Armaic

• Judaism: Aramaic bridges divine revelation and human comprehension, expanding sacred Hebrew concepts into accessible forms.
• Philosophy: Aramaic preserves ethical and theological ideas in works like the Talmud and Zohar.
• Identity: As the language of exile, Aramaic reflects Jewish resilience, maintaining spiritual and philosophical continuity across centuries.

Aramaic, deeply intertwined with Judaism and early Refuting Christianity, served as the lingua franca of the ancient Near East. Its linguistic and theological role preserved Jewish identity and scripture but also introduced errors in divine understanding that diverge from tawhid. By drawing parallels to Quran and Hadith, we can correct these divergences and align Aramaic theological constructs with pure monotheism.

Aramaic texts like the Targum, Zohar, and Babylonian Talmud often use anthropomorphic descriptions for God. While intended metaphorically, over time, they led to misunderstandings of divine transcendence.

• Example of Anthropomorphism in Targum:

  • “ידא דיהוה” (Yada d’YHWH – “The hand of the Lord”) – Exodus 9:3.
  • “קול יהוה” (Qol YHWH – “The voice of the Lord”) – Deuteronomy 5:24.

• Error: These descriptions could lead to conceptualizing God with human-like traits, compromising His transcendence (tawhid).

• Quranic Correction:

  • In the Quran, Allah’s attributes are affirmed without likening Him to creation.
    • “لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ”
      (Laysa kamithlihi shay’ wa huwa As-Samee’ Al-Baseer): “There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.” Quran 42:11.

• Hadith Support:

  • The Prophet ﷺ said: “Contemplate on the creation of Allah, but do not contemplate on the essence of Allah.” (Ibn Hibban)
  • Clarification: Divine descriptions like “Hand” (Yad) and “Face” (Wajh) signify Allah’s power and attributes but are not to be taken literally.

Aramaic texts refer to God with titles like “Raḥmana” (The Merciful One) and “Malkah D’Alma” (King of the Universe). While these affirm God’s power, the pluralistic cultural environment led to syncretism—attributing divine roles to intermediaries (e.g., angels, prophets).

• Error: Overemphasis on divine emanations or intermediaries led to shirk (associating partners with God).

  • The mystical Kabbalah, for example, describes God’s attributes (sefirot) as emanations, sometimes blurring Creator-creation boundaries.

• Quranic Clarification:

  • Allah’s names (Asma’ul Husna) are unique to Him and cannot be shared with creation.
  • “وَلِلَّهِ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا”
    (Wa lillahi al-asma’ul husna fa du’uhu biha): “And to Allah belong the most beautiful names, so call upon Him by them.” Quran 7:180.

• Examples of Clarified Names:

  • “Raḥmana” in Aramaic parallels “Ar-Rahman” (The Most Merciful) in Arabic.
  • Difference: In Islam, divine mercy remains transcendent and independent, whereas Jewish mysticism sometimes limits God’s attributes to earthly intermediaries.

Aramaic texts sometimes present creation and divine actions in ways that confuse ultimate causality (Allah’s will) with immediate causes.

• Example:

  • “The angels bring the prayers up to God.”
    • This reflects an intermediary role for angels, suggesting partial independence.

• Error: Angels are servants of God and have no will independent of Him. Assigning causality to creation risks shirk.

• Quranic Correction:

  • “اللَّهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ” (Allahu Khaliqu kulli shay’): “Allah is the Creator of all things.” Quran 39:62.
  • Angels’ Role:
    • “They do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded.” Quran 66:6.
  • Clarification: Angels are means, not causes. Allah alone is the ultimate agent.

In Aramaic mystical texts (e.g., Zohar), divine immanence is emphasized to the point where God is seen as indwelling creation (panentheism). This blurs the line between Creator and creation.

• Example: The Ein Sof concept in Kabbalah posits that God’s infinite essence pervades all existence.

• Error: Viewing creation as an extension of the divine contradicts tawhid. Allah is close but remains distinct.

• Quranic Clarification:

  • “وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ”
    (Wa huwa ma’akum aina ma kuntum): “And He is with you wherever you are.” Quran 57:4.
    • Meaning: Allah’s knowledge and power encompass all creation, but He is not contained within it.

• Hadith Parallels:

  • The Prophet ﷺ said: “Do you not see that Allah knows whatever is in the heavens and the earth?” (Sahih Muslim)
  • Correction: Allah’s closeness is by knowledge, power, and mercy, not physical presence.

The Kaddish prayer in Aramaic reflects Jewish devotion:

• “May His great name be magnified and sanctified…”

• Strength: This affirms God’s majesty and transcendence.

• Limitation: Without clear tawhid, monotheism can devolve into legalism or mysticism.

• Islamic Parallel:

  • “اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ” (Allahu Akbar): “Allah is Greater.”
    • This declaration emphasizes Allah’s incomparability while fostering pure devotion.

Aramaic, like Hebrew, preserved aspects of divine revelation but also reflected human errors—misinterpretations of divine transcendence, anthropomorphism, and reliance on intermediaries.

• Parallels to Islam:

  • Aramaic texts contain remnants of monotheism (tawhid), but Islam restores it with absolute clarity:

    “Say, He is Allah, the One; Allah, the Eternal Refuge; He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent.” Quran 112:1-4.

• Quran as the Criterion (Furqan):

  • The Quran corrects prior distortions and restores Allah’s oneness:

    “And We revealed to you the Book in truth, confirming what preceded it of the Scripture and as a criterion over it.” Quran 5:48.

• Strengths of Aramaic: A sacred, accessible language that preserved monotheistic ideas.
• Divergences: Anthropomorphism, reliance on intermediaries, and confusion between Creator and creation.
• Islamic Correction: The Quran and Hadith restore the pure oneness of Allah by:
  1. Rejecting anthropomorphism.
  2. Clarifying causality (Allah as the ultimate agent).
  3. Affirming Allah’s transcendence and closeness without immanence.

“Indeed, this Quran guides to that which is most suitable.” Quran 17:9.