Dr.Tarig Al Swaidan discovered some verses in the Holy Qur'an that mention one thing is equal to another, i.e. men are equal to women.Although this makes sense grammatically, the astonishing fact is that the number of times the word man appears in the Qur'an is 24 and number of times the word woman appears is also 24, therefore not only is this phrase correct in the grammatical sense but also true mathematically, i.e. 24 = 24.Upon further analysis of various verses, he discovered that this is consistent throughout the whole Qur'an, where it says one thing is like another. See below for astonishing result of the words mentioned number of times in Arabic Qur'an:
Dunia (one name for life) 115. Aakhirat (one name for the life after this world) 115
Malaika (Angels) 88 . Shayteen (Satan) 88
Life 145 .... Death 145
Benefit 50 . Corrupt 50
People 50 .. Messengers 50
Eblees (king of devils) 11 . Seek refuge from Eblees 11
Museebah (calamity) 75 . Thanks 75
Spending (Sadaqah) 73 . Satisfaction 73
People who are mislead 17 . Dead people 17
Muslimeen 41 . Jihad 41
Gold 8 . Easy life 8
Magic 60 . Fitnah (dissuasion, misleading) 60
Zakat (Taxes Muslims pay to the poor) 32 . Barakah (Increasing or blessings of wealth) 32
Mind 49 . Noor (light) 49
Tongue 25 . Sermon 25
Desite 8 . Fear 8
Speaking publicly 18 . Publicising 18
Hardship 114 .... Patience 114
Muhammed 4 . Sharee'ah (Islamic Law) 4
Man 24. Woman 24
And amazingly enough have a look how many times the following words appear:
Salah 5 (prayers is 5 times a day), Month 12, Day 365,
Sea 32, Land 13 Sea + land = 32+13= 45 Sea = 32/45*100=71.11111111% Land = 13/45*100 = 28.88888889% Sea + land =100.00% Modern science has only recently proven that the water covers 71.111% of the earth, while the land covers 28.889%.Is this a coincidence?
Blogger Comment:
My simple law of coincidence is "Too much coincidences equal no coincidence". With all the miracles of Quran add to them these mathematical findings you find it unbelievable to be a predetermined or coincident in part of Muhammad. The first is why he would not let people know at that time of these mathematical findings and if coincident it will be statistically impossible to find after you finish a book or novel you wrote these coincidences. We will be asked in the day of judgements of our faith in the Quran. We have only few answers we are arrogant enough not to consider it, we are evil enough to deny it or we submit to God and accept it. In that day there are only three possibilities read the Quran and you will recognize them.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Quran: A Teacher to Modern Scientists
From: www.jannah.org
Ours is an era of space probes, computer chips, laser surgeries and cloning. If we were to label any book as a revelation from God, we couldn't help but to scrutinize this Scripture using modern scientific knowledge. It could not be that a revelation, proclaiming itself from God, could constitute aspects contradicting established scientific facts. How could we assume otherwise, when God is the one who created the universe and the laws operating within it.
The Quran was revealed 1400 years ago to the last Prophet of God, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a guidance for all humanity. The entire Quran has been committed to memory by millions of Muslims around the world and has been preserved by God from any interpolations, for continuing guidance. Although the Quran is a religious book with a total of about 6600 plus verses dealing with many aspects of a person's life, about 1000 of those verses are of scientific nature, none contradicting established scientific facts.
Dr. T.V.N. Persaud [1], professor of Anatomy, says: "You have an illiterate person (Prophet Muhammad) making profound statements that are amazingly accurate, of a scientific nature...I personally can't see how this could be mere chance, there are too many accuracies and like Dr. Moore, I have no difficulty in my mind reconciling that this is a divine inspiration or revelation which lead him to these statements".
Besides providing guidelines in personal, social, moral and spiritual spheres of humanity, the Quran touches upon diverse scientific topics like astronomy, geology, embryology, genetics, biology, archeology etc. Some of these are mentioned below to prove the Quran's Divine origin.
The Big Bang !
Currently, the Big Bang model of the origin of the universe is the cosmological paradigm most widely accepted by astronomers. It holds that about 15 billion years ago the universe began with the explosive expansion of a single, extremely dense matter, the primordial mass. Only after the development of radio telescopes in 1937 that, the necessary observational precision was achieved in order for astronomers to arrive at the above conclusion. What does the Quran say about our universe's origin?
"Do not the unbelievers see that the Heavens and the earth were joined together, then We split them apart." (21:30)
Expanding Universe
In 1925, Edwin Hubble (after whom the Hubble Space telescope is named) provided the observational evidence for the expansion of the universe. Stephen Hawking (author of 'A Brief History of Time') states: "The universe is not static, as had previously been thought, it is expanding". So what did God reveal in the Quran, 1400 years ago?
"And the firmament, We constructed with power and skill and verily We are expanding it" (51:47) ("We" is the Arabic plural of respect, not the Christian plural of 'trinity")
The Existence of Sun's Orbit
Ancient people use to believe that the Sun revolves around the earth. Later, Nicholas Copernicus in 1512, laid his Heliocentric Theory of Planetary motion, which placed the sun motionless in the center of the solar system with all the planets revolving around it. Modern science tells us now that the sun too is not still, but is in motion.
The sun traveling at roughly 150 miles per second takes about 200 million years to complete one revolution around the center of our Milky Way Galaxy and 25 days to make one complete rotation around its own axis. See how beautifully and accurately God revealed this phenomenon in the Quran:
"It is He who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon, all (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its orbit with its own motion." (21:33)
Conquest of Space by Human
Human exploration and the conquest of space began with the launching of the Russian Satellite, Sputnik I on Oct. 4, 1957. Then followed the launching of humans into space, which eventually led to a manned space flight to the Moon on July 20th, 1967. Thus the dream of humanity since the dawn of civilization to go beyond the earth to the heavens was realized.
The Quran, 1400 years ago, clearly predicted human's advancement and the possibility of space flight.
"O assembly of Jinns and humans, if you can penetrate the regions of the heavens and the earth, then penetrate them! You will not penetrate them save with a power (of God)." (55:33)
The Protective Atmosphere
Earth is constantly bombarded by meteoroids that disintegrate upon the atmosphere and by lethal rays emitted by the sun. This UV radiation is absorbed by the Ozone layer forming the outer fringe of our atmosphere. Thus our atmosphere along with its Ozone layer is a protective covering for us. Life possibly could not have existed without it. How meticulously, does our Lord sustain and protect us against this atmospheric destruction.
"And We have made the atmosphere a protective roof, yet do they turn away from the Signs which these things point to." (21:32)
Embryology
The Dutch naturalist Anthony van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) produced lenses powerful enough to prove that many tiny creatures are not spontaneously generated but are produced from eggs. The science of Embryology as we know it today did not discover many of the detailed aspects of human embryonic development until the 1970s, using powerful microscopes, ultra sound and fiber optics technology. See how the Quran described the stages of embryonic development.
"God fashioned man from a small quantity (of sperm)" (16:4) Fertilization takes place with only one sperm among several tens of million produced by man.
"Then We placed him as a drop in a place of rest" (23:13) Implantation of the blastocyst in the uterus.
"Then We made the drop into a leech like structure..." (23:14) This resemblance of the human embryo to a leech is an appropriate description of the human embryo from days 7-24, when it clings to the endometrium of the uterus.
"And He (God) gave you hearing and sight and feeling and understanding." (32:9) The internal ears appear before the eyes, and the brain (the sight of understanding) differentiates last.
Dr. E. Marshall Johnson [2] Professor of Anatomy, concluded after studying verses from Quran: "The Quran describes not only the development of external form but emphasizes also the internal stages - the stages inside the embryo of its creation and development, emphasizing major events recognized by contemporary science... so I see nothing in conflict with the concept that divine intervention was involved..."
Gender Determination
The concept of "Gender Determination" as being described by geneticists, is one of the outstanding informations revealed to us in the Quran. This information is now a known fact, that sperms are the deciding factors in determining the type of gender (male or female) in the new embryo. This determination through the male sperm is due to the fact that sperms have an X and Y chromosomes, while the female ovum has only X Chromosomes (X, X). Through the Quran, The Almighty informs us that it is the male sperms that determine the type of gender for the new offspring:
"Does man think that he will be left uncontrolled (without purpose)? Was he not a drop of sperm emitted (in humble form)? Then did (God) make and fashion (him) in due proportion. And of him He made two sexes, male and female..." (75:36-40)
Existence of Pairs in All Creation
Before the dawn of the modern era, humans conceived that only animal life was divided into two genders, male and female. Then the discovery was made that this phenomenon was present in plants and vegetation too. We have found this reality existing in every creation, animate as well as inanimate, though in different forms. In electricity, these two genders can be classified as positive and negative. North and south pole describe it in magnetism, electron and proton in atoms, matter and antimatter etc. Even bacteria could be positive or negative, while the truth is, this creation is made of pairs. At the time the Holy Quran was being revealed in the 7th century C.E., we knew of pairing in animals and plants only, but the Quran describes the phenomenon in the most lucid manner:
"Hallowed is He, Who created pairs in all things, those that grow from the earth and of themselves, and what they know not." (36:36)
The Quranic statement:
"...And what they know not" is as true today, as it was when Holy Quran was revealed. Though we have discovered that every created thing exists in pair, we have yet to discover many things that exist.
We have expounded scientific marvels from the Holy Quran to convince sincere seekers of truth that it is the infallible Word of God. No mortal being can ever speak with such authority, finality, knowledge, perfection, and precision coupled with exotic beauties of expression, as does God in the Quran.
By realizing these Truths about the Quran and the religion of Islam revealed by our Creator and Sustainer, many modern scientists are turning towards it.
Dr. Keith Moore [3], Professor of Embryology, after analyzing the verses of the Quran for three years comments: "It has been a pleasure for me to help clarify statements in the Quran about Human Development. It is clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad from God or Allah because almost all of this knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later"
Dr. Maurice Bucaille [4], French Physician, after studying Quran and comparing it with modern science, addressed the French Academy of Medicine in 1976 proclaimed: "Our knowledge of these disciplines is such, that it is impossible to explain how a text produced at the time of the Quran could have contained ideas that have only been discovered in modern times".
Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson [5], Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, proclaims: "...These Hadiths (sayings of Muhammad) could not have been obtained on the basis of the scientific knowledge that was available at the time of the writer (7th century)...It follows that not only is there no conflict between genetics and religion (Islam) but in fact religion (Islam) may guide science by adding revelation to some of the traditional scientific approaches... There exist statements in the Quran shown centuries later to be valid which support knowledge in the Quran having been derived from God".
Dr. Tejatet Tejasen [6], Professor of Anatomy, attending the Eighth Saudi Medical Conference, stood up and likewise announced: "From my studies and what I have learnt at this conference, I believe that everything that has been recorded in the Quran 1400 years ago must be true. That can be proved the scientific way".
These men of knowledge, in their unbiased studies of the Quran, all proclaimed its truthfulness as a Revelation of Almighty God.
"Soon we will show them Our Signs in the (furthest) regions (of the earth) and in their own soul, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth..." (41:53)
Guidance to humanity proclaimed in the Quran is complete and applicable to all societies and all times. Whether we are living in the Stone Age or the Space Age, riding in horse pulled carriages or flying in Space Shuttles, we haven't changed a bit. We still possess physical and emotional desires, we live in societies, interact with one another, establish social, political and economic systems; thus the relevant need for guidance by our Creator in all these spheres of our life. Islam is the only religion which is totally compatible with scientific facts and provides complete, explicit and clear guidance in all spheres of life.
The Quran was revealed in Arabic, but translation of its meaning are available in English and other languages for non-Arabs. Likewise Islam is not restricted to people of the east or Arabs, it is a universal religion revealed for all of mankind.
We invite all sincere humans to study Islam with an open mind. Don't blindly follow the whims and paganistic influences of the environment around us. God bestowed upon us this superb mind to seek and live the truth; for we all will be accountable on the Day of Judgment for our beliefs and deeds. Don't delay your salvation. Welcome to Islam!
References:
1) Dr. T.V.N. Persaud, Professor and Head of the Department of Anatomy, University of Manitoba, Canada, received in 1991 the most distinguished award presented in the field of Anatomy in Canada, the J.C.B. Grand Award.
2) Dr. E. Marshall Johnson, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, and the Director of the Daniel Baugh Institute, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA
3) Dr. Keith Moore, Professor of Embryology, Department of Anatomy, Univ. of Toronto, Canada, recipient of numerous awards and honors, including in 1984, the J.C.B. Grand Award, which is the highest honor granted by the Canadian Association of Anatomists.
4) Dr. Maurice Bucaille, French Physician, Author of 'The Bible, the Quran and Science, Seghers, Paris, 1987.
5) Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, and the President of the American Fertility Society.
6) Dr. Tejatet Tejasen, Professor and Head of Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chiang, Thailand
Suggested Readings
1. The Holy Quran Abdullah Yusuf Ali (trans.) 2. The Life of Muhammad By Hayykal 3. Towards Understanding Islam By Abul Ala Maududi 4. Jesus: A Prophet of Islam. By. M. Ataur Rahim 5. The Bible, The Quran and Science By Maurice Bucaille
Ours is an era of space probes, computer chips, laser surgeries and cloning. If we were to label any book as a revelation from God, we couldn't help but to scrutinize this Scripture using modern scientific knowledge. It could not be that a revelation, proclaiming itself from God, could constitute aspects contradicting established scientific facts. How could we assume otherwise, when God is the one who created the universe and the laws operating within it.
The Quran was revealed 1400 years ago to the last Prophet of God, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a guidance for all humanity. The entire Quran has been committed to memory by millions of Muslims around the world and has been preserved by God from any interpolations, for continuing guidance. Although the Quran is a religious book with a total of about 6600 plus verses dealing with many aspects of a person's life, about 1000 of those verses are of scientific nature, none contradicting established scientific facts.
