tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7454320747047444562023-10-11T18:20:35.688+07:00MOSLEM ANSWERINGUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-70196846085377294652011-02-12T07:30:00.000+07:002011-02-12T07:32:04.026+07:00Jesus kissed Mary Magdalene according to early Christians' authentic Manuscripts!<p>First of all, it is important to know that the reason many of the early Christians' authentic and widely accepted canons and manuscripts were not included in Constantine's "canon" (<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/nt_confirms_apocalypse_of_peter.htm" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank">which by the way this canon got lost permanently and only portions of it were discovered almost 1/2 century later</a></span>) was mostly due to political bias. The early Christians' manuscripts that were banned by Constantine were widely accepted for centuries before him by many Christians. Certainly, the Gospel of Philip which talks about Jesus and Mary Magdalene was one of the widely accepted and followed ones. <big><strong>See the section toward the end of this article for the Bible's many canons and more details.</strong></big></p> <p>Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' close companions. Jesus also cared especially for her by, for instance in one occasion, driving out 7 demons from her <span style="color:#0000ff;"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%208:2;&version=31;" target="_blank">Luke 8:2</a></span>.</p> <p>Anyway, according to widely accepted early Christians' doctrines, Jesus kissed Mary Magdalene. He apparently had strong feelings toward her.</p> <p> </p> <p><big><strong><big><big><big>1-</big></big></big> From <span style="color:#0000ff;"><a href="http://www.inq7.net/lif/2004/jul/13/lif_22-1.htm" target="_blank">http://www.inq7.net/lif/2004/jul/13/lif_22-1.htm</a></span>:</strong></big></p> <p><span style="color:#008000;">"Interest in Mary Magdalene grew following the discovery of the Nag Hammadi Gnostic Gospels in 1945. <u><strong>The Gospel of Philip explicitly said Jesus kissed Mary Magdalene in the mouth,</strong></u> making the disciples jealous of her. Other gospels in the Nag Hammadi texts also spoke of the intimate relationship between her and Jesus, even referring to her as his "beloved."<br /><br />Her importance was shown by her presence in major events of Jesus' life. She anointed his feet with a costly perfume, an act the disciples tried to stop but which Jesus allowed, making him live up to the title the Messiah, the "Annointed One." "</span></p> <p> </p> <p><big><strong><big><big><big>2-</big></big></big> From <span style="color:#0000ff;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/features/biblemysteries/mary.shtml" target="_blank">http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/features/biblemysteries/mary.shtml</a></span>:</strong></big></p> <p><span style="color:#008000;">"Luke chapter 8, tells us that Mary was one of Jesus' followers and travelled with him."</span> <span style="color:#0000ff;"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=49&chapter=8&version=31" target="_blank">Luke 8 Chapter.</a></span> </p> <p><span style="color:#008000;">"But the Bible isn't the only source. In 1945, at Nag Hammadi in southern Egypt, two men came across a sealed ceramic jar. Inside, they discovered a hoard of ancient papyrus books. <strong><u>Although they never received as much public attention as the Dead Sea Scrolls, these actually turn out to be much more important for writing the history of early Christianity.</u></strong> They are a cache of Christian texts. The Nag Hammadi texts tell us about early Christians. They were written in Coptic, the language of early Christian Egypt. <u><strong>As most ancient Christian texts have been lost, this discovery was exceptional. The discovery includes the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Philip and the Acts of Peter.</strong></u> None of these texts were included in the Bible, because the content didn't conform to Christian doctrine, and they're referred to as apocryphal. They tend to concentrate on things that one doesn't read about in the Bible. For example, New Testament gospels says after the resurrection Jesus spent some time talking with the disciples, but you don't learn much about what he said. In the gospels of Nag Hammadi you can read what he said.<br /><br />Although they're not Biblical texts, experts still believe that they give us significant insights into Christian history. In these apocryphal texts we might have genuine traditions about Jesus that for one reason or another didn't make it into the New Testament.<br /><br />For the first time in hundreds of years there was a new source of information about Mary Magdalene. She appears very frequently as one of the prominent disciples of Jesus. In certain texts where Jesus is in discussion with his disciples, Mary Magdalene asks many informed questions. Whereas the other disciples at times seem confused, she is the one who understands.<br /><br />One of the documents discovered at Nag Hammadi is the Gospel of Philip, in which Mary Magdalene is a key figure. It has been the cause of one of the most controversial claims ever made about her.<br /><br />During their long burial in the desert, some of the books were attacked by ants. In this Gospel, the ants made a hole in a very crucial place.<br />The text says: </span></p> <blockquote> <p><span style="color:#008000;">And the companion of the [...] Mary Magdalene. [...] loved her more than all the disciples, <strong><u>and used to kiss her often on her [...]. The rest of the disciples [...]. They said to him "Why do you love her more than all of us?"</u></strong> The Savior answered and said to them, "Why do I not love you like her? When a blind man and one who sees are both together in darkness, they are no different from one another. When the light comes, then he who sees will see the light, and he who is blind will remain in darkness." </span></p> </blockquote> <p><span style="color:#008000;"><strong><u>The 'lacuna', or gap, which hides where Jesus kissed Mary has tantalised scholars for decades.</u>"</strong></span></p> <p> </p> <p><big><strong><big><big><big>3-</big></big></big> From <span style="color:#0000ff;"><a href="http://www.awakenedwoman.com/rose_magdalene.htm" target="_blank">http://www.awakenedwoman.com/rose_magdalene.htm</a></span>:</strong></big></p> <p><span style="color:#008000;">"<span style="font-family:georgia;"><u><strong>There are many indications of intimacy and love between Jesus and Mary Magdalene in the Gnostic material.</strong></u> When Karen King was translating "The Gospel of Mary," she had to determine which Mary was being discussed because the Mary written about had no last name. <strong><u>She identified Mary as Mary Magdalene because twice in the text Mary was described as the woman Jesus loved more than the others.</u></strong> This refrain appears often in the Gnostic texts, and in "The Gospel of Philip" Mary Magdalene is described as the "companion" of Jesus. According to different scholars that word, in its original Greek usage, has innuendos of something more, perhaps of sexual partnership. Also in "The Gospel of Philip" are the provocative lines that <u><strong>"Jesus kissed Mary Magdalene upon the …. " The last word is missing in the papyrus document. Typically the missing word is translated as mouth.</strong></u> In the ABC Frontline special Elaine Pagels interprets this statement as symbolic and indicative of a transmission of knowledge but, given the other phrases of intimacy, her interpretation seems overly head-oriented. While all the academic scholars on the ABC program state there is no evidence for the marriage of Jesus and Mary Magdalene in the Gnostic or Orthodox texts available to us, most of them, particularly Karen King and Father Richard McBrien of the University of Notre Dame, <u><strong>were sympathetic to the idea of some kind of love relationship between Jesus and Mary.</strong></u> The ABC Frontline special ended with the commentator debunking the legendary underpinning of <i>The Da Vinci Code</i> but then saying, <strong>"<u>The story of Jesus and Mary Magdalene is indeed a love story.</u>"</strong> "</span></span></p> <p><br />So as we clearly see from the evidence above, the early Christians' doctrines that were found in Egypt clearly testify that Jesus and Mary had a romantic relationship. The fact that the gospel of Philip is not included in many of today's bibles does not mean a thing, because according to history, many Bible/Canons existed during the early Christians' days.</p> <p> </p> <p><big><strong>From <span style="color:#0000ff;"><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/nt_confirms_apocalypse_of_peter.htm" target="_blank">http://www.answering-christianity.com/nt_confirms_apocalypse_of_peter.htm</a></span>:</strong></big></p> <p><big><big><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong><big>7- </big>The many different Canons (New Testaments) that Christians believe in, and the hundreds of manuscripts:</strong></span></big></big></p> <p>There existed many different Bibles during the time of the Roman Emperor, Constantine, which were widely believed in by different Christian sects in the year 312. In other words, during the first 3 centuries of "Christianity" (300 years), 50 different canons with 100s of books/gospels combined existed! That is a lot of canons, a lot of books/gospels, and a lot of time (300 years) of different Christian religions existed. <strong><u>Also, Constantine's own "unified canon or bible" got lost and only small portions of it were found!</u></strong> So what we have today from "Bible(s)" are not even Constantine's books.</p> <p>Let us listen to the following AUDIO files from the <span style="color:#0000ff;">"<a href="http://store.aetv.com/html/search/index.jhtml?search=banned+from+the+bible&x=5&y=11" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank">Banned from the Bible</a>"</span> documentary film by some popular historians, theologians and books' authors were the spokes people in this film. So, like I mentioned above, the information in the AUDIO files is very reliable, authentic and objective:</p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong><big><big>1-</big></big></strong></span> <a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/lost_main_canon.wav" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0000ff;">Constantine's unified "Bible" was permanently lost! Only portions of it were found almost 1/2 century later.</span></a></p> <p><span style="color:#000000;">Theologians' voices are:</span> </p><ol><li>John Dominic Crossan, Author, Excavating Jesus.</li><li>Dr. Marvin Meyer, Author, The Gnostic Bible.</li></ol> <p><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><strong>2-</strong></big></big></span> <a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/hundreds_of_manscripts.wav" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0000ff;">Hundreds of conflicting manuscripts existed among early Christians.</span></a></p> <p>Theologians' voices are: </p><ol><li>Daniel Smith-Christopher, Ph.D., Hebrew Bible Studies, Loyola Marymount University.</li><li>Anthea D. Butler, Ph.D., Global Christianity, Loyala Marymount University.</li></ol> <p><br /></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/different_bible_canons.htm" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><big><span style="color:#0000ff;"><big><big><big><strong>The different "Canons" of the Bible!</strong></big></big></big></span></big></a></p> <p align="center"><big><strong>Different and conflicting variations of "gospels" and "books" that are disagreed upon by the Churches today.</strong></big></p> <p> source:<a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/jesus_kissed_mary_magdalene.htm">www.answering-christianity.com</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-13821884358201248582011-02-12T07:24:00.002+07:002011-02-12T07:27:32.548+07:00Those Are The High Flying Claims<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#770000;">By :M S M Saifullah, Qasim Iqbal, Mansur A<u>h</u>med & Mu<u>h</u>ammad Ghoniem<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><h3>1. Introduction</h3> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">We would like to discuss some of the </span><a href="http://www.answering-islam.org/Hahn/satanicverses.htm"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">claims</span></a><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> of a Christian missionary concerning the so-called 'Satanic verses'. The gist of the missionary's argument is in the last paragraph, which we have divided into various points for the sake of refutation:</span></p> <blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Courier New;">But, to repeat, Rushdie did not originate the satanic verses. Nor did Jews, Christians or other non-Muslims. The sources for the satanic verses, at-Tabari and Ibn Sa'd, are reputable Muslim sources for early Quranic commentary and Islamic history. Muslims today who simply dismiss the account of these writers as fabricated and unhistorical must at least answer the question why such reputable persons would fabricate it. The question is not new. But, it seems, a serious Muslim response is hard to find.</span> </p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">We agree that Salman Rushdie did not originate the so-called 'Satanic' verses. In the Islamic sources the whole saga is known as <b><u>H</u>adith al-Gharaniq al-</b></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>c</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><b>Ula</b>; therefore neither are the Islamic sources responsible for such a theatrical title. Who then coined the term 'Satanic verses'? As the tradition of defamation against Islam demonstrates, it could only have been Christian missionaries. Indeed, it was an English missionary, the belligerent Sir William Muir, who fashioned the term 'Satanic verses'.</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#0000ff;"><sup>[1]</sup></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The word <b>Maometis</b> means <b>The number of the beast</b>, i.e., <b>666</b>, by which Mu<u>h</u>ammad</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> was known in the Middle Ages. The names <b>Mahoun</b> and <b>Mahound</b> refer to Mu<u>h</u>ammad</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">, imagined by credulous Europeans to be <b>a pagan God</b>. These derogatory names were concocted by "love-thy-neighbor", "turn-thy-cheek" Christians who maintained an open policy of defamation against Islam and Mu<u>h</u>ammad</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> throughout the Middle Ages. Apparently, this policy still exists today, though in a more sophisticated apparatus.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Now let us address the statements from the Christian missionary:</span></p> <blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Courier New;">The sources for the satanic verses, at-Tabari and Ibn Sa'd, are reputable Muslim sources for early Quranic commentary and Islamic history.</span> </p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Where do Ibn Jarir al-<u>T</u>abari (d. 310/923) and Ibn Sa'd claim to be the <b>sources</b> of the so-called 'Satanic verses'? It is precisely the opposite. They have only transmitted the story as it was transmitted to them. Al-<u>T</u>abari mentions the so-called 'Satanic verses' story</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#0000ff;"><sup>[2]</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> in his </span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#0000dd;">Tari<u>kh</u></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> as well as an important set of statements in the introduction of his book, which states:</span></p> <p align="CENTER"><img src="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Polemics/sTabari.gif" width="614" align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="199" /></p> <blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Courier New;color:#aa0000;">Let him who examines this book of mine know that I have relied, as regards everything I mention therein which I stipulate to be described by me, solely upon what has been transmitted to me by way of reports which I cite therein and traditions which I ascribe to their narrators, to the exclusion of what may be apprehended by rational argument or deduced by the human mind, except in very few cases. This is because knowledge of the reports of men of the past and of contemporaneous views of men of the present do not reach the one who has not witnessed them nor lived in their times except through the accounts of reporters and the transmission of transmitters, to the exclusion of rational deduction and mental inference. <b>Hence, if I mention in this book a report about some men of the past, which the reader of listener finds objectionable or worthy of censure because he can see no aspect of truth nor any factual substance therein, let him know that this is not to be attributed to us but to those who transmitted it to us and we have merely passed this on as it has been passed on to us.</b></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#0000ff;"><sup>[3]</sup></span> </p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Thus, al-<u>T</u>abari faithfully displayed these accounts in the exact manner through which he received them. Can he then be held liable if any objectionable accounts should arise? To translate this into laymen's terms, al-<u>T</u>abari has simply refused accountability by avoiding the task of historical criticism. Therefore, any spurious accounts are not to be attributed to him.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">This would not be difficult to understand, given the fact that the so-called 'Satanic verses' were transmitted from al-Waqidi to Ibn Sa'd. Ibn Sa'd (d. 230/845), who was the secretary of al-Waqidi (d. 207/823), also assumed the role of a mere transmitter by citing the text and its isnad. Concerning the two historians, al-Waqidi and Ibn Sa'd, the contemporary scholar, Tarif Khalidi, says:</span></p> <blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Courier New;color:#aa0000;">For it is clear that Waqidi is in fact the senior partner. Ibn Sa'd, known of course as 'katib al-Waqidi', was a secretary-editor of his master and of the materials he had assembled and then amplified.</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#0000ff;"><sup>[4]</sup></span> </p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">In other words, neither al-Waqidi nor Ibn Sa'd were eye-witnesses to the revelation of 'Satanic verses'; they were simply the transmitters.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">It is also worthwhile to mention that:</span></p> <blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Courier New;color:#aa0000;">... Waqidi was attacked for loose isnad usage by strict practitioners of Hadith...</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#0000ff;"><sup>[5]</sup></span> </p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Claiming that the issue of so-called 'Satanic verses' incident is true just because al-<u>T</u>abari or Ibn Sa'd mentioned them amounts to a deliberate distortion of the facts.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Now we will address the issue of why Muslims today simply dismiss the account mentioned by these two writers. To begin with, Muslims exegetes in the past have dismissed these accounts, too. This is not something new. Michael Fischer and Mehdi Abedi, writing on the issue of Salman Rushdie's novel </span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#0000ff;">The Satanic Verses</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> as well as the Islamic account of the so-called 'Satanic' verses, say (and notice their curious argument):</span></p> <blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Courier New;color:#aa0000;"><b>The story that Muhammad could have used the Satanic suggestion is rejected by almost all exegetes</b>, but the fact that the story persists as a subject of exegetes' discussions is testimony to the reality of the temptation both for Muhammad and for later Muslims in their own struggles with such "Babylons" as London, New York, Paris, or Hamburg.</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#0000ff;"><sup>[6]</sup></span> </p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Since the story is rejected by almost all the exegetes, are the Muslims not justified in dismissing the account related to the so-called 'Satanic verses'?</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">One is also tempted to add the research done by Orientalists like John Burton, who instead of parroting Muir and Watt, concluded with an original argument:</span></p> <blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Courier New;color:#aa0000;">There existed therefore a compelling theoretical motive for the invention of these infamous <u>h</u>adiths. If it be felt that this has now been demonstrated, <b>there should be no further difficulty in suggesting that those <u>h</u>adiths have no historical basis.</b></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#0000ff;"><sup>[7]</sup></span> </p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">From here, let us move on to the Muslim argument against the so-called 'Satanic' verses.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">2. 'Satanic' Verses & The Muslim Argument</span></h3> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">In this section, we will examine the Christian missionary's complaint:</span></p> <blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Courier New;">But, it seems, a serious Muslim response is hard to find.</span> </p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">One really wonders if this missionary has even read any literature, both modern as well as old, on this subject. We have seen above that according to Michael Fischer and Mehdi Abedi almost all the Islamic exegetes have rejected the story of so-called 'Satanic' verses. They have not just rejected it without giving their reasons! In the modern literature, there is a copious amount of work done by Muslims dealing with the 'Satanic verses'. Notable among them are the two books of Abu A'la Mawdudi </span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#0000ff;"><i>Tahfim al-Qur'an</i></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> (1972) and </span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#0000ff;"><i>Sirat-i Sarwar-i 'Alam</i></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> (1979), which critically examines all the aspects of the story and evaluates the writings of early Muslim scholars on this subject quite thoroughly. One is also tempted to mention the works of Sayyid Qutb (</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#0000ff;"><i>Fi <u>Z</u>ilal al-Qur'an</i></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">) and M. H. Haykal (</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#0000ff;"><i>The Life Of Mu<u>h</u>ammad</i></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">). Zakaria Bashier, in his book, </span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#0000ff;"><i>The Makkan Crucible</i></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">, deals with the issue quite thoroughly.</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#0000ff;"><sup>[8]</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> Also mentioned in Appendix 2 in his book is an article </span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#770000;">The 'Satanic' Verses And The Orientalists (A Note On The Authenticity Of The So-Called Satanic Verses)</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">.</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#0000ff;"><sup>[9]</sup></span> <span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">This is a revised version of the article that was published in the journal, </span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#0000dd;"><i>Hamdard Islamicus</i></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">. We reproduce the article below with minor modifications.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">Al-<u>T</u>abari, Ibn Sa'd and some other Muslim writers have mentioned (though they vary considerably in the matters of detail) that Prophet Mu<u>h</u>ammad</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">, under Satanic inspiration added two verses to Surah an-Najm [53], which are as follows:</span></p> <blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#ff0000;"><b>These are the high-flying ones, whose intercession is to be hoped for!</b></span> </p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">The Prophet</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">, it is alleged, recited these along with other verses of Surah an-Najm in the prayer. The idolators of Makkah who were present in the Ka'bah at that time joined him in the prayer because he praised their deities and thus won their hearts. The story afterwards reached Abyssinia where the Muslims, persecuted by the Makkan infidels, had earlier migrated and many of them returned to Makkah under the impression that the disbelievers no longer opposed the Prophet</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> and the Islamic movement. The story also says that the angel Gabriel came to the Prophet</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> the same evening and told him about the mistake he had committed by reciting verses which were never revealed to him. This naturally worried the Prophet</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> and made him apprehensive. 'Admonishing' the Prophet</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">, God revealed the following verses of Surah al-Isra' which read:</span></p> <blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#0000dd;">And their purpose was to tempt thee away from that which We had revealed unto thee, to substitute in our name something quite different; (in that case), behold! they would certainly have made thee (their) friend! And had We not given thee strength, thou wouldst nearly have inclined to them a little. In that case We should have made thee taste an equal portion (of punishment) in this life, and an equal portion in death: and moreover thou wouldst have found none to help thee against Us!</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> [Qur'an 17:73-75]</span> </p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">This made the Prophet</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> feel very guilty until God revealed the following consoling verse of Surah al-<u>H</u>ajj:</span></p> <blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#0000dd;">Never did We send a messenger or a prophet before thee, but, when he framed a desire, Satan threw some (vanity) into his desire: but Allah will cancel anything (vain) that Satan throws in, and Allah will confirm (and establish) His Signs: for Allah is full of Knowledge and Wisdom.</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> [Qur'an 22:52]</span> </p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">This is the gist of the story mentioned by al-<u>T</u>abari and some other writers that has been used by the Christian missionaries. The story would, among other things, imply that the Prophet</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> and his Companions</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(R)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> took the 'Satanic' verses as a true revelation from God, otherwise nobody would have accepted them.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">Let us now examine the story and its contents in the light of internal and external evidence and evaluate it on the basis of criteria of historical criticism. In doing so, first of all one has to find out the chronological sequence in the story and establish whether or not all its details relate to one period and are interconnected. Special attention should be devoted to determining the periods of revelation of the three verses mentioned in the report, which will validate or falsify the episode.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">It can easily be gleaned from the story that the incident of reciting the 'Satanic' verses and the consequent prostration of the disbelievers in the Ka'bah happened after the first batch of Muslims had migrated to Abyssinia. This migration, according to all the reliable sources, occurred in the month of Rajab of the fifth year of the Prophetic call or about eight years before the <u>H</u>ijrah to Madinah. Therefore, the incident must have happened close to this date and not long after the migration to Abyssinia.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">The verses of Surah al-Isra' (17:73-5) which were revealed, according to the story, to 'admonish' the Prophet</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> for allegedly reciting the 'Satanic' verses, in fact were not revealed until after the event of the Mi'raj. The Mi'raj or the Ascent of the Prophet</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">, according to historical sources, occurred in the tenth or eleventh year of the Prophetic call, i.e., two or three years before the <u>H</u>ijrah to Madinah. If this is so, then it implies that the 'Satanic' verses were not detected or for some reason no mention was made about the alleged interpolation of the verses for five or six years and only afterwards was the Prophet</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> admonished for it. <b>Can any sensible person believe that the interpolation occurs today, while the admonition takes place six years later and the abrogation of the interpolated verses is publicly announced after nine years. The relevant verse of Surah al-Hajj (22:52) according to the commentators of the Qur'an was revealed in the first year of <u>H</u>ijrah, i.e., about eight to nine years after the incident and about two and a half years after the so-called admonition of the Prophet</b></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"><b> (17:73-5). Can anybody who knows about the Qur'an, its history and revelation, understand and explain how the incident of interpolation was allowed to be tolerated for six years and also why the offensive 'verses' were not abrogated until after nine years?</b></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">The implication of this argument is that since the abrogating verses were revealed nine years after the original event, that would mean that for <b>nine years</b> Muslims had been asking Lat, Manat and Uzza for intercession! In other words outright idolatry resulting from compromised monotheistic beliefs. It is therefore quite pretentious to suggest any historicity in the notion that Muslims had been asking Lat, Manat and Uzza for intercession over the span of almost a decade.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">Watt's theory is that</span></p> <blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Courier New;color:#aa0000;">... the earliest versions do not specify how long afterwards this (abrogation) happened; the probability is that it was weeks or even months.</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#0000ff;"><sup>[10]</sup></span> </p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">is nothing but a hypothesis. Had he investigated the chronology of the three revelations relative to the story, he could not possibly have missed the facts related above.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">Let us now turn to some internal evidence. It has been said in the story that the 'Satanic' interpolation occurred in Surah an-Najm (53:19) which delighted the idolators present in the Ka'bah and as a gesture of friendship and good-will, they all bowed down with the Prophet</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">. In order to comment on the story it would seem necessary to read the verses in the Qur'an, adding the alleged 'Satanic' verses, and find out what is actually meant to be conveyed here. It would read as follows.</span></p> <blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#0000ff;">Have ye seen Lat and 'Uzza, And another, the third (goddess), Manat? </span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#ff0000;"><b>[These are the high-flying ones, whose intercession is to be hoped for!] </b></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#0000ff;">What! for you the male sex, and for Him, the female? Behold, such would be indeed a division most unfair! hese are nothing but names which ye have devised,- ye and your fathers,- for which Allah has sent down no authority (whatever). They follow nothing but conjecture and what their own souls desire!- Even though there has already come to them Guidance from their Lord! </span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">[Qur'an 53:19-23]</span> </p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">If one reads the bold part of the alleged Satanic verses quoted above, one fails to understand how God on the one hand is praising the deities and on the other hand discrediting them by using the subsequent phrases quoted above. It is also difficult to see how the Quraysh leaders drew the conclusion from this chapter that Mu<u>h</u>ammad</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> as making a conciliatory move and was adopting a policy of give and take.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">Drawing the conclusions from various reports connected with the story, Watt suggests that</span></p> <blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Courier New;color:#aa0000;">... at one time Muhammad must have publicly recited the Satanic verses as part of the Qur'an; it is unthinkable that the story could have been invented later by Muslims or foisted upon them by non-Muslims. Secondly, at some later time Muhammad announced that these verses were not really part of the Qur'an and should be replaced by others of a vastly different import.</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#0000ff;"><sup>[11]</sup></span> </p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">Watt's suggestion that Mu<u>h</u>ammad</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> replaced the 'Satanic' verses with some others of a vastly different import is pure speculation. If one takes the 'Satanic' verses to be true, it would imply that the verses to be found in 53:19f. were not revealed in the same period. Watt's suggestion also implies that Mu<u>h</u>ammad</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> and his followers read the 'Satanic' verses in place of or in addition to the verses found in the Qur'an for 'weeks and even months' and that when Mu<u>h</u>ammad</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> later realized that these verses could not be correct, then the true version and continuation of the passage was revealed to him. This supposition is again pure speculation and is not based on any historical data. The story which we have summarized in the beginning suggests that Mu<u>h</u>ammad</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> did not realize his fault until <b>God admonished him six years later</b> and that the matter was rectified perhaps another <b>two and a half years after</b>. In the meantime the Muslims were supposedly asking Allat, Manat and Uzza for intercession! Had the genuine state of affairs truly been this ridiculous, it would have been impossible for Mu<u>h</u>ammad</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> to have maintained such a loyal following.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">It is obvious that Watt and other Orientalists accept part of the story and reject the related parts along with their destructive implications, apparently because they are unable to find any link or sequence. Had there been any element of truth in the story, it could have caused a great scandal against Islam and the Prophet</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> and every detail of this scandal must have found its place in the <u>h</u>adith literature. Why is the authentic <u>h</u>adith collection conspicuously silent about the scandalous part of the story? Does it not lead to the conclusion, contrary to the established fact, that <u>h</u>adith literature itself is very defective as it failed to record such an important event which led the Prophet</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> and his Companions</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(R)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> to read 'Satanic' verses for weeks, months or perhaps even years without realizing the error, all the while asking for the intercession of Lat, Manat and Uzza? In fact, al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Nasa'i and A<u>h</u>mad b. <u>H</u>anbal all record the story, but only to the extent that was true. They all mention that the Prophet</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> did recite Surah an-Najm and that, at the end when he prostrated, the idolaters present were so overawed that they also joined him in prostration. These leading Mu<u>h</u>addithun do not mention the blasphemous story which other sources have recorded.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">3. Conclusions</span></h3> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">It is quite clear that the nature of the story is absurd and it cannot stand the external and internal criticism. It is even clearer from the Qur'an that it is not possible for the Prophet</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> to accept anything in the Qur'an from any external source. If this is so, then how can one take seriously, let alone believe in the so-called story of the 'Satanic' revelation? This is why the leading traditionalists and the exegetes in Islam have regarded this story as malicious and without foundation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">It is unfortunate that an eminent historian like al-<u>T</u>abari mentioned this story in his </span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#0000dd;"><i>Tarikh al-Umam wal-Muluk</i></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> and did not make any comment on its authenticity except to mention that he had faithfully transmitted whatever he received. Although there is great advantage in such a methodology (See reference 2 above) there are also risks. Unscrupulous people, i.e., the Christian missionaries, may take advantage of this and try to concoct something as they indeed did in the fabrication of the malicious story of the 'Satanic' verses.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">The fact that al-<u>T</u>abari, Ibn Sa'd and others have recorded this story in their works does not prove that the story itself is true. The missionary entertains a challenge to the Muslims:</span></p> <blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Courier New;color:#000000;">Muslims today who simply dismiss the account of these writers as fabricated and unhistorical must at least answer the question why such reputable persons would fabricate it. The question is not new. But, it seems, a serious Muslim response is hard to find.</span></p> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">What the fellow is desperately pleading for is the source of the story. We have already witnessed that neither al-<u>T</u>abari nor Ibn Sa'd is responsible for producing these stories. While the missionary himself conveniently attributes the accounts of al-<u>T</u>abari and Ibn Sa'd with historical legitimacy, at least with regards to this particular incident, he is directing a sort of challenge to the Muslims who reject the historicity of the account. Thus, if the Muslims, not to mention Orientalists, dismiss the story as having no historical basis, then the missionary demands to know where the story came from, i.e. who is the individual responsible for concocting such an outlandish story. Somehow, he feels as though this is an uncomfortable question. However, an answer to this silly challenge is, what does it matter what the source is of such an absurd rumour? Rumours with even the most powerful effects of credulity have rarely seen their source discovered. Yet, we are not aware of any Muslims that actually believe the aforementioned story, and this position is cogently justified on the grounds of rigorous historical criticism. However, episodes of fabulous rumors followed by a credulous following are quite common outside the history of Islam. For example, it was rumoured that Jesus</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;color:#000000;"><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> traveled to India. It was rumoured that St. Matthew actually wrote the Gospel According to St. Matthew. It was rumoured that Islamic fundamentalists were responsible for the Oklahoma bombing. It was rumoured that UFOs visited Roswell, New Mexico. However, just because we do not know the individuals responsible for these rumours, does this mean that the rumours are true? Is the absence of an identified source of these rumours supposed to be construed as some sort of threat? The naïve implications of this method of inquiry should bring shame upon anybody who entertains them.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">Finally, in light of the above, it can quite effortlessly be concluded that the Christian missionaries' attempt to </span><a href="http://www.answering-islam.org/Quran/Miracle/satanicverses.html"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">answer</span></a><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> to the </span><a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Miracle/"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">inimitability</span></a><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;"> of the Qur'an, by building upon the poor scholarship of a fellow missionary, is thus nothing other than a product of gross ignorance and sheer tomfoolery.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">And Allah knows best!</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">source :<a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Polemics/sverses.html">www.islamic-awareness.org/</a><br /></span></p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-13629998326410527032011-02-12T05:42:00.001+07:002011-02-12T05:47:09.980+07:00The Shooting Stars (Shahab) Quran Miracle is confirmed by Science!<p>The sections of this article are:</p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="font-size:130%;">1-</span> The Noble Quran's Divine Claims.</span></p> <p><span style="color:#008000;"> (a)- Man is created from dust.<br /> (b)- Jinns are created from <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">a shooting smokeless fire</span>.</span></p> <p><span style="color:#008080;"> (i)- Are Jinns created from Gamma and other Cosmic Rays?</span></p> <p><span style="color:#008000;"> (c)- Jinns are also mighty, powerful and invisible!<br /> (d)- Angels are created from Light.<br /> (e)- Hell Fire is capable of punishing all Humans, Jinns and even Angels.</span></p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;"><b><span style="font-size:130%;">2-</span> The Scientific Proofs.<br /></b><span style="font-size:130%;">3-</span> What Celestial Objects will strike the Jinns if they try to pass through Heavens?</span></p> <p><span style="color:#008000;"> (a)- What is a <b> Shahab</b> that strikes the Jinns?<br /> (b)- Could the Shahab be the <b>"<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 62);"><u>Cosmic Jets</u></span>"</b> that are generated from Gamma Ray Bursts that Scientists discovered?<br /> (c)- How come we can't detect the invisible Jinns as we do with the Gamma Ray Bursts then?</span></p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="font-size:130%;">4-</span> Does the Glorious Quran declare that Gamma Ray Bursts are the Shahabs in </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">Noble Verse 67:5</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">?</span></p> <p><b><span style="color:#008000;"> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 62);">(a)- The Stars are Missiles (</span></span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 91); font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">رجوما</span></span><b><span style="color:#008000;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 62);">)?</span></span> A Stunning Scientific Statement! </b> <img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/pulsar.gif" alt="pulsar.gif (2171 bytes)" width="20" height="20" /> <img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/pulsar.gif" alt="pulsar.gif (2171 bytes)" width="20" height="20" /></p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="font-size:130%;">5-</span> <u> <b>Copper is also confirmed</b></u> to exist in many asteroids in space, confirming </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">Noble Verse 55:35</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">.</span></p> <p><span style="color:#008000;"> (a)- The Scientific Proofs and References.<br /> (b)- Allah Almighty Swore by the positions of the Stars and Galaxies and Said that this is a Great Oath!</span></p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="font-size:130%;">6-</span> Some of the stunning things that scientists have discovered in the Universe.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;">7-</span> Conclusion.</span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:7;color:#ff0000;">1-</span><span style="font-size:6;color:#ff0000;"> The Noble Quran's Divine Claims:</span></p> <p align="left">The Holy Quran and Islam are filled with scientific statements and notions. These are statements of Allah Almighty describing how He created things on earth and in the Universe. What's most amazing is that all of these scientific statements and notions had been proven to be in <span style="color:#0000ff;"> <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/ac20.htm#links">perfect agreement with science</a></span> and our modern-day scientific discoveries. Allah Almighty made the Noble Quran be Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) Everlasting Divine Miracle and proof for Prophethood. The Holy Book certainly stood the test of time 1,500 years ago with Its Claims, Prophecies and Miraculous language eloquence, and it does again and again in our day today with Its overwhelming agreement with science and discoveries that were not known to man 1,500 years ago.</p> <p align="left">Allah Almighty Said: <big> <span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="font-size:100%;">"We will show them </span> <strong><u><span style="font-size:100%;">Our signs in the Universe</span></u></strong><span style="font-size:100%;"> and <strong><u>inside their selves</u></strong>, until it will become quite clear to them that it is the truth. Is it not sufficient as regards your Lord that He is a witness over all things? </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 41:53)</span><span style="font-size:100%;color:#ff0000;">"</span></big></p> <p>With this said, let us now look at the following Noble Verses from the Holy Quran:</p> <p> </p> <p><b><u><span style="font-size:6;">(a)-</span><span style="font-size:180%;"> Man is created from dust:</span></u></b></p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;">"The similitude of Jesus before God is as that of Adam; <b><u>He created him from dust,</u></b> then said to him: "Be". And he was. </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 3:59)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">"</span></p> <p>Please visit: </p> <menu> <li><span style="color:#0000ff;"> <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/jesus_creating.htm"><b>Is Jesus Allah Almighty for creating things in the Noble Quran?</b> And is he better than Prophet Muhammad for being a creator? And is there a contradiction in the Noble Quran regarding idol gods not being able to create and Jesus Christ?</a></span><br /> </li> <li> <span style="color:#0000ff;"> <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); font-weight: 700; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/word_of_god.htm">The Word of Allah Almighty.</a> </span> Jesus and Adam were created from the Word of GOD Almighty.</li> </menu> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;">"O mankind! if ye have a doubt about the Resurrection, (consider) that <u><b>We created you out of dust,</b></u> then out of sperm, then out of a leech-like clot, then out of a morsel of flesh, partly formed and partly unformed, in order that We may manifest (our power) to you; and We cause whom We will to rest in the wombs for an appointed term, then do We bring you out as babes, then (foster you) that ye may reach your age of full strength; and some of you are called to die, and some are sent back to the feeblest old age, so that they know nothing after having known (much), and (further), thou seest the earth barren and lifeless, but when We pour down rain on it, it is stirred (to life), it swells, and it puts forth every kind of beautiful growth (in pairs). </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 22:5)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">"</span></p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;">"Behold! thy Lord said to the angels: "I am about to create man, <b><u>from sounding clay from mud</u></b> moulded into shape; </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 15:28)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">"</span></p> <p>Please visit: </p> <menu> <li><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/life_from_clay.htm"><span style="color:#0000ff;">Life and our physical bodies originated from <b>CLAY (dust)</b>- The Noble Quran Claimed it and Science confirmed it!</span></a><br /> </li> <li> <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.miraclesofthequran.com/scientific_59.html">Creation from <b>clay (dust)</b>.</a> By Dr. Harun Yahya.<br /> </li> <li><span style="color:#0000ff;"> <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/adeel_khan/Rebuttal_to_Sam_Shamoun7.htm"> Is Satan an Angel or a Jinn?</a></span><br /> </li> <li><span style="color:#0000ff;"> <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/satan.htm">Is Satan in Islam the same as Satan in the Bible?</a></span></li> </menu> <p><img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/handwashing.jpg" width="110" border="0" height="145" /> <img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/hand_and_soil.jpg" width="148" border="0" height="146" /> <img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/desert.jpg" width="179" border="0" height="146" /> <img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/meat.jpg" width="196" border="0" height="146" /><br /><span style="color:#008000;">These pictures show that while our our flesh is created from dust (sand), but the two look quite different.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><b><u><span style="font-size:6;">(b)-</span><span style="font-size:180%;"> Jinns are created from a shooting smokeless fire:</span></u></b></p> <p>The fire that we humans know of is not a shooting fire nor is it smokeless. So the Jinns could not have been created from a fire that man 1,500 years ago have known of. Man today, however, discovered the <b> <span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">"fire"</span></span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"> in space that is both shooting and smokeless!</span></b> The shooting and smokeless fires that we have discovered in space are:</p> <ol><li><span style="color:#008000;">Gamma Rays.</span></li><li><span style="color:#008000;">X-Rays.</span></li><li><span style="color:#008000;">Microwaves.</span></li><li><span style="color:#008000;">Infrared Ultraviolet Rays.</span></li><li><span style="color:#008000;">Electromagnetic Radiation.</span></li><li><b><span style="color:#008000;">And other future rays and radiations....</span></b></li></ol> <table id="table3" width="55%" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top" width="82%" align="left" bg style="color:#d5f1ff;"> <span style="color:#000080;">Noble Verse(s) 15:27</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="82%" align="left" bgcolor="#eaf4ff"><b>Yusuf Ali:</b><p>[015:027] And the Jinn race, We had created before, <span style="color:#ff0000;"> <span style="text-decoration: underline; font-weight: 700; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"> from the fire of a scorching wind</span></span>.</p> <p><b>Sher Ali:</b></p> [015:027] And the jinn WE have created before <span style="color:#ff0000;"> <span style="text-decoration: underline; font-weight: 700; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"> of the fire of hot wind</span></span>.<p><b>Arabic (from right to left):</b></p> <p align="RIGHT"><span style="font-size:100%;color:GREEN;">15:27</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> والجان خلقناه من قبل <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"> <span style="color:#ff0000;">من نار السموم</span></span> </span></p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p> </p> <table id="table4" width="55%" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top" width="97%" align="left" bg style="color:#d5f1ff;"> <span style="color:#000080;">Noble Verse(s) 55:15</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="97%" align="left" bgcolor="#eaf4ff"><b>Yusuf Ali:</b><p>[055:015] And He created Jinns <span style="color:#ff0000;"> <span style="text-decoration: underline; font-weight: 700; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"> from fire free of smoke</span></span>:</p> <p><b>Arabic (from right to left):</b></p> <p align="RIGHT"><span style="font-size:100%;color:GREEN;">55:15</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> وخلق الجان <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"> <span style="color:#ff0000;">من مارج من نار</span></span> </span></p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p>Similar to the pictures above, while the Jinns were created from a special fire that is smokeless and is shooting, but they might be different from each others. The Jinns, as an end product (if you will), <b>are different from the raw material that created them.</b></p> <p><b>Why is this important?</b></p> <p>It's because if the shooting and smokeless fire that the Jinns were created from was indeed any of the Rays that we know of in the Universe today, such as Gamma Rays, then while we still are able to detect Gamma Rays in the Universe, but we may not necessarily be able to detect the Jinns, or we might've detected them without knowing what they are.</p> <p><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p> <p><u><b><span style="font-size:6;">(c)-</span><span style="font-size:180%;"> Jinns are also mighty, powerful and invisible!</span></b></u></p> <span style="color:#ff0000;">"He said (to his own men): "Ye chiefs! which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?" <u><b>Said an 'Ifrit, of the Jinns:</b></u> "I will bring it to thee before thou rise from thy council: indeed I have full strength for the purpose, and may be trusted." <span style="text-decoration: underline; font-weight: 700;">Said one (another Jinn) who had knowledge of the Book:</span> "I will bring it to thee within the <b><u>twinkling of an eye!</u></b>" Then when (Solomon) saw it placed firmly before him, he said: "This is by the Grace of my Lord!- to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful! and if any is grateful, truly his gratitude is (a gain) for his own soul; but if any is ungrateful, truly my Lord is Free of all Needs, Supreme in Honour !" <b><u>He said: "Transform her throne</u></b> out of all recognition by her: let us see whether she is guided (to the truth) or is one of those who receive no guidance." So when she arrived, she was asked, "Is this thy throne?" She said, "It was just like this; and knowledge was bestowed on us in advance of this, and we have submitted to God (in Islam)." </span> <span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 27:38-42)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">"</span><p> <span style="color:#ff0000;">"And before Solomon were marshalled his hosts,- <b><u>of Jinns and men and birds</u></b>, and they were all kept in order and ranks. </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 27:17)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">"</span></p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;"> </span></p> <p><u><b><span style="font-size:6;">(d)-</span><span style="font-size:180%;"> Angels are created from Light:</span></b></u></p> <p>While the Glorious Quran does not mention from what the Angels were created by Allah Almighty, but the Hadiths (Sayings) of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, say that they were created from Light:</p> <p style="margin-left: 30px;"><span style="color:#008000;">"'A'isha reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: <b><u>The Angels were born out of light</u></b> and the Jinns were born out of the spark of fire and Adam was born as he has been defined (in the Qur'an) for you (i. e. he is fashioned out of clay). </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(Translation of Sahih Muslim, Book 042, Number 7134)</span><span style="color:#008000;">"</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 30px;"><span style="color:#008000;">"And it was narrated in a saheeh hadeeth that ‘Aa’ishah said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “<b><u>The angels were created from light</u></b>, the jinn were created from smokeless fire and Adam was created from that which has been described to you.” (Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh, no. 2996; also narrated by Ahmad, no. 24668; by al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra, no. 18207 and by Ibn Hibbaan, no. 6155)." </span>(<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/8976">Source</a></span>)</p> <p>Now Allah Almighty Has a Divine Light that we do not know of:</p> <p style="margin-left: 30px;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">"<u><b>God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The Parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a Lamp:</b></u> the Lamp enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: Lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it: <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"><u><b>Light upon Light!</b></u><b><u> God doth guide whom He will to His Light:</u></b></span> God doth set forth Parables for men: and God doth know all things. </span> <span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 24:35)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">"</span></p> <p>We therefore do not know what type of Light the Angels were Created from.</p> <p align="left"> </p> <p><b><u><span style="font-size:6;">(e)-</span><span style="font-size:180%;"> Hell Fire is capable of punishing all Humans, Jinns and even Angels:</span></u></b></p> <span style="color:#ff0000;">"He will say: "Enter ye in the company of the peoples who passed away before you - </span><b><span style="color:#ff0000;"><u>men and jinns, - into the Fire.</u></span></b><span style="color:#ff0000;">" Every time a new people enters, it curses its sister-people (that went before), until they follow each other, all into the Fire. Saith the last about the first: "Our Lord! it is these that misled us: so give them a double penalty in the Fire." He will say: "Doubled for all" : but this ye do not understand. </span> <span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 7:38)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">"</span><p> <span style="color:#ff0000;">"One day will He gather them all together, (and say): "O ye assembly of Jinns! Much (toll) did ye take of men." Their friends amongst men will say: "Our Lord! we made profit from each other: but (alas!) we reached our term - which thou didst appoint for us." He will say: "<u><span style="font-weight: 700;">The Fire be your dwelling-place: you will dwell therein for ever, except as God willeth.</span></u>" for thy Lord is full of wisdom and knowledge. </span> <span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 6:128)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">"</span></p> <p>Hell Fire here is a different fire than what we know of. It is far hotter and forever lasting. No one knows what it is like. The reason why I mentioned it here is to prevent the reader from getting confused <u><b> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">between the fire of the Jinns and the fire of Hell Fire.</span></b></u></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><b><span style="font-size:7;color:#ff0000;">2-</span></b><span style="font-size:6;color:#ff0000;"> The Scientific Proofs.</span></p> <p>The following articles demonstrate the <span style="color:#ff0000;">"shooting fire"</span> in space that is also <span style="color:#ff0000;">"smokeless"</span>. Now, please be advised that I am not giving 100% certainty that the Jinns are created from Gamma Ray Bursts and other Cosmic Ray and Electrical Bursts in space. I am rather demonstrating the fact that, yes, we could have a <span style="color:#ff0000;">"smokeless"</span> and a <span style="color:#ff0000;">"shooting fire"</span> that the Jinns might've been created from:</p> <p> </p> <p><b><u><span style="font-size:180%;">Article #1:</span></u></b></p> <p>The explosion of a Gamma Ray Burst <span style="color:#ff0000;"><b><u>in 1/10th (0.10) of a second</u></b></span> produces more energy <span style="color:#ff0000;"><u> <b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">than our sun does in millions of years!</span></b></u></span></p> <p> <a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/grb_trillions_of_times_greater_than_sun_energy.wmv"> <img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/grb_trillions_of_times_greater_than_sun_energy.jpg" width="355" border="0" height="275" /></a><br />(<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/grb_trillions_of_times_greater_than_sun_energy.wmv">Click to play film-clip</a></span>)</p> <p> </p> <p><b><u><span style="font-size:180%;">Article #2:</span></u></b></p> <p><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 62);">Gamma Ray bursts produce <span style="color:#ff0000;"><u>Cosmic Jets</u></span></span></b>. And scientists estimate that every 100 seconds a Gamma Ray burst occurs:</p> <p> <a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/gamma_ray_bursts_produce_cosmic_jets.wmv"> <img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/cosmic_jets.jpg" width="205" border="0" height="153" /></a><br />(<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/gamma_ray_bursts_produce_cosmic_jets.wmv">Click to play film-clip</a></span>)</p> <p> </p> <p><b><u><span style="font-size:180%;">Article #3:</span></u></b></p> <p>From <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/bursts.html"> http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/bursts.html</a>: </p> <div align="left"> <table id="table5" width="250" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5"> <tbody><tr align="center"> <td><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/GRBstar2.mov"> <span style="color:#008000;"> <img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/GRB-DestroyStar.jpg" alt="Illustration of GRB destroying a star." width="144" align="left" border="0" height="97" /></span></a></td> </tr> <tr align="center"> <td> <p align="left"><span class="imagineCaption"><span style="color:#008000;">A computer animation of a gamma-ray burst. (</span><a href="http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/Videos/news/GRBstar2.mov"><span style="color:#008000;">10 MB QT</span></a><span style="color:#008000;">) (</span><a href="http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/descriptions/GRBstar2.html"><span style="color:#008000;">Description</span></a><span style="color:#008000;">)<br /> <br /> <i>(Credit: NASA / SkyWorks Digital)</i></span></span></p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </div> <p><span style="color:#008000;">Gamma-ray bursts are short-lived bursts of </span> <a class="glossaryDef" href="http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/dict_ei.html#gamma-ray"> <span style="color:#008000;">gamma-ray</span></a><span style="color:#008000;"> </span> <a class="glossaryDef" href="http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/dict_jp.html#photon"> <span style="color:#008000;">photons</span></a><span style="color:#008000;">, the most energetic form of light. At least some of them are associated with a special type of </span> <a class="glossaryDef" href="http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/dict_qz.html#supernova"> <span style="color:#008000;">supernovae</span></a><span style="color:#008000;">, the explosions marking the deaths of especially </span> <a class="glossaryDef" href="http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/dict_jp.html#mass"> <span style="color:#008000;">massive</span></a><span style="color:#008000;"> </span> <a class="glossaryDef" href="http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/dict_qz.html#star"> <span style="color:#008000;">stars</span></a><span style="color:#008000;">. </span></p> <p><b><u><span style="color:#008000;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">Lasting anywhere from a few milliseconds to several minutes, gamma-ray bursts (</span></span></u><a class="glossaryDef" href="http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/dict_ei.html#GRB"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"></span><span style="color:#008000;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">GRBs</span></span></a></b><span style="color:#008000;"><b><u><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">) shine hundreds of times brighter than a typical supernova and </span></u></b></span> <b><u><span style="color:#ff0000;">about a million trillion times as bright as the Sun</span><span style="color:#008000;">,</span></u></b><span style="color:#008000;"> making them briefly the brightest source of cosmic gamma-ray photons in the observable </span> <a class="glossaryDef" href="http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/dict_qz.html#universe"> <span style="color:#008000;">Universe</span></a><span style="color:#008000;">. GRBs are detected roughly once per day from wholly random directions of the sky. </span> </p> <p><span style="color:#008000;">Until recently, GRBs were arguably the biggest mystery in high-energy </span> <a class="glossaryDef" href="http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/dict_ad.html#astronomy"> <span style="color:#008000;">astronomy</span></a><span style="color:#008000;">. They were discovered serendipitously in the late 1960s by U.S. military </span> <a class="glossaryDef" href="http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/dict_qz.html#satellite"> <span style="color:#008000;">satellites</span></a><span style="color:#008000;"> which were on the look out for Soviet nuclear testing in violation of the </span> <a class="glossaryDef" href="http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/dict_ad.html#atmosphere"> <span style="color:#008000;">atmospheric</span></a><span style="color:#008000;"> nuclear test ban treaty. These satellites carried gamma ray detectors since a nuclear explosion produces gamma rays. As recently as the early 1990s, astronomers didn't even know if GRBs originated at the edge of our solar system, in our Milky Way </span> <a class="glossaryDef" href="http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/dict_ei.html#galaxy"> <span style="color:#008000;">Galaxy</span></a><span style="color:#008000;"> or incredibly far away near the edge of the observable Universe. (That is, they didn't know how far away GRBs were to within a factor of a few billion </span> <a class="glossaryDef" href="http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/dict_jp.html#light_year"> <span style="color:#008000;">light years</span></a><span style="color:#008000;">!) But now a slew of satellite observations, follow-up ground-based observations, and theoretical work have allowed astronomers to link GRBs to supernovae in distant galaxies.</span></p> <p><span style="color:#008000;">In this series of articles we will explore what astronomers know about gamma-ray bursts, what they think causes them, the evidence for the theories, and the lingering mysteries. Along the way we'll encounter powerful hypernovas and strange Wolf-Rayet stars.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><b><u><span style="font-size:180%;">Article #4:</span></u></b></p> <p><img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/hypernova.jpg" alt="" width="263" height="289" /> </p> <h2><span style="color:#008000;">Gamma-Ray Burst Physics </span></h2> <span style="color:#008000;"> </span> <p><span style="color:#008000;"><b><u><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">Gamma-ray bursts (GRB) are sudden, intense flashes of gamma-rays which, for a few blinding seconds, light up in an otherwise fairly dark gamma-ray sky.</span></u></b> They are detected at the rate of about once a day, and while they are on, they outshine every other gamma-ray source in the sky, including the sun. Major advances have been made in the last three or four years, including the discovery of slowly fading x-ray, optical and radio afterglows of GRBs, the identification of host galaxies at cosmological distances, and finding evidence for many of them being associated with star forming regions and possibly supernovae. Progress has been made in understanding how the GRB and afterglow radiation arises in terms of a relativistic fireball shock model. This is described in a recent </span><a href="http://www.astro.psu.edu/users/nnp/sci.ps"> <span style="color:#008000;">non-specialist GRB review </span></a> <span style="color:#008000;">or a more detailed </span> <a href="http://www.astro.psu.edu/users/nnp/mesz.ps"><span style="color:#008000;"> review on GRB and afterglows</span></a><span style="color:#008000;">. A summary of some of the specific research activities on </span> <a href="http://www.astro.psu.edu/users/nnp/grbpsu02.html"> <span style="color:#008000;">GRB at Penn State </span></a><span style="color:#008000;">is given in the previous link. The rest of this page gives a general overview of GRB."</span> (<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.astro.psu.edu/users/nnp/grbphys.html">Source</a></span>)</p> <p> </p> <p><b><u><span style="font-size:6;">Some of the Noble Quran's References about the Universe:</span></u></b></p> <menu> <li> <p align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;color:GREEN;">55:37</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> فاذا انشقت السماء فكانت <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 91);"> <span style="color:#ff0000;">وردة كالدهان</span></span> <br /> <br /> </span><span style="color:#ff0000;">And when the heaven is rent asunder and <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 91); font-weight: 700;">turns rose colored like paint</span>.</span></p> <p align="left"> <img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/exploded_galaxie_like_warda_1.jpg" width="218" border="0" height="154" /> <img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/warda.jpg" width="176" border="0" height="154" /><b><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#0000ff;"><br /> </span></b> </p></li><li> <b> <span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#0000ff;"> <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/detailed_meanings_of_scientific_words_in_verses.htm"> Detailed Analysis from <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 91);"> Lisan Al-Arab</span> (this alone is </a><span style="color:#ff0000;"> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/detailed_meanings_of_scientific_words_in_verses.htm"> <span style="color:#ff0000;">10 big books</span></a></span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/detailed_meanings_of_scientific_words_in_verses.htm">) and 7 other <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 91);"> dictionaries</span> proving the <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 91);"> Scientific Miracles</span> in the Holy Quran in Great Details.</a></span></b><br /> </li> <li> <a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/time_and_speed_of_light_precisely_in_noble_quran.mp3" target="_blank">Time and the <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102); font-weight: bold;">Speed of Light precisely calculated</span> and mentioned in the Noble Quran.</a><br /> </li> <li><a style="font-weight: bold; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 148);" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/space_pressure_and_lack_of_oxygen.mp3" target="_blank">Lack of Oxygen and low air pressure in space.</a><br /> </li> <li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/iron_was_sent_down_from_space.mp3">Iron was sent down to earth from space.</a><br /> </li> <li><span style="color:#0000ff;"><big style="font-weight: bold;"> <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/hot_gas.htm">The Big Bang Theory and the Cosmic Crunch in the Noble Quran.</a></big></span><br /> </li> <li><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/universe_origins_and_the_2nd_earths_creation.mp3">The origins of the Universe, Big Bang theory, Cosmic Crunch, and the creation of the <span style="font-weight: bold; background-color: rgb(237, 237, 94);">SECOND EARTH after the second Big Bang</span> in the Noble Quran and Science.</a> </span>Also, Dr. Zaghlool's scientific explanation of the earth and heaven coming to Allah Almighty <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">"willingly or unwillingly"</span> and how each celestial object behaves differently depending on its mass.<br /> </li> <li><span style="color:#0000ff;"><strong> <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/6_days.htm"> <span style="background-color: rgb(238, 238, 95);">The Universe is "expanding"</span> according to the Noble Quran. Scientists already proved this claim to be true.</a></strong></span><br /> </li> <li><a style="color: rgb(47, 47, 239);" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/cosmic_crunch_and_creation_of_2nd_universe_and_earth.mp3" target="_blank">The Cosmic Crunch and the creation of the second Universe <span style="font-weight: bold; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">and second earth.</span></a><br /> </li> <li> <b><span style="color:#0000ff;"> <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/comets_of_ice_miracle.htm"> <span style="background-color: rgb(237, 237, 94);">Comets of Ice</span> mentioned in the Noble Quran and confirmed by Science.</a></span></b><br /> </li> <li><strong> <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/time_relativity.htm"><span style="color:#0000ff;">Einstein's time relativity in the Noble Quran.</span></a></strong><br /> </li> <li><span style="color:#0000ff;"><strong> <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/time_relativity1.htm">Time Relativity in the Noble Quran.</a></strong></span><br /> </li> <li><span style="color:#0000ff;"> <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/mahir/pulsar_miracle.htm">Pulsars in the Noble Quran.</a></span><br /> </li> <li><span style="color:#0000ff;"> <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/mahir/black_holes_miracle.htm">What does the Holy Quran say about <b>black holes?</b></a></span><br /> </li> <li><span style="color:#0000ff;"> <a target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/precise_prophecy_about_traveling_up_to_space_in_noble_quran.wmv">Precise Prophecy about <span style="font-weight: bold; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">humans traveling up to space</span> in the Noble Quran (VIDEO).</a></span><br /> </li> <li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"> <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); font-weight: 700;" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/ac20.htm#links"> 10s of more Scientific Miracles.</a></span></li> </menu> <p>Also, please visit this <strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"> <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/2672627/Shooting-Stars-the-Jinn"> very good article on this topic.</a></span></strong></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><b><span style="font-size:7;color:#ff0000;">3-</span></b><span style="font-size:6;color:#ff0000;"> What Celestial Objects will strike the Jinns if they try to pass through Heavens?</span></p> <p>This section will explain the <span style="color:#008000;">"shooting stars shooting down Jinns"</span> that many anti-Islamics use against Islam, and prove to them that not only the Glorious Quran is correct for saying this, but we do also have a great Scientific Miracles in the Glorious Quran.</p> <p>First of all, let us look at what Allah Almighty Said in the Glorious Quran:</p> <table id="table6" width="67%" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top" width="66%" align="left" bg style="color:#d5f1ff;"> <span style="color:#000080;">Noble Verse(s) 72:7-72:9</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="66%" align="left" bgcolor="#eaf4ff"><b>Yusuf Ali:</b><p>[072:007] 'And they (came to) think as ye thought, that God would not raise up any one (to Judgment).</p> [072:008] 'And we pried into the secrets of heaven; but we found it filled with stern guards <span style="color:#ff0000;"><b><u> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">and flaming fires</span></u></b></span>.<p> [072:009] 'We used, indeed, to sit there in (hidden) stations, to (steal) a hearing; but any who listen now <span style="color:#ff0000;"><b><u> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">will find a flaming fire watching him in ambush</span></u></b></span>.</p> <p><b>Sher Ali:</b></p> [072:007] `And, indeed, they thought, even as you think that ALLAH would never raise any Messenger,<p>[072:008] `And we sought to reach heaven, but we found it filled with strong guards <span style="color:#ff0000;"> <b><u><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">and shooting stars</span></u></b></span>,</p> [072:009] `And we used to sit in some of its seats to listen. But whoso listens now finds <span style="color:#ff0000;"><b><u> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">a shooting star in ambush for him</span></u></b></span>,<p><b>Arabic (from right to left):</b></p> <p align="RIGHT"><span style="font-size:100%;color:GREEN;">72:7</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> وانهم ظنوا كما ظننتم ان لن يبعث الله احدا </span></p> <p align="RIGHT"><span style="font-size:100%;color:GREEN;">72:8</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> وانا لمسنا السماء فوجدناها ملئت حرسا شديدا <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"><span style="color:#ff0000;">وشهبا</span></span> </span></p> <p align="RIGHT"><span style="font-size:100%;color:GREEN;">72:9</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> واناكنا نقعد منها مقاعد للسمع فمن يستمع الان يجد له <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"><span style="color:#ff0000;">شهابا رصدا</span></span> </span></p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p> </p> <table id="table7" width="67%" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top" width="67%" align="left" bg style="color:#d5f1ff;"> <span style="color:#000080;">Noble Verse(s) 15:16-15:18</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="67%" align="left" bgcolor="#eaf4ff"><b>Sher Ali:</b><p>[015:016] And WE have, indeed, <span style="color:#ff0000;">made mansions of stars in the heaven</span> and have adorned it for beholders.</p> [015:017] And WE have guarded it against the intrusion of every rejected Satan.<p>[015:018] But if anyone hears stealthily something of revelation and distorts it, <span style="color:#ff0000;"> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 91);">there pursues him a bright flame (or bright comet)</span></span>.</p> <p><b>Arabic (from right to left):</b></p> <p align="right"><span style="font-size:100%;color:GREEN;">15:16</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> ولقد جعلنا في <span style="color:#ff0000;">السماء بروجا</span> وزيناها للناظرين </span></p> <p align="right"><span style="font-size:100%;color:GREEN;">15:17</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> وحفظناها من كل شيطان رجيم </span></p> <p align="right"><span style="font-size:100%;color:GREEN;">15:18</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> الا من استرق السمع <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 91);"> <span style="color:#ff0000;">فاتبعه شهاب مبين</span></span> </span></p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p> </p> <table id="table8" width="67%" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top" width="67%" align="left" bg style="color:#d5f1ff;"> <span style="color:#000080;">Noble Verse(s) 37:6-37:10</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="67%" align="left" bgcolor="#eaf4ff"><b>Sher Ali:</b><p>[037:006] WE have adorned the lowest <span style="color:#ff0000;"> heaven with an adornment - the planets</span>;</p> [037:007] And have guarded it against all rebellious satans.<p> [037:008] They cannot listen to anything from the Exalted Assembly of angels - <span style="color:#ff0000;">and they are pelted from every side</span>,</p> [037:009] Repulsed, and for them is a perpetual punishment -<p> [037:010] But if any of them snatches away something by stealth, <span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 91);">he is pursued by a piercing flame (or piercing comet)</span></span>.</p> <p><b>Arabic (from right to left):</b></p> <p align="right"><span style="font-size:100%;color:GREEN;">37:6</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> انا زينا <span style="color:#ff0000;">السماء الدنيا بزينة الكواكب</span> </span> </p> <p align="right"><span style="font-size:100%;color:GREEN;">37:7</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> وحفظا من كل شيطان مارد </span></p> <p align="right"><span style="font-size:100%;color:GREEN;">37:8</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> لايسمعون الى الملا الاعلى <span style="color:#ff0000;">ويقذفون من كل جانب</span> </span></p> <p align="right"><span style="font-size:100%;color:GREEN;">37:9</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> دحورا ولهم عذاب واصب </span></p> <p align="right"><span style="font-size:100%;color:GREEN;">37:10</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> الا من خطف الخطفة <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 91);"> <span style="color:#ff0000;">فاتبعه شهاب ثاقب</span></span> </span></p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p>There are few important points to mention here from the Glorious Quran and Science:</p> <p><span style="font-size:180%;">1-</span> We know that Jinns are created from <span style="color:#ff0000;">a shooting and smokeless fire</span>.</p> <p><span style="font-size:180%;">2-</span> We know that Jinns are:</p> <menu> <li><span style="color:#008000;">Invisible.</span></li> <li><span style="color:#008000;">Powerful and Mighty.</span></li> </menu> <p><span style="font-size:180%;">3-</span> We know that the Universe is filled with shooting and smokeless fire. One of those is Gamma Ray bursts that also generate <b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">shooting Cosmic Jets.</span></b></p> <p>Therefore, I honestly do not see how the Glorious is in a Scientific blunder here. While I can not pin point exactly what and which fire in the Universe is the shahab (<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times New Roman; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"><span style="color:#ff0000;">شهب</span></span>) that Allah Almighty talked about, but from what we know, it is quite feasible to say that the Shahab (<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times New Roman; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"><span style="color:#ff0000;">شهب</span></span>) Fire is indeed the Gamma Ray bursts or something similar to them. It could also be something that is generated from such fire, such as the <b>Cosmic Jets</b> that scientists have discovered.</p> <p>So in other words, we have the Fire and <b>we have the shooting jets (shahabs) that are generated from it.</b></p> <p><b> </b></p> <p><u><b><span style="font-size:180%;">So why can't we detect the Jinns then as we detect the invisible Gamma Ray Bursts?</span></b></u></p> <p>Because similar to the pictures of the human and animal skin and flesh, and the sand pictures, above, that show just how different the <span style="color:#008000;"> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">raw material</span></span> is from the end-products (us and animals), the Jinns could also very well be much different from the Gamma Rays or whatever Cosmic Rays and Fire they've been created from. So yes, it is quite possible and feasible that we could detect the <span style="color:#008000;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">raw material</span></span> in space, but not the Jinns.</p> <p>In the pictures above, notice, for instance, how red the flesh and blood are and how yellowish and brownish the sand is. The point I am making here is that we know that the created is quite different from the material that he was created from, and there are always <u><b>countless things that are put together</b></u> that ultimately make this creation, by Allah Almighty's Will. We know that this is a true statement.</p> <p>Also, Jinns are invisible, except whom Allah Almighty Wills and Decides to Reveal. There could be more material that they were created from that makes them undetectable in space. Think about it, we are not just created from dust and water. We have thousands of chemicals, metals, minerals, vitamins, proteins and so much more that makes our blood, flesh, bones and being. So the Jinns could be in the same situation. Allah Almighty Said that they were created from <span style="color:#ff0000;">a smokeless and shooting fire that is generated from the stars (see </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">67:5</span><span style="color:#ff0000;"> below)</span>, but this doesn't limit their creation to only this material. A lot more could be in place just like our human creation.</p> <p>And by the way, why should we assume that we can not or actually never had detected Jinns? Scientists always admit that there is so many things that get fed into their radars and systems, from outer space, that are mysterious and unknown. They range from signals to rays to sounds to chemicals reactions to unknown matter, anti-matter, strange matter (with strangeletes that could easily destroy a planet like earth), unknown energy, unknown forces with unknown properties, etc.... This is something that no one in our age, thus far, could answer in either way.</p> <p>Allah Almighty reminding us of how little we are: <span style="color:#ff0000;"> "....You have been given of knowledge nothing except a little. </span> <span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 17:85)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">"</span></p> <p>And He also Said: <big> <span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="font-size:100%;">"We will show them </span> <strong style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Our signs in the Universe</span></strong><span style="font-size:100%;"> and <strong style="font-weight: 400;">inside their selves</strong>, until it will become quite clear to them that it is the truth. Is it not sufficient as regards your Lord that He is a witness over all things? </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 41:53)</span><span style="font-size:100%;color:#ff0000;">"</span></big></p> <p>So whatever we discover in space, geology, embryology, biology and all other sciences, happens only by Allah Almighty's <u><b>Leave, Will, Permission, and Wisdom, and under His full Control</b></u>. All Praise and Glory are due to Him and only Him Alone. And Allah Almighty always Knows most and Knows best.</p> <p><b> </b></p> <p><b> </b></p> <p><b><span style="font-size:7;color:#ff0000;">4-</span></b><span style="font-size:6;color:#ff0000;"> Does the Glorious Quran declare that Gamma Ray Bursts are the Shahabs in </span> <span style="font-size:6;color:#0000ff;">Noble Verse 67:5</span><span style="font-size:6;color:#ff0000;">?</span></p> <p>Let us look at what Allah Almighty Said in Noble Verse 67:5:</p> <table id="table9" width="64%" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top" width="64%" align="left" bg style="color:#d5f1ff;"> <span style="color:#000080;">Noble Verse(s) 67:5</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="64%" align="left" bgcolor="#eaf4ff"><b>Yusuf Ali:</b><p>[067:005] And we have, (from of old), adorned the <span style="color:#ff0000;"><b><u><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">lowest heaven with Lamps</span></u></b></span>, and <span style="color:#ff0000;"> We have made such (Lamps) (as) </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"><u><b> <span style="color:#0000ff;"> missiles</span><span style="color:#ff0000;"> to drive away</span></b></u></span><span style="color:#ff0000;"> the Evil Ones</span>, and have prepared for them the Penalty of the Blazing Fire.</p> <p><b>Arabic (from right to left):</b></p> <p align="right"><span style="font-size:100%;color:GREEN;">67:5</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> ولقد زينا <span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">السماء الدنيا بمصابيح </span> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 91);">وجعلناها </span></span><span style="color:#0000ff;">رجوما</span><span style="color:#ff0000;"> للشياطين</span></span> واعتدنا لهم عذاب السعير </p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p> </p> <p><u><b><span style="font-size:6;">(a)-</span><span style="font-size:180%;"> The Stars are Missiles (</span></b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#0000ff;">رجوما</span></span><b><span style="font-size:180%;">)?</span></b></u></p> <p>So Allah Almighty here defined that the flaming fire that shoots down the Jinns does indeed originate from the Stars in the Universe! And as we've indisputably seen above, this is indeed a Scientifically True Statement! The Gamma Rays bursts and the Cosmic Jets, to say the least, do originate from the stars.</p> <p><b>All Praise and Glory are due to Allah Almighty Alone!</b></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><b><span style="font-size:7;color:#ff0000;">5-</span></b><span style="font-size:6;color:#ff0000;"> Copper is also confirmed to exist in many asteroids in space, confirming </span> <span style="font-size:6;color:#0000ff;">Noble Verse 55:35</span><span style="font-size:6;color:#ff0000;">:</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Below, I will prove beyond the shadow of the doubt that <span style="color:#ff0000;">"COPPER"</span> (</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">نحاس</span></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">) in <span style="color:#0000ff;">Noble Verse 55:35</span> is not just limited to our modern-day copper metal. It encompasses at least <b><u> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">16 metals and more!</span></u></b></span></p> <p>Let us look at what Allah Almighty Said in the Glorious Quran:</p> <table id="table10" width="59%" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top" width="90%" align="left" bg style="color:#d5f1ff;"> <span style="color:#000080;">Noble Verse(s) 55:35</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="90%" align="left" bgcolor="#eaf4ff"><b>Sher Ali:</b><p> [055:035] There shall be sent against you <span style="color:#ff0000;"><u><b> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">a flame of fire, and molten copper;</span></b></u></span> and you shall not be able to help yourselves.</p> <p><b>Arabic (from right to left):</b></p> <p align="RIGHT"><span style="font-size:100%;color:GREEN;">55:35</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> يرسل عليكما <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"> <span style="color:#ff0000;">شواظ من نار ونحاس</span></span> فلا تنتصران </span> </p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p>We have already seen the fire of the Gamma Ray Bursts and Cosmit Jets and others in the Universe that would indeed strike both the Jinns and the humans traveling in space. <b>But do asteroids contain lots of copper in them?</b></p> <p>First of all, the word <span style="color:#ff0000;">copper</span> (<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">نحاس</span></span>) back then, 1,500 years ago, encompassed several metals that are close and/or similar to copper, and not just copper alone. The other metals that were also called copper back then are:</p> <menu> <li><span style="color:#008000;">Brass</span></li> <li><span style="color:#008000;">Bronze</span></li> <li><span style="color:#008000;">Copper</span></li> <li><span style="color:#008000;">Aluminum</span></li> <li><span style="color:#008000;">Cobalt</span></li> <li><span style="color:#008000;">Chromium</span></li> <li><span style="color:#008000;">Titanium</span></li> <li><span style="color:#008000;">Platinum</span></li> <li><span style="color:#008000;">Chrome or Chrome Copper</span></li> <li><span style="color:#008000;">Zinc</span></li> <li><span style="color:#008000;">Nickel or Nickeline</span></li> <li><span style="color:#008000;">Palladium</span></li> <li><span style="color:#008000;">Germanium</span></li> <li><span style="color:#008000;">Osmium</span></li> <li><span style="color:#008000;">Tellurium</span></li> <li><span style="color:#008000;">Magnesium</span></li> <li><span style="color:#008000;">And many others....</span></li> </menu> <p><b>The following are <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">these metals' pictures</span></b> [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/brass.jpg">1</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/bronze.jpg">2</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/copper.jpg">3</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/aluminum.jpg">4</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/cobalt.jpg">5</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/chromium.jpg">6</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/titanium.jpg">7</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/platinum.jpg">8</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/chrome_copper.jpg">9</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/zinc.jpg">10</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/nickel.jpg">11a</a></span>,<span style="color:#0000ff;"> <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/nickeline.jpg">11b</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/palladium.jpg">12</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/germanium.jpg">13</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/osmium.jpg">14</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/tellurium.jpg">15a</a></span>,<span style="color:#0000ff;"> <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/tellurium1.jpg">15b</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/magnesium.jpg">16</a></span>]:</p> <p align="center"><span style="color:#008000;">(Click on any of the images to enlarge)</span></p> <div align="center"> <table id="table12" width="60%" border="0"> <tbody><tr> <td width="227"> <a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/brass.jpg"> <img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/brass.jpg" width="181" border="0" height="178" /></a><br /> <span style="color:#008000;">Brass</span></td> <td> <a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/chrome_copper.jpg"> <img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/chrome_copper.jpg" width="241" border="0" height="178" /></a><br /> <span style="color:#008000;">Chrome Copper</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="227"> <a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/bronze.jpg"> <img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/bronze.jpg" width="181" border="0" height="180" /></a><br /> <span style="color:#008000;">Bronze</span></td> <td><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/zinc.jpg"><img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/zinc.jpg" width="232" border="0" height="188" /></a><br /> <span style="color:#008000;">Zinc</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="227"> <a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/copper.jpg"> <img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/copper.jpg" width="183" border="0" height="156" /></a><br /> <span style="color:#008000;">Copper</span></td> <td><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/nickel.jpg"><img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/nickel.jpg" width="196" border="0" height="153" /></a> <a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/nickeline.jpg"> <img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/nickeline.jpg" width="150" border="0" height="147" /></a><br /> <span style="color:#008000;">Nickel Nickeline</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="227"> <a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/aluminum.jpg"> <img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/aluminum.jpg" width="183" border="0" height="136" /></a><br /> <span style="color:#008000;">Aluminum</span></td> <td><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/palladium.jpg"><img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/palladium.jpg" width="176" border="0" height="136" /></a><br /> <span style="color:#008000;">Palladium</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="227"> <a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/cobalt.jpg"> <img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/cobalt.jpg" width="183" border="0" height="197" /></a><br /> <span style="color:#008000;">Cobalt</span></td> <td><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/germanium.jpg"><img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/germanium.jpg" width="238" border="0" height="196" /></a><br /> <span style="color:#008000;">Germanium</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="227"> <a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/chromium.jpg"> <img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/chromium.jpg" width="182" border="0" height="138" /></a><br /> <span style="color:#008000;">Chromium</span></td> <td><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/osmium.jpg"><img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/osmium.jpg" width="181" border="0" height="136" /></a><br /> <span style="color:#008000;">Osmium</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="227"> <a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/titanium.jpg"> <img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/titanium.jpg" width="182" border="0" height="179" /></a><br /> <span style="color:#008000;">Titanium</span></td> <td><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/tellurium.jpg"><img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/tellurium.jpg" width="154" border="0" height="171" /></a> <a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/tellurium1.jpg"> <img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/tellurium1.jpg" width="186" border="0" height="170" /></a><br /> <span style="color:#008000;">Tellurium Tellurium ball</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="227"> <a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/platinum.jpg"> <img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/platinum.jpg" width="187" border="0" height="140" /></a><br /> <span style="color:#008000;">Platinum</span></td> <td><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/magnesium.jpg"> <img src="http://www.answering-christianity.com/magnesium.jpg" width="155" border="0" height="139" /></a><br /> <span style="color:#008000;">Magnesium</span></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p> </p> <p><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:6;color:#ff0000;">You can see how easily all of these metals, and a lot more, </span> <span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:6;color:#008000;">could've been called COPPER</span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:6;color:#ff0000;">, <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 145);"><u>when unearthed</u></span>, in ancient times.