read other scriptures for gaining secular knowledge, but to say that doing so for the purpose of strenghthening your iman or validating the “existence” of half the world’s population sounds extremely placatory to me, not to mention specious.
I read Nietzche in my spare time. But I dont incorporate the rantings of a semi-demented mortal philosopher into the divine interpretations of the Qur’an; nor do i antithetically juxtapose them with Qur’anic injunctions as a means to solidify my belief in islam. I do it simply for a secular purpose.
Some, however, will argue that learning of other scriptures will arm one with the necessary tools and knowledge to bring more non-muslims into the fold of islam. Nothing wrong with that, except it makes more rational sense for only those who have already perfected the practice of islam – learning the meaning of Qur’an, hadith, memorizing verses, islamic jurisprudence, etc.-- for their own salvation.
But for the rest – like myself, you and many others – let’s focus on our own salvation first.