Dr. T.V.N. Persaud [1], professor of Anatomy, says: "You have an illiterate person (Prophet Muhammad) making profound statements that are amazingly accurate, of a scientific nature...I personally can't see how this could be mere chance, there are too many accuracies and like Dr. Moore, I have no difficulty in my mind reconciling that this is a divine inspiration or revelation which lead him to these statements".
Besides providing guidelines in personal, social, moral and spiritual spheres of humanity, the Quran touches upon diverse scientific topics like astronomy, geology, embryology, genetics, biology, archeology etc. Some of these are mentioned below to prove the Quran's Divine origin.
The Big Bang !
Currently, the Big Bang model of the origin of the universe is the cosmological paradigm most widely accepted by astronomers. It holds that about 15 billion years ago the universe began with the explosive expansion of a single, extremely dense matter, the primordial mass. Only after the development of radio telescopes in 1937 that, the necessary observational precision was achieved in order for astronomers to arrive at the above conclusion. What does the Quran say about our universe's origin?
"Do not the unbelievers see that the Heavens and the earth were joined together, then We split them apart." (21:30)
Expanding Universe
In 1925, Edwin Hubble (after whom the Hubble Space telescope is named) provided the observational evidence for the expansion of the universe. Stephen Hawking (author of 'A Brief History of Time') states: "The universe is not static, as had previously been thought, it is expanding". So what did God reveal in the Quran, 1400 years ago?
"And the firmament, We constructed with power and skill and verily We are expanding it" (51:47) ("We" is the Arabic plural of respect, not the Christian plural of 'trinity")
The Existence of Sun's Orbit
Ancient people use to believe that the Sun revolves around the earth. Later, Nicholas Copernicus in 1512, laid his Heliocentric Theory of Planetary motion, which placed the sun motionless in the center of the solar system with all the planets revolving around it. Modern science tells us now that the sun too is not still, but is in motion.
The sun traveling at roughly 150 miles per second takes about 200 million years to complete one revolution around the center of our Milky Way Galaxy and 25 days to make one complete rotation around its own axis. See how beautifully and accurately God revealed this phenomenon in the Quran:
"It is He who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon, all (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its orbit with its own motion." (21:33)
Conquest of Space by Human
Human exploration and the conquest of space began with the launching of the Russian Satellite, Sputnik I on Oct. 4, 1957. Then followed the launching of humans into space, which eventually led to a manned space flight to the Moon on July 20th, 1967. Thus the dream of humanity since the dawn of civilization to go beyond the earth to the heavens was realized.
The Quran, 1400 years ago, clearly predicted human's advancement and the possibility of space flight.
"O assembly of Jinns and humans, if you can penetrate the regions of the heavens and the earth, then penetrate them! You will not penetrate them save with a power (of God)." (55:33)
The Protective Atmosphere
Earth is constantly bombarded by meteoroids that disintegrate upon the atmosphere and by lethal rays emitted by the sun. This UV radiation is absorbed by the Ozone layer forming the outer fringe of our atmosphere. Thus our atmosphere along with its Ozone layer is a protective covering for us. Life possibly could not have existed without it. How meticulously, does our Lord sustain and protect us against this atmospheric destruction.
"And We have made the atmosphere a protective roof, yet do they turn away from the Signs which these things point to." (21:32)
Embryology
The Dutch naturalist Anthony van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) produced lenses powerful enough to prove that many tiny creatures are not spontaneously generated but are produced from eggs. The science of Embryology as we know it today did not discover many of the detailed aspects of human embryonic development until the 1970s, using powerful microscopes, ultra sound and fiber optics technology. See how the Quran described the stages of embryonic development.
"God fashioned man from a small quantity (of sperm)" (16:4) Fertilization takes place with only one sperm among several tens of million produced by man.
"Then We placed him as a drop in a place of rest" (23:13) Implantation of the blastocyst in the uterus.
"Then We made the drop into a leech like structure..." (23:14) This resemblance of the human embryo to a leech is an appropriate description of the human embryo from days 7-24, when it clings to the endometrium of the uterus.
"And He (God) gave you hearing and sight and feeling and understanding." (32:9) The internal ears appear before the eyes, and the brain (the sight of understanding) differentiates last.
Dr. E. Marshall Johnson [2] Professor of Anatomy, concluded after studying verses from Quran: "The Quran describes not only the development of external form but emphasizes also the internal stages - the stages inside the embryo of its creation and development, emphasizing major events recognized by contemporary science... so I see nothing in conflict with the concept that divine intervention was involved..."
Gender Determination
The concept of "Gender Determination" as being described by geneticists, is one of the outstanding informations revealed to us in the Quran. This information is now a known fact, that sperms are the deciding factors in determining the type of gender (male or female) in the new embryo. This determination through the male sperm is due to the fact that sperms have an X and Y chromosomes, while the female ovum has only X Chromosomes (X, X). Through the Quran, The Almighty informs us that it is the male sperms that determine the type of gender for the new offspring:
"Does man think that he will be left uncontrolled (without purpose)? Was he not a drop of sperm emitted (in humble form)? Then did (God) make and fashion (him) in due proportion. And of him He made two sexes, male and female..." (75:36-40)
Existence of Pairs in All Creation
Before the dawn of the modern era, humans conceived that only animal life was divided into two genders, male and female. Then the discovery was made that this phenomenon was present in plants and vegetation too. We have found this reality existing in every creation, animate as well as inanimate, though in different forms. In electricity, these two genders can be classified as positive and negative. North and south pole describe it in magnetism, electron and proton in atoms, matter and antimatter etc. Even bacteria could be positive or negative, while the truth is, this creation is made of pairs. At the time the Holy Quran was being revealed in the 7th century C.E., we knew of pairing in animals and plants only, but the Quran describes the phenomenon in the most lucid manner:
"Hallowed is He, Who created pairs in all things, those that grow from the earth and of themselves, and what they know not." (36:36)
The Quranic statement:
"...And what they know not" is as true today, as it was when Holy Quran was revealed. Though we have discovered that every created thing exists in pair, we have yet to discover many things that exist.
We have expounded scientific marvels from the Holy Quran to convince sincere seekers of truth that it is the infallible Word of God. No mortal being can ever speak with such authority, finality, knowledge, perfection, and precision coupled with exotic beauties of expression, as does God in the Quran.
By realizing these Truths about the Quran and the religion of Islam revealed by our Creator and Sustainer, many modern scientists are turning towards it.
Dr. Keith Moore [3], Professor of Embryology, after analyzing the verses of the Quran for three years comments: "It has been a pleasure for me to help clarify statements in the Quran about Human Development. It is clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad from God or Allah because almost all of this knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later"
Dr. Maurice Bucaille [4], French Physician, after studying Quran and comparing it with modern science, addressed the French Academy of Medicine in 1976 proclaimed: "Our knowledge of these disciplines is such, that it is impossible to explain how a text produced at the time of the Quran could have contained ideas that have only been discovered in modern times".
Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson [5], Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, proclaims: "...These Hadiths (sayings of Muhammad) could not have been obtained on the basis of the scientific knowledge that was available at the time of the writer (7th century)...It follows that not only is there no conflict between genetics and religion (Islam) but in fact religion (Islam) may guide science by adding revelation to some of the traditional scientific approaches... There exist statements in the Quran shown centuries later to be valid which support knowledge in the Quran having been derived from God".
Dr. Tejatet Tejasen [6], Professor of Anatomy, attending the Eighth Saudi Medical Conference, stood up and likewise announced: "From my studies and what I have learnt at this conference, I believe that everything that has been recorded in the Quran 1400 years ago must be true. That can be proved the scientific way".
These men of knowledge, in their unbiased studies of the Quran, all proclaimed its truthfulness as a Revelation of Almighty God.
"Soon we will show them Our Signs in the (furthest) regions (of the earth) and in their own soul, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth..." (41:53)
Guidance to humanity proclaimed in the Quran is complete and applicable to all societies and all times. Whether we are living in the Stone Age or the Space Age, riding in horse pulled carriages or flying in Space Shuttles, we haven't changed a bit. We still possess physical and emotional desires, we live in societies, interact with one another, establish social, political and economic systems; thus the relevant need for guidance by our Creator in all these spheres of our life. Islam is the only religion which is totally compatible with scientific facts and provides complete, explicit and clear guidance in all spheres of life.
The Quran was revealed in Arabic, but translation of its meaning are available in English and other languages for non-Arabs. Likewise Islam is not restricted to people of the east or Arabs, it is a universal religion revealed for all of mankind.
We invite all sincere humans to study Islam with an open mind. Don't blindly follow the whims and paganistic influences of the environment around us. God bestowed upon us this superb mind to seek and live the truth; for we all will be accountable on the Day of Judgment for our beliefs and deeds. Don't delay your salvation. Welcome to Islam!
References:
1) Dr. T.V.N. Persaud, Professor and Head of the Department of Anatomy, University of Manitoba, Canada, received in 1991 the most distinguished award presented in the field of Anatomy in Canada, the J.C.B. Grand Award.
2) Dr. E. Marshall Johnson, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, and the Director of the Daniel Baugh Institute, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA
3) Dr. Keith Moore, Professor of Embryology, Department of Anatomy, Univ. of Toronto, Canada, recipient of numerous awards and honors, including in 1984, the J.C.B. Grand Award, which is the highest honor granted by the Canadian Association of Anatomists.
4) Dr. Maurice Bucaille, French Physician, Author of 'The Bible, the Quran and Science, Seghers, Paris, 1987.
5) Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, and the President of the American Fertility Society.
6) Dr. Tejatet Tejasen, Professor and Head of Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chiang, Thailand
Suggested Readings
1. The Holy Quran Abdullah Yusuf Ali (trans.) 2. The Life of Muhammad By Hayykal 3. Towards Understanding Islam By Abul Ala Maududi 4. Jesus: A Prophet of Islam. By. M. Ataur Rahim 5. The Bible, The Quran and Science By Maurice Bucaille
Saturday, April 28, 2007
The US and Iran are near a dialogue.
From: www.dailystar.com
By David Ignatius Daily Star senior writer Saturday, April 28, 2007
Sometimes big developments are hidden in plain sight, and that appears to be the case with Iran and the United States. The two countries have moved over the past year from mutual isolation to the edge of serious diplomatic discussions. The Bush administration is aggressively signaling that it wants such a dialogue. But the Iranians, who seem convinced they have the upper hand, are being coy. They still seem unsure whether Iran's national interests are best served by a deepening confrontation with America, or by a policy of engagement.
The decisions the Iranian leadership makes over the next several weeks about diplomatic strategy will shape their future, as well as that of the Middle East. Given the stakes, it's likely that whatever decision they make will initially be hedged - not quite engagement, or not quite rejection. As in a commercial transaction in Tehran's covered bazaar, this negotiation won't be quick or direct.
But a process of bargaining is under way between Iran and America. That's what became clear this week, in two different diplomatic channels. And it marks a change from the isolation and intense suspicion that have prevailed for most of the 28 years since the Iranian revolution of 1979.
Iranian pragmatists who favor discussions with the US say that the diplomatic ground is now well prepared for moving forward. One Iranian official cautions that there are factions in both Washington and Tehran that favor a continuation of the stalemate, but they are not a majority. "The majority in both capitals must make a decision to go for a solution," he says.
The first diplomatic channel involves the Iranian nuclear program. Javier Solana, the European Union's top diplomat, met Wednesday and Thursday in Ankara with Ali Larijani, Iran's national security adviser. Details of the conversation are still fuzzy, but the crucial point is that they agreed to meet again in two weeks for what, in effect, will be a resumption of the so-called EU-3 talks on Iran's nuclear program.
Solana's message to Larijani was that Iran should sit down at the negotiating table before the current set of United Nations sanctions expires on May 24 and the Security Council moves to consider a tougher third round of sanctions. Solana envisions a complicated minuet, in which the Iranians would meet in mid-May with representatives of France, Britain and Germany - probably joined by Russian and Chinese diplomats. It's hoped that meeting would produce a deal - "suspension for suspension" is what the diplomats are calling it - in which UN sanctions would be lifted in exchange for an Iranian pledge to stop enriching uranium during the course of negotiations. If Solana's diplomatic dance is successful, the United States would then join the talks. http://www.dailystar.com.lb
Nobody has yet floated a formula that would actually bridge the wide US-Iranian differences over the nuclear issue, but then, that's what diplomatic negotiations are all about. Iranian officials argue privately that Solana must be given enough latitude to find a solution that's acceptable to both sides. If the talks simply restate existing positions, cautions one Iranian source, they will fail.
To reassure the Iranians, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice took the unusual step of disavowing any American plans for regime change. "It [regime change] was not the policy of the US government. The policy was to have a change in regime behavior," she said in an interview Monday in The Financial Times.
A second diplomatic channel to Iran will open next week, when Rice travels to the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for a meeting with Iraq's neighbors, including Iran and Syria. Although Iran is expected to attend, Iranian officials caution that their foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, may stay away unless the US signals that it intends to release five Iranian officials who were seized in January in the northern Iraq city of Irbil.
Rice wants bilateral meetings with Iranian and Syrian representatives at the "neighbors" meeting. And State Department officials say they hope the meeting will be the start of regular discussions with Iran and Syria about how to stabilize Iraq. In that sense, the administration is now fully ready to embrace the diplomatic recommendations of the Baker-Hamilton report.
The door is opening on the possibility of the first real US-Iranian negotiations since 1979. Both sides have to decide they want them - and to ignore the powerful voices in each capital that argue for confrontation.
Syndicated columnist David Ignatius is published regularly by THE DAILY STAR.