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:6;color:#ff0000;"> <br /> </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;">Therefore, </span> <span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:180%;color:#008000;">"COPPER"</span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;"> (</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113); font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size:6;color:#ff0000;">نحاس</span></span><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;">) in </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:180%;color:#0000ff;">55:35</span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;"> is not just limited to copper. It encompasses at least </span> <span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:180%;color:#008000;"> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 62);"><u>16 metals</u></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;">!</span></b></p></div> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><u><b><span style="font-size:6;">(a)-</span><span style="font-size:180%;"> The Scientific Proofs and References:</span></b></u></p> <p>The following Scientific references clearly confirm the Glorious Quran's Divine Claims:</p> <menu> <li>The Universe has Trillions upon Trillions of Asteroids: [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=34094&fbodylongid=1517">1</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://ase.tufts.edu/cosmos/view_chapter.asp?id=13&page=1">2</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.matter-antimatter.com/space_facilities.htm">3</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://orbitalvector.com/Solar%20System/Asteroids%20And%20Comets/Redirecting%20Asteroids/REDIRECTING%20ASTEROIDS.htm">4</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.meteorobs.org/maillist/msg23178.html">5</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.rense.com/general67/batofla.htm">6</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=31489">7</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://books.google.com/books?id=Cjp7AMVfJLcC&pg=PA128&lpg=PA128&dq=%22billions+of+Asteroids%22&source=bl&ots=qQ-_wabeWT&sig=qVmyk8hagEplhf-1pM6GqUAMol8&hl=en&ei=6qy-SoeWG9DL8Qb1woHAAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10#v=onepage&q=%22billions%20of">8</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/08/11/MNGC1E61SV1.DTL">9</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/tv/doomsday.html">10</a></span>] [<span style="color:#000080;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_strauss/20060927.html">11</a></span>] ....</li> </menu> <p>This alone is enough to prove the Glorious Quran's Claim in <span style="color:#0000ff;">Noble Verse 55:35</span>, because depending on the galaxy <span style="color:#ff0000;">(there are trillions of galaxies out there [</span><span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.spacetoday.org/DeepSpace/Stars/MessierObjects/MessierObjects.html">1</a></span><span style="color:#ff0000;">] [</span><span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.helium.com/users/292713/show_articles?channel=20">2</a></span><span style="color:#ff0000;">] [</span><span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.helium.com/items/577480-extraterrestrial-life-fact-or-fiction">3</a></span><span style="color:#ff0000;">] [</span><span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://blogs.usatoday.com/sciencefair/2009/08/mystery-solved-dark-energy-isnt-there.html">4</a></span><span style="color:#ff0000;">] [</span><span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://theringnebula.com/sky_objects.html">5</a></span><span style="color:#ff0000;">])</span> and the billions and trillions of suns and planets that each galaxy contains [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/space/02/25/galaxy.planets.kepler/index.html">1</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://scienceray.com/philosophy-of-science/aliens-and-space/">2</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.islamset.com/sc/hafiz.html">3</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pwb/03/0210/1b.shtml">4</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://articles.latimes.com/2008/oct/15/science/sci-skymap15">5</a></span>], metals do vary. In fact, each individual star (sun) is responsible for creating its planets [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protoplanetary_disk">1</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.wisegeek.com/how-was-the-earth-created.htm">2</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=48246661532&topic=14636">3</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.newuniverse.co.uk/Accretion_disc.html">4</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.ita.uni-heidelberg.de/%7Eulm/papers/ECh2.pdf">5</a></span>] and the metals in them [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v422/n6934/full/422834a.html">1</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.find-health-articles.com/rec_pub_12712194-astrophysics-did-metals-giant-star-originate.htm">2</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2002PASJ...54..933A">3</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://books.google.com/books?id=saJl6gr7VioC&pg=PA144&lpg=PA144&dq=%22metals+originate+from+stars%22&source=bl&ots=C8NDin_bbD&sig=p5M-6Gn9ks_FcDv9tAx2fXVkbwI&hl=en&ei=abi-Su6tKoLj8Qao3_SyAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6#v=onepage&q=&f=false">4</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TVB-48NBPWB-1G&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1025428668&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=2c7431a11a113c8e6064e12e45267e2b">5</a></span>]. And depending on its density and the type of rays and energy it has, the metals in its solar system will vary. Now remember that there are <b> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">trillions upon trillions of stars out there</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">!</span> So Allah Almighty putting Galaxies out there that are rich in Copper and its related and similar metals to be carried by asteroids, which are broken rocks from crushed planets and moons, is something that makes sense and is feasible.</p> <p>Furthermore, many discovered asteroids in space do contain copper, brass, bronze and the many other related metals: </p> <p> </p> <p class="Free_Form"><u><b><span style="font-size:180%;">Article #1:</span></b></u></p> <p class="Free_Form"><span style="color:#008000;">"The resources available in the asteroid belt are truly staggering. Lewis estimates that there is enough iron there to cover the earth to a depth of one-half mile(!). At present-day prices, this iron would be worth about $7 billion for each person now alive. </span> <span style="color:#ff0000;"><u><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">Add in nickel, platinum, copper,</span></b></u></span><span style="color:#008000;"> gold, uranium and so on, and the total <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"><b><u> exceeds $100 billion per person.</u></b></span> Makes the "Limits to Growth" folks look pretty silly."</span> (<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Mining-Sky-Untold-Asteroids-Planets/product-reviews/0201328194">Source</a></span>)</p> <p class="Free_Form"> </p> <p class="Free_Form"><b><u><span style="font-size:180%;">Article #2:</span></u></b></p> <p class="Free_Form"><span style="color:#008000;">"</span><span style="color:#ff0000;"><b><u><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">A single nickel-iron asteroid,</span></u></b></span><span style="color:#008000;"> of which there are many thousands in the Main Belt, and many dozens in Earth-crossing orbits, </span><span style="color:#ff0000;"><b><u> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">has more platinum group metals</span></u></b></span><span style="color:#008000;"> than has been recovered on Earth to date. Better yet, while we continue to mine deeper into the Earth for gold, silver, </span><b><span style="color:#ff0000;"><u> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">platinum, and copper,</span></u></span><u><span style="color:#008000;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"> asteroids rich in these resources represent concentrated ore bodies ready for processing,</span></span></u></b><span style="color:#008000;"> without strip mining parts of Earth, without piling mine tailings on terrestrial watersheds, and without polluting Earth's atmosphere with the extraction and processing industries."</span> (<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://indomitus.net/ir20040515.html">Source</a></span>)</p> <p> </p> <p><b><u><span style="font-size:180%;">Article #3:</span></u></b></p> <p><span style="color:#008000;">"The Sudbury Basin is one of the largest mining communities in the world. Sudbury is the second largest of the verified </span> <a class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external" href="http://www.universetoday.com/guide-to-space/asteroids/asteroid-craters/"> <span style="color:#008000;">asteroid craters</span></a><span style="color:#008000;"> on </span> <a class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external" href="http://www.universetoday.com/guide-to-space/earth/"> <span style="color:#008000;">Earth</span></a><span style="color:#008000;">. It is the </span> <a class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external" href="http://www.universetoday.com/guide-to-space/the-solar-system/largest-asteroid-in-the-solar-system/"> <span style="color:#008000;">largest asteroid</span></a><span style="color:#008000;"> in Canada. The Sudbury Basin is located near a number of other geological structures, including the Temigami Magnetic Anomaly, the Lake Wanapitei impact </span> <a class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external" href="http://www.universetoday.com/guide-to-space/earth/volcano-crater/"> <span style="color:#008000;">crater</span></a><span style="color:#008000;">, and the western end of the Ottawa-Bonnechere Graben. None of the structures are related in any way. The large </span> <a class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external" href="http://www.universetoday.com/guide-to-space/asteroids/impact-crater/"> <span style="color:#008000;">impact crater</span></a><span style="color:#008000;"> filled with </span> <a class="alinks_links" title="" rel="external" href="http://www.universetoday.com/guide-to-space/earth/magma/"> <span style="color:#008000;">magma</span></a><span style="color:#008000;"> <u><b> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">containing </span></b></u></span><u><b> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"><span style="color:#ff0000;">nickel, copper, platinum, palladium,</span><span style="color:#008000;"> and gold.</span></span></b></u><span style="color:#008000;">"</span> (<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.universetoday.com/guide-to-space/asteroids/asteroid-in-canada/">Source</a></span>)</p> <p> </p> <p><b><u><span style="font-size:180%;">Article #4:</span></u></b></p> <p class="Free_Form"><span style="color:#008000;">"<b>Asteroids</b><br /><br />Sixty-Five million years ago, 70 percent of life on Earth died. The most reasonable and possible reason this happened was an asteroid. An asteroid hit the Earth very hard, and in doing this, dirt and dust from the impact stayed in the air and it blocked out sunlight, that's why the dinosaurs died. An asteroid is a rock from outer space. Asteroids have orbited the Sun along with the planets since the solar system formed about 4.6 billion years ago, but it's only been 200 years since we first discovered them. Meteorites are small pieces of asteroids broken off on impact with other asteroids. Most meteorites are rusty brown on the outside, have rounded edges from melting as they go through Earth's atmosphere, and contain iron. There are 3 different types of meteorites: stony, metallic, and stony metallic.92 percents of all asteroids are stone, <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"><u><b>6 percent are made of iron and </b> </u></span></span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"><u><b> <span style="color:#ff0000;">nickel</span></b></u></span><span style="color:#008000;">, and the rest are a combination. </span><span style="color:#ff0000;"><u><b> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">Some meteorites also contain gold, copper, platinum, and carbon.</span></b></u></span><span style="color:#008000;">"</span> (<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Asteroids/38308">Source</a></span>)</p> <p class="Free_Form"> </p> <p class="Free_Form"><b><u><span style="font-size:180%;">Article #5:</span></u></b></p> <p class="Free_Form"><span style="color:#008000;">"</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color:#008000;">M - type - 5 % of asteroids, ambiguous spectrum and moderate albedos<br />- no silica absorption bands so they may be metallic asteroids<br />- perhaps remnant cores of larger differentiated precursor bodies<br />- example - Psyche - largest metal meteorite is the 66 ton Hoba in Namibia, South Africa<br />- a single 1 km. metal asteroid would contain 8 billion tons of metal and could supply the world with <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"><b><u>iron for 15 years, </u></b></span></span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"> <span style="color:#ff0000;"><b><u>nickel for 1250 years , copper for 10 years and cobalt for 3000 years</u></b></span></span><span style="color:#008000;"><br />- it would have a<span style=""> </span>(1988) value of 5 million billion dollars"</span> (<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.geocities.com/rasctb/asteroid.htm">Source</a></span>)</span></p> <p class="Free_Form"> </p> <p class="Free_Form"><b><u><span style="font-size:180%;">Article #6:</span></u></b></p> <p class="Free_Form"><span style="color:#008000;">"<b>Why Mine C-Type Asteroids?</b></span></p> <p><span style="color:#008000;">Because of their composition, C-Type asteroids make ideal sources for strategic metals. Besides iron (which makes up about 22% by weight of a typical C-Type asteroid), most have high concentrations of such important and/or </span><b><u><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"> <span style="color:#ff0000;">valuable materials as aluminum, magnesium, nickel, cobalt, </span><span style="color:#008000;">platinum</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">, and titanium</span><span style="color:#008000;"> (see our </span></span></u></b><b> <a href="http://www.tricitiesnet.com/donsastronomy/asteroidtable.html"> <span style="color:#008000;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">Chart</span></span></a></b><span style="color:#008000;"><b><u><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">).</span></u></b> But other minerals on these types of asteroids are of equal importance for life support in space. The water ice (usually about 10%) would be important for use by human colonists for drinking and bathing and, when broken down, for oxygen (to breathe and for fuel) and hydrogen (also for fuel). Organic minerals are also present. In fact, the overall composition of asteroid ore is quite a lot like common dirt, with the addition of a high percentage of metal nodules.</span></p> <p><span style="color:#008000;">To give you an idea of just how much wealth is contained in asteroids, let's break down a typical C-Type asteroid, into its component parts. We'll take a fairly typical larger asteroid of about 1 km. (0.6 miles) diameter. There are thousands of asteroids of this size available to choose from. Our 1 km. dia. asteroid would have a mass of about 2 billion metric tonnes (M.T.).</span></p> <p><span style="color:#008000;">We have a pretty good idea about the relative abundance of most elements in our asteroid from x-ray spectroscopic surveys. Of course, since each C-Type asteroid is unique, elemental compositions will vary from asteroid to asteroid, sometimes greatly. This is an average based on a small sampling of spectral data. For a complete breakdown of these elemental data and their estimated values, please see our </span> <a href="http://www.tricitiesnet.com/donsastronomy/asteroidtable.html"> <span style="color:#008000;">Chart</span></a><span style="color:#008000;">.</span></p> <p><span style="color:#008000;">Following is a short list from this chart, based on the above mentioned elements, expressed in parts per billion (PPB) by mass (weight)*, with the equivalent in total metric tons for our 1 km. dia. asteroid.</span></p> <ul><li><span style="color:#008000;">Iron - 220,000,000 PPB = 440,000,000 M.T. @ $410/M.T. = $180.4 Billion </span></li><li><span style="color:#ff0000;"><b>Magnesium</b></span><span style="color:#008000;"> - 120,000,000 PPB = 240,000,000 M.T. @ $3,460/M.T. = $830.4 Billion </span> </li><li><span style="color:#ff0000;"><b>Nickel</b></span><span style="color:#008000;"> - 13,000,000 PPB = 26,000,000 M.T. @ $4,630/M.T. = $120.38 Billion </span> </li><li><span style="color:#ff0000;"><b>Aluminum</b></span><span style="color:#008000;"> - 9,300,000 PPB = 18,600,000 M.T. @ $1,440/M.T. = $26.784 Billion </span></li><li><span style="color:#ff0000;"><b>Cobalt</b></span><span style="color:#008000;"> - 600,000 PPB = 1,200,000 M.T. @ $47,245/M.T. = $56.694 Billion </span></li><li><span style="color:#ff0000;"><b>Titanium</b></span><span style="color:#008000;"> - 550,000 PPB = 1,100,000 M.T. @ $9,650/M.T. = $10.615 Billion </span></li><li><span style="color:#008000;">Platinum - 1,000 PPB = 2,000 M.T. @ $25,000,000/M.T. = $50 Billion </span></li></ul> <p><span style="color:#008000;">Of course, there are many other strategic metals (and non-metals) in equally staggering quantities on our asteroid, such as </span> <span style="color:#ff0000;"><u><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">germanium, chromium, copper, zinc, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, tellurium, and many more</span></b></u></span><span style="color:#008000;"> (78 quantified elements in our </span><a href="http://www.tricitiesnet.com/donsastronomy/asteroidtable.html"> <span style="color:#008000;">chart</span></a><span style="color:#008000;">). But the seven elements listed above will do nicely for our illustration. Based on 1998 spot prices (except Platinum - $779./troy oz. or $25/gm.) for the above metals**, the total value of the above would be over $1.275 trillion! Breaking it down another way, these 7 elements would yield $637.64 in refined metals for each metric ton of ore. When all elements (excluding most alkaline metals and some non-metals - see </span> <a href="http://www.tricitiesnet.com/donsastronomy/asteroidtable.html"> <span style="color:#008000;">Chart</span></a><span style="color:#008000;">) are considered, the average value of refined elements per metric ton of ore is about $1,125."</span> (<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.tricitiesnet.com/donsastronomy/mining.html">Source</a></span>)</p> <p> </p> <p><u><b><span style="font-size:180%;">Allah Almighty also Sent down Iron:</span></b></u></p> <p>Allah Almighty did also Say that <span style="color:#0000ff;"> <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/earth.htm">He sent down iron to earth from outer space</a></span>, which is 100% Scientifically accurate, because our sun and its solar system do not produce iron.</p> <p> </p> <p><b><u><span style="font-size:6;">(b)-</span><span style="font-size:180%;"> Allah Almighty Swore by the positions of the Stars and Galaxies and Said that this is a Great Oath!</span></u></b></p> <table id="table11" width="57%" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top" width="56%" align="left" bg style="color:#d5f1ff;"> <span style="color:#000080;">Noble Verse(s) 56:75-56:76</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="56%" align="left" bgcolor="#eaf4ff"><b>Palmer:</b><p> [056:075] So I will not swear <span style="color:#ff0000;"> <span style="text-decoration: underline; font-weight: 700; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"> by the positions of the stars;</span></span></p> [056:076] and, verily, <span style="color:#ff0000;"><u><b> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">it is a <strike>grand</strike> great oath</span></b></u></span> if ye did but know -<p><b>Arabic (from right to left):</b></p> <p align="RIGHT"><span style="font-size:100%;color:GREEN;">56:75</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> فلا اقسم <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);"><span style="color:#ff0000;"> بمواقع النجوم</span></span> </span></p> <p align="RIGHT"><span style="font-size:100%;color:GREEN;">56:76</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> وانه لقسم لو تعلمون <span style="color:#ff0000;"> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">عظيم</span></span> </span></p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p>With the Trillions upon Trillions upon Trillions upon Trillions upon Trillions upon Trillions upon Trillions of Galaxies, Stars, and their Planets, Asteroids and all other different celestial bodies <b> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">that were each single one of them positioned by Allah Almighty, Himself</span></b>, I say that indeed, this Noble Verse is a Divine Miracle by Itself. All Praise and Glory are due to Allah Almighty Alone!</p> <p><b> </b></p> <p><b> </b></p> <p><b><span style="font-size:7;color:#ff0000;">6-</span></b><span style="font-size:6;color:#ff0000;"> Some of the stunning things that scientists have discovered in the Universe:</span></p> <p>Space is filled with many mysteries. So far, Scientists have discovered the following and more:</p> <ol><li>Space is filled with massive explosions that go beyond our reckonings. For instance, only recently NASA has confirmed that an explosion took place in space that is <b>stronger than 9,000 Supernovae</b> [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://forthesakeofscience.wordpress.com/2009/02/20/massive-explosion-in-space/">1</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/sciencetech/massive-explosion-in-the-far-away-universe/8485">2</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://mattcbr.wordpress.com/2009/02/20/cool-science-monster-space-gamma-explosion/">3</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/02/19/gamma-ray-burst.html">4</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.zeenews.com/sci-tech/space/2009-02-20/509105news.html">5</a></span>]....<br /> </li><li><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Cosmic Rays, which are energetic particles that could be very violent, destructive and harmful, could be the <b> piercing SHAHAAB </b></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> <span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="font-size:130%;">شهاب</span><b> chasing the Jinns</b> </span></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">that Allah Almighty referred to, <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 91);"><b>since Jinns are created from a shooting and smokeless fire</b></span>. There are billions upon billions of Cosmic Rays in space [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/physical_science/physics/atom_particle/cosmic_rays.html">1</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://helios.gsfc.nasa.gov/">2</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.phy6.org/Education/wcosray.html">3</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_ray">4</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071108141555.htm">5</a></span>].....<br /> </span></li><li><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Dark Energy, which also exists in space, is also very destructive: [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_energy">1</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/astronomy/cosmic_darknrg_020115-1.html">2</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/astronomy/cosmic_darknrg_020115-1.html">3</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://nasascience.nasa.gov/astrophysics/what-is-dark-energy">4</a></span>] [<span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://dsc.discovery.com/space/top-10/dark-energy/">5</a></span>]....</span> </li></ol> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:7;color:#ff0000;">7-</span><span style="font-size:6;color:#ff0000;"> Conclusion:</span></p> <p>Again, the Holy Quran and Islam are filled with scientific statements and notions. These are statements of Allah Almighty describing how He created things on earth and in the Universe. What's most amazing is that all of these scientific statements and notions had been proven to be in <span style="color:#0000ff;"> <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/ac20.htm#links">perfect agreement with science</a></span> and our modern-day scientific discoveries. Allah Almighty made the Noble Quran be Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) Everlasting Divine Miracle and proof for Prophethood. The Holy Book certainly stood the test of time 1,500 years ago with Its Claims, Prophecies and Miraculous language eloquence, and it does again and again in our day today with Its overwhelming agreement with science and discoveries that were not known to man 1,500 years ago.</p> <p align="left">Allah Almighty Said: <big> <span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="font-size:100%;">"We will show them </span> <strong><u><span style="font-size:100%;">Our signs in the Universe</span></u></strong><span style="font-size:100%;"> and <strong><u>inside their selves</u></strong>, until it will become quite clear to them that it is the truth. Is it not sufficient as regards your Lord that He is a witness over all things? </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 41:53)</span><span style="font-size:100%;color:#ff0000;">"</span></big></p> <p><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">This article is certainly another major blow to the hateful anti-Islamics!</span></b> All Praise and Glory and Thanks are due to Allah Almighty Alone. The Anti-Islamics could not provide a single proof against the Glorious Quran. All they've provided were false assumptions and desperate lies to disprove Islam. Even with our little knowledge that we currently have about space, we are able to see the fallacy of their bogus claims. I am certain that space has infinitely more knowledge <b>about the unseen world, such as the Jinns',</b> that we need to research and discover by Allah Almighty's Divine Will and Wisdom. </p> <p>As to the Shahaabs (<span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">شهب</span></span>) that are mentioned in the Glorious Quran, we have already seen how Science, with its many limitations and the little that we have of it, has still shown us that yes, it is quite possible to for the Jinns to be shot down by a shooting flame, whether it be a Gamma Ray Burst, a Cosmic Jet, or any other similar fire. Certainly, <span style="color:#0000ff;">Noble Verse 67:5</span> above gives <u><b> <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 113);">a stunning accuracy</span></b></u> that pin points to the Gamma Rays and other similar bursts that do originate from the Stars.</p> <p>We have also seen the Divine Miracle of <span style="color:#0000ff;">Noble Verse 55:35</span> about copper and its related metals, and the 10s of pictures, references, quotations and proofs that confirm the Glorious Quran's Scientific Statement. And yes indeed, the positions of <b>the trillions upon trillions upon trillions upon trillions upon trillions</b> of stars and their planets, asteroids and all other celestial bodies, that were each single one of them positioned by Allah Almighty, Himself, would indeed make a Great Oath! And Allah Almighty needs not to make any oath.</p> <p>The Holy Quran, again and again, has proven Itself to be the True Divine Holy Book from Allah Almighty. Indeed, all Praise and Glory are due to Allah Almighty Alone for making the Noble Quran and the Divine Inspirations that He Sent to Prophet Muhammad be the Perfect and Everlasting Miracle, for us humans, out of all of His Divine Miracles! And may Allah Almighty send His Peace, Mercy and Blessings upon our Beloved and Blessed Prophet, Teacher and Role Model, Muhammad. Ameen.</p> <p> source:<a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/shooting_stars_miracle.htm"> www.answering-christianity.com</a><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-66192023463182814592010-12-27T22:03:00.000+07:002010-12-27T22:17:40.195+07:00Historical Errors Of The Qur'an: Pharaoh & HamanBy :M S M Saifullah, Elias Karim, `Abdullah David & Qasim Iqbal<br /><br /><span class="title">1. Introduction</span> <p>Controversy has prevailed since the late 17th century CE about the historicity of a certain Haman, who according to the Qur'an, was associated with the court of Pharaoh to whom Moses was sent as a Prophet by Almighty God (Allah):</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">Pharaoh said: "O Haman! Build me a lofty palace, that I may attain the ways and means- The ways and means of (reaching) the heavens, and that I may mount up to the god of Moses: But as far as I am concerned, I think (Moses) is a liar!" <span class="bookquote">[Qur'an 40:36-37]</span></p> </blockquote> <p>Haman is mentioned six times in the Qur'an and is referred to as an intimate person belonging to the close circle of Pharaoh.</p> <p>Many western scholars have concluded that Haman is unknown to Egyptian history. The name Haman is first mentioned in the Biblical book of Esther, <span class="highlightpara">some 1,100 years after Pharaoh</span>. The name is said to be Babylonian, not Egyptian. According to the book of Esther, Haman was a counsellor of Ahasuerus (the Biblical name of Xerxes) who was an enemy of the Jews. It has been suggested that Prophet Mu<u>h</u>ammad mixed Biblical stories, namely the Jewish myths of the Tower of Babel and the story of Esther and Moses into a single confused account when composing the Qur'an.</p> <p>We propose to examine the various aspects of the controversy in light of recent historical and archaeological discoveries.</p> <span class="title"><a name="2"></a>2. Criticisms By Western Scholars</span> <p>Prominent Orientalists have not been able to correctly identify the Haman of the Qur'an, and have thus questioned his historicity. They have suggested that the appearance of Haman in the Qur'anic story of Moses and Pharaoh has resulted from a misreading of the Bible, leading the author of the Qur'an to move Haman from the Persian court of King Ahasuerus to the Egyptian court of the Pharaoh.</p> <p>The first writer to enter the list of critics was Ludovico Marraccio, confessor to Pope Innocent XI. Published in 1698 CE, the English rendering of critical Note 1 on page 526 of Marraccio's Latin translation of the Qur'an read:</p> <blockquote> <p><span class="bookquoteCN">Mahumet has mixed up sacred stories. He took Haman as the adviser of Pharaoh whereas in reality he was an adviser of Ahaseures, King of Persia. He also thought that the Pharaoh ordered construction for him of a lofty tower from the story of the Tower of Babel. It is certain that in the Sacred Scriptures there is no such story of the Pharaoh. Be that as it may, he </span><span class="bookquote">[Mahumet]</span><span class="bookquoteCN"> has related a most incredible story.</span><sup class="referencenumb">[1]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>George Sale in his translation of the Qur'an said:</p> <blockquote> <p><span class="bookquoteCN">This name is given to Pharaoh's Chief Minister, from which it is generally inferred that Muhammad has here made Haman, the favourite of Ahasueres, King of Persia, and who indisputably lived many ages after Moses, to be that Prophet's contemporary. But how-probable-so-ever this mistake may seem to us, it will be hard, if not impossible to convince a Muhammadan of it.</span><sup class="referencenumb">[2]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>In what has been hailed as a "classic" article by Theodor Nöldeke that was published in <span class="reference">Encyclopædia Britannica</span> in 1891 CE and reprinted several times since, the author says:</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">The most ignorant Jew could never have mistaken Haman (the minister of Ahasuerus) for the minister of the Pharaoh...<sup class="referencenumb">[3]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>While dealing with the "wonderful anachronisms about the old Israelite history" in the Qur'an, Mingana says:</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">Who then will not be astonished to learn that in the Koran... Haman is given as a minister of Pharaoh, instead of Ahaseurus?<sup class="referencenumb">[4]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>On the mention of Haman in the Qur'an, Henri Lammens states that it is:</p> <blockquote> <p><span class="bookquoteCN">"the most glaring anachronism"</span><span class="bookquote"> and is the result of </span><span class="bookquoteCN">"the confusion between... Haman, minister of King Ahasuerus and the minister of Moses' Pharaoh."</span><sup class="referencenumb">[5]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>Similar views were also echoed by Josef Horovitz.<sup class="referencenumb">[6]</sup> Charles Torrey believed that Muhammad drew upon the rabbinic legends of the Biblical book of Esther and even adapted the story of the Tower of Babel.<sup class="referencenumb">[7]</sup> After talking about the apparent 'confusion' generated by this cobbling together of multiple sources, Arthur Jeffery says about the origin of the word 'Haman':</p> <blockquote> <p><span class="bookquoteCN">The probabilities are that the word came to the Arabs from Jewish sources.</span><sup class="referencenumb">[8]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>The <span class="reference">Encyclopaedia Of Islam</span>, which claims to have been prepared by a number of leading Orientalists, under "<span class="articlename">Haman</span>" says:</p> <blockquote> <p><span class="bookquoteCN">Haman, name of the person whom the Kur'an associates with Pharaoh, because of a still unexplained confusion with the minister of Ahasuerus in the Biblical book of Esther.</span><sup class="referencenumb">[9]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>This claim has been repeated again by the <span class="reference">Encyclopaedia Of Islam</span> under "<span class="articlename">Fir`awn</span>". It says:</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">As Pharaoh's counsellor there appears a certain Haman who is responsible in particular for building a tower which will enable Pharaoh to reach the God of Moses... the narrative in Exodus is thus modified in two respects, by misplaced recollection of both the book of Esther and the story of the tower of Babel (Genesis, xi) to which no other reference occurs in the Kur'an.<sup class="referencenumb">[10]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>Although the <span class="reference">Encyclopaedia Of The Qur'an</span> uses a mellowed down language when discussing Haman, it instead describes various possible views of who Haman was, it says:</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">There are conflicting views as to Haman's identity and the meaning of his name. Among them is that he is the minister of King Ahasuerus who has been shifted, anachronistically, from the Persian empire to the palace of Pharaoh... Other suggestion is that Haman is an Arabized echo of the Egyptian Ha-Amen, the title of a high priest second only in rank to Pharaoh.<sup class="referencenumb">[11]</sup> </p> </blockquote> <p>Consequently, it is not surprising to find Christian missionaries<sup class="referencenumb">[12]</sup> and atheists like Ibn Warraq<sup class="referencenumb">[13]</sup> exploiting these comments in order to "prove" that the Qur'an contains serious contradictions. Yet all of the above statements are based on the misrepresentation of the historical value of the Biblical book of Esther, a misunderstanding of the Qur'anic narrative in general and the <a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Sources/">unproven assumption</a> that Mu<u>h</u>ammad copied and in some cases altered the Biblical material while he was allegedly composing the Qur'an. It can be said with certainty that this is the most "celebrated" contradiction in the Qur'an among the Christian missionaries on the internet. </p> <p>Let us first examine the authenticity and reliability of the Biblical book of Esther from which Mu<u>h</u>ammad supposedly appropriated the character Haman.</p> <p><span class="title"><a name="3"></a>3. A Critical Examination Of The Biblical Evidence Used Against The Qur'an</span> </p> <p>The criticisms of the non-Muslim scholars and Christian missionaries are based solely on the <span class="highlightpara">assumptions</span> that:</p> <ol><li>Because the Bible has been in existence longer than the Qur'an, the Biblical account is the correct one, as opposed to the Qur'anic account, which is necessarily inaccurate and false.<br /> </li><li>The Bible is in conformity with firmly established secular knowledge, whereas the Qur'an contains certain incompatibilities.<br /> </li><li>Mu<u>h</u>ammad copied and in some cases altered the Biblical material when composing the Qur'an. </li></ol> <p>The whole basis for the Haman controversy is the appearance of a Haman in the Qur'an in a historical period different from that of the Bible. The claim that the Qur'anic account of Haman reflects confused knowledge of the Biblical story of Esther implies that any reference to a Haman must have come from the Bible. Furthermore, this assumption itself implies that either Haman is an unhistorical figure that never existed outside the Bible, or that if he was historical, then he would have to be the prime minister of the Persian King Ahasuerus, as depicted in Esther. Unsurprisingly, their assumptions obviously preclude the possibility that the Bible has its information wrong concerning Haman. <span class="highlightpara">Thus, only if the Book of Esther can be shown to be both historically reliable and accurate, are the non-Muslims justified in making the claim the Qur'an contradicts the earlier, more "reliable" historic Biblical account</span>.</p> <h4 class="articlename" align="center"><span class="title"><a name="3a"></a></span>THE HISTORICITY OF THE BOOK OF ESTHER AND ITS CHARACTERS</h4> <p>One of the most important questions that come to mind is whether the book of Esther and the characters present in it have any historicity. This is not an issue which has been tackled by those claimants of a historical "error" in the Qur'an, even though this position leads to a circular argument. Let us now discuss the views of the Judaeo-Christian scholars concerning the historicity of the book of Esther and its characters.</p> <p>That the Jewish and Christian scholars have denied the historicity of the book of Esther is something of an understatement. The people who subscribe to the historicity of the book of Esther are those whose dogmatic approach to historical and theological exegesis precludes the possibility of any historical problems arising from the Biblical narrative; included in this group are the Christian missionaries and apologists as well as other evangelical fundamentalist type Christians. While discussing the historical problems of the book of Esther, Professor Jon Levinson, Albert A. List Professor of Jewish Studies at Harvard Divinity School, says:</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">Even if we make this questionable adjustment, the historical problems with Esther are so massive as to persuade anyone who is not already obligated by religious dogma to believe in the historicity of the biblical narrative to doubt the veracity of the narrative.<sup class="referencenumb">[14]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>Naturally this statement does not sit comfortably with those evangelical fundamentalist type Christians for whom each and every book contained in the Bible is the infallible, inerrant, eternal "word" of God; even more so with those who have used the book of Esther to substantiate the historical "contradiction" in the Qur'anic account of Haman. The problems with the historicity of the book of Esther have been dealt with by Michael Fox, professor of Hebrew at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who also specializes in Egyptian literature and its relationship with the Biblical literature. He has detailed the arguments <i>for</i> and <i>against</i> the book's historicity.<sup class="referencenumb">[15]</sup> Fox also mentions numerous inaccuracies, implausibilities and outright impossibilities in this Biblical book. After considering the arguments in detail, it is not surprising to see Fox conclude with the following negative assessment:</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">Various legendary qualities as well as several inaccuracies and implausibilities immediately throw doubt on the book's historicity and give the impression of a writer recalling vaguely remembered past.<sup class="referencenumb">[16]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>Similar assessments were made by Lewis Paton<sup class="referencenumb">[17]</sup> and Carey Moore<sup class="referencenumb">[18]</sup> and they both arrived at the conclusion that the story in the book of Esther is not historical.</p> <p>The problems with the book of Esther would be evident as we discuss the information in various encyclopedias and commentaries. <span class="reference">The Universal Jewish Encyclopaedia</span>, under "<span class="articlename">Esther</span>", says:</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">The majority of scholars, however, regard the book as a romance reflecting the customs of later times and given an ancient settings to avoid giving offence. They point out that the 127 provinces mentioned are in strange contrast to the historical twenty Persian Satrapies; that it is astonishing that while Mordecai is known to be a Jew, his ward and cousin, Esther, can conceal the fact that she is a Jewess - that the known queen of Xerxes, Amestris, can be identified with neither Vashti nor Esther; that it would have been impossible for a non-Persian person to be appointed prime minister or for a queen to be selected except from the seven highest noble families; that Mordecai's ready access to the palaces is not in consonance with the strictness with which the Persian harems were guarded; that the laws of Medes and Persians were never irrevocable; and that the state of affairs in the book, amounting practically in civil war, could not have passed unnoticed by historians if this had actually occurred. <span class="highlightbookqCN">The very tone of the book itself, its literary craftsmanship and the aptness of its situations, point rather to a romantic story than a historical chronicle</span>.</p> <p><span class="highlightbookqCN">Some scholars even trace it to a non-Jewish origin entirely; it is, in their opinion, either a reworking of a triumph of the Babylonian gods Marduk (Mordecai) and Ishtar (Esther) over the Elamite gods Humman (Haman) and Mashti (Vashti), or of the suppression of the Magians by Darius I, or even the resistance of the Babylonians to the decree of Artaxerxes II.</span><span class="bookquoteCN"> According to this view, Purim is a Babylonian feast which was taken over by the Jews, and the story of which was given a Jewish colouring.</span><sup class="referencenumb">[19]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>Published about one hundred years ago, <span class="reference">The Jewish Encyclopaedia</span> already asserted that:</p> <blockquote> <p><span class="bookquoteCN">Comparatively few modern scholars of note consider the narrative of Esther to rest on a historical foundation..... </span><span class="highlightbookqCN">The vast majority of modern expositors have reached the conclusion that the book is a piece of pure fiction</span><span class="bookquoteCN">, although some writers qualify their criticism by an attempt to treat it as a historical romance.</span><sup class="referencenumb">[20]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>The more recent <span class="reference">JPS Bible Commentary</span> is quite frank about the exaggeration and the lack of historicity of the story in the biblical book of Esther. It labels the story in the book of Esther as a "farce":</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN"><span class="highlightbookqCN">The language, like the story, is full of exaggeration and contributes to the sense of excess</span>. There are exaggerated numbers (127 provinces, a 180-day party, a 12-month beauty preparation, Haman's offer of 10,000 talents of silver, a stake 50 cubits high, 75,000 enemy dead)... Esther's attempt to sound like a historical work is tongue in cheek and not to be taken at face value. <span class="highlightbookqCN">The author was not trying to write history, or to convince his audience of the historicity of his story (although later readers certainly took it this way)</span>. He is, rather, offering a burlesque of historiography... The archival style, like the verbal style, make the story sound big and fancy, official and impertinent at the same time - and this is exactly the effect that is required for such a book. <span class="highlightbookqCN">All these stylistic features reinforce the sense that the story is a farce</span>.<sup class="referencenumb">[21]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>The <span class="reference">Peake's Commentary On The Bible</span> discusses the historicity of the characters and events mentioned in the book of Esther. It aptly describes the book as a novel with no historical basis. Furthermore, it deals with possible identification of Esther, Haman, Vashti and Mordecai with the Babylonian and Elamite gods and goddess. </p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">The story is set in the city of Susa in the reign of Akhashwerosh, king of Persia and Media. This name is now prove to refer to Xerxes, who reigned over Media as well as Persia. The book correctly states that his empire extended from India to Ethiopia, a fact which may well have been remembered long afterwards, especially by someone living in the East, <span class="highlightbookqCN">but in other matters the author is inaccurate, for instance in regard to the number of provinces. Xerxes' wife was named Amestris, and not either Vashti or Esther. The statement in Est. 1:19 and 8:5 that the laws of Persia were unalterable is also found in Dan. 6:9, 13. It is not attested by any other early evidence, and seems most unlikely. The most probable suggestion is that it was invented by the author of Daniel to form an essential part of his dramatic story, and afterwards copied by the author of Esther</span>. </p> <p class="bookquoteCN"><span class="highlightbookqCN">It is therefore agreed by all modern scholars that Esther was written long after the time of Xerxes as <b>a novel</b>, with no historical basis</span>, but set for the author's purposes in a time long past. It is pretty clear that the author's purpose was to provide an historical origin for the feast of Purim, which the Jews living somewhere in the East had adopted as a secular carnival. <span class="highlightbookqCN">This feast and its mythology are now recognised as being of Babylonian origin. Mordecai represents Marduk, the chief Babylonian God. His cousin Esther represents Ishtar, the chief Babylonian Goddess, who was the cousin of Marduk. Other names are not so obvious, but there was an Elamite God Humman or Humban, and Elamite Goddess Mashti. These names may lie behind Haman and Vashti. One may well imagine that the Babylonian festival enacted a struggle between the Babylonian gods on the one hand and the Elamite gods on the other</span>.<sup class="referencenumb">[22]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>The authors of <span class="reference">The New Interpreter's Bible</span>, like the other writers that we have mentioned earlier, state that the biblical book of Esther is work of fiction that happens to contain some historical elements. It then lists the factual errors in this book only to conclude that the book of Esther is not a historical record.</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">Although much ink has been spilled in attempting to show that Esther, or some parts of it is historical, <span class="highlightbookqCN">it is clear that the book is a work of fiction that happens to contain some historical elements</span>. The historical elements may be summarized as follows: Xerxes, identified as Ahaseurus, was a "great king" whose empire extended from the borders of India to the borders of Ethiopia. One of the four Persians capitals was located as Susa (the other three being Babylon, Ecbatana, and Persepolis). Non-Persians could attain to high office in the Persian court (witness Nehemiah), and the Persian empire consisted of a wide variety of peoples and ethnic groups. The author also displays a vague familiarity with the geography of Susa, knowing, for example, that the court was separate from the city itself. <span class="highlightbookqCN">Here, however, the author's historical veracity ends. Among the factual errors found in the book we may list these: Xerxes' queen was Amestris, to whom he was married throughout his reign; there is no record of a Haman or a Mordecai (or, indeed, of any non-Persian) as second to Xerxes at any time; there is no record of a great massacre in which thousands of the people were killed at any point in Xerxes' reign. The book of Esther is not a historical record, even though its author may have wished to present it as history...</span><sup class="referencenumb">[23]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>Even the Roman Catholic scholars have not spared criticism of the book of Esther. <span class="reference">The Jerome Biblical Commentary</span> brands the book of Esther as a "fictitious story" and a book that was freely embellished and modified in the course of its transmissional history.</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN"><b>Literary Form</b>. On this point, scholarly opinion ranges from pure myth to strict history. Most critics, however, favor a middle course of historical elements with more or less generous historical embellishments... The Greek additions in particular appear to be essentially literary creations. <span class="highlightbookqCN">That neither author intended to write strict history seems obvious from the historical inaccuracies, unusual coincidences, and other traits characteristic of folklore</span>... On the other hand, there is no compelling reason for denying the possibility of an undetermined historical nucleus, and the author's generally accurate picture of Persian life tends to support this possibility. <span class="highlightbookqCN">Several details of Est</span> <span class="bookquote">[i.e., Esther]</span> <span class="highlightbookqCN">suggest a fictitious story</span>. The very fact of variations between the Hebrew and the deuterocanonical additions show that the book was freely embellished in the course of its history. Then there are many difficulties concerning Mordecai's age, and the wife of Xerxes (Amestris). Moreover, the artificial symmetry suggests fiction: Gentile against Jews; Vashti as opposed to Esther; the hanging of Haman and the appointment of Mordecai as the vizier; the anti-Semitic pogrom and the slaying of the gentiles. A law of contrasts is obviously at work... <span class="highlightbookqCN">As is stands, it has been developed very freely as the "festal legend" of a Feast of Purim</span>, which is itself otherwise unknown to us.<sup class="referencenumb">[24]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>Interestingly enough, <span class="reference">A New Catholic Commentary On Holy Scripture</span> correctly points out that the book is given credence only by those who believe that since the book of Esther is a biblical book, it must be true. It then goes on to wonder if there is a significance in the similarity between the names mentioned in the book of Esther and the Babylonian and Elamite gods and goddess. </p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">To what extent the story of Esther is factual is debated. <span class="highlightbookqCN">On the face of it, not many people would give much credence to Est</span> <span class="bookquote">[i.e., Esther]</span> <span class="highlightbookqCN">as history but for the fact that it is a biblical book and 'the Bible is true'</span>. The evidence we have suggests that we have a tale set against an historical background, embodying at least one historical character (Xerxes) and some accurate references to actual usages of Persia, but a tale making no serious attempt to chronicle facts, aiming rather at producing certain moral attitude in the reader... Yet it appears that Xerxes' queen was neither Vashti nor Esther but Amestris; we have no further information inside or outside the Bible (e.g. Sir 44ff) of a Jewish queen who saved her people or of a pious Mordecai who rose to such heights in the Persian court... <span class="highlightbookqCN">One may wonder whether there is a significance in the similarity between the name Esther and the name of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, between the name Mordecai and the name of the god Marduk, so that one would have to look for the source of the tale among the myths of Elamite gods</span>. But one can only wonder.<sup class="referencenumb">[25]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>To conclude the historicity of the book of Esther, it is a:</p> <blockquote> <p><span class="highlightbookqCN">... a tissue of improbabilities and impossibilities</span><span class="bookquoteCN">... Further, notwithstanding the dates which he gives us, the author had in reality no notion of chronology... </span><span class="highlightbookqCN">That the Book of Esther cannot be regarded as a genuine historical work is avowed even by many adherents of ecclesiastical tradition</span><span class="bookquoteCN">. Since, however, the most essential parts of the story, namely the deliverance of the Jews from complete extermination and their murderous reprisals by means of the Jewish queen and the Jewish minister, are altogether unhistorical, it is impossible to treat the book as an embellished version of some real event... </span><span class="highlightbookqCN">and we are forced to conclusion that the whole narrative is fictitious</span><span class="bookquoteCN">.</span><sup class="referencenumb">[26]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>From the foregoing material, it is clear that Judeo-Christian scholars consider this story to be a fable, and of little or no historical value. Furthermore, no scholar claimed that the characters of this story, notably Haman, actually ever existed. In fact, all characters in the Book of Esther, with the possible exception of Ahasuerus, are unknown to history even though the book itself claims that its events are "written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia" (Esther 10:2). </p> <p>Concerning the character Haman, the <span class="reference">Encyclopaedia Judaica</span> states:</p> <blockquote> <p><span class="bookquoteCN">Various explanations have been offered to explain the name and designation of the would-be exterminator of the Jews. The names of both Haman and his father have been associated with haoma, a sacred drink used in Mithraic worship, and with the Elamite god Humman. The name Haman has also been related to the Persian <i>hamayun</i>, 'illustrious', and to the Persian name Owanes.</span><sup class="referencenumb">[27]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p><span class="reference">The Interpreter's Dictionary Of The Bible</span> shares a similar view:</p> <blockquote> <p><span class="bookquoteCN">Some scholars view the story of Esther as reflecting a mythological struggle between the gods of Babylon and Elam, with Haman identified as the Elamite god Humman.</span><sup class="referencenumb">[28]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>As for Ahasuerus in the book of Esther, he is usually identified with King Xerxes I, King of Persia (486-465 BCE). The <span class="reference">Webster's Biographical Dictionary</span> informs us that:</p> <blockquote> <p><b><span class="bookquoteCN">Ahasuerus</span></b><span class="bookquoteCN">: Name as used in the Bible, of two unidentified kings of Persia: (1) the great king whose capital was Shushan, modern Susa, sometimes identified with Xerxes the Great, but chronological and other data conflict; (2) the father of Darius the Mede.</span><sup class="referencenumb">[29]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>There exists an unhistorical Haman in the book of Esther. This unhistorical Haman is portrayed as the prime minister of Ahasuerus (Xerxes I?), King of Persia, but the events recorded in the book of Esther show little correlation with those of the actual reign of Xerxes I.</p> <p>As if the woes of the lack of historicity of the story in Esther are not enough, there also exist some serious problems about the canonicity of the book of Esther.</p> <p align="center"><b class="articlename"><span class="title"><a name="3b"></a></span>THE CANONICITY OF THE BOOK OF ESTHER</b></p> <p>The book of Esther, which is now regarded by Jews and Christians as canonical, had a history of dispute even until the times of the Protestant Reformation. Its canonicity was hotly contested by members of both the religions and their sub-sects. The book of Esther was evidently not used by the Jewish community in Qumran.<sup class="referencenumb">[30]</sup> More importantly, according to the <i>Talmud</i>, as late as 3rd or 4th century CE, some Jews still did not regard Esther as canonical.<sup class="referencenumb">[31]</sup> If the Jews could not reach unanimity about the canonical status of Esther, neither could the Christians. Figure 1 depicts the canonical status of Esther in the early Christian churches.</p> <p align="center"><img src="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/esthermap.gif" width="741" height="546" /></p> <p class="bookquote" align="center"><i>Figure 1: Map showing the canonical status of Esther in the early Christian Church.<sup class="referencenumb">[32]</sup> Notice that the book of Esther was considered non-canonical in Constantinople, Sardis, Iconium, Nazianzus, Mopsuestia and Alexandria. On the other hand, Esther was considered canonical in Rome, Hippo, Carthage, Damascus, Caesarea, Jerusalem, Constanti and Constantinople. There appears to be two views of the books canonicity at Constantinople.</i></p> <p>From the above figure, it can be seen that in the West Esther was nearly always canonical, while in the East very often it was not. Among the Christians in the East, especially those in the area of Anatolia (in modern day Turkey) and Syria, the book of Esther was often denied canonical status. This is confirmed by <a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Bible/Text/Canon/canonages.html">studying the list of canonical books</a> by Melito of Sardis (<i>c</i>. 170 CE), Gregory of Nazianzus (<i>d</i>. 390 CE), Junilius (<i>c</i>. 550 CE) and Nicephorus (<i>d</i>. 828 CE). While denying the canonical status of Esther, Athanasius (<i>c</i>. 367 CE) did include it with the Wisdom of Solomon, Wisdom of Sirach, Judith and Tobit for catechetical reading. Amphilochius (<i>d</i>. 394 CE) observed that it was accepted only by some. However, as has been noted, in the West, Esther was almost always regarded as canonical. It was accepted by Hilary (<i>c</i>. 360 CE), Augustine (<i>c</i>. 395 CE), Innocent I (<i>c</i>. 405 CE), Rufinus (<i>d</i>. 410 CE), Decree of Gelasius (<i>c</i>. 500 CE), Cassiodorus (<i>c</i>. 560 CE) and Isidorus (<i>d</i>. 636 CE). Esther was also present in the list of Cheltenham canon (<i>c</i>. 360 CE) and codex Claromontanus (<i>c</i>. 350 CE). This book was also endorsed as canonical in the council of Carthage (<i>c</i>. 397 CE).</p> <p>During the Reformation, the <a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Bible/Text/Canon/canonages.html">Canon of the Bible</a>, both Old and New Testaments, was called into question. Generally, the Protestants disputed the Catholic claim to interpret scripture, either by Papal decree or by the action of Church councils. Martin Luther (1483 – 1546 CE), one of the Protestant reformers, said concerning the book of Esther:</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN"><span class="highlightbookqCN">I am so great an enemy to the second book of Maccabees, and to Esther, that I wish they had not come to us at all</span>, for they have too many heathen unnaturalities.<i><sup class="referencenumb">[33]</sup></i></p> </blockquote> <p>Luther's position appeared to have been wavering concerning the book of Esther. Andres Bodenstein von Karlstadt (<i>c</i>. 1480 – 1541 CE), an early friend and fellow professor of Luther at the University of Wittenberg, included the book of Esther in his third and lowest class of Biblical books which he termed <i>tertius ordo canonis</i>. Despite what Luther had claimed concerning the book of Esther, he included it in his translation of the Bible.<i><sup class="referencenumb">[34]</sup> </i>Such a polarization of views was characteristic of the book of Esther almost from its beginnings, which spilled over to the period of the Reformation.</p> <p align="center"><b class="articlename"><span class="title"><a name="3c"></a></span>CAN WE USE THE BOOK OF ESTHER AS AN EVIDENCE AGAINST THE QUR'AN?</b></p> <p>The answer to this question is clearly no. A few conclusions can now be drawn from our discussion:</p> <ul><li>The story of Esther is regarded as fictitious and should be rejected as a historical record. It contradicts well established known secular history.<br /> </li><li>The book of Esther has a history of doubtful canonicity. It is a classic case of one man's "apocrypha" is another man's "inspired" scripture.<br /> </li><li>The story appears to have been borrowed from a Persian <i>novella</i>, and its contents reflect the customs associated with the Persians. These Persian customs later became "Judaised". The book has a secular character with strong nationalistic overtones. </li></ul> <p>It is worthwhile mentioning that the "inspired book" of Esther does not even mention God!<i><sup class="referencenumb">[35]</sup></i> The absence of the name of God led to religiously motivated additions of over 100 verses to the Greek version of the book. These additions do not appear in the "original" Hebrew text but are accepted as canonical in Roman Catholic Bibles; Protestant Bibles reject them as "apocrypha". </p> <p><span class="highlightpara">It is clear that the book of Esther can't, in anyway, be used as evidence against the Qur'an; evidence that is used to show how the Qur'an contradicts both secular knowledge and the earlier, more "reliable" Biblical account</span>. Yet we find Christian missionaries using the book of Esther, proclaiming it to be a "reliable" historical record, in a vain attempt to prove that the Qur'an contains a contradiction! An <a href="http://www.answering-islam.org.uk/Quran/Contra/qbhc09.html">example</a> that is often parroted is reproduced below:</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquote">This is another possible example of two historical compressions in the same story and the same confusion in both texts that recount the event. At least the Qur'an is consistent within itself.</p> <p class="bookquote">According to Surah 28:35-42 and 40:36-37, Haman was a minister or official of the Pharaoh (king of Egypt) who lived in the same time as Moses. <span class="highlightbookq">According to Jewish history Haman served as the minister of Ahasuerus (king of Persia, Xerxes I is his name in Greek)</span>. Apart from the error in location, this is placing Pharaoh (Moses) and Haman in the same story even though they lived 1,000 years apart. [See Esther 3:1.]</p> <p class="bookquote">Furthermore, in the Qur'an Haman is ordered by Pharaoh to build a tower reaching into heaven ("the Tower of Babel") which is a well known story of an event that took place long before Abraham, who lived at least 400 years before Moses. [See Genesis 11:1-9, especially the verses 3-4, "Let us build make bricks and bake them thoroughly. ... and build a ... tower that reaches to the heavens."]</p> </blockquote> <p>What is strange is that there is a complete absence of analysis of either the historicity or the canonicity of the book of Esther in the Christian apologetical literature.<i><sup class="referencenumb">[36]</sup></i> Both the historicity and the canonicity of Esther are assumed and then the arguments are made. It is notoriously difficult to offer an apology given such unsettling facts.</p> <p class="title"><a name="4"></a>4. Pharaoh & Haman In The Qur'an </p> <p>Let us now examine the passages in the Qur'an concerning the Pharaoh and Haman in light of recent historical and archaeological discoveries.</p> <blockquote> <p><span class="bookquoteCN">Pharaoh said: "O Chiefs! no god do I know for you but myself."</span> <span class="bookquote">[Qur'an 28:38]</span></p> <p class="bookquoteCN">Pharaoh said: "O Haman! Build me a lofty palace, that I may attain the ways and means - The ways and means of (reaching) the heavens, and that I may mount up to the god of Moses: But as far as I am concerned, I think (Moses) is a liar!" <span class="bookquote">[Qur'an 40:36-37]</span></p> </blockquote> <p>The Qur'anic verses concerning Pharaoh and Haman provide us the following information:</p> <ul><li><a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/haman.html#4a">Pharaoh as a god</a> <p> </p></li><li><a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/haman.html#4b">The making of burnt bricks in ancient Egypt</a> <p> </p></li><li><a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/haman.html#4c">The desire of the Pharaoh to ascend to the sky to speak to gods </a> <p> </p></li><li><a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/haman.html#4d">A mystery of the name Haman</a> </li></ul> <p>Let us now investigate these statements in the light of Egyptology and ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. The Bible does not provide any information regarding the above mentioned statements; nor, as far as we are aware, does any secular literature from the time of the Prophet Muhammad.</p> <div align="center"><b class="articlename"><a name="4a"></a>THE PHARAOH AS GOD</b> </div> <p>For all kings, the Bible uses the term "Pharaoh" to address the rulers of Egypt. The Qur'an however differs from the Bible: the sovereign of Egypt who was a contemporary of Joseph is called the "King" (Arabic, <i>malik</i>); he is never once addressed as Pharaoh. As for the king who ruled during the time of Moses, the Qur'an repeatedly calls him "Pharaoh" (Arabic, <i>Fir'awn</i>). These differences in detail between the Biblical and Qur'anic narrations appear to have great significance and are discussed in the article <b> <a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/josephdetail.html">Qur'anic Accuracy vs. Biblical Error: The Kings and Pharaohs of Egypt</a></b>.</p> <p>Concerning Pharaoh, the Qur'an says:</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">Pharaoh said: "O Chiefs! no god do I know for you but myself." <span class="bookquote">[Qur'an 28:38]</span></p> <p class="bookquoteCN">Then he (Pharaoh) collected (his men) and made a proclamation, Saying, "I am your Lord, Most High". <span class="bookquote">[Qur'an 79:23-24]</span></p> </blockquote> <p>The <span class="reference">Encyclopaedia Britannica</span> informs us that the term "Pharaoh" originally referred to the royal residence, and was later applied to the king during the New Kingdom period (1539-1292 BC), and, that the Pharaoh was indeed considered a god in ancient Egypt</p> <blockquote> <p><b><span class="bookquoteCN">Pharaoh</span></b><span class="bookquoteCN"> (from Egyptian <i>per 'aa</i>, "great house"), originally, the royal palace in ancient Egypt; the word came to be used as a synonym for the Egyptian king under the New Kingdom (starting in the 18th dynasty, 1539-1292 BC), and by the 22nd dynasty (c. 945-c. 730 BC) it had been adopted as an epithet of respect. The term has since evolved into a generic name for all ancient Egyptian kings, although it was never formally the king's title. In official documents, the full title of the Egyptian king consisted of five names, each preceded by one of the following titles: Horus; Two Ladies; Golden Horus; King of Upper and Lower Egypt and Lord of the Double Land; and Son of Re and Lord of the Diadems. The last name was given him at birth, the others at coronation.</span></p> <p class="bookquoteCN"><span class="highlightbookqCN">The Egyptians believed their Pharaoh to be a god, identifying him with the sky god Horus and with the sun gods Re, Amon, and Aton.</span> Even after death the Pharaoh remained divine, becoming transformed into Osiris, the father of Horus and god of the dead, and passing on his sacred powers and position to the new Pharaoh, his son.</p> <p><span class="bookquoteCN">The Pharaoh's divine status was believed to endow him with magical powers: his <i>uraeus</i> (the snake on his crown) spat flames at his enemies, he was able to trample thousands of the enemy on the battlefield, and he was all-powerful, knowing everything and controlling nature and fertility. As a divine ruler, the Pharaoh was the preserver of the God-given order, called <em>ma'at</em>. He owned a large portion of Egypt's land and directed its use, was responsible for his people's economic and spiritual welfare, and dispensed justice to his subjects. His will was supreme, and he governed by royal decree.</span><sup class="referencenumb">[37]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>Concerning Pharaoh, <span class="reference">Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary</span> says:</p> <blockquote> <p><span class="highlightbookqCN">The Egyptians believed that he was a god and the keys to the nation's relationship to the cosmic gods</span><span class="bookquoteCN">. While the Pharaoh ruled, he was the son of Ra, the sun god and the incarnation of Horus. He came from the gods with divine responsibility to rule the land for them. His word was law, and he owned everything. When the Pharaoh died, he became the god Osiris, the ruler of the underworld...</span><sup class="referencenumb">[38]</sup></p> </blockquote> <div align="center"> <p align="left">However, it was claimed by F. S. Coplestone that the alleged source of Pharaoh claiming divinity, as mentioned in the Qur'an, was Midrash Exodus Rabbah.<sup class="referencenumb">[39]</sup> This midrash says:</p> </div> <blockquote> <div class="bookquoteCN" align="left">Pharaoh was one of the four men who claimed divinity and thereby brought evil upon themselves.... Whence do we know that Pharaoh claimed to be a god? Because it says: 'My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself' (Ezek. xxix, 3).<sup class="referencenumb">[40]</sup></div> </blockquote> <div align="center"> <p align="left">There are a number of problems, one of them quite serious, concerning Midrash Exodus Rabbah being the source of the Qur'anic verses. Firstly, Midrash Exodus Rabbah has been dated several centuries after the advent of Islam. Midrash Exodus Rabbah is composed of two different parts. The <i>first part</i> (ExodR I) comprises <i>parashiyot</i> 1-14 and is an exegetical midrash on Exodus 1-10 (11 is not treated in Exodus Rabbah). <span class="highlightpara">The Pharaoh claiming divinity comes from ExodR I part of the midrash</span>. The <i>second part</i> (ExodR II) with <i>parashiyot</i> 15-52 is a homiletic midrash on Exodus 12-40, which belongs to the genre of the Tan<u>h</u>uma Yelammedenu midrash. Leopold Zunz, who does not divide the work, dated this whole midrash to the 11th or the 12th century CE.<sup class="referencenumb">[41]</sup> Herr, on the other hand, considers the ExodR II to be older than ExodR I, which in his opinion used the lost beginning of the homiletic midrash on Exodus as a source. For the dating of ExodR I, he conducts a linguistic analysis and judges this part to be no earlier than the 10th century CE.<sup class="referencenumb">[42]</sup> Similarly, Shinan opines that the origin of ExodR I is from the 10th century CE.<sup class="referencenumb">[43]</sup> Contrary to the eisegesis of Coplestone, it is impossible (not to mention absurd) that the Qur'an used a source that had not yet been compiled until hundreds of years later! Secondly, the midrash simply interprets the verse from the book of Ezekiel and claims that the verse implies Pharaoh claiming divinity. The Qur'an, on the other hand, explicitly states that the Pharaoh proclaimed himself to be the god.</p> <p><b class="articlename"><a name="4b"></a>THE MAKING OF BURNT BRICKS IN ANCIENT EGYPT </b> </p> </div> <p>In the Qur'an, the Pharaoh in a boastful and mocking manner, asks his associate Haman to build a lofty tower:</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">Pharaoh said: "O Haman! light me a (kiln to bake bricks) out of clay, and build me a lofty palace <span class="bookquote">(Arabic: <i>Sarhan</i>, lofty tower or palace)</span>, that I may mount up to the god of Moses: but as far as I am concerned, I think (Moses) is a liar!" <span class="bookquote">[Qur'an 28:38]</span></p> </blockquote> <p>The command of Pharaoh was but a boast, but a question now arises: <a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/burntbrick.html"><b>Were Burnt Bricks Used In Ancient Egypt In The Time of Moses?</b></a> </p> <p>The use of burnt brick in Egypt did not become common until the Roman Period. However, there is enough evidence to show that burnt brick was known in Egypt from a very early date. Long bars of baked clay were employed in the Predynastic grain-kilns at Abydos and Mahasna, and, while these cannot be called bricks, they show knowledge of the effect of baking on ordinary mud. It is impossible that early Egyptians were unaware of the fact that mud-bricks could be hardened by burning, since they could have observed this process in any building which, by accident or design, was gutted by fire.<sup class="referencenumb">[44]</sup> There are several examples of accidental production of burnt brick. They occur in the 1st Dynasty tombs at Saqqara, due to their having been burnt by plunderers; similar cases must have been fairly common. There is no evidence, as yet, that Egyptians deliberately prepared burnt bricks for use in buildings during the Predynastic Period or the Old Kingdom. However, there are examples of glazed tiles, appearing in a highly developed technique in both the 1st and 3rd Dynasties. This proves that the Egyptians during the advent of Old Kingdom Period were well aware of glazing as a method of decoration and protection.<sup class="referencenumb">[45]</sup> <span class="highlightpara">The earliest example of the use of burnt brick comes from the Middle Kingdom fortresses in Nubia, in which they were used as paving-slabs measuring 30 x 30 x 5 cm</span>.<sup class="referencenumb">[46] </sup>The next instance of the burnt brick is recorded in the New Kingdom Period, when they occur in conjunction with funerary cones in the superstructures of the tombs at Thebes.<sup class="referencenumb">[47]</sup> Burnt brick as a constructional material also appears at Nebesheh and Defenneh dated to Ramesside times. From the extensive study of brick architecture in Egypt, Spencer concludes that:</p> <blockquote> <p><span class="bookquoteCN">From the foregoing, it must be concluded that </span><span class="highlightbookqCN">burnt brick was known in Egypt at all periods</span><span class="bookquoteCN">, but used only when its durability would give particular advantage over the mud brick.</span><sup class="referencenumb">[48]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>As for the less extensive use of burnt bricks in early Egypt, this is more due to the issue of economics than a lack of knowledge. Barry Kemp says:</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">The widespread preference for unfired soil architecture was <span class="highlightbookqCN">thus through choice rather than ignorance</span>.<sup class="referencenumb">[49]</sup> </p> </blockquote> <p>A factor inhibiting the use of burnt brick could presumably be the cost of fuel needed for firing. </p> <p>Since the burnt brick architecture was known in ancient Egypt in all periods, one can firmly conclude that it was also known in the time of Moses.</p> <div align="center"><b class="articlename"><a name="4c"></a>THE DESIRE OF THE PHARAOH TO ASCEND TO THE SKY TO SPEAK TO THE GODS</b></div> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">Pharaoh said: "O Chiefs! no god do I know for you but myself: therefore, O Haman! light me a (kiln to bake bricks) out of clay, and build me a lofty palace <span class="bookquote">(Arabic: <i>sarhan</i>, lofty tower or palace)</span>, that I may mount up to the god of Moses: but as far as I am concerned, I think (Moses) is a liar!" <span class="bookquote">[Qur'an 28:38]</span></p> <p class="bookquoteCN">Pharaoh said: "O Haman! Build me a lofty palace, that I may attain the ways and means - The ways and means of (reaching) the heavens, and that I may mount up to the god of Moses: But as far as I am concerned, I think (Moses) is a liar!" <span class="bookquote">[Qur'an 40:36-37]</span></p> </blockquote> <p>The desire to ascend to the gods in the sky was an article of the ancient Egyptian religion. The idea of the Pharaoh climbing a tower or staircase to reach the God of Moses is in consonance with the mythology of ancient Egypt. The Pharaoh, asks the gods (or men) to construct a staircase or a tower in order to climb and converse with the gods.</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">Standing before the gods, the Pharaoh shows his authority. <span class="highlightbookqCN">He orders them to construct a staircase so that he may climb to the sky</span>. If they do not obey him, they will have neither food nor offerings. But the king takes one precaution. It is not he himself, as an individual, who speaks, but the divine power: "It is not I who say this to you, the gods, it is the Magic who speaks".</p> <p><span class="bookquoteCN">When the Pharaoh completes his climb, magic at his feet "The sky trembles", he asserts, "the earth shivers before me, for I am a magician, I possess magic". </span><span class="highlightbookqCN">It is also he who installs the gods on their thrones, thus proving that the cosmos recognises his omnipotence</span><span class="bookquoteCN">.</span><sup class="referencenumb">[50]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>The desire of the Pharaoh to ascend to the sky has no connection with the biblical story of the "Tower of Babel." The use of the "Tower of Babel" by Orientalists and Christian apologists appears to be a convenient device to attack the Qur'an and laziness on their part in undertaking a scholarly historical investigation. In particular, we can observe an almost complete lack of familiarity with the ancient Egyptian historical record and a startling absence of reference to any direct Egyptological evidence, hieroglyphic or otherwise.</p> <p>We have seen earlier that the Pharaoh, a god of ancient Egypt, would address other gods by climbing up a staircase or a high building. What happened when the ruler of Egypt died? How did he meet with other gods? Did he ascend to them? If yes, what was the instrument of his ascension? To understand this let us turn our attention to some interesting evidence from ancient Egypt dealing with the pyramids and the royal tombs. </p> <p>There is a copious amount of evidence from ancient Egypt concerning the desire of the dead king to ascend to the gods and it comes in the form of the Pyramid Texts. These texts are a collection of funerary rituals and spells first inscribed on the sacrophagi and the subterranean walls of nine Old Kingdom pyramids.<sup class="referencenumb">[51]</sup> </p> <p>What was the function of the pyramid? The primary function of the pyramid in ancient Egypt was to house the body of a dead King, his <i>ka</i> or spirit, and his funerary equipment for use in the next world. It was a royal burial site. The pyramid tomb served as a place on earth where food and drink could be brought regularly to supply the need of the <i>ka</i>. The word "pyramid" probably derived from Greek <i>pyramis</i>. The Egyptians themselves used the word "<i>M(e)r</i>" to describe pyramids, and it has tentatively been translated as a "place of ascension". Concerning the word "pyramid", Verner says:</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">The shape of the pyramid has most often been interpreted as a stylized primeval hill and, at the same time, a gigantic stairway to heaven. In fact, the Egyptian terms for "pyramid" (<i>mr</i>) has been derived from a root <i>i`i</i> ("to ascend"), thus giving "place of ascent."<sup class="referencenumb">[52]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>Similarly, Lehner points out that:</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">The word for pyramid in ancient Egyptian is <i>mer</i>. There seems to be no cosmic significance in the term itself. I. E. S. Edwards, the great pyramid authority, attempted to find a derivation from <i>m</i>, 'instrument' or 'place', plus <i>ar</i>, 'ascension', as 'place of ascension'. Although he himself doubted this derivation, the pyramid was indeed a place or instrument of ascension for the king after death.<sup class="referencenumb">[53]</sup> </p> </blockquote> <p>Not surprisingly, the Egyptian word "<i>M(e)r</i>" has the determinative showing a triangle with a base to represent the pyramid (Figs. 2 and 3). </p> <p align="center"><img src="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/wortpyram.gif" width="674" height="249" /></p> <p class="bookquote" align="center"><i>Figure 2: Hieroglyph entry for "mr" which means a pyramid. Notice the determinative which is in the shape of a triangle representing the pyramid (line 4).<sup class="referencenumb">[54]</sup></i> </p> <p align="center"><img src="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/grobespyram.gif" width="259" height="530" /></p> <p align="center"><i class="bookquote">Figure 3: Hieroglyph entry for "Pyramid". Again notice the determinative for pyramid shown as a triangle.</i><i><sup class="referencenumb">[55]</sup></i> <i class="bookquote"> </i></p> <p>After death, the king would pass from the earth to the heaven, to take his place amongst the gods and to join the retinue of the sun-god. However, he needed a way to reach the sky from the earth, a bridge slung between this world and the next, a "Place of Ascension". Thus, the pyramid served as a place of ascension for the dead king.<i><sup class="referencenumb">[56]</sup></i> The Pyramid Texts inscribed on the sacrophagi and the subterranean walls served as "instructions" for the dead king's ascension to heavens. </p> <p>Let us conclude this section with a quote from the famous Egyptologist I. E. S. Edwards:</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN"><span class="highlightbookqCN">The Egyptians were not the only ancient people of the Middle East who believed that the heaven and the gods might be reached by ascending a high building</span>; a kindred trend of thought prevailed in Mesopotamia. At the centre of any city in Assyria or Babylonia lay a sacred area occupied by the temple complex and a royal palace.<i><sup class="referencenumb">[57]</sup></i> </p> </blockquote> <p align="center"><b class="articlename"><a name="4d"></a>THE MYSTERY OF THE NAME HAMAN</b></p> <p>Haman is mentioned six times in the Qur'an: <i>Surah</i> 28, verses 6, 8 and 38; <i>Surah</i> 29, verse 39; and <i>Surah</i> 40, verses 24 and 36. The above <i>ayahs</i> portray Haman as someone close to Pharaoh, who was also in charge of building projects, otherwise the Pharaoh would have directed someone else. So, who is Haman? It appears that no commentator of the Qur'an has dealt with this question on a thorough hieroglyphic basis. As previously mentioned, many authors have suggested that "Haman" in the Qur'an is reference to Haman, a counsellor of Ahasuerus who was an enemy of the Jews. Meanwhile others have been searching for consonances with the name of the Egyptian god "Amun."<sup class="referencenumb">[58]</sup> </p> <p>One of the earliest scholars to deal with the name "Haman" in the Qur'an from the point of view of Egyptology was Dr. Maurice Bucaille. He surmised that since "Haman" was mentioned in the Qur'an during the time of Moses in Egypt, the best course of action was to ask an expert in the old Egyptian language, i.e., hieroglyphs, regarding the name.<sup class="referencenumb">[59]</sup> Bucaille narrates an interesting discussion he had with a prominent French Egyptologist:</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">In the book <i>Reflections on the Qur'an</i> (<i>Réflexions sur le Coran</i><sup class="referencenumb">[60]</sup>), I have related the result of such a consultation that dates back to a dozen years ago and led me to question a specialist who, in addition, knew well the classical Arabic language. One of the most prominent French Egyptologists, fulfilling these conditions, was kind enough to answer the question.</p> <p class="bookquoteCN">I showed him the word "Haman" that I had copied exactly like it is written in the Qur'an, and told him that it had been extracted from a sentence of a document dating back to the 7th century AD, the sentence being related to somebody connected with Egyptian history.</p> <p class="bookquoteCN">He said to me that, in such a case, he would see in this word the transliteration of a hieroglyphic name but, for him, undoubtedly it could not be possible that a written document of the 7th century had contained a hieroglyphic name - unknown until that time - since, in that time, the hieroglyphs had been totally forgotten.</p> <p class="bookquoteCN">In order to confirm his deduction about the name, he advised me to consult the <i>Dictionary of Personal Names of the New Kingdom</i> by Ranke, where I might find the name written in hieroglyphs, as he had written before me, and the transliteration in German.</p> <p class="bookquoteCN">I discovered all that had been presumed by the expert, and, moreover, I was stupefied to read the profession of Haman: <span class="highlightbookqCN">"The Chief of the workers in the stone-quarries,"</span> exactly what could be deduced from the Qur'an, though the words of the Pharaoh suggest a master of construction.</p> <p class="bookquoteCN">When I came again to the expert with a photocopy of the page of the <i>Dictionary</i> concerning "Haman" and showed him one of the pages of the Qur'an where he could read the name, he was speechless...</p> <p class="bookquoteCN">Moreover, Ranke had noted, as a reference, a book published in 1906 by the Egyptologist Walter Wreszinski: the latter had mentioned that the name of "Haman" had been engraved on a stela kept at the Hof-Museum of Vienna (Austria). Several years later, when I was able to read the profession written in hieroglyphs on the stela, I observed that the determinative joined to the name had emphasised the importance of the intimate of Pharaoh.<sup class="referencenumb">[61]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>He went on to say:</p> <blockquote> <p><span class="bookquoteCN">Had the Bible or any other literary work, composed during a period when the hieroglyphs could still be deciphered, quoted "Haman," the presence in the Qur'an of this word might have not drawn special attention. But, it is a fact that the hieroglyphs had been totally forgotten at the time of the Qur'anic Revelation and that no one could not read them until the 19th century AD. Since matters stood like that in ancient times, the existence of the word "Haman" in the Qur'an suggests a special reflection.</span><sup class="referencenumb">[62]</sup></p> </blockquote> <p>Let us now cross-check some of the statements made by Bucaille. The following entry tabulated in Walter Wreszinski's <span class="reference">Aegyptische Inschriften aus dem K.K. Hof Museum in Wien</span> mentions the name <i><u>h</u>mn-h</i>, though no critical analysis of the hieroglyph was provided.</p><p>. </p><p align="center"><applet code="ImageApplet.class" width="652" align="middle" height="274"> <param name="img" value="images"> <param name="name" value="haman2.gif"> </applet></p> <p align="center"><i><span class="bookquote">Figure 4: Hieroglyph entry for "<u>h</u>mn-h" and his profession "Vorsteherder Steinbruch arbeiter" meaning "the chief / overseer of the workers in the stone-quarries" and dates from the New Kingdom Period.<sup class="referencenumb">[63]</sup></span></i></p> <p align="center"><applet code="ImageApplet.class" width="679" align="middle" height="109"> <param name="img" value="images"> <param name="name" value="haman3.gif"> </applet></p> <p align="center"><i><span class="bookquote">Figure 5: More information on "<u>h</u>mn-h". Notice that the "<u>h</u>mn-h" mentioned by Wreszinski is masculine.</span></i><span class="bookquote"><sup class="referencenumb">[64]</sup></span></p> <p>While discussing this name, Hermann Ranke in his <span class="reference">Die Ägyptischen Personennamen</span> was unsure what the last letter "<i>h</i>" in the name <i><u>h</u>mn-h</i> represented. Therefore, he designated the entry as "<i><u>h</u>mn-h(?)</i>" as if suggesting "<i>h</i>" was not actually part of the name.<span class="bookquote"><sup class="referencenumb">[65]</sup></span> </p> <p>In order to understand how the hieroglyphs are written and interpreted, let us take a look at the salient features of this form of writing. The Egyptian hieroglyphs are one of the oldest writing systems in the world. In 391 CE when the Byzantine Emperor Theodosius I closed all pagan temples throughout Egypt, it resulted in the termination of a four thousand year old tradition. The message of the ancient Egyptian language was lost for 1500 years and not until the discovery of the Rosetta stone and the work of Jean-Francois Champollion (1790-1832) that the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs <span class="highlightpara">awoke from their long slumber as a dead language</span>. The Egyptian hieroglyphic writing consists of an inventory of signs and is divided into three major categories, namely <i>logograms</i>, signs that write out morphemes; <i>phonograms</i>, signs that represent one or more sounds; and <i>determinatives</i>, signs that denote neither morpheme nor sound but help with the meaning of a group of signs that precede them. It is usually a picture of an object which helps the reader to understand the object and the context. The Egyptian hieroglyphs disregard the vowels. In other words, with this system one arrives at words that are connected by vowels. For example, let us take the word "beautiful". Its transcription in the Egyptian hieroglyphics is <i>nfr</i>. To ease the pronunciation of these three consonants, they are bound together with "e-sounds", which leads to <i>nefer</i>.<span class="bookquote"><sup class="referencenumb">[66]</sup></span> <span class="highlightpara">This pronunciation bears no relation with the original pronunciation of the Egyptian language. It is solely a convention to enable communication among the modern scholars or even commonfolk interested in ancient Egyptians hieroglyphs</span>. It is not surprising that the scholarly pronunciation of Egyptian hieroglyphs (even consonants!) also differs.<span class="bookquote"><sup class="referencenumb">[67]</sup></span> </p> <p>The hieroglyph in our case is <i><u>h</u>mn-h(?)</i> with a doubtful last letter. If we drop the last letter which is doubtful, the name can be rendered as "<i><u>h</u>emen</i>" or "<i><u>h</u>aman</i>" depending upon the vowel which is inserted to ensure an effective pronunciation of the hieroglyph. It is interesting to note that the profession of this person <i><u>h</u>mn-h(?)</i> in German reads <i>Vorsteherder Steinbruch arbeiter </i>- "The chief / overseer of the workers in the stone-quarries" (Fig. 4) . This name is listed as masculine (Fig. 5) and it is from the New Kingdom Period (Fig. 4). The generally accepted theory appears to be that Moses <a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/josephdetail.html#Moses%20Egypt">lived</a> during the reign of kings Rameses II or his successor Merenptah in the New Kingdom Period. The Qur'an suggests that Haman was a master of construction and this name appears to fit very well in almost all respects. </p> <p>However, an objection can be raised regarding the contents in the hieroglyph and the Qur'an. The Qur'an uses ه (<i>/h/</i>) instead of ح (<i>/<u>h</u>/</i>) for the name "Haman". The hieroglyph from the K.K. Hof Museum in Vienna above uses ح (<i>/<u>h</u>/</i>) instead of ه (<i>/h/</i>) in <i><u>h</u>mn</i>. This objection can be tackled in two ways. Firstly, when the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs were discovered by Jean-Francois Champollion, it was already a dead language. The phonology of the hieroglyphs were not known and even today, albeit with considerable amount of progress in Egyptian phonology, there remain uncertainties concerning the exact pronunciation of a word in ancient Egyptian. For example, in the case of <i>/h/</i> and <i>/<u>h</u>/</i>, Carsten Peust says:</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">It is presently impossible to decide whether the primary distinction of /h/ and /ḥ/ <span class="bookquote">[i.e., <i>/<u>h</u>/</i>]</span> was one of voice or one of place of articulation.<span class="bookquote"><sup class="referencenumb">[68]</sup></span></p> </blockquote> <p>Secondly, in Roman Demotic and contemporary hieroglyphic texts, a graphical confusion arises between <i>/h/</i> and <i>/<u>h</u>/</i>, suggesting a phonetic merger had taken place. Both sounds conflate into ϩ (i.e., <i>hori</i>) <i>/h/</i> in all Coptic dialects. It appears that <i>/h/</i> and <i>/<u>h</u>/</i> are not distinguished in Arabic loanwords from Coptic.<span class="bookquote"><sup class="referencenumb">[69]</sup></span> As to how far back this merger in Egyptian history goes back is not very clear. There are early examples of a merger between <i>/h/</i> and <i>/<u>h</u>/</i> from the New Kingdom Period mentioned by Jürgen Osing.<span class="bookquote"><sup class="referencenumb">[70]</sup></span> </p> <p>The question now arises as to whether the Haman mentioned in the hieroglyph from the K.K. Hof Museum is <i>the</i> Haman mentioned in the Qur'an. Maybe. Although there are a lot of interesting similarities between the Haman's mentioned in the Qur'an and in the hieroglyph, <span class="highlightpara">it is currently not possible to determine with a great degree of certainty whether this hieroglyph refers to the Qur'anic Haman</span>. What we do know, however, is that the name Haman is attested in ancient Egypt, it is a masculine name, and it dates to the New Kingdom period, the period of history in which Moses is principally associated.</p> <p>It is also interesting to note that there also existed a similar sounding name called Hemon<span class="bookquote"><sup class="referencenumb">[71]</sup></span> (or Hemiunu / Hemionu<span class="bookquote"><sup class="referencenumb">[72]</sup></span> as he is also known as), a vizier to King Khnum-Khufu who is widely considered to be the architect of Khnum-Khufu's the Great Pyramid at Giza. He lived in the 4th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom Period (<i>c</i>. 2700 - 2190 BCE). </p> <p align="center"><applet code="ImageApplet.class" width="216" align="middle" height="455"> <param name="img" value="images"> <param name="name" value="hemon.jpg"> </applet></p> <p align="center"><i><span class="bookquote">(a)</span></i></p> <p align="center"><img src="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/hemon_hieroglyph.gif" width="33" height="43" /></p> <p class="bookquote" align="center"><i>(b)</i></p> <p align="center"><i class="bookquote">Figure 6: (a) Statue of Hemon, Khufu's master builder. The eyes have been hacked out by robbers, and restored.<span class="bookquote"><sup class="referencenumb">[73]</sup></span> This statue is in the Hildesheim Museum. (b) The hieroglyph showing the name "Hemiunu".<span class="bookquote"><sup class="referencenumb">[74]</sup></span></i></p> <p>He is said to have been buried in a large and splendid tomb at Saqqara in the royal necropolis. There is an extant statue of Hemiunu / Hemon, which resides in the Hildesheim Museum [Fig. 6(a)]. Although the name Hemiunu / Hemon is quite similar to Haman, they are written differently [compare the hieroglyphs in Fig. 6(b) with Fig. (4)] and perhaps also pronounced differently<i>.</i> The writing of Hemiunu employs <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardiner%27s_Sign_List">Gardiner signs</a> U36 O28. This is different from what we have seen for <i><u>h</u>mn</i> which employs V28 Y5 N35. </p> <p><a name="5"></a><span class="title">5. Conclusions</span></p> <p>Marraccio's identification of the Qur'anic Haman as having been appropriated from the Hebrew Bible and Jewish mythology was subsequently adopted by Protestant scholars and missionaries. Adam Clarke's assessment of Marraccio's translation indicates that the Protestants unabashedly adopted this Roman Catholic pronouncement. One must note with a sense of alarm the ability of this 'critical note' to endure for over 300 years without anyone seemingly taking the opportunity to evaluate the veracity of Marraccio's untested assumptions. Concerning the name Haman, such illustrious entries in the <span class="reference">Encyclopaedia Of Islam</span> and the <span class="reference">Encyclopaedia Of The Qur'an</span> make no attempt to engage with the Egyptological historical record.</p> <p> </p> <p>Marraccio's assumption of the historicity and authenticity of the biblical narrative has been shown by contemporary Judaeo-Christian scholars to be misplaced. As we have observed, that the book of Esther lacks historicity is not too unexpected. This unhistorical Haman is portrayed as the prime minister of Ahasuerus, King of Persia. The plot of the unhistorical Haman to annihilate the Jews in the Persian Empire in retaliation for Mordecai's refusal to bow to him, seems to be the corrupt version of the original event when Haman had a hand in suggesting and executing the second massacre of the Israelites newborn males, to demoralise the Israelites and discourage them from following Moses. Athanasius whose famous <i>Epistola Festalis</i> of 367 CE settled the limits of the New Testament canon at the twenty-seven books accepted as canonical by Protestants today, unceremoniously rejected Esther from his exclusive list of 'divinely-inspired' Old Testament books. Even the Jews had difficulty deciding on the canonicity of Esther.</p> <p> </p> <p>Wreszinski's <span class="reference">Aegyptische Inschriften aus dem K.K. Hof Museum in Wien</span> published in 1906 CE noted a hieroglyph engraved on a stela kept at the K.K. Hof Museum in Vienna, Austria, contained the letters <i><u>h</u>mn-h</i>. About thirty years later while discussing this name, Ranke in his <span class="reference">Die Ägyptischen Personennamen</span> was unsure what the last letter "h" in the name <i><u>h</u>mn-h</i> represented. Therefore, he designated the entry as "<i><u>h</u>mn-h(?)</i>" suggesting as if "h" was not in actuality part of the name. If we drop the doubtful last letter, the name can be rendered as "<i>hemen</i>" or "<i>haman</i>" depending upon the vowel which is inserted to ensure an effective pronunciation of the hieroglyph. It is interesting to note that the profession of this person <i><u>h</u>mn-h(?)</i> in German reads <i>Vorsteherder Steinbruch arbeiter</i> - "The chief / overseer of the workers in the stone-quarries" (Fig. 4). This name is listed as masculine (Fig. 5) and it is from the New Kingdom Period (Fig. 4). The generally accepted theory appears to be that Moses <a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/josephdetail.html#Moses%20Egypt">lived</a> during the reign of King Rameses II or his successor Merenptah in the New Kingdom Period. The Qur'an suggests that Haman was a master of construction and this name appears to fit very well in almost all respects. However, it is unclear whether Haman mentioned in the hieroglyphs is actually <i>the</i> Hamam mentioned in the Qur'an. More research would throw some light on this issue.