Peace be on you. Welcome.
Hopefully following line (and the whole chapter from reference) will be beneficial.
Good wishes.
Thanks for the welcome. And unto you be peace.
Some years ago I practiced popular Islam but found myself doubting, something which the Quran declares its message is absent of—doubt. I had trouble accepting the Quran at face value. It didn't make sense to me that fundamentals of the religion would be taken on faith when the religion was clearly against faith/conjecture, rather the religion insisted on truth/evidence. So I decided to approach Islam in a new way. I assumed two things: that Muhammad was capable of knowing only what his culture dictated, and that he experienced nothing unique apart from the natural human experience. I began putting myself in Muhammad's shoes, reading the codex of his life—Quran—and reflecting on how he felt about life and how he viewed himself.
You cited the verse:
“Say: ‘Whoever is an enemy of Gabriel, let him know that it was He Who made him descend upon your heart, by God’s leave, confirming His revelation, a guidance and glad tidings to the faithful.”
First, there is no documentation, no examination of angelic beings beyond which is anecdotal, meaning there is no factual basis for interpreting ‘angels' as literal beings. It is not certain they exist. Although, when figuring that Gabriel is a metaphor for inspiration (Holy Spirit) the above verse becomes relevant, for each of us has felt some kind of inspiration. Second, my interpretation is this: how can one deny that God 'sent down' inspiration when God is the ‘Lord of the Worlds’, when He originates everything, when He is the created of all things?
You cited the verse:
“As for those who say ‘Our Lord is God’ and are upright in deed, angels shall be made to descend upon them:
‘Fear not, and do not grieve. Here are glad tidings of the Garden which you were promised.”
I would read this here verse in addition:
“Happy is the Abode of the pious: the Gardens of Eden that they enter, beneath which rivers flow, in which they shall find all that they desire. Thus does God reward the pious. It is they whom the angels carry away in death, being pure. They tell them: ‘Peace be upon you! Enter the Garden in recompense for your deeds.’ [16:32]”
My interpretation is that the call to happiness is the real appeal of the message. Happiness in life, happiness now. 'Happy is the Abode of the pious'. Heaven is the metaphor for that. When I read 16:32 and keep in mind Muhammad's compassion for humanity's suffering, and that he sought to soothe them by drawing them under his authority, by granting them ‘Heaven’ — when realizing that and appreciating the way it's presented in poetry, I feel like weeping in elation because it is evident he embodied Mercy. There is no doubt. It's certain.
Clairvoyance is something of fantasy. It has not been documented outside of ancient tales. The same goes for alleged scientific miracles. Alleged miracles go beyond anything we can replicate and test. One shouldn't hinge their faith on such.
“We brought down upon you signs and wonders most EVIDENT; only the dissolute can disbelieve in them. Can it be that every time they make a covenant, a group of them disavows it? In truth, most of them have no faith. [2:100]”
Notice the mention of evidence and covenant. It is the covenant to guarantee happiness by Mercy.
Like with all other religions, the religion's founder is always held to a degree above the natural human condition. It is said they experienced what others have not. But in any case there is no certainty that they had such experiences or conditions. It is doubtful, which is something Islam is clearly against. Conjecture only causes confusion, and confusion conflict.
And you cited this verse:
“We have revealed to you, as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him. We revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, the Tribes; to Jesus, Job and Jonah, Aaron and Solomon; and We revealed the Psalms to David: prophets whose stories We narrated to you already and prophets whose stories We have not narrated to you – And God spoke to Moses in plain speech – prophets, bringers of glad tidings as well as warners, lest mankind have any argument with God after their coming. God is Almighty, All-Wise. [4:165]”
Warren Bennis Leadership Theory | AdviseAmerica.com
Warren Bennis is the man who has pioneered the modern study of leadership. His analysis of what makes an effective leader led him to conclude that there are three traits:
1. Humbleness. Being a leader isn’t about making yourself popular or famous. It’s about leading a team to be better than they are without you and giving them the credit for their results. In other words, you’re an equal member of the team, just one with the role of a leader.
2. Humanistic: Great leaders can’t just see in black and white because humanity operates within shades of grey. That’s why leaders take a humanistic perspective and make an effort to see where their team is coming from because that’s how a leader can help guide the team to where they need to go. That doesn’t mean all decisions, ethics, or moralities aren’t defined, but it does mean that many circumstances don’t need an equal level of definition.
3. Democratic: The chain-of-command works in the military because there are times when you need a soldier to do what they’re told so they don’t die. That one second when they question an order could literally be the moment that a bullet or mortar strikes them! The business world isn’t the same environment as the military, for example, which means it shouldn’t have the same attitude either. Bennis found, in fact, that the leaders who incorporate the opinions and perspectives of their entire team would be more effective over the long term than those who dictated circumstances.
My point in citing this is to show that Muhammad clearly adhered to these principles and was not egocentric. His style of leadership was exactly this, humble, compassionate (humanistic) and merciful (democratic). By focusing attention on the tales of prophets past, he was able to address certain aspects of his being and message without being pretentious. He a friendly man of grace.
Here is why I say Muhammad lived by Christian values, notice the connection:
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. Matthew 22:36-40 (NIV)”
“To you has come a messenger, from among your number,
Aggrieved by the hardship you suffer,
Concerned for you,
Tender and compassionate towards the believers.
If they turn away, say: ‘God suffices me. There is no god but He. In Him I trust. Lord of the great throne is He.’ [Q. 9:129]”
The principle of my interpretation isn't unique to just me. There are certain persuasions of Islam that interpret likewise. If you are interested in discussing those you can send me a PM. And it is interesting you cited Ahmadiyya sources. I am curious as to why you fancy that persuasion.
God bless.