Blogger comment:
As Muslims our plan is not to conquer the west but to win them over. There were a lot of wrong policies and injustices against Muslims, Iranians and Arabs. We have a lot of American politicians admitting these policies and their people and the intellectuals are pushing for change in the policies. We have the right to be skeptical and we should make it clear we are skeptical. Meanwhile we should accept the hand of reconciliation. Islam forgave in the past the injustices of many of its enemies. As Muslims we should have our main plan to spread moderate Islam. The Iranians have to look beyond the past as well and to see what is in the hat of the Americans. A peaceful nuclear program is not a bad idea it is up to the Iranian people to decide. The right of existence of Israel should be acknowledge by the Iranian leaders as well the right of a Palestinian state to the Palestinians. For the spread of freedom and improving the economy of the Muslims we have to work it together in the Arab/Muslims world. For the Iraqi resistance I do not know who fight who and for what. Shia and Sunni have to know that if there is Imam Al Mahdi he would never agree of any fighting between them. The Americans have to leave Iraq soon the project was for Oil, Israel and the Saudi dynasty. Muslims are not group of idiots. Iranians have to take the lead in stabilizing Iraq and work with the Americans and Sunni Muslims to get the Americans out of the region. America is thinking they are there to protect allies like Saudi. These regimes would be toppled from inside if they would not show respect to their oppressed and poor people. They can control the media in their countries but the Internet and cell phones made the world a small village. Peaceful revolutions are good for every one. If we wait for God to interfere in our affairs a lot of people will regret it. Some people have advanced awareness, I am one of them.
By David Ignatius Daily Star senior writer Saturday, April 28, 2007
Sometimes big developments are hidden in plain sight, and that appears to be the case with Iran and the United States. The two countries have moved over the past year from mutual isolation to the edge of serious diplomatic discussions. The Bush administration is aggressively signaling that it wants such a dialogue. But the Iranians, who seem convinced they have the upper hand, are being coy. They still seem unsure whether Iran's national interests are best served by a deepening confrontation with America, or by a policy of engagement.
The decisions the Iranian leadership makes over the next several weeks about diplomatic strategy will shape their future, as well as that of the Middle East. Given the stakes, it's likely that whatever decision they make will initially be hedged - not quite engagement, or not quite rejection. As in a commercial transaction in Tehran's covered bazaar, this negotiation won't be quick or direct.
But a process of bargaining is under way between Iran and America. That's what became clear this week, in two different diplomatic channels. And it marks a change from the isolation and intense suspicion that have prevailed for most of the 28 years since the Iranian revolution of 1979.
Iranian pragmatists who favor discussions with the US say that the diplomatic ground is now well prepared for moving forward. One Iranian official cautions that there are factions in both Washington and Tehran that favor a continuation of the stalemate, but they are not a majority. "The majority in both capitals must make a decision to go for a solution," he says.
The first diplomatic channel involves the Iranian nuclear program. Javier Solana, the European Union's top diplomat, met Wednesday and Thursday in Ankara with Ali Larijani, Iran's national security adviser. Details of the conversation are still fuzzy, but the crucial point is that they agreed to meet again in two weeks for what, in effect, will be a resumption of the so-called EU-3 talks on Iran's nuclear program.
Solana's message to Larijani was that Iran should sit down at the negotiating table before the current set of United Nations sanctions expires on May 24 and the Security Council moves to consider a tougher third round of sanctions. Solana envisions a complicated minuet, in which the Iranians would meet in mid-May with representatives of France, Britain and Germany - probably joined by Russian and Chinese diplomats. It's hoped that meeting would produce a deal - "suspension for suspension" is what the diplomats are calling it - in which UN sanctions would be lifted in exchange for an Iranian pledge to stop enriching uranium during the course of negotiations. If Solana's diplomatic dance is successful, the United States would then join the talks. http://www.dailystar.com.lb
Nobody has yet floated a formula that would actually bridge the wide US-Iranian differences over the nuclear issue, but then, that's what diplomatic negotiations are all about. Iranian officials argue privately that Solana must be given enough latitude to find a solution that's acceptable to both sides. If the talks simply restate existing positions, cautions one Iranian source, they will fail.
To reassure the Iranians, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice took the unusual step of disavowing any American plans for regime change. "It [regime change] was not the policy of the US government. The policy was to have a change in regime behavior," she said in an interview Monday in The Financial Times.
A second diplomatic channel to Iran will open next week, when Rice travels to the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for a meeting with Iraq's neighbors, including Iran and Syria. Although Iran is expected to attend, Iranian officials caution that their foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, may stay away unless the US signals that it intends to release five Iranian officials who were seized in January in the northern Iraq city of Irbil.
Rice wants bilateral meetings with Iranian and Syrian representatives at the "neighbors" meeting. And State Department officials say they hope the meeting will be the start of regular discussions with Iran and Syria about how to stabilize Iraq. In that sense, the administration is now fully ready to embrace the diplomatic recommendations of the Baker-Hamilton report.
The door is opening on the possibility of the first real US-Iranian negotiations since 1979. Both sides have to decide they want them - and to ignore the powerful voices in each capital that argue for confrontation.
Syndicated columnist David Ignatius is published regularly by THE DAILY STAR.
Blogger comment:
As Muslims our plan is not to conquer the west but to win them over. There were a lot of wrong policies and injustices against Muslims, Iranians and Arabs. We have a lot of American politicians admitting these policies and their people and the intellectuals are pushing for change in the policies. We have the right to be skeptical and we should make it clear we are skeptical. Meanwhile we should accept the hand of reconciliation. Islam forgave in the past the injustices of many of its enemies. As Muslims we should have our main plan to spread moderate Islam. The Iranians have to look beyond the past as well and to see what is in the hat of the Americans. A peaceful nuclear program is not a bad idea it is up to the Iranian people to decide. The right of existence of Israel should be acknowledge by the Iranian leaders as well the right of a Palestinian state to the Palestinians. For the spread of freedom and improving the economy of the Muslims we have to work it together in the Arab/Muslims world. For the Iraqi resistance I do not know who fight who and for what. Shia and Sunni have to know that if there is Imam Al Mahdi he would never agree of any fighting between them. The Americans have to leave Iraq soon the project was for Oil, Israel and the Saudi dynasty. Muslims are not group of idiots. Iranians have to take the lead in stabilizing Iraq and work with the Americans and Sunni Muslims to get the Americans out of the region. America is thinking they are there to protect allies like Saudi. These regimes would be toppled from inside if they would not show respect to their oppressed and poor people. They can control the media in their countries but the Internet and cell phones made the world a small village. Peaceful revolutions are good for every one. If we wait for God to interfere in our affairs a lot of people will regret it. Some people have advanced awareness, I am one of them.
Yusuf Islam ... sounds a lot like Cat Stevens
From MSNBC:
‘I’m ... trying to make amends,’ says singer, who walked away 30 years ago
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Yusuf Islam, the former Cat Stevens, has quietly returned to music with a new album and concerts. And he’s sounding a lot like ... Cat Stevens.
Thirty years after the folk singer converted to Islam, changed his name and dropped out of music, calling it un-Islamic, he has picked up the guitar once more. He has reconciled pop music with his faith and wants to use it to spread a message of peace.
“When I come out now, I sound quite similar. For some people, it’s a welcome return to the sound of my voice and my music,” says Islam, who as Cat Stevens sold 60 million albums with songs like “Wild World” and “Peace Train.”
In an interview with The Associated Press, Islam said he’s trying to make amends for dropping out all those years ago — and he admits he might have hurt some feelings. He said his break might not have been as complete had the press been more understanding about his conversion to Islam, he says.
“I walked away abruptly. Perhaps that had something to do with the reaction I received from the press at the time. I was given the cold shoulder,” Islam says, smiling.
“Now it’s the opposite. I don’t feel that same hostility. People appreciate that I’m (making music again) for a really good reason: to make peace and try and make people happy.”
“For some people (my disappearance) was a deep cut. I’m in a way trying to make amends. And the great thing is, I’ve still got music in me. It’s a gift. Even I’m surprised,” he said.
A low-key comebackThe 58-year-old, dressed in a blue denim button-down shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbow, spoke in a small Dubai office that doubles as a recording studio and the offices of Jamal Records, a label he co-owns. His salt and pepper hair is cropped short and tousled, and he sports a bushy gray-black beard and close-cropped mustache in the style of a pious Muslim.
So far, Islam’s comeback has been low-key. A concert airs on BBC TV April 29, and he is considering taking part in the Live Earth concert series, to raise awareness about climate change, planned for July.
Late last year, Islam launched his first pop album since his conversion in 1977. Titled “An Other Cup,” the folksy album includes a song he first wrote in 1968, “Greenfields, Golden Sands.” The other tunes on the CD, with those familiar smooth voice and guitar chords, sound a lot like the old Cat Stevens.
As Yusuf Islam, he had previously only recorded a handful of spoken word records on Islamic topics, some with percussion.
Dubai, where the singer lives part of the year (he spends most of his time in his native London), is where Islam’s return to music took place after his son bought a guitar in 2002.
“He brings it home and there’s this guitar in the house,” Islam says with a pause and a demure smile, eyes downcast. “I looked at it and, well, we just got back together again.”
But he had already been moving back toward it, with a lot of study about the Prophet Muhammad’s attitudes toward music. He said he learned that a guitar or similar instrument was introduced to Europe by a 7th century Muslim musician who brought it from Baghdad to Muslim-ruled Spain.
“For a long time I had doubts about music. There’s a certain point of view among certain schools of thought in Islam that considers music too closely connected to hedonistic tendencies, you know, sex, drugs and rock and roll,” he says.
“But when you take it out of one context and put it in another context, which is connected to healing, spirituality, morality and family values, it’s wholesome good stuff,” he said. “That’s the kind of music the Prophet encouraged. And there’s evidence of that. So I came a long way through the study of music.”
Dubai is his safe havenIslam says he holds no grudges against U.S. immigration authorities who denied him entry into the United States in 2004 because his name appeared on a terror watch list. When he tried again in December, he got in no problem.
“It was worked out beforehand and I got a very warm welcome when I arrived that time,” he said with a chuckle. “I do believe it was some cranky mistake in their computers. Once a person’s name gets on that list nobody quite understands how to take it off. People are still suffering from that kind of thing.”
But Dubai, he says, is a safe haven from the craziness afflicting the United States. He mentioned the massacre at Virginia Tech, where a deranged student killed himself and 32 others.
“We’ve just been reading about what’s been going on in America. Can you imagine?” he says, a look of shock on his face. “There are certain comforts of living here in Dubai, the comforts of so many mosques and so much good food ... It’s just that much more secure. And may God keep it safe.”
Islam said his comeback has gotten a warm reception, and he wants to create a bridge to his old songs.
“A lot of people are nicely surprised to find it’s the same style of writing and the same melodic approach to songwriting,” he said. “A lot of my songs stand up today. They reflect the reality of my journey and my experience and my faults.”
In the concert airing on BBC, Islam was backed by a 12-piece band at London’s Porchester Hall, playing all the old hits. He did one other major gig since his hiatus, at New York’s Lincoln Center in December, to an invite-only crowd.
He said there is interest in his music now because the “tremendous conflicts that have been created by extremists” have created a longing for the peaceful sounds and positive messages of his songs, old and new.
“I don’t see it so much as a return as a fresh start. It’s a new era. Forty years have passed since my first record and times have definitely changed,” he said. “If John Lennon were alive he’d probably be singing something similar.”
Blogger comment:
Quran is a beautiful music and prophet Muhammad (PBUH) loved to hear it from beautiful voices. I encourage Islam "Cat Stevens" to sing Quran in Arabic if possible. Other Islamic songs are very likely praised and loved by God. Though love songs had met some resistance from the Islamic clergy my personal opinion is God would not mind that we enjoy romantic love songs to our wives. He made it easy for people the covenant was 10 commandments. Major sins are few extremists are sometimes inspired by Satan to make out lives miserable, one of them counted major sins as more than 50 he was correcting God (God forgive us).
‘I’m ... trying to make amends,’ says singer, who walked away 30 years ago
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Yusuf Islam, the former Cat Stevens, has quietly returned to music with a new album and concerts. And he’s sounding a lot like ... Cat Stevens.
Thirty years after the folk singer converted to Islam, changed his name and dropped out of music, calling it un-Islamic, he has picked up the guitar once more. He has reconciled pop music with his faith and wants to use it to spread a message of peace.
“When I come out now, I sound quite similar. For some people, it’s a welcome return to the sound of my voice and my music,” says Islam, who as Cat Stevens sold 60 million albums with songs like “Wild World” and “Peace Train.”
In an interview with The Associated Press, Islam said he’s trying to make amends for dropping out all those years ago — and he admits he might have hurt some feelings. He said his break might not have been as complete had the press been more understanding about his conversion to Islam, he says.
“I walked away abruptly. Perhaps that had something to do with the reaction I received from the press at the time. I was given the cold shoulder,” Islam says, smiling.
“Now it’s the opposite. I don’t feel that same hostility. People appreciate that I’m (making music again) for a really good reason: to make peace and try and make people happy.”
“For some people (my disappearance) was a deep cut. I’m in a way trying to make amends. And the great thing is, I’ve still got music in me. It’s a gift. Even I’m surprised,” he said.
A low-key comebackThe 58-year-old, dressed in a blue denim button-down shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbow, spoke in a small Dubai office that doubles as a recording studio and the offices of Jamal Records, a label he co-owns. His salt and pepper hair is cropped short and tousled, and he sports a bushy gray-black beard and close-cropped mustache in the style of a pious Muslim.
So far, Islam’s comeback has been low-key. A concert airs on BBC TV April 29, and he is considering taking part in the Live Earth concert series, to raise awareness about climate change, planned for July.
Late last year, Islam launched his first pop album since his conversion in 1977. Titled “An Other Cup,” the folksy album includes a song he first wrote in 1968, “Greenfields, Golden Sands.” The other tunes on the CD, with those familiar smooth voice and guitar chords, sound a lot like the old Cat Stevens.