</p> <p>The historicity of the name Haman provides yet another sharp reminder to those that adhere to the precarious theory that parts of the Qur'an were allegedly copied from the Bible. If Egyptian hieroglyphs were long dead and the Book of Esther a work of fiction, then from where did the Prophet Muhammad obtain his information? The Qur'an answers:</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">Your Companion is neither astray nor being misled. Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) desire. It is no less than inspiration sent down to him. He was taught by one mighty in Power. <span class="bookquote">[Qur'an 53:2-5]</span></p> </blockquote> <p>It is interesting to note that the meaning of the word <i>ayah</i>, usually translated as 'verse' in the Qur'an, also means a sign and a proof. The reference to Haman and other facts concerning ancient Egypt in the Qur'an suggests a special reflection.</p> <p>And Allah knows best!</p> <hr /> <p class="title">References & Notes</p> <p>[1] Ludoviico Marraccio, <span class="reference">Alcorani Textus Universus Ex Correctioribus Arabum Exemplaribus Summa Fide, Atque Pulcherrimis Characteribus Descriptus</span>, 1698, Ex Typographia Seminarii: Patavii (Italy), p. 526. The original text says:</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">Onfundit Mahumetus Sacras historias. Ponit enim Haman Consiliarium Pharaonis, cùm Assuero Persarum Regi à consiliis suerit. Fingit prætereà Pharaonem jussisse extrui sibi Turrim sublimem, ex cujus vertice Deum Moysis inferiorem sibi videret: quod commentum haud dubium est, quin ex Babelicæ turris ædificatione dusumpserit. Certè nihil hujusmondi de Pharaone in Sacris literis habetur, & quidquid sit, inanissimam praesefert fabulum.</p> </blockquote> <p>This translation of the Qur'an by the Luccan monk and his associated commentary was well received in Protestant missionary circles. Prominent Methodist missionary Adam Clarke (1760/1762 – 1832 CE), an executive member of the colonial-missionary organisation the <i>British And Foreign Bible Society</i>, described the translation as:</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">A work of immense labour: the translation is good and literal, and many of the grammatical and philological notes possess great merit. </p> </blockquote> <p>See A. Clarke, <span class="reference">The Bibliographical Miscellany; Or, Supplement To The Bibliographical Dictionary</span>, 1806, Volume I, W. Baynes, Paternoster-Row: London, p. 286.</p> <p>This statement should be understood in the context of Clarke's working environment. Armed with the intention of specifically targeting Muslims, he was employed by the <i>British And Foreign Bible Society</i> in the preparation of their Arabic Bible and played a pivotal role in introducing the Arabic Bible to the African continent. See C. J. S. Teignmouth, <span class="reference">Memoir Of The Life And Correspondence Of John Lord Teignmouth</span>, 1843, Hatchard and Son: London, Chapters XVI, XVII & XVIII; also see P. Mirrlees, "<span class="articlename">John Hill And The Early Attempt To Study A West African Language</span>", in S. Batalden, K. Cann & J. Dean (Eds.), <span class="reference">Sowing The Word: The Cultural Impact Of The British And Foreign Bible Society 1804-2004</span>, 2004, Sheffield Phoenix Press: Sheffield (UK), pp. 98–120.</p> <p>[2] G. Sale, <span class="reference">The Koran Commonly Called Alcoran Of Mohammed Translated Into English Immediately From The Original Arabic With Explanatory Notes Taken From The Most Approved Commentators To Which Is Prefixed A Preliminary Discourse </span>, 1825, Volume II, London, p. 239, footnote 'h'.</p> <p>[3] Th. Noldeke, "<span class="articlename">The Koran</span>", <span class="reference">Encyclopædia Britannica</span>, 1893, Volume 16, Adam And Charles Black: Edinburgh, p. 600. This article was reprinted many times with slight modifications. T. Nöldeke (J. S. Black [Trans.]), <span class="reference">Sketches From Eastern History</span>, 1892, Adam and Charles Black: London & Edinburgh, p. 30. This article was reprinted and edited by N. A. Newman, <span class="reference">The Qur'an: An Introductory Essay By Theodor Nöldeke</span>, 1992, Interdisciplinary Biblical Research Institute: Hatfield (PA), p. 9; Also see Th. Nöldeke, "<span class="articlename">The Koran</span>" in Ibn Warraq, <span class="reference">The Origins Of The Koran: Classic Essays On Islam's Holy Book</span>, 1998, Prometheus Books, p. 43; Also see Th. Nöldeke, "<span class="articlename">The Koran</span>" in C. Turner (Ed.), <span class="reference">The Koran: Critical Concepts In Islamic Studies</span>, 2004, Volume I (Provenance and Transmission), RoutledgeCurzon: London & New York, p. 77. </p> <p>[4] Rev. A. Mingana & A. S. Lewis (eds.), <span class="reference">Leaves From Three Ancient Qur'âns Possibly Pre-`Othmânic With A List Of Their Variants</span>, 1914, Cambridge: At The University Press, p. xiv. Also reprint in A. Mingana, "<span class="articlename">Three Ancient Korans</span>" in Ibn Warraq, <span class="reference">The Origins Of The Koran: Classic Essays On Islam's Holy Book</span>, 1998, <i>op. cit.</i>, p. 79.</p> <p>[5] H. Lammens (Translated from French by Sir E. Denison Ross), <span class="reference">Islam: Beliefs and Institutions</span>, 1929, Methuen & Co. Ltd.: London, p. 39.</p> <p>[6] J. Horovitz, <span class="reference">Koranische Untersuchungen</span>, 1926, Walter De Gruyter: Berlin & Leipzig, p. 149.</p> <p>[7] C. C. Torrey, <span class="reference">Jewish Foundation of Islam</span>, 1933, Ktav Publishing House, Inc.: New York, See pages 117 and 119.</p> <p>[8] A. Jeffery, <span class="reference">The Foreign Vocabulary of the Qur'an</span>, 1938, Oriental Institute: Baroda, pp. 284.</p> <p>[9] G. Vajda, "<span class="articlename">Haman</span>" in B. Lewis, V. L. Menage, Ch. Pellat and J. Schacht (Eds.), <span class="reference">Encyclopaedia of Islam</span> (New Edition), 1971, Volume III, E. J. Brill (Leiden) & Luzac & Co. (London), p. 110.</p> <p>[10] A. J. Wensinck [G. Vajda], "<span class="articlename">Fir`awn</span>" in B. Lewis, Ch. Pellat and J. Schacht (Eds.), <span class="reference">Encyclopaedia of Islam</span> (New Edition), 1965, Volume II, E. J. Brill (Leiden) & Luzac & Co. (London), p. 917.</p> <p>[11] A. H. Jones, "<span class="articlename">Haman</span>", in J. D. McAuliffe (Ed.), <span class="reference">Encyclopaedia Of The Qur'an</span>, 2002, Volume II, Brill: Leiden, p. 399.</p> <p>[12] See for example Dr. A. A. Shorrosh, <span class="reference">Islam Revealed: A Christian Arab's View Of Islam</span>, 1988, Thomas Nelson Publishers: Nashville, p. 209; R. Morey, <span class="reference">The Islamic Invasion: Confronting The World's Fastest Growing Religion</span>, 1992, Harvest House Publishers: Eugene (OR), p. 142; `Abdallah `Abd al-Fadi, <span class="reference">Is The Qur'an Infallible?</span>, 1995, Light of Life: Villach (Austria), pp. 35-36 and p. 88; N. A. Newman, <span class="reference">Muhammad, The Qur'an & Islam</span>, 1996, Interdisciplinary Biblical Research Institute: Hatfield (PA), p. 380; W. E. Phipps, <span class="reference">Muhammad And Jesus: A Comparison Of The Prophets And Their Teachings</span>, 1996, Continuum Publishing Company: New York (NY), p. 90; D. Richardson, <span class="reference">Secrets Of The Koran: Revealing Insights Into Islam's Holy Book</span>, 1999, Regal Books From Gospel Light: Ventura (CA), p. 34; S. Masood, <span class="reference">The Bible And The Qur'an: A Question Of Integrity</span>, 2001, OM Publication: Carlisle, UK, p. 86; E. M. Caner & E. F. Caner, <span class="reference">Unveiling Islam: An Insider's Look At Muslim Life And Beliefs</span>, 2002, Kregal Publications: Grand Rapids (MI), p. 89; Abdullah Al-Araby, <span class="reference">Islam Unveiled</span>, 2002 (10th Edition), The Pen Vs. The Sword: Los Angeles (CA), p. 42 and p. 44; M. Elass, <span class="reference">Understanding the Koran: A Quick Christian Guide To The Muslim Holy Book</span>, 2004, Zondervan: Grand Rapids (MI), p. 181, note 3.</p> <p>A gentle, sensitive but inadequate treatment is done by John Kaltner concerning the issue of Haman in the Bible and the Qur'an. See J. Kaltner, <span class="reference">Ishmael Instructs Isaac: An Introduction To The Qur'an For Bible Readers</span>, 1999, The Liturgical Press: Collegeville (Minnesota), pp. 134-135; Also see J. Jomier (Trans. Z. Hersov), <span class="reference">The Great Themes Of The Qur'an</span>, 1997, SCM Press Limited: London, p. 78. </p> <p>[13] Ibn Warraq, <span class="reference">Why I Am Not A Muslim</span>, 1995, Prometheus Books: Amherst (NY), p. 159.</p> <p>[14] J. D. Levenson, <span class="reference">Esther: A Commentary</span>, 1997, SCM Press Limited, p. 23.</p> <p>[15] M. V. Fox, <span class="reference">Character And Ideology In The Book Of Esther</span>, 1991, University of South Carolina Press: Columbia (SC), pp. 131-139.</p> <p>[16] <i>ibid.</i>, p. 131.</p> <p>[17] L. B. Paton, <span class="reference">A Critical And Exegetical Commentary On The Book Of Esther</span>, 1992 (reprinted), T. & T. Clark: Edinburgh (UK), pp. 64-77. After discussing the arguments <i>for</i> and <i>against</i> the book's historicity, Paton says:</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">In the presence of these analogies there is no more reason why one should assume a historical basis for the story of Est. than for these other admittedly unhistorical works which it so closely resembles.</p> </blockquote> <p>[18] C. A. Moore, <span class="reference">Esther: Introduction, Translation, And Notes</span>, 1971, The Anchor Bible, Doubleday & Company Inc.: Garden City (NY), pp. xxxiv-xlvi; For a similar assessment see C. A. Moore, "<span class="articlename">Archaeology And The Book Of Esther</span>", <span class="reference">The Biblical Archaeologist</span>, 1975, Volume 38, pp. 62-79.</p> <p>[19] "<span class="articlename">Esther</span>", <span class="reference">The Universal Jewish Encyclopaedia</span>, 1941, Volume 4, The Universal Jewish Encyclopaedia Inc.: New York, p. 170.</p> <p>[20] "<span class="articlename">Esther</span>", <span class="reference">The Jewish Encyclopaedia</span>, 1905, Volume V, Funk & Wagnalls Company: London & New York, pp. 235-236.</p> <p>[21] A. Berlin, <span class="reference">The JPS Bible Commentary: Esther</span>, 2001, The Jewish Publication Society: Philadelphia, pp. xxvii-xxviii.</p> <p>[22] M. Black & H. H. Rowley (Eds.), <span class="reference">Peake's Commentary On The Bible</span>, 1962, Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.: London & New York, p. 381.</p> <p>[23] L. E. Keck <i>et al.</i> (Eds.), <span class="reference">The New Interpreter's Bible: General Articles & Introduction, Commentary, & Reflections For Each Book Of The Bible, Including The Apocryphal / Deuterocanonical Books</span>, 1994, Volume III, Abingdon Press: Nashville (TN), p. 859.</p> <p>[24] R. E. Brown, J. A. Fitzmyer & R. E. Murphy (Eds.), <span class="reference">The Jerome Biblical Commentary</span>, 1968, Volume I (The Old Testament), Geoffrey Chapman: London (UK), pp. 628-629.</p> <p>[25] Rev. R. C. Fuller, Rev. L. Johnston, Very Rev. C. Kearns (Eds.), <span class="reference">A New Catholic Commentary On Holy Scripture</span>, 1969, Thomas Nelson & Sons, pp. 408-409.</p> <p>[26] "<span class="articlename">Esther</span>", <span class="reference"></span>The Rev. T. K. Cheyne & J. S. Black (Eds.), <span class="reference">Encyclopaedia Biblica: A Critical Dictionary Of The Literary, Political And Religious History, The Archaeology, Geography And Natural History Of The Bible</span>, 1901, Volume II, The Macmillan Company: New York, Columns 1401-1402.</p> <p>[27] "<span class="articlename">Haman</span>", <span class="reference">Encyclopaedia Judaica</span>, Volume 7, Encyclopaedia Judaica Jerusalem, The Macmillan Company, p. 1222.</p> <p>[28] "<span class="articlename">Haman</span>", in G. A. Buttrick (Ed.), <span class="reference">The Interpreter's Dictionary Of The Bible</span>, 1962 (1996 Print), Volume 2, Abingdon Press: Nashville, p. 516.</p> <p>[29] "<span class="articlename">Ahasuerus</span>", <span class="reference">Webster's Biographical Dictionary</span>, 1972, G. & C. Merriam Co.: Springfield, USA, p. 17.</p> <p>[30] "<span class="articlename">Dead Sea Scrolls</span>" in B. M. Metzger and M. D. Coogan (Ed.), <span class="reference">Oxford Companion To The Bible</span>, 1993, Oxford University Press: Oxford & New York, p. 159.</p> <p>[31] C. A. Moore, "<span class="articlename">Archaeology And The Book Of Esther</span>", <span class="reference">The Biblical Archaeologist</span>, 1975, <i>op. cit.</i>, p. 63.</p> <p>[32] The map is taken from C. A. Moore, <span class="reference">Esther: Introduction, Translation, And Notes</span>, 1971, The Anchor Bible, <i>op. cit.</i>, pp. xxvi-xxvii. For a good overview of place of Esther in the Christian canon see B. W. Anderson, "<span class="articlename">The Place Of The Book Of Esther In The Christian Bible</span>", <span class="reference">Journal Of Religion</span>, 1950, Volume 30, pp. 32-43.</p> <p>[33] M. Luther, <span class="reference">Table Talk</span>, 1995, Fount: An Imprint of HarperCollins<i>Publisher</i>: London (UK), XXIV, p. 14.</p> <p>[34] Dr. Martin Luther, <span class="reference">Biblia</span>, 1538, Wolff K: Strassburg; Also see Luther's introduction to the book of Esther in E. T. Bachmann (Ed.) & H. L. Lehmann (Gen. Ed.), <span class="reference">Luther's Works</span>, 1960, Volume 35, Muhlenberg Press: Philadelphia, pp. 353-354. </p> <p>[35] The absence of mention of the God in the book of Esther has baffled many scholars. Many of them have given various reasons for such an omission. For a general overview on this topic, please see: "<span class="articlename">Esther</span>", <span class="reference"></span>The Rev. T. K. Cheyne & J. S. Black (Eds.), <span class="reference">Encyclopaedia Biblica: A Critical Dictionary Of The Literary, Political And Religious History, The Archaeology, Geography And Natural History Of The Bible</span>, 1901, Volume II, <i>op. cit.</i>, col. 1403; "<span class="articlename">Esther</span>", <span class="reference">The Jewish Encyclopaedia</span>, 1905, Volume V, <i>op. cit.</i>, p. 236; "<span class="articlename">Esther</span>", <span class="reference">The Universal Jewish Encyclopaedia</span>, 1941, Volume 4, <i>op. cit.</i>, p. 170; B. W. Anderson, "<span class="articlename">The Place Of The Book Of Esther In The Christian Bible</span>", <span class="reference">Journal Of Religion</span>, 1950, <i>op. cit.</i>, p. 32; M. Black & H. H. Rowley (Eds.), <span class="reference">Peake's Commentary On The Bible</span>, 1962, <i>op. cit.</i>, p. 381; R. E. Brown, J. A. Fitzmyer & R. E. Murphy (Eds.), <span class="reference">The Jerome Biblical Commentary</span>, 1968, Volume I (The Old Testament), <i>op. cit.</i>, p. 629; C. A. Moore, <span class="reference">Esther: Introduction, Translation, And Notes</span>, 1971, The Anchor Bible, <i>op. cit.</i>, p. xxxii-xxxiii; C. M. Laymon (Ed.), <span class="reference">The Interpreter's One-Volume Commentary On The Bible Including All The Books Of The Old And New Testaments And The Apocrypha, Together With Forty-Three General Articles</span>, 1972, Collins: London & Glasgow, p. 233; W. A. Elwell (Ed.), <span class="reference">The Marshall Pickering Commentary On The NIV</span>, 1989, Baker Book House Company, p. 327.</p> <p>[36] A survey of the four most popular encyclopedias of Bible "difficulties" reveal no trace of a discussion on the historicity or the canonicity of Esther. See N. L. Geisler & R. M. Brooks, <span class="reference">When Skeptics Ask</span>, 2001, Baker Books: Grand Rapids (MI); N. L. Geisler, <span class="reference">Baker Encyclopedia Of Christian Apologetics</span>, 2002, Baker Books: Grand Rapids (MI); N. Geisler & T. Howe, <span class="reference">When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook On Bible Difficulties</span>, 2004 (7th Printing), Baker Books: Grand Rapids (MI); G. L. Archer Jr., <span class="reference">New International Encyclopedia Of Bible Difficulties</span>, 1982, Zondervan: Grand Rapids (MI). </p> <p>[37] "<span class="articlename">Pharaoh</span>" in <span class="reference">Encyclopaedia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite 2004 DVD</span>, © 1994 – 2004 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.</p> <p>[38] "<span class="articlename">Pharaoh</span>" in H. Lockyer, Sr. (General Editor), F.F. Bruce <i>et al.</i>, (Consulting Editors), <span class="reference">Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary</span>, 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers, p. 828.</p> <p align="left">[39] F. S. Coplestone (Updated & Expanded by J. C. Trehern), <span class="reference">Jesus Christ Or Mohammed? A Guide To Islam And Christianity That Helps Explain The Differences</span>, 2001, Christian Focus Publications: Ross-shire (Scotland), p. 80; For a similar claim also see J. W. Sweetman, <span class="reference">Islam And Christian Theology: A Study Of The Interpretation Of Theological Ideas In The Two Religions</span>, 1945, Volume I, Part 1 (Preparatory History Survey of the Early Period), Lutterworth Press: London & Redhill, p. 11.</p> <p align="left">[40] Rabbi Dr. S. M. Lehrman (Trans.), Rabbi Dr. H. Freedman & M. Simon (Eds.), <span class="reference">Midrash Rabbah: Exodus</span>, 1939, Soncino Press: London (UK), VIII.2, pp. 116-117.</p> <p align="left">[41] L. Zunz,<i> </i><span class="reference">Die Gottesdienstlichen Vorträge der Juden: Historisch Entwickelt</span>, 1892, Verlag von J. Kauffmann: Frankfurt, pp. 269. Full discussion in pp. 268-270; Also see "<span class="articlename">Midrash Exodus (Shemoth Rabbah)</span>",<i> </i><span class="reference">The Universal Jewish Encyclopaedia</span>, 1969, Volume 7, Ktav Publishing House, Inc.: New York, p. 539; Similar views are mentioned by Brannon Wheeler in <span class="reference">Moses In The Quran And Islamic Exegesis</span>, 2002, RoutledgeCurzon: London, pp. 39-40.</p> <p align="left">[42] M. D. Herr, "<span class="articlename">Exodus Rabbah</span>",<i> </i><span class="reference">Encyclopaedia Judaica</span>, Volume 6, Encyclopaedia Judaica Jerusalem, cols. 1067-1068; </p> <p align="left">[43] A. Shinan, <span class="reference">Midrash Shemot Rabbah, Chapters I-XIV: A Critical Edition Based On A Jerusalem Manuscript, With Variants, Commentary And Introduction</span>, 1984, Tel Aviv, p. 19.</p> <p>[44] A. J. Spencer, <span class="reference">Brick Architecture In Ancient Egypt</span>, 1979, Aris & Phillips Ltd.: UK, p. 140; P. T. Nicholson & I. Shaw (eds.), <span class="reference">Ancient Egyptian Materials And Technology</span>, 2000, Cambridge University Press: Cambridge (UK), p. 79.</p> <p>[45] W. M. F. Petrie, <span class="reference">Abydos: Part II</span>, 1903, Egyptian Exploration Fund & Trübner & Co: London, p. 25 and p. 48. Petrie comments on the importance of these discoveries by saying (p. 48):</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">Several objects have placed the history of art and products in an entirely new light, <span class="highlightbookqCN">change some of the ideas hitherto accepted</span>.</p> <p class="bookquoteCN">At the beginning of the 1st Dynasty we meet with the art of glazing fully developed, not only for large monochrome vessels, but for inlay of different colours... It was also used for relief work, and in the round... and on the great scale for the coating of wall surfaces.</p> </blockquote> <p>[46] G. A. Reisner, N. F. Wheeler & D. Dunham, <span class="reference">Uronarti Shalfak Mirgissa</span>, 1967, Second Cataract Forts: Volume II, Museum Of Fine Arts: Boston (USA), pp. 118-119 and Plate XLIX B; Also see A. J. Spencer, <span class="reference">Brick Architecture In Ancient Egypt</span>, 1979, <i>op. cit.</i>, p. 140.</p> <p>[47] L. Borchardt, O. Königsberger & H. Ricke, "<span class="articlename">Friesziegel in Grabbauten</span>", <span class="reference">Zeitschrift Für Ägyptische Sprache Und Altertumskunde</span>, Volume 70, pp. 25-35; A brief discussion of these bricks at Thebes is also available in A. J. Spencer, <span class="reference">Brick Architecture In Ancient Egypt</span>, <i>op. cit.</i>, p. 140.</p> <p>[48] A. J. Spencer, <span class="reference">Brick Architecture In Ancient Egypt</span>, <i>op. cit.</i>, p. 141.</p> <p>[49] P. T. Nicholson & I. Shaw (eds.), <span class="reference">Ancient Egyptian Materials And Technology</span>, <i>op. cit.</i>, p. 79; A similar observation was also made by Baldwin Smith. See E. B. Smith, <span class="reference">Egyptian Architecture As Cultural Expression</span>, 1938, D. Appleton-Century Company: New York & London, p. 7.</p> <p>[50] C. Jacq (Trans. J. M. Davis), <span class="reference">Egyptian Magic</span>, 1985, Aris & Phillips Ltd. & Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers: Chicago, p. 11.</p> <p>[51] J. P. Allen, "<span class="articlename">Pyramid Texts</span>", in D. B. Redford, <span class="reference">The Oxford Encyclopedia Of Ancient Egypt</span>, 2001, Volume III, Oxford University Press, pp. 95-97.</p> <p>[52] M. Verner, "<span class="articlename">Pyramid</span>", in D. B. Redford (Ed.), <span class="reference">The Oxford Encyclopedia Of Ancient Egypt</span>, 2001, Volume III, <i>op. cit.</i>, p. 88.</p> <p>[53] M. Lehner, <span class="reference">The Complete Pyramids</span>, 1997, Thames And Hudson: London, p. 34; I. E. S. Edwards, <span class="reference">The Pyramids Of Egypt</span>, 1985, Viking, p. 302; Y. Abou-Hadid, <span class="reference">Why Pyramids</span>, 1979, Vantage Press: New York, p. 46; For a slightly different view see J. C. Deaton, "<span class="articlename">The Old Kingdom Evidence For The Function Of Pyramids</span>", <span class="reference">Varia Aegyptiaca</span>, 1988, Volume 4, No. 3, p. 193-200.</p> <p>[54] A. Erman & H. Grapow, <span class="reference">Wörterbuch Der Aegyptischen Sprache</span>, 1928, Volume II, J. C. Hinrichs'sche Buchhandlung: Leipzig, p. 94, 14-16.</p> <p>[55] R. Hannig, <span class="reference">Die Sprache Der Pharaonen Großes Handwörterbuch Ägyptisch - Deutsch (2800-950 v. Chr.)</span>, 2000, Verlag Philipp Von Zabern: Mainz, p. 999; Also see the older edition of the same book by R. Hannig, <span class="reference">Die Sprache Der Pharaonen Großes Handwörterbuch Ägyptisch - Deutsch (2800-950 v. Chr.)</span>, 1995, Verlag Philipp Von Zabern: Mainz, p. 344.</p> <p>[56] Jacques Jomier asks in <span class="reference">The Great Themes Of The Qur'an</span>, 1997, <i>op. cit.</i>, p. 78:</p> <blockquote> <p class="bookquoteCN">Here Pharaoh... asks Haman to build him a high tower so that he can ascend to the God of Moses (cf. v. 36). Could this be a vague recollection of the pyramids?</p> </blockquote> <p>The answer to this question is not certain. The Egyptian pyramids were indeed tall structures. If the Pharaoh did ask for a pyramid to be built then it was as if he was asking Haman to build his tomb! Alternatively, if it was indeed a pyramid the Pharaoh asked for, then the Pharaoh has proven himself to be a mortal to be buried in a tomb and not the God, as he had claimed to be. Also there exist examples of several mud-brick pyramids from the Middle Kingdom Period. The pyramid tombs of Senwosret II (at Hawara), Senwosret III (at Dahshur), Amenemhet II (at Dahshur) and Amenemhet III (at Hawara) are the best known examples of mud-brick constructions. See M. Lehner, <span class="reference">The Complete Pyramids</span>, 1997, <i>op. cit.</i>, pp. 175-183.</p> <p>[57] I. E. S. Edwards, <span class="reference">The Pyramids Of Egypt</span>, 1985, <i>op. cit.</i>, p. 302; Also see Sir F. Petrie, <span class="reference">Religious Life In Ancient Egypt</span>, 1924, Constable & Company Limited: London, pp. 208-209. It is a slightly out-of-date reference. Nevertheless, it provides a brief background to ancient Egyptian beliefs of ascension to gods.</p> <p>[58] Syed suggests that "Haman" is a title of a person not his name, just as Pharaoh was a title and not a proper personal name. Syed proposes that the title "Haman" referred to the "high priest of Amun". Amun is also known as "Hammon" and both are normal pronunciations of the same name. Syed's identification of Haman as "the high priest of Amun" may be probable. See S. M. Syed, "<span class="articlename">Historicity Of Haman As Mentioned In The Qur'an</span>", <span class="reference">The Islamic Quarterly</span>, 1980, Volume 24, No. 1 and 2, pp. 52-53; Also see a slightly modified article by him published four years later: S. M. Syed, "<span class="articlename">Haman In The Light Of The Qur'an</span>", <span class="reference">Hamdard Islamicus</span>, 1984, Volume 7, No. 4, pp. 86-87.</p> <p>[59] M. Bucaille, <span class="reference">Moses and Pharaoh: The Hebrews In Egypt</span>, 1995, NTT Mediascope Inc.: Tokyo, p. 192.</p> <p>[60] M. Talbi and M. Bucaille, <span class="reference">Réflexions sur le Coran</span>, 1989, Seghers: Paris.</p> <p>[61] M. Bucaille, <span class="reference">Moses and Pharaoh: The Hebrews In Egypt</span>, 1995, <i>op. cit.</i> pp. 192-193.</p> <p>[62] <i>ibid</i>.</p> <p align="left">[63] W. Wreszinski, <span class="reference">Aegyptische Inschriften aus dem K.K. Hof Museum in Wien</span>, 1906, J. C. Hinrichs' sche Buchhandlung: Leipzig, I 34, p. 130.</p> <p align="left">[64] <i>ibid</i>., p. 196. </p> <p>[65] H. Ranke, <span class="reference">Die Ägyptischen Personennamen</span>, 1935, Volume I (Verzeichnis der Namen), Verlag Von J. J. Augustin in Glückstadt, p. 240.</p> <p>[66] C. Peust, <span class="reference">Egyptian Phonology: An Introduction To The Phonology Of A Dead Language</span>, 1999, Monographien Zur Ägyptischen Sprache: Band 2, Peust & Gutschmidt Verlag GbR mit Haftungsbeschränkung: Göttingen, pp. 54-55. </p> <p>[67] <i>ibid</i>., pp. 52-53. </p> <p>[68] <i>ibid</i>., p. 98.</p> <p>[69] <i>ibid</i>., p. 99 and Appendix 8 on p. 323.</p> <p>[70] J. Osing, <span class="reference">Die Nominalbildung Des Ägyptischen: Anmerkungen Und Indices</span>, 1976, Deutsches Archäologisches Institut: Abteilung Kairo, Verlag Philipp von Zabern: Mainz / Rhein, Note 47, pp. 367-368.</p> <p>[71] P. A. Clayton, <span class="reference">Chronicle Of The Pharaohs: The Reign-By-Reign Record of The Rulers And Dynasties Of Ancient Egypt</span>, 1994, Thames and Hudson: London, p. 47.</p> <p>[72] "<span class="articlename">Hemionu</span>" in M. Rice, <span class="reference">Who's Who In Ancient Egypt</span>, 1999, Routledge: London and New York, p. 63.</p> <p>[73] The restored statue was compared with fragments of relief of Hemiunu. For this interesting study see G. Steindorff, "<span class="articlename">Ein Reliefbildnis Des Prinzen Hemiun</span>", <span class="reference">Zeitschrift Für Ägyptische Sprache Und Altertumskunde</span>, 1937, Volume 70, pp. 120-121.</p> <p>[74] H. Junker, <span class="reference">Giza I. Bericht über die von der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wein auf Gemeinsame Kosten mit Dr. Wilhelm Pelizaeus unternommenen. Grabungen auf dem Friedhof des Alten Reiches bei den Pyramiden von Giza</span>, 1929, Volume I (Die Ma<u>st</u>abas der IV. Dynastie auf dem Westfriedhof), Holder-Pichler-Tempsky A.-G.: Wein and Leipzig, pp. 132-162 for the complete description of Hemon's <em>ma<u>st</u>aba</em>. The name and title of Hemon are discussed in pp. 148-151. For the hieroglyphs inscribed at the footstool of the statue of Hemon representing the titles see Plate XXIII; For a good discussion of reliefs of Hemon / Hemiunu, see W. S. Smith, "<span class="articlename">The Origin Of Some Unidentified Old Kingdom Reliefs</span>", <span class="reference">American Journal Of Archaeology</span>, 1942, Volume 46, pp. 520-530.</p><p><br /></p><p>Source :<a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/haman.html#">www.islamic-awareness.org</a><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-54483371434555266082010-12-27T21:55:00.000+07:002010-12-27T22:02:17.570+07:00Was `Uzayr (Ezra) Called The Son Of God?<p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><i>By:</i></span><span style="color: rgb(119, 0, 0);font-family:Times New Roman;" >M S M Saifullah & Mustafa Ahmed</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><i>Assalamu-`alaikum wa rahamatullahi wa barakatuhu:</i></span></p> <p>`<span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Uzayr, who was exalted by a community of Jews, is identified as Ezra by Muslim commentators. The Qur'an says:</span></p> <blockquote> <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221);font-family:Times New Roman;" >The Jews call `</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221);font-family:Times New Roman;" >Uzair a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is the saying from their mouth; (In this) they are intimate; what the Unbelievers of the old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the truth.</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> [Qur'an 9:30]</span></p> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Before we take care of the origin of the issue of exalting Ezra to son of God by some Jews, let us first discuss the life of the man himself.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Ezra (5th-4th century BC, Babylon and Jerusalem) was a religious leader of the Jews who returned from exile in Babylon, and a reformer who reconstituted the Jewish community on the basis of the Torah (Law, or the regulations of the first five books of the Old Testament). This monumental work of Ezra helped to make Judaism a religion in which law was central, that enabled the Jews to survive as a community when they were dispersed all over the world. Ezra has with some justice been called the <b>father of Judaism</b> since his efforts did much to give Jewish religion the form that was to characterize it for centuries after the specific form the Jewish religion took after the Babylonian Exile. So important was he in the eyes of his people that later tradition regarded him as no less than a second Moses</span><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;" ><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">. Regarding the tomb of Ezra </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221);font-family:Times New Roman;" ><i>Encyclopaedia Judaica</i></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> says:</span></p> <blockquote> <p><span style="color: rgb(170, 0, 0);font-family:Courier New;" >There are number of traditions concerning the site of Ezra's tomb. According to Josephus it is in Jerusalem; other hold that he was buried in Urta or in Zunzumu on the Tigris; but the general accepted version is that his tomb is situated in Uzer, a village near Basra. This tradition is mentioned by Benjamin of Tuleda, Pethahiah of Regensburg, Judah Alharizi, and other travelers, Jewish and non-Jewish who visited Babylonia.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;" ><sup>[1]</sup></span> </p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">It is to be kept in mind that the knowledge about Ezra is derived from the Biblical books of Ezra and Nehemiah, supplemented by the Apocryphal (not included in the Jewish and </span><a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Bible/Text/BibleTex.html#Protestant"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Protestant canons</span></a><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> of the Old Testament but present in </span><a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Bible/Text/BibleTex.html#Roman"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Roman Catholic</span></a><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> and </span><a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Bible/Text/BibleTex.html#Greek"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Greek Orthodox</span></a><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> Churchs' canon) book of I Esdras (Latin Vulgate form of the name Ezra), which preserves the Greek text of Ezra and a part of Nehemiah.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">It is interesting to note that the Jews in Arabia, during the advent of Islam, were involved in mystical speculation as well as anthromorphizing and worshipping an angel that functions as the substitute creator of the universe. That angel is usually identified as Metatron</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;" ><sup>[2]</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">. Newby notes that:</span></p> <blockquote> <p><span style="color: rgb(170, 0, 0);font-family:Courier New;" >...we can deduce that the inhabitants of Hijaz during Muhammad's time knew portions, at least, of 3 Enoch in association with the Jews. The angels over which Metatron becomes chief are identified in the Enoch traditions as the sons of God, the Bene Elohim, the Watchers, the fallen ones as the causer of the flood. In 1 Enoch, and 4 Ezra, the term Son of God can be applied to the Messiah, but most often it is applied to the righteous men, of whom Jewish tradition holds there to be no more righteous than the ones God elected to translate to heaven alive. <b>It is easy, then, to imagine that among the Jews of the Hijaz who were apparently involved in mystical speculations associated with the <i>merkabah</i>, Ezra, because of the traditions of his translation, because of his piety, and particularly because he was equated with Enoch as the Scribe of God, could be termed one of the Bene Elohim. And, of course, he would fit the description of religious leader (one of the ahbar of the Qur'an 9:31) whom the Jews had exalted.</b></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;" ><sup>[3]</sup></span></p> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The Islamic exegetes have mentioned that there existed a community of Jews in Yemen who considered Ezra as son of God. Hirschberg says in </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221);font-family:Times New Roman;" ><i>Encyclopaedia Judaica</i></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">:</span></p> <blockquote> <p><span style="color: rgb(170, 0, 0);font-family:Courier New;" >H. Z. Hirschberg proposed another assumption, based on the words of Ibn Hazm, namely, that the <b>'righteous who live in Yemen believed that 'Uzayr was indeed the son of Allah.'</b> According to other Muslim sources, there were some Yemenite Jews who had converted to Islam who believed that Ezra was the messiah. For Muhammad, Ezra, the apostle (!) of messiah, can be seen in the same light as the Christian saw Jesus, the messiah, the son of Allah.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;" ><sup>[4]</sup></span></p> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">George Sale makes an interesting comment concerning the Muslim as well as Judeo-Christian opinion on this issue.</span></p> <blockquote> <p><span style="color: rgb(170, 0, 0);font-family:Courier New;" >This grievous charge against the Jews, the commentators endeavour to support by telling us, that it is meant of some ancient heterdox Jews, or else of some Jews of Medina; who said so for no other reason, than for that the law being utterly lost and forgotten during the Babylonish captivity, Ezra having been raised to life after he had been dead one hundred years, dictated the whole anew unto the scribes, out of his own memory; at which they greatly marvelled, and declared that he could not have done it, unless he were the son of God. Al-Beidawi adds, that the imputation must be true, because this verse was read to the Jews and they did not contradict it; which they were ready enough to do in other instances.</span></p> <p><span style="color: rgb(170, 0, 0);font-family:Courier New;" >That Ezra did restore not only the Pentateuch, but also the other books of the Old Testament, by divine revelation, was the opinion of several of the Christian fathers, who are quoted by Dr.Prideaux, and of some other writers; which they seem to have first borrowed from a passage in that very ancient apocryphal book, called in our English Bible, the second book of Esdras. Dr. Prideaux tells us, that herein the Fathers attributed more to Ezra, than the Jews themselves, which he laboured much in, and went a great way in the perfecting of it. It is not improbable however, that the fiction came originally from the Jews, though they be now of another opinion, and I cannot fix it upon them by any direct proof. For, not to insist upon the testimony of the Mohammedans (which yet I cannot but think of some little weight in a point of this nature,) it is allowed by the most sagacious critics, that the second book of Ezra was written by a Chrisitian indeed, but yet one who had been bred a Jew, and was intimately acquainted with the fables of the Rabbins; and the story itself is perfectly in the taste and was of thinking of those men.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;" ><sup>[5]</sup></span></p> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Last but not the least, a Christian writer also proposed that Mu<u>h</u>ammad</span><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;" ><sup>(P)</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> got the information of Jews exalting Ezra to son of God from the </span><a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/samaritan.html"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Samaritans</span></a><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> who said the Ezra had acted presumptuously and had changed the old divine alphabetical character of the holy Books of the Law - a character still used and revered to this day by rapidly dwindling Samaritan community.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;" ><sup>[6]</sup></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> This author concludes in a rather unchristian way that:</span></p> <blockquote> <p><span style="color: rgb(170, 0, 0);font-family:Courier New;" >But it is not at all unlikely that the source of Mohammed's indictment of the Jews is to be found among the Samaritans or amongst Arab tribesmen of Samaritan strain. If we found in Samaritan literature the opposite belief that Ezra (or Uzair) was the son of Satan, we would be well-nigh sure of having settled the matter.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;" ><sup>[7]</sup></span></p> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">And Allah knows best!</span></p><p> </p> <h3><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">References</span></h3><p></p><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">[1] </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221);font-family:Times New Roman;" ><i>Encyclopaedia Judaica</i>, </span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Volume 6, Encylopedia Judaica Jerusalem, p. 1108.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">[2] G. D. Newby, </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221);font-family:Times New Roman;" ><i>A History Of The Jews Of Arabia</i></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">, 1988, University Of South Carolina Press, p. 59.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">[3] <i>Ibid</i>, p. 61.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">[4] </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221);font-family:Times New Roman;" ><i>Encyclopaedia Judaica</i>, </span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><i>Ibid</i>., p. 1108.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">[5] George Sale, </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221);font-family:Times New Roman;" ><i>The Koran</i></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">, IX Edition of 1923, London, p. 152.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">[6] J. Walker, </span><span style="color: rgb(119, 0, 0);font-family:Times New Roman;" >"Who Is 'Uzair?</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">", </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 221);font-family:Times New Roman;" ><i>The Moslem World</i></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">, Volume XIX, No. 3, 1939, pp. 305-306.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">[7] <i>Ibid</i>, p. 306.</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Source: <a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/ezra.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">islamic-awareness.org</span></a><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-4636292568834815242009-03-27T00:27:00.000+07:002009-03-27T00:28:56.125+07:00Muhammad in Buddhist Scriptures (6)<h1> The Voice of Maitreya </h1> <h4> Extracted from book: Muhammad in Buddhist Scriptures<br />A. H. Vidyarthi and U. Ali </h4> <p align="justify">"Asanga answered, '.........The exquisite voice of the Bodhisattva (Maitreya) is soft and pure and refined; those who hear can never tire: those who listen are never satiated.'" (Si-Yu-Ki Vol. I. P. 229.) </p><p align="justify">If Jesus was the Buddha Maitreya he should possess such an exquisite voice. There is no evidence in the gospels to show that Jesus had a voice soft, pure, and refined. Hence Jesus cannot be the Buddha Maitreya. Shankaracharya too did not possess such a voice. </p><p align="justify">Mohammed had such a voice. His contemporaries bore witness to this effect </p><p align="justify">1. "Bara relates :-'I heard the apostle of God reciting (the chapter) The Fig and Olive, during the night (prayer), and I never saw a man more sweet-voiced or better reciter than he.'" (B. Vol. I. P. 107.) </p><p align="justify">2. "Abu Hurera relates :-'The apostle of God said, God listens to nothing with so much love as He listens to the prophet of sweet voice who reads the Koran with a sonorous voice.'" (M. Vol. 11. P. 816) </p><p align="justify">3. "Aisha relates :- 'The apostle of God would talk in such a manner that a counter if he liked, could count (his) words.'" (B. Vol. II. P. 131.) </p><p align="justify">4. "Aisha relates :-'The apostle of God would not talk hastily as you do, but would speak such a decisive and clear speech that a man sitting close by could learn it by heart.'" (T. Vol. II. P. 553) </p><p align="justify">5. "Anas son of Malik relates :-'The apostle of God was not a sayer of evil words, or a talker of indecencies, or a curser.'" (B. Vol. 1.11. P. 129) </p><p align="justify">6. "Aisha relates:-'..........he (the prophet) said to me, O Aisha, have you ever seen me talking in an unpolite manner? Assuredly, of all men lowest in the rank in the eyes of God, shall be the man whose company people avoid on account of the fear of the evil of his tongue and abuses.'" (Ta. Vol. VI. P. 209. B. and M. quoted.) </p><p align="justify">7. "Abdallah son of Amr relates :- 'The apostle of God had not the habit of talking in an ungentlemanly manner, and neither he spoke indecent words intentionally, and he used to say, I am the best in manners among you.' " (B. Vol. II. P. 131) </p><p align="justify">8. "Ibn Abbas relates:-'....... Zemad said, This man (the prophet) has reached the bottom of the ocean of eloquence.'" (M. Vol. II. P. 874) </p><p align="justify">The prophet was under Divine command in using a polite language throughout his whole career:- </p><p align="justify">"Invite men unto the way of thy Lord, by wisdom and mild exhortation; and dispute with them in the most condescending manner." (The Koran XVI. P. 270.) </p><p align="justify">"His ordinary discourse was grave and sententious, abounding with those aphorisms and apologues so popular among the Arabs; at times he was excited and eloquent, and his eloquence was aided by a voice musical and sonorous" (Irving. P. 231). There is evidence in the Koran that the prophet was under Divine command to recite the Koran with a pure and sonorous voice:- </p><p align="justify">"And repeat the Koran with a distinct sonorous voice." (LXXIII P. 557) </p><p align="justify">"Voice" is sometimes synonymous with "language." There is no evidence in the gospels to show that Jesus ever wrote his teachings. Of his teachings what is available to us are not the very words of Jesus, but what a sect of Christians considered to be the teachings of the master (Luke 1:1-4). That too is a very small fraction of what Jesus taught and did (John 21:25; Luke. 1: 1-4). And this too is not available in the language that Jesus spoke "St. Matthew wrote his gospel in Hebrew." (The Four Gospels by W.W.How.D.D.). Scholars know that Hebrew was not the language spoken by Jews in the time of Jesus. However, "the original Hebrew Gospel was lost in early times."(Ibid.) "St. Mark wrote his gospel in Greek,"(Ibid) "St. Luke wrote his gospel in Greek,"(Ibid) and St. John's gospel was written in Greek."(Ibid). There is no evidence in the gospels that Jesus taught in Greek. Therefore it is not possible; to pass judgment on the purity and refineness of the language used by Jesus. </p><p align="justify">Shankaracharya wrote his works in Sanskrit. What he taught must have been in the language spoken. by the people of India at that time, and is lost for ever. Certainly Sanskrit was not the spoken language of the people of India at that time. </p><p align="justify">Mohammed on the other hand, spoke Arabic, and taught in Arabic which was the language of the people at that time. He got his teachings recorded in his life-time in Arabic. The Koran claims that it was revealed in perspicuous Arabic:- </p><p align="justify">1. "This wherein the Koran is written is the perspicuous Arabic tongue." (XVI. P. 267) </p><p align="justify">2. "Thus have We sent down (this book, being) a Koran in the Arabic tongue." (XX P.313.) </p><p align="justify">3. "This is a revelation from the most Merciful, a book the verses whereof are distinctly explained, an Arabic Koran." (XLI. P. 463.) </p><p align="justify">4. "H. M. By the perspicuous book; verily We have ordained the same an Arabic Koran, that ye may understand; it (is) certainly (written) in the original book, (kept) with Us, (being) sublime and full of wis-dom." (XLIII. P. 473.) </p><p align="justify">5. "Whereas the book of Moses (was revealed) before (the Koran, to be) a guide and a mercy; and this (is) a book confirming (the same, delivered) in the Arabic tongue; to denounce threats unto those who act unjustly, and to bear good tidings unto the righteous doers." (XLVI. P. 485.) </p><p align="justify">From the above passages it is clear that the koran was delivered in Arabic. The word Arabic means "pure and refined":- <br /><br /></p><center> (a) </center> <p align="justify">1. The word Arabic is connected with "Araba. He spoke without incorrectness. A-rabun, signifies, committing no error in speech, (K, T, A:) and expressing the meanings clearly, plainly distinctly or perspicuously, by words." (Arabic English Lexicon by Lane Book I. P. 1902.) </p><p align="justify">2. "Katadah says that the tribe of Kuresh used to cull or select what was most excellent in the dialects of the Arabs, so that their dialect became the most excellent of all and the Kuran was therefore revealed in that dialect." (Ibid P. 1994.) </p><p align="justify">The Koran distinctly gives out that it was not delivered in an unnamed or barbarous tongue:- </p><p align="justify">1. "We (also) know that they say, verily, a (certain) man teacheth him (to compose the Koran.) The tongue of (the person) unto whom they incline, is a foreign (tongue) but this, (wherein the Koran is written) is the perspicuous Arabic tongue." (XVI. P. 267.) </p><p align="justify">2 "If we had revealed (the Koran) in a foreign language, they had surely said, Unless the signs thereof be distinctly explained, (we will not receive the same:) (is the book written in) a foreign tongue, and (the person unto whom it is directed) an Arabian?" (XLI. P. 467.) </p><p align="justify">The word "foreign" is the translation of the word "Ajami". "The word Ajami which is here used signifies any foreign or barbarous language in general" (Sale's Translation of the Koran P. 268 Foot Note). The word Ajami is connected with "Ajamatun" which signifies "he had an impotence or impediment, or a difficulty in his speech, or utterance........a want of clearness, perspicuousness, distinctness, chasteness..........therein (Msb)." (Arabic English Lexicon by Lane. Book I. P. 1966.) </p><p align="justify">The word in the original for Arabic is "Urbean" (XLIII.3.) which is nothing but "Urbane" which means "courteous; civil; polite." The word Arabic is from "Al-arab" which signifies "the inhabitants of the cities, or large towns, (S.A.O.K.)." (The Arabic English Lexicon by Lane. Book I. P. 1993) </p><p align="justify">The language of the Koran is easy, without any crookedness, and is perspicuous. The Koran itself gives this out:- </p><p align="justify">(a) "Verily We have rendered the Koran easy for thy tongue." (XIX P. 304.) </p><p align="justify">(b) "These are the signs of the perspicuous book." (XII. P. 324.) </p><p align="justify">(c) 1. "Praise be unto God who hath sent down' unto His servant the book (of the Koran), and hath not inserted therein any crookedness." (XVIII. P. 244.) </p><p align="justify">2. "An Arabic Koran; wherein there is no crookedness." (XXXIX. P. 451) </p><p align="justify">The Koran very clearly gives out what is required by the words of Asanga is all fulfilled in the book:- </p><p align="justify">"Verily (the Koran) is an admonition and he who is willing retaineth the same (written) on. volumes, honourable exalted and pure." (LXXX. P. 570.) </p><p align="justify">It is worth pointing out that the word Koran signifies "no more than a reading or a recitation." (Sale's Translation of the Koran P. 224. Foot Note 12) </p><p align="justify">Now we turn to the other point mentioned in the words of Asanga. There is evidence in the Koran that those who heard the prophet reciting the Koran were charmed to an extraordinary degree. This led the unbelievers to declare it a piece of sorcery. </p><p align="justify">"The unbelievers say, This is manifest sorcery." (X. P. 199.) It is a fact that those who heard 'the prophet reciting the Koran were never satiated. The Muslim world still feels delighted and unsatiated whenever the Koran is properly recited. It is a significant fact that of the scriptures of the world it is the Koran alone, the very original Koran, that is recited by the largest number of human beings. No scripture in the original as recited by such a large number of human beings as the Koran. The Muslims and, the unbelievers both were aware that the reading of the Koran by the prophet delighted people very much. The unbelievers had a reason of their own to explain this, for according to them the Koran was a poetical composition and the prophet was a poet. The Koran denies this </p><p align="justify">"We have not taught (Mohammed) the art of poetry, nor is it expedient for him (to be a poet). This book is no other than an admonition (from God) and a perspicuous Koran, that he may warn him who is living. (XXVI, P. 35.) </p><p align="justify">We now quote a few opinions of some of the eminent scholars about the beauty and refinement of the language used in the Koran, and the style of the delivery of the prophet:- </p><p align="justify">1. "The Koran is universally allowed to be written with the utmost elegance and purity of language, in the dialect of the tribe of Koreish, the most noble and polite of Arabians, but with some mixture, though very rarely, of other dialects. It is confessedly the standard of the Arabic tongue, and as the more orthodox believe, and are taught by the book itself, inimitable by any human pen........and therefore insisted on as a permanent miracle, greater than the raising of the dead, and alone sufficient to convince the world of its Divine original. </p><p align="justify">"And to this miracle did Mohammed appeal for the confirmation of his mission, publicly challenging the most eloquent men in Arabia, which was at that time stocked with thousands whose sole study and ambition it was to excel in the elegance of style and composition, to produce a single chapter that might be compared with it. I will mention but one instance, out of several to show that this book was really admired for the beauty of its composition by those who must be allowed to have been competent judges. A poem of Labid Ebn Rabia, one of the greatest Wits in Arabia in Mohammed's time, being fixed upon the gates of the temple of Mecca, an honour allowed to none but the most esteemed performances, none of other poets durst offer any thing of their own in competition with it. But the second chapter of the Koran being fixed up by it soon after, Labid himself (then an idolator) on reading the first verses only, was struck with admiration and immediately professed the religion taught thereby, declaring that such words could proceed from an inspired person only. This Labid was afterwards of great service to Mohammed, in writing answers to satires and invectives that were made on him and on his religion by infidels............ </p><p align="justify">"The style of the Koran is generally beautiful and fluent, especially when it imitates the prophetic manner and scripture phrases. It is concise and often obscure, adorned with bold figures after the eastern taste, and enlivened with sententious expressions, and in many places, especially when the majesty and atributes of God are described, sublime and magnificent, of which the reader cannot but observe several instances, though he must not imagine the translation comes up the original, notwithstanding my endeavours to do it justice. </p><p align="justify">"Though it be written in prose yet the sentences generally conclude in a long continued rhyme, for the sake of which the sense is often interrupted, and unnecessary repetitions too frequently made, which appear more ridiculous in a translation, where the ornament, such as it is, for whose sake they were made, cannot be perceived. However, the Arabians are so mightily delighted with this jingling, that they employ it in their most elaborate compositions, which they also embellish with frequent passages of, and allusions to the Koran, so that it is next to impossible to understand them without being well versed in the book. </p><p align="justify">"It is probable the harmony of expression which the Arabians find in the Koran, which might contribute not a little to make them relish the doctrine therein taught, and give an efficacy to their arguments which, had they been nakedly proposed without this rhetorical dress, might not have so easily prevailed. Very extraordinary effects are related of the power of words. well chosen and artfully placed, which are no less powerful either to ravish or amaze than music itself; therefore as much has been ascribed by the best orators to this part of rhetoric as to any others. He must have a very bad ear who is not uncommonly moved with the very cadence of a well-turned sentence; and Mohammed seems not to have been ignorant of the enthusiastic operation of rhetoric on the minds of men; for which reason he has not only employed his utmost skill in these his pretended revelations, to preserve that dignity of style, which might seem not unworthy of the majesty of that Being, whom he gave out the Author of them; and to imitate the prophetic manner of the Old Testament; but he has not neglected even the other arts of oratory; wherein he succeeded so well, and so strangely captivated the minds of his audience that several of his most opponents thought it the effect of "witch-craft and enchantment." (The Preliminary Discourse to the Koran by Sale. PP. 65-67) </p><p align="justify">"It must be acknowledged too, that the Koran deserves the highest praise for its conception of the Dtvine nature, in reference to the attributes of Power, Knowledge, and Universal Providence and Unity-that its belief and trust in One God of Heaven and Earth is deep and fervent..........it embodies much of noble and deep moral earnestness and sententious wisdom, and has proved that there are elements in it on which mighty nations and conquering..........empires be built." (Radwell's Preface to the Koran P. 15.) </p><p align="justify">"In the Suras as far as the 24th.........we cannot but notice the entire pre-dominance of the poetical element, a deep appreciation.........of the beauty of natural objects, brief fragmentary and impassioned utterances, denunciation of woe and punishment, expressed for the most part in lines of extreme brevity..........the poetical ornament of rhyme is preserved throughout." (Rodwell's Preface to the Koran, P. 15.) </p><p align="justify">"In a literary point of view, the Koran is the moat poetical work of the East. The greater portion of it is a rhymed prose, confirmably to the taste which has, from remotest time, prevailed in the above portion of the globe.........It is confessedly, the standard of the Arabic tongue, and abounds with splendid imagery and the boldest metaphors; and, notwithstanding that it is sometimes obscure and verging upon timidity, is generally vigorous and sublime, so as to justify the observation of the celebrated Goethe, that the Koran is a work with whose dulness the reader is at first disgusted, and afterwards attracted by its charms and finally, irresistably ravished by its many beauties." In order to estimate the meritsof the Koran, it should be considered that when the prophet arose eloquence of expression and purity of diction were much cultivated, and that poetry and oratory were held in the highest estimation." "It was to the Koran so considered as a permanent miracle that Mohammed appealed as the chief confirmation of his mission, publicly challenging the most eloquent men in Arabia, then abounding with persons whose sold study it was to excel in the eloquence of style and composition to produce one' single chapter that might compete therewith." "The admiration with which the reading of the Koran inspires the Arabs is due to the magic of its style, and to the care with which Mohammed embellished his prose by the introduction of poetical ornaments; by his giving it a cadenced march and by making the verses rhyme; its variety is also striking, for sometimes, quitting ordinary language, he points, in majestic verses the Eternal, seated on His throne, dispensing laws to the universe; his verses become melodious and thrilling when he describes the everlasting delights of paradise; they are vigorous and harrowing when he depicts the flames of hell." (An Apology for Mohammed and the Koran by John Davenport. PP 64-67.) </p><p align="justify">"Before he spoke, the orator engaged on his side the affections whether of a public or of a private audience. They applauded his commanding prese~ice, his majestic aspect his piercing eye, his flowing beard, hia countenance which pointed every sensation of his soul, and the gestures that enforced each expression of his tongue. In the familiar offices of life, he scrupulously adhered to the grave and ceremonious politeness of his country; his respectful attention to the rich and the powerful was dignified by his condescension and affability to the poorest citizens of Mecca; the frankness of his manner concealed the artifice of his views, and the habits of courtesy were imputed to personal friendship or universal benevolence; his memory was capacious and retentive, his wit easy and social, his imagination sublime, his judgment clear, rapid and decisive. He possessed the courage both of thought and action; although his designs might gradually expand with success, the first idea which he entertained of his Divine mission bears the stamp of an original and superior genius. The son of Abadallah was brought up in the bosom of the noblest race, in the use of the purest dialect of Arabia, and the fluency of his speech was corrected and enhanced by the practice of discreet seasonable silence." (Gibbon quoted by Davenport, PP. 11-12.) </p><p align="justify">"At this time Mohammed was in the prime of manhood: his figure was commanding, his aspect majestic, his features regular and most expressive, his black and piercing eye, his nose slightly acquiline, his mouth wellformed, furnished with pearly teeth, while his cheeks were ruddy with robust health. Art had imparted his naturally black hair and beard a lighter chestnut hue. His captivating smile, his rich and sonorous voice, the graceful dignity of his manners, gained him the favourable attention of all whom he addressed. He possessed talents of a superior order-his perception was quick and active, his memory capacious and retentive, his imagination lively and daring, his judgment clear and perspicuous, his courage dauntless, and whatever may be the opinion of some as to the sincerity of his convictions, his tenacity of purpose in the purauit of the great object of his life, and his patience and endurance, cannot but extort the admiration of all. His natural eloquence was enhanced by the use of the purest dialect of Arabia and adorned by the charm of a graceful elocution." (Davenport P. 11.) </p><p align="justify">"On the graces and intellectual gifts of nature to the son of Abdoollah, the Arabian writers dwell, with the proudest and the fondest satisfaction. His politeness to the great, his affability to the humble, and his dignined bearing to the presumptuous, procured him respect, admiration, and applause. His talents were equally fitted for persuasion or command. Deeply read in the volume of nature, though entirely ignorant of letters, his mind could expand into controversy, with the acutest of his enemies, or contract itself to the apprehensions of the meanest of his disciples. His simple eloquence, rendered impressive by the expression of a countenance wherein awfulness of majesty was tempered by an amiable sweetness, excited emotions of veneration and love; and was gifted with the authoritative air of genius which alike influences the learned and conunands the il1iterate.'(Davenport P. 52) "He expressed himself in pregnant sentences, using neither too few nor too many words." (ibid. P. 14. Foot Note.) </p>Hence it is clear that Mohammed is the Buddha Maitreya, and not Jesus or Shankaracharya.<br /><br />source :www.islamawareness.netUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-46881367374238492982009-03-27T00:26:00.000+07:002009-03-27T00:27:44.800+07:00Muhammad in Buddhist Scriptures (5)<center> <h1> The Personal Beauty of Maitreya </h1> <h4> Extracted from book: Muhammad in Buddhist Scriptures<br />A. H. Vidyarthi and U. Ali </h4> </center> <table><tbody><tr> </tr></tbody><colgroup valign="top" width="1500"> </colgroup><tbody><tr><td><br /> <p>(1) "His (Maitreya's) body shall be of pure gold, bright, glistening and pure." (Si-Yu-Ki. Vol. II. pp. 46-7.) </p><p>(2) "Asanga answered, 'That is settled; but with, respect to Maitreya. what is his appearance......?' He said, 'No words can describe the marks and signs, (the personal) beauty of Maitreya..........'" (Ibid. Vol. I. P. 229.) </p><p>(3) "No words can describe the personal beauty of Maitreya." Buddhism by Monier William P. 82.) </p><p>In the eyes of the white Christian dweller of Europe the Jew is "swarthy". Jesus was himself a Jew of the Jews, and unless he was an exception, he too must have possessed the characteristic swarthy colour of his race. In the person of Jesus "the Jews could find no form or comeliness." (The Holy Bible Commentary by Thomas Scott. Vol. V Foot Note on Chapter LIII of Isaiah.) The ancient Christian Fathers considered that Jesus had no beauty of person:- </p><p>"Justin Martyr. Clemens Alexandrinus, Tertttllian, and others of the ancient fathers, concluded our savior's person to have been deformed." (Comprehensive Commentary on the Holy Bible by Rev. W. Jenks D. D. and Rev. Joseph A. Warne A. M. Psalms- Malachi. P. 457 Foot Note.) </p><p>There is no evidence in the gospels to show thai Jesus had an uncommon beauty of person. Hence Jesus cannot be the Buddha Maitreya. Shankaracharya too, did not possess an extraordinary beauty of person. </p><p>Mohammed possessed a very beautiful and lovely person. "In the dicta which are ascribed to him he (prophet) declared himself to be the best in charachter and the most perfect in beauty among mankind," (Mohammed by S. D. Margoliouth P. 82.) </p><p>"Mottalib-bin-Abu Vidaah relates - </p><p>the apostle of God said, '................(God)..... made me........the best.....'" (T. Vol. II. P. 543.) </p><p>Mohammed was a unique assemblage of graces, and he is described as possessing an extraordinary beauty of person by his contemporaries:- </p><p>(1) "Anas relates:- 'The apostle of God was the most beautiful of all people (T. Vol. 1. P. 529.) </p><p>(2) "Jabir-bin-Samorah relates :-'I saw the apostle of God in the moon-light, so I began to look towards him and the moon (for comparing), he was wearing a red suit: I came to the conclusion that my opinion he was more beautiful than the moon." (Ibid. Vol. II. B. 281.) </p><p>(3) "Kaab-bin-Malik relates :-'.........I came the apostle of God and saw him sitting in the mosque, and round him were Muslims, and he was shining like the splendour of the moon........'" (Ibid. IL 374.) </p><p>(4) "Bara relates :-'I never saw a man, having locks and wearing a red suit, more beautiful than the apostle of God. His locks were flowing down his shoulders. His breast was broad. He was neither very stunted nor very tall." (T. Vol. II B. P. 551) </p><p>(5) "Ali relates:-'.......I never saw a man like him (the prophet) among those who were before or after him.'" (Ta. Vol. VI. P. 99.) </p><p>(6) ".........Jabir-bin-Abdullah relates:-'....like him (the prophet) there was none among those who were before or after him.'" (B. Vol. III. P. 117.) </p><p>(7) "Abu Hurera relates :- The apostle of God was.............a beautiful person, so very beautiful a man I never saw among those who were before or after him.'" (Ibid.) </p><p>(8) "Jabir-bin-Samorah relates :-'I said the afternoon prayer with the apostle of God when he walked out to go home; I too went with him; in the way were seen some children; he touched the cheeks of every child, and mine too; I felt a coolness and scent in his hand as if it was just being drawn out from a casket of a perfumer.'" (M. Vol. VI. PP. 2338-9.) </p><p>(9) "Anas relates :- 'I never smelt amber or musk or any other scent sweeter than the smell of the body of the apostle of God: I never touched silk or any thing softer than the body of the apostle of God.' (M. Vol. VI. P. 2339.) </p><p>(10) "Anas relates:- 'The apostle of God was white and shining and his perspiration was (white) like pearls; when he would walk, he would do so inclining with force onward (or leaning this side and that side.)'" (Ibid P. 2339.) </p><p>(11) "Anas-bin-Malik relates :-'The apostle of God came to my house and slept; he perspired very much. My mother brought a phial and collected the perspiration, rubbing it down (from the leather pillow.) This awoke him and he said, O Omme Solaim, what are you at? She said: It is your sweat that we mix with scent: it is in itself the best scent.'"(Ibid P. 2339.) </p><p>(12) "Bara-bifl-Azib relates:- 'The apostle of God was of middle size and the distance between. his two shoulders was great." (Ibid P. 2342) </p><p>(13) "Bara relates :-'The face of the apostle of God was the most beautiful of all and his manners were the best. He was neither too tall nor too stunted'" (Ibid.) </p><p>(14) "Abu-Tofail relates:- 'He (prophet) was of a bright whitc colour.'" (Ibid 2343.) </p><p>(15) "Anas relates :-'His (prophet's) colour was neither perfectly white nor wheatlike.'" (Ibid.) </p><p>(16) "Anas son of Malik relates:- 'Thc apostle of God was neither too tall nor too dwarfish, neither too white like lime nor too wheaten in colour, his fair neither too curly nor too straight,.....,in his head and beard there were not even twenty white hair at the time of his death.'" (Mauta P. 422.) </p><p>(17) "Monzir-bin-Jareer relates :-'I saw the face of the apostle of God, IT WAS SHINING LIKE GOLD..............'" (M. Vol. lIT. P. 35.) </p><p>(18) "Abu Hurera relates :-'Once the apostle of God was siting with his companions when a dweller of the desert came and asked: Who is the son of Abdul Mottalib? It was replied: This man of white and red colour who is sitting..............'" (N. Vol. I. P. 491.) </p><p>(19) "Abu Hojaifa relates :-'Once the apostle of God went to bath and then he made ablution and offered two prostrations of prayer at the decline of the Sun.......People began to rub his hand on their faces. I too put his hand on my face and I found it cooler than ice and more sweet smelling than musk.'" (B. Vol. II. P. 130) </p><p>(20) "They affirmed that a marvellous fragrance which, according to the evidence of his wives and daughters, emanated from his person during life, still continued after his death." (Irving. P. 227.) </p><p>(21) "Ibrahim relates :-'During the night time the apostle of Cod could be identified by the sweet scent (of his body).' " (D. P. 23.) </p><p>(22) "Jabir relates :-'If the apostle of God would go one way, and if a way-farer would go the same way, he (the way-farer) could find out which way the (prophet) had gone, by the sweet scent of his (body), (or, the narrator said), by the sweet scent of his perspiration."' (D. P. 23) </p><p>(23) "A ruler (of the tribe) of Bani Harish relates :-'When the apostle of God stoned Maiz-bin-Malik I was present (on the scene) with my father. When the stones were rained on him (Maiz) I got terror stricken. On this the apostle of God hugged me to his breast, and his musk like (sweet-smelling) perspiration began to flow over me.'" (Ibid) </p><p>(24) "Abu Obaida-bin-Mohammed relates :-'O child, if thou hadst seen the apostle of God thou wouldst have thought (him to be like) the risen sun.'" (Ibid) </p><p>(25) "Son of Abbas relates :-'Between the two teeth of the apostle of God was (some) space. When he would talk light seemed to emanate from between his teeth.'" (Ibid) </p><p>(26) "Son of Omar relates :-'I never saw a man braver, more charitable, more valiant, more beautiful, and more decent than the apostle of God.'" (D. P. 23.) </p><p>(27) "Abu Hurera relates:- 'I never saw any one more beautiful than the apostle of God.'" (Ta.Vol. VI. P. 101.) </p><p>"Mohammed was distinguished by the beauty of his person, an outward gift which is seldom despised except by those to whom it has been refused." (An Apology for Mohammed and the Koran by Davenport PP. 11-12. Gibbon quoted.) Mohammed being the "handsomest"(The Life of Mohammed by Muir P. 510.) the comeliest, and the loveliest person, it is clear that he was the Buddha Maitreya, and not Jesus or Shankaracharya.</p><p>source : www.islamawareness.net<br /></p></td></tr></tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-40491290518677517252009-03-27T00:23:00.000+07:002009-03-27T00:25:49.578+07:00Muhammad in Buddhist Scriptures (4)<center> <h1> Six Criteria </h1> <h4> Extracted from book: Muhammad in Buddhist Scriptures<br />A. H. Vidyarthi and U. Ali </h4> </center> <table> <tbody><tr> </tr></tbody><colgroup valign="top" width="1500"> </colgroup><tbody><tr><td><br /><p>"And the Tathagata's body appeared like a flame, and he was beautiful above all expression. </p><p>"And venerable Ananda said to the blessed one: 'How wonderful thing is it, Lord, and how marvellous that the colour of the skin of the blessed one should be so clear, so exceedingly bright! When I placed this robe of burnished cloth of gold on the body of the blessed one, lo! it seemed as if it had lost its splendour!'" </p><p>"The blessed one said, <i>'There are two occasions on which a Tathagata's appearance becomes clear and exceedingly bright. In the night, Ananda, in which a Tathagata attains to the supreme and perfect insight, and in the night iiii which he passes finally a'way in that utter passing which leaves nothing whatever of his earthly existence to remain.</i>'" (The Gospel of Buddha by Carus P. 214) </p><p>From the above quoted words of the Buddha Gautama we have the following 6 criteria for indentifying a Buddha:- </p><blockquote> (1) A Buddha attains to supreme and perfect insight at night time.<br />(2) On the occasion of his complete enlightenment he looks exceedingly bright.<br />(3) A Buddha dies a natural death.<br />(4) He dies at night time.<br />(5) He looks exceedingly bright before his death.<br />(6) After his death a Buddha ceases to exist on earth. </blockquote> <p>If Jesus was the Buddha Maitreya these six criteria should hold good in his case. </p><p>(1) Jesus attained to supreme insight after being baptised of John the Baptist -"And Jesus, when he was baptised, went up straightway out of water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him, and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased."(Matt. 3 :16-7) This was "day" time(John 1:29) and not night time. Therefore Jesus cannot be the Buddha Maitreya. </p><p>(2) There is no record in the gospels to show that us looked exceedingly bright at the time of his baptism. The gospel version of his life again fails to support him. </p><p>(3) According to the gospels Jesus did not die a natural death but was deprived of his life by his enemies in the prime of life. This is impossible according to the Buddha's words:- <i>"This, O Bhikkhus, this is an impossible thing, one that cannot occur that one should deprive a Tathagata of life by violence. The Tathagatas, O Bhikkhus, are extinguished (in death) in due and natural course.........."</i> (Vinaya Text Part Ill, by Max Muller PP. 246-7)<br />Thus the Christian and the Buddhist scriptures both do not permit us to consider the advertised claim of Jesus for the Buddhahood in question. </p><p>(4) According to the gospels Jesus was killed not at night time but at day time:- "It was the third hour that they crucified him, (Mark 15:25) 'that is, 9 o'clock in the morning. Thus the whole cruciflxion occupied 6 hours, as our Lord died at 3 o'clock,' 'the Jews reckoning the hours from 6 in the morning." (The Four Gospels by Right Rev. W. W. How. D. D.)<br />Thus the version of the crucifixion story of the gospels again stands in the way of Jeeus if we want to consider his claim for the Buddhahood in question. </p><p>(5) The four gospels very clearly and minutely depict the scenes of the night preceding the crucifixion day of Jesus. There is no mention that Jesus. looked "exceedingly bright" and "beautiful above expression in this night. Thus the gospels again fail to support the claim of Jesus for 'the Buddhahood. in question. </p><p>(6) It is a settled doctrine of Christians that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his death on the cross. The four gospels are unanimous on the point.(Matt. 28: 6; Mark 16 : 6, Luke 24: 6; John 20: 9) According to the gospels his resurrection was no vision (Luke 24: 39) but a reality. They touched him (Matt, 28 : 9) He dined with them. (Luke 24: 30: John 21: 12) Jesus "shewed himself alive after his passion by many infalliable proofs, being seen of them for forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God";(Acts, 1: 3) "he rose again the third day and he was seen of Cephas, then one of the twelve: after that he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep; after that he was seen of James, then of all the disciples. And last of all he was seen of me also." (1 Cor. 18 : 4.6) </p><p>There is another settled doctrine of Christians that the very same Jesus is again coming upon earth. It is based on the following words of Jesus. </p><p>(1) "A little while, and ye shall not see me': and again, a little while, and ye shall see me.(John. 16:16) </p><p>(2) "But I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice." (John.16:22) </p><p>(3) "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." (John. 14:18) </p><p>(4) "I will come again, and receive you unto myself." (Jonn. 14: 3) </p><p>(5) "I said unto you, I go away, and come again umnto you." (John. 14: 28) </p><p>(6) "The son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels." (Matt. 16: 27) </p><p>(7) "They shall see the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." (Matt. 24: 30) </p><p>According to the Buddhist scriptures quoted above the Buddhas are extinguished in death. They do not remain on earth after their death. If the Christian world wants a Buddhist to consider the claim of Jesus as the Buddha Maitreya, they should deny the story of the resurrection of Jesus after his death on the cross, and also the doctrine of his second advent upon earth. Therefore Jesus cannot be the Buddha Maitreya. </p><p>The six criteria do not hold in the case of Shankaracharya as in the case of Jesus, but they hold remarkably in the case of Mohammed:- </p><p><b>1.</b> Mohammed attained to supreme insight at night time. We quote the Koran </p><p>(a) "By the perspicuous book (of the Koran); verily We have sent down the same on a blessed night." (XLIV. P. 478) </p><p>(b) "Verily We sent down (the Koran) in the night of Alkadra." (XCVII: P. 586.) </p><p>"On this night Mohammed received his first revelation." (Sale's Translation of the Koran; P. 586 Foot Note.) </p><p>"Alkadra signifies, power, and honour, or dignity and also the Divine decree." (Ibid.) </p><p>"Lailat-ul-qadra literally means the night of majesty or grandeur or greatness...it is called the blessed night." (Mohammed AU's Translation of the Koran. FootNote. 2777) </p><p>According to Badger's English Arabic Lexicon "Grand," "Glorious," and "Beautiful" are synonyms. Therefore Lailat-ul-Qadra expresses the idea of the night of glory or brightness. </p><p><b>2.</b> Mohammed was "the brightest face;" "it was as though the sun-light beamed in his countenance."(The Life of Mohammad by Muir, p. 510.) "There was a glow or radiance in his countenance," "the supernatural light of prophecy." (Irving P. 230) The couplet of Abu Beker, the first Caliph, aptly describes him:- </p><p>"As there is no darkness in the moonlit night, So is Mustafa, the well-wisher, the bright." (The Ideal Prophet by Kamal-ud-din P. XXXIV.) </p><p>"Monzir-bin-Jareer relates: 'I saw the face of the apostle of God, it was shining like gold..........'" (M. Vol. III P. 35.) </p><p>"Abe Is-hak relates: 'A man asked Bara, Was the face of the apostle of God shining as a sword?; he replied, 'Nay (but) like the moon.'" (T. Vol.. ii. p. 552) </p><p>In fact the prophet was the brightest of the bright, and we see no exaggeration in the words of Thu Abbas who said. </p><p>"The prophet never sat opposite the sun or a light, without outshining them by his own light." (Koelle P. 377) </p><p>Well the Buddhist scripture says:- </p><p>"The Sun is bright by day, the moon shines by night, the warrior is bright in his armour; thinkers are bright in their meditation; but among all the brightest with the splendour of day and night is Buddha the Awakened, the Holy, the Blessed." (The Gospel of Buddha by Carus, P. 117. Dhamrnapada quoted.) </p><p>No wonder if Mohammed looked "exceedingly bright" and "beautiful above expression in the night of Alkadra when the Divine light burst upon him in a flood:- </p><p>'It was the fortieth year of his age when the famous revelation took place. Accounts are given of it by Muslim writers as if received from his own lips, and it is alluded in a certain part of the Koran. It was on the night called by Arabs Alkader............a flood of light broke upon him of............intolerable spIendour.......Mahomet instantly felt his under standing illumined with celestial light." (Irving PP. 36-7) </p><p><b>3.</b> Mohammed died a natural death unlike Jesus. </p><p><b>4.</b> According to the version of Aisha Mohammed died at night time. When he was expiring 'there was no oil in the lamp,"(Maulud by Ghulam Imam Shahid P. 63.) "and his wife had to borrow oil for the lamp." (Mohammed, Buddha, arid Christ by M. Pods D. P. P. 94.) </p><p><b>5.</b> Mohammed looked "exceedingly bright" and "beautiful above expression" in the night of his death. Anas son of Malik was the servitor of the prophet just as Ananda was to the Buddha Gautama. This Ananda of the Buddha Maitreya Mohammed relates:- </p><p>"Abu Beker used to conduct prayer during the illness in which the apostle of God died. When it was Monday and people were standing in rows in prayer, he lifted up the curtain of his room and looked towards us while standing, his face being a page of the book (of the Koran), and he smiled as he found people firm in religion and constant in prayer. We got maddened (for joy) even during the prayer in the expectation that he intended to come out. And Abu Beker fell back in order to join the rank, with the idea that the apostle of God was coming out for prayer. In the meanwhile he made a token with his hand for completing the prayer, he then got inside the room and dropped the curtain, and he died the same day.(M.Vol. 2PP. 661.2.) </p><p>Comparing the face of a man with "a page of the book of the Koran" is an Arab way of expressing the brightness, beauty, and glory of the person. The Koran is called "glorious".(The Koran L. P.499: LXXXV. P. 578) Another report of Anas makes the matter clear:- </p><p>"The apostle of God did not come out for three days. Abu Beker advanced to conduct the prayer. In the meantime the apostle of God lifted up the curtain. When his face was unveiled it appeared to us so very beautiful that throughout our lives we never saw a thing so very beautiful. He made a sign with his hand to Abu Beker to advance (for conducting the prayer of the congregation) and he dropped the curtain. Ever afterwards we did not see him." (M. Vol. II. P. 502.) </p><p><b>6.</b> After his burial, Mohammed, in his bodily form, was never seen of any one upon the earth. Therefore Mohammed is the Buddha Maitreya and not Jesus or Shankaracharya.</p><br /><p><br /></p><p>source :islamawareness.net<br /></p></td> <td> <!-- Google Ads Start Here --> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4136234335250116"; google_ad_width = 120; google_ad_height = 600; google_ad_format = "120x600_as"; google_ad_channel =""; google_color_border = "A8DDA0"; google_color_bg = "EBFFED"; google_color_link = "0000CC"; google_color_url = "008000"; google_color_text = "6F6F6F"; //--></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/expansion_embed.js"></script><script src="http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/test_domain.js"></script><script>window.google_render_ad();</script><ins style="border: medium none ; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; height: 600px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 120px;"><ins style="border: medium none ; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; display: block; height: 600px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 120px;"><iframe allowtransparency="true" hspace="0" id="google_ads_frame1" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="google_ads_frame" src="http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-4136234335250116&dt=1238088212843&lmt=1154112606&format=120x600_as&output=html&correlator=1238088212843&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.islamawareness.net%2FBuddhism%2FScriptures%2Fmibs04.html&color_bg=EBFFED&color_text=6F6F6F&color_link=0000CC&color_url=008000&color_border=A8DDA0&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.islamawareness.net%2FBuddhism%2FScriptures%2F&frm=0&ga_vid=204671771.1238088213&ga_sid=1238088213&ga_hid=1524175661&flash=9.0.124&u_h=1024&u_w=1280&u_ah=994&u_aw=1280&u_cd=32&u_tz=270&u_his=5&u_java=true&u_nplug=21&u_nmime=86&dtd=47&w=120&h=600&xpc=v9iTroJgW1&p=http%3A//www.islamawareness.net" style="left: 0pt; position: absolute; top: 0pt;" vspace="0" frameborder="0" height="600" scrolling="no" width="120"></iframe></ins></ins> <!-- Google Ads End Here --><br /></td> </tr> </tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-13261678134532778752009-03-27T00:17:00.000+07:002009-03-27T00:20:26.524+07:00Christ in Islam by Ahmed Deedat<img src="http://www.islamawareness.net/Christianity/ChristInIslam.jpg" /> <span style="font-size:+1;">In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate<br /><br /></span><i>Chapter One</i> : <span style="font-size:+1;">Christian Muslim Responses</span> <hr style="font-size:130%;"> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Debate on TV</span></p> <p>At the end of the debate - "Christianity and Islam" - which appeared on the SABC-TV program "Cross Questions" on Sunday 5th June 1983, the Chairman, Mr. Bill Chalmers commented: "I think it can be said from this discussion that there is, at present, somewhat more accommodation on the Islamic side for the founder of Christianity than there is on the Christian side for the founder of Islam. What the significance of that is, we leave it to you, the viewer, to determine, but I do think you will agree that it is a good thing that we are talking together."</p> <p>"Bill" as he is popularly addressed, without any formalities, on all his programs, by all his panelists, is extremely charming and stupendous in his humility. He is a picture of what the Holy Quran portrays of a good Christian:</p> <p>"...And nearest among them in love to the believers wilt thou find those who say: 'We are Christians': because among these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world. And they are not arrogant." (The Holy Quran 5:82)</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Jesus - His Status</span></p> <p>Were the Muslims on the panel trying to placate the viewers out policy, deceit or diplomacy? Nothing of the kind! They were only articulating what God Almighty had commanded them to say in the Holy Quran. As Muslims, they had no choice. They had said in so many words: "We Muslims believe, that Jesus was one of the mightiest messengers of God that he was the Christ, that he was born miraculously without any male intervention (which many modern-day Christians do not believe today), that he gave life to the dead by God's permission and that he healed those born blind and the lepers by god's permission. In fact, no Muslim is a Muslim if he or she does not believe in Jesus!"</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Pleasant Surprise</span></p> <p>Over 90% of the people who witnessed this debate must have been pleasantly, but skeptically, surprised. They might have not believed their ears. They must have surmised that the Muslims were playing to the gallery - that they were trying to curry favor with their fellow Christian countrymen; that if the Muslims would say a few good words about Jesus, then in reciprocation the Christians might say a few good words about Muhammed (may the peace and the blessings of God be upon all His righteous servants, Moses, Jesus, Muhammed...etc.); that I scratch your back and you scratch my back - which would be a sham or hypocrisy.</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Hate Cultivated</span></p> <p>We cannot blame the Christians for their skepticism. They have been so learned for centuries. They were trained to think the worst of the man Muhammed, <i>salla Allah u alihi wa sallam</i>, and his religion. How aptly did Thomas Carlyle say about his Christian brethren over a hundred and fifty years ago: "The lies which well-meaning zeal has heaped round this man (Muhammed) are disgraceful to ourselves only." We Muslims are partly responsible for this. We have not done anything substantial to remove the cobwebs.</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Ocean of Christianity</span></p> <p>South Africa is an ocean of Christianity. If Libya boasts the highest percentage of Muslims on the continent of Africa, then the Republic of South Africa would also be entitled to boast the highest percentage of Christians. In this ocean of Christianity the R.S.A. - the Muslims are barely 2% of the total population. We are a voteless minority - numerically, we count for nothing; politically, we count for nothing; and economically, one white man, as Oppenheimer, could buy out the whole lot of us, lock, stock and barrel.</p> <p>So if we had feigned to appease, we might be excused. But no! We must proclaim our Master's Will; we must declare the Truth, whether we liked it or not. In the words of Jesus: "Seek ye the truth, and the truth shall set you free" (John 8:32).</p> <p><br /></p><hr style="font-size:130%;"><i>Chapter Two</i> : <span style="font-size:+1;">Jesus in the Quran</span> <hr style="font-size:130%;"> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Christians Unaware</span></p> <p>The Christian does not know that the true spirit of charity which the Muslim displays, always, towards Jesus and his mother Mary spring from the fountainhead of his faith - the Holy Quran. He does not know that the Muslim does not take the holy name of Jesus, in his own language, without saying <i>Eesa, alaihi assalam</i> ("Jesus, peace be upon him")</p> <p>The Christian does not know that in the Holy Quran Jesus is mentioned twenty five times. For example:</p> <p>"We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear signs and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit" (The Holy Quran 2:87)</p> <p>"O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary..." (3:45)</p> <p>"...Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an apostle of god..." (4:171)</p> <p>"...And in their foot steps we sent Jesus the son of Mary..." (5:46)</p> <p>"And Zakariya and John, and Jesus and Elias: all in the ranks of the righteous." (6:85)</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Jesus - His Titles</span></p> <p>Though Jesus is mentioned by name in twenty-five places in the Holy Quran, he is also addressed with respect as: <i>Ibn Maryam</i>, meaning "The son of Mary"; and as the <i>Maseeh</i> (in Hebrew it is the <i>Messiah</i>), which is translated as "Christ". He is also known as <i>Abdullah</i>, "The servant of Allah"; and as <i>Rasul u Allah</i>, the messenger of Allah.</p> <p>He is spoken of as "The Word of God", as "The Spirit of God", as a "Sign of God", and numerous other epithets of honor spread over fifteen different chapters. The Holy Quran honors this mighty messenger of God, and the Muslims have not fallen short over the past fourteen hundred years in doing the same. There is not a single disparaging remark in the entire Quran to which even the most jaundiced among the Christians can take exception.</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;"><b><i>Eesa</i></b> Latinised to "Jesus"</span></p> <p>The Holy Quran refers to Jesus as <i>Eesa</i>, and this name is used more times than any other title, because this was his "Christian" name. Actually, his proper name was <i>Eesa</i> (Arabic), or <i>Esau</i> (Hebrew); classical <i>Yeheshua</i>, which the Christian nations of the West latinised as Jesus. Neither the "J" nor the second "s" in the name Jesus is to be found in the original tongue - they are not found in the Semitic languages.</p> <p>The word is very simply "E S A U" a very common Jewish name, used more than sixty times in the very first booklet alone of the Bible, in the part called "Genesis". There was at least one "Jesus" sitting on the "bench" at the trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin. Josephus the Jewish historian mentions some twenty five Jesus' in his "Book of Antiquities". The New Testament speaks of "Bar-Jesus" a magician and a sorcerer, a false prophet (Acts 13:6); and also "Jesus-Justus" a Christian missionary, a contemporary of Paul (Colossians 4:11). These are distinct from Jesus the son of Mary. Transforming "Esau" to (J)esu(s) - Jesus - makes it unique. This unique (?) name has gone out of currency among the Jews and the Christians from the 2nd century after Christ. Among the Jews, because it came to be a name of ill - repute, the name of one who blasphemed in Jewry; and among the Christians because it came to be the proper name of their God. The Muslim will not hesitate to name his son <i>Eesa</i> because it is an honored name, the name of a righteous servant of the Lord.</p> <p><br /></p><hr style="font-size:130%;"><i>Chapter Three</i> : <span style="font-size:+1;">Mother And Son</span> <hr style="font-size:130%;"> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Mary Honored</span></p> <p>The birth of Jesus Christ is described in two places of the Quran - chapter 3 and chapter 19. Reading from the beginning of his birth, we come across the story of Mary, and the esteemed position which she occupies in the House of Islam, before the actual annunciation of the birth of Jesus is given:</p> <p>"'Behold'! the angels said: 'O Mary! God hath chosen thee and purified thee, and chosen thee above the women of all nations" (3:42)</p> <p>"Chosen thee above the women of all nations." Such an honor is not to be found given to Mary even in the Christian Bible! The verse continues:</p> <p>"O Mary! Worship thy Lord devoutly: prostrate thyself, and bow down (in prayer) with those who bow down." (3:43)</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Divine Revelation</span></p> <p>What is the source of this beautiful and sublime recitation which, in its original Arabic, moves men to ecstasy and tears? verse 44 below explains:</p> <p>"This is part of the tidings, of the things unseen, which We reveal unto thee (O Muhammad!) by inspiration: Thou wast not with them when they cast lots with arrows, as to which of them should be charged with the care of Mary: nor wast thou with them when they disputed (the point)." (3:44)</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Mary's Birth</span></p> <p>The story is that the maternal grandmother of Jesus, Hannah, had hitherto been barren. She poured out her heart to God: If only God will grant her a child, she would surely dedicate such a child for the service of God in the temple.</p> <p>God granted her prayer and Mary was born. Hannah was disappointed. She was yearning for a son, but instead she delivered a daughter; and in no way is the female like the male, for what she had in mind. What was she to do? She had made a vow to God. She waited for Mary to be big enough to fend for herself.</p> <p>When the time came, Hannah took her darling daughter to the temple, to hand over for temple services. Every priest wanted to be the god-father of this child. They cast lots with arrows for her - like the tossing of the coin - head or tail? <br />eventually she fell to the lot of Zakariya, but not without a dispute.</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">The Source of His Message</span></p> <p>This was the story. But where did Muhammed, <i>salla Allah u alihi wa sallam</i>, get this knowledge from? He was an <i>Ummi</i>, Arabic for "unlettered". He did not low how to read or write. He is made by God Almighty to answer this very question in the verse above, by saying that it was all <i>by divine inspiration</i>. "No!", says the controversialist. "This is Muhammed's own concoction. He copied his revelations from the Jews and Christians. He plagiarized it. He forged it."</p> <p>Knowing full-well, and believing as we do, that the whole Quran is the veritable Word of God, we will nevertheless agree, for the sake of argument, with the enemies of Muhammed, <i>salla Allah u alihi wa sallam</i>, for a moment, that he wrote it. We can now expect some cooperation from the unbelievers.</p> <p>Ask him: "Have you any qualms in agreeing that Muhammed was an Arab?" Only an ignorant will hesitate to agree. In that case there is no sense in pursuing any discussion. Cut short the talk. Close the book!</p> <p>With the man of reason, we proceed. "That this Arab, in the first instance, was addressing other Arabs. He was not talking to Indian Muslims, Chinese Muslims, or Nigerian Muslims. He was addressing his own people, the Arabs. Whether they agreed with him or not, he told them in the most sublime form, words that were seared into the hearts and minds of his listeners that Mary the mother of Jesus, <i>a Jewess</i>, was chosen above the women of all nations. Not his own mother, nor his wife nor his daughter, nor any other Arab woman, but a Jewess! Can one explain this? Because to everyone his own mother or wife, or daughters would come before other women.</p> <p>Why would the prophet of Islam honor a woman from his opposition! and a Jewess at that! belonging to a race which had been looking down upon his people for three thousand years? Just as they still look down upon their Arab brethren today."</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Sarah and Hagar</span></p> <p>The Jews learn, from the Bible, that their father, Abraham, had two wives Sarah and Hagar. They say that they are the children of Abraham through Sarah his legitimate wife; that their Arab brethren have descended through Hagar, a "bondwoman", and that as such, the Arabs are an inferior breed.</p> <p>Will anyone please explain the anomaly as to why Muhammed, <i>salla Allah u alihi wa sallam</i>, if he is the author, chose this Jewess for such high honor? The answer is simple, <b>he had no choice</b> he had no right to speak of his own desire. <i>"It is no less than an inspiration sent down to him." </i>(53:4)</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">The Chapter of <b><i>Maryam</i></b></span></p> <p>There is a Chapter in the Holy Quran, named <i>Surat u Maryam</i> "Chapter Mary", named in honor of Mary the mother of Jesus Christ, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; again, such an honor is not to be found given to Mary in the Christian Bible. Out of the 66 books of the Protestants and 73 of the Roman Catholics, not one is named after Mary or her son. You will find books named after Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul and two score more obscure names, but not a single one is that of Mary!</p> <p>If Muhammed, <i>salla Allah u alihi wa sallam</i>, was the author of the Holy Quran, then he would not have failed to include in it with Mary, the mother of Jesus, his own mother Aamina, his dear wife Khadija, or his beloved daughter Fatima. But No! No! This can never be. The Quran is not his handiwork!.</p> <p><br /></p><hr size="4"><i>Chapter Four</i> : <span style="font-size:+1;">The Good News</span> <hr size="4"> <p>" 'Behold!' the angels said: 'O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a word from him: his name will be Jesus, the son of Mary; held in honor in this world and the hereafter; and (of the company of) those nearest to Allah." (3:45)</p> <p>"Nearest to God," not physically nor geographically, but spiritually. Compare this with "And (Jesus) sat on the right hand of God." (Mark 16:19). The bulk of Christendom has misunderstood this verse as well as many others in the Bible. They imagine the Father (God) sitting on a throne, a glorified chair, and His Son, Jesus, sitting on His right hand side. Can you conjure up the picture? If you do, you have strayed from the true knowledge of God. He is no old Father Christmas. He is beyond the imagination of the mind of man. He exists. He is real, but He is not like anything we can think of, or imagine.</p> <p>In eastern languages "right hand" meant a place of honor, which the Holy Quran more fittingly describes as "In the company of those nearest to Allah." The above verse confirms that Jesus is the Christ. and that he is the Word which God bestowed upon Mary. Again, the Christian reads into these words, a meaning which they do not carry. They equate the word "Christ" with the idea of a god-incarnate; and the "Word" of God to <i>be</i> God.</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">"Christ" Not a Name</span></p> <p>The word "Christ" is derived from the Hebrew word <i>Messiah</i>, Arabic <i>Maseeh</i>. Root word <i>masaha</i>, meaning "to rub", "to massage", "to anoint". Priests and kings were anointed when being consecrated to their offices. But in its translated Grecian form, "Christ" seems unique: befitting Jesus only.</p> <p>Christians like to translate names into their own language; like <i>Cephas</i> to "Peter" , <i>Messiah</i> to "Christ". How do they do that? Very easily. <i>Messiah</i> in Hebrew means "Anointed". The Greek word for anointed is <i>Christos</i>. Just lop off the 'os' from <i>Christ<b>os</b></i>, and you are left with "Christ"; a unique name!</p> <p><i>Christos</i> means "Anointed", and anointed means appointed in its religious connotation. Jesus, peace and blessing be upon him, was appointed (anointed) at his baptism by John the Baptist, as God's Messenger. Every prophet of God is so anointed or appointed. The Holy Bible is replete with the "anointed" ones. In the original Hebrew, he was made a <i>Messiah</i>. Let us keep to the English translation "anointed."</p> <p>Not only were prophets and priests and kings anointed (<i>Christos</i>-ed), but horns, and cherubs and lamp-posts also.