As Yusuf Islam, he had previously only recorded a handful of spoken word records on Islamic topics, some with percussion.
Dubai, where the singer lives part of the year (he spends most of his time in his native London), is where Islam’s return to music took place after his son bought a guitar in 2002.
“He brings it home and there’s this guitar in the house,” Islam says with a pause and a demure smile, eyes downcast. “I looked at it and, well, we just got back together again.”
But he had already been moving back toward it, with a lot of study about the Prophet Muhammad’s attitudes toward music. He said he learned that a guitar or similar instrument was introduced to Europe by a 7th century Muslim musician who brought it from Baghdad to Muslim-ruled Spain.
“For a long time I had doubts about music. There’s a certain point of view among certain schools of thought in Islam that considers music too closely connected to hedonistic tendencies, you know, sex, drugs and rock and roll,” he says.
“But when you take it out of one context and put it in another context, which is connected to healing, spirituality, morality and family values, it’s wholesome good stuff,” he said. “That’s the kind of music the Prophet encouraged. And there’s evidence of that. So I came a long way through the study of music.”
Dubai is his safe havenIslam says he holds no grudges against U.S. immigration authorities who denied him entry into the United States in 2004 because his name appeared on a terror watch list. When he tried again in December, he got in no problem.
“It was worked out beforehand and I got a very warm welcome when I arrived that time,” he said with a chuckle. “I do believe it was some cranky mistake in their computers. Once a person’s name gets on that list nobody quite understands how to take it off. People are still suffering from that kind of thing.”
But Dubai, he says, is a safe haven from the craziness afflicting the United States. He mentioned the massacre at Virginia Tech, where a deranged student killed himself and 32 others.
“We’ve just been reading about what’s been going on in America. Can you imagine?” he says, a look of shock on his face. “There are certain comforts of living here in Dubai, the comforts of so many mosques and so much good food ... It’s just that much more secure. And may God keep it safe.”
Islam said his comeback has gotten a warm reception, and he wants to create a bridge to his old songs.
“A lot of people are nicely surprised to find it’s the same style of writing and the same melodic approach to songwriting,” he said. “A lot of my songs stand up today. They reflect the reality of my journey and my experience and my faults.”
In the concert airing on BBC, Islam was backed by a 12-piece band at London’s Porchester Hall, playing all the old hits. He did one other major gig since his hiatus, at New York’s Lincoln Center in December, to an invite-only crowd.
He said there is interest in his music now because the “tremendous conflicts that have been created by extremists” have created a longing for the peaceful sounds and positive messages of his songs, old and new.
“I don’t see it so much as a return as a fresh start. It’s a new era. Forty years have passed since my first record and times have definitely changed,” he said. “If John Lennon were alive he’d probably be singing something similar.”
Blogger comment:
Quran is a beautiful music and prophet Muhammad (PBUH) loved to hear it from beautiful voices. I encourage Islam "Cat Stevens" to sing Quran in Arabic if possible. Other Islamic songs are very likely praised and loved by God. Though love songs had met some resistance from the Islamic clergy my personal opinion is God would not mind that we enjoy romantic love songs to our wives. He made it easy for people the covenant was 10 commandments. Major sins are few extremists are sometimes inspired by Satan to make out lives miserable, one of them counted major sins as more than 50 he was correcting God (God forgive us).
Friday, April 27, 2007
Read! in the name of your Lord.
From: www.islamicity.com
By: Dr. Yahia Abdul RahmanIslamiCity* -
Muhammad a mercy to humankind.
God did confer a great favor on the believers when He sent among them an apostle from among themselves, rehearsing unto them the Signs of God, sanctifying them, and instructing them in Scripture and Wisdom, while, before that, they had been in manifest error. Quran 3:164
One of the most important aspects of our faith is to understand, deeply love and most closely emulate the character of the Prophet Muhammad. This aspect of our faith is manifested when we pronounce Shahada. It consists of two inseparable parts: That God is one and that Prophet Muhammad is His last Prophet and Messenger.
Unfortunately we find that emulating the Prophet stops at trying to emulate the outward appearance of his image; i.e. the way he looked without focusing on the way he behaved as he applied the Quran to his character and his way of living. Many of us, especially those who are in the role of leaders and Imams of the Muslims do not put enough emphasis on educating the masses on expressing his or her love of the Prophet by emulating his character.
It is He Who created the Night and the Day, and the sun and the moon: all (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its rounded course. Quran 33:21
Michael Hart, in his book " The 100: A Ranking Of The Most Influential Persons In History: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History " chose Muhammad to be at the top of his list followed by Newton and Jesus. He states: "He was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both religious and secular levels."
The spread of Islam.
Within 100 years this evolution of the Islamic System and model community started by the Prophet Muhammad over shadowed the long established Persian "Sassanian" and the Byzantine Empires.
Islam swept through Iran and Iraq to Bukhara, Uzbekistan in the east then to China and many other Asian lands, to Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt and then North Africa to the West, to Spain, and many European lands.
Before Prophet Muhammad , people of Arabia lived as nomads and their most recognized business was Poetry and trading. In 100 years Baghdad became the center of the Civilized World.
In a world that existed over 1,400 years ago with no radio, no TV and no radio & TV correspondents, no telephone and cellular phones, no fax machines, no copiers, no e-mail, no internet and other facilities we enjoy today how did Islam spread so rapidly? What was the Secret? Why was the Prophet and his trained successors and followers so successful in capturing people's imagination and propelled them as leaders of the world?
Islamic renaissances of the past.
We need to remember and never forget that Islamic transformation, which was started in the age of the press, ensuring the preservation of the Quran at all times, opened up new unexplored opportunities for the human race:
It brought the age of democracy and freedom of speech to the world, and
It helped make new discoveries possible in the world of science enabling man to use his most valuable gift, the mind and intellect, to seek religious truth and explore scientific phenomena to raise the standard and quality of life for all people.
Casualties in military expeditions.
Research on the evolution of the Islamic System and Community under the leadership of Prophet Muhammad that changed the course of world history was achieved at the cost of 1018 lives over a period of 23 years! Here are some facts to ponder:
Number of Military Defense Expeditions: 80, the Prophet participated in about 27 of them and a small number did not even involve any fighting.
Number of Muslims who died in battle 259.
Number of non-Muslims - mostly pagans - was 759.
Contemporary Muslim writers and speakers point with pride to the fact that this number is dwarfed by:
The 13 million who died during the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the 20 million killed by Stalin,
The thousands who were killed in the French Revolution and the Thousands who died in the American Civil war
Thousands killed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
We Muslims like these comparisons because it gratifies our pride. However, there is another comparison that many of us, Muslims, are silent about. That is the number of people who died in Islamic liberation efforts over the years and what was achieved? Of course no one wants the pain of such an admonishing fact but it is important to educate ourselves about this issue. Following are some facts to reflect on.
The 20th Century has seen grand "Islamic" revolutionary movements, great "holy wars" in the Muslim world. Here is the cost:
Two and a half million dead in the Algerian War of Liberation and independence
500,000 killed in the independence struggle of East Pakistan - now Bangladesh,
10 million lives lost in the formation of the Muslim state of Pakistan.
Several Million people have died for Islam in Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Yemen and various other countries.
Islam emphasizes that peace and justice are of paramount importance for humanity.
Quran 8:61 But if they incline to peace, incline thou to it as well, and place thy trust in God: verily, He alone is all-hearing, all-knowing!
Quran 5:8 - O ye who believe! stand out firmly for God, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear God. For God is well-acquainted with all that ye do.
And for all these sacrifices very little was realized!
At the cost of 1018 lives, the revolution that was started during the time of Prophet Muhammad sparked a renaissance that changed the world. While the "Islamic" movements of modern times have yielded little achievement.
At the age of 40 the Prophet was commissioned to become the final prophet and messenger of God. Through Muhammad God convoyed his final and complete message that included all the prior messages to mankind in the Holy Quran. The divine message that Muhammad was asked to promote was at a time when Arabia was drenched in uncivilized practices and despair. e.g.
The rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer and slavery was the order of the day,
The most fertile lands and border settlements of Arabia was occupied by the Byzantine / Romans and by the Persian Sassanid's, and
The Kaabaa - the first house ever built to worship and glorify Allah - God - was full of over 370 idols.
God could have revealed to Prophet Muhammad:
Ya Muhammad - Start a social revolution by which assets are taken from the rich and given to the poor....but He almighty, did not do that!
Ya Muhammad - prepare a popular uprising to liberate the lands of Arabia from the occupiers ...did He do that? The answer is no!
Ya Muhammad - start a military campaign and fight the unbelieving pagans in order to recapture the Kaabaa and clean it out of the idols ... did he do that? The answer is no!
Read! in the name of your Lord
We all know what the first word of the revelation of the Quran was: "Iqr'aa" (READ!). This aspect of the Quran that encourages us to acquire knowledge, inspired the early Muslims to excel in all aspects of social and scientific fields.
Today if we analyze the reading habits and education among Muslims, following are some facts:
Muslims cannot read because over 70% of the 1.2 billion - we boast about are illiterate.
Muslims who know how to read, do not read! We do not educate ourselves.
There are 57 member-countries of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), and all of them put together have around 500 universities; one university for every three million Muslims. The United States has 5,758 universities and India has 8,407. In 2004, Shanghai Jiao Tong University compiled an 'Academic Ranking of World Universities', and not one university from Muslim-majority states was in the top 500.
Some 98 per cent of the 'literates' in the Christian world had completed primary school, while less than 50 per cent of the 'literates' in the Muslim world did the same. Around 40 per cent of the 'literates' in the Christian world attended university while no more than two per cent of the 'literates' in the Muslim world did the same.
Muslim-majority countries have 230 scientists per one million Muslims. The US has 4,000 scientists per million and Japan has 5,000 per million. In the entire Arab world, the total number of full-time researchers is 35,000 and there are only 50 technicians per one million Arabs (in the Christian world there are up to 1,000 technicians per one million). Furthermore, the Muslim world spends 0.2 per cent of its GDP on research and development, while the Christian world spends around five per cent of its GDP.
Oil rich Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait and Qatar collectively produce goods and services (mostly oil) worth $500 billion; Spain alone produces goods and services worth over $1 trillion, Catholic Poland $489 billion and Buddhist Thailand $545 billion (Muslim GDP as a percentage of world GDP is fast declining).
The average number of books published per million in the Arab world is approximately 30 (0.7%), compared to about 212 in the US and 584 in Europe.
The average number of copies printed of a "best seller book" - outside the Holy Quran is, 7000 to 10,000 copies compared to almost 225,000 copies sold in one week for Mrs. Clinton Book and over 2.5 million of Harry Potter sold in one night.
Daily newspapers per 1,000 people and number of book titles per million are two indicators of whether knowledge is being diffused in a society. In Pakistan, there are 23 daily newspapers per 1,000 Pakistanis while the same ratio in Singapore is 360. In the UK, the number of book titles per million stands at 2,000 while the same in Egypt is 20.
As for the Arab world: the average Arab reads %2 hour per year or the equivalent of % page per year as compared to the average American at 11 books per year and the average British at 7 books per year!
In conclusion, the Muslim world urgently needs to increase its capacity to produce, diffuse, and apply knowledge.
Even though the above statistics show a bleak picture, there are several initiatives in progress that give me hope: "Muslims are gradually rediscovering the importance of education. I am sincerely optimistic about the future because what is being done today and was done in the past 40 years is yielding positive results that, God-willing, will change not only the fortunes of the Muslims in America but all of humanity."
In the end I would like to remind my self, my family and each one of us - especially the mothers - let us PLEASE put our children in the habit of reading from the youngest age possible.
Adapted from a Friday sermon delivered by Dr. Yahia Abdul Rahman at the Culver City Mosque in California.
Over the last few decades Dr. Yahia has led a distinguished career in the world of banking and finance. In 1987, he founded the American Finance House - LARIBA in Pasadena, California. Specializing in interest-free lending.
For over a generation, Dr. Yahia has educated Muslims and non-Muslims alike on how the integration of the divine teaching of Islam into our lives provides the greatest of benefits and blessings.
By: Dr. Yahia Abdul RahmanIslamiCity* -
Muhammad a mercy to humankind.
God did confer a great favor on the believers when He sent among them an apostle from among themselves, rehearsing unto them the Signs of God, sanctifying them, and instructing them in Scripture and Wisdom, while, before that, they had been in manifest error. Quran 3:164
One of the most important aspects of our faith is to understand, deeply love and most closely emulate the character of the Prophet Muhammad. This aspect of our faith is manifested when we pronounce Shahada. It consists of two inseparable parts: That God is one and that Prophet Muhammad is His last Prophet and Messenger.
Unfortunately we find that emulating the Prophet stops at trying to emulate the outward appearance of his image; i.e. the way he looked without focusing on the way he behaved as he applied the Quran to his character and his way of living. Many of us, especially those who are in the role of leaders and Imams of the Muslims do not put enough emphasis on educating the masses on expressing his or her love of the Prophet by emulating his character.
It is He Who created the Night and the Day, and the sun and the moon: all (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its rounded course. Quran 33:21
Michael Hart, in his book " The 100: A Ranking Of The Most Influential Persons In History: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History " chose Muhammad to be at the top of his list followed by Newton and Jesus. He states: "He was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both religious and secular levels."
The spread of Islam.
Within 100 years this evolution of the Islamic System and model community started by the Prophet Muhammad over shadowed the long established Persian "Sassanian" and the Byzantine Empires.
Islam swept through Iran and Iraq to Bukhara, Uzbekistan in the east then to China and many other Asian lands, to Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt and then North Africa to the West, to Spain, and many European lands.
Before Prophet Muhammad , people of Arabia lived as nomads and their most recognized business was Poetry and trading. In 100 years Baghdad became the center of the Civilized World.
In a world that existed over 1,400 years ago with no radio, no TV and no radio & TV correspondents, no telephone and cellular phones, no fax machines, no copiers, no e-mail, no internet and other facilities we enjoy today how did Islam spread so rapidly? What was the Secret? Why was the Prophet and his trained successors and followers so successful in capturing people's imagination and propelled them as leaders of the world?
Islamic renaissances of the past.
We need to remember and never forget that Islamic transformation, which was started in the age of the press, ensuring the preservation of the Quran at all times, opened up new unexplored opportunities for the human race:
It brought the age of democracy and freedom of speech to the world, and
It helped make new discoveries possible in the world of science enabling man to use his most valuable gift, the mind and intellect, to seek religious truth and explore scientific phenomena to raise the standard and quality of life for all people.
Casualties in military expeditions.
Research on the evolution of the Islamic System and Community under the leadership of Prophet Muhammad that changed the course of world history was achieved at the cost of 1018 lives over a period of 23 years! Here are some facts to ponder:
Number of Military Defense Expeditions: 80, the Prophet participated in about 27 of them and a small number did not even involve any fighting.
Number of Muslims who died in battle 259.
Number of non-Muslims - mostly pagans - was 759.
Contemporary Muslim writers and speakers point with pride to the fact that this number is dwarfed by:
The 13 million who died during the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the 20 million killed by Stalin,
The thousands who were killed in the French Revolution and the Thousands who died in the American Civil war
Thousands killed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
We Muslims like these comparisons because it gratifies our pride. However, there is another comparison that many of us, Muslims, are silent about. That is the number of people who died in Islamic liberation efforts over the years and what was achieved? Of course no one wants the pain of such an admonishing fact but it is important to educate ourselves about this issue. Following are some facts to reflect on.
The 20th Century has seen grand "Islamic" revolutionary movements, great "holy wars" in the Muslim world. Here is the cost:
Two and a half million dead in the Algerian War of Liberation and independence
500,000 killed in the independence struggle of East Pakistan - now Bangladesh,
10 million lives lost in the formation of the Muslim state of Pakistan.
Several Million people have died for Islam in Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Yemen and various other countries.
Islam emphasizes that peace and justice are of paramount importance for humanity.
Quran 8:61 But if they incline to peace, incline thou to it as well, and place thy trust in God: verily, He alone is all-hearing, all-knowing!
Quran 5:8 - O ye who believe! stand out firmly for God, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear God. For God is well-acquainted with all that ye do.
And for all these sacrifices very little was realized!
At the cost of 1018 lives, the revolution that was started during the time of Prophet Muhammad sparked a renaissance that changed the world. While the "Islamic" movements of modern times have yielded little achievement.
At the age of 40 the Prophet was commissioned to become the final prophet and messenger of God. Through Muhammad God convoyed his final and complete message that included all the prior messages to mankind in the Holy Quran. The divine message that Muhammad was asked to promote was at a time when Arabia was drenched in uncivilized practices and despair. e.g.
The rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer and slavery was the order of the day,
The most fertile lands and border settlements of Arabia was occupied by the Byzantine / Romans and by the Persian Sassanid's, and
The Kaabaa - the first house ever built to worship and glorify Allah - God - was full of over 370 idols.
God could have revealed to Prophet Muhammad:
Ya Muhammad - Start a social revolution by which assets are taken from the rich and given to the poor....but He almighty, did not do that!
Ya Muhammad - prepare a popular uprising to liberate the lands of Arabia from the occupiers ...did He do that? The answer is no!
Ya Muhammad - start a military campaign and fight the unbelieving pagans in order to recapture the Kaabaa and clean it out of the idols ... did he do that? The answer is no!
Read! in the name of your Lord
We all know what the first word of the revelation of the Quran was: "Iqr'aa" (READ!). This aspect of the Quran that encourages us to acquire knowledge, inspired the early Muslims to excel in all aspects of social and scientific fields.
Today if we analyze the reading habits and education among Muslims, following are some facts:
Muslims cannot read because over 70% of the 1.2 billion - we boast about are illiterate.
Muslims who know how to read, do not read! We do not educate ourselves.
There are 57 member-countries of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), and all of them put together have around 500 universities; one university for every three million Muslims. The United States has 5,758 universities and India has 8,407. In 2004, Shanghai Jiao Tong University compiled an 'Academic Ranking of World Universities', and not one university from Muslim-majority states was in the top 500.
Some 98 per cent of the 'literates' in the Christian world had completed primary school, while less than 50 per cent of the 'literates' in the Muslim world did the same. Around 40 per cent of the 'literates' in the Christian world attended university while no more than two per cent of the 'literates' in the Muslim world did the same.
Muslim-majority countries have 230 scientists per one million Muslims. The US has 4,000 scientists per million and Japan has 5,000 per million. In the entire Arab world, the total number of full-time researchers is 35,000 and there are only 50 technicians per one million Arabs (in the Christian world there are up to 1,000 technicians per one million). Furthermore, the Muslim world spends 0.2 per cent of its GDP on research and development, while the Christian world spends around five per cent of its GDP.
Oil rich Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait and Qatar collectively produce goods and services (mostly oil) worth $500 billion; Spain alone produces goods and services worth over $1 trillion, Catholic Poland $489 billion and Buddhist Thailand $545 billion (Muslim GDP as a percentage of world GDP is fast declining).
The average number of books published per million in the Arab world is approximately 30 (0.7%), compared to about 212 in the US and 584 in Europe.
The average number of copies printed of a "best seller book" - outside the Holy Quran is, 7000 to 10,000 copies compared to almost 225,000 copies sold in one week for Mrs. Clinton Book and over 2.5 million of Harry Potter sold in one night.
Daily newspapers per 1,000 people and number of book titles per million are two indicators of whether knowledge is being diffused in a society. In Pakistan, there are 23 daily newspapers per 1,000 Pakistanis while the same ratio in Singapore is 360. In the UK, the number of book titles per million stands at 2,000 while the same in Egypt is 20.
As for the Arab world: the average Arab reads %2 hour per year or the equivalent of % page per year as compared to the average American at 11 books per year and the average British at 7 books per year!
In conclusion, the Muslim world urgently needs to increase its capacity to produce, diffuse, and apply knowledge.
Even though the above statistics show a bleak picture, there are several initiatives in progress that give me hope: "Muslims are gradually rediscovering the importance of education. I am sincerely optimistic about the future because what is being done today and was done in the past 40 years is yielding positive results that, God-willing, will change not only the fortunes of the Muslims in America but all of humanity."
In the end I would like to remind my self, my family and each one of us - especially the mothers - let us PLEASE put our children in the habit of reading from the youngest age possible.
Adapted from a Friday sermon delivered by Dr. Yahia Abdul Rahman at the Culver City Mosque in California.
Over the last few decades Dr. Yahia has led a distinguished career in the world of banking and finance. In 1987, he founded the American Finance House - LARIBA in Pasadena, California. Specializing in interest-free lending.
For over a generation, Dr. Yahia has educated Muslims and non-Muslims alike on how the integration of the divine teaching of Islam into our lives provides the greatest of benefits and blessings.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Why Islam Did Spread Fast And Stayed Long?
By: Maged Taman
The straight answer to this question is: because it is real. The more sophisticated one will encompass multiple reasons. We always learn that life and even religion is not that simple:
1- The reality of Islam: It is very reasonable attitude for humans to be suspicious and critical. Islam to a lot of Arabs and even non-Arabs is like a trade. Do you really want to pay to buy certain goods. Do you really want to spend a lot of time, effort and endurance for a true or false deal. Thus most people even who inherited the religion runs it well in their mind: Is it real or not.
2- Fulfillment: the fulfillment in Islam is related to the spirituality of the religion and the materialistic fulfillment. You can easily have it both ways.
3- The integration of life: Islam not only cause Muslims to live as better individuals and more holy but integrate them as a loving community.
4- Living along non-Muslims: Like a good Jew when he will be in any community he will be looked at as the champ of equality, justice and human rights. Good Muslims are fare people who would require equality and justice for all.
5- Honesty and transparency: unlike the Arab leaders now who plays politics in the dark. They promise their people justice and democracy and does every thing in the dark to get more control and greed over their people rights and wealth.
6- Clean and pure life: people whatever their background if they would to live a pure and clean life they would feel rested, calm and happy. You give up a little materialism for a lot of spiritual gain and peaceful life.
7- Islam believes in social classes: Though the best of us for God is the best in fear to God, Islam accepted the reality that we can not be all equal. For example in marriage Islam prefer you to marry from your same socio-economic level as an individual. But as a group Islam help us to tighten the gap between the rich and poor and teach us that best of us who has the best manners particularly with people who are weaker or less fortunate than him. For non-Muslims Islam did not break the rich or more affluent or the people. Even when they turn into Islam. The religion acknowledges the presence of classes. But it makes people look more beyond the classes. There is no social war in Islam.
8- God forgiveness for sinners: as in other major religions sins can drag man to hell and meanwhile no one can be so desperate that God would never forgive his sins whatever great they are. Thus religion particularly Islam has always an open door to sinners. Meanwhile it is against organized sinning. This is a community that all indulge into sins. Organized sin or overwhelming sin equates to God organized wrath and overwhelming wrath.
9- Religion comes before personalities: For Muhammad (PBUH) the worst of hypocrites and unbelievers who were against him he never had a personal revenge against any of them. A lot of them became very good Muslims. They simply found it is something very different and it is not about the victory of Islam but about getting God word to all people and liberate all people from all kinds of tyranny. If you find tyrants or evil leaders in Islamic history it does mean that humanity has its evil even from any religion.
10- The leaders of Muslims as models: in early Islam were more pious and devotee to their religion. People looked at them as new breed of people. Most people looked seriously and studied seriously their religion. It is like the Gospel or good news of Jesus. There is God he connected again with another human (Muhammad) through his angel Gabriel. He is not a liar and not crazy. It is an astonishing story but more believable than an elephant that was an ant or the thousands of species that came from one atom or single cell.
11- Removing all forms of oppression: there is no compulsion in religion. Simply God wants us to go to him with our complete mental and spiritual will, There is no middle man in Islam you respect Imams but all your relation with God is one on one. There is no oppression of women, workers, minorities, foreigners.... Islam means that you submit to God but in the same time you liberate your brain and soul. You do not become under the oppression of sins, people, governments, religious institutions,... It means you live with freedom and dignity more a life of worshiping, awareness and wisdom.
The straight answer to this question is: because it is real. The more sophisticated one will encompass multiple reasons. We always learn that life and even religion is not that simple:
1- The reality of Islam: It is very reasonable attitude for humans to be suspicious and critical. Islam to a lot of Arabs and even non-Arabs is like a trade. Do you really want to pay to buy certain goods. Do you really want to spend a lot of time, effort and endurance for a true or false deal. Thus most people even who inherited the religion runs it well in their mind: Is it real or not.
2- Fulfillment: the fulfillment in Islam is related to the spirituality of the religion and the materialistic fulfillment. You can easily have it both ways.
3- The integration of life: Islam not only cause Muslims to live as better individuals and more holy but integrate them as a loving community.
4- Living along non-Muslims: Like a good Jew when he will be in any community he will be looked at as the champ of equality, justice and human rights. Good Muslims are fare people who would require equality and justice for all.
5- Honesty and transparency: unlike the Arab leaders now who plays politics in the dark. They promise their people justice and democracy and does every thing in the dark to get more control and greed over their people rights and wealth.
6- Clean and pure life: people whatever their background if they would to live a pure and clean life they would feel rested, calm and happy. You give up a little materialism for a lot of spiritual gain and peaceful life.
7- Islam believes in social classes: Though the best of us for God is the best in fear to God, Islam accepted the reality that we can not be all equal. For example in marriage Islam prefer you to marry from your same socio-economic level as an individual. But as a group Islam help us to tighten the gap between the rich and poor and teach us that best of us who has the best manners particularly with people who are weaker or less fortunate than him. For non-Muslims Islam did not break the rich or more affluent or the people. Even when they turn into Islam. The religion acknowledges the presence of classes. But it makes people look more beyond the classes. There is no social war in Islam.
8- God forgiveness for sinners: as in other major religions sins can drag man to hell and meanwhile no one can be so desperate that God would never forgive his sins whatever great they are. Thus religion particularly Islam has always an open door to sinners. Meanwhile it is against organized sinning. This is a community that all indulge into sins. Organized sin or overwhelming sin equates to God organized wrath and overwhelming wrath.
9- Religion comes before personalities: For Muhammad (PBUH) the worst of hypocrites and unbelievers who were against him he never had a personal revenge against any of them. A lot of them became very good Muslims. They simply found it is something very different and it is not about the victory of Islam but about getting God word to all people and liberate all people from all kinds of tyranny. If you find tyrants or evil leaders in Islamic history it does mean that humanity has its evil even from any religion.
10- The leaders of Muslims as models: in early Islam were more pious and devotee to their religion. People looked at them as new breed of people. Most people looked seriously and studied seriously their religion. It is like the Gospel or good news of Jesus. There is God he connected again with another human (Muhammad) through his angel Gabriel. He is not a liar and not crazy. It is an astonishing story but more believable than an elephant that was an ant or the thousands of species that came from one atom or single cell.
11- Removing all forms of oppression: there is no compulsion in religion. Simply God wants us to go to him with our complete mental and spiritual will, There is no middle man in Islam you respect Imams but all your relation with God is one on one. There is no oppression of women, workers, minorities, foreigners.... Islam means that you submit to God but in the same time you liberate your brain and soul. You do not become under the oppression of sins, people, governments, religious institutions,... It means you live with freedom and dignity more a life of worshiping, awareness and wisdom.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Lail (Night) Sura 21 verses.
92:1 CONSIDER the night as it veils [the earth] in darkness,
وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى (92:1)
92:2 and the day as it rises bright!
وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّى (92:2)
92:3 Consider the creation of the male and the female!
وَمَا خَلَقَ الذَّكَرَ وَالْأُنثَى (92:3)
92:4 Verily, [O men,] you aim at most divergent ends!
إِنَّ سَعْيَكُمْ لَشَتَّى (92:4)
92:5 Thus, as for him who gives [to others] and is conscious of God,
فَأَمَّا مَن أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى (92:5)
92:6 and believes in the truth of the ultimate good
وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَى (92:6)
92:7 for him shall We make easy the path towards [ultimate] ease.
فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَى (92:7)
92:8 But as for him who is niggardly, and thinks that he is self-sufficient,
وَأَمَّا مَن بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَى (92:8)
92:9 and calls the ultimate good a lie –
وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى (92:9)
92:10 for him shall We make easy the path towards hardship:
فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى (92:10)
92:11 and what will his wealth avail him when he goes down [to his grave]?
وَمَا يُغْنِي عَنْهُ مَالُهُ إِذَا تَرَدَّى (92:11)
92:12 BEHOLD, it is indeed for Us to grace [you] with guidance;
إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا لَلْهُدَى (92:12)
92:13 and, behold, Ours is [the dominion over] the life to come as well as [over] this earlier part [of your life]:
وَإِنَّ لَنَا لَلْآخِرَةَ وَالْأُولَى (92:13)
92:14 and so I warn you of the raging fire -
فَأَنذَرْتُكُمْ نَارًا تَلَظَّى (92:14)
92:15 [the fire] which none shall have to endure but that most hapless wretch
لَا يَصْلَاهَا إِلَّا الْأَشْقَى (92:15)
92:16 who gives the lie to the truth and turns away [from it].
الَّذِي كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّى (92:16)
92:17 For, distant from it shall remain he who is truly conscious of God:
وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا الْأَتْقَى (92:17)
92:18 he that spends his possessions [on others] so that he might grow in purity –
الَّذِي يُؤْتِي مَالَهُ يَتَزَكَّى (92:18)
92:19 not as payment for favours received,
وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِندَهُ مِن نِّعْمَةٍ تُجْزَى (92:19)
92:20 but only out of a longing for the countenance of his Sustainer, the All-Highest:
إِلَّا ابْتِغَاء وَجْهِ رَبِّهِ الْأَعْلَى (92:20)
92:21 and such, indeed, shall in time be well-pleased.
وَلَسَوْفَ يَرْضَى (92:21)
Blogger comment:
Verses again are simple and self explanatory. God swears by the most evident of his creation the day and night and humans male and female. He swears that we go in divergent way and he compared that who believed and did the good deeds and that he became arrogant disbelieved, turned the other way. For the first God will let him to the path of ease and for the second the path of hardship. Then he explain this hardship as a hellfire that waits for the first and is away form the second. He promised the second who grow his money through spending on poor by avoiding the hell and in fact he will be pleased. God could have mentioned in the verses the reward of heaven but if God says he shall be pleased the promise is very likely very high.
Those people who think the Quran is disconnect or shapeless either do not go deep in meanings or do not try to find the connection of the verses. The speaker is not Muhammad (PBUH) but God he is talking more to us than to him in these verses. Muhammad sayings as in Hadith is like my writings it is human and he speaks to the Muslims with no personal glory or trying to attain linguistic glory like the Quran does. Muhammad was inspired by the theme of his sayings by God but in Muhammad own words. If Muhammad was the author of the Quran unintentionally some of the sayings will have close resemblance to the Quran which has not been found.
وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى (92:1)
92:2 and the day as it rises bright!
وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّى (92:2)
92:3 Consider the creation of the male and the female!
وَمَا خَلَقَ الذَّكَرَ وَالْأُنثَى (92:3)
92:4 Verily, [O men,] you aim at most divergent ends!
إِنَّ سَعْيَكُمْ لَشَتَّى (92:4)
92:5 Thus, as for him who gives [to others] and is conscious of God,
فَأَمَّا مَن أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى (92:5)
92:6 and believes in the truth of the ultimate good
وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَى (92:6)
92:7 for him shall We make easy the path towards [ultimate] ease.
فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَى (92:7)
92:8 But as for him who is niggardly, and thinks that he is self-sufficient,
وَأَمَّا مَن بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَى (92:8)
92:9 and calls the ultimate good a lie –
وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى (92:9)
92:10 for him shall We make easy the path towards hardship:
فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى (92:10)
92:11 and what will his wealth avail him when he goes down [to his grave]?
وَمَا يُغْنِي عَنْهُ مَالُهُ إِذَا تَرَدَّى (92:11)
92:12 BEHOLD, it is indeed for Us to grace [you] with guidance;
إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا لَلْهُدَى (92:12)
92:13 and, behold, Ours is [the dominion over] the life to come as well as [over] this earlier part [of your life]:
وَإِنَّ لَنَا لَلْآخِرَةَ وَالْأُولَى (92:13)
92:14 and so I warn you of the raging fire -
فَأَنذَرْتُكُمْ نَارًا تَلَظَّى (92:14)
92:15 [the fire] which none shall have to endure but that most hapless wretch
لَا يَصْلَاهَا إِلَّا الْأَشْقَى (92:15)
92:16 who gives the lie to the truth and turns away [from it].
الَّذِي كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّى (92:16)
92:17 For, distant from it shall remain he who is truly conscious of God:
وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا الْأَتْقَى (92:17)
92:18 he that spends his possessions [on others] so that he might grow in purity –
الَّذِي يُؤْتِي مَالَهُ يَتَزَكَّى (92:18)
92:19 not as payment for favours received,
وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِندَهُ مِن نِّعْمَةٍ تُجْزَى (92:19)
92:20 but only out of a longing for the countenance of his Sustainer, the All-Highest:
إِلَّا ابْتِغَاء وَجْهِ رَبِّهِ الْأَعْلَى (92:20)
92:21 and such, indeed, shall in time be well-pleased.
وَلَسَوْفَ يَرْضَى (92:21)
Blogger comment:
Verses again are simple and self explanatory. God swears by the most evident of his creation the day and night and humans male and female. He swears that we go in divergent way and he compared that who believed and did the good deeds and that he became arrogant disbelieved, turned the other way. For the first God will let him to the path of ease and for the second the path of hardship. Then he explain this hardship as a hellfire that waits for the first and is away form the second. He promised the second who grow his money through spending on poor by avoiding the hell and in fact he will be pleased. God could have mentioned in the verses the reward of heaven but if God says he shall be pleased the promise is very likely very high.
Those people who think the Quran is disconnect or shapeless either do not go deep in meanings or do not try to find the connection of the verses. The speaker is not Muhammad (PBUH) but God he is talking more to us than to him in these verses. Muhammad sayings as in Hadith is like my writings it is human and he speaks to the Muslims with no personal glory or trying to attain linguistic glory like the Quran does. Muhammad was inspired by the theme of his sayings by God but in Muhammad own words. If Muhammad was the author of the Quran unintentionally some of the sayings will have close resemblance to the Quran which has not been found.
Friday, April 20, 2007
HOW TO BECOME A MUSLIM
From: www.freequran.org
If anyone has a real desire to be a Muslim and has full conviction and strong belief that Islam is the true religion ordained by Allah for all human-beings, then, one should pronounce the "Shahada", the testimony of faith, without further delay. The Shahada can be declared as follows:"ASH-HADU ANLA ELAHA ILLA-ALLAHWA ASH-HADU ANNA MOHAMMADAN RASUL-ALLAH".The English translation is:"I bear witness that there is no deity (none truly to be worshipped) but, Allah, and I bear witness that Mohammad is the messenger of Allah",
However, it would not be sufficient for anyone to only utter this testimony orally either in private or in public; but rather, he should believe in it by heart with a firm conviction and unshakeable faith. If one is truly sincere and complies with the teachings of Islam in all his life, he will find himself a new born person.
This will move him to strive more and more to improve his character and draw nearer to perfection. The light of the living faith will fill his heart until he becomes the embodiment of that faith.
What would be next after declaring oneself a Muslim? One should then know the real concept underlying this testimony which means the Oneness of Allah and meet its requirements. One must behave accordingly, applying this true faith to every thing one speaks or does.
What do the words of the "Shahada" signify? The significant point which every Muslim must know very well is the truth that there is no God (deity) to be worshipped other than Allah. He - glory be to Him - is the only true God, Who alone deserves to be worshipped, since He is the Giver of life and Sustainer and Nourisher of mankind and all creation with His unlimited bounties. Man must worship Allah, Who alone is worthy of worship.
The second part of the Shahada (i.e., Wa ash-hadu anna Mohammadan rasul-Allah) means that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) is the servant and chosen messenger of Allah. No one must have two opinions about this matter. In fact the Muslim has to obey the commands of the Prophet (PBUH), to believe him in what he has said, to practice his teachings, to avoid what he has forbidden, and to worship Allah alone according to the message revealed to him, for all the teachings of the Prophet were in fact revelations and inspirations conveyed to him by Allah.
What is the meaning of worship? It simply means rendering sincere service, showing reverence for Allah. In a deeper shade of meaning, it implies total submission and complete obedience to Allah's commandments both in utterances and actions of man whether explicit or implicit.Worship fall into two categories:
Visible (manifest or outward)
Invisible (concealed or inward)
Visible worship includes acts such as uttering the two parts of the "Shahada", performing prayers, giving Zakah (the poor-due), recitation of the Holy Qur'an, supplication, adoring Allah by praising Him, purifying our bodies before prayers, etc.
This type of worship is associated with movement of the parts of the human body.Invisible worship is to believe in Allah, in the Day of Judgment (in the Hereafter), in the Angels, in the Books of Allah, in the Prophets of Allah, in the Divine Decree of destiny (that good and bad are determined by Allah alone).
This type of worship does not involve movement of parts of the body but it surely has bearing on one's heart which subsequently affects one's way of life.
It should be borne in mind that any worship not dedicated to Allah alone will be rejected as one form of polytheism and this causes apostasy from the Islamic fold.
The next step for a newly revert to Islam is to purify himself by taking a complete bath. He should then resolve to comply with the principles and rules of Islam in their entirety. He should disown all forms of polytheism and false beliefs. He should reject evil and be righteous. Such rejection of evil and being righteous is one of the exquisites of the motto of Islam - that is, Laa Ilaha Illallah.Allah states in the Holy Qur'an:"... whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy Hand-hold, that never breaks..." (Qur'an 2:256).We have to consider that when we declare from our heart that "there is no god (deity) worthy to be worshipped but Allah", it implies on our part love, devotion, faith and obedience to the rules of Islamic legislations which are legally binding on all Muslims. It is a requirement of "there is no god worthy to be worshipped but Allah" to love for the sake of Allah and to reject for the sake of Allah.We conclude with a humble prayer to Allah that may He cleanse the hearts and souls of those who are genuine seekers of truth and may He bless the community of believers. Aameen.
The Message International: P.O. Box 50336 , Staten Island , NY 10305 , USA
Toll Free: 1877-AL-ISLAM Tel: 718-448-2004 Fax: 718-874-1384
If anyone has a real desire to be a Muslim and has full conviction and strong belief that Islam is the true religion ordained by Allah for all human-beings, then, one should pronounce the "Shahada", the testimony of faith, without further delay. The Shahada can be declared as follows:"ASH-HADU ANLA ELAHA ILLA-ALLAHWA ASH-HADU ANNA MOHAMMADAN RASUL-ALLAH".The English translation is:"I bear witness that there is no deity (none truly to be worshipped) but, Allah, and I bear witness that Mohammad is the messenger of Allah",
However, it would not be sufficient for anyone to only utter this testimony orally either in private or in public; but rather, he should believe in it by heart with a firm conviction and unshakeable faith. If one is truly sincere and complies with the teachings of Islam in all his life, he will find himself a new born person.
This will move him to strive more and more to improve his character and draw nearer to perfection. The light of the living faith will fill his heart until he becomes the embodiment of that faith.
What would be next after declaring oneself a Muslim? One should then know the real concept underlying this testimony which means the Oneness of Allah and meet its requirements. One must behave accordingly, applying this true faith to every thing one speaks or does.
What do the words of the "Shahada" signify? The significant point which every Muslim must know very well is the truth that there is no God (deity) to be worshipped other than Allah. He - glory be to Him - is the only true God, Who alone deserves to be worshipped, since He is the Giver of life and Sustainer and Nourisher of mankind and all creation with His unlimited bounties. Man must worship Allah, Who alone is worthy of worship.
The second part of the Shahada (i.e., Wa ash-hadu anna Mohammadan rasul-Allah) means that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) is the servant and chosen messenger of Allah. No one must have two opinions about this matter. In fact the Muslim has to obey the commands of the Prophet (PBUH), to believe him in what he has said, to practice his teachings, to avoid what he has forbidden, and to worship Allah alone according to the message revealed to him, for all the teachings of the Prophet were in fact revelations and inspirations conveyed to him by Allah.
What is the meaning of worship? It simply means rendering sincere service, showing reverence for Allah. In a deeper shade of meaning, it implies total submission and complete obedience to Allah's commandments both in utterances and actions of man whether explicit or implicit.Worship fall into two categories:
Visible (manifest or outward)
Invisible (concealed or inward)
Visible worship includes acts such as uttering the two parts of the "Shahada", performing prayers, giving Zakah (the poor-due), recitation of the Holy Qur'an, supplication, adoring Allah by praising Him, purifying our bodies before prayers, etc.
This type of worship is associated with movement of the parts of the human body.Invisible worship is to believe in Allah, in the Day of Judgment (in the Hereafter), in the Angels, in the Books of Allah, in the Prophets of Allah, in the Divine Decree of destiny (that good and bad are determined by Allah alone).