</p> <p>"I am the God of Bethel, where you <i>anointed</i> a pillar ..." (Genesis 31:13)</p> <p>"If the priest that is <i>anointed</i> do sin ..." (Leviticus 4:3)</p> <p>"And Moses... <i>anointed</i> the tabernacle and all things that was therein..." (Leviticus 8:100)</p> <p>"..the Lord shall...exalt the horn of his <i>anointed</i>" (I Samuel 2:10)</p> <p>"Thus saith the Lord to his <i>anointed</i> to Cyrus..." (Isaiah 45:1)</p> <p>"Thou art the <i>anointed</i> cherub..." (Ezekiel 28:14)</p> <p>There are an hundred more such references in the Holy Bible. Every time you come across the word "anointed" in your Bible, you can take it that that word would be <i>christos</i> in the Greek translations, and if you take the same liberty with the word that the Christians have done, you will have Christ Cherub, Christ Cyrus, Christ Priest and Christ Pillar, ...etc.</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Some Titles Exclusive</span></p> <p>Although, every prophet of God is an anointed one of God, a Messiah, the title <i>Maseeh</i> or <i>Messiah</i>, or its translation "Christ" is exclusively reserved for Jesus, the son of Mary, in both Islam and in Christianity. This is not unusual in religion. There are certain other honorific titles which may be applied to more than one prophet, yet being made exclusive to one by usage: like <i>"Rasulullah"</i>, meaning "Messenger of God", which title is applied to both Moses (19:51) and Jesus (61:6) in the Holy Quran. Yet <i>"Rasullullah"</i> has become synonymous only with Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, among Muslims.</p> <p>Every prophet is indeed a "Friend of God", but its Arabic equivalent <i>"Khalillullah"</i> is exclusively associated with Father Abraham. This does not mean that the others are not God's friends. <i>"Kaleemullah"</i>, meaning "One who spoke with Allah" is never used for anyone other than Moses, yet we believe that God spoke with many of His messengers, including Jesus and Muhammed, may the peace and blessings of God be upon all His servants. Associating certain titles with certain personages only, does not make them exclusive or unique in any way. We honor all in varying terms.</p> <p>Whilst the good news was being announced (verse 45 above) Mary was told that her unborn child will be called Jesus, that he would be the Christ, a "Word" from God, and that...</p> <p>"He shall speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. And he shall be (of the company) of the righteous." (3:46)</p> <p>"At length she brought the (babe) to her people carrying him. They said: 'O Mary! truly a strange thing has thou brought!'. 'O sister of Aaron!, thy father was not a man of evil, nor thy mother a woman unchaste!' " (The Holy Quran 19:27-28)</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Jews Amazed</span></p> <p>There is no Joseph the carpenter here. The circumstances being peculiar, Mary the mother of Jesus had retired herself to some remote place in the East (19:16). After the birth of the child she returns.</p> <p>A. Yusuf Ali, comments in his popular English translation of the Quran:</p> <p>"The amazement of the people knew no bounds. In any case they were prepared to think the worst of her, as she had disappeared from her kin for some time. But now she comes, shamelessly parading a babe in her arms! How she had disgraced house of Aaron, the fountain of priesthood!</p> <p>"Sister of Aaron": Mary is reminded of her high lineage and the unexceptionable morals of her father and mother. How, they said, she had fallen, and disgraced the name of her progenitors!</p> <p>What could Mary do? How could she explain? Would they, in their censorious mood accept her explanation? All she could do was to point to the child, who, she knew, was no ordinary child. And the child came to her rescue. By a miracle he spoke, defended his mother, and preached to an unbelieving audience."</p> <p>Allah <i>azza wa jall</i> says in the Quran:</p> <p>"But she pointed to the babe. They said: 'How can we talk one who is a child in the cradle?' He (Jesus) said: 'I am indeed a servant of Allah (God) : He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet: 'and He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, and hath enjoined on me prayer and charity as long as I live. '(He hath made me) kind to my mother, and not overbearing or unblest; 'So Peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life again)'!" (19:29-33)</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">His First Miracle(s)</span></p> <p>Thus Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, defended his mother from the grave calumny and innuendoes of her enemies. This is the very first miracle attributed to Jesus in the Holy Quran that, he spoke as an infant from his mother's arms. Contrast this with his first miracle in the Christian Bible which occurred when he was over thirty years of age: </p> <p>"And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, they have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, 'Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.' His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six water pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the water pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have <i>well drunk</i>, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now." (John 2:110)</p> <p>Since this miracle, wine has flowed like water in Christendom. Many reason that what was good for the Master is good enough for them. Jesus was no "kill-joy" they say. Didn't he make good potent wine, that even those "well drunk", those whose senses had been dulled could make out the difference ? "That the best was kept for the last.". This was no pure grape juice. It was the same <i>wine</i> that, according to the Christian Bible, enabled the daughters of Lot to seduce their father (Genesis 19:32-33).It was the same <i>wine</i> which the Christian is advised to eschew in Ephesians 5:18 - "And be not drunk with wine..."</p> <p>It is that innocent (?) 1% potency that eventually leads millions down into the gutter. America has 10 million drunkards in the midst of 70 million <i>"born-again"</i> Christians! The Americans call their drunkards "Problem Drinkers". In South Africa, they are called "Alcoholics"; drunkard is too strong a word for people to stomach.</p> <p>But the Prime Minister of Zambia, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, does not hesitate to call a spade a spade. He says, "I am not prepared to lead nation of drunkards", referring to his own people who drink intoxicants.</p> <p>Whether the water "blushed" or not "seeing" Jesus, we cannot blame him or his disciples for the drinking habits of his contemporaries. For he had truly opined, "have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now" (John 16:12). Mankind had not reached the stage of receiving the whole Truth of Islam. Did he not also say "You cannot put new wine into old bottles"? (Matthew 9:17).</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">"Mother" or "Woman"?</span></p> <p>According to St. John, in the fourth verse above, describing the marriage feast at Cana, we are told that Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, behaved insolently towards his mother. He calls her "woman," and to rub more salt into the wound he is made to say "what have I to do with thee?" What connection is there between you and me, or what have I got to do with you? Could he have forgotten that this very "woman" had carried him for nine months, and perhaps suckled him for 2 years, and had borne endless insults and injuries on account of him? Is she not his mother? Is there no word in his language for "mother"?</p> <p>Strange as it may seem, that while the missionaries boast about their master's humility, meekness and long-suffering, they call him the "Prince of Peace" and they sing that "he was led to the slaughter like a lamb, and like a sheep who before his shearer is dumb, he opened not his mouth", yet they proudly record in the same breath, that he was ever ready with invectives for the elders of his race, and was always itching for a showdown i.e. if their records are true:</p> <p>"Ye hypocrites!"</p> <p>"Ye wicked and adulterous generation!"</p> <p>"Ye whited sephulcres!"</p> <p>"Ye generation of vipers!"</p> <p>and now to his mother: "Woman..."</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Jesus Defended</span></p> <p>Muhammed, <i>salla Allah u alihi wa sallam</i>, the Messenger of God, is made to absolve Jesus from the false charges and calumnies of his enemies.</p> <p>"And He (God Almighty) hath made me (Jesus) kind to my mother, and not overbearing or unblest" (19:31).</p> <p>On receiving the good news of the birth of a righteous son Mary responds:</p> <p>"She said: 'O My Lord! how shall I have a son, when no man hath touched me?"</p> <p>The angel says in reply:</p> <p>"He said: 'Even so: Allah (God) createth what He willeth: when He hath decreed a matter He but sayth o it 'Be,' and it is! And Allah (God) will teach him the Book and Wisdom, the Torah (Law) and the Gospel," (3:47-48).</p> <p><br /></p><hr size="4"><i>Chapter Five</i> : <span style="font-size:+1;">Quranic and Biblical Versions</span> <hr size="4"> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Meeting the Reverend</span></p> <p>I was visiting the "Bible House" in Johannesburg. Whilst browsing through the stacks of Bibles and religious books, I picked up an Indonesian Bible and had just taken in hand a Greek - English New Testament, a large, expensive volume. I had not realized that I was being observed by the supervisor of the Bible House. Casually, he walked up to me. Perhaps my beard and my Muslim headgear were an attraction and a challenge? He inquired about my interest in that costly volume. I explained that as a student of comparative religion, I had need for such a book. He invited me to have tea with him in his office. It was very kind of him and I accepted.</p> <p>Over the cup of tea, I explained to him the Muslim belief in Jesus, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. I explained to him the high position that Jesus occupied in the House of Islam. He seemed skeptical about what I said. I was amazed at his seeming ignorance, because only retired Reverend gentlemen can become Supervisors of Bible Houses in South Africa. I began reciting from verse 42 of chapters 3 of the Holy Quran:</p> <p>"'Behold!' The angels said: 'O Mary, Allah hath chosen thee...'"</p> <p>I wanted the Reverend to listen, not only to the meaning of the Quran, but also to the music of its cadences when the original Arabic was recited. Rev. Dunkers (for that was his name) sat back and listened with rapt attention to "Allah's Words".</p> <p>When I reached the end of verse 49, the Reverend commented that the Quranic message was like that of his own Bible. He said, he saw no difference between what he behaved as a Christian, and what I had read to him. I said: "that was true". If he had come across these verses in the English language alone without their Arabic equivalent, side by side, he would not have been able to guess in a hundred years that he was reading the Holy Quran. If he were a Protestant, he would have thought that he was reading the Roman Catholic Version, if he had not seen one, or the Jehovah's Witness Version or the Greek Orthodox Version, or the hundred and one other versions that he might not have seen; but he would never have guessed that he was reading the Quranic version.</p> <p>The Christian would be reading here, in the Quran, everything he wanted to hear about Jesus, but in a most noble, elevated and sublime language. He could not help being moved by it.</p> <dl><dt>In these eight terse verses from 42 to 49 we are told:</dt><dd>(a) That Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virtuous woman, and honored above the women of all nations. <br />(b) That all that was being said was God's own Revelation to mankind. <br />(c) That Jesus was the "Word" of God. <br />(d) That he was the Christ that the Jews were waiting for. <br />(e) That God will empower this Jesus to perform miracles even in infancy. <br />(f) That Jesus was born miraculously, without any male intervention. <br />(g) That God will vouchsafe him Revelation. <br />(h) That he will give life to the dead by God's permission, and that he will heal those born blind and the lepers by God's permission, ... etc. <br /></dd></dl> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">"Chalk and Cheese"</span></p> <p>The most fervent Christian cannot take exception to a single statement or word here. But the difference between the Biblical and the Quranic narratives is that between "chalk and cheese". "To me they are identical, what is the difference?" the Reverend asked. I know that in their essentials both the stories agree in their details, but when we scrutinize them closely we will discover that the difference between them is staggering.</p> <p>Now compare the miraculous conception as announced in verse 47 of the Holy Quran with what the Holy Bible says:</p> <p>"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was in this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, <i>before they came together</i>, (as husband and wife) she was found with child <i>of the holy ghost.</i>"(Matthew 1:18)</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Master Dramatizer</span></p> <p>The eminent Billy Graham from the United States of America dramatized this verse in front of 40,000 people in King Park, Durban, with his index finger sticking out and swinging his outstretched arm from right to left, he said: "And the Holy Ghost came and impregnated Mary!" On the other hand St. Luke tells us the very same thing but less crudely. He says, that when the annunciation was made, Mary was perturbed. Her natural reaction was :</p> <p>"How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?" (Luke 1:34) meaning sexually.</p> <p>The Quranic narrative is:</p> <p>"She said: O my Lord! how shall I have a son when no man hath touched me?" (3:47) meaning sexually.</p> <p>In essence there is no difference between these two statements "seeing I know not a man" and "when no man hath touched me". Both the quotations have an identical meaning. It is simply a choice of different words meaning the same thing. But the respective replies to Mary's plea in the two Books (the Quran and the Bible) are revealing.</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">The Biblical Version</span></p> <p>Says the Bible:</p> <p>"And the angle answered and said into her : 'The Holy Ghost shall <i>come upon thee</i>, and the power of the Highest shall <i>overshadow thee</i>" (Luke 1:35)</p> <p>Can't you see that you are giving the atheist, the skeptic, the agnostic a stick to beat you with? They may well ask "How did the Holy Ghost come upon Mary?" "How did the Highest overshadow her?" We know that literally it does not mean that: that it was an immaculate conception, but the language used here, is distasteful. Now contrast this with the language of the Quran:</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">The Quranic Version</span></p> <p>"He said (the angel says in reply): 'Even so: Allah (God) createth what He willeth: when He hath decreed a plan, He but saith to it, 'Be,' and it is!' " (3:47)</p> <p>This is the Muslim concept of the birth of Jesus. For God to create a Jesus, without a human father, He merely has to will it. If He wants to create a million Jesus' without fathers or mothers, He merely wills them into existence. He does not have to take seeds and transfer them, like men or animals by contact or artificial insemination . He wills everything into being by His word of command "Be" and "It is".</p> <p>There is nothing new in what I am telling you, I reminded the Reverend. It is in the very first Book of your Holy Bible, Genesis 1:3 "And God said..." What did He say? He said "Be" and "It was". He did not have to articulate the words. This is our way of understanding the word "Be", that He willed everything into being.</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Choice for His Daughter</span></p> <p>"Between these two versions of the birth of Jesus, the Quranic version and the Biblical version, which would you prefer to give your daughter ?" I asked the supervisor of the Bible House. He bowed his head down in humility and admitted "The Quranic Version."</p> <p>How can "a forgery" or "an imitation", as it is alleged of the Quran, be better than the genuine, the original, as it is claimed for the Bible? It can never be, unless this Revelation to Muhammed is what it, itself, claims to be viz. The pure and holy Word of God! There are a hundred different tests that the unprejudiced seeker after truth can apply to the Holy Quran and it will qualify with flying colors to being a Message from on High.</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Like Adam</span></p> <p>Does the miraculous birth of Jesus make him a God or a "begotten" son of God? No! says the Holy Quran:</p> <p>"The similitude of Jesus before Allah (God) is that of Adam; He created him from dust then said to him: 'Be', and he was." (3:59)</p> <p>Yusuf Ali, comments in his notes in the Quran translation:</p> <p>"After a description of the high position which Jesus occupies as a prophet in the preceding verses we have a repudiation of the dogma that he was God, or the son of God, or any thing more than man. If it is said that he was born without a human father, Adam was also so born. Indeed Adam was born without either a human father or mother. As far as our physical bodies are concerned they are mere dust.</p> <p>In God's sight Jesus was as dust just as Adam was or humanity is. The greatness of Jesus arose from the divine command 'Be': for after that he was more than dust a great spiritual leader and teacher"</p> <p>The logic of it is that, if being born without a male parent entitles Jesus to being equated with God, then, Adam would have a greater right to such honor, and this no Christian would readily concede. Thus, the Muslim is made to repudiate the Christian blasphemy.</p> <p>Further, if the Christian splits hairs by arguing that Adam was "created" from the dust of the ground, whereas Jesus was immaculately "begotten" in the womb of Mary, then let us remind him that, even according to his own false standards, there is yet another person greater than Jesus, in his own Bible . Who is this superman?</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Paul's Innovation</span></p> <p>"For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God... Without father, without mother, without descent, having <i>neither beginning</i> of days, <i>nor end</i> of life..." (Hebrews 7:1,3)</p> <p>Here is a candidate for Divinity itself, for only God Almighty could possess these qualities. Adam had a beginning (in the garden), Jesus had a beginning (in the stable); Adam had an end and, claim the Christians, so had Jesus "and he gave up the ghost". But where is Melchisedec? Perhaps he is hibernating somewhere like Rip Van Winkel (a fairy tale character who slept for many ages.)</p> <p>And what is this "Hebrews"? It is the name of one of the Books of the Holy Bible, authored by the gallant St. Paul, the self appointed thirteenth apostle of Christ. Jesus had twelve apostles, but one of them (Judas) had the Devil in him. So the vacancy had to be filled, because of the "twelve" thrones in heaven which had to be occupied by his disciples to judge the children of Israel (Luke 22:30).</p> <p>Saul was a renegade Jew, and the Christians changed his name to "Paul", probably because "Saul" sounds Jewish. This St. Paul made such a fine mess of the teachings of Jesus, peace blessings be upon him, that he earned for himself the second most coveted position of "The Most Influential Men of History" in the monumental work of Michael H. Hart: <i>The 100</i> or <i>The Top Hundred</i> or the <i>Greatest Hundred in History</i>. Paul outclasses even Jesus because, according to Michael Hart, Paul was the <i>real</i> founder of present day Christianity. The honor of creating Christianity had to be shared between Paul and Jesus, and Paul won because he wrote more Books of the Bible than any other single author, whereas Jesus did not write a single word.</p> <p>Paul needed no inspiration to write his hyperboles here and in the rest of his Epistles. Did not Hitler's Minister of Propaganda Goebbels say: "The bigger the lie the more likely it is to be believed'? But the amazing thing about this exaggeration is that no Christian seems to have read it. Every learned man to whom I have shown this verse to, seemed to be seeing it for the first time. They appear dumbfounded, as described by the fitting words of Jesus:</p> <p>"...seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand." (Matthew 13:13)</p> <p>The Holy Quran also contains a verse which fittingly describes this well cultivated sickness:</p> <p>"Deaf, dumb and blind, will they not return (to the path)." (2:18)</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">The Sons of God</span></p> <p>The Muslim takes strong exception to the Christian dogma that "Jesus is the only begotten son, begotten not made". This is what the Christian is made to repeat from childhood in his catechism. I have asked learned Christians, again and again as to what they are really trying to emphasize, when they say: "Begotten not made".</p> <p>They know that according to their own God given (?) records, God has sons by the tons:</p> <p>"...Adam, which was the <i>son of God</i>."(Luke 3:38)</p> <p>"That the <i>sons of God</i> saw the daughters of men that they were fair... And when the <i>sons of God</i> came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them..." (Genesis 6: 2,4)</p> <p>"...Israel is <i>My son</i>, even My firstborn:" (Exodus 4:22)</p> <p>"...for I (God) am a <i>Father</i> to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn." (Jeremiah 31:9)</p> <p>"...the Lord hath said unto me (David): 'Thou art <i>My son</i>: this day have <i>I begotten</i> thee." (Psalms 2:7)</p> <p>"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the <i>sons of God</i>." (Romans 18:14)</p> <p>Can't you see that in the language of the Jew, every righteous person, every Tom, Dick and Harry who followed the Will and Plan of God, was a "Son of God". It was a metaphorical descriptive term commonly used among the Jews. The Christian agrees with this reasoning, but goes on to say: "but Jesus was not like that". Adam was <i>made</i> by God. Every living thing was made by God, He is the Lord, Cherisher and Sustainer of all. Metaphorically speaking therefore God is the Father of all. But Jesus was the "begotten" son of God, not a <i>created</i> son of God ?</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Begotten Means "Sired"!</span></p> <p>In my forty years of practical experience in talking to learned Christians, not a single one has opened his mouth to hazard an explanation of the phrase <i>"begotten not made"</i>. It had to be an American who dared to explain. He said : "It means, <i>sired</i> by God." "What!?" I exploded : "<i>Sired</i> by God?" "No, no!" he said, "I am only trying to explain the meaning, I do not believe that God really sired a son."</p> <p>The sensible Christian says that the words do not literally mean what they say. Then why do you say it? Why are you creating unnecessary conflict between the 1,200,000,000 Christians and a thousand million Muslims of the world in making senseless statements?</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Reason for Objection</span></p> <p>The Muslim takes exception to the word "begotten", because begetting is an animal act, belonging to the lower animal functions of sex. How can we attribute such a lowly capacity to God? Metaphorically we are all the children of God, the good and the bad, and Jesus would be closer to being the son of God than any one of us, because he would be more faithful to God then any one of us can ever be. From that point of view he is preeminently the son of God.</p> <p>Although this pernicious word "begotten" has now unceremoniously been thrown out of the "Most Accurate" version of the Bible, the <i>Revised Standard Version</i> (R.S.V.), its ghost still lingers on in the Christian mind, both black and white. Through its insidious brainwashing the white man is made to feel superior to his black Christian brother of the same Church and Denomination. And in turn, the black man is given a permanent inferiority complex through this dogma.</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Brain-washed Inferiority</span></p> <p>The human mind can't help reasoning that since the "begotten son" of an African will look like an African, and that of a Chinaman as a Chinese, and that of an Indian like an Indian: so the <i>begotten</i> son of God aught naturally to look like God. Billions of beautiful pictures and replicas of this "only begotten son of God" are put in peoples hands. He looks like a European with blonde hair, blue eyes and handsome features like e one I saw in the "King of Kings" or "The Day of Triumph" or "Jesus of Nazareth". Remember Jeffrey Hunter? The "Savior" of the Christian is more like a German than a Jew with his polly nose. So naturally, if the son is a white man, the father would also be a white man (God?). Hence the darker skinned races of the earth subconsciously have the feeling of inferiory ingrained in their souls as God's "step children". No amount of face creams, skin lighteners and hair straighteners will erase the inferiority.</p> <p>God is neither black nor white. He is beyond the imagination of the mind of man. Break the mental shackles of a Caucasian (white) man-god, and you have broken the shackles of a permanent inferiority. But intellectual bondages are harder to shatter: the slave himself fights to retain them.</p> <p><br /></p><hr size="4"><i>Chapter Six</i> : <span style="font-size:+1;">Answer to Christian Dilemmas</span> <hr size="4"> <p>"Christ in Islam" is really Christ in the Quran: and the Holy Quran has something definite to say about every aberration of Christianity. The Quran absolves Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, from all the false charges of his enemies as well as the misplaced infatuation of his followers. His enemies allege that he blasphemed against God by claiming Divinity. His misguided followers claim that he did avow Divinity, but that was not blasphemy because he was God. What does the Quran say ?</p> <p>Addressing both the Jews and the Christians, Allah says:</p> <p>"O People of the Book! commit no excesses in your religion: nor say of Allah (God) aught but the truth. Christ Jesus son of Mary was (no more than) a messenger of Allah (God), and His Word, which he bestowed on Mary, and a Spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah (God) and His messengers..." (4:171)</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Going to Extremes</span></p> <p>"O People of the Book" is a very respectful title with which the Jews and the Christians are addressed in the Holy Quran. In other words, Allah is saying "O Learned People!", "O People with a Scripture!" According to their own boast, the Jews and the Christians prided themselves over the Arabs, who had no Scripture before the Quran. As a learned people, Allah pulls up both the contending religionists for going to either extremes as regards the personality of Christ.</p> <p>The Jews made certain insinuations about the legitimacy of Jesus and charged him of blasphemy by twisting his words. The Christians read other meanings into his words; wrench words out of their context to make <i>him</i> God.</p> <p>The modern day Christian, the hot - gospeller, the Bible thumper, uses harsher words and cruder approaches to win over a convert to his blasphemies.</p> <dl><dt>He says:</dt><dd>(a) "Either Jesus is God or a liar" <br />(b) "Either Jesus is God or a lunatic" <br />(c) "Either Jesus is God or an impostor"</dd></dl> <p>These are his words, words culled from Christian literature. Since no man of charity, Muslim or otherwise, can condemn Christ so harshly as the Christian challenges him to do, perforce he must keep non-committal. He thinks he must make a choice between one or the other of these silly extremes. It does not occur to him that there is an alternative to this Christian conundrum.</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Sensible Alternative</span></p> <p>Is it not possible that Jesus is simply what he claimed to be, a prophet, like so many other prophets that passed away before him? Even that he is one of the greatest of them, a mighty miracle worker, a great spiritual teacher and guide - the <i>Messiah!</i>. Why only God or Lunatic? Is "lunacy" the opposite of "Divinity" in Christianity? What is the antonym of God? Will some clever Christian answer?</p> <p>The Quran lays bare the true position of Christ in a single verse, followed by a note by Yusuf Ali's:</p> <ol><li>"That he was the son of a woman, Mary, and therefore a man;" </li><li>"But a messenger, a man with a mission from Allah (God), and therefore entitled to honor." </li><li>"A Word bestowed on Mary, for he was created by Allah's word 'Be', and he was;"(3:59). </li><li>A spirit proceeding from Allah (God), but not Allah: his life and mission were more limited than in the case of some other messengers, though we must pay equal honor to him as a prophet of Allah. The doctrines of Trinity, equality with God, and sons, are repudiated as blasphemies. Allah (God) is independent of all needs and has no need of a son to manage His affairs. The Gospel of John (whoever wrote it) has put a great deal of Alexandrian Gnostic mysticism round the doctrine of the Word (Greek, Logos), but it is simply explained here." </li></ol> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Jesus Questioned</span></p> <p>Reproduced below are verses 119 to 121 from the Chapter of Maeda (chapter 5 of the Quran) depicting the scene of Judgment Day, when Allah will question Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, regarding the misdirected zeal of his supposed followers in worshipping him and his mother: and his response,</p> <p><i>"And behold! Allah will say: 'O Jesus the son of Mary! Didst thou say unto men, take me and my mother for two gods beside Allah?' He will say: 'Glory to Thee! never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, Thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my heart, Thou I know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden.</i></p> <p><i>'Never said I to them aught except what Thou didst command me to say, to wit, 'Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord'; and I was a witness over them whilst I dwelt amongst them; when Thou didst take me up Thou wast the Watcher over them, and Thou art a witness to all things.</i></p> <p><i>'If Thou dost punish them, they are Thy servant: If Thou dost forgive them, Thou art the Exalted in power, the Wise.'" <br /></i>(5:116-118)</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Claimed No Divinity</span></p> <p>If this is the statement of truth from the All-Knowing, that "Never said I to them aught except what Thou didst command me to say, to wit, 'Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord'", then how do the Christians justify worshipping Jesus?</p> <p>There is not a single unequivocal statement throughout the Bible, in all its 66 volumes of the Protestant versions, or in the 73 volumes of the Roman Catholic versions, where Jesus claims to be God or where he says "worship me". Nowhere does he say that he and God Almighty "are one" and "the same person."</p> <p>The last phrase above "one and the same person" tickles many a "hot-gospeller" and "Bible-thumper," not excluding the Doctor of Divinity and the Professor of Theology. Even the new converts to Christianity have memorized these verses. They are programmed to rattle off verses out of context, upon which they can hang their faith. The words "are one" activates the mind by association of memories. "Yes", say the Trinitarians, the worshippers of three gods in one God, and one God in three gods, "Jesus did claim to be God!" Where?</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Reverend at the Table</span></p> <p>I had taken Rev. Morris D.D. and his wife, to lunch at the "Golden Peacock." While at the table, during the course of our mutual sharing of knowledge, the opportunity arose to ask, "Where?" And without a murmur he quoted, <b>"I and my father are one"</b> to imply that God and Jesus were one and the same person. That Jesus here claims to be God. The verse quoted was well known to me, but it was being quoted <i>out of context</i>. It did not carry the meaning that the Doctor was imagining, so I asked him, "What is the context?"</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Choked on "Context"</span></p> <p>The Reverend stopped eating and began staring at me. I said, "Why? Don't you know the context?", "You see, what you have quoted is the text, I want to know the context, the text that goes with it, before or after." Here was an Englishman (Canadian), a paid servant of the Presbyterian Church, a Doctor of Divinity, and it appeared that I was trying to teach him English. Of course he knew what "context" meant. But like the rest of his compatriots, he had not studied the sense in which Jesus had uttered the words.</p> <p>In my forty years of experience, this text had been thrown at me hundreds of times, but not a single learned Christian had ever attempted to hazard a guess as to its real meaning. They always start fumbling for their Bibles. The Doctor did not have one with him. When they do start going for their Bibles, I stop them in their stride: "Surely, you know what you are quoting?", "Surely, you know your Bible?" After reading this, I hope some "born-again" Christians will rectify this deficiency. But I doubt that my Muslim readers will ever come across one in their lifetime who could give them the context.</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">What is the Context?</span></p> <p>It is unfair on the part of the Reverend, having failed to provide the context, then to ask me, "Do you know the context?" "Of course," I said. "Then, what is it?" asked my learned friend. I said, "That which you have quoted is the text of John chapter 10, verse 30. To get at the context, we have to begin from verse 23 which reads:</p> <dl><dd><b>23</b>. "and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade." (John 10:23). </dd></dl> <p>John, or whoever he was, who wrote this story, does not tell us the reason for Jesus tempting the Devil by walking alone in the lion's den. For we do not expect the Jews to miss a golden opportunity to get even with Jesus. Perhaps, he was emboldened by the manner in which he had literally whipped the Jews single-handed in the Temple, and upset the tables of the money changers at the beginning of his ministry (John 2:15).</p> <dl><dd><b>24</b>. "The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." (John 10:24). </dd></dl> <p>They surrounded him. Brandishing their fingers in his face, they began accusing him and provoking him; saying that he had not put forth his claim plainly enough, clearly enough. That he was talking ambiguously. They were trying to work themselves into a frenzy to assault him. In fact, their real complaint was that they did not like his method of preaching, his invectives, the manner in which he condemned them for their formalism, their ceremonialism, their going for the letter of the law and forgetting the spirit. But Jesus could not afford to provoke them any further there were too many and they were itching for a fight.</p> <p>Discretion is the better part of valor. In a conciliatory spirit, befitting the occasion:</p> <dl><dd><b>25</b>. "Jesus answered, I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me," </dd></dl> <dl><dd><b>26</b>. "but you do not believe because you are not my sheep." (John 10:25-26). </dd></dl> <p>Jesus rebuts the false charge of his enemies that he was ambiguous in his claims to being the Messiah that they were waiting for. He says that he did tell them clearly enough, yet they would not listen to him, but:</p> <dl><dd><b>27</b>. "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." </dd></dl> <dl><dd><b>28</b>. "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; <b>no one can snatch them out of my hand</b>." </dd></dl> <dl><dd><b>29</b>. "My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; <b>no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.</b>." (John 10:29). </dd></dl> <p>How can anyone be so blind as not to see the exactness of the ending of the last two verses. But spiritual blinkers are more impervious than physical defects. He is telling the Jews and recording for posterity, the real unity or relationship between the Father and the son. The most crucial verse:</p> <dl><dd><b>30</b>. "<b>I and the Father are one</b>." (John 10:30). </dd></dl> <p>One in what? In their Omniscience? In their Nature? In their Omnipotence? No! One in purpose! That once a believer has accepted faith, the Messenger sees to it that he remains in faith, and God Almighty also sees to it that he remains in faith. This is the purpose of the "Father" <i>and</i> the "son" <i>and</i> the "Holy Ghost" <i>and</i> of every man <i>and</i> every woman of faith. Let the same John explain his Gnostic mystic verbiage.</p> <p>"That they all may be <i>one</i> as thou. Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be <i>one</i> in us..."</p> <p>"I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in <i>one</i>..."(John 17:20-22)</p> <p>If Jesus is "one" with God, and if that "oneness" makes him God, then the traitor Judas, and the doubting Thomas, and the satanic Peter, plus the other nine who deserted him when he was most in need are God(s), because the same "oneness" which he claimed with God in John 10:30, now he claims for <b>all</b> "who forsook him and fled" (Mark 14:50). <b>All</b> "ye of little faith" (Matthew 8:26). <b>All</b> "O faithless and perverse generation" (Luke 9:41). Where and when will the Christian blasphemy end? The expression "I and my Father are one," was very innocent, meaning nothing more than a common purpose with God. But the Jews were looking for trouble and any excuse will not do, therefore,</p> <dl><dd><b>31</b>. "Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him," </dd></dl> <dl><dd><b>32</b>. "but Jesus said to them, I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" </dd></dl> <dl><dd><b>33</b>. "The Jews answered him, saying : 'For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself a God.'" (John 10:31-33). </dd></dl> <p>In verse 24 above the Jews falsely alleged that Jesus was talking ambiguously. When that charge was ably refuted, they then accused him of blasphemy which is like treason in the spiritual realm. So they say that Jesus is claiming to be God "I and the Father are one". The Christians agree with the Jews in this that Jesus did make such a claim; but differ in that it was not blasphemy because the Christians say that he was God and was entitled to own up to his Divinity.</p> <p>The Christians and the Jews are both agreed that the utterance is serious. To one as an excuse for good "redemption", and to the other as an excuse for good "riddance". Between the two, let the poor Jesus die. But Jesus refuses to co-operate in this game, so:</p> <dl><dd><b>34</b>. "Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your Law, `I have said you are gods'?" </dd></dl> <dl><dd><b>35</b>. "If he called them `gods,' to whom the word of God came --and the Scripture cannot be broken--," </dd></dl> <dl><dd><b>36</b>. "what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, `I am God's Son'?" (John 10:34-36). </dd></dl> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Why "Your Law"?</span></p> <p>He is a bit sarcastic in verse 34, but in any event, why does he say: "Your Law"? Is it not also <i>his</i> Law? Didn't he say: "Think not that I am come to destroy the <i>Law</i> of the prophets: I am come not to destroy, but to fulfill (the Law). For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass away, one Jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the <i>Law</i>, till all be fulfilled." (Matthew 5:1718).</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">"You are Gods"</span></p> <p>"You are gods:" He is obviously quoting from the 82nd Psalm , verse 6, "I have said, <i>ye are gods</i>: and all of you are the children of the most High."</p> <p>Jesus, continues: "If he (i.e. God Almighty) called them gods, unto whom the word of God came (meaning that the prophets of God were called 'gods') and the scripture cannot be broken..." (John 10:35), in other words he is saying: "you can't contradict me!" Jesus knows his Scripture; he speaks with authority; and he reasons with his enemies that: "If good men, holy men, prophets of God are being addressed as 'gods' in our Books of Authority, with which you find no fault, then why do you take exception to me? When the only claim I make for myself is far inferior in our language, viz. 'A son of God' as against others being called 'gods' by God Himself. Even if I (Jesus) described myself as 'god' in our language, according to Hebrew usage, you could find no fault with me." This is the plain reading of Christian Scripture. I am giving no interpretations of my own or some esoteric meaning to words!</p> <p><br /></p><hr size="4"><i>Chapter Seven</i> : <span style="font-size:+1;">"In The Beginning"</span> <hr size="4"> <p>"Where does Jesus say: 'I am God,' or 'I am equal to God,' or 'Worship me'?" I asked the Rev. Morris again.</p> <p>He took a deep breath and took another try. He quoted the most oft-repeated verse of the Christian Bible - John 1:1.</p> <p>"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."</p> <p>Please note, these are not the words of Jesus. They are the words of John (or whoever wrote them). Acknowledged by every erudite Christian scholar of the Bible as being the words of another Jew, Philo of Alexandria, who had written them even before John and Jesus were born. And Philo claimed no divine inspiration for them. No matter what mystical meaning that Philo had woven around these words (which our John has plagiarized), we will accept them for what they are worth.</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Greek not Hebrew</span></p> <p>Since the manuscripts of the 27 Books of the New Testament are in Greek, a Christian sect has produced its own version and has even changed the name of this selection of 27 Books to <i>Christian Greek Scriptures</i> ! I asked the Reverend whether he knew Greek? "Yes," he said, He had studied Greek for 5 years before qualification. I asked him what was the Greek word for "God" the first time it occurs in the quotation "and the Word was With God"? He kept staring, but didn't answer. So I said, the word was <i>Hotheos</i>, which literally means <b>"The God"</b>.</p> <p>Since the European (including the North American) has evolved a system of using capital letters to start a proper noun and small letters for common nouns, we would accept his giving a capital "G" for God; in other words <i>Hotheos</i> is rendered "the god" which in turn is rendered "God".</p> <p>"Now tell me, what is the Greek word for "God" in the second occurrence in your quotation - "and the Word was God"? The Reverend still kept silent. Not that he did not know Greek, or that he had lied, but he knew more than that; <i>the game was up</i>. I said : "the word was <i>Tontheos</i>, which means <b>"a god"</b>.</p> <p>According to your own system of translating you aught to have spelt this word 'God' a second time with a small 'g' i.e. 'god', and not 'God' with a capital 'G'; in other words <i>Tontheos</i> is rendered "a god". Both of these, "god" or "a god" are correct. </p> <p>I told the Reverend: "But in 2 Corinthians 4:4 you have dishonestly reversed your system by using a small 'g' when spelling 'God' "(and the devil is) the god of this world." The Greek word for "the god" is <i>Hotheos</i> the same as in John 1:1. "Why have you not been consistent in your translations ?" "If Paul was inspired to write <i>hotheos</i> the <b>G</b>od for the Devil, why don't you use that capital <b>'G'</b>?"</p> <p>And in the Old Testament, the Lord said unto Moses: "See, I have made thee <b>a god</b> to Pharoah" (Exodus 7:1). "Why do you use a small 'g' for 'God' when referring to Moses instead of a capital 'G' as you do for a mere word 'Word' - "and the <b>Word</b> was <b>God</b>."?</p> <p>"Why do you do this? Why do you play fast and loose with the Word of God?" I asked the reverend. He said, "I didn't do it." I said, "I know, but I am talking about the vested interests of Christianity, who are hell-bent to deify Christ, by <b>using capital letters here and small letters there, to deceive the unwary masses who think that every letter, every comma and full stop and the capital and small letters were dictated by God</b> (Capital 'G' here!)."</p> <p><br /></p><hr size="4"><i>Chapter Eight</i> : <span style="font-size:+1;">What is Left</span> <hr size="4"> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Three Topics</span></p> <p>It can hardly be expected in a small publication of this nature that one can deal with all the references about Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, interspersed throughout the fifteen different chapters of the Holy Quran. What we can do is to give a quick glance to the index page reproduced from the Quran earlier in this letter.</p> <p>Here we find three significant topics, not dealt with yet in our discussion:</p> <ol><li>Not crucified, (4:157). </li><li>Message and miracles,(5:113, 19:30-33). </li><li>Prophesied Ahmed, (61:6). </li></ol> <p>Regarding the first topic, "not crucified", I had written a booklet under the heading "Was Christ Crucified?" some twenty years ago. The book is presently out of print, and further, it needs updating, for much water has passed under the bridge since it first saw the light of day.</p> <p>As regards the third topic mentioned above, "Prophesied Ahmed", I propose to write a booklet under the title "Muhammed, <i>salla Allah u alihi wa sallam</i>, the Natural Successor to Christ" after I have completed "Was Christ Crucified?", I hope to complete both these projects soon, <i>Insha Allah!</i> (Arabic: "By the will of Allah").</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">The Way to Salvation</span></p> <p>We are now left with Topic No. 2, "Message and miracles". The message of Jesus was as simple and straight forward as that of all his predecessors as well as that of his successor Muhammed, <i>salla Allah u alihi wa sallam</i>, namely <b>"Believe in God and keep His Commandments"</b>. For the God who inspired His Messengers, is an <i>unvarying</i> God and He is consistent: He is not the "author of confusion" (1 Corinthian14:33). </p> <p>A law abiding Jew comes to Jesus seeking eternal life or salvation. In the words of Matthew:</p> <p>"And behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?</p> <p>And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." (Matthew 19:16-17)</p> <p>You will agree, that if you or I were that Jew, we would infer from these words that, according to Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, salvation was guaranteed, provided we kept the commandments without the shedding of any innocent blood. Unless, of course Jesus was speaking with tongue in cheek; knowing full well that his own "forthcoming redemptive sacrifice", his "vicarious atonement" (?) for the sins of mankind, was not many days hence.</p> <p>Why would Jesus give him the <i>impossible</i> solution of keeping the Law (as the Christian alleges) when an easier way was in the offing? Or did he not know what was going to happen, that he was to be crucified ? Was there not a contract between Father and Son, before the worlds began, for his redeeming blood to be shed? Had he lost his memory? No! There was no such fairy tale agreement as far as Jesus was concerned. He knew that there is only one way to God, and that is, as Jesus said, <b>"keep the Commandments"!</b></p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Miracles, What They Prove</span></p> <p>Regarding his miracles: the Holy Quran does not go into any detail about blind Bartimus or about Lazarus or any other miracle, except that he (Jesus) defended his mother as an infant in his mother's arms. The Muslim has no hesitation about accepting the most wondrous of his miracles - even that of reviving the dead. But that does not make Jesus a "God" or the begotten "Son of God" as understood by the Christian.</p> <p>Miracles do not prove even prophethood, or whether a man is true or false. Jesus himself said: </p> <p>"For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."(Matthew 24:24)</p> <p>If false prophets and false Christs can perform miraculous feats, then these wonders or miracles do not prove even the geniuses or otherwise, of a prophet. </p> <p>John the Baptist, according to Jesus, was the greatest of the Israelite prophets. Greater than Moses, David, Solomon, Isaiah and all, not excluding himself: in his own words: </p> <p>"Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist..." (Matthew 11:11)</p> <ol><li>Not excluding Jesus: because, was he not born of a woman - Mary? </li><li>The Baptist, greater than "all", yet he performed not a single miracle! Miracles are no standards of judging truth and falsehood. </li></ol> <p>But in his childishness, the might Christian insists that Jesus is God because he gave life back to the dead. Will reviving the dead make others God too? This perplexes him, because he has mentally blocked himself from the miracles of others who outshine Jesus in his own Bible. For example, according to his false standard: </p> <ul><li>Moses is greater than Jesus because he put life back into a dead stick and transmuted it from the plant kingdom to the animal kingdom by making it into a serpent (Exodus 7:10). </li><li>Elisha is greater than Jesus because the bones of Elisha brought a man back to life merely by coming into contact with the corpse (2 Kings 13:21). </li></ul> <p>Need I illustrate to you a catalogue of miracles? But the sickness persists - "it was God working miracles through His prophets but Jesus performed them of his own power." Where did Jesus get all his power from? Ask Jesus, and he will tell us:</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Power not His Own</span></p> <p>"...All power is <i>given</i> unto me in heaven and in earth." (Matthew 28:18)</p> <p>"...I cast out devils <i>by the Spirit of God</i> then the kingdom of God is come unto you." (Matthew 12:28)</p> <p>"I can of mine <i>own self</i> do nothing " (John 5:30)</p> <p>"I with the <i>finger of God</i> cast out devils" (Luke 1 1:20)</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Borrowed Power</span></p> <p>The "power" as he says is not his, "it is given unto me". Given by whom? By God, of course! Every action, every word he attributes to God.</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Lazarus</span></p> <p>But since so much is made of Jesus' mightiest miracle of reviving Lazarus from the dead, we will analyze the episode as recorded in John's Gospel. It is astonishing that none of the other Gospel writers mention Lazarus in any context. However, the story is that Lazarus was very sick, his sisters Mary and Martha had made frantic calls for Jesus to come and cure his sickness but he arrived too late, actually four days after his demise.</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">He Groaned</span></p> <p>Mary wails to Jesus that had he arrived in time, perhaps her brother would not have died; meaning that if he could heal other peoples' sicknesses, why would he not have healed her brother, a dear friend of his. Jesus says that "even now if ye have faith, ye shall see the glory of god." The condition was that they should have faith. Didn't he say that faith could move mountains?</p> <p>He asks to be taken to the tomb. On the way, "he groaned in the spirit". He was not mumbling; he was pouring out his heart and praying to God. But while he sobbed so bitterly his words were not audible enough for people around him to understand. Hence the words "he groaned". On reaching the grave, Jesus "groaned" again; perhaps, even more earnestly and God heard his groaning (his prayer), and Jesus received the assurance that God will fulfill his request. Now, Jesus could rest assured and command that the stone which was barring the tomb, be removed so that Lazarus could come back from the dead. Without that assurance from God, Jesus would have made a fool of himself.</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Avoiding Misunderstanding</span></p> <p>Mary thinks of the stink because her brother had been dead for four days! But Jesus was confident and the stone was removed. Then he looked up towards heaven and said:</p> <p>"Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me." (John 11:41-42)</p> <p>What is all this, play - acting? Why all the drama? Because he know that these superstitious and credulous people will misunderstand the source of the miracle. They might take him for "God". Giving life to the dead is the prerogative of God alone. To make doubly sure, that his people do not misunderstand, he speaks out loudly that the "groaning" was actually his crying to God Almighty for help. The prayer was incoherent as far as the bystanders could discern, but the Father in heaven had accepted his prayer, viz. "thou hast heard me".</p> <p>Furthermore, he says, "thou hearest me always"; in other words, every miracle wrought by him was an answer by God Almighty to his prayer. The Jews of his day understood the position well, and they "glorified God", as Matthew tells us of another occasion when the Jews exclaimed "for giving such power unto men" (Matt. 9:8).</p> <p>In fact, Jesus gives his reason for speaking loudly. He says, "that they may believe that thou has sent me." One who is sent is a messenger, and if he be sent by God, then he is a Messenger of God i.e. <i>Rasulullah</i>. Jesus is referred to in the Quran as<i>Rasulullah</i> ("Messenger of Allah").</p> <p>Alas, this attempt by Jesus to prevent any misunderstanding, as to who really performed the miracle, and that he was in fact only a messenger of God, failed. Christians will not even accept the unambiguous disavowal of Jesus, nor the testimony of Peter, the "Rock" upon which Jesus was supposed to build his Church. Peter truly testified:</p> <p>"Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, A <b>man</b> approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which <b>God did</b> by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know. " (Acts 2:22)</p> <p><span style="font-size:+1;">Case Not Hopeless</span></p> <p>This very same message is repeated by God Almighty in the Holy Quran, following the annunciation. In verse 49 of chapter 3, Allah makes it clear that every sign or wonder that Jesus performed was "By Allah's leave," by God's permission. Jesus says so, Peter says so and God says so; but the stubborn controversialist will not listen: prejudice, superstition and credulity die hard. Our duty is simply to deliver the Message, loud and clear, the rest we leave to God. The case is not altogether hopeless for Allah tells us in His Holy Book:</p> <p>"And among them are some who have faith, but most of them are perverted transgressors." (3:110)</p> <p>"Among them", meaning among the Jews and the Christians, there are two types of people; the one group described as people of faith to whom this book is addressed, and the other as rebellious transgressors. We must also find ways and means of getting at them. Our literature is eminently suited to cater for all. Pass them on to your non - Muslim friends after reading.</p> <p>Open the Holy Quran and make your Christian friends and acquaintances to read the verses discussed in this book. Then we can truly conclude: </p> <p><i>"Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary: <br />(it is) a statement of truth, about which <br />they (vainly) dispute.</i></p> <p><i>"It is not befitting to (the majesty of) Allah <br />(God) that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! <br />when He determines a matter, He only says to it, <br />'Be', and it is. </i></p> <p><i>"Verily Allah is my Lord and your Lord: <br />Him therefore serve ye: <b>this is a Way that is straight</b>." </i>(19:34-36)</p> <p> </p><hr />This is an authorized modification of the original English text. <br />For more free publications, please contact: <address><b>Islamic Propagation Centre International <br /></b>124 Queen Street , Durban, 4001 Republic of South Africa <br />Telephone (027-31) 306-0026. Telex (095) 6-21815 IPCI SA <br />Telefax (027-31) 304-0326 </address>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-63608884484398170582009-03-24T22:56:00.000+07:002009-03-24T22:57:52.066+07:00The greatest Scientists testify to scientific Facts in Quran.These are short parts of many interviews with the Prominent Scientists in the TV-Program (it is the Truth) which organized by the World Organization of scientific miracles in the Quran, which was broadcast on the Qatari- Television for more than three consecutive hours..<br /><br />This Program was made during the Eighth international Medical Conference in Saudi Arabia and other scientific Conferences at that Time.<br /><br />The Scientists who were interviewed during this conference are:<br /><br />1) professeur keith Moore (USA)<br />is an eminent Specialist in world fame in surgery and embryology. this professor wrote Anatomy Book named (the Human Development). this book was considered as the best Anatomy Book in the world, written by only one author.<br /><br />2)Professeur Van Bersoud (canada)<br />is a professor of Anatomy, pediatry, and obstetrics-gynaecology and sciences of the reproduction at the University Manitoba in Canada. He was there the president of the Department of anatomy during 16 years. He is very recognized in his field. He is the author or the editor of 22 handbooks and he published more than 181 scientific articles. In 1991, he received price more distinguished allotted in the field of the anatomy in Canada, the J.C.B., Great Price of the Canadian Association of the Anatomists.<br /><br />3)Professeur Joe Leigh Simpson (USA)<br />is a president of the Department of obstetrics-gynaecology, professor of obstetrics-gynaecology, and professor of human and molecular genetics in Baylor College of Medicine, in Houston, Texas, the United States.<br /><br />4)Professor Marshal Jhonson<br />is a professor highly skilled of anatomy and biology related to the development at the university Thomas Jefferson on Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the United States.<br /><br />5)Professeur Gerald C (USA)<br />is a director of program and lecturer of medical embryology at the cellular Department of biology of the Medical school from the Georgetown University in Washington, the United States.<br /><br />6)Professeur Youchedi Kuzane (Japan)<br />is a professor highly skilled at the University of Tokyo with Hongo, Tokyo, Japan, and he was already a director of the national astronomical Observatory with Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan.<br /><br />7)Professeur Tejatat Tejasen (Thailand)<br />is president of Autopsy Department in the University Chiang Mai in Thailand.. he was a senior of the Faculty of Medicine of the same university.<br />He embraced islam after reading the Quran<br /><br />8)Professor William W. Hay (USA)<br />is a very known maritime scientist. He is a professor of geological sciences at the University of Colorado with Boulder, Colorado, the United States. Previously, he was the senior of Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science at the University from Miami in Miami, Florida, the United States.<br /><br />9)Professor Alfred kroner (Germany)<br />is one of the world's renowned geologists. He is Professor of Geology and the Chairman of the Department of Geology at the Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.<br /><br />Watch the whole Program on google-video:<br /><br />it was in arabic but all interviews were in english:<br /><br />Part 1<br />http://video.google.de/videoplay?doci...<br /><br />Part 2<br />http://video.google.de/videoplay?doci...<br /><br />Part 3<br />http://video.google.de/videoplay?doci...<br /><br />Part 4<br />http://video.google.de/videoplay?doci...<br /><br />and here in german language (deutsch)<br /><br />http://video.google.com/videoplay?doc...<br /><br />http://video.google.com/videoplay?doc...<br /><br />More Videos about scientific Facts in Quran (english):<br /><br />Miracles of Quran:<br /><br />http://video.google.com/videoplay?doc...<br /><br />The Scientific Precision of the Qur'an by Professor Al-Najjar:<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prNdIG...<br /><br />in french (français):<br /><br />http://video.google.com/videoplay?doc...<br /><br />http://www.aimer-jesus.com/temoignage...<br /><br />Learn more about islam:<br /><br />http://www.islamreligion.com/<br /><br />http://www.islam-guide.com/<br /><br />http://www.sultan.org/<br /><br />http://www.miraclesofthequran.com/<br /><br />source : mengenalislam.blogspot.comUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-39281255987016206752009-03-18T00:20:00.000+07:002009-03-18T00:22:24.682+07:00Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in Buddhist Scriptures (3)<center> <h1> Esoteric and Exoteric Doctrine and the Buddhas </h1> <h4> Extracted from book: Muhammad in Buddhist Scriptures<br />A. H. Vidyarthi and U. Ali </h4> </center><br /><p><i>"I have preached the truth without making any distinction between exoteric and esoteric doctrine: for in respect of truths, Ananda, the Tathagata has no such thing as the closed fist of a teacher, who keeps something back."</i> (S. B. E. Vol. XI. P. 36.) </p><p>If Jesus was the Buddha Maitreya the characteristic mentioned above should hold good in his case, but it does not:- </p><p><i>"And the disciples came and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it not given............Therefore I speak to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand."</i> (Matt. 13: 10-13.) </p><p><i>"Plainly our Lord desired that the bulk of his hearers should not understand the mysteries of his kingdomn."</i> (Four Gospels by W. W. How D. D.) </p><p>Jesus was put before the high priest as an accused. He questioned Jesus about his doctrine : - </p><p><i>"Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing."</i> (John 28 : 20) </p><p>Let us see what Jesus taught in secret:- </p><p><i>"And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. And he said unto these, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but unto them that are without all these things are done in parables; that seeing they may see, and not perceive, and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they may be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them."</i> (Mark 4 :10-12) </p><p>Jesus commanded his disciples not to make his secret doctrine public:- </p><p>"Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." (Matt. 7:6) </p><p>In public Jesus always spoke in parables:- </p><p>"And with many such parables spake he the word unto them. But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things unto his discipIes." (Mark 4 : 33-34) </p><p>Thus from the above it is clear that Jesus deliberately made a distinction between the exoteric and esoteric doctrine. In respect of truth he intentionally had a closed fist of a teacher for the majority of his audience. He consciously withheld his real teaching from the bulk of his hearers, whether worthy or unworthy. </p><p>The student of the Bible well knows that the ancient Christians had a number of secret Gospels, Acts and Epistles. Fragments of some of these are still found. </p><p>"An apocryphal book was-originally-too sacred and secret to be in every ones hand." (Apocryphal New Testament by M. R. James P. XIV.) </p><p>The existence of scriptures, other than Canonical ones, is clearly hinted in Luke:- </p><p>"For as much as many have taken in hand a declaration of those things which are most surely believed amongst us..............." (Luke 1:1) </p><p>"'Many'. This does not refer to the Gospels of St. Matthew and Saint Mark......" (W. W. How D. D. The Four Gospels.) </p><p>It is therefore apparent from the above that Jesus cannot be the Buddha Maitreya. Shankaracharya not being an inspired teacher we leave him out of question. </p><p>On the other hand, Mohammed in obedience to the command of God, published his doctrine completely, without making any distinction between exoteric and esoteric:- </p><p>"O apostle, publish (the whole of) that which hath been sent down unto thee from thy Lord: for if thou do not, thou dost not (in effect) publish any part Thereof." (The Koran V. P. 109.) </p><p>The Koran was recited in public in the days of the prophet. It is recited in the same way even now. The prophet had strictly forbidden Muslims from hiding his doctrine: - </p><blockquote>1. "Abu Hurera relates that the apostle of God said: Whosoever is asked anything concerning knowledge and if he does not tell, he shalt be bridled with the bridle of fire (on the day of resurrection.)" (Ta. Vol. IV. P. 248, quotes A and T.)<br />2. "Abu Hurera relates :-The apostle of God said, 'None is such that he learnt knowledge and hid it, but shall come on the day of resurrection bridled with the bridle of hell-fire" (1. Vol. 1. P. 117.)<br />3. "Anas relates: I heard the apostle of God saying. 'If a man is questioned about knowledge and if he hides it he will be bridled with the bridle of fire.'" (Ibid P. 118.)<br />4. "Abu Hurera relates :-The apostle of God said, 'If a man is questioned about knowledge that he knows, and if he hides it, he shall be bridled with the bridle of fire.'" (Ibid.) </blockquote> <p>It is clear, therefore, that Mohammed is the Buddha Maitreya and not Jesus. </p><p><b>DEVOTED SERVITORS OF THE BUDDHAS.</b> </p><p>"Then the Blessed one addressed the brethren, and said, 'Whosoever, brethren, have been Arahat-Buddhas through the long ages of the past, there were servitors just as devoted to those Blessed ones as Ananda has been to me. And whosoever, brethren, shall be the Arahat-Buddhas of the future, there shall be servitors as devoted to those Blessed ones as Ananda has been to me.'" (S. B. E. Vol. XI. R 97.) </p><p>"And Ananda remained always near the Blessed Master of truth, Until the Tathagata made his final entry into Nirvana." (The Gospel of Buddha by Carus P. 69.) </p><p>Ananda was really devoted to the Buddha Gautama. His true devotion distinguishes him from other disciples. Once when a maddened elephant approached the Buddha Gautama "the Bhikshus all deserted him, Ananda only remained by his side." (S. B. E. Vol. 19, P. 247.) </p><p>If Jesus was the Buddha Maitreya he should have a servitor like Ananda. We search for such a servitor of Jesus in the Gospels:- </p><p>We consider Judas Iscariot was this servitor of Jesus, for "Judas was with our saviour in public and private,"(Eadie P. 392) "and had the bag and bare what was put therein."(John 12 6) Judas Iscariot, however, was wanting in devotion towards his master:- </p><p>"Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unto them, What will ye give me, I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for 30 pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him." (Matt.26: 14-16) </p><p>And Judas betrayed Jesus.(Matt. 28: 50.) Therefore Judas capnot be the true servitor of Jesus. Perhaps Peter was this servitor of Jesus. Jesus, in his life time, entertained a good opinion of Peter:- </p><p>"And Jesus answered and said unto hum Blessed art thou Simon Barjona........I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose in earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matt. 16 :17-19) </p><p>Peter himself expressed that his devotion towards Jesus was sincere:- </p><blockquote> (a) "I will lay down my life for thy sake." (John 13: 37)<br />(b) "Peter answered and said unto him, Though sll men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Peter said unto him. Though I should die with thee, yet Will 1 not deny thee LIKEWISE ALSO SAID ALL THE DISCIPLES." (Matt. -28. 3.3-35.)<br />(c)Peter said to Jesus : - "Lord I am ready to go with thee, both in prison and to death."(Luke22:33)<br />(d) "But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. LIKEWISE ALSO SAID THEY ALL." (Markl4:31) </blockquote> <p>A time for the true test of devotion soon arrives, and the disciples of Jesus fail one and all. Jesus is captured by the enemy and the disciples desert him:- "ALL THE DISCIPLES FORSOOK HIM AND FLED."(Matt. 26 56) </p><p>Peter, the rock of Jesus, proves an utter failure. He deserts Jesus, trembles even at the questioning of a damsel, the gates of hell prevail against him in the very lifetime of Jesus and he denies Jesus repeatedly and most emphatically:- </p><p>"Now Peter sat without in the place: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou wast also with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. After a while came unto him they that stood by and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech hetrayeth thee. Then he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man............." (Matt. 26 69-74) </p><p>It is therefore apparent that in the life-time of Jesus none of his disciples showed the constant devotion of Ananda towards their master. Hence Jesus cannot be the Buddha Maitreya. </p><p>Mohammed had a servitor named Anas who never left the service of the prophet in his lifetime. Anas was presented to the prophet by his parents:- </p><p>"Anas relates: The apostle of God came to our house........my mother said to him, '0 apostle of God, here is your little servant.'" (M. Vol. IL P. 719.) </p><p>"'I served him from the time I was 8 years old,' said his servant Anas, 'and he never scolded me for any thing. though things were spoiled by me.'"(Irving p. 232) </p><p>The prophet loved Anas and called him his son,(T. Vol. II. P. 247) and his "little beloved."(M. Vol. VI. P. 2330) Anas was devoted to the prophet like Ananda. The prophet himself, like the Buddha Gautama, bore testimony to this effect by calling Anas, "<b>Onais</b>."(T. Vol. I. P. 449) </p><p>The word Onais means the devoted young one. The word Anas itself is from the root Ons which means devotion. Anas was really the incarnation of true devotion. He stuck to the prophet in station and out station, in peace and in war, in safety as well as in danger, upto the end of the life of the prophet. We point out only two events of the life of Anas showing his undaunted devotion to the prophet:- </p><blockquote>(1) Anas when only about 11 years old, was near the person of the prophet at the battle of Ohod (Ta. Vol. IV. P. 290. M. & T. quoted) where the prophet "was very near loosing his life, being struck down by a shower of stones, and wounded in the face by two arrows," (Sale's Koran P. 60. Foot Note) and he depicts the scene of the spot vividly.<br />(2) Anas was near the person of the prophet at the battle of Honain, and gives a graphic account of it. In the Muslim army there were mostly recent converts and ido1aters (Rahmat-lil-alimina Vol. I. P. 162), unprotected by coats of mail and "unarmed," (M. Vol. V. P. 1898.) and they got panic-stricken at the fury of sudden and unexpected onslaught of the enemy, and fled in disorder. "They were assailed by a shower of darts, stones and arrows, which left two or three of Mahomet's soldiers dead at his feet, and wounded several others."(Irving P. 182) "The enemy then surrounded the apostle of God"(M. Vol. V. PP. 1899-2000.) who was left "alone" (Ta. Vol. V. P. 61 B. M. T. quoted) "with some few of his family."(Sale's Koran P. 183 Foot Note.) The enemy, the tribe of Hawazin were archers and they shot volleys of arrows (as thick as) the swarm of locusts."(M. Vol. V. P. 1898) The Muslim army "had to face such archers none of whose arrows missed."(Ibid P. 1891) The presence of Anas, a lad of about 16 years, near the person of the prophet, is a sure proof of his admirable devotion towards Mohammed and undoubtedly stands a decent parallel to Ananda's devotion towards the Buddha Gautaina when the maddened elephant approached him. </blockquote> <p>Therefore it is clear that Mohammed is the Buddha Maitreya and not Jesus; Shankaracharya not being an inspired teacher we leave him out of consideration.</p><br /><p><br /></p><p>source:www.islamawerenes.net<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-8588635354120393912009-03-18T00:15:00.000+07:002009-03-18T00:27:04.846+07:00Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in Buddhist Scriptures (2)<center> <h1> Maitreya Identified </h1> <h4> Extracted from book: Muhammad in Buddhist Scriptures<br />A. H. Vidyarthi and U. Ali </h4> </center><br /><p><b>MOHAMMED IS MAITREYA BUDDHA</b> </p><p>The followers of Jesus and of Shankaracharya both advertise their respective teachers as the Buddha Maitreya. Their own teachers remained silent on the point in their life-times. Not so Mohammed. Unlike Jesus and Shankaracharya he himself published that he was sent as the Maitreya (Mercy):- </p><p><i>"We have not sent thee (O Mohammed) but (as) a Mercy unto-creaturcs."</i> (The Koran 21. P.26) </p><p>Very often the prophet is called a Maitreya (Mercy) in the Koran </p><blockquote> (1) "(Thouart sent as) a Mercy (Maitreya) from thy Lord." (Ibid. 28. P382)<br />(2) "There are some of them who injure the prophet and say, he is an ear: Answer, He is an ear of good unto you: he believeth in God and giveth credit to the faithful and is a mercy (Maitreya) unto such of you who bclieve. (Ibid. 9. PP. 187-8.) </blockquote> <p>A number of times in his conversation Mohammed gave out that he was sent as a Maitreya:- </p><blockquote>(1) Narrator Ahu Saieh. "The apostle of God used to address people, 'O people, I am a Mercy (Maitreya) (who is) sent (to you.)'" (D.P. 6.)<br />(2) On the field, of Ohod Mohammed "was very near losing his life, being struck down by a shower of stones, and wounded in the face with arrows." (Sale's Koran Foot Note P. 60.) When in this pitiable plight and profusely bleeding some of his companions asked him to curse the unbelieving enemy, he declined their request and prayed for the unbelieving enemy:- "I have not been sent for cursing, but as an inviter (unto God) and a Mercy (Maitreya). 0 God, guide my people (and forgive them) as they know' mc not." (M.Quoted in RAHMAT-AL-LIL-ALAMINA Vol 1. p. 114 by Q Md. Sulaiman.) </blockquote> <p>"Mohammed was at all times of an affectionate disposition, and even demonstratively so" (Mohammed by S.D. Margoliouth P. 70.). "In the Koran he repeatedly points out what a privilege his presence is. and how he is a proof or embodiment of God's Mercy to the world" (Ibid. P.52). </p><p>"It is a wonderful thing," observes Mr. Holland, "that Mohammed born of a fierce and war-like race, a people given to many cruel practices, should have so much regard for compassion. He thanked God who had put in men's heart to be compassionate........of all the qualities he regarded compassion as the most God-like, and every chapter of the Koran begins with this invocation, 'In the name of God the Compassionate, the Merciful'" (The Story of Mohammad P. 100). </p><p><b>MEASUREMENT OF HEARTS</b> </p><p>From the Muslim point of view all the inspired teachers of humanity, being the commissioned representatives of the most Merciful upon the earth, were all men of merciful nature. Their hearts were vast treasure houses of mercy. They were men of much more merciful nature than the uninspired. God in his wisdom chose to bestow upon them various amounts of His mercy. The Koran says - </p><p>"These are the apostles; We have preferred some of them before others." (2. P. 36) </p><p>Compared among themselves, some of the apostles were more merciful than others. We maintain that through the grace of God Mohammed had received the greatest portion of His mercy. In other words, the heart of Mohammed was the greatest treasure house of mercy, as compared with the hearts of other apostles. How to know this? We want a standard for measuring the merciful extent of hearts. Jesus gives a standard:- </p><p>"Out of the abundance of heart the mouth speaketh." (Matt. 12:34) </p><p>"The tongue" writes Rt. Rev. W. W. How D. D.. "is the truest sign of the state of the heart............The fountain within shall over-flow in the words of the mouth.........."(Commentary on the New Testament.) </p><p>In guidance of the above we suppose that if in the teachings of an inspired teacher the word "mercy" or "merciful" occurs once his heart is merciful to. one degree. With this standard we measure the merciful extent of the heart of Mohammed. The words "mercy" and "merciful" are used more than 409 times in the Koran alone. </p><p>We intentionally leave out the words occurring In the Hadis literature of more than quarter of a million of pages in which the sayings of the holy prophet are recorded. Therefore the heart of the holy prophet was merciful more than 409 degrees. </p><p>Now we measure the merciful extent of the heart of Jesus with his own standard. From the record of the four Gospels of the Bible we learn that the words "mercy" and "merciful" drop from the lips of Jesus only 9 times. Therefore his heart was merciful to 9 degrees only. </p><p>In view of the above an impartial enquirer shall consider Mohammed as the Buddha Maitreya in preference to Jesus. </p><p>The vast extent of the merciful nature of Mohammed is well expressed by the Koran:- </p><p>"Certainly an apostle has come to you from among yourselves, grievous to him is your falling into distress, excessively solicitous respecting you; to the believers (he is) compassionate-merciful." (IX.128.) </p><p>"Compassionate" is the translation of the Arabic word "Raoof" which according to Bokari (Vol. 2. P. 299) means "very great mercy." Raoof "denotes a more special and a more tender affection than Rahmet, or the utmost degree thereof."(Arabic English Lexicon by Lane.) </p><p>Shankaracharya being not an inspired teacher we leave him out of consideration. </p><p><b>AN INCORRUPTIBLE NAME.</b> </p><p>When we go through the works written by men of various nations on Islam we observe one curious thing. The word "Mohammed" is spelled in a number of ways, as "Mahamet," "Mahomet," "Mohamet," "Mehemet," "Mahemmet,".......... </p><p>We utilise some of these natural differences for our purpose. </p><p>1. "Mahamet or Mahomet." The word seems to be composed of Maaha and Metta. The word Maho or Maha in Pali and Sanskrit means "Great, illustrious" (The Student's H. E. Dictionary by R. N. Lal) Metta means "mercy." Therefore the entire word Mahamet or Mahomet means "an illustrious mercy" or a great mercy". The Koran gives out that Mohammed is "a great mercy." </p><p>2. "Mohamet" seems to be composed of Moh and Metta. Moh in Sanskrit means, "Affection or sympathy";(Ibid.) therefore the entire word means "of an affectionate or of sympathetic mercy". The events of the life of Mohammed show that he was of a sympathetic nature to an extra-ordinary degree. We shall describe these events in details. </p><p>3. "Mehemet" seems to be composed of "Meh" and "Metta." Meh means "rain." (The Student's H. E. Dictionary by R. N. Lal) Therefore the entire word means ''a mercy like rain", or "a man who rains mercy in general." According to the Koran rain is a general blessing of God to His creatures:- </p><blockquote>(a) "We send down rain as blessing from heaven, whereby We cause the gardens to spring forth and the grain of harvest, and tall palm trees having branches laden with dates, hanging one above another as a provision for man-kind, and We thereby quicken a dead country."(50.P.500.)<br />(b) "He sendeth down water from heaven, and quickneth thereby the earth, after it hath been dead: verily herein are signs unto people who understand." (30. P. 396.)<br />(c) "Dost thou not see that God sendeth down water from heaven, and causeth the same to enter (and form) sources on the earth, and produceth thereby corn of various sorts."(39. P. 451.) </blockquote> <p>Just as rain is a general blessing and mercy of God to all His creatures so the holy prophet was a mercy to all His creatures: the Koran supports this "We have not sent thee (O Mohammed) but (as) a mercy-unto-all-creatures." (21 P.326) </p><p>4. 'Mahemmet" seems to be composed of "Mahema" or "Mahima" which in Sanskrit means "greatness; glory," (The Studenti H. E. Dictionary by R. N. Lal.) and Metta which means "mercy." Therefore the entire word means "the glorious mercy" or a great mercy."</p>source :www.islamawarenes.net<br /><p><br /></p><p><a href="http://answering-ff.blogspot.com/2009/03/prophet-muhammad-pbuh-in-buddhist.html">prev... </a><br /></p><p><a href="http://answering-ff.blogspot.com/2009/03/prophet-muhammad-pbuh-in-buddhist_17.html"> next..</a><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-25508009073476679182009-03-18T00:11:00.000+07:002009-03-18T00:24:23.836+07:00Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in Buddhist Scriptures (1)<center> <h1> The Buddhist Prophecy </h1> <h4> Extracted from book: Muhammad in Buddhist Scriptures<br />A. H. Vidyarthi and U. Ali </h4> </center><br /><p><b><i>(From the Burmese source.s.)</i></b> </p><p>The Buddha said to Sariputta:- </p><blockquote> <p>"......................... Our cycle is a happy one. Three leaders have already lived. Kakusandha, Konogamana And eke the leader Kasapa. The Buddha supreme am I. But after me Metteya comes. While still this happy cycle lasts, Before its tale of years shall lapse This Buddha then Metteya. called Supreme, and of all men the chief" </p><p><i>Buddhism in Translation by Warren. PP 481 -2.</i> </p></blockquote><br /><p><b><i>(From Ceylon Sources.)</i></b> </p><p>Ananda "said to the Blessed One. </p><p>'Who shall teach us when thou art gone?"' </p><p>And the Blessed One replied:- </p><p>'I am not the first Buddha who came upon the earth, nor shall I be the last. In due time anothr Buddha will arise in the world, a holy one, a supremely enlightened one, endowed with wisdom in conduct, auspicious, knowing the universe, an incomparable leader of men, a master of angels and mortals. He will reveal to you the same eternal truths which I have taught you. He will preach his religion, glorious in its origin, glorious at the climax, and, glorious at the goal. He will proclaim a religious life, wholly perfect a pure, such as I now proclaim. His disciples will number many thousand, while mine number many hundred.' </p><p>Ananda said, 'How shall we know him?' </p><p>The Blessed One replied, 'He will be known Maitreya.......................' </p><p><i>The Gospel of Buddha by Carus. PP. 217-8</i> </p><p><b><i>OR</i></b> </p><p>The Buddha said:- </p><p>"Monks. in the days when men live 80000 years, there will arise in the world a Buddha named Metteyyo (the benevolent one), a holy one (Arahat), a supremely enlightened one, endowed with wisdom in conduct; auspicious, knowing the universe, an incomparable charioteer of men who are tamed; a master of and mortals; a Blessed Buddha; even as I now have arisen in the world, a Buddha with these same qualities endowed. What he has realised by his own supernal knowledge he will publish to this universe with its angels, its fiends, and its archangels, and to the race of philosophers and brahmins, princes and peoples; even as I now having all this knowledge do publish the same unto the same. He will preach his religion, glorious in its origin, glorious at the climax, glorious at the goal, in the spirit and the letter. He will proclaim a religious life wholly perfect and thoroughly pure, even as I now preach my religion, and a like life do proclaim. He will keep up a society numbering many chousand. even as I now keep up a society of monks numbering many hundred." </p><p><i>Buddhist and Christian Gospes by Edmunds. Vol II. PP. 160-1.</i> </p><p><b><i>OR</i></b> </p><p>"At that period, brethren, there will arise in the world an Exalted One named Metteya, Arahant, fully Awakened, abounding in wisdom and goodness, happy, with knowledge of the worlds, unsurpassed as a guide to mortals willing to be led, a teacher for gods and men, an Exalted One, a Buddha even as I am now. He, by himself, will thoroughly see and know, as it were face to face, this universe, with its world of the spirits, its Brahamas, and its Maras, and its world of recluses and Brahmins, of princes and peoples, even as I now by myself, thoroughly know and see them. The truth (the Norm) lovely in its origin, lovely in its progress, lovely in its consummation, will he proclaim, both in the spirit and in the letter; the higher life will he make known, in all its fulness and all its purity, even as I do now. He will be accompanied by a congregation of some thousands of brethren, even as I am now accompanied by a congregation of some hundreds of brethren. </p><p><i>Cakkavatti-Sihanada Suttanta. The Mahabodhdi Society Translation.</i><br /></p><p><b><i>(From the Chinese-Sanskrit sources.)</i></b> </p><p>"In the old days when the Tathagata was living at Rajagriha (Wang-she), on the Gridhra-kuta(others think at "Benares") mountain, he spoke thus to the Bhikshus: 'In future years, when this country of Jambudvipa shall be at peace and rest, and the age of men shall amount to 80000 years, there shall be a Brahman called Maitreya (Sse-che). His body shall be of pure gold, bright, glistening and pure. Leaving his home he shall become a perfect Buddha, and preach the threefold("Thrice repeated") Law for the benefit of all creatures. Those who shall be saved are those who live, in whom the roots of merit have been planted through my bequeathed Law. These all conceiving their minds in profound respect for three precious objects of worship, whether they be already professed disciples or not, whether they be obedient to the precepts or not, will be led by the converting power (of his preaching) to acquire the fruit (of Bodhi) and final deliverance. Whilst declaring the threefold Law for the conversion of those who have been influenced by my bequeathed Law, by this means also hereafter others will be converted." </p><p><i>Si-Yu-Ki. Vol. 2. Pp. 46-7.</i><br /></p><p><b><i>(From the Tibetan sources)</i></b> </p><p>"It is said up to the time when Phanchhen-rinpochhe (The Great Jewel of Wisdom) condescends to be reborn in the land of the P'helings (Westerners) and appearing as the Spiritual Conqueror (Chom-den-da), destroys the error and ignorance of ages, it will be of little use to try to uproot the misconceptions of P'heling-pa (Europe); her sons will listen to none." </p><p><i>The Secret Doctrine by Blavatsky. Vol. III. P. 412.</i><br /></p><p>From the above it is clear that the Buddha Gautama foretold the advent of a person named Maitreya, or Metteyya as his successor.<br /></p><p><b>IDENTIFICATION OF MAITREYA.</b> </p><p><b>I.</b> </p><p>Some Buddhists consider that the Buddha Maitreya has appeared (Studies in Japanese Buddhism by Reischaner. P. 264.): </p><p>1. "Wu, the mother of the sixth emperor of the T'ang dynasty in China, was presented a Sutra named 'Ta-yun-king, in the year 690. 'It stated that she was Maitreya, the Buddha that was to come'." (Chinese Buddhism by J. Edkins. P. 122.) </p><p>2. Kings, Yeula and Vijayavirya, were supposed as incarnations of "Bodhisattva Maitreya." (Life of Buddha by Rockhill. PP. 237-8.) </p><p>3. The Burmese monk, Ledi Sayadaw, "has been proclaiming far and wide the near coming of Bodhisattva Maitreya, who, he says, has left the Tusita Heaven, and was in 1914. A. D. on earth as a boy." (The Coming World Teacher by P. Parki, P. 52.) </p><p>In the past(Si-Yu.Ki by Beal. V.I. P.226.) as well as in the present(Buddhism and Buddhists in China by Hodous. P.38), Buddhists have pretended to receive written books of revelation, from Maitreya. They have even imagined him to come down from heaven for making the image of the Buddha Gautama(Si-Yu-Ki Vol.II. PP.121-2.). </p><p>The above claims have not received the serious attention of the Buddhist world and therefore need comment on our part. The Buddhists. like some of the Theosophists, await the advent of Maitreya in future. The Buddhists all over the world have build images of Maitreya, sometimes as high as 70 feet or more (Hodous PP. 120-1). The European traveller well knows the "Laughing Buddha" Maitreya of the Chinese (Ibid PP. 20-1).<br /></p><p><b>II</b> </p><p><b>WAS SHANKARACHARYA THE BUDDHA MAITREYA?</b> </p><p>Some Brahmans consider the Buddha Gautama as the 9th Avatar of Vishnu (The Essence of Buddhism by L Narasu. P. 27 Foot Note). Some Brahmans a1ong with the Theosophists consider that Shankaracharya was the expected Maitreya:- </p><p>"Esoteric teaching is to the effect that Shankaracharya was a Buddha in all respects, in a new body........ I have received the information I am now giving from a Brahman Adwaiti, of Southern India- not directly from the Tibetan instructor.........Some of the later incarnations of Buddha are described differently as overshadowings by the SPIRIT OF BUDDHA, but in person of Shankaracharya he reappeared on earth. The object he had in view was to fill up some gaps and repair certain errors in his own previous teachings; for there is no contention in the esoteric Buddhism that even a Buddha can be absolutely infalliable at every moment of his career....." (Esoteric Buddhism by A.P.Sennett. P.149) </p><p>Shankaracharya cannot be the Buddha Maitreya, for: </p><p>1. he never gave out in his life time that he was the Buddha Maitreya; </p><p>2. his life, as will appear later on, does not display the "TEN PERFECTIONS" (Warren PP. 22-37), a necessary possession for a FULLY ENLIGHTENED BUDDHA; </p><p>3. he took up the cause of the Vedas (Satyarath Prakash by Mool Shankar PP.415-16) against the Buddhists. Shankaracharya writes: - </p><blockquote> (a) "The Veda.s are the highest authority" (Sankaras Select Works, by S. Vankataramanan P. 205)<br />(b) "There is no authority for knowledge, equal to the Veda." (Ibid P. 206.) </blockquote> <p>Some oriental and occidental scholars and the Buddhist divines consider that the Buddha Gautama made light of the Vedas: - </p><blockquote>(a) "Empty, forsooth, are these Vedas, and as chaff. There is in them neither reality, nor worth nor essential truth". (S. B. E. Vol. XXV. P. 18.) - Nagasena<br />(b) Pt. Mool Shanker, more commonly known as Dayananda Saraswati, the founder of Arya Samaj, the modern Protestant Hinduism, considers Buddhism "a strong and fearful Veda and Shastra denouncing" religion (Satyarath Prakash P. 414.)<br />(c) "Buddha discredited the sacrificial system; he censured with bitter irony the knowledge of the Vedic scribes as sheer folly." (Buddha P. 172.) - Oldenberg<br />(d) The Buddha Gautama "Scoffed at the Vedas." (Asoka P. 35.) - Macphail </blockquote> <p>This view is supported by numerous sayings of Sakya Muni:- </p><blockquote>(a) "Reading the Vedas, making of offerings to priests, or sacrifices to the gods, self-mortification by heat or cold, and many such like penances performed for the sake of immortality, these do not cleanse the man, not free from delusions." (Buddhism by Rhys Davids. P. 131.) - Amagandh( Sutt)<br />(b) "Therefore the threefold wisdom of the Brahmans, wise in the three Vedas, is called a waterless desert, their threefold wisdom is called a pathless jungle, their threefold wisdom is called destruction." (S.B.E,VoLX1. P.185.)<br />(c) "Of no value are the Vedas." (Silavimansa quoted in Early History of the Spread of Buddhism and the Buddhist Schools by N. Dut. P. 13.)<br />(d) "These Veda studies are the wise-acre's toils, The lure which tempts the victims whom he spoils. A mirage formed to catch the careless eye, But which the prudent passes safely by, The Vedas have no hidden power to save, The traitor or the coward or the knave. The Brahmans all a livelihood require, And so for their gain they made the Vedas. Full of sentences in metric forms, Learned by rote and not easily forgot. Their obscurity but tempts the foolish mind. Which swallows all 'tis told with impulses blind. Doctrines and rules, absurd, concocted, and vain, Coolly imagining wealth and power to gain,................ These greedy liars propagate deceit. And fools believe the fiction they repeat." (L. Narasu. PP. 129-30.) - BHURIDATTA JATAKA. </blockquote> <p>Shankaracharya did not give it out in his lifetime that he was a Buddhist and a reformer of Buddhism. He was one of those who were antagonistic to Buddhism and succeeded in destroying or driving it out from India. (Shankaracharya by Sita Nath Datta.) </p><p>Some more reasons we shall give later on.<br /></p><p><b>III</b> </p><p><b>WAS JESUS THE BUDDHA MAITREYA?</b> </p><p>For sometime past some learned men of East and West have been advertising that Jesus was the Buddha Maitreya:- </p><blockquote>(1) "Will the Buddhists ever learn that this Buddha of the future, this Maitreya, this teacher of love, and not of the law, has appeared ?" (Chips from a German Workshop. Vol. 1. PP. 452-3.) - Max Muller<br />(2) "The Christ Metteyyo is yet to come." (The Buddhist and the Christian Gospels. Vol. 2. P. 164.)- Edmunds,<br />(3) "In later day we know them as Gautama and Maitreya, Buddha and Christ." (Buddha and Christ. P. 8.) - C. Jinarajadasa.<br />(4) "Maitreya and Christ are one." (The Coming Christ P. 106.) - Johanna.<br />(5) "Lord Maitreya, on the other hand, when he appeared as the Christ, exhorted his disciples, 'Love one another as I have loved you.'" (The Coming wor1d Teacher. P. 23.) - P. Pavri<br />(6) "Lord Maitreya took the same course when He visited Palestine 2,000 years ago." (The Masters and the Path. P. 51.) - Leadbeater.<br />(7) "Blavatsky maintains that Jesus shall be Maitreya in his second advent which is yet to take place.' (Isis Unveiled. Vol. II. P. 156. Foot Note.) </blockquote> <p>We shall refute this view at length, but here only in brief:- </p><blockquote> (1) From the study of the four Gospels we can say that Jesus in his lifetime never gave it out that he was the Buddha Maitreya.<br />(2) The character of Jesus does not display "TEN PERFECTIONS" We shall discuss this in details.<br />(3) The cardinal doctrine of Christianity is that Jesus was "betrayed" into the hands of his enemies who hanged him, and he died upon the cross. The four Gospels are unanimous on the point (Matt. 27: 27; Mark F5: 37; Lu 23: 46; John P 1: 30.). Even Jesus is made to testify to this view (Luke 23:43). The Christian world must abandon this doctrine first before the Buddhists can consider the advertised claim for being the Buddha Maitreya, for the Buddha Gautama said: - <blockquote>"This, O Bhikkhus, is an impossible thing, one that cannot occur that one should deprive a Tathagata of life by violence. The Tathagatas, O Bhikkhus. are extinguished (in death) in due and natural course (Vinaya Text by Max Muller Part III. PP. 246-7.)". </blockquote> </blockquote> <p>The view of Blavatsky that Jesus shall be Maitreya in his second advent, is untenable. If Jesus at all returns to the world again, he cannot put forward the claim of being this Maitreya for, </p><blockquote>(a) "The same Jesus"(Acts 1:11), "the Lord himself shall descend from heaven"(I Thes.4:16), "coming in the clouds of heaven with great power and glory."(Matt. 24: 30). Contrary to this the Buddhist prophecy demands that this Maitreya must be born on earth (THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF BUDDHA by A. Dharampal P. 82) and of human parents who must be different from Joseph and Mary. (M. B. J. May and June 1928. P. 280.)<br />(b) "Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death bath no more dominion over him," (Romans. 6: 9; Matt. 28: 20) whereas according to the 'Buddhist prophecy Maitreya Buddha must die in due course of time (Warren P. 485; Maitreya Samiti by Laumann Vol. 1. P. 22). </blockquote> <p>Hence neither the 'Christian nor the Buddhist scriptures support the view of Blavatsky that Jesus shall be Maitreya Buddha in his second advent. And "the scripture can not be bróken." (John. 10: 35.)<br /></p><p><b>IV</b> </p><p><b>EQUIVALENTS OF MAITREYA</b> </p><p>The person whose advent the Buddha Gautama prophesied bears different names in different languages. In Pali his name is Metteyya, in Sanskrit, Maitreya, in Burmese, "Aremideia" (THE LEGEND OF GAUDAMA by Bigandet. Vol. I. P. 11. Foot Note.), in Chinese, "Mei-ta-li-ye" (Si-Yu-Ki Vol. 1. P. XXIX), or "Milie Pusa" (BUDDHIST CHINA by Johnston P. 367.), or "Mili Fo" (Edkins P.208), or "Tzushih" (Yuan Chwang Vol. I. P. 239 by T. Watters), in Tibetan, "Byams-pa" (Pr. 'Jampa' or 'Champa' Lamaism by Waddell P.355) or "Mahitreja" (THE RELIGION OF TIBET AND THE TRUE RELIGION by Frauson P. 38), and in Japanese, "Miroku." (Reischauer PP. 264-5.) </p><p>The English equivalent of Metteyya: - </p><blockquote> (1) "Teacher of love." - Max Muller (CHIPS FROM A GERMAN WORKSHOP. Vol. I. P. 452).<br />(2) "Lord of love." - A Dharampal (THE LiFE AND TEACHINGS OF BUDDHA. P.83).<br />(3) "He whose name is kindness" - Carus (THE GOSPEL OF BUDDHA. P. 218.).<br />(4)"Buddha of kindness" - Rhys Davids (BUDDHISM. P. 180).<br />(5)"Universal love," or "Benevolence." - L. Narasu (ESSENCE OF BUDDHISM. P. 101; 105).<br />(6) "Buddha of brotherly love." - Lillie (BUDDHISM IN CHRISTENDOM. P. VII).<br />(7) Buddha of "Friendliness." - Fausboll (SUTTA NIPATA. P. 205).<br />(8) "Loving and compassionate." - Monier Williams. (BUDDHISM. P. 181.)<br />(9) "Love or mercifulness." - S. Beal (THE CHINESE DHAMMAPADA. P. 69.)<br />(10) "Compassionate" or of "Family of mercy" - Getty (GODS OF NORTHERN BUDDHISM. P. 20;68).<br />(11) "The merciful." - Herbert Baynes (THE WAY OF BUDDHA. P. 15).<br />(12) "Merciful one." - Joseph Edkins (CHINESE BUDDHISM. P. 240).<br />(13) "Quality of a friend; friendly; benevolent; kind; love, amity, sympathy, active interest in others." - William Steade (THE PALl DICTIONARY). <blockquote> <p>RAHMAT IS THE ARABIC EQUIVALENT 0F MAITREYA. Benevolence, loving kindness, friendliness, compassion, mercy or mercifulness, all words of similar import are all expressed by the Arabic word Rahmat. The Arabic English lexicon by Edward William Lane gives some of the following equivalents of Rahmat:- "Mercy, pity, compassion, tenderness of heart; inclination requiring the exercise of favour, and beneficence; pardon and forgiveness." </p><p>Badger's English Arabic Lexicon includes "Goodness and providence". </p><p>"Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim are both derived from Rahmat, signifying tenderness requiring the exercise of beneficience (Raghib Imam) and thus comprising the idea of love and mercy. Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim are both active participle nouns of different measures. denoting intensiveness of significance, the former being of the measure fa'lan, and indicating the greatest preponderance of the quality of mercy, and the latter being of the measure fa'il and being expressive of a constant repetition and manifestation of the ahribute. (A. H.) The two words have been explained by the holy prophet himself. He is reported to have said. 'Ar-Rahman is the Beneficent God whose love and mercy are manifested in the creation of this world, and Ar-Rahim is the Merciful God whose love and mercy are manifested in the state that comes after'. (A . H.) i.e., in the consequence of the deeds of men. Thus the attribute of mercy in Ar-Rahman is manifested before man comes in existence in the creation of things that are necessary for his life here, and therefore without his having deserved them, while the same attribute in Ar-Rahim is manifested when man has done something to deserve it. Thus the former is expressive of the utmost degree of the love and generosity, the latter of unbounded and constant favour and mercy. Lexicologists agree in holding that the former includes both the believer and the unbeliever for its object, while the latter particularises more the believer. (LL. R. gh. L.A. T.A.) Hence I render Ar-Rahman as meaning the Beneficient God because the idea of doing good is predominent in it, though I must admit that the English language lacks an equivalent of Ar-Rahman even making an approach to giving expression to all comprehensive love and goodness manifested in that word......" (Mohammed Ali's translation of the Koran, Foot Note 3.) </p><p>Metteyya is from Metta. The Metta Sutta runs thus:- "As a mother at the risk of her life watches over her own child, so let every one cultivate a boundless friend (friendly) mind towards all beings." (The Maha Bodhi Society translation.) </p><p>"The Merciful......it expresses the universal atiribute of mercy which the Almighty extends to all men, the wicked and the good, believers and the un-believers. This is a noble thought." (The Muslim Doctrine of God by S.M.Zwemer D.D. PP. 35-6.) </p><p>Thus Rahmat fully expresses the significauce of the word Metteyya. Sale translates Rahmat as "Mercy." (The Koran. Chapter 2l P.326.)