This type of worship does not involve movement of parts of the body but it surely has bearing on one's heart which subsequently affects one's way of life.
It should be borne in mind that any worship not dedicated to Allah alone will be rejected as one form of polytheism and this causes apostasy from the Islamic fold.
The next step for a newly revert to Islam is to purify himself by taking a complete bath. He should then resolve to comply with the principles and rules of Islam in their entirety. He should disown all forms of polytheism and false beliefs. He should reject evil and be righteous. Such rejection of evil and being righteous is one of the exquisites of the motto of Islam - that is, Laa Ilaha Illallah.Allah states in the Holy Qur'an:"... whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy Hand-hold, that never breaks..." (Qur'an 2:256).We have to consider that when we declare from our heart that "there is no god (deity) worthy to be worshipped but Allah", it implies on our part love, devotion, faith and obedience to the rules of Islamic legislations which are legally binding on all Muslims. It is a requirement of "there is no god worthy to be worshipped but Allah" to love for the sake of Allah and to reject for the sake of Allah.We conclude with a humble prayer to Allah that may He cleanse the hearts and souls of those who are genuine seekers of truth and may He bless the community of believers. Aameen.
The Message International: P.O. Box 50336 , Staten Island , NY 10305 , USA
Toll Free: 1877-AL-ISLAM Tel: 718-448-2004 Fax: 718-874-1384
What makes Muslims believe that the Quran is not written by Prophet Muhammad?
From: www.scribd.com
Posted 11 days ago by isibingo
Scribd is the new way to publish your docs online.
Description: What makes Muslims believe that the Quran is not written by Prophet Muhammad? Does the Quran claim that it is from God? Could the Prophet have copied some portions of the Bible? Are there scientific facts in the Quran?
Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad is not the author of the Quran. God is its Author. The following points bear the fact:
*
First of all, the Quran itself, at a number of places and in different ways, says that it is from God. One of the claims runs thus: "This is indeed a Quran most honourable, a Book well-guarded...a Revelation from the Lord of the Worlds." (Quran 56:77-80)
(Here, one ought to know the features of the Quran to understand the claim better. For instance, if the Quran had consisted of a number of books, and each book was made up of a number of chapters, then each of the books had to claim that it was from God in order to render the WHOLE volume as coming from God. But, this is fortunately not so with the Quran. The Quran is just ONE Book made up of 114 chapters. So, if the Quran claims, in any of its chapters, that the Book is from God, then the WHOLE Quran is from God. Yet, the Quran does not make the divine claim only once, but several times in different phrases and in different chapters.)
*
If the Prophet had written the Quran _ a Book par excellence _ surely he would have claimed credit for it, but he did not. He could not claim what was not his. Indeed God says: "This Quran is not such as can be produced by anyone other than God." (10:37)
*
The Prophet was unlettered. However, even if he was educated and had written the Quran, how could he be bold enough to make this statement: "Do they not consider (ponder over) the Quran (with care)? Had it been from other than God, they would surely have found therein discrepancies". (4:82)
Abdullah Yusuf Ali, commenting on this verse (verse 4:82) in his English translation of the Quran, says: "From a mere human point of view, we should have expected much discrepancy, because (1) Prophet Muhammad who promulgated it was not a learned man or philosopher, (2) it was promulgated at various times and in various circumstances, and (3) it is addressed to all grades of mankind. Yet, when properly understood, its various pieces fit together better than a jigsaw puzzle even when arranged without any regard to chronological order. There was just the One Inspirer and one inspired."
*
The Quran took 23 years to complete. Had the verses of the Quran (which contains 6,666 verses) been written by the Prophet, he would have needed a number of drafts and the work would have needed editing, updating, etc. But this did not happen, yet the information is consistent throughout the Quran. The verses were taken down as dictated by the Prophet only once and no redrafting, editing or updating took place after that.
*
At a number of stages during the 23-year period, challenges to reproduce, even a chapter of the Quran, were made. If the Prophet had written the Quran, he would not have made the challenges, for fear that the learned
Arabs and eminent poets of his time would have taken up his challenges and shamed him. One of the challenges goes thus: "And if you are in doubt as to what We have revealed (from time to time) to Our servant (Muhammad), then produce a chapter like thereunto..." (2:23)
*
The Quran says that the Prophet was not learned.
So, if the Prophet was educated in some institution but mentioned in the Quran that he wasn't, he would have been accused of being a liar and his mission would have fallen through.
*
Even if the Prophet was learned, how could he have written such an inimitable Book of Information and Wisdom without resorting to consultation with prominent scholars and the best books from the best libraries in the world?! If he did this, it would surely have been known, since every move he made was known to people. The Prophet was a historical figure, not a mythological figure.
*
The Prophet was the busiest and most active person in history. So, how could he have found the time to write (even if he were educated) such a comprehensive and extensive Book of Guidance which would have needed years of seclusion and concentration to complete?
*
In the Quran, in Chapter 111, it is mentioned that Abu Lahab, one of the Prophet's uncles who was always against Islam, would never accept Islam. This Revelation came some ten years before the death of Abu Lahab. How could the Prophet have dared to write this chapter because all he (Abu Lahab) needed to do to prove that the Quran was not the Words of God, was to accept Islam dishonestly?
*
The Prophet was mentioned by name in the Quran only five times whereas Jesus Christ's name was (honourably) mentioned 25 times. Could the Prophet go to such an extent of honouring someone more than himself if he had written the Quran?
*
There is a chapter in the Quran entitled and dedicated to "Mary", the mother of Jesus Christ, while there is no chapter called, or dedicated to, the Prophet's own mother, Aminah, or daughter, Fatimah, nor were their names mentioned in the Quran. Could this have happened if the Prophet was the author of the Quran?
*
Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, is glorified in the Quran as a "woman of all nations". Why would the Prophet glorify a woman he had never seen and one from another race, saying that she was chosen (by God) above all women unless the formulation of the verses had nothing to do with the Prophet's own authorship but that he only repeated what was inspired to him by God?
*
In the Quran, God is called "Allah" (in Arabic). He is also referred to by His Attributes, like the Cherisher, the Merciful, the Almighty. There are 99 such Attributes but none of these is "Abba" (Father) by which the Arab Christians of the Prophet's time (and even today) refer to God. If the Prophet was the writer of the Quran, he would surely have used "Abba" as one of the names for God because of its familiarity and also because it was easier to say "Abba" than many of the Attributes.
*
Although the Quran's objective is basically religious, it does touch on certain principles and laws governing the universe. A French scientist, Maurice Bucaille, in his book, "The Bible, the Quran and Science", says: "What initially strikes the reader confronted for the first time with a text of this kind (the Quran) is the sheer abundance of subjects discussed: the Creation, astronomy, the explanation of certain matters concerning the earth, and the animal and vegetable kingdoms, human reproduction ...I could not find a single error in the Quran. I had to stop and ask myself: if a man was the author of the Quran, how could he have written facts in the 7th Century AD that today are shown to be in keeping with modern scientific knowledge?''
*
The Quran mentions a number of scientific facts which were unknown to the world then. Some of them are:
*
The moon has no light of its own and that what we see is the reflected light of the sun. (91:1-2),
*
The universe came about by a "big bang" or disintegration billions of years ago. (21:30),
*
Every living thing began in water. (continuation of 21:30),
*
Stages of reproduction of a life in the womb.(22:5),
*
Every living thing, including vegetable matter, is created in pairs (male and female). (36:36),
*
All celestial body (namely, moon and planets) have their own course of orbit. (7:54 and 21:33),
*
Space travel is possible. (55:33), and
*
There is also life (in whatever form) in other parts of the universe. (42:29).
*
All these scientific facts were discovered only in the last couple of centuries whereas the Quran mentions them 14 centuries ago. How could the Prophet, even if he were educated, have known these fact centuries ahead of recent times?
*
Learned Arabs and other experts in the Arabic language acknowledge that the style, diction and rendering in the Quran far excels those in the Hadith. Those in the Quran are inimitable, proving that the Quran is authored by God.
*
Umar, later to become Caliph, had wanted to kill the Prophet because of his (Islamic) teachings. One day, Umar heard his sister reading something _ the sound, diction and meaning of which made him halt to listen. His sister, who had secretly converted to Islam, was reading (part of) the Quran. Umar realised that the Words he was listening to could not be the words of man. He submitted to Islam soon after.
*
The Quran says: "If the whole of mankind and jinns (spirits) were to come together to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce the like thereof even if backed up by each other with help and support." (17:88) This is a bold statement indeed. If the Prophet had written the Quran, would he as a human being, dare make such an explosive statement? Would this statement go unchallenged by the learned Arabs of his time?
Prophet Muhammad, being an unlettered person, could not have written the Quran, a Book full of wisdom and one dealing with varied subject matters. The Quran categorically states: "This Quran is not such as can be produced by anyone other than God. (It is a Book) from the Lord of the Worlds." (10:37)
Why do Muslims refer to the Quran as a living miracle?
Many of God's Prophets in the past had performed miracles either to prove that they were sent by God or to help people to achieve certain goals. However, as these miracles were for certain people of the time of the respective Prophets, they are neither tangible nor available today as a living proof. But the Quran is. It is a miracle by itself. When people asked Prophet Muhammad what miracle he had performed, the Prophet pointed to the Quran.
Muslims regard the Quran as a living miracle because, among other reasons, it:
*
Is a Book par excellence in the provision of complete guidance for this life and the Hereafter,
*
Is available in the language (Arabic) as revealed to the Prophet,
*
Is inimitable in diction, sound and rendering,
*
Is accurate in its presentation of facts,
*
Has remained pure (without interpolation),
*
Has no contradiction or inconsistencies,
*
Has influenced the lives of people, and
*
Is responsible for the speedy spread of Islam, even now.
With regard to the Quran being a miracle from the point of view of its influence on people, Maulana Muhammad Ali in his book, "The Religion of Islam", says: "The Quran is a miracle because it brought about the greatest transformation that the world has ever witnessed _ a transformation of the individual, of the family, of the society, of the nation, of the country, an awakening material as well as moral, intellectual and spiritual. It produced an effect, a hundred thousand times greater than that of any other miracle recorded of any Prophet; hence, its claim to be the greatest of all miracles is uncontestable and uncontested."
Researches on the Quran have been made throughout these 14 centuries. More particularly, in recent years, in the wake of religious enquiries, Quranic scholars, scientists and mathematicians have each, in their own way and knowledge, discovered that the factual contents of the Quran as well as the arrangement of its Words and text point to the fact that the Quran is indeed the living miracle of Islam.
Posted 11 days ago by isibingo
Scribd is the new way to publish your docs online.
Description: What makes Muslims believe that the Quran is not written by Prophet Muhammad? Does the Quran claim that it is from God? Could the Prophet have copied some portions of the Bible? Are there scientific facts in the Quran?
Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad is not the author of the Quran. God is its Author. The following points bear the fact:
*
First of all, the Quran itself, at a number of places and in different ways, says that it is from God. One of the claims runs thus: "This is indeed a Quran most honourable, a Book well-guarded...a Revelation from the Lord of the Worlds." (Quran 56:77-80)
(Here, one ought to know the features of the Quran to understand the claim better. For instance, if the Quran had consisted of a number of books, and each book was made up of a number of chapters, then each of the books had to claim that it was from God in order to render the WHOLE volume as coming from God. But, this is fortunately not so with the Quran. The Quran is just ONE Book made up of 114 chapters. So, if the Quran claims, in any of its chapters, that the Book is from God, then the WHOLE Quran is from God. Yet, the Quran does not make the divine claim only once, but several times in different phrases and in different chapters.)
*
If the Prophet had written the Quran _ a Book par excellence _ surely he would have claimed credit for it, but he did not. He could not claim what was not his. Indeed God says: "This Quran is not such as can be produced by anyone other than God." (10:37)
*
The Prophet was unlettered. However, even if he was educated and had written the Quran, how could he be bold enough to make this statement: "Do they not consider (ponder over) the Quran (with care)? Had it been from other than God, they would surely have found therein discrepancies". (4:82)
Abdullah Yusuf Ali, commenting on this verse (verse 4:82) in his English translation of the Quran, says: "From a mere human point of view, we should have expected much discrepancy, because (1) Prophet Muhammad who promulgated it was not a learned man or philosopher, (2) it was promulgated at various times and in various circumstances, and (3) it is addressed to all grades of mankind. Yet, when properly understood, its various pieces fit together better than a jigsaw puzzle even when arranged without any regard to chronological order. There was just the One Inspirer and one inspired."
*
The Quran took 23 years to complete. Had the verses of the Quran (which contains 6,666 verses) been written by the Prophet, he would have needed a number of drafts and the work would have needed editing, updating, etc. But this did not happen, yet the information is consistent throughout the Quran. The verses were taken down as dictated by the Prophet only once and no redrafting, editing or updating took place after that.
*
At a number of stages during the 23-year period, challenges to reproduce, even a chapter of the Quran, were made. If the Prophet had written the Quran, he would not have made the challenges, for fear that the learned
Arabs and eminent poets of his time would have taken up his challenges and shamed him. One of the challenges goes thus: "And if you are in doubt as to what We have revealed (from time to time) to Our servant (Muhammad), then produce a chapter like thereunto..." (2:23)
*
The Quran says that the Prophet was not learned.
So, if the Prophet was educated in some institution but mentioned in the Quran that he wasn't, he would have been accused of being a liar and his mission would have fallen through.
*
Even if the Prophet was learned, how could he have written such an inimitable Book of Information and Wisdom without resorting to consultation with prominent scholars and the best books from the best libraries in the world?! If he did this, it would surely have been known, since every move he made was known to people. The Prophet was a historical figure, not a mythological figure.
*
The Prophet was the busiest and most active person in history. So, how could he have found the time to write (even if he were educated) such a comprehensive and extensive Book of Guidance which would have needed years of seclusion and concentration to complete?