</p><br /><p><br /></p><p><a href="http://answering-ff.blogspot.com/2009/03/prophet-muhammad-pbuh-in-buddhist_17.html">next..</a><br /></p><br /><p><br /></p><p>source : http://www.islamawareness.net/<br /></p></blockquote></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-44709128719612754862009-02-02T12:29:00.000+07:002009-02-02T12:31:25.971+07:00How can Islam be called the religion of peace when it was spread by the sword? ?<p align="justify"><b>Q.How can Islam be called the religion of peace when it was spread by the sword? ? </b><br /><br />A.It is a common complaint among some non-Muslims that Islam would not have millions of adherents all over the world, if it had not been spread by the use of force. The following points will make it clear, that far from being spread by the sword, it was the inherent force of truth, reason and logic that was responsible for the rapid spread of Islam.<br /><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold;">1. Islam means peace.</span> Islam comes from the root word ‘salaam’, which means peace. It also means submitting one’s will to Allah (swt). Thus Islam is a religion of peace, which is acquired by submitting one’s will to the will of the Supreme Creator, Allah (swt).<br /><br /><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold;">2. Sometimes force has to be used to maintain peace</span>. Each and every human being in this world is not in favour of maintaining peace and harmony. There are many, who would disrupt it for their own vested interests. Sometimes force has to be used to maintain peace. It is precisely for this reason that we have the police who use force against criminals and anti-social elements to maintain peace in the country. Islam promotes peace. At the same time, Islam exhorts it followers to fight where there is oppression. The fight against oppression may, at times, require the use of force. In Islam force can only be used to promote peace and justice.<br /><br /><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Opinion of historian De Lacy O’Leary</span>.</span> The best reply to the misconception that Islam was spread by the sword is given by the noted historian De Lacy O’Leary in the book "Islam at the cross road" (Page 8): "History makes it clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myth that historians have ever repeated."<br /><br /><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">4. Muslims ruled Spain for 800 years.</span> Muslims ruled Spain for about 800 years. The Muslims in Spain never used the sword to force the people to convert. Later the Christian Crusaders came to Spain and wiped out the Muslims. There was not a single Muslim in Spain who could openly give the adhan, that is the call for prayers.<br /><br /><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">5. 14 million Arabs are Coptic Christians. Muslims were the lords of Arabia for 1400 years.</span> For a few years the British ruled, and for a few years the French ruled. Overall, the Muslims ruled Arabia for 1400 years. Yet today, there are 14 million Arabs who are Coptic Christians i.e. Christians since generations. If the Muslims had used the sword there would not have been a single Arab who would have remained a Christian.<br /><br /><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">6. More than 80% non-Muslims in India.</span> The Muslims ruled India for about a thousand years. If they wanted, they had the power of converting each and every non-Muslim of India to Islam. Today more than 80% of the population of India are non-Muslims. All these non-Muslim Indians are bearing witness today that Islam was not spread by the sword.<br /><br /><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">7. Indonesia and Malaysia.</span> Indonesia is a country that has the maximum number of Muslims in the world. The majority of people in Malaysia are Muslims. May one ask, "Which Muslim army went to Indonesia and Malaysia?"<br /><br /><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">8. East Coast of Africa.</span> Similarly, Islam has spread rapidly on the East Coast of Africa. One may again ask, if Islam was spread by the sword, "Which Muslim army went to the East Coast of Africa?"<br /><br /><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">9. Thomas Carlyle</span>. The famous historian, Thomas Carlyle, in his book "Heroes and Hero worship", refers to this misconception about the spread of Islam: "The sword indeed, but where will you get your sword? Every new opinion, at its starting is precisely in a minority of one. In one man’s head alone. There it dwells as yet. One man alone of the whole world believes it, there is one man against all men. That he takes a sword and try to propagate with that, will do little for him. You must get your sword! On the whole, a thing will propagate itself as it can."<br /><br /><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">10. No compulsion in religion.</span> With which sword was Islam spread? Even if Muslims had it they could not use it to spread Islam because the Qur’an says in the following verse: "Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from error" [Al-Qur’an 2:256] 11. Sword of the Intellect. It is the sword of intellect. The sword that conquers the hearts and minds of people. <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">The </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Qur’an</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"> says in </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Surah</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"> </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Nahl</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">, chapter 16 verse 125: "Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious." [Al-</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Qur’an</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"> 16:125] </span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">12. Increase in the world religions from 1934 to 1984.</span> An article in Reader’s Digest ‘Almanac’, year book 1986, gave the statistics of the increase of percentage of the major religions of the world in half a century from 1934 to 1984. This article also appeared in ‘The Plain Truth’ magazine. At the top was Islam, which increased by 235%, and Christianity had increased only by 47%. May one ask, which war took place in this century which converted millions of people to Islam?<br /><br /><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">13. Islam is the fastest growing religion in America and Europe</span>. Today the fastest growing religion in America is Islam. The fastest growing religion in Europe in Islam. Which sword is forcing people in the West to accept Islam in such large numbers?<br /><br />14. Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson. Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson rightly says, "People who worry that nuclear weaponry will one day fall in the hands of the Arabs, fail to realize that the Islamic bomb has been dropped already, it fell the day MUHAMMED (pbuh) was born".</p> <br />source : http://www.nzmuslim.net/Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-56062584795754625902008-12-31T09:36:00.000+07:002008-12-31T09:41:07.762+07:00Rebuttal to Ali Sina's article "Day of Judgement"By<a style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255)" href="http://moslem-answering.blogspot.com/2008/11/does-drzakir-naik-really-fool-audience_29.html">Bassam Zawadi</a><br /><br /><br />Introduction<br />This article is in response to Ali Sina's article "Day of Judgement?" which can be accessed here <a href="http://www.faithfreedom.org/Articles/sina/judgement.htm" target="_blank">http://www.faithfreedom.org/Articles/sina/judgement.htm</a><br /><br />Ali Sina said:<br />Muslims believe that when a person dies two angels called Nakeer and Munkar visit him in his grave. They question him about his Faith, if he is found a believer his tomb is widened 70 cubits square (each cubit is one foot six inches) and it is illumined. Then he is told to go to sleep like a bridegroom until the day of resurrection when Allah raises him up to reward him. But if he is found a "hypocrite" they order the tomb to squeeze him until his ribs are crushed.<br />Quran says that at the Day of Judgment, the heaven is split asunder (Q.84:1) and it will heave with (awful) heaving (Q.52:9), the sun is overthrown (Q.81:1), the Earth is shaken with her (final) earthquake (Q. 99:1), the moon is eclipsed (Q.75:8) and “the angel Israfil will sound the trumpet and all living creatures, mankind, angels and jinn then living, will die. Another blast and all will be raised to life. Allah's throne will appear in the clouds, carried by 8 angels. Believers will receive a book of their deeds in their right hand, and unbelievers in their left hand. The books will be opened and men's works weighed on scales (mizan). In fear, men will look for someone to plead with Allah. They will go to Adam, Abraham, Moses and Jesus, but find no help. At last they will turn to Muhammad” <br />“Muslims also believe that there is a bridge across Hell, named Sirat, which is sharper than the edge of sword and thinner than a hair. Faithful Muslims believe that they will cross over it in the "twinkling of an eye" and enter Paradise. Other Muslims may fall into Hell, but will later be released. Unbelievers will fall into Hell and remain forever.” <br />No one knows the exact time for the Day of Judgment but it is going to be a Friday 10th of Muharram. At that time Allah will resurrect all the dead. He will collect their dispersed dusts and call them to visit him. And people will see Allah as clear as seeing the sun in a not cloudy day. Then he will judge them based on their beliefs. Those who did not associate any other God with Allah, irrespective of what crimes they have committed will go to Paradise. There are verses in Quran that speak of good deeds like this one, <br />[Al-Imran 3:30] On the Day when every soul will find itself confronted with all that it hath done of good and all that it hath done of evil (every soul) will long that there might be a mighty space of distance between it and that (evil).<br />But actually the evil for Muhammad did not mean what we usually think of it. By evil he meant disbelief. This is clear from the following verse. <br />[Ibrahim 14:44] And warn mankind of a day when the doom will come upon them, and those who did wrong will say: Our Lord! Reprieve us for a little while. We will obey Thy call and will follow the messengers. (It will be answered): Did ye not swear before that there would be no end for you? <br />For Allah nothing is more abhorrent than disbelief and once you believe all your sins are forgiven and your place in paradise is guaranteed. In a Hadith noted by Bukhari the importance of belief over good deeds is emphasized. <br />Bukhari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 445:Narrated Abu Dhar:The Prophet said, "Gabriel said to me, 'Whoever amongst your followers die without having worshipped others besides Allah, will enter Paradise (or will not enter the (Hell) Fire)." The Prophet asked. "Even if he has committed illegal sexual intercourse or theft?" He replied, "Even then."<br /> But for disbelievers there is no salvation.<br /> [al-Ma'idah 5:36] As for those who disbelieve, lo! if all that is in the earth were theirs, and as much again therewith, to ransom them from the doom on the Day of Resurrection, it would not be accepted from them. Theirs will be a painful doom.<br />[al-Kahf 18:106] That is their reward: hell, because they disbelieved, and made a jest of Our revelations and Our messengers.<br />[Ta Ha 20:100] Whoso turneth away from it, he verily will bear a burden on the Day of Resurrection,<br /><br />My Response:<br />I find nothing wrong with Ali Sina's introduction to the topic.<br />Ali Sina said:<br />What about those who have loved others? We humans put a great emphasis on loving and helping each other and on charitable works, but for Allah all that is irrelevant. <br />[al-`Ankabut 29:25] The love between you is only in the life of the world. Then on the Day of Resurrection ye will deny each other and curse each other, and your abode will be the Fire, and ye will have no helpers. <br /><br />My Response:<br />What do we say about a person who does not love his father? His or her father gave that person shelter, food, love, hope, financial aid for education, clothes etc. That parent gave that child everything. Imagine that child does not love the father back, what do we say about such a person?<br />Now, what do we say about a person who does not love God? God, who gave him eyes to see, nose to smell, tongue to taste, hands to touch, feet to walk with, and THE PERSON'S PARENTS. What do we say about a person who does not love and acknowledge his God? Indeed it is much much worse than the person who does not acknowledge his or her own parents.<br />So why should God love that person back? It would not be just of God to love those who love him and those who do not love him.<br />Us Muslims believe that Allah has put us on earth and made us all Muslims by fitrah (nature). That it is natural for all of us to want to know God. To get to know God. We are born pure. It is like he has put us all on a highway leading to paradise but there are many exits. People unfortunately take those exits despite God warning us not to take them. Therefore, those who turn away from the mercy of God. Reject the love that God wants to give them and has already given them from the start. Therefore, God does not love them anymore. They do not deserve to be loved.<br /><br />Ali Sina said:<br />Those who did not accept Allah will easily be recognized because they will have their faces “blackened”. <br />[az-Zumar 39:60] And on the Day of Resurrection thou (Muhammad) seest those who lied concerning Allah with their faces blackened. Is not the home of the scorners in hell? <br />If another person said the above politically incorrect statement, it would have offended the blacks, but strange as it is the blacks are the ones who are flocking towards Islam, as if they are completely unaware of the prophet’s low opinion of their race. <br />This stereotyping is reaffirms in another place. <br />[Al-Imran 3:106] On the Day when (some) faces will be whitened and (some) faces will be blackened; and as for those whose faces have been blackened, it will be said unto them: Disbelieved ye after your (profession of) belief? Then taste the punishment for that ye disbelieved. <br /><br />My Response:<br />First of all the Quran does not preach racism, nor was the Glorious Prophet Muhammad a racist. <a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/muhammad_not_racist.htm" target="_blank">http://www.answering-christianity.com/muhammad_not_racist.htm</a><br /><a href="http://islam.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fmembers.tripod.com%2Fetori%2Fracism.html" target="_blank">http://islam.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fmembers.tripod.com%2Fetori%2Fracism.html</a><br /><br />Words such as "whitened" and "blackened" are just terms used in every day language. It has nothing to do with racism.<br /><br />Taken from <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/search.aspx?define=black" target="_blank">http://www.hyperdictionary.com/search.aspx?define=black</a><br />[adj] <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/stemming" target="_blank">stemming</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/from" target="_blank">from</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/evil" target="_blank">evil</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/characteristics" target="_blank">characteristics</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/or" target="_blank">or</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/forces" target="_blank">forces</a>; <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/wicked" target="_blank">wicked</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/or" target="_blank">or</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/dishonorable" target="_blank">dishonorable</a>; "<a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/black" target="_blank">black</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/deeds" target="_blank">deeds</a>"; "<a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/a" target="_blank">a</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/black" target="_blank">black</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/lie" target="_blank">lie</a>"; "<a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/his" target="_blank">his</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/black" target="_blank">black</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/heart" target="_blank">heart</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/has" target="_blank">has</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/concocted">concocted</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/yet" target="_blank">yet</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/another" target="_blank">another</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/black" target="_blank">black</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/deed" target="_blank">deed</a>"; "<a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/darth" target="_blank">Darth</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/vader" target="_blank">Vader</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/of" target="_blank">of</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/the" target="_blank">the</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/dark" target="_blank">dark</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/side" target="_blank">side</a>"; "<a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/a" target="_blank">a</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/dark" target="_blank">dark</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/purpose" target="_blank">purpose</a>"; "<a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/dark" target="_blank">dark</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/undercurrents" target="_blank">undercurrents</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/of" target="_blank">of</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/ethnic" target="_blank">ethnic</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/hostility" target="_blank">hostility</a>"; "<a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/the" target="_blank">the</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/scheme" target="_blank">scheme</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/of" target="_blank">of</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/some" target="_blank">some</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/sinister" target="_blank">sinister</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/intelligence" target="_blank">intelligence</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/bent" target="_blank">bent</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/on" target="_blank">on</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/punishing" target="_blank">punishing</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/him" target="_blank">him</a>"-<a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/thomas" target="_blank">Thomas</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/hardy" target="_blank">Hardy</a><br />Taken from <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/search.aspx?define=white" target="_blank">http://www.hyperdictionary.com/search.aspx?define=white</a><br />[adj] <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/benevolent" target="_blank">benevolent</a>; <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/without" target="_blank">without</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/malicious" target="_blank">malicious</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/intent" target="_blank">intent</a>; "<a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/white" target="_blank">white</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/magic" target="_blank">magic</a>"; "<a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/a" target="_blank">a</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/white" target="_blank">white</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/lie" target="_blank">lie</a>"; "<a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/that" target="_blank">that</a>'<a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/s" target="_blank">s</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/white" target="_blank">white</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/of" target="_blank">of</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/you" target="_blank">you</a>"<br />[adj] <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/free" target="_blank">free</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/from" target="_blank">from</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/moral" target="_blank">moral</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/blemish" target="_blank">blemish</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/or" target="_blank">or</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/impurity" target="_blank">impurity</a>; <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/unsullied" target="_blank">unsullied</a>; "<a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/in" target="_blank">in</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/shining" target="_blank">shining</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/white" target="_blank">white</a> <a href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/armor" target="_blank">armor</a>"<br /><br />Ali Sina said:<br />Of course the absurdity of this belief is self-evident and needs no clarification. However Muslims are unable to ask themselves simple questions like what is the use of a wide and illumined grave to a deceased?<br />My Response:<br />Because Ali Sina is an anti super naturalist, he does not believe in these kind of things. However, his subjective opinions mean nothing.<br />Well obviously if the grave is widened, the person will feel more relaxed and not so compressed in his grave.<br /><br />Ali Sina said:<br />Has anyone seen a widened and illumined grave?<br />My Response:<br />Have you ever dug one up to check if it was widened?<br />Ali Sina said:<br />Islamic Paradise is a physical place. That is why Allah has to collect all the dust of the dead people to punish or reward them. That makes even less sense when we know that we constantly renew the elements that compose our body..It seems that the prophet had no idea of the spiritual reality of man that is independent from the material world. Allah's rewards are hoories, wine, honey, gardens, mansions, cloths with gold embroidery and other material objects. These are all material rewards. What is the use of all these for human spirit? His punishment is also physical: fire. Heaven, in Islam, is the place where believers will be reclining under the shade of the trees, eating and drinking exquisite wines, and engaging in sex with virgins.<br /> [Surah 55:54-46]"They will recline on carpets whose inner linings will be of rich brocade: the fruit of the gardens will be near. In them will be (Maidens), Chaste, restraining their glances, whom no man or Jinn before them has touched (virgins)."<br />Good deeds have no merits; Belief in Allah and his messenger is the only requisite to inherit this materialistic paradise.<br /><br />My Response:<br />1) Spirituality in Islamic Paradise<br /> <br />It is true that most of the descriptions of paradise in Islam may seem physical but we also do have spiritual pleasures.<br />Allah has promised the men and women of the believers Gardens with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, forever, and fine dwellings in the Gardens of Eden. And Allah's good pleasure is even greater. That is the great victory. (Sura 9, 72)<br /><br />We would be in the pleasure of God. That isn’t spirituality?<br /><br />Taken from <a href="http://www.harunyahya.com/paradise05.php" target="_blank">http://www.harunyahya.com/paradise05.php</a><br />The most striking expression of what believers feel when they win Allah's good pleasure is that He will manifest Himself to them in a way that they can see Him. This is impossible in the world because, as the Qur'an says: "Eyesight cannot perceive Him" (Sura 6, 10) But according to the Qur'an, in the next life and in a certain way Allah will manifest Himself to His believing servants. Only Allah knows how this will happen. But we are informed in the Qur'an that the believers' "faces that Day will be radiant, gazing at their Lord" (Sura 75, 22-23) and "'Peace!' A word from a Merciful Lord" (Sura 36, 58) will be heard. Believers will be "on seats of honor in the presence of an All-Powerful King" (Sura 54, 55).<br />In other words, the greatest possible blessing that believers can have is the deep sense of Allah's mercy and will. By winning His good pleasure, they experience a joy and a happiness that cannot be compared with any material blessing.<br />Actually, it is Allah's will that gives value to Paradise's other blessings. The same blessings may exist on Earth to a certain extent, but they have no meaning for believers as long as they surpass the limits Allah established.<br />CONVERSATIONS IN PARADISE<br />They will say: "Praise be to Allah, Who has removed all sadness from us. Truly our Lord is Ever-Forgiving, Ever-Thankful: He Who has lodged us, out of His favor, in the Abode of Permanence, where no weariness or fatigue affects us." (Sura 35, 34-35)<br />The Qur'an contains detailed accounts of conversations among believers, to whom Allah has given an exalted position in Paradise. These conversations are important, because they provide a good example for believers in this life. The verses: "They will hear no idle talk in it, nor any call to sin. All that is said is: 'Peace! Peace!''' (Sura 56, 25-26) show the importance of avoiding empty talk. Elsewhere, the same point is expressed as:<br />They will hear no idle talk nor any lying there, as a recompensation from your Lord, a commensurate gift. (Sura 78, 35-36)<br />Isn’t all this spiritual pleasures?!!!<br /><br />Ali Sina said:<br />Even Christians will not be spared. <br />In one place one is lead to believe that the people of the scriptures, i.e. the Jews and the Christians are saved, <br />[al-Hajj 22:17] Lo! those who believe (this revelation), and those who are Jews, and the Sabaeans and the Christians and the Magians and the idolaters - Lo! Allah will decide between them on the Day of Resurrection. Lo! Allah is Witness over all things. <br />Then again, this is contradicted by another verse. <br />[al-Ma'idah 5:14] And with those who say: "Lo! we are Christians," We made a covenant, but they forgot a part of that whereof they were admonished. Therefore We have stirred up enmity and hatred among them till the Day of Resurrection, when Allah will inform them of their handiwork. <br />The same is said of the Jews (Q.10:93).<br />My Response:<br />Those Jews and Christians refer to the people at the time of the prophets who accepted the true message, which is Islam. Its talking about the Jews (true followers of Moses), Christians (true followers of Christ).<br />Read <a href="http://www.islamhelpline.com/ashowfile.asp?fname=qa/Christians/582%20why%20call%20jews%20and%20christians%20disbelivers.htm" target="_blank">http://www.islamhelpline.com/ashowfile.asp?fname=qa/Christians/582%20why%20call%20jews%20and%20christians%20disbelivers.htm</a><br />This explanation is agreed upon by the 4 most respectable commentators.<br /><a href="http://quran.al-islam.com/Tafseer/DispTafsser.asp?nType=1&bm=&nSeg=0&l=arb&nSora=5&nAya=69&taf=KATHEER&tashkeel=0" target="_blank"> http://quran.al-islam.com/Tafseer/DispTafsser.asp?l=arb&taf=KATHEER&nType=1&nSora=2&nAya=62 </a><br /><a href="http://quran.al-islam.com/Tafseer/DispTafsser.asp?nType=1&bm=&nSeg=0&l=arb&nSora=2&nAya=62&taf=GALALEEN&tashkeel=0" target="_blank">http://quran.al-islam.com/Tafseer/DispTafsser.asp?nType=1&bm=&nSeg=0&l=arb&nSora=2&nAya=62&taf=GALALEEN&tashkeel=0</a><br /><a href="http://quran.al-islam.com/Tafseer/DispTafsser.asp?l=arb&taf=TABARY&nType=1&nSora=2&nAya=62" target="_blank">http://quran.al-islam.com/Tafseer/DispTafsser.asp?l=arb&taf=TABARY&nType=1&nSora=2&nAya=62</a><br /><a href="http://quran.al-islam.com/Tafseer/DispTafsser.asp?l=arb&taf=KORTOBY&nType=1&nSora=2&nAya=62" target="_blank">http://quran.al-islam.com/Tafseer/DispTafsser.asp?l=arb&taf=KORTOBY&nType=1&nSora=2&nAya=62</a><br />Ali Sina said:<br />So don't be surprised to see Mother Theresa burning in the Hell while Khomeni and Saddam Hussein who believed in Allah and his messenger sitting under the shade of a tree with a pretty hoory at their right side and another at their left, sipping from the chilled wine in Paradise.The concept of the life after death in Islam is very much similar to the Jehowa's Witnesses' concept of the other world. Jehowa Witnesses believe that after the death, the deceased has no consciousness until the last day when he is risen from death and if found a believer would inherit the Earth and would live in a terrestrial Paradise forever. This is how Quran and Hadith explain the life after death. However, this subject is foggy for most of the Muslims. They have their personal ideas about it that often contradict the above what Quran and the hadithes teach about the life after death.<br />My Response:<br />Ali Sina is just making fun and being immature. He has no case and has failed to bring any objective evidence against Islam.<br />We do not know if Khomeni or Saddam Hussein are in heaven and Mother Theresa are in hell. God will judge everyone fairly as that is his promise.<br /><br />In Islam we believe that those who have received the true message of Islam and rejected it knowing that it is the truth, those are going to hell. God does not punish those who have not received the true message. God never puts anyone in Hell for no reason or if the person does not deserve it.<br />Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 41 Surah Haa Meem verse 46:<br />46 Whoever works righteousness benefits his own soul; whoever works evil it is against his own soul: nor is thy Lord ever unjust (in the least) to His servants!<br />Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verses 7-10:<br />7 And verily the Hour will come: there can be no doubt about it or about (the fact) that Allah will raise up all who are in the graves.<br />8 Yet there is among men such a one as disputes about Allah without knowledge, without guidance, and without a Book of Enlightenment.<br />9 (Disdainfully) bending his side in order to (lead men) astray from the Path of Allah; for him there is disgrace in this life and on the Day of Judgment we shall make him taste the Penalty of burning (Fire).<br />10 (It will be said): "This is because of the deeds which thy hands sent forth for verily Allah is never unjust to His servants!<br /> <br />One amongst the many Noble and Exclusive Attributes of our Lord Creator is that He is the ‘Al-Aadil’ or the All-Just; and it does not behove and befit His Majesty and His Mercy to ever be unjust to any in His creation.<br />Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Israa verses 13-15:<br />13 Every man`s augury We have fastened on his own neck: on the Day of Judgment We shall bring out for him a scroll which he will see spread open.<br />14 (It will be said to him:) "Read thine (own) record: sufficient is thy soul this day to make out an account against thee."<br />15 Who receiveth guidance receiveth it for his own benefit: who goeth astray doth so to his own loss: no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another: nor would We visit with Our Wrath until We had sent Our messenger!<br /> <br />Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 26 Surah Shuaraa verses 208-209:<br />208 Never did We destroy a people but had its warners<br />209 by way of reminder; and We never are unjust.<br /> <br />Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 35 Surah Faatir verse 24:<br />24 Verily We have sent thee (O Prophet) in Truth, as a bearer of glad tidings and as a warner: and there never was a people without a warner having lived among them.<br /> <br />And just to make absolutely sure that this Just-Law is implemented and that one who has not received the Message of their Lord is punished, every time a people are about to be cast into the dungeons of the Hell Fire, they will be asked by the guardian Angels of the Hell Fire whether or not a warner from their Lord came to them and recited to them the Warning and the Message of their Lord! And every wrongdoer at the gates of Hell Fire on that Tumultuous Day will indeed admit and confess himself that Allah’s warner did indeed come unto them, but it was they themselves who in their arrogance rejected Allah’s Message and His Warning!<br /> <br />Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 67 Surah Mulk verses 6-11:<br />6 For those who reject their Lord is the Penalty of Hell: and evil is (such) destination.<br />7 When they are cast therein they will hear the (terrible) drawing in of its breath, even as it blazes forth.<br />8 Almost bursting with fury: every time a group is cast therein its keepers (the Angels) will ask "Did no warner come to you?"<br />9 They will say: "Yes indeed: a warner did come to us but we rejected him and said `Allah never sent down any (Message): ye are in nothing but an egregious delusion!` "<br />10 They will further say: "Had we but listened or used our intelligence we should not (now) be among the companions of the Blazing Fire!"<br />11 They will then confess their sins: but far will be (Forgiveness) from the Companions of the Blazing Fire!<br /> <br />Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumar verses 71-72:<br />71 The unbelievers will be led to Hell in crowds; until when they arrive there its gates will be opened and its Keepers (the Angels) will say "Did not messengers come to you from among yourselves rehearsing to you the Signs of your Lord and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?" The answer will be: "True: but the decree of punishment has been proved true against the unbelievers!"<br />72 (To them) will be said: "Enter ye the gates of Hell to dwell therein: and evil is (this) abode of the arrogant!"<br /> <br />Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 35 Surah Fatir verses 36-37:<br />36 But those who reject (Allah) for them will be the Fire of Hell: no term shall be determined for them so they should die nor shall its Penalty be lightened for them: thus do We reward every ungrateful ones!<br />37 Therein will they cry aloud (for assistance): "O Our Lord! Bring us out: we shall work righteousness not the (deeds) we used to do!" Did We not give you long enough life so that he that would should receive admonition? And (moreover) the warner came to you! So taste ye (the fruit of your deeds): for the wrongdoers there is no helper."<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/expose_lies.htm">Back to My Rebuttals, and exposing the lies of the Answering Islam team section.</a><br /><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/faithfreedom_rebuttals.htm">Rebuttals to FaithFreedom.Org's Articles section.</a><br /><a style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255)" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/bassam_zawadi/index.html">Rebuttals by Bassam Zawadi.</a><br /><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/at.htm">Answering Trinity.</a><br /><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/contra.htm">Contradictions and History of Corruption in the Bible.</a><br /><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/questions.htm">Questions about Jesus that trinitarian Christians don't have logical answers for.</a><br /><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/warning.htm">What parts of the Bible do Muslims believe are closest to the Truth? and Why?</a><br /><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/allah.htm">"Allah" was GOD Almighty's original Name in the Bible according to the Hebrew and Aramaic sources.</a><br /><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/sci_quran.htm">Scientific Miracles in Islam and the Noble Quran.</a><br /><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/authors_gospels.htm">Most of the Bible's books and gospels were written by mysterious people!</a><br /><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/predict.htm">Jesus mentioned Muhammad by the name in the Bible.</a><br /><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/isaiah_53.htm">Did Isaiah 53 really prophesies about the crucifixion of Jesus?</a> It supports Islam's claims about Jesus peace be upon him never died on the cross. I also addressed John 19:36-37 from the Bible and proved that Jesus never got crucified, since GOD Almighty promised that he will protect Jesus' body and not let even a single bone be broken. My question to all Christians is: How in the world is it possible for the feet to get nailed on the cross without any penetration to the bones by the nails, hence breaking part of the feet's bones?! I also added refutations to Exodus 12:46, Numbers 9:12, Zechariah 12:10 and Psalm 34:20, which supposedly prove the Christians' belief about Jesus crucifixion. I proved that this dogma has no truth what so ever and exposed the wrong Trinitarian English translation of Zechariah 12:10.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-63129742288909251552008-12-31T09:28:00.000+07:002008-12-31T09:35:51.094+07:00Rebuttal to Ali Sina's article "Masjidul Aqsa Didn't Allah study history?"By<a style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255)" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/bassam_zawadi/index.html">Bassam Zawadi</a><br /><br /><br />Introduction<br />This article is in response to Ali Sina's article "Masjidul Aqsa Didn't Allah study history?" which can be accessed here <a href="http://www.faithfreedom.org/Articles/sina/masjidalaqsa.htm" target="_blank">http://www.faithfreedom.org/Articles/sina/masjidalaqsa.htm</a>.<br />It is very unprofessional of Ali Sina to keep an article on his website that has already been refuted. I am not going to provide anything new. This article has already been refuted, I am just going to simply provide the answers.<br /><br />Ali Sina said:<br />Muslims are absolutely certain that Allah revealed Quran through his angle Gabriel to Muhammad and nothing of that is changed.<br />Let us put this claim to the test. There is a hadith that reports Muhammad one night, riode on a winged horse that drove him from Masjidu’lHaram to Msjidu’l Aqsa (in Jerusalem) and from there to the seventh heaven where he was shown the hell and the paradise and then taken to the presence of Allah. This story that is commonly accepted by All the Muslims and is known as Mi’raj is also confirmed in Quran<br />Glory to (Allah)Who did take His Servant for a journey by night,From the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque.-- Quran 17:1<br />Here we are not going to question the absurdity of such trip. Considering that it would take the light (fastest thing in the universe) 8 years to make a round trip to the closest solar system, and 30 billion years to the outskirts of the known universe, and considering that wings don’t serve beyond the atmosphere of the Earth, such trip performed on the back of a horse with wings in one night is just stuff of the fables. If Muhammad could travel from Medina to the presence of Allah, riding on a winged pony, and come back in one night, then Allah’s palace must be not much far from Medina. I wonder how come no one has found it yet? We are not also going to ask whether the gate of the heaven is in Jerusalem? Why Muhammad had to go to Masjidul’ Aqsa in order to go to heaven?<br /><br />My Response:<br />Ali Sina is an anti super naturalist, therefore does not believe in the supernatural. That is why he calls this story absurd. Well he first has to prove that the supernatural does not exist in order to make such an assertion. His subjective opinions carry no weight and is discarded as any evidence against this story.<br />We do not know how fast the "winged horse" took the Prophet to God. It might have been faster than the speed of light. We do not know, this is an issue of faith. But no one especially Ali Sina has the right to say that it is false or absurd just because he does not personally accept it.<br />Ali Sina said:<br />The biggest problem with this story is that the Masjid’ul Aqsa “Farthest Mosque” was built after the death of Muhammad.<br />When Omar conquered Jerusalem he performed a prayer in the site where Temple of Solomon used to stand. The Romans in 70 A.D destroyed that temple. Since then no temple, church or mosque stood on that spot. It was Calif ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan who built the Dome of the Rock around 691 A.D. i.e 72 years after Hijrah. And Masjidu’l Aqsa was built on the Temple Mount by the end of the 7th century. This is reported in The Concise Encyclopedia of Islam, Harper & Row, 1989, p. 46 and 102. <br />Muhammad’s alleged Mi’raj took place around the year 622. At that time Jerusalem was in the hands of the Christians. There were no Muslims living there and certainly there was no Mosque in Jerusalem. 53 years after the death of Muhammad, Muslims built the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa on the site where Solomon had his temple <br />This makes one wonder that perhaps, just like the Bible, also Quran was written, manipulated and “enriched” years after its author passed away, permitting the fables that were constructed around Muhammad after his death to crepe into his book. Whoever has been the author of the verse 17:1, was not aware that Masjid ul Aqsa did not exist during the time of Muhammad and he could not have made his trip to heaven from a place that did not exist. <br />My Response:<br />Taken from <a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/nightjourney_rebuttal.htm" target="_blank">http://www.answering-christianity.com/nightjourney_rebuttal.htm</a><br />The Arabic word "Masjid", which means Mosque or Temple, is derived from the root word "Sujood", which means Prostration. A Masjid does not have to be a building decorated with arts and standing on strong pillars. It can be an area of worship where it is surrounded by boundaries; whether it is small walls or stones gathered by men. So it is quite possible that since the area where the modern "Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa" is located in is believed to be the place where the Temple of Solomon was built in, that the Jews used to gather together and do their Prayers and Prostrations to GOD Almighty there. That area can be technically called a Temple or Mosque; a place of Prostration.<br />That is why "Qubbat Al-Sakhra", which is the building with the golden dome top, was built. It is strongly believed that Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him had set his foot on that land before he was taken up to Heaven and sent back. It was an open land. So to preserve that holy site, the Muslims decided to build Qubbat Al-Sakhra near the Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa. This should prove my theory that the area where the Temple of Solomon was believed to be built in was really an open area that was dedicated for worship. That area was called Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, which means the Farthest Mosque.<br />So technically, there is no error in the Noble Quran's claims regarding this matter.<br />Ali Sina said:<br />This, is an obvious blunder of those who compiled Quran so much so that many Islamic scholars, including Yusuf Ali are of the opinion that by Masjid’u’ Aqsa, it is intended the SITE of the building and not the actual building. <br />This apologetic line could have been a way out of the dilemma if it was not for the following Hadith, which unequivocally asserts that Masjid’ul Aqsa was an actual building which existed in the time of Muhammad. <br /><a href="http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/055.sbt.html#004.055.636" target="_blank">Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 55, Number 636:</a><br />Narrated Abu Dhaar:<br />I said, "O Allah's Apostle! Which mosque was built first?" He replied, "Al-Masjid-ul-Haram." I asked, "Which (was built) next?" He replied, "Al-Masjid-ul-Aqs-a (i.e. Jerusalem)." I asked, "What was the period in between them?" He replied, "Forty (years)." He then added, "Wherever the time for the prayer comes upon you, perform the prayer, for all the earth is a place of worshipping for you." <br />Muslims could bring the excuse that “Masjid’ means any place of worship (sojda), that is why the prophet refers to the temple of Solomon as Masjid. In that case, all churches, synagogues and the Zoroastrian Ateshkadehs are Masjids. During the time of Muhammad there were many such “Masjids” built in cities much farther than Jerusalem. (i.e farthest from Mecca or Medina) and the Masjid’ul Aqsa actually was not the farthest mosque. <br />This hadith presents yet another problem. Masjid’ul Haram (Ka’ba) was allegedly built by Abraham. He lived about 2000 BC and the Temple of Solomon (the site of the Msjid ul’Aqsa) was built about 958-951 BC. There is a gap of about over 1040 years between the dates of the construction of the two buildings. His holiness Muhammad’s mistake was a mere one thousand years<br />My Response:<br />It seems like Ali Sina already has a response to the Muslim defensive claim and yet presents that hadith in order to further his argument. Well unfortunately for Ali Sina, that argument is also taken care of.<br />Taken from <a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/aqsa.html" target="_blank">http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/External/aqsa.html</a><br />Narrated Abu Dhaar:<br />I said, "O Allah's Apostle! Which mosque was built first?" He replied, "Al-Masjid-ul-Haram." I asked, "Which (was built) next?" He replied, "Al-Masjid-ul-Aqs-a (i.e. Jerusalem)." I asked, "What was the period in between them?" He replied, "Forty (years)." He then added, "Wherever the time for the prayer comes upon you, perform the prayer, for all the earth is a place of worshipping for you."<br />This hadith actually introduces yet another problem. Abraham supposedly (re)built the Kaaba, (and Abraham lived about 2000 BC) and the Temple was built by Solomon in about 958-951 BC, then Muhammad gave another historically false information based on a major confusion about the time when these people lived.<br />Firstly, we have already shown that the word masjid does not necessarily refer to a building but rather to a location, i.e., the place of prostration. Secondly, the missionaries try to deceive the readers in the above paragraphs. Indeed, they admit the Islamic opinion that Abraham(P) rebuilt the Ka`bah (it was Adam who built it originally according to the Islamic tradition), but for unjustified reason they overlook the Islamic traditions addressing the construction of the farthest mosque, presumably to generate a "contradiction".<br />They identify the Farthest Mosque with the Temple of Solomon without further justification, and point out an error that they had invented themselves. Let us for example see what Imam Ibn Hajar says about this hadith in Fath al-Bari:<br /><br />His saying (40 years)Ibn al-Jawzi said: It raises a problem since Abraham built the Ka`bah and Solomon built Bayt al-Maqdis [another name of al-Masjid al-Aqsa cf. Hebrew Bet ha-Miqdash] and there are 1,000 years between them. His evidence for saying that it is Solomon - peace be upon him - who built the Farthest Mosque is the narration of al-Nasa'i from the hadith of `Abd Allah Ibn `Amr Ibn al-`As attributed to the Prophet with an authentic isnad that "When Solomon built Bayt al-Maqdis he asked God the Most High for three things etc." and in al-Tabarani from the hadith of Rafi` Ibn `Umayrah that "David - peace be upon him - started building Bayt al-Maqdis but God inspired him: I shall accomplish its building with Solomon" and the hadith has a story. He [Ibn al-Jawzi] said: "The answer to that is that the mention concerns the first construction and the foundation of the mosque and it is not Abraham who built the Ka`bah for the first time nor is it Solomon who built Bayt al-Maqdis for the first time. Indeed, we have narrated that the first one who built the Ka`bah is Adam. Then his progeny spread out on earth. Therefore, it is possible that one of them built Bayt al-Maqdis. Later, Abraham (re)built the Ka`bah according to the Qur'an." Likewise, al-Qurtubi said: The hadith does not indicate that Abraham and Solomon were the first ones to build the two mosques. It was only a renovation of what had been founded by others.[16]<br />After quoting other opinions, Ibn Hajar insists :<br /><br />But the possibility mentioned by Ibn al-Jawzi is more pertinent. And I found evidence supporting those who say that it is Adam who founded both mosques. For instance, Ibn Hisham mentioned in "Kitab al-Tijan" that when Adam built the Ka`bah, God ordered him to walk to Bayt al-Maqdis and build it and so he did and offered worship in it. And the construction of the House [Arabic: al-Bayt, i.e., the Ka`bah] is famous and we have mentioned earlier the hadith of `Abd Allah Ibn `Amr that the House was elevated in the time of the flood until God showed Abraham its location. Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from the way of Ma`mar from Qatadah: God founded the House with Adam when he descended. But Adam missed the voices of the Angels and their prayers. Therefore, God told him: I sent down a House around which [people] will revolve like it is revolved around my Throne, so set out to it. Adam set out to Makkah - He had descended in India, and his steps were enlarged until he reached the House and revolved around it. It was also said that when he had prayed at the Ka`bah, he was ordered to set out to Jerusalem where he built a masjid [mosque] and prayed therein so that it became a qiblah to a part of his progeny.[17]<br />In summary, the verse 17:1 refers to the holy locations in Jerusalem and Makkah because they are blessed regardless of the presence or absence of a building at the time of the heavenly trip of Prophet Muhammad(P). From an Islamic point of view, evidence has been given by eminent Muslim scholars like Ibn Hajar and Ibn al-Jawzi showing that it was Adam(P) who built both mosques for the first time and that the job of Abraham and Solomon(P) was only a renovation/reconstruction of these sanctuaries.<br />5. Conclusions<br />The word masjid from a linguistic point of view refers to a place of prostration without any religious distinction. From a legal point of view the word masjid in shari`ah constitutes every place on earth that is fit for prostration, whether or not it is a building.<br />The verse 17:1 may very well refer to the holy locations in Jerusalem and Makkah because they are blessed regardless of the presence or absence of a building at the time of the heavenly trip of Prophet Muhammad(P) from Makkah to Jerusalem to the Heavens. From an Islamic point of view, evidence has been given by eminent Muslim scholars like Ibn Hajar and Ibn al-Jawzi who have discussed the issue. They have shown that it was Adam(P) who built both mosques for the first time and that the duty of Abraham and Solomon(P) was only a renovation/reconstruction of these sanctuaries.<br />And Allah knows best!<br /><br />Conclusion<br />Ali Sina's argument has failed and he has no ground to stand on and has failed to prove anything false regarding the Glorious Quran or anything about the one, true and beautiful religion and that is Islam.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/expose_lies.htm">Back to My Rebuttals, and exposing the lies of the Answering Islam team section.</a><br /><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/faithfreedom_rebuttals.htm">Rebuttals to FaithFreedom.Org's Articles section.</a><br /><a style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255)" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/bassam_zawadi/index.html">Rebuttals by Bassam Zawadi.</a><br /><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/at.htm">Answering Trinity.</a><br /><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/contra.htm">Contradictions and History of Corruption in the Bible.</a><br /><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/questions.htm">Questions about Jesus that trinitarian Christians don't have logical answers for.</a><br /><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/warning.htm">What parts of the Bible do Muslims believe are closest to the Truth? and Why?</a><br /><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/allah.htm">"Allah" was GOD Almighty's original Name in the Bible according to the Hebrew and Aramaic sources.</a><br /><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/sci_quran.htm">Scientific Miracles in Islam and the Noble Quran.</a><br /><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/authors_gospels.htm">Most of the Bible's books and gospels were written by mysterious people!</a><br /><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/predict.htm">Jesus mentioned Muhammad by the name in the Bible.</a><br /><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/isaiah_53.htm">Did Isaiah 53 really prophesies about the crucifixion of Jesus?</a> It supports Islam's claims about Jesus peace be upon him never died on the cross. I also addressed John 19:36-37 from the Bible and proved that Jesus never got crucified, since GOD Almighty promised that he will protect Jesus' body and not let even a single bone be broken. My question to all Christians is: How in the world is it possible for the feet to get nailed on the cross without any penetration to the bones by the nails, hence breaking part of the feet's bones?! I also added refutations to Exodus 12:46, Numbers 9:12, Zechariah 12:10 and Psalm 34:20, which supposedly prove the Christians' belief about Jesus crucifixion. I proved that this dogma has no truth what so ever and exposed the wrong Trinitarian English translation of Zechariah 12:10.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-39200694326599673272008-12-20T20:25:00.001+07:002008-12-20T20:25:59.616+07:00Refutation Of Christian Polemics<p>That Christians were the source of some of the worst lies and distortions about Islam should come as no surprise, since Islam was its main "competitor" on the stage of World Religions. Far from honouring the commandment not to bear false witness against one's neighbour, Christians distortions and outright lies about Islam and Prophet Mu<span style="color:#000000;"><u>h</u></span>ammad were widespread. Starting from John of Damascus to the modern day Robert Morey, very little has been changed as far as the content is concerned.</p> <p><span>This page will deal with some of the Christian missionary propaganda and polemics of the past and present in dealing with Muslim</span>s.</p> <span class="title"><a name="1"></a>The Qur'an </span> <blockquote> <p><img src="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/redarrow.gif" align="bottom" border="0" height="14" width="12" /> <a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Polemics/sverses.html"><b>"Those Are The High Flying Claims"</b></a> (Refutation of the Christian missionary writings on the so-called "Satanic verses")</p> <p><img src="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/redarrow.gif" align="bottom" border="0" height="14" width="12" /> <a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Polemics/poetry.html"><b>On Pre-Islamic Poetry & The Qur'an</b></a> (Refutation of the theories of <u>T</u>aha Husayn and David Margoliouth that the pre-Islamic poetry is a post-Islamic invention)</p> </blockquote> <span class="title"><a name="2"></a>Allah</span> <blockquote> <p><img src="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/redarrow.gif" align="bottom" border="0" height="14" width="12" /> <a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Sources/Allah/moongod.html"><b>Reply To Robert Morey's Moon-God Allah Myth: A Look At The Archaeological Evidence</b></a> </p> <p>According to the Christian missionaries, archaeology proves that Allah was a pagan Arab Moon-god from pre-Islamic times. This ridiculous piece of Christian propaganda is conclusively refuted by examining the archaeological records from the Arabian Peninsula, paying special attention to key archaeological excavations along with the numismatic and epigraphic evidence.</p> <p><img src="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/redarrow.gif" align="bottom" border="0" height="14" width="12" /> <a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Sources/Allah/BibAllah.html"><b>The Word Allah In The Arabic Bible</b></a> (Refutation of some Christians who say that they believe in a different God )</p> </blockquote> <b><span class="title"><a name="3"></a>Mu</span></b><span class="title"><span style="color:#000000;"><u><b>h</b></u></span><b>ammad</b></span> <blockquote> <p><img src="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/redarrow.gif" align="bottom" border="0" height="14" width="12" /> <a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Polemics/lie.html"><b>Mu<u>h</u>ammad</b> <b>& Lies</b></a><b> </b>(Centuries old lies about Islam and Mu<span style="color:#000000;"><u>h</u></span>ammad)</p> <p><img src="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/redarrow.gif" align="bottom" border="0" height="14" width="12" /> <a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Polemics/aishah.html"><b>The Young Marriage of 'Ai<u>sh</u>ah</b></a><b> </b>(Refutation of Mu<span style="color:#000000;"><u>h</u></span>ammad being a child-molester)</p> </blockquote> <p><b><span class="title"><a name="4"></a>Legacy Of Islam</span></b></p> <blockquote> <p><img src="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/redarrow.gif" align="bottom" border="0" height="14" width="12" /> <a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Polemics/nature_fs.pdf"><b>Rebuilding The Past</b></a>: Western science owes much to Islam’s golden age - a debt that is often forgotten. To help redress the balance, Fuat Sezgin has reconstructed a host of scientific treasures using ancient Arabic texts. Alison Abbott reports in the top scientific journal <i><a href="http://www.nature.com/">Nature</a></i>.</p> <p><img src="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/redarrow.gif" align="bottom" border="0" height="14" width="12" /> <b><a href="http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/199703/the.arab.roots.of.european.medicine.htm">The Arab Roots of European Medicine</a></b>, David W. Tschanz, <span class="reference">Saudi Aramco World</span>, May/June 1997, Volume 48, Number 3. The title is self-explanatory!</p> </blockquote> <p><span class="title"><a name="5"></a>Features Of Christianity</span> </p> <blockquote> <p><img src="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/redarrow.gif" align="bottom" border="0" height="14" width="12" /> <a href="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Polemics/deception.html"><b>Conversion To Christianity: A Missionary Deception</b></a><b> </b>(Classic & well-documented fact of how missionaries dupe Muslims to make them accept Christianity)</p> <p><span><img src="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/redarrow.gif" align="bottom" border="0" height="14" width="12" /> <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2002/05/stealth.html"><b>The Stealth Crusade</b></a></span>, <span class="reference">Mother Jones</span>, May/June 2002 (Christian missionaries are being trained to go undercover in the Muslim world and win converts for Jesus by hook or by crook)</p> <p><img src="http://www.islamic-awareness.org/redarrow.gif" align="bottom" border="0" height="14" width="12" /> <b><a href="http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/FE01Df05.html">Outsourcing Religion, On A Wing And A Prayer</a></b>, <span class="reference">Asia Times Online</span>, 1st May 2004 (Christianity has already outsourced the forgiveness; now it is the turn of prayer)</p> </blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-52048985798925916712008-12-14T21:33:00.000+07:002008-12-14T21:38:10.338+07:00The Bani Quraytha Jews Traitors or Betrayed?<p class="MsoNormal" align="center">By <a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/umar/banu_quraiza_stuff.htm"><span style="color:#0000ff;"></span></a><span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Umar</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Their article is located at: <u><span style="color: blue;">http://www.answering-islam.org/Muhammad/Jews/BQurayza/treaty.html</span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">He Wrote:</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Introduction</span></i></b><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">When Mohammed first entered Yathrib (Al-Madina Al-Munawwarah), he was counting on the support of its people. One particular ethnic group he thought would give more authority to his prophethood were the Jews because they had the Torah and all the previous Prophets were Jewish.<br /><br />The Jews were many in Yathrib and its suburbs. There were the Bani Al-Nadheer Jews, the Bani Qaynuqa' Jews, the Bani Quraytha Jews, and several more. The Jews were rich and successful in their businesses. A great asset to the young Islamic Nation.<br /><br />At first, Mohammed was trying to befriend the Jews and get them on his side. He insisted that the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) worship the same God [</span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.al-islam.com/Quran2/Targama/FrameSet.asp?nType=1&t=eng&nSora=29&nAya=46&l=eng" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Quran Surah 29:46</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">]. He said that the same God sent down the Torah [</span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.al-islam.com/Quran2/Targama/FrameSet.asp?nType=1&t=eng&nSora=5&nAya=48&l=eng" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Quran Surah 5:48</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">]. He ordered the Muslims to fast Aashoora' or the Passover [</span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="had.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Saheeh Bukhari - 2004</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">]. Even the Qibla (the direction the Muslims face in prayer) was towards Jerusalem - the same direction the Jews faced in prayer [</span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="had.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Saheeh Bukhari - 41</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">].<br /><br />But no matter how hard Mohammed tried to convince them that he is a prophet he just couldn't. Once he even barged into a Jewish Synagogue in Yathrib (Al-Madina Al-Munawwarah) and said that if only twelve Jews would believe in him then Allah would spare them his wrath [</span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="had.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Musnad Ahmad - 23464</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">].<br /><br />When he realized that the Jews wouldn't believe in him, and that their unbelief would turn against him, because they have the Torah which has the criteria for any prophet, he realized that they should be eliminated. So at first he switched the Qibla (the direction the Muslims face in prayer) from Jerusalem to Mecca [</span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.al-islam.com/Quran2/Targama/FrameSet.asp?nType=1&t=eng&nSora=2&nAya=144&l=eng" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Quran Surah 2:144</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"> and </span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="had.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Saheeh Bukhari - 41</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">]. Then warned them; they either become Muslims and be safe, or sell their possessions and leave their land [</span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="had.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Saheeh Muslim - 1765</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"> & </span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="had.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">1767</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"> and </span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="had.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Sunan Abi Dawood - 3003</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">].<br /><br />Mohammed marched towards the Jews in order to either exile them or make a treaty with them. The Bani Al-Nadheer Jews refused to make a treaty with Mohammed so they fought against him, lost, and subsequently were exiled. The Bani Quraytha Jews saw the fate of their Bani Al-Nadheer brethren so they had no choice but to make a peace treaty with him [</span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="had.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Saheeh Muslim - 1766</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"> and </span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="had.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Sunan Abi Dawood - 3004</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">].<br /><br />Yet Mohammed was determined that all Jews should be either exiled or killed - he was set on their elimination. He cannot simply break the treaty with Bani Quraytha though because it would be bad for his image as a Prophet who's supposed to keep his promises and treaties. He strongly emphasized the importance of keeping treaties [</span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.al-islam.com/Quran2/Targama/FrameSet.asp?nType=1&t=eng&nSora=9&nAya=4&l=eng" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Quran Surah 9:4</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"> and </span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="had.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Saheeh Bukhari - 33</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">]. So his only way out was to make it appear as though Bani Quraytha were the ones who broke the treaty.<br /><br />Ghazwat Al-Khandaq (The Battle of the Trench or Ditch) came. The Pagan Arab tribes retreated and Mohammed was ready for battle. Mohammed went to the Bani Quraytha Jews and eliminated them because it was claimed that they betrayed the Muslims and renounced the treaty, but did they?<br /><br /></span><b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The Battle of Al-Khandaq (Trench) and The Battle of Bani Quraytha</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /><br />Quraysh and Ghatfan, encouraged by the exiled Bani Al-Nadheer Jews, wanted to eliminate Mohammed once and for all. They gathered up a great army and put Yathrib under siege [</span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="had.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Saheeh Bukhari - 4103</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">]. Mohammed , based on a suggestion by Salman Al-Farisi, dug a trench around Yathrib [</span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="had.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Saheeh Bukhari - 2837</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">], except for the Bani Quraytha side that is, because they had great fortresses and it would be practically impossible for the Pagan Arabs to get through their fortresses unless Bani Quraytha allowed it. Now since Mohammed and Bani Quraytha had a treaty, Mohammed had nothing to fear [</span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="had.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Saheeh Muslim - 1766</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"> and </span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="had.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Sunan Abi Dawood - 3004</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">]. Thus all was set.<br /><br />Now the siege has started, Mohammed was running low on food and resources [</span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="had.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Saheeh Bukhari - 4101</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"> and </span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="had.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Musnad Ahmad - 13808</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">], his companions were terrified [</span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="had.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Saheeh Bukhari - 4103</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"> and </span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="had.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Musnad Ahmad - 10613</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">], and above all that it was <b><i>rumored</i></b> that Bani Quraytha were going to break the treaty between them and Mohammed and let the Pagan Arabs come through their side. But after a while, a sandstorm hit the armies of the Pagan Arabs, and since Bani Quraytha <b><i>refused</i></b> to let them in through their fortresses, the armies had no choice but to retreat [</span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="had.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Musnad Ahmad - 22823</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">].<br /><br />Mohammed on the other hand was ready for battle, he had a full army equipped and eager to fight in the name of Allah. The rumors that Bani Quraytha wanted to betray him were his only excuse, that and an order sent from Allah via Jibreel (Gabriel). He went to them, put them under siege for 14 days. Finally they surrendered. So Mohammed killed all their men, enslaved their women and children [</span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="had.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Saheeh Muslim - 1769</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">]. Now there was one less Jewish tribe to worry about.<br /><br /></span><b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Traitors or Betrayed?</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /><br />Now it all comes down to this; are the Bani Quraytha Jews traitors or were they betrayed?<br /><br />First of all, how do we know if a treaty is broken? We cannot simply assume that a treaty is broken because of mere rumors [</span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.al-islam.com/Quran2/Targama/FrameSet.asp?nType=1&t=eng&nSora=49&nAya=12&l=eng" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Quran Surah 49:12</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">]. We can only assume that a treaty is broken if:-<br />1. The other side officially renounces the treaty<br />2. The other side does an action which is a direct violation of the treaty<br /><br />Does any one of the former apply to the Bani Quraytha Jews?<br /><br />I've searched the nine books of Hadeeth (Saheeh Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim, Sunan Al-Tarmithi, Sunan Al-Nasa'i, Sunan Abi Dawood, Sunan Ibn Majah, Musnad Ahmad, Muwatta' Malik, and Sunan Al-Darimi). In my search I did not find any single Hadeeth which indicates that Bani Quraytha either officially (or even unofficially) renounced the treaty, nor did I find a Hadeeth which indicates that Bani Quraytha violated the treaty in any way.<br /><br />As a matter of fact, the only Hadeeth I found regarding Bani Quraytha's position was one Hadeeth [</span><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="had.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Musnad Ahmad - 22823</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">] which says that Bani Quraytha actually <b><i>refused</i></b> to assist the Pagan Arabs in any way in their assault against Mohammed.<br /><br /></span><b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The Conclusion</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /><br />We saw how much Mohammed wanted to get the Jews on his side, but since he couldn't he had to eliminate them. We saw that the Bani Quraytha Jews actually <b><i>refused</i></b> to aid the Pagan Arabs or even let them in through their fortresses. Yet Mohammed was determined to eliminate all non-Muslims from Arabia. The Jews were innocent yet that didn't stop him, he marched to Bani Quraytha and ruthlessly slaughtered all their men, enslaved their women and children. He violated the treaty himself, and he was the one who always preached how treaties should be kept.<br /><br />History is written by the victors, thus the Muslims have throughout history claimed that the Bani Quraytha Jews were the traitors. Yet because the nine Hadeeth collectors (From Bukhari to Al-Darimi) were men who feared Allah, they couldn't include in their books any Hadeeth which wasn't authentic, thus they couldn't find any Hadeeth to put in their books which talks about the treachery of Bani Quraytha.<br /><br />It all comes down to this, does a true Prophet of God break his treaties?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size:6;color:#ff0000;">My Response:</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Christian critic/Missionary, tries to imply that the Holy Prophet (S) broke the treaty between Banu Quraiza, so let us now read, what really happened to Banu Quraiza:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">" As already related the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), when he first settled at Medina, had patched up treaties with the Jews and guaranteed peace and full freedom of life, property and conscience. But when the Quraish wrote to them a threatening and inciting letter, they turned treacherous. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) tried to get the treaty renewed. The Banu Nadir refused and they were banished. The Banu Quraiza concluded a fresh treaty and they were granted peace. These facts have been narrated briefly in Sahih Muslim in the following words: " As reported by 'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar, the Jews of the Banu Nadir and the Quraiza fought with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) banished the Banu Nadir but allowed the Banu Quraiza to stay on and showed them favours.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> When the Banu Nadir had been banished, their leading chiefs, Huyayy Ibn Akhtab, Abu Rafi and Sallam Ibn Abi Al-Huquaiq had migrated to Khaibar and got recognised as leading chiefs. The battle of the Trenches was but the results of their machinations. They travelled far and near agitating the tribes till the whole country rose up in arms and attacked Medina in alliance with the Quraish. <b><u>The Jews of the Banu Quraiza had a mind to stick to the treaty, but Huyayy Ibn Akhtab won them over with his guiles, promising to re-establish himself at Medina in case the Quraish abandoned the attack; and this promise he fulfilled</u></b>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> The Banu Quraiza openly took sides in the battle of the Trenches; and when repulsed, brought the greatest enemy of Islam, Huyayy Ibn Akhtab with them. Now there was no way out for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) but to settle accoutns with them once for all."</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">(Source: Sirat Un Nabi by Allama Shibli Nu'Mani rendered into English by M. Tayyib Bakhsh Budayuni, p.119-120, Volume. II, Kazi Publications Lahore)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">And,</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">" 1. <b>MYTH: </b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">The Banu Qurayza are innocent victims who perished under the sword of Muhammad(P)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><b>FACT: </b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Not true at all. On the contrary, the Banu Qurayzah prior to the incident of their so-called "massacre" attempted to betray the Muslims by openly aligning themselves with the Confederate armies (consisting of the pagan Quraysh and their allies) during the beseiging of the city of Madinah, known in history as the "War of the Confederates" (<i>al-Harb al-Adzhaab</i>). This is a significant act of treason, because they had earlier pledged to uphold the Madinan Covenent with the Muslims, which stipulates cooperation and an alliance if the Muslims in Madinah were attacked by a foreign force. "</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Taken from <u><span style="color: blue;">http://www.bismikaallahuma.org/archives/2005/myths-facts-about-the-banu-qurayzah/</span></u> ) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;">And,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;">" </span><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">Marching upon the Banu Qurayza</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">When the Allies were routed and turned their backs in flight from the Muslims, God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, turned his attention to Banu Qurayza. They had betrayed their agreement with God’s Messenger and been allied with the Quraysh against the Muslims. They had also given asylum to the leaders of Banu Nadir, like Huyay ibn Akhtab, who had been expelled from Madina, and never refrained from conspiracies against the Muslim."</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">(Source: <u><span style="color: blue;">http://www.thewaytotruth.org/prophetmuhammad/trench.html </span></u>) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Also,</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">" The Muslims had hardly finished the preparations when the formidable army of the confederates consisting of 24,000 trained warriors, one of the largest forces ever assembled in the history of Arabia, knocked at the gates of Medina with determination to crush Islam.<b><u> The whole of Arabia was thirsting for Muslim blood. It was critical juncture that a huge number of hypocrites seceded from the Holy Prophet on one pretext or the other. Banu Qurayzah who had been his ally, also deserted to the hostile camp since Huyayy b. Akhtab the head of the Banu Nadir had promised them all kinds of concessions and rewards.</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <b><u>Muhammad (peace be upon him) deuputed Sa'd b. Mu'adh and Sa'd b. 'Ubadah to negotiate with them and persuade them to honour their agreements with the Prophet. All the attempts of these devoted sons of Islam were futile</u></b>. It was an hour of distress for the Muslims. The Holy Qur'an has referred to this state of affairs in the following words:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> When they came upon you from above you and from below you and when eyes turned aside and hearts reached the gullets and of Allah ye were imagining various things. There were the believers proven and shaken with a mighty shaking. And when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is disease saying: Allah and His apostle have promised us naught but delusion.' And when a party of them said : O inhabitants of Yathribm there is no place for you, so return.' And a party of them asked leave of the Prophet saying : Veryily our houses lie open; whereas they lay not open; they only wished to flee. (xxxiii:10-13)"</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">(Source: The Life of Muhammad PBUH by Abdul Hameed Siddiqui, p.208 Islamic Publications LTD.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">So, we can conclude that the "other" side (the Banu Quraiza) renounced the treaty. And that the Muslims <b>did not </b>betray them, however, they were the ones who betrayed the Muslims. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">And Allah SWT Knows Best!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /><u><b><span style="font-size:6;color:#ff0000;">An addition from me, Osama Abdallah:</span></b></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p><big><strong>From <span style="color:#0000ff;"><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/craig_winn_jews_rebuttal.htm" target="_blank">http://www.answering-christianity.com/craig_winn_jews_rebuttal.htm</a></span>:</strong></big></p> <p> </p> <p><u><strong><big><big>My below responses will be divided into 3 main sections:</big></big></strong></u></p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><strong>1-</strong></big></big></span> The Jews' status in the Bible.<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><strong>2-</strong></big></big></span> The Noble Quran is clear about the Jews. Some of them are Great people, and most of them are evil ones.<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><strong>3-</strong></big></big></span> After the Jews' betrayal to the Prophet peace be upon him, it became necessary to punish them and cleanse them out of the Holy Lands.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><big><big><big><u><strong>1- The Jews' status in the Bible:</strong></u></big></big></big></p> <p>Now according to the Bible itself, most Jews are people of evil, lies and worst of all, betrayal. Let us look at what the Bible also says about them:</p> <p><span style="color:#008000;">"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, <strong><u>thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee,</u></strong> how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(From the KJV Bible, Matthew 23:37)</span><span style="color:#008000;">"</span></p> <p><span style="color:#008000;">"Therefore say I unto you, <u><strong>The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation</strong></u> bringing forth the fruits thereof. </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(From the KJV Bible, Matthew 21:43)</span><span style="color:#008000;">"</span></p> <p><span style="color:#008000;">"You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not admit them? "<u><strong>From now on</strong></u> I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you. They are created now, and not long ago; <u><strong>you have not heard of them before today.</strong></u> So you cannot say, 'Yes, I knew of them.' You have neither heard nor understood; from of old your ear has not been open. <u><strong>Well do I know how treacherous you are;</strong></u> you were called a rebel from birth. For my own name's sake <u><strong>I delay my wrath;</strong></u> for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to cut you off. </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(From the NIV Bible, Isaiah 48:6-9)</span><span style="color:#008000;">"</span></p> <p><span style="color:#008000;">"So I will disgrace the dignitaries of your temple, and <u><strong>I will consign Jacob to destruction and Israel to scorn.</strong></u> </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(From the NIV Bible, Isaiah 43:28)</span><span style="color:#008000;">"</span></p> <p><span style="color:#008000;">"But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. <u><strong>This is what you shall receive from my hand: You will lie down in torment.</strong></u> </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(From the NIV Bible, Isaiah 50:11)</span><span style="color:#008000;">"</span></p> <p> </p> <p><big>Further more from <span style="color:#0000ff;"><strong><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/bible_quran_differences.htm" target="_blank">www.answering-christianity.com/bible_quran_differences.htm</a></strong></span>:</big></p> <p><span style="color:#000000;">The Bible gives ample evidence of their blasphemy to GOD Almighty. You can read in full details the following Biblical books:</span></p> <p><strong><span style="color:#0000ff;"><a href="http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=exodus+32&NIV_version=yes&language=english&x=13&y=11" target="_blank">Exodus 32</a></span></strong><span style="color:#000000;"> - They built their golden calf god using their jewelry.</span></p> <p><a href="http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=exodus+34&NIV_version=yes&language=english&x=22&y=12" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0000ff;"><strong>Exodus 34</strong></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> - The Jews are hard-headed people who don't listen.</span></p> <p><span style="color:#0000ff;"><strong><a href="http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?passage=Deuteronomy+31&NIV_version=yes&language=english&x=19&y=14" target="_blank">Deuteronomy 31</a></strong></span><span style="color:#000000;"> - Moses is concerned about the Jews' future after his death because they are constantly rebellious against the Holy Words and Law of GOD Almighty.</span></p> <p><span style="color:#000000;"><br />Here are some sample verses from the chapters above:</span></p> <p><span style="color:#0000ff;">Exodus 32</span><br /><span style="color:#008000;">1 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, <strong>"<u>Come, make us gods who will go before us.</u> </strong>As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him."</span></p> <p><span style="color:#0000ff;">Exodus 32</span><span style="color:#008000;"><br />7 Then the LORD said to Moses, <strong>"Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, <u>have become corrupt.</u></strong><br />8 <strong><u>They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them</u></strong> and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.'<br />9 "I have seen these people," the LORD said to Moses, <strong>"<u>and they are a stiff-necked people.</u> </strong></span></p> <p><span style="color:#0000ff;">Exodus 34</span><br /><span style="color:#008000;">8 Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. 9 "O Lord, if I have found favor in your eyes," he said, "then let the Lord go with us. <u><strong>Although this is a stiff-necked people</strong></u>, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance." </span></p> <p><span style="color:#0000ff;">Deuteronomy 31</span><br /><span style="color:#008000;">25 he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD : <br />26 "Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God. <strong><u>There it will remain as a witness against you.</u></strong><br />27 <u><strong>For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the LORD while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die!</strong></u><br />28 Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officials, so that I can speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to testify against them.<br />29 For I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corrupt and to turn from the way I have commanded you. In days to come, disaster will fall upon you because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD and provoke him to anger by what your hands have made."</span></p> <p><span style="color:#0000ff;">Numbers 16</span><br /><span style="color:#008000;">12 Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. <strong>But they said, "<u>We will not come!</u> </strong><br /><strong>13 Isn't it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert? <u>And now you also want to lord it over us</u>?<br /></strong>14 Moreover, you haven't brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? No, we will not come!" </span></p> <p><span style="color:#0000ff;">Numbers 14</span><br /><span style="color:#008000;">10 But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the LORD appeared at the Tent of Meeting to all the Israelites.<br /><strong>11 The LORD said to Moses, "<u>How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?</u> </strong><br />12 I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they." </span></p> <p><span style="color:#0000ff;">Numbers 14</span><br /><span style="color:#008000;">22 not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but <strong><u>who disobeyed me and tested me ten times</u></strong>- <br /><strong>23 <u>not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers.</u></strong> No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it.<br />24 But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. </span></p> <p><span style="color:#0000ff;">Numbers 16</span><br /><span style="color:#008000;">29 If these men die a natural death and experience only what usually happens to men, then the LORD has not sent me.<br /><strong>30 <u>But if the LORD brings about something totally new</u>,</strong> and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the grave, then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt."<br />31 As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart </span></p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;"><u><strong>Note:</strong></u></span><span style="color:#000000;"> I believe this is where they were </span><strong><span style="color:#0000ff;"><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/apes_and_swines.htm" target="_blank">transformed into apes and swines according to the Noble Quran.</a></span></strong><span style="color:#000000;"> The earth probably never opened up and swallowed them. Or may be it did after they were shown to everyone. Only Allah Almighty Knows about the exact timing.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><big><u><big><big><strong>2- The Noble Quran is clear about the Jews. Some of them are Great people, and most of them are evil ones:</strong></big></big></u></big></p> <p><br /><big>From <span style="color:#0000ff;"><strong><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/blessed_jesus.htm" target="_blank">www.answering-christianity.com/blessed_jesus.htm</a></strong></span>:</big></p> <p><big><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big>What is the place of the Jews and Christians in Islam?</big></span></big></p> <p>According to Islam, the righteous people from the Jews and Christians will have their Great Reward from Allah Almighty and will enter Paradise. Let us look at the following Noble Verses:</p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;">"And there are, certainly, among the People of the Book [Jews and Christians], those who believe in God, in the revelation to you, and in the revelation to them, bowing in humility to God: They will not sell the Signs of God for a miserable gain! <strong><u>For them is a reward with their Lord</u></strong>, and God is swift in account. </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 3:199)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">"</span></p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;">"Not all of them are alike: Of the People of the Book [Jews and Christians] are a portion that stand (For the right): They rehearse the Signs of God all night long, and they prostrate themselves in adoration. They believe in God and the Last Day; they enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong; and they hasten (in emulation) in (all) good works: <strong><u>They are in the ranks of the righteous.</u></strong> </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 3:113-114)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">"</span></p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;">"Those who believe (in the Quran), <u><strong>and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians</strong></u>,- any who believe in God and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; <strong><u>on them shall be no fear</u></strong>, nor shall they grieve. </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 2:62)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">"</span></p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;">"Nay,-whoever submits His whole self to God and is a doer of good,- He will get his reward with his Lord; <strong><u>on such shall be no fear</u></strong>, nor shall they grieve. </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 2:112)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">"</span></p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;">"Those who believe, and do deeds of righteousness, and establish regular prayers and regular charity, will have their reward with their Lord: <u><strong>on them shall be no fear</strong></u>, nor shall they grieve. </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 2:277)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">"</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="color:#008000;"><big><strong>The Righteous and Beloved Jews in the Noble Quran:</strong></big></span></p> <p><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">"Of the people of Moses (i.e., <u>the Jews</u>) there is a section <u>who guide and do justice in the light of truth.</u> </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 7:159)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">"</span></strong></p> <p><span style="color:#000000;"><br />The above Noble Verses clearly speak about the righteous Jews and Christians who believe in Allah Almighty and do righteousness and will have their Great Reward and enter Paradise.</span></p> <p><span style="color:#000000;">However, according to Allah Almighty, from among the people of the Book, most of the ones who will gain Paradise are Christians; few of them are Jews. Let us look at the following Noble Verses:</span></p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;">"<u>Strongest among men in enmity to the believers [Muslims] wilt thou find the Jews and Pagans</u>; and nearest among them in love to the believers wilt thou find those who say, 'We are <u>Christians</u>': because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world, and they are not arrogant. </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 5:82)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">"</span> </p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;">"The Jews say: 'God's hand is tied up.' Be their hands tied up and be they accursed for the (blasphemy) they utter. Nay, both His hands are widely outstretched: He giveth and spendeth (of His bounty) as He pleaseth. But the revelation that cometh to thee from God increaseth in <u>most of them their obstinate rebellion and blasphemy</u>. Amongst them we have placed enmity and hatred till the Day of Judgment. Every time they kindle the fire of war, God doth extinguish it; but they strive to do mischief on earth. And God loveth not those who do mischief. </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 5:64)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">"</span> </p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;">"But because of their breach of their covenant, We cursed them, and made their hearts grow hard; they change the words from their (right) places and forget a good part of the message that was sent them, nor wilt thou cease to find them- <u>barring a few</u> - ever bent on (new) deceits: but forgive them, and overlook (their misdeeds): for God loveth those who are kind. </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 5:13)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">"</span> </p> <p>We must also know that according to Islam most of the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) are perverted transgressors, deceiving, in some cases are hypocrites, and most of them are considered Truth rejecters! Let us look at the following Noble Verses:</p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;">"Ye [Muslims] are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in God. If only the People of the Book [Jews and Christians] had faith, it were best for them: <u>among them are some who have faith, but most of them are perverted transgressors.</u> </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran 3:110)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">"</span> </p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;">"And they say: 'None shall enter Paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian.' Those are their (vain) desires. Say: 'Produce your proof if ye are truthful.' </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 2:111)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">"</span> </p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;">"A section of the People of the Book [Jews and Christians during Prophet Muhammad's time] say: Believe in the morning what is revealed to the believers [Muslims], but reject it at the end of the day; perchance they may (themselves) turn back (from Islam). </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 3:72)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">" </span></p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;">"Never will the Jews or the Christians be satisfied with thee unless thou follow their form of religion. Say: 'The Guidance of God,-that is the (only) Guidance.' Wert thou to follow their desires after the knowledge which hath reached thee, then wouldst thou find neither Protector nor helper against God. </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 2:120)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">"</span></p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;">"They say: 'Become Jews or Christians if ye would be guided (To salvation).' Say thou: 'Nay! (I would rather) the Religion of Abraham the True, and he joined not gods with God.' </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Noble Quran, 2:135)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">"</span></p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;"> </span></p> <p><span style="color:#ff0000;">"They do blaspheme who say: 'Allah is Christ the son of Mary.' But said Christ: 'O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.' Whoever joins other gods with Allah - Allah will forbid him the Garden, and the Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrongdoers be no one to help. </span><span style="color:#0000ff;">(The Holy Quran, 5:72)</span><span style="color:#ff0000;">" </span></p> <p> </p> <p><big><big><u><strong><big>3- After the Jews' betrayal to the Prophet peace be upon him, it became necessary to punish them and cleanse them out of the Holy Lands:</big></strong></u></big></big></p> <p><br /><big>From <span style="color:#0000ff;"><strong><a href="http://www.alminbar.com/khutbaheng/819.htm" target="_blank">http://www.alminbar.com/khutbaheng/819.htm</a></strong></span>:</big></p> <p><strong><big><big>.............</big></big></strong></p> <p class="a" style="direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia;" lang="EN-GB">Let us never forget that the Jews fought against the most honourable person and the master of the Prophets and Messengers; our Prophet Muhammad s<i>allallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, </i>until the very last moment of his life, despite the fact that they knew for certain that he was the seal of the Prophets which the Torah and the Bible had mentioned. They also knew for sure that Allaah would grant him victory over them and all other disbelievers; but despite all of this, they still fought, betrayed and deceived him. Moreover, they actually plotted to assassinate him s<i>allallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam</i> and never lowered the banner of war against him. </span></p> <p class="a" style="direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia;" lang="EN-GB">During the worst and most difficult times of times for the Prophet s<i>allallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam</i>, at the battle of the trench, while there were armies surrounding <i>Madeenah, </i>the Jews<i> </i>plotted to kill the Prophet s<i>allallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam</i> and his companions from within Madeenah. The companions, may Allah be pleased with them, were having a terrible experience during this battle, yet the Jews of <i>Banu</i> <i>Quraydhah</i> (who were one of the Jewish tribes of <i>Madeenah</i>), at this most critical of times, broke the pledge of non-aggression and mutual defence which they given to the Prophet s<i>allallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam</i>. </span></p> <p class="a" style="direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia;" lang="EN-GB">The Jews intimidated the Muslims, which added to their sense of fear and danger of being in <i>Madeenah</i>. Their families were at great risk and had it not been for the mercy of Allaah, the Jews of <i>Banu</i> <i>Quraydhah </i>would have started another front in the war against the Muslims from within, just when the Muslims were at their most vulnerable. </span></p> <p class="a" style="direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia;" lang="EN-GB">Allaah rendered the Jews plans as futile as well as those of the confederate tribes who had surrounded <i>Madeenah. </i>He sent down His<i> </i>angels who cast terror into the hearts of the confederates and they withdrew, leaving the Jews of<i> Banu</i> <i>Quraydhah</i> alone with no support.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Georgia;" lang="EN-GB"> </span></p> <p class="a" style="direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia;" lang="EN-GB">When the battle was over, the Muslim army and the Prophet s<i>allallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam</i> went back to their homes. He s<i>allallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam</i> then took off his armour and began to have a wash when the angel <i>Jibreel</i>, peace be upon him, came to him and said: <i>“O Messenger of Allaah! You have taken off your armour, but I swear by Allaah that the angels have not yet put down their weapons, go to them” </i>(and he pointed in the direction of <i>Banu Quraydhah</i>). Thereupon, the Prophet s<i>allallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam</i> instructed an envoy to command the Muslim army to go to attack <i>Banu Quraydhah</i> by proclaiming: <i><b><span style="color: green;">“None of you should pray ‘Asr until they are within the </span></b></i></span><i><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: green; font-family: Georgia;" lang="EN-GB">territory of Banu Quraydhah.” </span></b></i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia;" lang="EN-GB">After this, the Messenger of Allaah s<i>allallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam</i> set out with his army of believers who numbered close to three-thousand <i>mujaahideen</i>.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia;" lang="EN-GB"><i>Banu Quraydhah </i>were surrounded and blockaded for more than twenty nights until they offered to surrender on the condition that <i>Sa’d Ibn Mu’aadh,</i> may Allaah be pleased with him, would act as an arbiter in their case. They asked for this because he, may Allaah be pleased with him, was from the tribe of <i>Aws</i> who were their allies before Islaam and therefore they hoped that he would give a biased judgement in their favour. Also, they refused the Prophet s<i>allallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam</i> as a judge because they where afraid of the consequences of his judgement. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia;" lang="EN-GB">So the Prophet s<i>allallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam </i>sent for<i> Sa’d</i>, who was injured during the battle and therefore had to be carried<i>.</i> The judgement of <i>Sa’d</i> was that all their men should be beheaded, their properties be seized and distributed among the Muslims and that their women and offspring be held captive. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allaah exclaimed:<b><span style="color: green;"> “<i>Allaahu Akbar! O Sa’d! You have judged by the command of Allaah.”</i></span></b></span></p> <p class="a" style="direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia;" lang="EN-GB">Indeed, this is the judgment of Allaah with regard to the Jews who are the people of betrayal, deception, evil and corruption; the people who exhibited these repugnant characteristics even with the most honourable of the creations of Allaah; His Prophets and Messengers.</span></p> <p><strong><big><big>.............</big></big></strong></p> <p><br /><big>From <span style="color:#0000ff;"><strong><a href="http://www.islamic-message.net/English/Books/lopm/chptr21.htm" target="_blank">http://www.islamic-message.net/English/Books/lopm/chptr21.htm</a></strong></span>:</big></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial;"><a name="_Toc438226873">THE BATTLE OF THE TRENCH</a><o:p></O:P> </span></b></p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Traditional Arabic';"> </span>WHEN the Prophet (Pbuh) first arrived in Medina, the Jews whowere living there had welcomed him. The Prophet (Pbuh) had returned their greeting, as he wished to be on good terms with them. An agreement was also reached between the Muslims and the Jews, which gave the Jews the freedom to practice their religion andwhich also set out their rights and their duties. Among these duties was that in the case of war with Quraysh, the Jews would fight on the side of the Muslims.</p> <p> Despite this agreement, however, some of the Jewish tribes, who resented the Prophet's presence in Medina, soon began to cause trouble amongst the Muslims. They tried to set the Muslim Emigrants from Mecca and the Ansar against each other. The troublemakers were given many warnings but they continued to be a nuisance. In the end, the Muslims had no choice but to drive them from Medina. A new agreement was offered those Jews who remained but the trouble did not end there. One of the Jewish tribes, the Bani Nadir plotted to murder the Prophet (Pbuh) but their plan was discovered and they, too, were exiled from the city. Knowing that they could not defeat the Muslims themselves, some of the leaders of the exiled Jews secretly went to Mecca to enlist the help of Quraysh. Knowing what the Meccans would like to hear, they pretended to believe in the same things. They said that they thought that the old Arab tradition was better than the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) and that they believed that the Quraysh religion of worshipping many idols was better than the Prophet's with only one God. Then the Jews told them that if all the Arab tribes attacked Medina, the Jews inside the city would help to defeat the Prophet (Pbuh) and Islam once and for all.</p> <p> The leaders of Quraysh were pleased to hear all this and seizing on what seemed to them a very good opportunity, agreed to the plan and began to gather together a formidable army. In the meantime in Medina, only one Jewish tribe, the Bani Quraydhah, refused to betray the Muslims.</p> <p> Eventually the Muslims learned of the preparations being made for war in Mecca and of the plotting of the Jews within Medina itself. The betrayal of the Muslims by the Jews did not surprise the Prophet (Pbuh), who said of them: 'The hearts of the Jews have become closed to the truth. They have forgotten what Muses taught them long ago that there is only one God.'</p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i>In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful<o:p></O:P></i></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i><span style="font-family: 'Traditional Arabic';"> </span>The likeness of those who are entrusted with the<span style="font-family: 'Traditional Arabic';"> <o:p></O:P></span></i></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i>Law of Moses, yet apply it not, is as the likeness of the ass carrying books. <o:p></O:P></i></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i>Evil is the likeness of the people who deny the revelations of Allah. And Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk.<o:p></O:P></i></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">(Koran lxii.5)</p> <p><span style="font-family: 'Traditional Arabic';"> </span>The Muslims wondered how they could defend Medina. They heard that Abu Sufyan was coming to attack them with an enormous army which included many other Arab tribes, as well as Quraysh. What were theyto do with only a single week to prepare? The Prophet (Pbuh) and his men knew that it would be impossible for them to fight off all these tribes! The only thing they could do was to stay inside the city and try to defend it as best they could. </p> <p> Now among the people of Medina was a Persian named Salman, who had to live in the city some time before the Prophet's arrival there. As a convert to Christianity he had traveled to Medina after Christian sages had told him that a Prophet would be born in Arabia. On arriving in Medina he was, however, sold into slavery by the merchants with whom he had traveled. Later he became a Muslim, gained his freedom and became a member of the Prophet's household.</p> <p> When the people gathered to discuss a plan of action against the approaching enemy, Salman was present and it was he who suggested that they should dig a trench around the city. The Prophet (Pbuh) thought this a good idea, so the Muslims set to work, although it was in the middle of winter. They worked day and night, digging the trench as quickly as possible. The Prophet (Pbuh) himself carried rocks and when the men were tired he gave them the will to carry on. Someone later recalled how beautiful he looked, dressed in a red cloak with dust upon his breast and his dark hair nearly reaching his shoulders.</p> <p> There was little food at this time and the men were often hungry as they worked. On one occasion, however, a little girl gave some dates to the Prophet (Pbuh), which he spread out on a cloth. The men were then called to eat and the dates kept increasing in number until everyone had been fed. Even after everyone had eaten their fill, the dates continued to increase so that there were more than the cloth could hold.</p> <p> Similarly, there is the story of the lamb, that has come down to us from one who was there: 'We worked with the Apostle at the trench. I had a half-grown lamb and I thought it would be a good thing to cook it for Allah's Messenger. I told my wife to grind barley and make some bread for us. I killed the lamb and we roasted it for the Prophet (Pbuh). When night fell and he was about to leave the trench, I told him we had prepared bread and meat and invited him to our home. I wanted him to come on his own, but when I said this he sent someone to call all the men to come along. Everyone arrived and the food was served. He blessed it and invoked the Name of Allah over it. Then he ate and so did all of the others. As soon as one lot were satisfied, another group came until all the diggers had eaten enough, but still there was food to spare.</p> <p> On March 24, 627 A.D., Abu Sufyan arrived with more than ten thousand men. The Muslims numbered only three thousand. Quraysh and their allies surrounded Medina but between the two armies was the long, wide trench. The Prophet (pbuh) and his men stayed behind this trench for nearly a month defending the city against their more powerful enemy. Many times warriors tried to cross the trench and enter the city, but each time they were pushed back by the Muslims. The Muslims were afraid that if any did manage to cross over, the Jews inside Medina would join forces with them and the Muslims would be beaten. The Jewish tribe of Bani Quraydhah, who had stood by the agreement with the Muslims, were pressed by a Jewish emissary from the enemy without, to break their promise. Eventually they agreed to do so and when the news of this reached the Prophet (pbuh) and his companions they were greatly troubled. Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, the leader of the tribe of Aws, was sent by the Prophet (pbuh) with two other men to find out if this were true. When they arrived in the part of Medina where the Jews lived, they found were even worse than they had previously thought. Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, whose tribe was closely allied with the Bani Quraydhah, tried to persuade their leader not to break the treaty with the Muslims, but he refused to listen. This meant that the Muslims could not relax their guard for one moment, for they were now threatened not only by the enemy beyond the trench, but by the Bani Qurayzah, within the walls of the city. </p> <p> Things became more difficult for the Muslims day by day. It was extremely cold and food began to run out. To make matters worse, the Bani Qurayzah began openly and actively to join forces with the other Jews and cut off all supplies to the Muslims, including food. The enemies of Islam then planned how to capture Medina.</p> <p> The situation looked desperate and the Prophet (pbuh) prayed to Allah to help the Muslims defeat their enemies. That very night a sandstorm blew up which buried the tents of Quraysh. The storm continued for three days and three nights making it impossible for the enemy to light a fire to cook a meal or warm themselves by.</p> <p> On one of these dark nights the Prophet (pbuh) asked one of his men, Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman, to go on a dangerous mission. The Prophet (pbuh) told him to make his way across the trench to the enemy camp where he should find out what they were doing.</p> <p> With much difficulty Hudhayfah crossed the trench and made his way to a circle of Quraysh warriors talking in the darkness. He sat near them, but as there was no fire, no one noticed him. He then heard Abu Sufyan's voice: 'Let us go hom!' he said. 'We have had enough. The horses and camels are dying, the tents keep blowing away, most of the equipment has been lost, and we can not cook our food. There is no reason to stay!' Shortly after hearing this Hudhayfah made his way quickly and quietly back across the trench and the next morning the Muslims rejoiced to find that what he had overheard had come true-Quraysh and their allies had gone away! The siege of Medina had ended in a great victory for Islam.</p> <p> But this was not to be the end of the difficulties, for the Archangel Gabriel came to the Prophet (pbuh) and told him that he should punish the Bani Qurayzah for betraying him and the Muslims. On hearing this, the Prophet (pbuh) ordered the Muslims to march against the Bani Qurayzah as they hid in their fortress. The Muslims besieged them for twenty-five days until they finally gave in. On surrendering, they asked the Prophet (pbuh) to let someone judge their case, and he agreed. He also allowed them to choose who would give the ruling.</p> <p> The man chosen to judge the Bani Qurayzah was Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, leader of the Aws, a tribe which had always protected Bani Qurayzah in the past. Sa'd ibn Mu'adh who had himself been wounded in the battle, decided that the Jews should be tried by their own Holy Law, according to which anyone who broke a treaty would be put to death. As a result all the men of the Bani Qurayzah were executed and the women and children made captive. </p> <p> If the Jews had succeeded in their pact, Islam would have been destroyed. Instead from that day on, Medina became a city where only Muslims lived. Very soon after peace had been restored to Medina, Sa'd ibn Mu'adh died of his wounds. It was said that the Archangel Gabriel came in the middle of that night and said to the Prophet (pbuh) 'O Muhammad, who is this dead man? When he arrived, the doors of heaven opened and the Throne of Allah shook.' The Prophet (pbuh) got up as soon as he heard this, but found that Sa'd was already dead. Although he had been a heavy man, the men who carried his body to the grave found it quite light. They were told that the angels were helping them. When he was buried, the Prophet (pbuh) said three times 'Subhan Allah!' (Glory be to Allah!), and 'Allahu Akbar!' (Allah is Most Great!). When asked why he did this, he replied, 'The grave was tight for this good man, until Allah eased it for him.' This is one of the rewards that Allah gives to martyrs and good Muslims.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-91808368385197763042008-12-14T21:31:00.000+07:002008-12-14T21:33:12.600+07:00Rebuttal to "Muhammad and the Ten Meccans"<p align="center">By <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/umar/meccan10_rebuttal.htm"><span style="color:#0000ff;">Umar</span></a></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <div class="Section1"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">This Article is located at: <u><span style="color: blue;">http://www.answering-islam.org/Muhammad/Enemies/meccan10.html</span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"><span style=""> </span></span>Before getting to the Critic's article, I would like to show the reader, the kindness of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S):</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">" There are many practical examples of the Prophet's kind and magnanimous treatment with his enemies. Here we give only a few examples of the world's greatest preacher of Islam.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=""> </span>The most suitable occasion for taking revenge on his enemies was the conquest of Makkah, when he entered the city as a victor and not as a vanquised and his blood thirsty enemies were standing before him, but he granted them general amnesty.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=""> </span>On the day of migration, Suraqah mounted a swift horse in pursuit of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) so that he could seize him and get the reward one hundred camels but repeated stumbling off his horse gave him a warning to desist from this evil design. He asked forgiveness and Allah's Messenger (peace be and blessings of Allah be upon him) forgave him.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=""> </span>A Jewess put poison in the food of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He felt the effect of the poison and called the Jews who made the confession of guilt; but he did not say anything. He forgave the savage who had killed Hamza, his uncle.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=""> </span>He forgave Hinda, the wife of Abu Sufyan who tore out the heart and liver of his (the Holy Prophet's) loving uncle.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=""> </span>He forgave Habbar b. Al. Aswar who had inflicted severe injury to the Prophet's loving daughter Zainab (May Allah be pleased with her).</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=""> </span>During the Treaty of Hudaibya, a band of sixty men descended the mount of Tanim at dawn, with an intention to kill he Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). They were arrested; but the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) let them off.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=""> </span>A person intended to kill him. The companions of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) caught hold of him and brought him to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He trembled out of fear. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to him : Do not be afraid, even if you intended to kill me, you could not do so.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=""> </span>The people of<span style=""> </span>Ta'if hooted him through the streets listening to the call of Islam and refused to give him shelter. They pelted him with stones and blood flowed down upon his legs. The angel said to him: If he desired we cause the mountain to fall upon them. He said: No, perhaps any believer of Allah may be born from their progeny.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=""> </span>Once a person asked him to invoke cure, he said: I have not been sent to curse, but I have been sent as a mercy unto the worlds. Once he was returning from the battle. He passed by a plain. The sun was hot and the people were resting under the shades of the trees. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) went to sleep under the shade of a tree hanging his sword to a branch. A bedouin came there and took off his sword intending to kill him (the Holy Prophet). The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was startled to see a bedouin standing on the side of his head with an unsheathed sword in his hand. He (the bedouin) said: Tell me, who can save you now from me? He said: (It is) Allah. This impressive reply had its effect and he put the sword back into its sheath.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=""> </span>The Quraish confined him (the Holy Prophet) and his family in Shi'b Abi Talib, so that wheat and corn could not reach them. The children cried of hunder but the callous Quraish didnot listen to their cries. As against this what was the treatment which the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) accorded to the Quraish? Makkah used to receive corn from Yamama. Thumama b. Uthal, the cheif of Yamama had embraced Islam. He said to the Quraish : By Allah, you will not get a single grain of wheat from Yamama until it is permitted by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). At last the Quraish came to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and requested him to ask the cheif to continue the supply. He (the Holy Prophet) sent a message and its supply was restored as usual."</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">(Source: Sirat-Un-Nabi, Vol.5 by Syed Sulaimain Nadwi, rendered into English by Mohd. Saeed Siddiqi, Kitab Bhavan New Delhi, p.229-230)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">The above quotes from the book, shows the kindness of the Messenger of Allah (S). </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">I also want to inform the reader, that the Christian critic, claims that only because they were apostates they were executed. The scholars of Islamonline.net, further sheds light on this claim of his:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">"<span style=""> </span>Moreover, it is incorrect to say that everyone who leaves Islam is automatically killed. <u><b>Thus, if an apostate causes no harm to the Muslim community and does not call for spreading hostility towards Islam, he is not to be punished, </b>rather he is to be advised kindly and wisely to let him know the true image of Islam</u>." </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">(Source: <u><span style="color: blue;">http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503548996</span></u> , bold and underlined emphasis ours) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">Now that we touched one some minor points, let us go to the Critic's article.....</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><big><big><big><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong><span>He Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></big></big></big></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style=""> </span></span><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Muhammad And The Ten Meccans<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: center;" align="center">As Muhammad grew in power, he began to use violence to obtain his desires. He ordered the murder of many people. He himself did not go out and commit the murders; he had men who were willing to do his killing for him. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">This paper deals only with the people Muhammad ordered to be executed (murdered) after Mecca peacefully surrendered to him. During his lifetime, he had a number of people murdered, but in this paper we will examine the 10 people he ordered to be killed the day he took Mecca. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">He had marched upon Mecca with an army of 10,000 soldiers. These men were tough, dedicated Muslims. The Meccan leaders did not think they could defeat Muhammad's army, so they surrendered to him. Muhammad did not destroy Mecca, or massacre it's inhabitants, but he remembered some of his personal enemies, and ordered their execution. As you will see, Muhammad hated some of these people only because they had mocked him years earlier. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">I want to give you some background on the sources I am using. Primarily I am using three Muslim sources: </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">1) the "Hadiths" (Traditions) of Bukhari, Muslim, and Abu Dawud, </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">2) the "Sirat Rasul Allah" originally written by Ibn Ishaq and later rescended by Ibn Hisham, </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">3) and the "Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir" written by Ibn Sa'd. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">4) "23 Years - A study of the prophetic career of Muhammad", by Ali Dashti. Dashti was a Shia Muslim scholar. He was murdered when he was about 85 years old by the Muslims who took over Iran. Although Dashti doesn't represent the Sunni branch of Islam, he addressed the issues I am addressing in this paper, and I've found his scholarship substantial, and well founded. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">No doubt he had access to far more Islamic sources than I have. So, while Sunni Muslims may object to me quoting a Shia scholar, I find that his comments regarding the murders at Mecca to be in accordance with the info I've found in the Hadith, Sirat, and Tabaqat. In any case, his comments are only frosting on my cake; my points are not based on Dashti's work, his work is only an embellishment of my case. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">All of the writers of these sources were Muslim, and all of the first 3 works are recoginzed by the Sunni branch of Islam. Of course none of these are recognized equal to the Qur'an. I would say that the order of authentic recognizition is 1) Hadiths, 2) Sirat, 3) Tabaqat. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">The Hadith are the traditions, sayings, and actions of Muhammad. Both the Sirat and Tabaqat are biographies of Muhammad. Both biographies were written well before the Hadith. Both contain much material corroborated by the Hadith and Qur'an. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">As I continue to quote these sources, at times I will interject my own notes, as a short explanation, to keep the context clear for you. My own notes will be bracketed by [ ] type brackets. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">NOTE that frequently, in these sources, the original writers or translators used parenthesis. I will type their parenthesis as standard ( ) parenthesis brackets, just as they appear in their text. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">NOTE ON THE SIRAT RASULALLAH: </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">The Sirat was translated into English by A. Guillaume. He was a recognized Islamic scholar. He wrote many books on Islam. He was the professor of Arabic at the University of London, a member of the Arab Academy of Damascus, and Royal Academy of Baghdad. A number of Arab Muslim scholars worked with him on his translation of the Sirat. Guillaume was a professional, he was not trying to discredit Muhammad in any way. He just wanted to produce the best translation possible. Further, I have a book written by Muslim apologists that quote from his translations of the Sirat. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">NOTE ON THE TABAQAT: </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">The Tabaqat was translated into English by Moinul Haq, a Pakistani. His work was published by the Pakistan Historical Society. It is published in two volumes. The title means "Book of the Major Classes". It also is basically a biography of Muhammad. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><b>MUHAMMAD AND MURDER IN MECCA</b> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Muhammad ordered the execution of 10 people when he took Mecca. Here is the list of names found in Ibn Sa'd "Tabaqat". </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">The quote is from the Tabaqat, Vol 2, page 168. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">"The apostle of Allah entered through Adhakhir, [into Mecca], and prohibited fighting. He ordered six men and four women to be killed, they were (1) Ikrimah Ibn Abi Jahl, (2) Habbar Ibn al-Aswad, (3) Abd Allah Ibn Sa'd Ibn Abi Sarh, (4) Miqyas Ibn Sababah al-Laythi, (5) al-Huwayrith Ibn Nuqaydh, (6) Abd Abbah Ibn Hilal Ibn Khatal al-Adrami, (7) Hind Bint Utbah, (8) Sarah, the mawlat (enfranchised girl) of Amr Ibn Hashim, (9) Fartana and (10) Qaribah. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Occasionally, the Sirat, and the Tabaqat use a different name for the same person. #3 in the list given above is such a case. The differences in the name is due to the amount of family lineage given for the man's name, and the English translation. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Let's start with #3 in the list. The Sirat corroborates the Tabaqat's list, a few at a time. And the Sirat gives much more detail concerning #3. You'll see that in the end, this man was almost executed, but he got lucky because Muhammad's men couldn't read Muhammad's mind! This case will give you a glimpse into how Muhammad's mind worked. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">QUOTING FROM THE SIRAT, PAGE 550. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">"The apostle had instructed his commanders when they entered Mecca only to fight those who resisted them, except a small number who were to be killed even if they were found beneath the curtains of the Kaba. Among them was Abdullah Sa'd, brother of the B. Amir Luayy. The reason he ordered him to be killed was that he had been a Muslim and used to write down revelation; then he apostatized and returned to Quraysh [Mecca] and fled to Uthman Affan whose foster brother he was. The latter hid him until he brought him to the apostle after the situation in Mecca was tranquil, and asked that he might be granted immunity. They allege that the apostle remained silent for a long time till finally he [Muhammad] said yes [granting Abdullah immunity from the execution order]. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">When Uthman had left he [Muhammad] said to his companions who were sitting around him, "I kept silent so that one of you might get up and strike off his head!" One of the Ansar said, "Then why didn't you give me a sign, O apostle of God?" He answered that a prophet does not kill by pointing." </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Ibn Sa'd corroborates Ibn Ishaq and says on page 174: </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">"A person of al-Ansar had taken a vow to kill Ibn Abi Sarh [the already mentioned Abdullah] if he saw him. Uthman whose foster brother he (Ibn Abi Sarh) was, came and interceded for him with the prophet. The Ansari was waiting for the signal of the prophet to kill him. Uthman interceded and he [Muhammad] let him go. The apostle of Allah said to the Ansari, "Why did you not fulfil your vow?" He said, "O apostle of Allah! I had my hand on the hilt of the sword waiting for your signal to kill him. The prophet said signalling would have been a breach of faith. It does not behave the prophet to make signal."" </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">DISCUSSION </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Okay lets examine this one. Abdullah Sa'd used to write down Muhammad's revelations, i.e., the Qur'an. Later, he apostatized, left Islam, and went back to Mecca. As Muhammad took Mecca, he gave a general amnesty, except for a number of people. Abdullah Sa'd is the first of this group mentioned. Muhammad ordered that Abdullah be killed. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Ali Dashti provides additional comments. I do not have all of the source references Dashti had, but this will give you more insight into the reason Muhammad ordered to have Abdullah killed. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">From Ali Dashti's "23 Years, A study of the prophetic career of Muhammad", page 98. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">"The last man named [in the list of people to be killed] had been one of the scribes employed at Medina to write down the 'revelations'. On a number of occassions, with Muhammad's consent, he changed the closing words of verses. For example, when Muhammad said "And God is mighty and wise", Abdullah Sarh suggested 'knowing and wise', and the prophet answered that there was no objection. Having observed a succession of changes of this type, Abdullah renounced Islam on the ground that the revelations, if from God, could not be changed at the prompting of a scribe such as himself. After his apostasy, he went to Mecca and joined the Qorayshites." </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">So you see the background behind the order to murder Abdullah. He was a threat to the credibility of the Qur'an. He was a Muslim, worked with Muhammad in writing down the Qur'an, and, from time to time he suggested some minor changes. Finally Abdullah realized that if this were truly from God, no changes would be made at the suggestion of a mere scribe. So, he realized Islam was false, and went back to Mecca. After Muhammad took Mecca, and issued the order to kill him, he hid out with Uthman who was one of Muhammad's closest companions. Later Abdullah pled for amnesty. Muhammad wanted one of his men to kill him on the spot, but they didn't know, because they couldn't read Muhammad's mind. So, finally Muhammad gave him amnesty. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Note here that Ibn Hisham notes [note #803] that Abdullah became a Muslim again, and obtained a political position in time. Surely you see that this was a case of "If you can't beat em, join em." </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Muslims may say 'well, Muhammad ordered him to be killed, but Muhammad accepted his repentance and let him live.' That is besides the point. Muhammad really wanted him to die, it just didn't happen the way Muhammad wanted. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">I have to comment here. Muhammad's reasoning is really stupid. Muhammad issues an edit to have a man executed, but fails to have it carried out because he doesn't want to make a signal with his hand??? Why didn't Muhammad kill him himself? If this man had committed such a crime as to cost him his life, why didn't Muhammad see that his death sentence be carried out? </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">This shows that Muhammad ordereds were made willy-nilly. This man committed no major crime. Muhammad just wanted this man killed for personal reasons. People lived or died depending on Muhammad's frame of mind. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">So far, we have examined one execution order. Muhammad ordered that Abdullah be executed, but Abdullah got lucky because Muhammad's men were not mind readers. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">0 for 1. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Now lets go on with the Sirat, picking up where I left off on page 550. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">"Another [to be killed] was Abdullah Khatal of B. Taym b. Ghalib. He had become a Muslim and the apostle sent him to collect the poor tax in company with one of the Ansar. He had with him a freed slave who served him. (He was Muslim). When they halted he ordered the latter to kill a goat for him and prepare some food, and went to sleep. When he woke up the man had done nothing, so he attacked and killed him and apostatized. He had two singing-girls Fartana and her friend who used to sing satirical songs about the apostle, so he ordered that they should be killed with him." </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Let's stop here and examine this paragraph. Muhammad ordered that a man who apostasized, and his two slave girls, be killed. Khatal was ordered to be killed not because he killed his male slave, a Muslim, but because he apostasized. Islamic law does not allow a Muslim man to be put to death for killing a slave. Muhammad also ordered two slave girls to be killed for singing satirical songs about him. Remember, they sung these songs about Muhammad years earlier. Now it was Muhammad's payback time. Look, these slave girls were not threats to Islam, or to the new Islamic state. They were only slave girls. They were ordered to be executed only because they sang a silly song about Muhammad. More on them in a few paragraphs. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Note here that Khatal is #6 in Ibn Sa'd's list. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Now I will give you the info from Ibn Sa'd's book on Khatal, Vol 2, page 172 and on. I will not type out the chain of narrators. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">p172: </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.25in;">"The apostle of Allah entered Makkah in the year of victory and on his head there was a helmet. Then he removed it. Ma'n and Musa Ibn Dawud said in their version: A person came to him and said, "O apostle of Allah! Ibn Khatal is holding fast the curtains of al-Kabah. Thereupon the apostle of Allah said: "Kill him." </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">p173: </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.25in;">"....kill him wherever you find him" </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Now then on to Bukhari's Hadith about Khatal, volume 5 #582. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">"Narrated Anas bin Malik: "On the day of the Conquest, the prophet entered Mecca, wearing a helmet on his head. When he took it off, a man came and said, "Ibn Khatal is clinging to the curtain of the Kaba." The prophet said "Kill him." </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Khatal was not as fortunate as Abdullah. Ibn Sa'd says on page 174: </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">"Verily the apostle of Alah ordered (his followers) on the day of the Victory to kill Ibn Abi Sarh, Fartana Ibn al-Zibr'ra and Ibn Khatal. Abu Barzah came and saw him (Ibn Khatal) holding fast the curtains of al-Kabah. He (Abu Barzah) ripped open his belly. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Okay, now we have a man who only apostasized from Islam executed. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">1 for 2. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Now I will jump ahead to page 551 of the Sirat to finish the story of the slave girls. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">"As for Ibn Khatal's two singing girls, one was killed and the other ran away until the apostle, asked for immunity, gave it to her." </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">So, one girl was murdered, one ran away. When Muhammad eased up, she plead for forgivenss, and he gave her immunity. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">So, one of the slave girls escapes, the other is executed. Later, the living slave girl begs forgiveness, and is forgiven. Again, this shows that Muhammad's death sentences were willy-nilly. They mocked him, they paid (one with her life). Later, as Muhammad felt more secure, he forgave the remaining slave girl. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">2 for 4. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">On page 551 of the Sirat: </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">"Another was al-Huwayrith Nuqaydh Wahb Qusayy, one of those who used to insult him in Mecca. ... Al-Huwayrith was killed by Ali. [Ali was Muhammad's son in law.] </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">What do you see here? This guy was murdered because he insulted Muhammad! Ibn Hisham notes [804] that Huwayrith goaded a camel that two of Muhammad's children were riding on. So, years later, he paid with his life. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">3 for 5. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Continuing on page 551 of the Sirat: </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">"Another [ordered to be killed] was Miqyas Hubaba because he had killed an Ansari who had killed his brother accidentally, and returned to Quraysh as a polytheist." </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">There is a reference to this on page 492: </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">"Miqyas Subaba came from Mecca as a Muslim, so he professed, saying, "I come to you as a Muslim seeking the bloodwit for my brother who was killed in error." The apostle ordered that he should have the bloodwit for his brother Hisham and he stopped a short while with the apostle. Then he attacked his brother's slayer and killed him and went off to Mecca an apostate." </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">This guy evidently became a Muslim and wanted revenge on the man who had accidentlay killed his brother. Muhammad allowed him to take his revenge. Miqyas then killed the other Muslim who accidently killed his brother. He then left Islam as an apostate and returned to Mecca. Since the penalty for leaving Islam is death, Muhammad had him killed. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">4 for 6. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Continuing on page 551 of the Sirat we read about Sara and Ikrima: </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">"And Sara, freed slave of one of the Abdul-Muttalib [a tribe], and Ikrima Abu Jahl. Sara had insulted him [Muhammad] in Mecca. As for Ikrima, he fled to the Yaman. His wife Umm Hakim Harith Hisham became a Muslim and asked for immunity for him and the apostle gave it. She went to the Yaman in search of him and brought him to the apostle and he accepted Islam." ... </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">"As for Ibn Khatal's two singing-girls, one was killed and the other ran away until the apostle, asked for immunity, gave it her. Similarly Sara, who lived until in the time of `Umar a mounted soldier trod her down in the valley of Mecca and killed her. Al-Huwayrith was killed by `Ali." </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">She was seemingly given immunity at the time, after Muhammad was more secure, but she is later killed nevertheless. The text gives too little detail. Was her death just an accident? Usually people don't die from accidentally being hit by the hoof of a horse or camel. This looks intentional, run over and then finished off, probably by the sword. She is killed and al-Huwayrith is killed. The construction of the two sentences in sequence is parallel and it gives the impression to be in consequence of Muhammad's earlier command. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Al-Tabari's text ("The History of Tabari", volume 8, SUNY, translated by Michael Fishbein, p. 179) states about this incident: </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">"She lived until someone in the time of Umar b. al-Khattab <b>caused his horse to trample her</b> at Abtah and killed her. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">This confirms that this death was not an accident. It is again not stated why she was killed, but it is likely that her earlier songs against Muhammad are part of the ultimate reason for it. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">5 (4) for 8. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">For a side note, there is a hadith narrated by 'Ikrima, <a href="http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/084.sbt.html" target="_blank">Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 84, Number 57</a>: </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">Narrated 'Ikrima: </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">Some Zanadiqa (atheists) were brought to 'Ali and he burnt them. The news of this event, reached Ibn 'Abbas who said, "If I had been in his place, I would not have burnt them, as Allah's Apostle forbade it, saying, 'Do not punish anybody with Allah's punishment (fire).' I would have killed them according to the statement of Allah's Apostle, 'Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him.'" </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">How do you feel about freedom of religion? Should people be killed just because they want to leave Islam? Muhammad said they should be killed. And the saying is related by the person who himself got spared. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">From Ibn Sa'd's list, #2 is probably the man mentioned in <a href="http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/059.sbt.html" target="_blank">Bukhari, Vol. 5, Book 59, #662</a> and <a href="http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/056.sbt.html" target="_blank">Volume 4, Book 56, #817</a>. Habbar Ibn al-Aswad b. Ka`b al-`Ansi. He was murdered in Yemen. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">In <i>Sirat Rasul Allah</i>, page 648, the section heading is: "... and Al-Aswad Al-`Ansi" and in the text he is called: al-Aswad b. Ka`b al-`Ansi. This makes the connection of "al-`Ansi" in the Hadith with al-Aswad in Ibn Sa`d likely. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">6 (5) for 9. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Number 7 on Ibn Sa'd's list was Hind bint Utbah. She was Abu Sufyan's wife. Dashti notes that Muhammad had earlier ordered Sufyan to be killed. Sufyan was a big leader in Mecca. He fought against Muhammad in battle. Just before Muhammad took Mecca, Sufyan went out to Muhammad and was coerced into accepting Islam, or be killed. Sufyan accepted Islam. Afterwards, Hind bint Utbah accepted Islam and was spared. Hind had previously desecrated dead Muslim bodies after the battle of Uhud. She even cut the liver out of one dead Muslim and took a bite of it, and spit it out. She also mocked Muhammad and the other defeated Muslims as they left the field. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">She asked forgivness and was forgiven. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">6 (5) for 10. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><b>SUMMARY</b> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">We see that some of these people were murdered simply because they had rejected Muhammad and mocked him. Other's were ordered to be executed because they had thought for themselves and left Islam. Most of these people never lifted a weapon against Muhammad. Years later, Muhammad in his bitter vengence, took revenge for the pain and humilation some of these people caused him and had these people killed. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><big><big><big><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong><span>My Response:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></big></big></big></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style=""> </span></span>In reply to the critic's paper, I will quote from Abdul Hameed Siddiqui, in his book "The Life of Muhammad PBUH",<span style=""> </span>and I will quote from the book "Sirat-Un-Nabi" by Allama Shibli Nu'Mani. First, we will quote from Abdul Hameed Siddiqui's book:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">" Only for persons out of the whole population of Mecca were executed. One of them was Abdullah b. Khatal of Banu Taym b. Ghalib. He had become a Muslim and had been deputed by the Holy Prophet to collect Zakat in the company of one of the Ansar. They had also a slave with them. 'Abdullah in a fit of rage, killed the helpless slave on account of mere trifling dispute and joined the pagan Arabs as an apostate. He also took with him the camels that he had collected as Zakat. He was never repentant at this heinous crime but employed two singing girls and incited them to sing satrical songs about the Holy Prophet. The other man who was put to death was Miqyas b. Hubaba. He was a Muslim. An Ansari accidentally killed his brother Hisham. The Holy Prophet had arranged the payment of blood money to him, which he had accepted. But his revengeful nature was never appeased, so he killed the Ansari and went to Mecca as an apostate. The Holy Prophet ordered his execution. Similarly, Huwayrith and one of his singing girls were put to death.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=""> </span><b><u>Can history furnish such an example of peaceful conquest of a city which had been for years the hot bed of worst type of tyranny and oppression? Historical records have no instance to quote of such mananimous forgiveness as shown by the Prophet of Islam</u></b>."</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">(Source: The Life of Muhammad PBUH, by Abdul Hameed Siddiqui, Islamic Publications LTD. p. 253-254, bold and underlined emphasis ours)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">And now, Sirat Un Nabi:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=""> </span>" Chroniclers name ten persons, who, notwithstanding the general amnesty granted to the Meccans, were declared to be punishable with death whenever found. Some of them like 'Abdullah Ibn Khatal and Miqyas Ibn Subaba, stood charged with murder and were executed to pay for the blood they had shed. But others had only been guilty of torturing and tormenting the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), while at Mecca or composing slanderous verses against him. <span style="color: black;">One was a woman who had sung satirical songs against the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and was put to death</span>. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=""> </span><b><u>But this statement, when subjected to higher criticism as developed by the traditionists cannot stand scrutiny</u></b>. Barring a few- not more then half a dozen- which of the Meccans had refrained from active participation in the persecution of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Yet they were all given their freedom. The victims alleged to have been put to death were answeable for crimes much less serious. <u>Let us remember 'Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) saying that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never sought a personal revenge, a report that appears in all Six Books of Authentic Ahadith. A woman had put poison in his food at Khaibar, but when asked whether she was to be slain, the Prophet's answer was a clear "No". If a Jewess, guilty of attempting murder by poison could go unharmed, how, on earth could the offenders of Mecca fail to share his mercy, in spite of the fact that they were not charged with anything as black as that.<o:p></o:p></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><u><span style=""> </span>But let alone this logical criticism, we shall have to admit that the story even if judged on the basis of reports, is unacceptable</u></b>. Sahih-Al-Bukhari mentions the execution of Ibn Khatal alone, and this is admitted on all hands that he was executed for a murder. The execution of Miqyas too was a retaliatory sentence. <b><u>All such reports, as ascribe the execution of others merely to their having harrased the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the past, have Ibn Ishaq as the last narrator at the top; and in the terminology of the traditionalists such reports are called Mursal and are not to be relied on.<o:p></o:p></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=""> </span>The most reliable report that can be referred to in this connection is the one mentioned in Abu Dawud, which says that on the day when Mecca fell, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) declared that four persons could not be promised immunity. But Abu Dawud, adds that for this report he could not find authoritative sources of desired merit. Then he quotes the report about Ibn Khatal. The report quoted earlier has Ahmad Ibn Mufaddal as one of the narrators, whom Azdi calls a narrator of Munkar traditions. Another link in the series has Isbat Ibn Nadr whom Nasa'i does not believe to be quite weighty. Certainly, flaws are not enough to make up good case for rejecting a narration. Yet in view of the importance of the issue in hand even this much of deficiency is enough to create doubts.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=""> </span>It is certain that some Meccan notables who formed the vanguard of the opposition did flee away from Meccan, when the approach of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to be known. That they left because of a death sentence is a mere product of Ibn Ishaq's imagination. Ibn Ishaq names 'Ikrima, the son of Abu Jahl, as well as one of the proclaimed culprits. In Muwatta' by Imam Malik, which in accuracy and reliability has, according to Imam Shafi'i, no equal under the sun except the Qur'an, this incident has been narrated as below : Umm Hakin, daugher of Harith Ibn Hisham, was the wife of 'Ikrima, son of Abu Jahl. She embraced Islam on the day Mecca fell. But her husband 'Ikrima Ibn Abu Jahl fled to Yaman, to keep away from Islam. Umm Hakim went to Yaman, and invited him to Islam. He believed and came to Mecca. As the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw him, he rose to his feet in joy and walked up to him in a hurry, even without the upper garment ( a sheet of cloth) on his body. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) then initiated him into Islam.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=""> </span>It must also be noted that those who were granted protection were not forced to embrace Islam. Historians and biographers have all stated that the Muslim force at the battle of Hunain, which took place a little after the Fall of Mecca, had in its ranks a good number of non-believers from Mecca who still stuck to their old beliefs. And it was their presence that brought on defeat, for they could not stand the first<span style=""> </span>assault, and this disorder forced the Muslims to follow suit. "</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">(Source: Sirat-Un-Nabi, by Allama Shibli Nu'Mani, rendered into English by M. Tayyib Bakhsh Budayuni, Kazi Publications Lahore, Vol. II, p. 199-203, bold and underlined emphasis ours)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">Even though Allama Shibli says that the flaws in the narrations aren not enough to dismiss the report, he shows that the narrations are <i>mursal </i>, and not be relied on. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">And Allah SWT Knows Best! </p></div> <p> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-67567170647973048562008-12-14T21:20:00.000+07:002008-12-14T21:25:49.408+07:00The Quran's Slaner of Solomon: The communion of Demons<p align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><big><big><strong>Rebuttal to Answering Islam</strong></big></big></span></p> <p align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><big><strong>The Quran's Slaner of Solomon: The communion of Demons</strong></big></span></p> <p align="center">By <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/umar/solomon_jinns_rebuttal.htm"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Umar</span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/umar/solomon_jinns_rebuttal.htm"> </a></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <div class="Section1"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">This article is located at : <u><span style="color:blue;">http://www.answering-islam.org/Quran/Contra/solomon_jinn.htm<o:p></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:blue;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:blue;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:blue;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b><span style=";font-size:18;color:black;" >He Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><span style=";font-size:18;color:black;" > <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><span style=";font-size:18;color:black;" > <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: center;" align="center"><b><span style=";font-size:18;color:black;" ><span style=""> </span></span>Quran Contradiction</b> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: center;" align="center"><b><span style="font-size:14;">The Quran’s Slander of Solomon: The Communion of Demons<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: center;" align="center">Muslims complain about the biblical portrayal of prophets and messengers being sinners, committing gross sinful acts, and view this as an indication that the Holy Bible has been corrupted. We have discussed these points elsewhere on our site, so we are not seeking to explain or defend the reason why the Holy Bible presents specific prophets in a negative light.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">We, instead, want to use this criterion against the Quran and show that the Muslim scripture is guilty of slandering Allah’s messengers. This is basically a continuation of a series of articles on this subject that can be read here:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/Shamoun/sins_of_prophets.htm" target="_blank">http://answering-islam.org/Shamoun/sins_of_prophets.htm</a><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/Shamoun/adam_and_eve_shirk.htm" target="_blank">http://answering-islam.org/Shamoun/adam_and_eve_shirk.htm</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Here, we want to examine the Quran’s claim that Solomon had demons working for him and under his authority.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:18;"><strong>My Response:<br /></strong><br /><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:18;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><span style="font-size:18;"> <span style="color:red;"> </span></span>[021:079] To Solomon We inspired the (right) understanding of the matter: to each (of them) We gave Judgment and Knowledge; it was Our power that made the hills and the birds celebrate Our praises, with David: it was We Who did (all these things).<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;color:red;" > <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;color:red;" ><span style=""> </span></span><span style="color:red;">[027:015] We gave (in the past) knowledge to David and Solomon: And they both said: "Praise be to God, Who has favoured us above many of his servants who believe!"<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;color:red;" > <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;color:red;" ><span style=""> </span></span><span style="color:red;">[027:036] Now when (the embassy) came to Solomon, he said: "Will ye give me abundance in wealth? But that which God has given me is better than that which He has given you! Nay it is ye who rejoice in your gift!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style=""> </span></span><span style="color:black;">Now, let us look at the Holy Bible:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><span style="color:black;"> </span><span style="color:blue;"> </span>3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. 4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 5 <u>He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech <sup>[<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%5Cl">a</a>]</sup> the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 <b>So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD</b>; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done</u></span><span style="color:teal;"><u>.<o:p></o:p></u></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:teal;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><span style=""> </span>These verses are from 1 Kings 11:3-6, and I think it pretty much proves the point. Also, compare that verse of the Bible, with this:<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""> <span style="color:red;"> </span>[038:030] To David We gave Solomon (for a son),- How excellent in Our service! Ever did he turn (to Us)!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:teal;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><span style=""> </span>What's even more interesting thing is what Abdullah Yusuf Ali said about this verse (Sura 38:30):<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><span style=""> </span></span><i><span style="color:navy;">" The greatest in this life have yet need of this spiritual blessing: without it all worldly good is futile. Referring back to the story of David, we are now introduced to Solomon, who was a great king but greater still because he served God and turned to Him. <b><u>The Quran, unlike the Old Testament, represents Solomon as a righteous king, not as an idolater, doing "evil in the sight of the Lord" (1 Kings xi,6)<o:p></o:p></u></b></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><span style="color:navy;"><span style=""> </span>(Source: The Qur'an : Text. Translation, and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, footnote # 4182)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><span style=""> </span>So is the Muslim scripture guilty of slandering the Prophet's, I think not Mr. Shamoun..... <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><big><strong><span style=";font-size:18;color:black;" >He Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=";font-size:18;color:black;" > <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=";font-size:18;color:black;" > <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=";font-size:18;color:black;" ><span style=""> </span></span><span style=""> </span>The Holy Bible says that demons know God is one:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">"You believe that God is one; you do well. <u>Even the demons believe--and shudder!</u>" James 2:19</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">They even know that Jesus is the Holy Son of God who can destroy them:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">"for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, <i>they fell down before him and cried out</i>, ‘<b>You are the Son of God</b>.’" Mark 3:10-11</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">"When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.’ For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) Jesus then asked him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Legion,’ for many demons had entered him. <i><u>And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss</u></i>." Luke 8:28-31</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="font-size:18;"><strong>My Response:<br /></strong><br /><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="font-size:18;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="font-size:18;"><span style=""> </span></span>In the Quran we read the Jinns as well as Men were made to serve Allah, and Allah SWT alone:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""> </span><span style="color:red;">[051:056] I have only created Jinns and men, that they may serve Me</span>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style="color:black;">But let us proceed with Sam's arguments.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><strong><span style=";font-size:18;color:black;" >He Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=";font-size:18;color:black;" > <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=";font-size:18;color:black;" ><span style=""> </span></span>But despite this, no believer can have fellowship or work with Satan or his demons:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">"What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God<u>. I do not want you to be participants with demons</u>. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord <i>and the cup of demons</i>. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord <i>and the table of demons</i>. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?" 1 Corinthians 10:19-22</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">"Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? <i>What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols?</i> For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, ‘I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.’" 2 Corinthians 6:14-16</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">The Holy Scriptures clearly warn true believers from having fellowship with Satan and the demons. If a prophet decided to fellowship or partner with Satan he would clearly be sinning against God.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Even the demons know that true believers cannot and do not have fellowship with them:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">"When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way. And they cried out, saying, ‘<i><u>What business do we have with each other, Son of God?</u></i> Have You come here to torment us before the time?’ Matthew 8:28-29</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><big><strong><span style="font-size:16;">My Response:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="font-size:16;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="font-size:16;"><span style=""> </span></span>Okay, nothing really important here.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><strong><span style="font-size:16;">He Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="font-size:16;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="font-size:16;"><span style=""> </span></span>Yet the Quran says that Solomon had demons, or jinn, working for him and that he was in communion with them:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">And to Solomon the wind, strongly blowing, that ran at his command unto the land that We had blessed; and We had knowledge of everything; <i>and of <b>the Satans</b> some dived for him and did other work besides; and We were watching over them</i>. S. 21:81-82</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">He said, 'O Council, which one of you will bring me her throne, before they come to me in surrender?' <b><i>An efreet of the jinns</i></b> said, 'I will bring it to thee, before thou risest from thy place; I have strength for it and I am trusty.' Said he who possessed knowledge of the Book, 'I will bring it to thee, before ever thy glance returns to thee.' Then, when he saw it settled before him, he said, 'This is of my Lord's bounty that He may try me, whether I am thankful or ungrateful. Whosoever gives thanks gives thanks only for his own soul's good, and whosoever is ungrateful -- my Lord is surely All-sufficient, All-generous.' S. 27:38-40</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Ibn Kathir wrote:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;"><o>." ...</o></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;"><an> Mujahid said, "A giant Jinn." Abu Salih said, "It was as if he was a mountain." ...</an></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;"><i> Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Before you get up from where you are sitting." As-Suddi and others said: "He used to sit to pass judgements and rulings over the people, and to eat, from the beginning of the day until noon." ...</i></p><i> </i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;"><and><i> Ibn `Abbas said: "Strong enough to carry it and trustworthy with the jewels it contains. Sulayman, upon him be peace, said, "I want it faster than that." From this it seems that Sulayman wanted to bring this throne as a demonstration of the greatness of the power and authority that Allah had bestowed upon him and the troops that He had subjugated to him. Power such as had never been given to anyone else, before or since, so that this would furnish proof of his prophethood before Bilqis and her people, because this would be a great and wondrous thing, if he brought her throne as if he were in her country, before they could come to it, although it was hidden and protected by so many locked doors. When Sulayman said, "I want it faster than that, ...</i></and></p><i> </i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;"><one><i> Ibn `Abbas said, "This was Asif, the scribe of Sulayman." It was also narrated by Muhammad bin Ishaq from Yazid bin Ruman that he was Asif bin Barkhiya' and he was a truthful believer who knew the Greatest Name of Allah. Qatadah said: "He was a believer among the humans, and his name was Asif." ...</i></one></p><i> </i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;"><i><i> Meaning, lift your gaze and look as far as you can, and before you get tired and blink, you will find it before you. Then he got up, performed ablution and prayed to Allah, may He be exalted. Mujahid said: "He said, O Owner of majesty and honor." ... (<a href="http://tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=27&tid=38297" target="_blank">Source</a>)</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i> <o:p></o:p></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i> </i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i> </i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i><strong><span style="font-size:16;">My Response:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="font-size:16;"><i><i> <o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="font-size:16;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span></span><i><i>Now, this is where the juice is at, first of all, we need to understand this, the evil one among jinns are the ones we call "Shaytaan", how do we know this,, well the Quran ofcourse:</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i> <o:p></o:p></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span><span style="color:red;"><i><i>[017:027] Verily spendthrifts are brothers of the Evil Ones; and the Evil One is to his Lord (himself) ungrateful.<o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:red;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span><i><i>[017:027] Inna almubaththireena kanoo ikhwana alsh<u>shayateen</u>i wakana alshshaytanu lirabbihi kafooran<o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:red;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:red;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span></span><span style="color:black;"><i><i>So why does Sura 21:81-82 say that the "Satans" dived for him, well here is what Sheikh Abdullah Yusuf Ali has to say:</i></i></span><span style="color:navy;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:navy;"><i><i> <o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:navy;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span><i><i><i>" As in 2736, the literalists and the rationalists take different views.<u> The former say that Solomon had power over supernatural beings of evil, whom he compelled to dive for pearls and do other hard tasks. Rationalists refer this to hostile unruly races whom he subjected to his sway</u>. <u>It was God's power <b>ultimately</b>, Who granted him wisdom. <b>Solomon tamed evil with Wisdom. "<o:p></o:p></b></u></i></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i><i><span style="color:navy;"><span style=""> </span></span></i><span style="color:black;">( Source: The Qur'an: Text, Translation, and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Footnote # 2738)<o:p></o:p></span></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span></span><span style="color:red;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span><i><i>And that pretty much refutes your trash. It is true that Solomon had hosts of birds, Men, and Jinns (see Sura 27:17) but as proven, it was God's power ultimately who granted wisdom to Solomon, and Solomon tamed evil with wisdom, and this is the literalists view. But the Rationalists view, in my humble opinion makes more sense, since the Holy Qur'an says that there are evil ones among men and jinns:</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><i><i> <span style="color:red;"> </span>[006:112] Likewise did We make for every Messenger an enemy,- <u>evil ones among men and jinns</u>, inspiring each other with flowery discourses by way of deception. If thy Lord had so planned, they would not have done it: so leave them and their inventions alone.<o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:red;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span></span><span style="color:black;"><i><i>Also, for more proof, read this:<o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span></span><span style="color:red;"><i><i>[002:014] When they meet those who believe, they say: "We believe;" but when they are alone with their <u>evil ones</u>, they say: "We are really with you: We (were) only jesting." <o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span></span><span style="color:red;"><i><i>[002:014] Wa-itha laqoo allatheena amanoo qaloo amanna wa-itha khalaw ila <u>shayateen</u>ihim qaloo inna maAAakum innama nahnu mustahzi-oona<o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:red;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:red;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span><i><i>So, Sura 21:81-82 can be referring to Evil men, but ultimately it was God's power. Now, regarding Sura 27:38-40, it is evident that the Ifrit of Jinns, were very fast, but here is the real truth behind it:<o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><i><i> <o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span><i><i><i>" </i></i></i></span><span style="color:navy;"><i><i><i>If Solomon had been<u> ungrateful to God i e.. if he had worked for his own selfish or worldly ends</u>, he could have used the <b><u>brute strength of Ifrit </u></b>to add to his worldly strength and glory.<u> <b>Instead of it he uses the higher magic of the Book</b>,- of the Spirit- to transform the throne of Bilqis for her highest good, which means also the highest good of her subjects, by the divine Light. He had the two alternatives, and he chooses the better, and he thus shows his gratitute to God for the Grace He had given him"<o:p></o:p></u></i></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i><i><span style="color:navy;"><span style=""> </span></span></i><span style="color:black;">( Source: The Qur'an: Text, Translation, and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Footnote # 3276) <o:p></o:p></span></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span><i><i>And that also pretty much refutes your trash. <o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><i><i> <o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i> </i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><i><i> <o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i><strong><span style=";font-size:16;color:black;" >He Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=";font-size:16;color:black;" ><i><i> <o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=";font-size:16;color:black;" ><i><i> <o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=";font-size:16;color:black;" ><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span></span><i><i>And here now is the final Quranic text:</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;"><i><i>And to Solomon the wind; its morning course was a month's journey, and its evening course was a month's journey. And We made the Fount of Molten Brass to flow for him. <b>And of the jinn, some worked before him by the leave of his Lord</b>; and such of them as swerved away from Our commandment, We would let them taste the chastisement of the Blaze; <b>fashioning for him whatsoever he would -- places of worship, statues, porringers like water-troughs, and anchored cooking-pots</b>. 'Labour, O House of David, in thankfulness; for few indeed are those that are thankful among My servants.' And when We decreed that he should die, naught indicated to them that he was dead but the Beast of the Earth devouring his staff; and when he fell down, the jinn saw clearly that, had they only known the Unseen, they would not have continued in the humbling chastisement. S. 34:12-14</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i>The true Word of God says that it was human agents, not demons or devils, which did the work for Solomon under his supervision (Cf. 1 Kings 3-8; 1 Chronicles 22, 28-29; 2 Chronicles 2-7).</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i>Thus, not only do the above Quranic texts slander Solomon by accusing him of working with demons, but they also attack God’s character by claiming that God permitted demons to work on building his holy temple!</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i>The Quran says that certain people followed what Satans slanderously said about Solomon:</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;"><i><i><b>and they follow what the Satans recited over Solomon's kingdom</b>. <b>Solomon disbelieved not, but the Satans disbelieved</b>, teaching the people sorcery, and that which was sent down upon Babylon's two angels, Harut and Marut; they taught not any man, without they said, 'We are but a temptation; do not disbelieve.' From them they learned how they might divide a man and his wife, yet they did not hurt any man thereby, save by the leave of God, and they learned what hurt them, and did not profit them, knowing well that whoso buys it shall have no share in the world to come; evil then was that they sold themselves for, if they had but known. S. 2:106</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i>Since the Quran slanderously accuses Solomon of working with demons, these stories must have originated from these very same Satans as a means of degrading David’s son. These tales must have been some of the things which Satan interjected into Muhammad’s message:</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;"><i><i>We sent not ever any Messenger or Prophet before thee, but that Satan cast into his fancy, when he was fancying; but God annuls what Satan casts, then God confirms His signs -- surely God is All-knowing, All-wise -- S. 22:52</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i>All Quranic quotations taken from A. J. Arberry’s version.</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/Shamoun/contact.htm" target="_blank">Sam Shamoun</a></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:red;"><i><i> <o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i> </i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i> </i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i><strong><span style=";font-size:16;color:black;" >My Response:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=";font-size:16;color:black;" ><i><i> <o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=";font-size:16;color:black;" ><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=";font-size:16;color:black;" ><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span></span><span style="color:black;"><i><i>First of all, the ignorant Shamoun has to realize that the Jinns have powers which men dont have, for example they can do things quicker then men, as shown in Sura 27:38-40, also these Jinns were just rough workers, the skilled workers are the ones the Holy Quran refer to as " Sons of David" in the next verse:<o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span></span><i><i><u><span style="color:red;">[034:013] They worked for him as he desired, (making) arches, images, basons as large as reservoirs, and (cooking) cauldrons fixed (in their places): "Work ye,<b> sons of David</b>, with thanks! but few of My servants are grateful!"<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i><u><span style="color:red;"> <o:p></o:p></span></u></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:red;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span></span><span style="color:black;"><i><i>And to increase the damage, read this:<o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><i><i> <o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><span style="color:black;"><i><i> </i></i></span></span><i><i><i><span style="color:navy;">" ...... The workers who are called Jinns were only rouch workers, working "in front of Solomon", i.e., under his eyes and the supervision of his men. <b><u>They should be distinguished from the skilled workers who worked heart and soul for the Temple, and who are addressed as the "Sons of David" in the next verse."<o:p></o:p></u></b></span></i></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i><i><span style="color:navy;"><span style=""> </span></span></i><span style="color:black;">( Source: The Qur'an: Text, Translation, and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Footnote # 3805)<o:p></o:p></span></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><i><i> <o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span><i><i>Mr. Shamouns interpretation of Sura 2:106 is so lame, I wont even bother refuting it, but I will respond to his interpretation of Sura 22:52:<o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span></span><i><i><i><span style="color:navy;">" Prophets and apostles (the distinction is explained n. 2503 to xix. 51) are but human. Their actions are righteous and their motives pure. But in judging things from a human point of view, the suggestion may come to their mind (from Satan) that it would be good to have power or wealth or influence for furthering God's cause, or that it may be good to conciliate some faction which may be irreconcilable. In fact, in God's plan, it may be the opposite. <b><u>God, in His mercy and inspiration, will cancel any false or vain suggestions of this king, and confirm and strengthen His own commands and make known His Wll in His Signs or revelations."</u></b><o:p></o:p></span></i></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><i><i><i><span style="color:navy;"> </span></i></i></i></span><span style="color:black;"><i><i>( Source: The Qur'an: Text, Translation, and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Footnote # 2831)<o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span><i><i>Also, its funny how Shamoun is <b><u>totally ignorant </u></b><span style=""> </span>of the fact that Allah SWT makes this part in the Ayat very clear>>> .......... </i></i></span><i><i><b><span style="color:red;">" <u>but God will cancel anything (vain) that Satan throws in, and God will confirm (and establish) His Signs</u>: for God is full of Knowledge and Wisdom: "<o:p></o:p></span></b></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i><b><span style="color:red;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i><b><span style="color:red;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i><b><span style="color:red;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i><b><span style="color:red;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i><b><span style="color:red;"><span style=""> </span></span><span style=";font-size:18;color:red;" >CONCLUSION:<o:p></o:p></span></b></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i><b><span style=";font-size:18;color:red;" > <o:p></o:p></span></b></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i><b><span style=";font-size:18;color:red;" ><span style=""> </span></span></b><span style="color:black;">Now, here is what we would like to ask Sam Shamoun, Which is the Real Solomon? The one of the Bible:<o:p></o:p></span></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><i><i> <o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i><b><span style="color:red;"><span style=""> </span></span></b><span style="color:blue;">3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. 4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 5 <u>He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech <sup>[<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%5Cl">a</a>]</sup> the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 <b>So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD</b>; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done</u></span><span style="color:teal;"><u>.<o:p></o:p></u></span></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><i><i>(1 Kings 11:3-6)</i></i></span><i><i><u><span style="color:teal;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:teal;"><i><i> <o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:teal;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span><i><i>Or the one of the Holy Qur'an:<o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span></span><span style="color:red;"><i><i>[038:030] To David We gave Solomon (for a son),- How excellent in Our service! Ever did he turn (to Us)!<o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:red;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:red;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span></span><span style="color:black;"><i><i>And whats even more interesting is that Abdullah Yusuf Ali even acknowledges 1 Kings 11:3-6!<o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span></span><i><i><i><span style="color:navy;">" The greatest in this life have yet need of this spiritual blessing: without it all worldly good is futile. Referring back to the story of David, we are now introduced to Solomon, who was a great king but greater still because he served God and turned to Him. <b><u>The Quran, unlike the Old Testament, represents Solomon as a righteous king, not as an idolater, doing "evil in the sight of the Lord" (1 Kings xi,6)<o:p></o:p></u></b></span></i></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i><i><span style="color:navy;"><span style=""> </span>(Source: The Qur'an : Text. Translation, and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, footnote # 4182)<o:p></o:p></span></i></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i><i><span style="color:navy;"> <o:p></o:p></span></i></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i><i><i><span style="color:navy;"><span style=""> </span></span></i><span style="color:black;">So Sam, do you prefer a Prophet who does "</span><span style="color:blue;">evil in the eyes of the LORD</span><span style="color:black;">" or a Prophet who is excellent in God's service?? <o:p></o:p></span></i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><span style=""><i><i> </i></i></span><o:p></o:p></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><i><i> <o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p><i><i> </i></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:black;"><i><i>And Allah Knows Best! <o:p></o:p></i></i></span></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-36433925956732743572008-12-14T20:32:00.000+07:002008-12-14T20:35:35.470+07:00Don't lose your head - Four Reasons for the Early Spread of Islam!<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-size:6;"><b>Rebuttal to David Wood: Don't lose your head - Four Reasons for the Early Spread of Islam!</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center">By <a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/umar/islam_spread_rebuttal.htm"><span style="color:#0000ff;"></span></a><span style="color:#0000ff;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Umar</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The article is located at: <a href="http://www.answeringislam.org/Authors/Wood/islam_spread.htm" target="_blank"><u><span style="color: blue;">http://www.answeringislam.org/Authors/Wood/islam_spread.htm</span></u></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">I will skip the introduction and just go to the main parts of this article.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">He Wrote:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: center;" align="center"><b><i>Reason One: Muhammad’s Ability to Breed Rage in His Followers</i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Historically, we know of at least one individual who was so impressed by Islam’s ability to inspire men to kill without question that he concluded that Islam must be true:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;">The apostle said, "Kill any Jew that falls into your power." Thereupon Muhayyisa bin Mas’ud leapt upon Ibn Sunayna, a Jewish merchant with whom they had social and business relations, and killed him. Huwayyisa was not a Muslim at the time though he was the elder brother. When Muhayyisa killed him Huwayyisa began to beat him, saying, "You enemy of God, did you kill him when much of the fat on your belly comes from his wealth?" Muhayyisa answered, "Had the one who ordered me to kill him ordered me to kill you I would have cut your head off." He said that this was the beginning of Huwayyisa’s acceptance of Islam. The other replied, "By God, if Muhammad had ordered you to kill me would you have killed me?" He said, "Yes, by God, had he ordered me to cut off your head I would have done so." He exclaimed, "By God, a religion which can bring you to this is marvelous!" And he became a Muslim.<sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[2]</span></sup></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">In this passage, Muhammad tells his followers to "Kill any Jew that falls into your power." Muhayyisa, acting on Muhammad’s orders, kills a Jewish merchant named Ibn Sunayna. Huwayyisa doesn’t understand how Muhayyisa could turn against a friend of the family so quickly, so Muhayyisa explains it to him. Essentially, Muhayyisa’s justification for the murder is that Muhammad told him to do it, and that, if commanded by Muhammad, he would murder anyone, even his own family. Huwayyisa is much impressed by his brother’s willingness to mindlessly follow the orders of Muhammad, so he converts to Islam, shouting, "By God, a religion which can bring you to this [i.e. a readiness to kill your own family] is marvelous!"</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Huwayyisa’s admiration for his brother’s dedication was probably shared by many in the early hours of the Islamic Empire. Young men without direction were suddenly transformed into ardent followers of a new system of belief, and they would do anything for their prophet. "Surely there must be something to this new religion," people would think. Even so, the devotion of believers is not an infallible test for truth. If it were, we would have to conclude that Christianity, Mormonism, Islam, Buddhism, communism, and Nazism are all true, for all of these systems have produced dedicated adherents.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">My Response:</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">In response to the above story cited by Mr. David Wood, we find this:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Despite the fact that this story is mentioned in Sunan Abu Dawood, it is weak and unreliable. Concerning isnad <i>(i.e. chain of reporters)</i>, this Hadith was narrated by servant of Zaid Ibn Thabet on authority of daughter of Muhayyisah. Servant of Zaid is Muhammad Ibn Ibi Muhammad and he is unreliable, and daughter of Muhayyisah is unknown. Concerning matn <i>(i.e. text)</i>, it says that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) ordered to kill all Jews which is illogical even if Christian missionaries want to believe it! Because the Jews had a treaty with Muslims and there was no evidence that Muslims indulged in killing any Jew other than this Hadith. Moreover, Ibn Hesham himelf who edited the work of Ibn Ishaq suggests that the incident of Huwayyisah and Muhayyisah occurred during slaughter of Bani-Qurayzah, not after murder of Ka’b<span style="font-size: 9pt;"><a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.geocities.com/noorullahwebsite/silas-terror.html" target="_blank">(11)</a></span>. Needless to say, there is no such thing as “Kill any Jew that come under your power”.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(11) As-Sirat-un-Nabawiyyah, Volume 3, page 18</p> <p class="MsoNormal">(Source: <a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/bassam_zawadi/ibn_sunayna.htm" target="_blank"><u><span style="color: blue;">http://www.answering-christianity.com/bassam_zawadi/ibn_sunayna.htm</span></u></a>) </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">If this story is not true, then David Wood's title for the above is wrong, and if his title is wrong, then his conclusion is wrong, and if his conclusion is wrong, then his argument has been refuted. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">He Wrote:</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: center;" align="center"><b><i>Reason Two: Patently False Prophecies</i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Many people were impressed when Muhammad spoke. He seemed to know everything, and he confidently answered difficult questions that no one else could answer. The problem is that many of his answers later turned out to be completely false. Consider the following answers given by Muhammad:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;">When Abdullah bin Salama heard of the arrival of the Prophet (the blessing and peace of Allah be upon him) at Madina, he came to him and said: "I am asking you about three things which nobody knows but a prophet: What is the first portent of the Hour? What will be the first meal taken by the people of Paradise? Why does a child resemble its father, and why does it resemble its maternal uncle?" Allah’s Apostle (the blessing and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Gabriel has just now told me of their answers." . . . "The first portent of the Hour will be a fire that will bring together the people from the east to the west; the first meal of the people of Paradise will be extra-lobe of fish-liver. As for the resemblance of the child to its parents: If a man has sexual intercourse with his wife and gets discharge first, the child will resemble the father, and if the woman gets discharge first, the child will resemble her." On that Abdullah bin Salam said: "I testify that you are the Apostle of Allah."<sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[3]</span></sup></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Here Muhammad is presented with three questions: (1) What is the sign that the end is coming? (2) What will the first meal in Heaven be? (3) How come a child sometimes looks like its father, but other times resembles its mother’s family? Notice that Muhammad’s answers to the first two questions—a great fire in the end-times and fish-liver in heaven—are utterly <i>unfalsifiable</i>; that is, it is impossible to test them or prove them wrong. Muhammad could have just as easily claimed that the "portent of the hour" will be that three frogs will recite the Qur’an, and that the first meal in heaven will be peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. In other words, we have no reason to think that Muhammad’s answers are correct, for we have no way to test their accuracy. Even so, Muhammad’s third answer <i>is</i> falsifiable; it can easily be tested in the light of modern science. So how does Muhammad’s answer stand up to criticism? Not very well. Women don’t have a "discharge" that contributes to the appearance of the offspring. They have an egg, but this isn’t a discharge. Further, a child’s appearance has nothing to do with which parent has the first discharge. Muhammad’s answer, as it turns out, is wrong.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">But notice that his answer won him an important Jewish convert, who was amazed at Muhammad’s brilliance. One of Muhammad’s greatest strengths was that he had complete confidence in his own answers, yet this confidence was misplaced. His assurance led others to believe that he must be correct, but he wasn’t. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Muhammad’s proclamations is that Muslims have never recovered from their awe at his claims, even though many of these claims have been shown to be false. To this day, Muslims retain their misplaced confidence in the sayings of their prophet, and Muhammad’s answers are still winning converts.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">(For more on Muhammad’s scientific blunders, see "<a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.answeringinfidels.com/content/view/63/42/" target="_blank">Talking Ants and Shrinking Humans</a>.")</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">My Response:</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">In response to David Wood's comment on the Holy Prophet's quote on discharge, we find this:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: TT277FO00;">Um Sulaim came to Allah’s messenger [peace be upon</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: TT277FO00;">him] and said, ‘Is it necessary for a woman to take a</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: TT277FO00;">bath after she has a wet dream [nocturnal discharge]?’</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: TT277FO00;">The Prophet replied, ‘Yes, if she notices a discharge’.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: TT277FO00;">Um Salamah then covered her face [shyly] and asked,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: TT277FO00;">‘O Allah’s messenger! Does a woman get a discharge</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: TT277FO00;">[fertile fluid]?’ He replied, ‘Yes and that is why the</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: TT277FO00;">child also resembles the mother’.</span><span style="font-size: 6pt; font-family: TT2786O00;">10</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: TT277FO00;">This passage shows that a woman participates equally in</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: TT277FO00;">the process of fertilisation and that her characteristics</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: TT277FO00;">and traits are also passed on to the child through</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: TT277FO00;">‘substances’ (which are now identified as chromosomes)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: TT277FO00;">that are contained in her ‘fertile fluid’, a fact that was not</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: TT277FO00;">so obvious to Hamm and Leeuwenhoek who, after seeing</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: TT277FO00;">spermatozoa for the first time, misinterpreted their role</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: TT277FO00;">and thought that spermatozoa contained small fully formed</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: TT277FO00;">babies (see Figure 1).</span><span style="font-size: 6pt; font-family: TT2786O00;">1</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">(Source: <a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/8_human_genetics.pdf" target="_blank"><u><span style="color: blue;">http://www.answering-christianity.com/8_human_genetics.pdf</span></u></a>)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Also, since David Wood now attacks the Holy Prophet's prophecies, we will show him prophecies spoken by the Holy Prophet (S) that indeed came true:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">" It is narrated by a reliable authority that, while digging the trench, there appeared a very hard rock which could not be broken by the Muslims. Seeing the helplessness of his companions the Prophet took up a pick-axe in his hand and got down in the trench. He struck hard at the stone which gave way emitting a spark. The Prophet raised, with a loud voice the cry of Allahu Akbar (God is the Greatnest) and remakred: " I have been given the keys of Syria. With my own eyes I see the red palaces of that land". He struck another blow, the stone was split and another spark was emitted. He again raised the slogan of Allahu Akbar and observed :" I have been given the keys of Perisa. By God I see the white palaces of Mada'in." The thids attempt broke the stone into pieces and the Prophet announced that he would be given the keys of Yemen. "By God! I have been shown at this place the gates of San'a." (Ibn Hajir al-Asqalani, Fatih al-Bari, Vol. viii, p.400.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> The pages of history bear out the fact that the prophecies of the Holy Prophet came out to be true in all details and these kingdoms which at the time of the prophecy were so formidable that the Muslims could, by no stretch of imagination, conceive of their conquests, fell like a hosue of cards before the rising tide of the Muslim power."</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">(Source: The Life of Muhammad PBUH by Abdul Hameed Siddiqui, p. 206 Islamic Publications LTD.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Syed Sulaimain Nadvi, the illustrious disciple of Allama Shibli Nu'Mani, gives an even longer list:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">"The greatest longing of the Muslims was for the conquest of Makkah the city which they were constrained to leave under extremely straitened and miserable circumstances and where their entry was banned. They were in Madinah but the memory of their native land was never eggaced from their minds and they were looking for the day they would enter Makkah victoriously. The glad tindings of the victory of Makkah greatly strengthened dejected spirits and drooping hearts:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Lo! He who hath given thee the Qur'an for a law will surely bring thee home again (28:85)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">In the Sura Saf the Muslims were conveyed the glad news of the victory along with the reward in the Hereafter.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Allah hath fulfilled the vision for His Messenger in very truth. Ye shall indeed enter the Invioable place of worship, if Allah Will, secure (having your hair) shaven and cut, not fearing. ( 48:27)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">After concluding the Treaty of Hudaibya the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) turned his steps back to Madinah. Mid way between Makkah and Medina Allah revealed to him the chapter of the Holy Qur'an entitled Al-Fath (victory):</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Lo: We have given thee (O Muhammad) a signal (victory). (48:1)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was extremely happy and he conveyed this good news to Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). Two years after Makkah fell to the Muslims."</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">(Source: Sirat Un Nabi by Syed Sulaiman Nadvi rendered into English by Mohd. Saaeed Siddiqui, p. 95-96 Vol. III, Kitab Bhavan New Delhi)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">And,</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">" The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) callled upon his companions for the encounter. So they set out and encamped at Badr. He (Allah's Messenger) said: This is the place where Abu Jahl and such and such and such chief of Quraysh would be killed. He placed his hand on the earth (saying) here and here, (and) none of them fell away from the place which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had indicated by placing his hand on the earth. It was an astonishing prophecy. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was informing his army consisting of three or three and a half hundred ill-equipped men that they would defeat and kill the chiefs of the well-equipped veteran one thousand soldiers of the Quraish.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">'Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) called his daughter, Fatimah (during his last illness). He said to her something secretly and she wept. He again said to her something secretly and she laughed. 'Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) farther reported that she said to Fatmiah (may Allah be pleased with her): What is that which Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to you secretly and you wept and then said you something secretly and you laughed? Thereupon she said: He informed me secretly of his death and so I wept. He then again informed me secretly that I would be the first amongst the members of his family to follow him and so I laughed.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">During the Farewell Pilgrimage, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) proceeded to 'Arafat on the 9th of Dhul Hijja and he said in the farewell address: Ye people! Listen to my words, I will deliver a message to you, for I know not after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">When Mu'adh b. Jabal was sent to help the Governor of Yemen in the discharge of his duties, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said bidding farewell to him: Mu'adh, after this you shall not meet me again."</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">(Source: Ibid, p. 114-115)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">If you read in Deut 18, you find this:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">21 You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD ?" 22 <b><u>If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken</u></b>. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">What the Holy Prophet (S) spoke came true, therefore using the criteria given in Deutronomy, he is indeed a true Prophet.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">In response to David Wood's attack on the alleged scientific blunder in the Qur'an on ants, Zakir Naik says:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">In the past, some people would have probably</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">mocked at the Qur’an, taking it to be a book of fairy</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">tales in which ants talk to each other and</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">communicate sophisticated messages. In recent</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">times however, research has shown us several facts</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">about the lifestyle of ants, which were not known</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">earlier to humankind. Research has shown that the</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">animals or insects whose lifestyle is closest in</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">resemblance to the lifestyle of human beings are the</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">ants. This can be seen from the following findings</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">regarding ants:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">(a) The ants bury their dead in a manner similar</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">to the humans.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">(b) They have a sophisticated system of division</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">of labour, whereby they have managers,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">supervisors, foremen, workers, etc.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">(c) Once in a while they meet among themselves</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">to have a ‘chat’.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">(d) They have an advanced method of</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">communication among themselves.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">(e) They hold regular ‘markets’ where they</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">exchange goods.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">(f) They store grain for long periods in winter and</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">if the grain begins to bud, they cut the roots, as</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">if they understand that if they leave it to grow,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">it will rot. If the grain stored by them gets wet</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">due to rains, they take it out into the sunlight</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">to dry, and once dry, they take it back inside</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">as though they know that humidity will cause</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">development of root systems which will cause</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: rgb(35, 31, 32);">the grain to rot.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">(Source: The Qur'an and Modern Science: Compatible or Incompatible? by Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik, p. 11)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">He Wrote:</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: center;" align="center"><b><i>Reason Three: Boundless Greed</i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Muhammad made an enticing guarantee to those who joined him in his struggle:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;">[Muhammad said]: "The example of a Struggle in Allah’s Cause—and Allah knows better who really strives in His Cause—is like a person who fasts and prays continuously. Allah guarantees that He will admit the Struggler in His cause into Paradise if he is killed, otherwise He will return him to his home safely with rewards and war booty."<sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[4]</span></sup></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;">[Muhammad] said: "Khosrau will be ruined, and there will be no Khosrau after him, and Caesar will surely be ruined and there will be no Caesar after him, and you will spend their treasures in Allah’s Cause."<sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[5]</span></sup></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">If a seventh century pagan Arab rejected Islam, he was guaranteed nothing. He may be poor all his life, and he wouldn’t know what would happen to him when he died. But Muhammad guaranteed that if a person dies fighting Islam’s enemies, he will enter Paradise, and that even if he survives, he will return home "safely with rewards and war booty." Either way, pagans were much better off (financially) if they became Muslims.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">This promise of rewards and war booty was an important factor in the early spread of Islam. Indeed, using war booty to win converts was part of Muhammad’s strategy. For example, when Muhammad was accused of distributing the spoils of war unevenly, he replied, "Are you disturbed in mind because of the good things of this life by which I win over a people that they may become Muslims while I entrust you to your Islam?"<sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[6]</span></sup> Imam Muslim adds: "[W]hen the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) conquered Hunain he distributed the booty, and he bestowed upon those whose hearts it was intended to win."<sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[7]</span></sup></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Muhammad’s promises of wealth were so great that, when difficulties arose, his followers sometimes complained that he wasn’t delivering on all that he had promised:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;">The situation became serious and fear was everywhere. The enemy came at them from above and below until the believers imagined vain things, and disaffection was rife among the disaffected to the point that Ma’attib bin Qusyahr brother of B. Amr bin Auf said, "Muhammad used to promise us that we should eat the treasures of Chosroes and Caesar and today not one of us can feel safe in going to the privy!"<sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[8]</span></sup></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">These passages stress the importance of wealth and booty as a motive for conversion. Muhammad promised his followers that they would one day spend the treasures of Caesar. He distributed war booty after every military campaign, and he used his wealth to win converts. Thus, many early Muslims embraced the religion with impure motives, yet Muhammad saw nothing wrong with such conversions.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">My Response:</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">In response to the above, Abdul Hammed Siddiqui says:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">On his return from Ta'if the Holy Prophet reached the spot where the booty had been collected. He waited for more then a week for the arrival of any deputation of the enemies in order to secure the release of their prisoners. But none turned up. At last the booty was divided as ordained in the Qur'an-- one fifth to Allah and His Messenger, and the rest for the soldiers. After this distribution of the booty, the deputations from various tribes presented themselves to him. They recounted the calamities that had befallen them and urged their claim upon his favour. "There, in those huts among the prisoners are your foster mothers and sisters,-- they that have nursed thee a suckling, a weaned child, a youth generous and noble, and now thou hast risen to this dignity, be gracious unto us, even as the Lord hath been gracious unto thee." How could Muhammad's merciful heart remain unmoved by this fervent appeal. It welled with pity. But he was not whimsical to be swayed completely by emotions. He had to approach people so that none should be disgusted with his decision. If he so desired he could easily force his companions to surrender the part of the booty that had fallen to their lot. But command and compulsion would have defeated the very purpose of his noble gesture, for it was an act of mercy which had its root in the depth of the human heart. So, instead of issuing commands, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) touched the chords of their hearts. He told them that it was easy for him to release all the prisoners that belonged to him, and to the refugees and helpers but since there were many new converts and idolaters with him, he, therefore, considered it advisable to persuade them to forego the booty fallen to their lot rather than to compel them to do so. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> The Prophet told the deputation: "The prisoners who have fallen to my portion and to that of my family, I give them up unto you; and I will presently speak unto the people concerning the rest. Come again midday prayer when the congregation is assembled and ask of me to make intercession with them for you." " At the appointed time they appeared and made their petition. The citizens of Medina, and those of Mecca also, cheerfully followed the example of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) but some of the allied tribes, as the Fezara, with 'Uyaina at their head, declined to do so. Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) urged the claims of his new converts and promised that such of the allies as were unwilling to part with their share of the prisoners should be recompensed hereafter from the first booty the Lord might give in their hands at the rate of six camels for ever captive. To this they agreed and the prisoners were all released." </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>"The incident", says Syed Ameer Ali, "which followed after the distribution of the forfeited flocks and herds of the Hawazin, shows not only the hold the Prophet had over the hearts of the Medinites, and the devotion he inspired them with, but it also proves that at no period of his career had he any material reward to offer to his disciples." It also furnished a fine example of his superb balance of mind, his clarity of vision, his reasonableness, quality of mercy, his profound respect for the rights of human beings and his remarkable skill in bringing round his people to his point of view.</u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> This kindness and generosity on the part of the Holy Prophet won the hearts of many people among the tribes, who tendered their allegiance and became devoted Muslims.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> In the division of the spoils of a larger proportion fell tot he share of the newly converted Meccans than to the people of Medina. Some of the Ansar looked upon this as an act of partiality and their discontent reached the ears of the Prophet. He ordered them to be assembled. He then addresed the in these words:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">"O tribe of Ansar, what is the talk that has reached me from you? What is this anguish that you feel in your hearts? Did I not find you going astray and Allah guided you through me? You were disunited and fell upon one another. Did Allah not unite you through me? You were needy did Allah not enrich you through me?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> In response to each of the questions they cried: "Allah and His Apostle are bountiful."</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">He said, "What prevents you from replying to the Apostle of Allah, O tribe of Ansar?". They said, "What should be the reply, O Apostle of Allah, while to the Lord and to His Apostle belong all benevolence and grace."</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> The Prophet (peace be upon him) again said: " But by Allah, ye might have answered and answered truly, for I would have testified to its truth myself: you came to us belied and rejected, and we accepted you: you came as helpless and we helped you; a fugitive, and we took you in; poor and we comforted you. Ye Ansar, do you feel anxiety for the things of this world, wherewith I have sought to incline these people unto the faith in which you are already established. Are you not satisfied, O group of Ansar that the people go with ewes and camels while you go along with the Messenger of Allah to your dwellings. By Him in Whose Hand is my life is, had there been no migration, I would have been one of the Ansar. If the people would go through a valley and passage, and the Ansar go through another valley and passage, I would go through the vally and passage of the Ansar. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> The Ansar are the inner garment and the people are the outer ones. You will surely face, after me, a wave of terrible selfishness. Then have patience until you meet Allah and His Apostle. Verily, I shall be on the 'Haudh. Allah! have mercy on the Ansar, their sons and their sons' sons."</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> The audience wept until tears rolled down their beards as they said: "Yes, we are well satisfied, O Prophet of Allah! with our lot and share."</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> Then the Apostle left the gathering and the people also dispersed.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><u> Muhammad (peace of Allah be upon him) was, of course, perfectly right. These newly converted people tribes had little idea of what Islam meant. It was, therefore, imperative that they should be given some material wealth in order to captivate their hearts. It was thus done as a temporary message with the hope that after some time when the beauties of Islamic teachings would have unfolded before them, faith would eventually become the most important concern of their lives, and riches and wealth would pale into insignifigance in their eyes.</u></b> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> It may be pointed out here that witht he Ansar who had been under the direct influence of the august personality of the Prophet, the concern for worldly riches was a momentary lapse. An overwhelming majority of them had been changed into God-worshipping saints of the highest rank. All cares of life and money were really abandoned by them. The firmness of their faith was attested by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). <u>What really rankled their minds was that the worldly favours which the Holy Prophet had shown to the new converts might be due to his change of heart towards them. The speech of the Holy Prophet removed all these doubts and <b>convinced them of the fact that the worldly riches were immaterial for him, and he wished that his followers should rise far above the material temptations of life in their duties towards Islam.</b></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">(Source: The Life of Muhammad PBUH by Abdul Hameed Siddiqui, p. 264-263 Islamic Publications LTD.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">So much for boundless greed!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">He Wrote:</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: center;" align="center"><br /><b><i>Reason Four: Fear of Death</i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Muhammad’s personality, conviction, and eloquence certainly played a role in winning people to Islam. However, he won few supporters when he relied on his "winsome personality" and sincerity to spread Islam. It is only when Muhammad turned to violence and oppression that we find large conversions to Islam. For instance, Muslim writings report a large number of conversions that took place after the assassination of a woman who had criticized Islam:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;">When the apostle heard what she had said he said, "Who will rid me of Marwan’s daughter?" Umayr bin Adiy al-Khatmi who was with him heard him, and that very night he went to her house and killed her. In the morning he came to the apostle and told him what he had done and he said, "You have helped God and His apostle, O Umayr!" When he asked if he would have to bear any evil consequences the apostle said, "Two goats won’t butt their heads about her," so Umayr went back to his people. . . . The day after Bint Marwan was killed the men of B. Khatma became Muslims because they saw the power of Islam.<sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[9]</span></sup></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Whereas the men of Khatma became Muslims when they saw Islam’s power over others, many individuals converted because their own lives were in danger. Ka’b bin Zuhayr heard from his brother that Muhammad "had killed some of the men in Mecca who had satirized and insulted him and that the Quraysh poets who were left . . . had fled in all directions."<sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[10]</span></sup> The brother then suggested that Ka’b go to Muhammad and convert before it was too late. Ka’b heeded his brother’s advice:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;">When Ka’b received the missive he was deeply distressed and anxious for his life. His enemies in the neighbourhood spread alarming reports about him saying that he was as good as slain. Finding no way out, he wrote his ode in which he praised the apostle and mentioned his fear and the slanderous reports of his enemies. Then he set out for Medina and stayed with a man of Juhayna whom he knew, according to my information. He took him to the apostle when he was praying morning prayers, and he prayed with him. The man pointed out the apostle to him and told him to go and ask for his life. He got up and went and sat by the apostle and placed his hand in his, the apostle not knowing who he was. He said, "O apostle, Ka’b bin Zhayr has come to ask security from you as a repentant Muslim. Would you accept him as such if he came to you?" When the apostle said that he would, he confessed that he was Ka’b bin Zuhayr.<sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[11]</span></sup></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">History also shows that some were directly threatened with death (in the presence of Muhammad) if they didn’t convert:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;">[Muhammad] said: "Woe to you, Abu Sufyan, isn’t it time that you recognize that I am God’s apostle?" He answered, "As to that I still have some doubt." I said to him, "Submit and testify that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the apostle of God before you lose your head," so he did so.<sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[12]</span></sup></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Abu Sufyan doubted the prophethood of Muhammad, yet he was told to convert before he lost his head. Fully aware of the countless people that had been murdered by Muhammad, Abu Sufyan submitted to the Prophet.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Thus, fear of death played a crucial role in converting people to Islam. Since Islam didn’t really take root until Muhammad began spreading it through violence, fear of death may have been the single most important factor in the early spread of Islam.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">(For more on Muhammad’s violence, see "<a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.answeringinfidels.com/content/view/61/42/" target="_blank">Murdered by Muhammad</a>.")</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">My Response:</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">In response to the alleged assassination of Asma Bint Marwam, we find:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><b>The Killing of Asma': True Story or Forgery?</b><br /><br />Basically the <a style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.answering-islam.org/Silas/asma.htm" target="_blank">charge</a> is that the Prophet<sup>(P)</sup> had ordered the killing of Asma' when she insulted him with her poetry. As it is usually the case where the history of Islam and the character of the Prophet<sup>(P)</sup> is concerned, it is left to the Muslims to throw some light on authenticity of the story in which this incident is reported by the sources and educate the missionaries in matters which they have no clue about.<br /><br />The story of the killing of Asma' bint Marwan is mentioned by Ibn Sa'd in <b><i>Kitab At-Tabaqat Al-Kabir</i></b><sup>[3]</sup><i> </i>and by the author of <b><i>Kinz-ul-'Ummal</i></b> under number 44131 who attributes it to Ibn Sa'd, Ibn 'Adiyy and Ibn 'Asaker. What is interesting is that Ibn 'Adiyy mentions it in his book <b><i>Al-Kamel</i></b> on the authority of Ja'far Ibn Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn As-Sabah on authority of Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim Ash-Shami on authority of <b><u>Muhammad Ibn Al-Hajjaj Al-Lakhmi</u></b> on authority of Mujalid on authority of Ash-Shu'abi on authority of Ibn 'Abbas, and added that <br /><br />...this isnâd (chain of reporters) is not narrated on authority of Mujalid but by Muhammad Ibn Al-Hajjaj and they all (other reporters in the chain) <b>accuse Muhammad Ibn Al-Hajjaj of forging it</b>.<sup>[4]</sup><br /><br />It is also reported by Ibn al-Gawzi in <b><i>Al-'Ilal</i></b><sup>[5]</sup> and is listed among other flawed reports. <br /><br />So according to its isnâd, <b>the report is forged</b> - because one of its reporters is notorious for fabricating hadîth. Hence, such a story is rejected and is better off being put into the trash can. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">(Source: <a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/karim/forgeries_about_killing.htm" target="_blank"><u><span style="color: blue;">http://www.answering-christianity.com/karim/forgeries_about_killing.htm</span></u></a>)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now, commenting on the story of Ka'b bin Zuhayr, well for one thing, this story would only be true if the story of Meccan 10 would be true, and we know this because it says this (above):</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Ka’b bin Zuhayr heard from his brother that Muhammad "<b><u>had killed some of the men in Mecca who had satirized and insulted him and that the Quraysh poets who were left </u></b>. . . had fled in all directions."<sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[10</span></sup></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">However, scholars say there are flaws in the narrations of the Meccan 10 story: </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">" Chroniclers name ten persons, who, notwithstanding the general amnesty granted to the Meccans, were declared to be punishable with death whenever found. Some of them like 'Abdullah Ibn Khatal and Miqyas Ibn Subaba, stood charged with murder and were executed to pay for the blood they had shed. But others had only been guilty of torturing and tormenting the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), while at Mecca or composing slanderous verses against him. One was a woman who had sung satirical songs against the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and was put to death. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><b><u>But this statement, when subjected to higher criticism as developed by the traditionists cannot stand scrutiny</u></b>. Barring a few- not more then half a dozen- which of the Meccans had refrained from active participation in the persecution of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Yet they were all given their freedom. The victims alleged to have been put to death were answeable for crimes much less serious. <u>Let us remember 'Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) saying that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never sought a personal revenge, a report that appears in all Six Books of Authentic Ahadith. A woman had put poison in his food at Khaibar, but when asked whether she was to be slain, the Prophet's answer was a clear "No". If a Jewess, guilty of attempting murder by poison could go unharmed, how, on earth could the offenders of Mecca fail to share his mercy, in spite of the fact that they were not charged with anything as black as that.</u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><b><u>But let alone this logical criticism, we shall have to admit that the story even if judged on the basis of reports, is unacceptable</u></b>. Sahih-Al-Bukhari mentions the execution of Ibn Khatal alone, and this is admitted on all hands that he was executed for a murder. The execution of Miqyas too was a retaliatory sentence. <b><u>All such reports, as ascribe the execution of others merely to their having harrased the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the past, have Ibn Ishaq as the last narrator at the top; and in the terminology of the traditionalists such reports are called Mursal and are not to be relied on.</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">The most reliable report that can be referred to in this connection is the one mentioned in Abu Dawud, which says that on the day when Mecca fell, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) declared that four persons could not be promised immunity. But Abu Dawud, adds that for this report he could not find authoritative sources of desired merit. Then he quotes the report about Ibn Khatal. The report quoted earlier has Ahmad Ibn Mufaddal as one of the narrators, whom Azdi calls a narrator of Munkar traditions. Another link in the series has Isbat Ibn Nadr whom Nasa'i does not believe to be quite weighty. Certainly, flaws are not enough to make up good case for rejecting a narration. Yet in view of the importance of the issue in hand even this much of deficiency is enough to create doubts.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">It is certain that some Meccan notables who formed the vanguard of the opposition did flee away from Meccan, when the approach of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to be known. That they left because of a death sentence is a mere product of Ibn Ishaq's imagination. Ibn Ishaq names 'Ikrima, the son of Abu Jahl, as well as one of the proclaimed culprits. In Muwatta' by Imam Malik, which in accuracy and reliability has, according to Imam Shafi'i, no equal under the sun except the Qur'an, this incident has been narrated as below : Umm Hakin, daugher of Harith Ibn Hisham, was the wife of 'Ikrima, son of Abu Jahl. She embraced Islam on the day Mecca fell. But her husband 'Ikrima Ibn Abu Jahl fled to Yaman, to keep away from Islam. Umm Hakim went to Yaman, and invited him to Islam. He believed and came to Mecca. As the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw him, he rose to his feet in joy and walked up to him in a hurry, even without the upper garment ( a sheet of cloth) on his body. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) then initiated him into Islam.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">It must also be noted that those who were granted protection were not forced to embrace Islam. Historians and biographers have all stated that the Muslim force at the battle of Hunain, which took place a little after the Fall of Mecca, had in its ranks a good number of non-believers from Mecca who still stuck to their old beliefs. And it was their presence that brought on defeat, for they could not stand the first assault, and this disorder forced the Muslims to follow suit. "</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: Sirat-Un-Nabi, by Allama Shibli Nu'Mani, rendered into English by M. Tayyib Bakhsh Budayuni, Kazi Publications Lahore, Vol. II, p. 199-203, bold and underlined emphasis ours)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">So if Meccan 10 is wrong, then obviously the narration on Ka'b bin Zuhayr is wrong. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">As for Abu Sufyan, well again, this story is found in the works of Ibn Ishaq, and the Allama says above:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">But let alone this logical criticism, we shall have to admit that the story even if judged on the basis of reports, is unacceptable. Sahih-Al-Bukhari mentions the execution of Ibn Khatal alone, and this is admitted on all hands that he was executed for a murder. The execution of Miqyas too was a retaliatory sentence. <b><u>All such reports, as ascribe the execution of others merely to their having harrased the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the past, have Ibn Ishaq as the last narrator at the top; and in the terminology of the traditionalists such reports are called Mursal and are not to be relied on.</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">For more on this topic, please visit:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/umar/meccan10_rebuttal.htm" target="_blank"><u><span style="color: blue;">http://www.answering-christianity.com/umar/meccan10_rebuttal.htm</span></u></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/umar/dead_poets_rebuttal.htm" target="_blank"><u><span style="color: blue;">http://www.answering-christianity.com/umar/dead_poets_rebuttal.htm</span></u></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We decided to skip responding to David Wood's bottom part, since it is nothing but a conclusion. As clearly shown above, his argument has been refuted, and we highly reccommend any Christian, Jew, Hindu etc. to check their sources first, to see the authenticity of their sources first, then critique the Exalted Character of the Holy Prophet (S).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">And Allah SWT Knows Best!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-58217209774276693492008-12-14T20:22:00.000+07:002008-12-14T20:30:59.935+07:00Is the Injeel less or more trustworthy than the Quran? (3)<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><big><strong><span style="">He Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">The purpose of this last of a three-part response is to share with my fellow Muslim brothers and sisters the discoveries I made regarding the trustworthiness of the Injeel as compared to that of the Quran while I was contending with my faith in the 1980’s. As I mentioned in my earlier portions of this study, I was seeking to find the truth in defense of the Quran, and to prove the Injeel corrupted. At that point in time, I restricted my study to the following three topics regarding the Quran and the Injeel. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span>First, to understand what the Quran and the Injeel teach about what God says about communicating and protecting his message. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span>Second, to investigate the history of how the early Quran and Injeel were compiled into the books that became the authoritative collection of God’s message from Mohammad and Isa. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span>Third, to review what scholars say about the transmission of the Quran and Injeel manuscripts over the years, since their authoritative compilation. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">In my previous response covered in the first part of this study I came to the realization that according to the Quran Allah had guaranteed the protection of the Quran as well as all of his messages to prior prophets from human tampering. God’s protection of his message is not unique to the Quran. I discovered that no human can change the words of God. In addition, nowhere did I find any strong sense from the Quran that the Jewish or Christian scriptures had been corrupted, although it does accuse the Christians and Jews of hiding the truth that was in their scriptures. Hence, based on the ayat and verses from the Quran and Injeel I came to understand that God’s words are protected from change. For more details, please refer to part one of this study. I also investigated the history of the compilation of the authoritative text of the Quran and Injeel. I concluded that the compilation of the Quran was more questionable because it had evolved, first into the Hafsa manuscript and later into the Khalifa Uthman manuscript, and the other Quran manuscripts that were in use were destroyed by order of the Khalifa. As a result of these discoveries I became more troubled about the authoritativeness of the Quran and questioned its trustworthiness more than that of the Injeel. Details of this discussion are given in part two of the study. Finally, in this last part I am going to review what the scholars say about the transmission of the Quran and Injeel manuscripts over the years since their authoritative compilation.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><big><strong><span>My Response:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span><span style=""> </span></span>Please read <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" href="farooq_ibrahim_rebuttal_1.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0000ff;">Part I</span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> and </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" href="farooq_ibrahim_rebuttal_2.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0000ff;">Part II</span></a>, so that you can have an idea of what we have been discussing here. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><big><strong><span>He Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><b><i>Do we have a reliable copy of the authoritative Quran today?</i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">Today we have printing presses and durable paper on which to print. This allows us to make millions of copies without errors. During the time of the Quran, the materials used for this purpose were not as durable and included parchment, which was made from animal skin. Later the more durable paper which was originally developed in China was introduced to Arabia. In the 15th century the printing press was developed. Until that time, Muslim scribes copied the Quran manually. Now when one looks at both the Quran and the Injeel in terms of what we have today and compare these to the oldest hand written copies or manuscripts we have in our possession, we can start to determine if there have been changes made in different times and places. Some of the oldest Qurans we have today are the Tashkent and Topkapi manuscripts. These are the names given to the Quran manuscripts that are currently located in the area of Uzbekistan and Turkey. Scholars have determined that these Quran manuscripts are not the Khalifa Uthman’s copies, but are of a later time as can be seen from the fact that these Qurans are written in the Kufic Script. Scholars have determined that the Kufic script was common during the years 100 to 200AH, or about the eighth century AD in the Kufa region that is part of Iraq today. We do have fragments of the Quran, but not a complete copy with the earlier Al Mail or Hijazi script that was common in Mecca and Medina during the time of Khalifa Uthman. Hence we may conclude that the Tashkent and Topkapi manuscripts are later than those distributed by Khalifa Uthman.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><big><strong><span style="">My Response:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">The Kufic script, in reality, is actually traced back about 100 years before the foundation of Kufah:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">The origin of Kufic or the angular style of Arabic script is traced back to about one hundred years before the foundation of Kufah (17H / 638CE) to which town it owes its name because of its development there.[5]</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">(Source: <u><span style="color: blue;">http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Text/Mss/kufic.html</span></u> ) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">So to say that the Tashkent and Topkapi Manuscripts aren't Uthmanic, will be clearly out of ignorance. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><big><strong><span>He Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span><o:p></o:p></span>What we do note is that all of these earlier fragments and Quran manuscripts do not have any dots or vowel marks that are common in today’s Quran. The lack of vowel marks was not a problem for me because I understood that most common usage of Arabic does not have them either. However, I did not know that even the marks that differentiate between a "ba" and a "taa" did not exist at all in the early Quran manuscripts. For that matter, there were no dots that differentiated a "Jeem" or "Kha" from a "Haa", or any of the other letters of similar shape. These marks indicate the sound of the letter, thus distinguishing between two letters of similar shape. However, these marks were not present in the text during the time Khalifa Uthman standardized the Quran. I discovered that the use of such marks was a much later development in the Arabic script.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><big><strong><span style="">My Response:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">Now, coming to the addition of diacritical marks in the Quran:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">"Dotting and Vowelization. Dotting and vowelization passed through three stages: </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;">In the first stage: Dots were used as syntactical marks. This was in the era of Mu`awiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan, who charged Abu Al-Aswad Al-Dualy to do it in order to prevent people from a faulty reading of the Quran. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;">In the second stage: Arabic letters were marked with different dotting to differentiate between them (e.g.:B, T,TH). This was in the time of Abdul-Malik Ibn Marawan, who charged Al-Hajjaj to do it. Al-Hajjaj, in his turn, charged Nasr Ibn Asem and Hayy Ibn Yaamor to accomplish it. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;">In the third stage: Complete vowel points (e.g. <i>dammah, fathah, kasrah</i>) were used, in the form we are using nowadays. This method was invented by Al-Khaleel Ibn Ahmed Al Faraheedi. "</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;">(Source: <u><span style="color: blue;">http://www.sunnah.org/history/quran_compiled.htm</span></u> ) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;">If the appearance of the diacritical marks didn't change how the Quran was to be recited, infact it helped non-Arabs to read the Qur'an properly. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 1in; text-indent: -0.25in;">Also read,</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">" <b>5. Diacritical marks were added for non-Arabs </b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">The original manuscript of the Qur’an does not have the signs indicating the vowels in Arabic script. These vowels are known as tashkil, zabar, zair, paish in Urdu and as fatah, damma and qasra in Arabic. The Arabs did not require the vowel signs and diacritical marks for correct pronunciation of the Qur’an since it was their mother tongue. For Muslims of non-Arab origin, however, it was difficult to recite the Qur’an correctly without the vowels. These marks were introduced into the Quranic script during the time of the fifth ‘Umayyad’ Caliph, Malik-ar-Marwan (66-86 Hijri/685-705 C.E.) and during the governorship of Al-Hajaj in Iraq. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Some people argue that the present copy of the Qur’an that we have along with the vowels and the diacritical marks is not the same original Qur’an that was present at the Prophet’s time. But they fail to realize that the word ‘Qur’an’ means a recitation. Therefore, the preservation of the recitation of the Qur’an is important, irrespective of whether the script is different or whether it contains vowels. If the pronunciation and the Arabic is the same, naturally, the meaning remains the same too. "</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: <u><span style="color: blue;">http://www.islam101.com/quran/preservedQ.htm</span></u> ) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><big><strong><span>He Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span><span style=""> </span></span>The discovery that the early Arabic script did not have dots or vowel marks prompted me to investigate further into the development of the current dots and marks. I believed that since many Muslims memorize the Quran this ought not be a problem. When we look at the evidence we find that a number of Muslim and non-Muslim scholars who have looked into it critically have come to the consensus that variant qiraat, or readings of the Quran, existed and later increased as Mohammad’s companions who had memorized the Quran died. Variances existed because the Arabic script lacked the dots and vowel signs to distinguish between certain Arabic letters. It was not until a few hundred years later, that it was decided to limit the qiraat down to the seven. This limitation was set to be consistent with what was said by Mohammad. Note the Sahih Hadith of Bukhari.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;">Volume 6, Book 61, Number 513: Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas:<br /><i>Allah's Apostle said, "Gabriel recited the Qur'an to me in one way. Then I requested him (to read it in another way), and continued asking him to recite it in other ways, and he recited it in several ways till he ultimately recited it in seven different ways."</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong><big><big><big><span style="">My Response:<o:p></o:p></span></big></big></big></strong></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">This issue was already dealt with in <u><span style="color: blue;">Part 2</span></u>. Below, I will post the refutation again:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">"7. The expansion of Islam beyond the Arabian Peninsula brought about a new crisis which first became evident during the reign of Uthman. Hudhaifah ibn al-Yaman complained that factions in the army were disputing over various Quranic passages and urged him to put an end to it. Unity was being undermined. "The Syrians contended with the Iraaqis, the former following the reading of Ubayy ibn Kab, the latter that of Ibn Masud, each party accusing the other of disbelief." [Ibn Hajr in Fath] </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">8. The people of Hims, for example, boasted that their way of reciting adopted from al-Miqdad was superior to that of the Basrites, who had learnt from Abu Musa, whose written compilation they acclaimed as "the heart of hearts." [Ibn ul-Athir] </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">9. Uthman consulted the companions with him who all approved the idea of uniting the community by means of a single text as an excellent idea. [Ibn Hajr in Fath] "</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: <u><span style="color: blue;">http://www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=38 </span></u>) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Now, to correct Mr.Ibrahim on "variations". The variatons of reciting Quran did NOT exist because the arabic script lacked the dots and vowels, but because of the various dialects. Prophet Muhammad (S) said recite the Qur'an in a way easy for you (see Bukhari, V3 B41 No:601), and that is exactly what they did. The reciting of the Quran, in a different way, doesn't change the doctrine of the Qur'an in the slightest way. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><big><strong><span style="">He Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><br /><span><o:p></o:p></span>This limitation was only placed on the recitation, and not on the written text. The seven authorized qiraat were those of Ibn Kathir of Mecca, Nafi of Medina, Abu Amr of Basra, Asim, Hamzah and Al-Kisai of Kufa and ibn Amir of Damascus. In addition, to provide accuracy of the written Quranic text, two ruwah (written texts or transmissions) were allowed for each qiraat of the Quran. This brought the total of the different written Quranic texts to fourteen. As I investigated whether or not these were very different from each other I discovered that there were minor variations in phrasing in the recitations and their written texts, not just in the dots, but in actual letters.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><big><strong><span style="">My Response:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p><br />For one thing, the difference in the Qiraat do NOT change the meaning of the text. Also, the fourteen transmissions (each reader had two transmissions) are not Qur'an's, but different reading systems. So we still have ONE OFFICIAL UTHMANIC TEXT, with SEVEN READING SYSTEMS. </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: <a href="http://www.mostmerciful.com/reply-ans-islam.htm" target="_blank"><u><span style="color: blue;">http://www.mostmerciful.com/reply-ans-islam.htm</span></u></a> ) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><big><strong><span style="">He Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span><o:p><br /></o:p></span>In investigating this further, I discovered that Muslim and non-Muslim scholars who have done the scholarly work have noted that variations have always been part of the history of the Quranic text. It has not been letter or vowel mark perfect. For example, this article provides some details of these variances. Eventually, the fourteen ruwah from the seven qiraat were narrowed down to two. Today in the Muslim world the predominant qiraat of the Quran is that of Asim, while its companion riwayah is that of Hafs. In other places, such as Morocco, the qiraat is that of Nafi and the riwayah of Warsh<b>.</b> For example some passages that begin with the command "Qul" ("say") in some qiraat are rendered "Qala" ("he will say") in other qiraat. The first implies a command from Allah to Mohammad while the latter possibly attributes the words of the Quran to humans and not to a command from Allah. The Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s translation and commentary on the Quran refers to these variances in some areas as can be seen by the ** below in his translation and study notes for Surah 23:112</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>He will say ** : "What number of years did ye stay on earth?"</i> Surah 23:112.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>** Note 2948: The usual Indian reading is "Qala", "He will say". This follows the Kufa Qiraat. The Basra Qiraat reads "Qul", "Say" (in the imperative). The point is only one of grammatical construction. See n. 2666 to xxi. 4.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">This supports the fact that there was more than one way that the Quran was memorized as "Qul" is very different from "Qala". Hence we have variation in the Quran and in some cases it does change the meaning of words and sentences. In addition, note that Yusuf Ali makes the point in note 2948 that this is the "Indian" reading of the Arabic Quran; not the "universal" reading. He makes a similar point in note 2666 for Surah XXI ayah 4 that this is in the "Indian" reading of the Quran, thus validating that there were many different Quran variations in use, this one being an Indian reading. What was very interesting to me is that the Quran commentary I have is copyrighted in 1946. The revised editions of Yusuf Ali’s translation and commentary that are sold today have the word "Indian" removed but still speak of the Kufa and the Basra Qiraat. However, it can be said that these different readings and variations do not change the doctrine or teaching of the Quran. Thus, based on the witness of Islamic history we can say that the Quran we have is basically the same as, but not identical to the copy that Khalifa Uthman standardized for Muslims.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><big><strong><span>My Response:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span><o:p><br /></o:p></span>I would like to break to Farooq Ibrahim, that I also have the Abdullah Yusuf Ali commentary on the Qur'an. I don't know of any revised edition of his commentary, but I have the one that Farooq Ibrahim has. Now, if you read the footnote carefully which Farooq posted, it says:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><i>** Note 2948: The usual Indian reading is "Qala", "He will say". This follows the Kufa Qiraat. The Basra Qiraat reads "Qul", "Say" (in the imperative). The point is only one of grammatical construction. <b><u>See n. 2666 to xxi. 4.<o:p></o:p></u></b></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">It tells us also to look at footnote 2666, in Sura 11 Ayat no:4, and that is exactly what I did. Here is the footnote:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">"Notice in the usual Arabic texts printed in India, the word <i>qala </i>is here and in xxi.112 below, as well as in xxiii 112, spelt differently from the usual spelling of the word in other places (e.g., in xx,125-126). <i>Qul </i>is the reading of the Basra QIraat, meaning, "Say thou" in the imperative. If we construe "he says", the pronoun refers to "this (one)" in the preceding verse, <i>viz</i>.: the Prophet. Bot more than one Commentator understands the meaning in the imperative, and I agree with them. The point is merely one of verbal construction. <b><u>The meaning is the same in either case. See n.2948 to xxiii.112"<o:p></o:p></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: The Qur'an: Text, Translation, and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Footnote# 2666, bold emphasis ours)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">I do not know who told Mr. Farooq that the commentary of Yusuf Ali was revised, I think he is misinformed, because I have the same commentary he does.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><big><strong><span>He Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><br /><span><span style=""> </span></span><b><i>Do we have a reliable copy of the authoritative Injeel today?</i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">As I started to look at the transmission process of the Injeel, I reflected on what I understood was the major issue with the Injeel as I had been taught by a number of Muslim teachers. According to them there is so much variation and corruption in the different versions of today’s Injeel that it cannot be trusted. I decided to investigate how true this claim was.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">I started by finding out the language in which the Injeel was originally written. I had seen at least two English versions of the Injeel that had different wordings and knew of other English language versions of the Injeel. What I discovered was that at the time of Isa, the common Jewish language in Jerusalem was Jewish Aramaic. It was different than the Hebrew of the Torah. This is similar to the difference between Arabic of the Quran and the local Arabic of different Arabic speaking lands. However, by Isa’s day, the Romans had been ruling Jerusalem for many years. Therefore, another common language was Koine Greek. Koine Greek is not the classical Greek of the early Greek philosophers but was the common language of most of the people that were ruled by the Greek and Roman Empires. The Jewish scholars many centuries earlier had translated their scriptures to this Koine Greek as the Jewish people who traveled through the Roman Empire also commonly used this form of Greek. This made sense to me as having grown up in Pakistan where the British had ruled for many years, I was more adept with English than Urdu or any other local dialect. Some Arabic speaking countries in Africa for the same reason also speak French. The Roman soldiers spoke Latin, as that was the main language of Rome. The fact that three languages were spoken in and around Jerusalem is seen from the Injeel account of the crucifixion of Isa. The Injeel records that the Romans made a sign in three languages and posted it on the cross of Isa.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>And Pilate wrote an inscription also, and put it on the cross. And it was written, "JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS". Therefore this inscription many of the Jews read, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew (Jewish Aramaic), Latin and in Greek.</i> John 19:19-20</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><big><strong><span style="">My Response:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span><o:p><br /><span style=""> </span></o:p></span>Thank you for the history lesson..</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><big><strong><span style="">He Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span><o:p><br /></o:p></span>God inspired the apostles to write the Injeel in Greek because that was the dominant language of the whole area ruled by Rome. This made sense to me as in this way more of the people in the vast Roman Empire covering Asia, Africa and Europe would be able to study the word of God. Since the language of the Injeel is Greek, any translation from it would be inadequate to express the complete depth of its message. Hence, these English translations of the Injeel differ just as the Quran translations do. For example the English translations for Surah 4:136 is given below. Note how each translator interprets the words differently.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i><b>YUSUFALI:</b> O ye who believe! Believe in Allah and His Messenger, and the scripture which He hath sent to His Messenger and the scripture which He sent to those before (him). Any who denieth Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Day of Judgment, hath gone far, far astray.<br /><b>PICKTHAL:</b> O ye who believe! Believe in Allah and His messenger and the Scripture which He hath revealed unto His messenger, and the Scripture which He revealed aforetime. Whoso disbelieveth in Allah and His angels and His scriptures and His messengers and the Last Day, he verily hath wandered far astray.<br /><b>SHAKIR:</b> O you who believe! believe in Allah and His Messenger and the Book which He has revealed to His Messenger and the Book which He revealed before; and whoever disbelieves in Allah and His angels and His messengers and the last day, he indeed strays off into a remote error.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">This resolved for me the difference we have in the English translation of the Injeel since the language of the Injeel is Greek.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">I next resolved to understand what variations existed within the Greek manuscripts. For example the earliest complete Injeel manuscripts are from the 4th century AD, with the Sinaiticus Manuscript in the British Library in London and the Vaticanus Manuscript in the Vatican Library in Italy. Also similar to the Quran, there are major segments of the Injeel that date earlier than the complete manuscripts. For example, the Chester Beatty papyri dated about 200 AD. There are other smaller fragments that are dated as early as 90 AD</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><big><strong><span style="">My Response:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span><o:p><br /></o:p></span>It is interesting that Farooq cites the Codex Sinaiticus, and Codex Vaticanus, since neither of the two contain the last 12 verses of Mark. These 2 manuscripts, are the oldest complete New Testaments available. The rest are just partial NT Papyri. For more on NT fragments, please visit:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><u><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.biblefacts.org/history/oldtext.html#b7q4" target="_blank">http://www.biblefacts.org/history/oldtext.html#b7q4</a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><big><strong><span style="">He Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><br />As I investigated, I found that there are certainly more variant readings in the Injeel manuscripts as compared to the Quran. This caused me to wonder whether the Injeel was corrupted, or whether one could still determine the original teachings of Isa from the manuscripts like we were able to do for the Quran? To answer this question, I started looking at the nature of the variances and whether or not they could be explained. Could it be that we still have an authoritative Injeel in spite of the variations accumulated during its transmission? I started by trying to understand the process of making manuscripts.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Long before the days when the more durable parchment was available for Quran manuscripts, the Injeel manuscripts had to be copied by hand on papyri material that would fade and break down. Hence, the manuscripts of the Injeel would periodically have to be copied as older ones faded and disintegrated. There are presently over 5,000 Greek Injeel manuscripts in existence today. In addition there are over 19,000 copies of translations of the Injeel in the Syriac, Latin, Coptic, and Aramaic languages. Hence, hand copied manuscripts of the Injeel that exist today exceed 24,000. The question is whether all of the 5000 Greek Injeel match perfectly? The answer is no, there are variations. Most of them are simply copying errors, some of them word differences and still others are more significant differences in the text<i>. </i>If a manuscript had a difference, this led to a variance.<i> </i>So the question is if one can say getting it perfect to the original is 100%, how far is the Injeel off from this number? As I investigated, I was pleased to find out that much research has been done and documented by Christian and non-Christian scholars on this topic. I found numbers from as low as 62.9% to as high as 99.5% perfection. Upon investigation it became clear that the 62.9% number was identifying all of the variances without determining if these were easily identifiable copying errors or if these were actual differences which are harder to rectify.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">For example, in the following verse from the Injeel is a type of error dealing with spelling of proper names. Some manuscripts spell it "Beelzebul" others "Beezebul". Hence, this would be an example of a verse that has a variation.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>"It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house <b>Beelzebul</b>, how much more will they malign the members of his household!</i> Matthew 10:25</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Another example of variation was dealing with minor textual variation. For example some manuscripts have "he was saying" and in others "people were saying" as in the example verse below:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>And King Herod heard of it, for His name had become well known; and <b>people were</b> saying, "John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him."</i> Mark 6:14</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Yet another type of variation was missing or added words. In the following verse the oldest manuscripts have "or mother", but the later ones do not have it. This could be explained by coping errors where it was left out accidentally, possibly due to problems with fading, etc.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><i>"But you say, ‘Whoever shall say to his father or mother, anything of mine you might have been helped by has been given to God," he is not to honor his father <b>or mother.</b>’ And thus you invalidate the word of God for the sake of your traditions."</i> Matthew 15:6</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><big><strong><span>My Response:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><br />Unlike the New Testament, the Qur'an is memorized by many people. If parchments of the Qur'an faded away, it really didn't matter, since many people memorized the Qur'an by head, therefore, it could still be re-written, without the fear of falsehood being mixed into it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><big><strong><span>He Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span><br /></strong></big></big></big></span><br /><span><span style=""> </span></span>As I investigated these types of variation, I found that it is possible to get a more accurate reading of the text by looking at the large number of manuscripts, especially the older ones. Note that I am using English for explanation, but the example is meant to reflect the original Greek of the Injeel. Most of the variations in the Injeel are of this type. If one considers all of them as errors, we come up with the purity value of only 62.9%. However, it can be seen as I have discussed above that these types of variation are mostly scribal errors that can be easily rectified; we can with confidence determine the correct reading. Thus, one may conclude that the purity of the Injeel gets closer to 99.5%.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Hence, I arrived at the following conclusion regarding the transmission of the Injeel from the fourth century to today.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span>The variations in the English Injeel were very simple to resolve as these are translations from the original Greek language of the Injeel. Just as English translations of the Quran are different from the Arabic, so also English translations of the Injeel are different from the Greek. Such differences are inevitable when translating from one language to another. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span>I had started with the understanding that the different copies of the Greek Injeel had so many variations that the Injeel could no longer be trusted. After reviewing all that the Christian and other scholars have done in this regard, I was impressed that in spite of many years of perishable materials, copying errors, persecution and other challenges, the Injeel was up to 99.5% pure. Also, similar to the variations in the Quran, these variations in the Injeel did not change Isa’s message or Christian doctrine. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><big><strong><span style="">My Response:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><br /><span style=""><span> </span> </span>Now, let us examine a claim by Mr. Ibrahim:<span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: blue;">"However, it can be seen as I have discussed above that these types of variation are<b><u> mostly scribal errors that can be easily rectified</u></b>; we can with confidence determine the correct reading. Thus, one may conclude that the purity of the Injeel gets closer to 99.5%."</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""> </span>I suppose it was also a scribal error when Matthew contradicted Mark regarding the "cursing of the fig tree" ( see Mark 11:13-15, and Matthew 21:12-19)? </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><big><strong><span>He Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><i>Conclusion</i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">In conclusion, many Muslims believe that the Quran contains the literal words of Allah which have been perfectly preserved and transmitted through the ages. Muslims make this claim not based on Islamic history as I have investigated and discussed above, but purely as a statement of faith. I discovered that once the Quran was standardized, there were minor variations over time due to the various readings and transmissions of the Quran; these variations were in addition to the dots and vowel marks that were added over time. When it comes to the Injeel, it is clear from the history of its transmission, that the variations in it are more than those in the Quran. However, I was able to conclude that neither one was 100% pure, and that the variations in the Quran or the Injeel have not altered the teachings of Mohammad or Isa respectively.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">At this juncture I was satisfied that the word of God as revealed in the Injeel had not been altered. I was now prepared to undertake a more thorough study of the Injeel and compare it to the Quran. I continued to seek God’s guidance through the scripture and prayer. I was committed to depend on God to help me understand the truth that was in his word.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">If you would like to send me your comments or questions, please write to me.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><big><strong><span>My Response:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><span> </span> </span>Let us read Farooq Ibrahims answer to his initial question "Is the Injeel less or more Trustworthy then the Qur'an?":</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">"<span style="color: blue;">When it comes to the Injeel, it is clear from the history of its transmission, that the variations in it are more than those in the Quran. However, I was able to conclude that neither one was 100% pure, and that the variations in the Quran or the Injeel have not altered the teachings of Mohammad or Isa respectively</span>. "</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Now, I would like to post an Ayat from the Holy Qur'an:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;">[004:082] Do they not consider the Quran (with care)? Had it been from other Than God, they would surely have found therein Much discrepancy. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span>Also, I would like to post something else, which is not an Ayat of the Qur'an:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">“It is to be noted that in the Qur’an the Prophet’s life, the history of the Arabs and the events which occurred during the period of the revelation of the Qur’an have not been mingled with the Divine Verses, as is the case with the Bible. The Qur’an is the pure word of Allah. Not one word therein is not divine. Not a single word has been deleted from its text. The Book has been handed down to our age in its complete and original form since the time of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. From the time the Book began to be revealed, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had dictated its text to the scribes. Whenever some Divine Message was revealed, the Prophet would call a scribe and dictate its words to him. The written text was then read out to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who, having satisfied himself that the scribe had committed no error of recording, would put the manuscript in safe custody. <br /><br />The Prophet used to instruct the scribe about the sequence in which a revealed message was to be placed in a particular <i>Surah</i> (chapter). In this manner, the Prophet continued to arrange the text of the Qur’an in systematic order till the end of the chain of revelations. Again, it was ordained from the beginning of Islam that a recitation of the Holy Qur’an must be an integral part of worship. Hence the illustrious Companions would commit the Divine verses to memory as soon as they were revealed. Many <i>Ahadith</i> explain how frequently they used to consult the Prophet regarding their recitation of the Qur’an and beautiful stories were told about women who asked their husbands-to-be to teach them a part of the Qur’an as their dowries. <br /><br /><b>Method of preservations of the Qur’an during the Prophet's time</b> <br /><br />Besides, those of the Companions who were literate used to keep a written record of several portions of the Holy Qur'an. In this manner, the text of the Holy Qur'an had been preserved in four different ways during the lifetime of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him:<br /><br />a) The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had the whole text of the Divine Messages from the beginning to the end committed to writing by the scribes of revelations. The Prophet used to keep scribes in his service. The four Rightly Guided Caliphs, as well as Zayd ibn Thabit, Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, Mu‘awiya ibn Abi Sufyan are among those who were known as scribes.<br /><br />b) Many of the Companions learned the whole text of the Qur’an, every syllable of it, by heart.<br /><br />c) All the illustrious Companions, without any exception, had memorized at least some portions of the Holy Qur'an, for the simple reason that it was obligatory for them to recite it during worship.<br /><br />d) A considerable number of the literate Companions kept a private record of the text of the Qur'an and satisfied themselves as to the purity of their record by reading it out to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.<br /><br /><b>Method of preservations of the Qur’an after the demise of the Prophet</b><br /><br />It is an incontrovertible historical truth that the text of the Holy Qur’an extant today is, syllable for syllable, exactly the same as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had offered to the world as the Word of Allah. After the demise of the Prophet, the first Caliph Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, assembled all the <i>Huffaz</i> (those who kept the Qur’an by heart) and the written records of the Qur’an and with their help had the whole text written in Book form. In the time of the third Caliph ‘Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, copies of this original version were made and officially dispatched to the Capitals of the Islamic World. <u>Two of these copies exist in the world today, one in Istanbul and the other in Tashkent. Whosoever is so inclined may compare any printed text of the Holy Qur’an with those two copies, <b>he shall find no variation</b></u>. <b><u>And how can one expect any discrepancy, when there have existed several million <i>Huffaz</i> in every generation since the time of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and in our own time? Should anyone alter a syllable of the original text of the Qur’an, these <span><i>Huffaz</i> would at once expose the mistake.<br /></span></u></b><br />In the last century, an Institute of Munich University in Germany collected FORTY-TWO THOUSAND copies of the Holy Qur’an including manuscripts and printed texts produced in each period in the various parts of the Islamic World. Research work was carried out on these texts for half a century, at the end of which the researchers concluded that apart from copying mistakes, there was no discrepancy in the text of these forty-two thousand copies, even though they belonged to the period between the first century to fourteenth century of Hijrah and had been procured from all parts of the world. This Institute, alas, perished in the bombing attacks on Germany during World War II, but the findings of its research project survived. <br /><br />Another point that must be kept in view is that the word in which the Qur'an was revealed is a living language in our own time. It is still current as the mother tongue of about a hundred million people from Iraq to Morocco. In the non-Arab world too, hundreds of thousands of people study and teach this language. The grammar of the Arabic language, its lexicon, its phonetic system and its phraseology, have remained intact for fourteen hundred years.<br /><br />A modern Arabic-speaking person can comprehend the Holy Qur'an with as much proficiency as did the Arabs of fourteen centuries ago. This, then, is an important attribute of Prophet Muhammad, which is shared by no other Prophet or Leader of Religion. The Book which Allah revealed to Him for the guidance of mankind is today's in its original language without the slightest alteration in its vocabulary."<br /><br />The above quotation is based on Mawlana Abu al-A‘la al-Mawdudi’s article “History of the Qur’an”. <br /><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">The above-mentioned facts about the accuracy and preservation of the Holy Qur’an is even acknowledged by several Western writers. Examples of non-Muslims’ statements about the Qur’an are the following: <br /><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">“On the whole we find in it a collection of wisdom which can be adopted by the most intelligent of men, the greatest of philosophers and the most skilful of politicians… But there is another proof of the Divinity of the Qur’an;<b><u> it is the fact that it has been preserved intact through the ages since the time of its Revelation till the present day</u></b>… Read and re-read by the Muslim world, this book does not rouse in the faithful any weariness, it rather, through repetition, is more loved every day. It gives rise to a profound feeling of awe and respect in the one who reads it or listens to it … It was, therefore, neither by means of violence of arms, nor through the pressure of obtrusive missionaries, that caused the great and rapid diffusion of Islam, but, above all, through the fact that this Book, presented by the Muslims to the vanquished with the liberty to accept it or reject it, was the Book of God.” (Laura Veccia Vaglieri, <i>Apologie de I’Islamisme</i>, pp.. 57-59) <br /><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">“…It will thus be seen, from the above, that a final and complete text of the Qur’an was prepared within twenty years after the death (A.D 632) of Muhammad,<b><u> and that this has remained the same, without any change, or alteration by enthusiasts, translators, or interpolators, up to the present time</u></b>. <u>It is to be regretted that the same cannot be said of all the books of the Old and New Testaments</u>. (F.F. Arbuthnot, <i>The construction of the Bible and the Qur’an</i>, London 1885, p.5) <br /><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">“<b><u>So there has been no opportunity for any forgery or pious fraud in the Qur’an which distinguishes it from almost all other important religious works of ancient times</u></b>…It is exceedingly strange that this illiterate person should have composed the best book in the language.” (Basanta Coomar Bose, <i>Mohammadanism</i>, Calcutta, 1931, p.4). "</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: <u><span style="color: blue;">http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?cid=1119503545420&pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar%2FFatwaE%2FFatwaE</span></u> , bold emphasis ours) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span>It is evident, that there was no opportunity for forgery in the Holy Qur'an. Allah SWT tells us also, that he will protect the Holy Qur'an:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;">[015:009] We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and <b><u>We will assuredly guard it (from corruption).<o:p></o:p></u></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span>Scholars agree, that the Qur'an has been guarded, and safe-guarded from corruption, showing it is indeed the True Word of God!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span>May Allah Almighty lead Mr.Ibrahim to Islam.... Ameen! </span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-38147641077072503482008-12-10T23:02:00.000+07:002008-12-10T23:04:19.120+07:00Is Ishmael Really A Wild Ass?Jews and Muslims have been lying about each other for millennia. Mind you, there's nothing wrong with their scriptures. It's the interpretations thereof which are the problem. Muslims, for example, teach their children that all Jews and Christians must either die, or convert. But the Holy Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, said that everyone who believes in the Jewish or Christian scriptures will be saved! Who's fooling who? Although few of you can read Arabic, I feel compelled to show you the Arabic text, which I will then translate for you: As those of you who read Arabic know, this is translated: "Those who believe*, and those who are Jews, and Christians, and Sabians, and who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve." (Qur'an 2:62, repeated verbatim in Qur'an 5:69). *i.e., believe in the Qur'an. Since the phrase "those who believe" is explicitly understood to mean "those who believe in the Qur'an", i.e., those who believe in Allah and his Prophet, it must be said the Muhammad held Islam, Judaism and Christianity to be equally holy. Although individuals and groups of evil Jews and Christians are frequently mentioned in the Qur'an, Muhammad was quick to point out -- in every case -- that there are many among them who believe, and who will be saved.The Holy Prophet of Islam often resorted to the phrase "People of the Book", an explicit reference to Jews and Christians. Well, Muslims ought to keep in mind that they too now have a book, and have had it for some 1,400 years. It would behoove them to keep in mind that "People of the Book" now includes them, and has for all this time. If having "the book" is not, by itself, enough to "cleanse" Jews and Christians from their sins, then how is having Qur'an going to be any better? In any event, it would be difficult indeed to find any support from the personal teachings of Muhammad for the virulently anti-Semitic, anti-Christian beliefs which have permeated Islam ... almost from the beginning (but not quite from the very beginning, as you can now see). So what went wrong? Obviously, somebody is lying! Having said so, let us now turn to the main purpose of this section of the Web Site, which is to expose one of the most shameful Jewish lies in history. It is every bit as outrageous as the Muslim lie I have just described above, and undoubtedly closely-related historically. I refer to the ridiculous practice of translating Genesis 16:12 to read that Ishmael -- the son of Abraham -- regarded by Muslims as being the founder of Islam -- shall be "a wild ass". We needn't seek far for a reason for this lie. With Muslims perverting their own scriptures, teaching their children that all Jews and Christians must die, it is not surprising to find Jews -- not to mention Christians -- teaching their children that Ishmael, the esteemed founder of Islam, is a "wild ass"! How many more millennia will we be playing this sick game? The passage in question is actually correctly translated "[Ishmael] shall be a fruitful man". How the hell do you get from "a fruitful man" to "a wild ass"? Well, ancient Hebrew had no vowels, and all the vowels in our modern Bibles were added during the Middle Ages. As you shall see, it's nothing short of amazing how much you can twist the meanings of words, by craftily adding wrong vowels to a text which has none of its own! I have discussed the corruption of the usual translations of Genesis 16:12 with many learned Jews and Christians. I said "learned" and I meant "learned". I refer to men with lofty credentials who cannot have failed to grasp the point, but who are so utterly brainwashed with hate that the point just cannot sink in. Some of them ought to be ashamed of themselves. Unfortunately, one needs a good working knowledge of Hebrew to see the fraud. You don't have to be a "scholar", mind you; a grade-school level of Hebrew knowledge is quite sufficient. But most American Jews, and certainly most American non-Jews do not even have that. Thus, the great majority of you will not be able to understand the argument, but give it a try anyway. It's "history". <a name="is_ishmael"></a>Is Ishmael Really a "Wild Ass"? A Critical Analysis of Genesis 16:12 For Torah-literate Jews (and Christians, for that matter), the introduction to Islam takes place at a very early age. This introduction, which sets the stage for all future opinions, consists of the first reading of Genesis 16:12. This passage makes a statement about Ishmael, the son of Abraham, the brother of Isaac, and -- according to Arab tradition -- the co-founder (with his father, Abraham) of the religion of Islam. Genesis 16:12 makes the following statement about Ishmael: "And he shall be a wild ass of a man; his hand shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him..." But is this really what it says? Let us look at the original Hebrew, which has no vowels, and reconsider this passage according to traditional Hebrew grammar: If this unvoweled Hebrew were given to Israeli grammar school students, how would they interpret it? First of all, let us consider the word . The Hebrew preposition usually means "in" or "with". Therefore, the most plausible interpretation of is "his hand (shall be) with everyone". Not "against everyone"! For , Langenscheidt's dictionary gives the following possible meanings: "in, at, to, on, among, with, towards; according to, by, because of." Can it ever mean "against"? The answer is "yes". In certain special cases it can indeed mean "against". A perfectly representative example of a sentence in which can mean "against" is found in Deuteronomy 19:15, where Moses says ... ... which is interpreted "One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity...". But the word ... ... is defined by Langenscheidt's Hebrew Dictionary as "to rise up against", and the prefix in the word ... ... does no more than define who it is with whom we are "rising up against". The following is a representative list of instances in the yearly Torah-Haftorah cycle where the Hebrew prefix is properly translated "against": Exodus 9:17, Exodus 14:25, Exodus 32:29, Lev 17:10, Lev 20:3,5,6; Lev 24:16,20; Lev 26:17, Nu 21:7, Deut 2:15, Deut 11:17, Deut 13:10 Deut 19:15, Deut 25:18, Deut 29:19, Judg 11:12, Ezek 38:21 (Haftorah Sukkos, intermediate Sabbath), Hosea 13:9 (Haftorah Vayetze), Zech 3:2 (Haftorah Bahaalothecha) An analysis of these passages reveals that , by itself, never means "against". I shall leave it as an exercise to the interested reader to look these references up, and to persuade himself that the inseparable prefix acquires this meaning only in a context where the "against-ness" is provided by another word or words in the verse. The analogy to English is very good in this case. If we say that we are "with" someone, this almost invariably means that we are for him, not against him. For example, the common expression "God be with you..." ...surely means "may God be for you" (not "may God be against you"!). But if we say: "I shall fight with you..." ..then we have, in English, an example of the use of the word "with" to mean "against", for, if we fight with someone, then we are against that person. But the sense of "against-ness" is provided by the word "fight", not by the word "with"! The parallel to Hebrew is quite exact. In each of the above-cited examples, the inseparable prefix, , takes on the meaning "against" either because there's some other word in the passage which provides that meaning, or else because the context makes that meaning clear. This is not so in Genesis 16:12. There are no words in the verse which suggests "against-ness", and, as we shall shortly see, the context not only fails to support that meaning, but, on the contrary, essentially rules it out. Application of the same logic shows that the most plausible interpretation of is: "and every man's hand (shall be) with him". Not "against him"! Next, let us consider the word . If we look back two verses, to Genesis 16:10, we see "And the angel of the Lord said ... 'I will greatly multiply thy seed, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.' ". Viewed in this light, the word takes on an entirely different significance. There is another Hebrew word constructed from the same consonants, but with different vowel points. This is the verb ... ... which means "to bring forth, to bear fruit". (Although this word is found in modern Hebrew dictionaries, it seems that the preferred form of the verb, these days, is The last letter changes from aleph to hay, but the meaning is the same. I wonder why this latter form is preferred?) Now, the participle form of is But in the Bible, the letter (vav), is usually omitted from participles, so in un-voweled Hebrew we would expect to see , representing the un-voweled form of Anyone who wishes to dispute this grammatical principle, as it applies to Genesis 16:12, will be hard-pressed to make a case, because the very next verse, Genesis 16:13, features the word ..., the participle of the Qal form of the verb "to speak". Note that the Hebrew letter vav is absent. It is pointless to doubt that vav is usually omitted in participles in the Torah. Since G-d says here that He will "greatly multiply" [Ishmael's] seed, so that it "shall not be numbered for multitude", we must ask which is the most plausible interpretation of Does it mean "a wild ass of a man", or does it mean "a fruitful man"? In the context of the passage, it can have only one plausible interpretation: "...a fruitful man..." Our suspicions are further aroused when we consult the Brown, Driver and Briggs lexicon (BDB), to find out where in the Bible -- if anywhere-- the word occurs in a setting in which it really does mean "wild ass" (exclusive of Gen 16:12): BDB gives the following: Ho 8:9+, Je 14:6+, Jb 6:5, Jb 39:5, Is 32:14, Ps 104:11, Jb 11:12, Je 2:24, Jb 24:5 So the word occurs in Job, and in the Prophets. Note that there is no use of the word anywhere in the Torah! (Unless Genesis 16:12 is considered to be such a use). In general, then (admittedly depending upon the age of the book of Job), it can be said that the word ... ..., meaning "wild ass", does not appear in Hebrew literature until 1,000 years after the Torah was written. What other contextual evidence is there which confirms that correct vowel points would cause the correct translation to be ... ..., meaning "fruitful"? We have already seen that two verses above, in Genesis 16:10, God says to Hagar, "I will greatly multiply thy seed, that it shall not be numbered for multitude". Is this not synonymous with "fruitful"? If we now look ahead slightly, to Genesis 17:6, we see God blessing Abraham with the following words: Here we see the Hifil form of the same verb, to inform us that God will make Abraham "fruitful". Fruitful, not "ass-like"!! Again, a few verses down (Genesis 17:20), God addresses Ishmael in the same manner, promising to make him "fruitful" also, according to the words This again is the Hifil form of the verb ... to reiterate the message of Genesis 16:10, where God told Hagar "I will greatly multiply thy seed, that it shall not be numbered for multitude". The equivalence of and is further evidenced in Hosea 13:15 (Haftorah Vayyetze), where we see the word ... ..., which BDB identifies as the Hifil form of , imperfect, 3rd person masculine, "as if from (!)" In summary, if we now employ the most plausible interpretation of the word , and utilize the standard grammar of the preposition , we arrive at the following interpretation of Genesis 16:12: ...which means that what our Bible really says about Ishmael is: "... he will be a fruitful man: his hand shall be with everyone, and every man's hand shall be with him..." (!!) This is a markedly different interpretation than the one given by our Rabbis. At this time, claimed by Jews, Christians and Muslims to be the dawn of the Messianic Era, itsn't it time we told the truth?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-13973396266895731192008-12-05T20:45:00.000+07:002008-12-05T20:48:40.476+07:00Is the Injeel less or more trustworthy than the Quran? part 2<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/umar/farooq_ibrahim_rebuttal_2.htm">by : Umar </a><br /></div><br />He Wrote:<o:p></o:p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: center; page-break-after: avoid;" align="center"><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span><b><span style="">Is the Injeel less or more trustworthy than the Quran?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: center;" align="center"><b>Part 2 of 3</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: center;" align="center">Farooq Ibrahim</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: center;" align="center"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">The purpose of writing this second of a three-part response is to share with my fellow Muslim brothers and sisters the discoveries I made regarding the trustworthiness of the Injeel as compared to that of the Quran while I was contending with my faith in the 1980’s. During that time I was seeking to find the truth in defense of the Quran, and to prove the Injeel corrupted. At that point in time, I restricted my study to the following three topics regarding the Quran and the Injeel. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->First, to understand what the Quran and the Injeel teach about what God says about communicating and protecting his message. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Second, to investigate the history of how the early Quran and Injeel were compiled into the books that became the authoritative collection of God’s message from Mohammad and Isa. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Third, to review what scholars say about the transmission of the Quran and Injeel manuscripts over the years, since their authoritative compilation. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">In my previous response featured in the first part of this study I concluded that Allah guaranteed the protection of <i>all</i> his messages—the Quran as well as the messages to prior prophets. Thus, God’s protection of his message was not unique to the Quran. What I discovered was that no human can change the words of God. In addition, nowhere did I find any strong sense from the Quran that the Jewish or Christian scriptures had been corrupted, but only the charge that the Jews and Christians were hiding part of the truth that was in their scriptures. Thus, based on the ayat (singular ayah – means a sign or miracle, commonly a passage or verse) from the Quran and Injeel I reached a place of understanding that God’s words are protected from change. For more details on this, please refer to part one. Next on my list was to investigate how the Quran and Injeel were compiled into authoritative manuscripts to reflect what Mohammad and Isa had taught to be from God.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><big><big><big><strong><span style="">My Response:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style=""><span style=""><br /></span> </span>For those of you who haven't read <a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/umar/farooq_ibrahim_rebuttal_1.htm" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Part I</span></a><span style="color:blue;">, </span><span style="">I reccomend that you read it, to understand what we are discussing here. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;" align="left"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><big><big><strong><span style="">He Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span></span><b><i>What process did the Quran go through to become an authoritative collection of God’s message?</i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">I was taught different stories of how the Quran was compiled. The two most popular explanations were that Mohammad had compiled the Quran into a book before his death and the other that Khalifa Abu Bakr had compiled it from men who had written it down and memorized it. Regardless, I was taught that the Quran of today is exactly the same as that which was given to Mohammad by the angel Gabriel. To that end, I started looking at the authoritative Islamic sources – primarily the Sahih (authentic) Hadith (sayings and deeds of Mohammad) compiled by Bukhari to understand this history.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">As I studied the history of the compilation of the text of the Quran, I was very surprised to learn that the Quran as we have it today went through many stages of evolution before becoming standardized. For example I discovered that there was seven different ways to recite the Quran. One could recite and memorize the Quran differently and it was still acceptable as the word of Allah. Note from the Sahih Bukhari Hadith:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;">Volume 3, Book 41, Number 601: Narrated 'Umar bin Al-Khattab:<br /><i>I heard Hisham bin Hakim bin Hizam reciting Surat-al-Furqan in a way different to that of mine. Allah's Apostle had taught it to me (in a different way). So, I was about to quarrel with him (during the prayer) but I waited till he finished, then I tied his garment round his neck and seized him by it and brought him to Allah's Apostle and said, "I have heard him reciting Surat-al-Furqan in a way different to the way you taught it to me." The Prophet ordered me to release him and asked Hisham to recite it. When he recited it, Allah s Apostle said, "It was revealed in this way." He then asked me to recite it. When I recited it, he said, "It was revealed in this way. The Quran has been revealed in seven different ways, so recite it in the way that is easier for you."</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Hence from the very onset of the Quran, I discovered that there were different ways to recite it. For this reason, there was no one-way to memorize the Quran but seven. That meant that different Muslims could memorize the Quran in seven different ways, not one. At once, this provided a problem that I had not even considered, if Mohammad had allowed seven ways to recite the Quran, then there should be seven versions of the Quran, not one! I had not been taught of seven, but only of one Quran. Were there truly seven, all of them equally authoritative? As I pressed on in my study, I discovered other Sahih Hadith that substantiated and elaborated on this idea that the Quran may be recited in seven different ways. For example Sahih Bukhari <b>V</b>olume 4, <b>B</b>ook 54, <b>N</b>umber 442; V6, B61, N513; V6, B61, N514; V9, B3, N640 among others.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">As I investigated further, the Sahih Hadith confirmed that Mohammad had not compiled the text of the Quran into a single collection, but it was first done under Khalifa Abu Bakr’s reign. Apparently, it was at this time that the qurra, those who had memorized the Quran, were being killed in the Battle of Yamama. Khalifa Abu Bakr ordered a collection of the Quran to be made at the insistence of Umar (the second Khalifa). This collection stayed with Khalifa Abu Bakr, then after his death with Khalifa Umar and then it was passed on to Khalifa Umar’s daughter Hafsa, who also was one of Mohammad’s widows. This is explained clearly in the Sahih Hadith of Bukhari:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;">Volume 6, Book 61, Number 509: Narrated Zaid bin Thabit:<br /><i>Abu Bakr As-Siddiq sent for me when the people of Yamama had been killed (i.e., a number of the Prophet's Companions who fought against Musailama). (I went to him) and found 'Umar bin Al-Khattab sitting with him. Abu Bakr then said (to me), "Umar has come to me and said: "Casualties were heavy among the Qurra' of the Quran (i.e. those who knew the Quran by heart) on the day of the Battle of Yamama and I am afraid that more heavy casualties may take place among the Qurra' on other battlefields, whereby a large part of the Quran may be lost. Therefore I suggest, you (Abu Bakr) order that the Quran be collected." I said to 'Umar, "How can you do something which Allah's Apostle did not do?" 'Umar said, "By Allah, that is a good project. "Umar kept on urging me to accept his proposal till Allah opened my chest for it and I began to realize the good in the idea which 'Umar had realized." Then Abu Bakr said (to me). 'You are a wise young man and we do not have any suspicion about you, and you used to write the Divine Inspiration for Allah's Apostle. So you should search for (the fragmentary scripts of) the Quran and collect it in one book)." By Allah If they had ordered me to shift one of the mountains, it would not have been heavier for me than this ordering me to collect the Quran. Then I said to Abu Bakr, "How will you do something which Allah's Apostle did not do?" Abu Bakr replied, "By Allah, it is a good project." Abu Bakr kept on urging me to accept his idea until Allah opened my chest for what He had opened the chests of Abu Bakr and 'Umar. So I started looking for the Quran and collecting it from (what was written on) palmed stalks, thin white stones and also from the men who knew it by heart, till I found the last Verse of Surat At-Tauba (Repentance) with Abi Khuzaima Al-Ansari, and I did not find it with anybody other than him. The Verse is: 'Verily there has come unto you an Apostle (Muhammad) from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty... (till the end of Surat-Baraa' (At-Tauba) (9.128-129) Then the complete manuscripts (copy) of the Quran remained with Abu Bakr till he died, then with 'Umar till the end of his life, and then with Hafsa, the daughter of 'Umar.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">As I studied the above Sahih Hadith and others similar to it, I noted some important points. First, Umar was concerned that since a lot of the Quran was not written down, if the Qurra died, much of the Quran would be lost. Second, this was a monumental task given to Zaid as even Mohammad himself had not done this, and Zaid expresses this as a concern. Third, there was much work to get this collection of the Quran compiled as some ayat were only with one person and no one else to verify or substantiate it. There are others Sahih Hadith that say much the same. The frankness of Zaid troubled me. Was it such a monumental task and was he the right person to do it? I began searching and discovered that Mohammad had recommended others and not Zaid to teach the Quran. From the Sahih Hadith:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;">Volume 6, Book 61, Number 521: Narrated Masriq:<br /><i>'Abdullah bin 'Amr mentioned 'Abdullah bin Masud and said, "I shall ever love that man, for I heard the Prophet saying, ‘Take (learn) the Quran from four: 'Abdullah bin Masud, Salim, Mu'adh and Ubai bin Ka'b.’"</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">I was very concerned that none of the four people that Mohammad had recommended to teach the Quran were given the task for this compilation or confirmation; but one of Mohammad’s scribes – Zaid bin Thabit. He too had concerns that this job was too big. But yet neither Khalifa Abu Bakr nor Umar at that time chose to have his work validated by any of them. I continued in my investigation rather perplexed that this process of the compilation was a lot more involved than what I had been taught. Sadly, I discovered the history of compilation did not end here. As the community of Muslims grew and spread out, it became even harder to maintain the integrity of the Quranic text as there was no single authoritative text, but different teachers had their own copy. These challenges in the Quran resulted in many disagreements in the Muslim communities, and as a result, Khalifa Uthman was asked to do something about it. Note that at this point, the manuscript of the Quran that was compiled by Zaid was not in circulation, but kept with Hafsa. Also note what Khalifa Uthman did as described in the following Sahih Hadith of Bukhari.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;">Volume 6, Book 61, Number 510: Narrated Anas bin Malik:<br /><i>Hudhaifa bin Al-Yaman came to Uthman at the time when the people of Sham and the people of Iraq were Waging war to conquer Arminya and Adharbijan. Hudhaifa was afraid of their (the people of Sham and Iraq) differences in the recitation of the Quran, so he said to 'Uthman, "O chief of the Believers! Save this nation before they differ about the Book (Quran) as Jews and the Christians did before." So 'Uthman sent a message to Hafsa saying, "Send us the manuscripts of the Quran so that we may compile the Quranic materials in perfect copies and return the manuscripts to you." Hafsa sent it to 'Uthman. 'Uthman then ordered Zaid bin Thabit, 'Abdullah bin AzZubair, Said bin Al-As and 'AbdurRahman bin Harith bin Hisham to rewrite the manuscripts in perfect copies. 'Uthman said to the three Quraishi men, "In case you disagree with Zaid bin Thabit on any point in the Quran, then write it in the dialect of Quraish, the Quran was revealed in their tongue." They did so, and when they had written many copies, 'Uthman returned the original manuscripts to Hafsa. 'Uthman sent to every Muslim province one copy of what they had copied, and ordered that all the other Quranic materials, whether written in fragmentary manuscripts or whole copies, be burnt. Said bin Thabit added, "A Verse from Surat Ahzab was missed by me when we copied the Quran and I used to hear Allah's Apostle reciting it. So we searched for it and found it with Khuzaima bin Thabit Al-Ansari. (That Verse was): 'Among the Believers are men who have been true in their covenant with Allah.' (33.23)</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Reviewing the above and other similar Sahih Hadith, I noted different collections of the Quran were in circulation. These were partly the collection of the teachers that Mohammad had recommended as discussed in the earlier Hadith, such as Ka’b. Again, I was troubled with the following key points. First, there was much disagreement among the Muslims as to what was in the Quran. Hence, because of the differences among them, Khalifa Uthman ordered Hafsa’s manuscript to be copied and distributed and be made the official Quran. Second, if there was a disagreement among the scribes who copied it as to how to recite it, he ordered that it should be written in the Quraish dialect. I was distressed to learn that Khalifa Uthman ordered the changing of the words of the Quran to the Quraish dialect. Was this change part of the seven variations possible? I found no mention of it in the Sahih Hadith. Last, I was shocked that Khalifa Uthman ordered the destruction of all other Qurans – whether whole copies or in fragments. This was very troubling. I wondered why? It had to be that the copies of the other Qurans then in circulation were different enough for the Khalifa to order such a severe consequence for them. Note the point Al-Yaman makes to Uthman, save the nation because they differ about the Quran. Now Khalifa Uthman ordered the Hafsa copy, which was not even validated by the best of teachers to become the official Quran.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">As I started to investigate what might some of the differences be, I found for example the missing Bismillah at the start of Surah 9, the missing stoning verse regarding adultery, and other cancelled, withdrawn, abrogated or forgotten ayat. I have discussed some of these in my study on abrogation. I discovered that even though the order was given to destroy the other copies, some parts of those copies have survived, possibly because Muslims had memorized other variations of the Quran. For example, from Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s Quran translation and study notes I found another Qiraat (recitation of the Quran), from Ka’b who Mohammad had recommended as one of the four best to teach the Quran, had additional words for the Surah 33:6. I was taught not a single dot was changed, and here was a whole phrase that is missing as noted with ** below in Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s Study Note 3674.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>The Prophet is closer to the Believers than their own selves,** and his wives are their mothers. Blood-relations among each other have closer personal ties, in the Decree of Allah. Than (the Brotherhood of) Believers and Muhajirs: nevertheless do ye what is just to your closest friends: such is the writing in the Decree (of Allah). Surah 33:6<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>** Note 3674 : … In some Qiraats, like that of Ubai ibn Ka’b, occur also the words "and he is a father to them", which imply his spiritual relationship and connect on with the words "and his wives are their mothers". …<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">This was not good news to me. No Muslim teacher had even hinted to this fact that the final manuscript of the Quran that was ordered by Khalifa Uthman to be put in circulation had such a history of challenges, changes and destruction.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Sadly, I reached a place of understanding regarding the compilation of the Quran that</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Mohammad had not compiled the Quranic material into a single Quran Manuscript. He recommended four teachers to teach the Quranic material. He also confirmed that the Quran could be recited in seven different ways. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Khalifa Abu Bakr ordered Zaid bin Thabit, one of the scribes, who was not one of the four teachers Mohammad had recommended, to compile the Quranic material into one single manuscript, when the qurra started to die in battle. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Within a few years, different versions of the Quran were in circulation, causing problems among the Muslim community. Khalifa Uthman ordered the distribution of modified copies of the Zaid bin Thabit version of the Quran that was with Khalifa Umar’s daughter, Hafsa. He also ordered the destruction of all other Qurans that were compiled by others. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Some Muslims have a problem with these conclusions as they believe this is not what happened. However, the authoritative record we have in Islamic history is from the Sahih Hadith, the Sirat (biography) of Mohammad and from the Tafsir (commentary) of the Quran. There is no other historical Islamic source that can speak with authority on this topic. From all of these sources, the testimony that comes across is the same as I have discussed using the Sahih Hadith of Bukhari as my primary source. This is far from the perfect authoritative compilation of the Quran I was taught we had directly from Mohammad.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><big><big><big><strong><span style="">My Response:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style=""><span style=""><br /> </span> </span>Firstly, Farooq Ibrahim needs to understand that reciting the Quran in a different way, doesn't make it another version. Prophet Muhammad (S) makes it clear in the hadith, that you should recite it in the way thats easiest to you. The reciting of the Holy Qur'an is what we call Qiraat. Dr M.S.M Saffiulah says:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><b><span style="">Qirâ'ât Or 'Variant' Readings?</span></b><br /><br />We would first like to define what is the actual meaning of Qirâ'a which is frequently translated as 'variant reading'. The <i><span style="color:blue;">Hans-Wehr Dictionary Of Modern Written Arabic</span></i> defines <b>Qirâ'a</b> as:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;"><span style=";font-family:";color:maroon;" ><b>Qirâ'a</b> pl. <b>-ât</b> recitation, recital (especially of the Koran); reading (also, e.g., of measuring instruments); manner of recitation, punctuation and vocalization of the Koranic text.</span><sup><span style="color:blue;">[1]</span></sup></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">It is quite clear that the Qirâ'a is not a 'variant' reading or text. <b><u>The Muslims in history have never considered different Qirâ'ât as different 'versions' of the Qur'an</u></b>. Furthermore, neither it is defined as 'variant' text as some Orientalists and Christian missionaries have done so. Keeping this in mind let us now go further with what is written in the article. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">(Source: <span style="color:blue;"><u>http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Text/Qiraat/green.html#Argument</u> , </span><span style="">Bold emphasis ours )<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="">The Prophet Muhammad (S), during his lifetime, used to recite the Quran once with Jibreel every Ramadan, and twice in the last Ramadan before his death. Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) also taught Prophet Muhammad (S) the seven Qiraat:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; page-break-after: avoid;"><b><span style="">During the life of the Prophet (saas) (570-632 CE) <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The Prophet (saas) used to recite the Qur'an before angel Jibreel (Gabriel) once every Ramadan, but he recited it twice (in the same order we have today) in the last Ramadan before his death. Jibreel also taught the Prophet (saas) the seven modes of recitation. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Each verse received was recited by the Prophet, and its location relative to other verses and surahs was identified by him. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The verses were written by scribes, selected by the Prophet, on any suitable object - the leaves of trees, pieces of wood, parchment or leather, flat stones, and shoulder blades. Scribes included Ali Ibn Abi Talib, Mu'awiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan, Ubey Ibn Ka'ab, Zayed Ibn Thabit. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Some of the companions wrote the Qur'an for their own use. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Several hundred companions memorized the Qur'an by heart. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">(Source: <u><span style="color:blue;">http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/compilationbrief.html</span></u> ) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Regards to what Zaid Ibn Thabit's concern, I will quote from a great article by Brother MENJ and <span style="">Abdur Rafay Ahmad regarding this issue:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="">"The words of</span> Zaid may raise some confusion: <span style="color:teal;">How can I do something which Allah's Apostle has not done? </span>This doen't mean that the Qur'an was not written in the Prophet's time, but it means that that the Qur'anic was scattered and not collected into one volume. The Prophet (pbuh) didn't leave the complete Qur'an in a single volume for all the Ummah, because most of his companions had memorized it and some had their own copies. So Abu Bakr (ra) feared that the Qur'an could have been lost, and that's why he ordered for a copy to be prepared."</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: <u><span style="color:blue;">http://www.answering-christianity.com/quran/quran_textual-reply.html#3a</span></u> ) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Now Farooq Ibrahim questions regarding if Zaid Ibn Thabit was qualified, to compile the Holy Qur'an into one single text, yet he ignores the fact that Zaid Ibn Thabit himself memorized the Holy Qur'an by heart:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">"Umar feared that the number of those people would rapidly decrease as a result of battles the Muslim state might have to fight. Abu Bakr approved the proposition and entrusted the task to Zaid ibn Thabit, <b><u>who was not merely a scribe entrusted by the Prophet to write down the Qur'anic revelations but he was also a young man who had learned all [of Qur'an] by heart and witnessed the Prophet's final recitation of the Qur'an"<o:p></o:p></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: <u><span style="color:blue;">http://www.islamicity.com/dialogue/Q108.HTM</span></u> , Bold Emphasis ours) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">The memorization of the Qur'an was not only encouraged in those times, but it was widespread among the Muslims in the early generations, and even now, Muslims who we call "Qaris" know the whole Quran by heart. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Now, we come to the juice of the article, the reason for Uthman to make one official Quranic text. Below, we find the answer, as to why Uthman made the decision:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">"7. The expansion of Islam beyond the Arabian Peninsula brought about a new crisis which first became evident during the reign of Uthman. Hudhaifah ibn al-Yaman complained that factions in the army were disputing over various Quranic passages and urged him to put an end to it. Unity was being undermined. "The Syrians contended with the Iraaqis, the former following the reading of Ubayy ibn Kab, the latter that of Ibn Masud, each party accusing the other of disbelief." [Ibn Hajr in Fath] </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">8. The people of Hims, for example, boasted that their way of reciting adopted from al-Miqdad was superior to that of the Basrites, who had learnt from Abu Musa, whose written compilation they acclaimed as "the heart of hearts." [Ibn ul-Athir] </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">9. Uthman consulted the companions with him who all approved the idea of uniting the community by means of a single text as an excellent idea. [Ibn Hajr in Fath] "</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: <u><span style="color:blue;">http://www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=38 </span></u>) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">I am now going to post Farooq Ibrahim's comments on the source he listed:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">" Reviewing the above and other similar Sahih Hadith, I noted different collections of the Quran were in circulation. These were partly the collection of the teachers that Mohammad had recommended as discussed in the earlier Hadith, such as Ka’b. Again, I was troubled with the following key points. First, there was much disagreement among the Muslims as to what was in the Quran. Hence, because of the differences among them, Khalifa Uthman ordered Hafsa’s manuscript to be copied and distributed and be made the official Quran. Second, if there was a disagreement among the scribes who copied it as to how to recite it, he ordered that it should be written in the Quraish dialect. I was distressed to learn that Khalifa Uthman ordered the changing of the words of the Quran to the Quraish dialect. Was this change part of the seven variations possible? I found no mention of it in the Sahih Hadith. Last, I was shocked that Khalifa Uthman ordered the destruction of all other Qurans – whether whole copies or in fragments. This was very troubling. I wondered why? It had to be that the copies of the other Qurans then in circulation were different enough for the Khalifa to order such a severe consequence for them. Note the point Al-Yaman makes to Uthman, save the nation because they differ about the Quran. Now Khalifa Uthman ordered the Hafsa copy, which was not even validated by the best of teachers to become the official Quran. "</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Firstly, the companions of the Prophet, didn't have a problem with what Uthman did, infact, it is recorded that the Companions of the Prophet praised what Uthman did:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">" j) Zaid is reported to have said, "I saw the companions of Muhammad (going about) saying, "By Allah, Uthman has done well! By Allah, Uthman has done well!" [Nisaburi] "</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: <u><span style="color:blue;">http://www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=38</span></u> ) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">As for the second point, the Holy Qur'an was written in the Quraishi dialect, so there is no problem if Uthman told them to write it in the Quraishi dialect. And lastly, Farooq Ibrahim makes a comment about Hafsa's copy (which was the copy given to Abu Bakr, then handed to Umar Ibn Al Khattab, and ultimately Hafsa). He says it "was not even validated by the best of teachers to become the official Quran". The text that Hafsa possessed, initially went through a process first, to see if it was indeed true, here is a brief summary:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="">"The compilers in this committee, in examining written material submitted to them, insisted on very stringent criteria as a safeguard against any errors.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;"><span style="">1. The material must have been originally written down in the presence of the Prophet; nothing written down later on the basis of memory alone was to be accepted. <sup>[<a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/l">26</a>]</sup></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;"><span style="">2. The material must be confirmed by two witnesses, that is to say, by two trustworthy persons testifying that they themselves had heard the Prophet recite the passage in question. <sup>[<a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/l">27</a>]"<o:p></o:p></sup></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">(Source: <u><span style="color:blue;">http://ireland.iol.ie/~afifi/BICNews/Sabeel/sabeel3.htm</span></u> ) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">The Committee headed by Zaid Ibn Thabit, consisted of Companions of the Prophet, which included memorizers of the Quran. Common sense, shows that if there would have been ANY problem with the text, the memorizers of the Quran, which consisted of thousands, would have noted this. So we can soundly reach the conclusion that this compiled text, was infact correct. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">Now, concerning the "missing Bismillah", Abdullah Yusuf Ali answers this in his commentary on the Holy Qur'an:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">" This is the only Sura to which the usual formula of Bismillah is not prefixed. It was among the last of the Suras revealed, and though the Apostle had directed that it should follow Sura VIII, it was not clear whether it was to form a separate Sura or only a part of Sura VIII. It is now treated as a separate Sura, but the Bismillah is not prefixed to it, as there is no warrant for supposing that the Apostle used the Bismillah before it in his recitation of the Quran."</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">(Source: The Qur'an: Text, Translation, and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, p. 436 "Introductino to Sura IX)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;">As for the "missing" verse on adultery, I reccomend you visit the following links:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;"><u><span style="color:blue;">http://www.irfi.org/articles/articles_51_100/stoning_to_death_is_not_shariah.htm</span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;"><u><span style="color:blue;">http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=7&ID=1856&CATE=1<o:p></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;"><u><span style="color:blue;">http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503545902<o:p></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;"><u><span style="color:blue;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;"><span style="">And as for abrogation, scholars are in disagreement regarding this issue, for more information please read :<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;"><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span><u><span style="color:blue;">http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503548174<o:p></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;"><u><span style="color:blue;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in;"><span style="">Now regarding Ubay Ibn Ka'b, and his Qiraat, here is what the following Islamic website says:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><b><i>"VARIANT READINGS IN THE QURAN</i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">A number of Hadith mention that <b>several of Muhammad's (p.b.u.h.) companions wrote down their own collections of the revelations.</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">("Itqan I" by Suyuti, p.62)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">The most well known among them are:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Ibn Masud</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">He claimed to have learned some seventy Surahs directly from the prophet. Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) told other people to learn the Quran from him and three others. (Bukhari, 6, No. 521)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">However, Surah 1, 113 and 114 were missing in his collection. (Fihrist, I, pages 53-57)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Ubay bin Kab</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">The prophet's secretary in Medina. He is one of the other three mentioned above whom the prophet recommended as a teacher of the Quran. His collection contained two additional Surahs and an otherwise unknown verse. ("Itqan I" by Suyuti, p.65; "Masahif" by Ibn Abi Dawud, pages 180-181, also "Geschichte des Quran's" by Noeldeke, pages 33-38)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">His text was widely used in Syria before the appearance of Uthman's text.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Abu Musa</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">His collection was used by the people of Basra. It was identical with the material of Ubai bin Kab.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">These different collections of the Quran contained also many variant readings. More than 1700 are attributed to Ibn Masud alone. ("Materials for the history of the text of the Quran" by A. Jeffry,1937)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Muhammad Hamidullah divides them into four classes in the introduction to his French translation of the Quran (p.XXXIII):</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">A) Variants caused by a copy mistake.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">They can be detected easily by comparing with other manuscripts.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">B) Variant readings caused by accidentally adopting marginal notes into the text of the Quran.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">C) Variations caused by Muhammad's (p.b.u.h.) permission to recite the revelations in different dialects.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">D) Variations caused by the fact that the Quran was copied without vowel marks and without dots to distinguish between different letters that were written in the same way. (Only 15 different forms of letters present 28 letters)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Most of the variant readings have very little significance with regard to the meaning of the text. Only a few present some problems, such as:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Surah 5, Maida, verse 63</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">19 alternate readings have been identified, some of which change the actual meaning of the verse. 14 changes were caused by changing the vowel combinations. In the remaining 5 cases one or two consonants were added.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Ibid, by A. Jeffery, pages 39, 129, 198, 216, 237)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Surah 33, Alizab, verse 6</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">"The Prophet is closer to the Believers than their own selves, and his wives are their mothers..."</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">"...In some Qiraats, like that of Ubai ibn Kab, occur also the word " and he is a father to them..."</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">("The Holy Quran" by A. Yusuf Ali, 1975, note 3674)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Only reports in the Hadith about these variants have survived. <b>But none of them changes any doctrine of the Quran in the slightest way."<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: <u><span style="color:blue;">http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~asians4c/m04.htm</span></u> ) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">In my opinion, I think that Ubai Ibn Kab added his own personal note, but that is just my opinion, however, from what I have studied, Ubai Bin Kab's Qiraat was disfavoured;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">" <b><span style="color:blue;">"The ‘seven readings’ were standardised in the second/eighth century. Ibn Mujahid, a ninth-century Muslim scholar, wrote a book entitled The Seven Readings, in which he selected seven of the prevailing modes of recitation as the best transmitted and most reliable. Others were subsequently disfavoured and even opposed, among them the readings of ibn Mas’ud and ‘Ubay bin Ka’b." (Ulum, p.119)</span></b> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: <u><span style="color:blue;">http://www.mostmerciful.com/reply-ans-islam.htm</span></u> ) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">So, Farooq Ibrahim's argument has been met, and we tried our best to answer his arguments regarding the Quran, now let us continue with his article. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><big><big><big><strong><span style="">He Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><b><i>What process did the Injeel go through to become an authoritative collection of God’s message?</i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Next, I started to look at the compilation process of the Injeel. Here I reflected on what I understood were two major issues with the Injeel as I was taught by a number of Muslim teachers. First, that the different church councils had created the Injeel hundreds of years later, and in the process had destroyed or ignored the true teachings of Isa. Second, the Injeel has been corrupted by mixing of God’s words with man’s and is more like the Hadith, but without the proper Isnad or chain of reference of those who conveyed the teaching. As proof that the Injeel was corrupted, I was told that even some Christian scholars do not believe much of the Injeel. To that end, I started investigating how true these claims were.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Unlike the Quran which is separated into 114 Surahs, I discovered that the Injeel consists of four major segments: the gospels, historical writings, letters and prophecy. In total there are 27 books, none of them written by Isa. Their authorship rests with his apostles and their close associates. This initially was a big problem for me, but after studying how the Quran was compiled under the supervision of the Khalifa, I was open to the apostles doing the writing or teaching what Isa taught and close associates doing the writing. That would be similar to the way the Quran was put to text. I also discovered that of the 27 books of the Injeel, the 4 gospel books, book of Acts, and 15 letters of Peter, John and Paul were widely used and quoted by the early Christian leaders before 70 AD, within 30 years after Isa’s ascension, while eye witness to these events were still alive. These 20 books were all considered God inspired scripture by the Christian community as the apostles did many miracles similar to those of Isa, thereby validating their claim of being divinely inspired. There was much discussion of the remaining 7 books which were the letters 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, Jude, James, Hebrews and Revelation. The concerns surrounding these 7 books were mostly centered on doubts about the apostolic authorship of these books. There were concerns that perhaps these books had been written not by the apostles or their close associates, but by others who were not considered authoritative sources.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">As I started to investigate the history of the collection of the Injeel, I did confirm that Isa did not finalize the Injeel, but the contents were by Isa’s apostles and those closely associated with them. Christian history accounts claim that God inspired Isa’s disciples to teach and write Isa’s words which are God’s words. This claim is supported in the Injeel where Isa says that God would remind his disciples of all the things he (Isa) had taught them while he was with them.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>"… and the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me."</i> John 14:24</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you."</i> John 14:26</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">A few years after Isa’s ascension into Heaven, the gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark and Luke were in circulation while eyewitnesses were still alive. These were being used along with the letters. Luke, a companion of the apostles describes his compilation.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.</i> Luke 1:1-4</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Later, John the apostle wrote in the Gospel that bears his name regarding what Isa claimed above.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.</i> John 21:24</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Historical work done by many Christian and non-Christian scholars show that many of the letters of Paul were written earlier than the four Gospel accounts. Paul was considered an apostle and was accepted by other apostles of Isa as being divinely sanctioned to teach the message of Isa. These letters were written soon after Isa had ascended and they documented Isa’s teaching. My understanding from Muslim teachers was that Paul’s teaching was different than Isa’s and that the letters had been compiled in the second century. Concerning Paul, I discovered that he subjected himself to the authority of the other apostles and was validated by Peter and others that he was teaching the same message. He also did many supernatural miracles in Isa’s name to validate this claim. Regarding the claim by some that the compilation was done after the first century does not have support because if that were the case, then critical events such as the death of the apostle James in 62 AD, Paul in 64 AD, and Peter in 65 AD would have been recorded in the book of Acts, which documents the teaching and work of these apostles. For example, we know from the early history in Medina that Muslims were martyred in the battle of Uhud. As that was during the time of the revelation of the Quran, it describes this event, but does not document the later battles, such as Yamama because these wars were fought after the Quran was revealed.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">As I further studied the process the Christian community used to compile the Injeel, I discovered that it was not a specific event such as what Khalifa Abu Bakr and later Khalifa Uthman had done, but it was a gradual process done by the Christian community over time. The Injeel was not set by a single Christian leader or council, rather, the books in it were chosen because there was general acceptance that these books were written by the apostles. The main criterion used was that the writings had to be written by one of the apostles of Isa, or a close associate of the apostles or an eyewitness under supervision of an apostle. The Christian community that witnessed the early events such as Isa’s teaching, miracles, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, etc validated the writings in the Injeel. Unlike in the case of the compilation of the Quran, where the Khalifas authorized the compilation of the Quran, the early Christian community did not have such a ruler to enforce such a compilation. Therefore during the first three centuries, the Injeel survived because the Christians treated it as the word of God and held it in reverence as such, even though during this time the Jewish and Roman authorities were persecuting the Christians.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Finally, in the fourth century, Constantine, who was a Roman leader, became a Christian. He initiated a number of councils, including the council at Nicea. At these councils the central question regarding the Injeel was "what did Isa and the apostles teach?" After studying and discussing the gospel books and letters, the leaders at Nicea agreed to what was already in use. They did not select books based on their preconceived ideas or theological position, but based on what was considered the word of God and used as such through the previous three centuries. I also realized that unlike the Quran where ayat were with different people, here whole books were selected, not partial material from them. For example, the Christians for the past three centuries had only used the four Gospels because the apostles wrote and gave them to the Christians in the first century as the word of God. These were taken and a single Gospel was not created from the four. As I investigated the historical record, I found no evidence for the destruction or doctrinal modification of Gospels by Christians at Nicea or any of the other councils. There was no way to change these as by this time the Injeel was translated from Greek into many other languages including Syriac, Coptic, Latin, Gothic and Ethiopic. In addition, not only were there the copies of the Injeel in many different languages, but many Christian leaders had written and quoted from the Injeel during the first, second and third centuries making it impossible to change the Injeel.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Looking further into the writings of the Christian leaders, I discovered that they would quote from Injeel, but not from other writings that were not considered the word of God as Isa had taught. One of the prominent church leaders, Ignatius of Antioch, refers to the Gospels of Matthew and John possibly as early as 37 years after Isa’s crucifixion. During this time, another Christian leader by the name of Polycarp, who personally knew the apostle John and other eyewitnesses to Isa’s teaching, refers to different Injeel sections some forty times from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Another Christian leader, Papias, who also knew the apostle John, specifically says Matthew and Mark wrote the Gospels that bear their name. There are other writings such as these that validate that there were no issues with the four Gospels being part of the Injeel as God-inspired scripture. These four Gospels were accepted as the word of God because they were known to be from the apostles. Other writings about Isa’s life and teaching, such as Gospel of Thomas or Gospel of Peter, had not been accepted by the Christian community as the word of God. These did not make it into the Injeel because there was no clear witness or evidence that they were written by the apostles whose names they bear. As I investigated what was done to these other Gospel books that are not part of the Injeel, I noted that there were no orders given by the Christian leaders to destroy them. They were simply not used.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">As a result of this historical study, I reached a place of understanding regarding the compilation of the Injeel as follows: </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->God-inspired apostles wrote accounts of Isa’s life and message. The writings that were accepted as scripture were those that the early Christian community accepted as valid testimony attributable to eyewitnesses of Isa’s life and teachings. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Christian leadership in the fourth century neither selected nor edited any of the inspired writings. The Injeel was compiled from what was commonly considered scripture and accepted as such by the early Christian community. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The Injeel survived the first three centuries in spite of Jewish and Roman authorities persecuting Christians. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Regarding the charge by some Muslims that the Injeel was the creation of Paul and Church councils and not Isa’s teaching, history has shown otherwise. It is true that human beings will never agree unanimously on anything, not even the Injeel. Some Christian scholars do not believe everything in the Injeel is part of the life and teachings of Isa. Sadly, I know that even in the Muslim community there has been concern that ayat from the Quran were removed that identified Khalifa Ali as the first rightful Khalifa, among other items. However, the historical fact remains that the compilation of the Injeel had been fixed, not by councils, but by the witness of the early Christian community who were eyewitness to Isa and his apostles’ teachings. The Christian leaders did not create the Injeel, but rather came to recognize, accept and confirm what was actively taught and preached by the apostles as the word of God.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Concerning the charge that the Injeel is more like the Hadith but weaker since it does not have the Isnad, I came to a very different opinion. In my understanding, the Injeel was more like the Quran, which also does not have any Isnad. The reason that there is no Isnad for the Quran is that it was compiled only a few years after the death Mohammad, and eyewitnesses were present to validate what was in the Quran. However, the Isnad was needed for the Hadith, which were compiled over 150 years after the eyewitnesses had died. Similarly, based on historical data and the fragments of the Injeel from the first century that still exist till today, I was able to accept the same for the Injeel as for the Quran, that there is no need for the Isnad as there were eye witnesses when these were written down.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">There are some Christian scholars who believe some of the Injeel is not attributable to Isa. I discovered that for the majority of them the primary reason for this thinking is a lack of belief in the supernatural in general and therefore distrust the accounts of the miraculous events of Isa’s life. For example, that Isa came from a virgin mother is discounted as legend. Isa healing the sick or giving life to the dead is considered legend too. But I believe that God is capable of this and that acts of the supernatural validate the person being from God. In addition, the Quran also makes similar claims for Isa. Therefore, I was able to accept that it was not that the scholars had a problem with the historical witness, but that they had a pre-supposition that would not allow for supernatural miracles.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><big><big><big><strong><span style="">My Response:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><o:p><br /><span style=""> </span></o:p></span>Now that we are done with the Holy Qur'an, we now go to the Gospels. First let us start with the<b> Gospel of Matthew</b>:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="">1) Authorship of Matthew (Who wrote it?):<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span>The NIV theologans answer this question of ours:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">" Although the first Gospel is anonymous, the early church fathers were unanimous in holding that Matthew, one of the 12 apostles, was its author. "</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: NIV Study Bible, p.1463)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="">2) Date of Gospel:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span>"Some have argued on the basis of its Jewish characteristics that Matthew's Gospel was written in the early church period, possibly the early part of A.D 50, when the church was largely Jewish and the gospel was preached to the Jews only (Ac 11:19). However, those who have concluded that both Matthew and Luke drew extensively from Mark's Gospel date it later - after the Gospel of Mark had been in circulation for a persiod of time. See essay on chart, p.1461. Accordingly, some feel that Matthew would have been written in the late 50s or in the 60s. Others, who assume that Mark was written between 65 and 70, place Matthew in the 70s or even later. However, there is insufficient evidence to be dogmatic about either view"</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: <i>Ibid, </i>p.1463)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">And,</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""> </span>" It is impossible to know the exact date when the Gospel of Matthew was written. Some contemporary writers date it as early as A.D. 60, some as late as A.D. 95"</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, p. 1092)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Now we go to the <b>Gospel of Mark:</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="">1) Authorship:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span>" Although there is no direct internal evidence of authorship, it was the unanimous testimony of the early church that this Gospel was written by John Mark (" John, also called Mark," Ac 12:12,25; 15:37).</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: NIV Study Bible, p. 1522)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">And,</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""> </span>" The title "according to Mark" was added to this Gospel by scribes who produced the earliest copies of the Gospel. According to the early church tradition Mark recorded and arranged "memories" of Peter, thereby producing a Gospel based on apostolic witness. Although Mark was a common Roman name, the Gospel writer is probably John Mark. Mark became an important assistant for both Paul and Peter, preaching the good news to Gentilles and preserving the gospel message for latter Christians. See <i>Mark, John. "<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: Homan Illustrated Bible Dictionary, p. 1077)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="">2) Date of Gospel:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span>" Some, who told that Matthew and Luke used Mark as a major source, have suggested that Mark may have been composed in the 50s or early 60s. Others have felt that the content of the Gospel and statements made about Mark by the early church fathers indicate that the book was written shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, See essay and chart, p.1461)"</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: NIV Study Bible, p. 1522)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">And,</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; page-break-after: avoid;"><span style=""> </span>" <b><span style="">Date<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">The text of the Gospel itself furnishes us with no clear information as to the time that it was written. It is generally agreed among scholars to be the first gospel written. Comments attributed to <a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/wiki/Jesus">Jesus</a> in Mark <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2013:1-2;&version=31;" target="_blank">13:1-2</a> (the "little Apocalypse", see below) have been seen as a reference to the destruction of the <a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/wiki/Temple_in_Jerusalem" target="_blank">Temple</a>. This would mean that either Mark recorded Jesus prophesying that the temple would be destroyed, or that the work was written <i>after</i> it happened in AD 70. Most scholars contrast these comments with the more specific ones in <a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/wiki/Gospel_of_Luke" target="_blank">Luke</a> and <a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/wiki/Gospel_of_Matthew" target="_blank">Matthew</a>, and would be hesitant to assign a date later than AD 70-73, the latter being when Jerusalem was finally and fully sacked. Nevertheless, a great majority of moderate and conservative scholars assign Mark a date between AD 60 and 70, although there are vocal minority groups which argue for earlier or later dates.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Two papyrologists, Fr. <a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/w/index.php?title=Jose_O%27Callaghan&action=edit" target="_blank">Jose O'Callaghan</a> and <a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/wiki/Carsten_Peter_Thiede" target="_blank">Carsten Peter Thiede</a>, have proposed that lettering on a postage stamp-sized papyrus fragment found in a cave at <a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/wiki/Qumran" target="_blank">Qumran</a>, <a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/wiki/7Q5" target="_blank">7Q5</a>, represents a fragment of Mark <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%206:52-53;&version=31;" target="_blank">6:52-53</a>; thus they assert that the present gospel was written and distributed prior to AD 68. Almost all other papyrologists, however, consider this identification of the fragmentary text, and its supposition that early Christians lived at <a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/wiki/Qumran" target="_blank">Qumran</a>, to be dubious. "</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: <u><span style="color:blue;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Mark#Date</span></u> ) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="">3) Mark 16:9-20:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; page-break-after: avoid;"><span style=""><span style=""> </span>"<span style=""> </span></span><b><span style="">((The most reliable early manuscripts and other ancient witnesses do not have Mark 16:9-20.)) <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">9When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. 10She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. 11When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">12Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. 13These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">14Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">15He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">19After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. "</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: <u><span style="color:blue;">http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2016:9-20&version=31</span></u> ) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""> </span>We see a dangerous forgery in Mark 16:9-20. Firstly, the reliable early manuscripts dont even have this verse, showing that it was later inserted, and secondly, it says the ones who believe will speak in new tongues, and pick up snakes with their hands, and <b>drink deadly poison. <o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Now the <b>Gospel of Luke</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="">1) Authorship:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span>" The author's name does not appear in the book, but much unmistakable evidence points to Luke".</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: NIV Study Bible, p. 1564)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">It seems that Luke was most likely the author of this Gospel. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="">2) Date of Gospel:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span>"<span style=""> </span>The two most commonly suggested periods for dating the Gospel of Luke are: 1) A.D. 59-63, and 2) the 70s or the 80s (see essay and chart, p.1461)"</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: NIV Study Bible, p. 1564)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">A more deatiled discussion is the one we find in the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">"<span style=""> </span>The book of Acts ends abruptly with Paul in his second year of house imprisonment in Rome. Scholars generallyi agree that Paul reached Rome A.D. 60. This makes the book of Acts, written at earliest around A.D. 61 or 62 with the Gospel written shortly before. Luke 19:41-44, and 21:20-24 records Jesus' prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem. This cataclysmic event in ancient in ancient Judaism occured in A.D. 70 at the hands of the Romans. It hardly seemes likely that Luke would have failed to record this significant event. Assigning a date to the Gospel later then A.D. 70 would ignore this considerations. Many scholars, however, continue to favor a date about A.D. 80.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""> </span>A second historical consideration pushes the dating even earler. Many scholars feel Paul was released from the Roman imprisonment he was experiencing as Acts concludes. The apostle was later imprisoned again and martryed under the Neronian persecution that broke out in A.D. 64. Paul was enjoying considerable personal liberty and oppurtinities to preach the gospel ( Acts 28:30-31) even thuogh a prisoner. The optimism of the end of the book of Acts suggests that Neronian persecution is a future event. One can hardly imagine that Paul's release would find no mentino in the Acts narrative had it already occured. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""> </span>It seems best, then, to date the writing of Luke somewhere between A.D. 61 and 63. Those who argue that this does not allow Luke time to review Mark's Gospel (assuming it was written first) fail to take into account the tight web of association between those in involved in Paul's ministry. "</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: Homan Illustrated Bible Dictionary, p. 1057)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">And, finally, we go to the <b>Gospel of John</b> , the Gospel according to the NIV theologans, that is different from the other three gospels:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="">1) Authorship:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span>" The Author is the apostle John, "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (13:23 [ see note there]; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7,20,24)."</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: NIV Study Bible, p. 1623)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Well, we seem to have assurance that this gospel was written by John,</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">" Early Christian tradition indicates this Gospel was written by John, the disciple and son of Zebedee. The Gospel claims to have been written by the beloved disciple, and unnamed figure so designated only in this Gospel (21:20-24). John, son of Zebedee, is almost certainly the beloved disciple and author of this Gospel,<b><u> but some doubts remain since John is not mentioned by name."<o:p></o:p></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, p. 934, bold emphasis ours)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">I guess not... </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="">2) Date of Gospel:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span>" In general two views of the dating of thsi Gospel have been advocated:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">1. The traditional views places it towards the end of the first century, C. A.D. 85 or later (see introduction to 1 John:Date).</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">2. More recently, some interpreters have suggested an earlier date, perhaps as early as the 50s and no later then 70."</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: NIV Study Bible, p. 1621)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">According to scholars, John omits events and references that are extremely important in the other three Synoptic Gospels. But we have a problem with the Gospels, and the problem is the assumption of Gospel authors, copying from other Gospel authors, below, the NIV theologans will give 2 assumptions:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><b>Assumption A: Matthew and Luke used Mark as major source</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><b>Assumption B:<span style=""> </span>Matthew and Luke didn't use Mark as a major source,</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="">Assumption A:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span>Matthew and Luke used Mark as a major source</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""> </span><b>View No.1 </b>Mark written in the 50s or early 50s A.D.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(1) Matthew written in late 50s or 60s.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(2) Luke written 59-63</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""> </span><b>View No.2 </b>Mark written 65-70</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(1) Matthew writen in the 70s or later</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(2) Luke written in the 70s or later</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="">Assumption B:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span>Matthew and Luke did not use Mark as a source</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""> </span><b>View No.1 </b>Mark could have been written anytime between 50 and 70</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""> </span><b>View No.2 </b>Mark written 65-70</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(1) Matthew written in the 50s (see introductino to Matthew: Date, and Place of Writing)[</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(2) Luke written 59-63 (see introduction to Luke: Date and Place of Writing).</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: NIV Study Bible,p.1460)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">We also find some chronological contradictions in the Bible, here is one example in Matthew 21:12-19 and Mark 11:13-15;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; page-break-after: avoid;"><b><span style="">Jesus at the Temple <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">12Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13"It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be called a house of prayer,'<sup>[<a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/l" target="_blank">a</a>]</sup> but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'<sup>[<a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/l" target="_blank">b</a>]</sup>" </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">14The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">16"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him.<br />"Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read,<br />" 'From the lips of children and infants<br />you have ordained praise'<sup>[<a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/l" target="_blank">c</a>]</sup>?" </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">17And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; page-break-after: avoid;"><b><span style="">The Fig Tree Withers <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">18Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Matthew 21:12-19)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">This passage contradicts:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">13Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">15On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves,</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Mark 11:13-15)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">So did Jesus curse the Fig tree first, then enter the temple, or enter the temple, then curse the fig tree. The NT also makes scientific blunders, here is one example:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">5And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">6And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">7If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">8And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">9And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">( Luke 4:5-9)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">What is important to note here is the devil taking Jesus up on a high mountain, and showing him all the kingdoms of the world. This can only be possible, if the earth is flat. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Now, according to the Qur'an, the Christians forgot the covenant:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:red;">[005:014] From those, too, who call themselves Christians, We did take a covenant, <b><u>but they forgot a good part of the message that was sent them</u></b>: so we estranged them, with enmity and hatred between the one and the other, to the day of judgment. And soon will God show them what it is they have done.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Allah SWT also tells us that, if you believe in that Jesus was crucified, then your a blasphemer:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:red;">[004:157] That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Apostle of God";- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein <b><u>are full of doubts, with no (certain) know ledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:- </u></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">So according to the Holy Qur'an, the fake gospels we have now, are full of doubts, and are conjecture. So this alone shows, that the Christian scriptures (specifically the NT) has been tampered. As we showed above, the Gospels contradict each other, and they have scientific blunders. The Holy Qur'an, also says, that if anyone says Jesus was crucified, they have no knowledge, so that also outrules the gospels we have now, as being the Word of God. The authorship, of these gospels, is unknown. The exact date, of these gospels, are also unknown. And as shown above, there is a theory of <b>plagariazation, </b>that is being discussed. The Muslim will always say the gospels today have been corrupted, because this is what our Holy Book tells us. Farooq Ibrahim, mentions several times about the Council of Nicea. For a discussion on the Council of Nicea, I reccomend the following links:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><u><span style="color:blue;">http://islamtomorrow.com/bible/NicaeaCouncil325.htm</span></u> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><u><span style="color:blue;">http://www.thunderministries.com/history/Nicea.html#Nicea</span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Now, read what Farooq Ibrahim later states:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">" <span style="color:blue;">As a result of this historical study, I reached a place of understanding regarding the compilation of the Injeel as follows: <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-family:Symbol;color:blue;" ><span style="">·<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color:blue;">God-inspired apostles wrote accounts of Isa’s life and message. The writings that were accepted as scripture were those that the early Christian community accepted as valid testimony attributable to eyewitnesses of Isa’s life and teachings. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-family:Symbol;color:blue;" ><span style="">·<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color:blue;">Christian leadership in the fourth century neither selected nor edited any of the inspired writings. The Injeel was compiled from what was commonly considered scripture and accepted as such by the early Christian community. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:blue;"><span style=""> </span>The Injeel survived the first three centuries in spite of Jewish and Roman authorities persecuting Christians.</span> "</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">1) It is obvious from the Muslim perspective, that God didn't inspire the apostles who wrote thouse accounts of Isa's life, because they speak about a crucifixion of Jesus. Allah SWT says people who believe in this crucifixion hoax, have no knowledge. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">2) The writings which we possess today, are highly doubtful. They contradict each other, and, the authors are unknown. Here is yet 2 more contradictions:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><b><span style="">How many women came to the sepulcher?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><b><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span></b>1Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""> </span>(John 20:1) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">This contradicts:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""> </span>(Matthew 28:1)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">So, did only Mary Magdalene to the tomb, or did the "other" Mary go with her? </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Another contradiction:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><b><span style="">Who purchased the Potter's field?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><b><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span></b>18(With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""> </span>(Acts 1:18)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">This contradicts:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""> </span>5So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""> </span>(Matthew 27:5)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">So did Judas use the money he got for his wickedness to buy a field, or did he throw the money into the temple and leave?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">3) The ORIGINAL Injeel,was the one given to Isa (A) (see Sura 57:27), but the Christians forgot a major part of the message of Allah Almighty (Sura 5:14). </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">As shown above, the gospels contradict each other, and the authors are unknown, and there is a major problem with the gospels, regarding <b>plagarization. </b>Any Muslim who believes the Gospels we have today are true, are wrong, since Allah Almighty tells us, that the people who believe in Isa (A) crucifixion, have no certain knowledge. Let us proceed with Farooq Ibrahim's article now...</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745432074704744456.post-71414046421217046222008-12-05T20:36:00.000+07:002008-12-05T20:39:12.847+07:00Is the Injeel less or more trustworthy than the Quran?<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.answering-christianity.com/umar/farooq_ibrahim_rebuttal_1.htm">By Umar<br /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="">The Article is located here at: <u><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.answering-islam.org/Authors/Farooq_Ibrahim/trustworthy1.htm" target="_blank">http://www.answering-islam.org/Authors/Farooq_Ibrahim/trustworthy1.htm</a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><strong><big><big><span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="">He Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></span></big></big></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: center; page-break-after: avoid;" align="center"><span style="color: black;"><span style=""> </span></span><b><span style="">Is the Injeel less or more trustworthy than the Quran?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: center;" align="center"><b>Part 1 of 3</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: center;" align="center">Farooq Ibrahim</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: center;" align="center"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Over the years, a number of Muslims and some non-Muslims have asked me why I had problems defending my Islamic faith. While a Muslim in the late 1980’s, and seeking the truth within Islam and also desiring to invite others to Islam, I was faced with a number of challenges to defending my faith. On many occasions while interacting with Christians, I claimed the Bible was corrupted and that the Quran supercedes it. But these Christians claimed that this argument was simply a Muslim position without proof and that the Bible was the word of God and it was not corrupted. Since I had not studied the topic myself, but simply repeated what I was taught, I decided to investigate the trustworthiness of the Bible, and focused my attention specifically on the Injeel, the New Testament of Christians. During this time I realized that I knew very little about how the Quran came into being. Growing up, I was taught by Muslim teachers that the Quran of today is the same as the Quran revealed to Mohammad, the Prophet of Islam and its wording is exactly the same letter for letter, even down to the dots and vowel marks as that which was recited to Mohammad by the angel Gabriel. I was also taught that Allah had guaranteed that He would protect the Quran from human tampering.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">The purpose of writing this three-part response is to share with my fellow Muslim brothers and sisters the discoveries I made at that historical point in my journey of faith. During this time I was seeking to find the truth in defense of the Quran, and to prove the Injeel corrupted. In trying to grapple with this topic, I was armed primarily with the Quran, Hadith and Bible, along with supporting works by Muslim and non-Muslim authors. To that end, my first challenge was to determine how I was going to judge if the Quran is un-corrupted and that the Injeel is corrupted. The topics to address this include archeology, science, numerology, history, textual criticism, prophecy, etc. Many eminent scholars have spent years addressing them and others continue to do so. During that time, I did not have the time or the inclination to address the whole field. My goal was limited to making an assessment between the two – was the Quran or the Injeel more trustworthy? To that end, I restricted my study to the following three topics regarding the Quran and the Injeel:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->First, to understand what the Quran and the Injeel teach about what God says about communicating and protecting his message. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Second, to investigate the history of how the early Quran and Injeel were compiled into the books that became the authoritative collection of God’s message from Mohammad and Isa. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in 5pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Third, to review what scholars say about the transmission of the Quran and Injeel manuscripts over the years, since their authoritative compilation. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">In this article I will address only the first topic of the study. The other topics are covered in the second and third segments of the study.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><strong><span style="">My Response:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style=""><span style=""> </span> </span>Since Farooq Ibrahim has divided his article into 3 parts, we will also divide our article into 3 parts, and try our best to reply.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><strong><span style="">He Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><b><i>Is there support within the Quran and Injeel that clearly state that God has spoken?</i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">I started to check first into what the Quran and Injeel taught about God communicating and protecting his message. From the Quran it is clear that it claims that Mohammad was Allah’s messenger.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>O Mankind! The Messenger hath come to you in truth from Allah: believe in him: It is best for you. But if ye reject Faith, to Allah belong all things in the heavens and on earth: And Allah is All-knowing, All-wise.</i> Surah 4:170</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">This was my understanding as that is part of the Shahada, the confession of faith — that Mohammad was Allah’s messenger and has brought to us his words. So next I started to look at what Allah said about inspiring other messengers. I was aware of the Muslim teaching that Moses and Isa were also inspired by Allah. That just as Mohammad received inspiration, the previous messengers were also inspired to express the words of God. This is confirmed in the ayah (verse) below.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>We have sent thee inspiration, as We sent it to Noah and the Messengers after him: we sent inspiration to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes, to Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon, and to David We gave the Psalms. Of some messengers We have already told thee the story; of others We have not;- and to Moses Allah spoke direct;</i> Surah 4:163-164</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">However I was very surprised to find that Allah states that he makes no distinction among these messages from him. That was a big surprise to me as I was taught that the Quran was superior to all of the other messages and that is why it was also the last and final revelation to come to mankind. But from the ayah below, Allah clearly states that all of them are equal.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in (the Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the Prophets, from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them -</i> Surah 3:84</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">When I started to study the Injeel to determine what it says about God’ message, I discovered that Isa said that the Jewish scriptures had full authority as the words of God. Note what Isa says about the message the Jews had in their possession. These words were spoken during the time when Isa was fasting in the wilderness and Satan came to tempt him. Note Isa’s response to Satan as he quotes from the Taurat (Torah):</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>‘But He answered and said, "It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’"’</i> Matthew 4:4</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">The words in upper case above are referencing the bolded ones below in the Torah.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that <b>man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD</b>.</i> Deuteronomy 8:3</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Regarding the Injeel, Isa makes the claim that his own words are God’s words and they are truth.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>"...The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own initiative, but the Father abiding in me does his work."</i> John 14:10</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. ....Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.</i> John 17:14,17</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Also note that in the Injeel, we see Apostle Peter bearing witness of what the Jewish and Christian scripture teach regarding the word of God. The words in upper case refer to quotes from the Jewish scripture.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. For, ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS, AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS. THE GRASS WITHERS, AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF, BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER. And this is the word which was preached to you.</i> 1 Peter 1:23-25</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">From this portion of my investigation, it became clear, both from the Quran and the Injeel that God had inspired messengers to speak on his behalf and the message they gave are to be considered to be from him. Since the Quran came later, it even goes further and states there was no distinction to be made between the Quran and the previous messages.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><strong><span style="">My Response:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style=""><span style=""> </span> </span>It is true that we are not supposed to make distinction between any of the messages, however, the people who received the message before, they threw this covenant behind their backs:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;">[003:187] And remember God took a covenant from the People of the Book, to make it known and clear to mankind, and not to hide it; <b><u>but they threw it away behind their backs, and purchased with it some miserable gain! And vile was the bargain they made</u></b></span><b><u>!</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span>This is what the Holy Qur'an says about the Jews who broke the covenant: </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><span style=""> <span style="color: red;"> </span></span>[004:155] (They have incurred divine displeasure): <b><u>In that they broke their covenant</u></b>; that they rejected the signs of God; that they slew the Messengers in defiance of right; that they said, "Our hearts are the wrappings (which preserve God's Word; We need no more)";- Nay, God hath set the seal on their hearts for their blasphemy, and little is it they believe;- </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style=""><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span>Also, read:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;">[005:012] God did aforetime take a covenant from the Children of Israel, and we appointed twelve captains among them. And God said: "I am with you: if ye (but) establish regular prayers, practise regular charity, believe in my apostles, honour and assist them, and loan to God a beautiful loan, verily I will wipe out from you your evils, and admit you to gardens with rivers flowing beneath; but if any of you, after this, resisteth faith, he hath truly wandered from the path or rectitude." <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;">[<u>005:013] But because of their breach of their covenant, We cursed them, and made their hearts grow hard; <b>they change the words from their (right) places and forget a good part of the message that was sent them</b>, nor wilt thou cease to find them- barring a few - ever bent on (new) deceits: but forgive them, and overlook (their misdeeds): for God loveth those who are kind.</u></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style=""><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span>The Holy Qur'an also speaks about the people who call themselves "Christians";</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;">[005:014] From those, too, who call themselves Christians, We did take a covenant, <b><u>but they forgot a good part of the message that was sent them:</u></b> so we estranged them, with enmity and hatred between the one and the other, to the day of judgment. And soon will God show them what it is they have done.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style=""> </span>Also, the Christians considered Jesus as God, and Allah SWT speaks about this ;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;">[005:017] <b><u>In blasphemy indeed</u></b> are those that say that God is Christ the son of Mary. Say: "Who then hath the least power against God, if His will were to destroy Christ the son of Mary, his mother, and all every - one that is on the earth? For to God belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between. He createth what He pleaseth. For God hath power over all things."</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style=""> <span style=""> </span></span>And this is what the Holy Qur'an says about the Christians who commited excess in their religion:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;">[004:171] O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of God aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was <b><u>(no more than) an apostle of God,</u></b> and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in God and His apostles. Say not "Trinity" : desist: it will be better for you: <b><u>for God is one God</u></b>: <u>Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He) above having a son</u>. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. <b><u>And enough is God as a Disposer of affairs.</u></b><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;"><span style=""> </span></span><span style="color: black;">Allah SWT tells us that the people who also believe that Jesus was crucified are full of doubts, and have no knowledge;<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;">[004:156] That they rejected Faith; that they uttered against Mary a grave false charge; <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;">[004:157] That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Apostle of God";-<b><u> but they killed him not, nor crucified him</u></b>, but so it was made to appear to them, <b><u>and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) know ledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:- </u></b><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;">[004:158] Nay, God raised him up unto Himself; and God is Exalted in Power, Wise;-</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><span style="color: red;"> </span><span style="color: black;"> </span>Also, here is what Prophet Muhammad (S) said about the Jews and Christians concerning the scriptures:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;"><span style=""> </span></span>Narrated Ubaidullah: <span style="color: green;">"Ibn 'Abbas said, "Why do you ask the people of the scripture about anything while your Book (Quran) which has been revealed to Allah's Apostle is newer and the latest? You read it pure, undistorted and unchanged, <b><u>and Allah has told you that the people of the scripture (Jews and Christians) changed their scripture and distorted it, and wrote the scripture with their own hands</u></b> and said, 'It is from Allah,' to sell it for a little gain. Does not the knowledge which has come to you prevent you from asking them about anything? No, by Allah, we have never seen any man from them asking you regarding what has been revealed to you!" </span><span style="color: blue;">(Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Holding Fast to the Qur'an and Sunnah, Volume 9, Book 92, Number 461)</span><span style="color: green;">" </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;"><span style=""> </span></span><span style="color: black;">The Holy Qur'an confirms the previous revelations (see Sura 5:48) , and it came with a twofold purpose, after the corruption of the previous revelations: <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;">1) To Confirm the true and original Message<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;">2) To guard it, or act as a check to its interpretation<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;">(Source: The Qur'an: Text, Translation, and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Footnote# 759)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">The Muslims only agree with the parts of the Bible, that agree with the Holy Qur'an. The Holy Qur'an also tells us that there are some who wrote books which they called God's word, and trafficked it for miserable gains!</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;">[002:079] Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, <u>and then say:"This is from God," <b>to traffic with it for miserable price</b>!- Woe to them for what their hands do write, and for the gain they make thereby.</u></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">And,</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;"><b><u>[004:044] Hast thou not turned Thy vision to those who were given a portion of the Book? they traffic in error,</u></b> and wish that ye should lose the right path</span>. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Now, let us proceed with Farooq Ibrahim's article.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><strong><span style="">He Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><span style=""> </span> </span><b><i>Are there claims in the Quran and Injeel that they contain the written words of God?</i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Next area of importance for me was if God has spoken to us through messengers, has this message been written down? Being a Muslim, I believed this of the Quran. Nevertheless, I checked the Quran to see what claims it makes regarding this.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>This Quran is not such as can be produced by other than Allah; on the contrary it is a confirmation of (revelations) that went before it, and a fuller explanation of the Book - wherein there is no doubt - from the Lord of the worlds. Or do they say, "He forged it"? say: "Bring then a Sura like unto it, and call (to your aid) anyone you can besides Allah, if it be ye speak the truth!"</i> Surah 10:37-38</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Hence not only does the Quran make the claim that it is from Allah, but also challenges others to create a Surah of similar caliber. What surprised me though was that Allah states he has inspired other books – which implied these previous scriptures were written down. Therefore the Quran does acknowledge other written scriptures as can be seen below.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>O ye who believe! Believe in Allah and His Apostle, and the scripture which He hath sent to His Apostle and the scripture which He sent to those before (him). Any who denieth Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Apostles, and the Day of Judgement, hath gone far, far astray -</i> Surah 4:136</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">When I started checking the Injeel, it claims that all written scripture, has been inspired by God.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>"...and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."</i> 2 Timothy 3:15-17</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">When looking specifically at the Injeel I found Isa claimed that his word is God’s word. In addition, he said that God’s word will be brought to the memory of the apostles, which are written in the Injeel.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>"...and the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me."</i> John 14:24</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>"But the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you."</i> John 14:26</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">My understanding was Mohammad had received revelation from Allah and that was directly made part of the Quran, while the other Scriptures were similar to the Hadith (Mohammad’s words or deeds), as it contained historical facts and quotes from other than Allah. But from the study of the Quran and Injeel, I was surprised that all scriptures have been written down and are from God, regardless of the format, whether in direct command form as most of the Quran is or multiple forms as in the Injeel and the Jewish scripture.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><big><strong><span style="">My Response:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><span style=""> </span> </span><span style="color: red;">[004:136] O ye who believe! Believe in God and His Apostle, and the scripture which He hath sent to His Apostle and the scripture which He sent to those before (him). Any who denieth God, His angels, His Books, His Apostles, and the Day of Judgment, hath gone far, far astray. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""> <span style="color: black;"> </span>No Muslim should deny that Allah SWT revealed the Torah to Moses, and no Muslim should deny that Jesus was given the Gospel. The Holy Qur'an, although says that the previous revelations have suffered corruption, that doesn't mean we wont recognize that there is still truth in it. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><big><big><big><strong><span style="">He Wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></big></big></big></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><b><i>Is there support in the Quran or Injeel that the written scriptures are or can be corrupted?</i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">This was an area of much discussion that I used to have with Christians. In the past, I understood from Muslim teachers that Allah had guaranteed to protect the Quran from human tampering, but the protection of the other Scriptures were given to Jews and Christians and that they had corrupted it. So I started again checking into the Quran regarding this topic, and it became very clear that Allah says that no one can change the words of God.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>"There is none that can alter the words of Allah.</i>" Surah 6:34</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>"No change can there be in the words of Allah."</i> Surah 10:64</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">The question was do the above ayahs restrict the protection only to the Quran? It became clear that this protection included the previous scriptures since Allah makes no distinction among them from Surah 3:84. But what about the Muslim teachers that kept telling me the Injeel and the Torah are corrupted. Where was that in the Quran? I kept looking and only found this type of teaching that says some Jews and Christians were hiding what was in their books. Note the following ayah:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>"O people of the Book! There hath come to you our Messenger, revealing to you much that ye used to hide in the Book, and passing over much (that is now unnecessary): There hath come to you from Allah a (new) light and a perspicuous Book,"</i> Surah 5:15</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">I was very disappointed. I was looking for the strong claim to corruption that I had been taught. But the above ayah does not claim that the Jewish or Christian scriptures are corrupted, only that the Christians and Jews were hiding things from the Muslims and that God has now revealed them in the Quran. I continued to look further, but did not find much to support corruption. Though, I was surprised to find that the Quran supports the authority of the Injeel by commanding the Christians to judge by what they have in their scripture. That is, from what they currently posses with them – which implied these are not corrupted, else Allah would not ask them to judge by it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>"We sent Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come before him. We sent him the Gospel... Let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah hath revealed therein, if any do fail to judge by the light of what Allah hath revealed, they are (no better than) those who rebel..."</i> Surah 5:46-47</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">So, I turned my attention to see what was being said about corruption in the Injeel. Were perhaps the Jewish scriptures corrupted? Looking at the Injeel, it claims all Jewish and Christian scriptures will stand, even if heaven and earth pass away.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished."</i> Matthew 5:17-18</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Note also the reference by Prophet David to God’s word and their relation to heaven and earth in the Psalms (Zabur),</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations; You established the earth, and it stands. They stand this day according to Your ordinances, For all things are Your servants.</i> Psalm 119:89-91</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; text-align: justify;">Further, Isa who speaks God’s word says the same about his words in the Injeel.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><i>"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away."</i> Matthew 24:35</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">At this point, I was satisfied that the Quran and Injeel clearly state that the words of God will stand.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong><big><big><span style="">My Response:<o:p></o:p></span></big></big></strong></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">First of all, Sura 6:34, was cut off, here is the full Ayat:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;">[006:034] Rejected were the apostles before thee: with patience and constancy they bore their rejection and their wrongs, until Our aid did reach them: there is none that can alter the words (and decrees) of God. Already hast thou received some account of those apostles.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Here is the Tafsir of Sura 6:34, since it is evident that the verse has been taken out of context:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Verily, (many) Messengers were denied before you, but with patience they bore the denial, and they were hurt, till Our help reached them,) This comforts the Prophet's concern for those who denied and rejected him. Allah also commands the Prophet to be patient, just as the mighty Messengers before him were. He also promised him victory, just as the previous Messengers were victorious and the good end was theirs, after the denial and harm their people placed on them. Then, victory came to them in this life, just as victory is theirs in the Hereafter. Allah said, </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Traditional Arabic";">[<span dir="rtl" lang="AR-SA">????? ????????? ??????????? ???????</span><span dir="ltr"></span>]</span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(and none can alter the Words of Allah.) <b><u>This refers to His decision that victory in this life and the Hereafter is for His believing servants. Allah said in other Ayat, </u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Traditional Arabic";">[<span dir="rtl" lang="AR-SA">???????? ???????? ??????????? ???????????? ?????????????? - ????????? ?????? ?????????????? - ??????? ???????? ?????? ?????????????</span><span dir="ltr"></span> ]</span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(And, verily, Our Word has gone forth of old for Our servants, the Messengers. That they verily would be made triumphant. And that Our hosts, they verily would be the victors.) [37:171-173], and,</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: <u><span style="color: blue;">http://www.tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=6&tid=15292</span></u> ) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">And here is the full Ayat of Sura 10:64;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;">[010:064] For them are glad tidings, in the life of the present and in the Hereafter; no change can there be in the words of God. This is indeed the supreme felicity.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">And here is the Tafsir:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Verily, those who say: "Our Lord is Allah (alone),'' and then they stand straight and firm, on them the angels will descend (at the time of their death) (saying): "Fear not, nor grieve! But receive the glad tidings of Paradise which you have been promised! We have been your friends in the life of this world and are (so) in the Hereafter. Therein you shall have (all) that your souls desire, and therein you shall have (all) for which you ask. An entertainment from (Allah), the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'') (41:30-32) In the Hadith narrated by Al-Bara', the Prophet said: </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span dir="rtl" style="font-family: "Traditional Arabic";" lang="AR-SA">????? ??????????? ????? ???????? ???????? ??????? ??????????? ????? ?????????? ????? ?????????? ?????????:???????? ?????????? ???????? ???????????? ????? ?????? ??????????? ?????? ?????? ?????????? ?????????? ???? ?????? ????? ??????? ??????????? ???? ???? ?????????</span><span dir="ltr">»</span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(When death approaches the believer, angels with white faces and white clothes come to him and say: "O good soul! Come out to comfort and provision and a Lord who is not angry.'' The soul then comes out of his mouth like a drop of water pouring out of a water skin.) Their good news in the Hereafter is as Allah said: </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Traditional Arabic";">[<span dir="rtl" lang="AR-SA">??? ???????????? ????????? ??????????? ???????????????? ?????????????? ?????? ?????????? ??????? ??????? ??????????</span><span dir="ltr"></span> ]</span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(The greatest terror (on the Day of Resurrection) will not grieve them, and the angels will meet them, (with the greeting:) "This is your Day which you were promised.'') (21:103), and, </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Traditional Arabic";">[<span dir="rtl" lang="AR-SA">?????? ????? ?????????????? ???????????????? ??????? ???????? ?????? ??????????? ???????????????? ??????????? ????????? ???????? ??????? ??? ????????? ???????????? ?????????? ?????? ?????? ???? ????????? ??????????</span><span dir="ltr"></span> ]</span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(On the Day you shall see the believing men and the believing women -- their light running forward before them and by their right hands. Glad tidings for you this Day! Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever! Truly, this is the great success!)(57:12) Allah then said: </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Traditional Arabic";">[<span dir="rtl" lang="AR-SA">??? ????????? ??????????? ???????</span><span dir="ltr"></span>]</span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(No change can there be in the Words of Allah.)<b> meaning, this promise doesn't change or breach or fall short. It is decreed and firm, and going to happen undoubtedly</b>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">(Source: <u><span style="color: blue;">http://www.tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=10&tid=23001</span></u> )</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Earlier above, I showed in the Holy Qur'an where it says the Bible is corrupted, so that has already been dealt with. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Matthew 5:17-18 talks about Jesus fulfilling the Law, so we wont even bother with that, Psalms 119:89-91 says that God's word is settled in heaven, and that is pretty much self-explanatory, but let's go to Matthew 24:35. Now, it is important to note that Jesus taught the oneness of God:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style=""> </span><span style="color: blue;">And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments [is], Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: (Mark 12:29) <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Similarly, the Quran says:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;">[002:163] And your God is One God: There is no god but He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">Jesus said there is a Day of Judgement;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: blue;">But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment. Mat 12:36<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;">The Holy Qur'an says:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;">[003:025] How then will it be with them, when we shall gather them together at the day of judgement, of which there is no doubt; and every soul shall be paid that which it hath gained, neither shall they be treated unjustly? </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Jesus said, to fear God:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: blue;">"Be afraid of the ONE who can destroy both body and soul in hell" Mat 10:28<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: black;">The Qur'an tells us to fear God:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;">[002:002] This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear God;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;">[002:206] When it is said to him, "Fear God", He is led by arrogance to (more) crime. Enough for him is Hell;-An evil bed indeed (To lie on)! </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">But most importantly, Jesus taught the Oneness of God. He told everyone that there is only one LORD,<span style=""> </span>Jesus never called himself God, and Allah SWT says in the Holy Qur'an;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><span style="color: red;">[005:116] And behold! God will say: "O Jesus the son of Mary! Didst thou say unto men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of God'?" He will say: "<b><u>Glory to Thee! never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my heart, Thou I know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden.</u></b></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">So Jesus words did not pass away, his teachings are still here in the Holy Qur'an!<br /></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in;">next..<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0