*
In the Quran, in Chapter 111, it is mentioned that Abu Lahab, one of the Prophet's uncles who was always against Islam, would never accept Islam. This Revelation came some ten years before the death of Abu Lahab. How could the Prophet have dared to write this chapter because all he (Abu Lahab) needed to do to prove that the Quran was not the Words of God, was to accept Islam dishonestly?
*
The Prophet was mentioned by name in the Quran only five times whereas Jesus Christ's name was (honourably) mentioned 25 times. Could the Prophet go to such an extent of honouring someone more than himself if he had written the Quran?
*
There is a chapter in the Quran entitled and dedicated to "Mary", the mother of Jesus Christ, while there is no chapter called, or dedicated to, the Prophet's own mother, Aminah, or daughter, Fatimah, nor were their names mentioned in the Quran. Could this have happened if the Prophet was the author of the Quran?
*
Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, is glorified in the Quran as a "woman of all nations". Why would the Prophet glorify a woman he had never seen and one from another race, saying that she was chosen (by God) above all women unless the formulation of the verses had nothing to do with the Prophet's own authorship but that he only repeated what was inspired to him by God?
*
In the Quran, God is called "Allah" (in Arabic). He is also referred to by His Attributes, like the Cherisher, the Merciful, the Almighty. There are 99 such Attributes but none of these is "Abba" (Father) by which the Arab Christians of the Prophet's time (and even today) refer to God. If the Prophet was the writer of the Quran, he would surely have used "Abba" as one of the names for God because of its familiarity and also because it was easier to say "Abba" than many of the Attributes.
*
Although the Quran's objective is basically religious, it does touch on certain principles and laws governing the universe. A French scientist, Maurice Bucaille, in his book, "The Bible, the Quran and Science", says: "What initially strikes the reader confronted for the first time with a text of this kind (the Quran) is the sheer abundance of subjects discussed: the Creation, astronomy, the explanation of certain matters concerning the earth, and the animal and vegetable kingdoms, human reproduction ...I could not find a single error in the Quran. I had to stop and ask myself: if a man was the author of the Quran, how could he have written facts in the 7th Century AD that today are shown to be in keeping with modern scientific knowledge?''
*
The Quran mentions a number of scientific facts which were unknown to the world then. Some of them are:
*
The moon has no light of its own and that what we see is the reflected light of the sun. (91:1-2),
*
The universe came about by a "big bang" or disintegration billions of years ago. (21:30),
*
Every living thing began in water. (continuation of 21:30),
*
Stages of reproduction of a life in the womb.(22:5),
*
Every living thing, including vegetable matter, is created in pairs (male and female). (36:36),
*
All celestial body (namely, moon and planets) have their own course of orbit. (7:54 and 21:33),
*
Space travel is possible. (55:33), and
*
There is also life (in whatever form) in other parts of the universe. (42:29).
*
All these scientific facts were discovered only in the last couple of centuries whereas the Quran mentions them 14 centuries ago. How could the Prophet, even if he were educated, have known these fact centuries ahead of recent times?
*
Learned Arabs and other experts in the Arabic language acknowledge that the style, diction and rendering in the Quran far excels those in the Hadith. Those in the Quran are inimitable, proving that the Quran is authored by God.
*
Umar, later to become Caliph, had wanted to kill the Prophet because of his (Islamic) teachings. One day, Umar heard his sister reading something _ the sound, diction and meaning of which made him halt to listen. His sister, who had secretly converted to Islam, was reading (part of) the Quran. Umar realised that the Words he was listening to could not be the words of man. He submitted to Islam soon after.
*
The Quran says: "If the whole of mankind and jinns (spirits) were to come together to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce the like thereof even if backed up by each other with help and support." (17:88) This is a bold statement indeed. If the Prophet had written the Quran, would he as a human being, dare make such an explosive statement? Would this statement go unchallenged by the learned Arabs of his time?
Prophet Muhammad, being an unlettered person, could not have written the Quran, a Book full of wisdom and one dealing with varied subject matters. The Quran categorically states: "This Quran is not such as can be produced by anyone other than God. (It is a Book) from the Lord of the Worlds." (10:37)
Why do Muslims refer to the Quran as a living miracle?
Many of God's Prophets in the past had performed miracles either to prove that they were sent by God or to help people to achieve certain goals. However, as these miracles were for certain people of the time of the respective Prophets, they are neither tangible nor available today as a living proof. But the Quran is. It is a miracle by itself. When people asked Prophet Muhammad what miracle he had performed, the Prophet pointed to the Quran.
Muslims regard the Quran as a living miracle because, among other reasons, it:
*
Is a Book par excellence in the provision of complete guidance for this life and the Hereafter,
*
Is available in the language (Arabic) as revealed to the Prophet,
*
Is inimitable in diction, sound and rendering,
*
Is accurate in its presentation of facts,
*
Has remained pure (without interpolation),
*
Has no contradiction or inconsistencies,
*
Has influenced the lives of people, and
*
Is responsible for the speedy spread of Islam, even now.
With regard to the Quran being a miracle from the point of view of its influence on people, Maulana Muhammad Ali in his book, "The Religion of Islam", says: "The Quran is a miracle because it brought about the greatest transformation that the world has ever witnessed _ a transformation of the individual, of the family, of the society, of the nation, of the country, an awakening material as well as moral, intellectual and spiritual. It produced an effect, a hundred thousand times greater than that of any other miracle recorded of any Prophet; hence, its claim to be the greatest of all miracles is uncontestable and uncontested."
Researches on the Quran have been made throughout these 14 centuries. More particularly, in recent years, in the wake of religious enquiries, Quranic scholars, scientists and mathematicians have each, in their own way and knowledge, discovered that the factual contents of the Quran as well as the arrangement of its Words and text point to the fact that the Quran is indeed the living miracle of Islam.
Words of Wisdom from the Qur'an.
From: www.irfi.org
1. Respect and honour all human beings irrespective of their religion, color, race, sex, language, status, property, birth, profession/job and so on [17/70]
2. Talk straight, to the point, without any ambiguity or deception [33/70]
3. Choose best words to speak and say them in the best possible way [17/53, 2/83]
4. Do not shout. Speak politely keeping your voice low. [31/19]
5. Always speak the truth. Shun words that are deceitful and ostentatious [22/30]
6. Do not confound truth with falsehood [2/42]
7. Say with your mouth what is in your heart [3/167]
8. Speak in a civilized manner in a language that is recognised by the society and is commonly used [4/5]
9. When you voice an opinion, be just, even if it is against a relative [6/152]
10. Do not be a bragging boaster [31/18]
11. Do not talk, listen or do anything vain [23/3, 28/55]
12. Do not participate in any paltry. If you pass near a futile play, then pass by with dignity [25/72]
13. Do not verge upon any immodesty or lewdness whether surreptitious or overt [6/151].
14. If, unintentionally, any misconduct occurs by you, then correct yourself expeditiously [3/134].
15. Do not be contemptuous or arrogant with people [31/18]
16. Do not walk haughtily or with conceit [17/37, 31/18]
17. Be moderate in thy pace [31/19]
18. Walk with humility and sedateness [25/63]
19. Keep your gazes lowered devoid of any lecherous leers and salacious stares [24/30-31, 40/19].
20. If you do not have complete knowledge about anything, better keep your mouth shut. You might think that speaking about something without full knowledge is a trivial matter. But it might have grave consequences [24/15-16]
21. When you hear something malicious about someone, keep a favorable view about him/her until you attain full knowledge about the matter. Consider others innocent until they are proven guilty with solid and truthful evidence [24/12-13]
22. Ascertain the truth of any news, lest you smite someone in ignorance and afterwards repent of what you did [49/6]
23. Do not follow blindly any information of which you have no direct knowledge. (Using your faculties of perception and conception) you must verify it for yourself. In the Court of your Lord, you will be held accountable for your hearing, sight, and the faculty of reasoning [17/36].
24. Never think that you have reached the final stage of knowledge and nobody knows more than yourself. Remember! Above everyone endowed with knowledge is another endowed with more knowledge [12/76]. Even the Prophet [p.b.u.h] was asked to keep praying, "O My sustainer! Advance me in knowledge." [20:114]
25. The believers are but a single Brotherhood. Live like members of one family, brothers and sisters unto one another [49/10].
26. Do not make mockery of others or ridicule others [49/11]
27. Do not defame others [49/11]
28. Do not insult others by nicknames [49/11]
29. Avoid suspicion and guesswork. Suspicion and guesswork might deplete your communal energy [49/12]
30. Spy not upon one another [49/12]
31. Do not backbite one another [49/12]
32. When you meet each other, offer good wishes and blessings for safety. One who conveys to you a message of safety and security and also when a courteous greeting is offered to you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous or (at least) of equal courtesy [4/86]
33. When you enter your own home or the home of somebody else, compliment the inmates [24/61]
34. Do not enter houses other than your own until you have sought permission; and then greet the inmates and wish them a life of blessing, purity and pleasure [24/27]
35. Treat kindly " Your parents " Relatives " The orphans " And those who have been left alone in the society [4/36]
36. Take care of " The needy, " The disabled " Those whose hard earned income is insufficient to meet their needs " And those whose businesses have stalled " And those who have lost their jobs. [4/36]
37. Treat kindly " Your related neighbours, and unrelated neighbours " Companions by your side in public gatherings, or public transportation. [4/36]
38. Be generous to the needy wayfarer, the homeless son of the street, and the one who reaches you in a destitute condition [4/36]
39. Be nice to people who work under your care. [4/36]
40. Do not follow up what you have given to others to afflict them with reminders of your generosity [2/262].
41. Do not expect a return for your good behaviour, not even thanks [76/9]
42. Cooperate with one another in good deeds and do not cooperate with others in evil and bad matters [5/2]
43. Do not try to impress people on account of self-proclaimed virtues [53/32]
44. You should enjoin right conduct on others but mend your own ways first. Actions speak louder than words. You must first practice good deeds yourself, then preach [2/44]
45. Correct yourself and your families first [before trying to correct others] [66/6]
46. Pardon gracefully if anyone among you who commits a bad deed out of ignorance, and then repents and amends [6/54, 3/134]
47. Divert and sublimate your anger and potentially virulent emotions to creative energy, and become a source of tranquility and comfort to people [3/134]
48. Call people to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful exhortation. Reason with them most decently [16/125]
49. Leave to themselves those who do not give any importance to the Divine code and have adopted and consider it as mere play and amusement [6/70]
50. Sit not in the company of those who ridicule Divine Law unless they engage in some other conversation [4/140]
51. Do not be jealous of those who are blessed [4/54]
52. In your collective life, make rooms for others [58/11]
53. When invited to dine, Go at the appointed time. Do not arrive too early to wait for the preparation of meal or linger after eating to engage in bootless babble. Such things may cause inconvenience to the host [33/53]
54. Eat and drink [what is lawful] in moderation [7/31].
55. Do not squander your wealth senselessly [17/26]
56. Fulfil your promises and commitments [17/34]
57. Keep yourself clean, pure [9/108, 4/43, 5/6].
58. Dress-up in agreeable attire and adorn yourself with exquisite character from inside out [7/26]
59. Seek your provision only by fair endeavour [29/17, 2/188]
60. Do not devour the wealth and property of others unjustly, nor bribe the officials or the judges to deprive others of their possessions [2/188]
1. Respect and honour all human beings irrespective of their religion, color, race, sex, language, status, property, birth, profession/job and so on [17/70]
2. Talk straight, to the point, without any ambiguity or deception [33/70]
3. Choose best words to speak and say them in the best possible way [17/53, 2/83]
4. Do not shout. Speak politely keeping your voice low. [31/19]
5. Always speak the truth. Shun words that are deceitful and ostentatious [22/30]
6. Do not confound truth with falsehood [2/42]
7. Say with your mouth what is in your heart [3/167]
8. Speak in a civilized manner in a language that is recognised by the society and is commonly used [4/5]
9. When you voice an opinion, be just, even if it is against a relative [6/152]
10. Do not be a bragging boaster [31/18]
11. Do not talk, listen or do anything vain [23/3, 28/55]
12. Do not participate in any paltry. If you pass near a futile play, then pass by with dignity [25/72]
13. Do not verge upon any immodesty or lewdness whether surreptitious or overt [6/151].
14. If, unintentionally, any misconduct occurs by you, then correct yourself expeditiously [3/134].
15. Do not be contemptuous or arrogant with people [31/18]
16. Do not walk haughtily or with conceit [17/37, 31/18]
17. Be moderate in thy pace [31/19]
18. Walk with humility and sedateness [25/63]
19. Keep your gazes lowered devoid of any lecherous leers and salacious stares [24/30-31, 40/19].
20. If you do not have complete knowledge about anything, better keep your mouth shut. You might think that speaking about something without full knowledge is a trivial matter. But it might have grave consequences [24/15-16]
21. When you hear something malicious about someone, keep a favorable view about him/her until you attain full knowledge about the matter. Consider others innocent until they are proven guilty with solid and truthful evidence [24/12-13]
22. Ascertain the truth of any news, lest you smite someone in ignorance and afterwards repent of what you did [49/6]
23. Do not follow blindly any information of which you have no direct knowledge. (Using your faculties of perception and conception) you must verify it for yourself. In the Court of your Lord, you will be held accountable for your hearing, sight, and the faculty of reasoning [17/36].
24. Never think that you have reached the final stage of knowledge and nobody knows more than yourself. Remember! Above everyone endowed with knowledge is another endowed with more knowledge [12/76]. Even the Prophet [p.b.u.h] was asked to keep praying, "O My sustainer! Advance me in knowledge." [20:114]
25. The believers are but a single Brotherhood. Live like members of one family, brothers and sisters unto one another [49/10].
26. Do not make mockery of others or ridicule others [49/11]
27. Do not defame others [49/11]
28. Do not insult others by nicknames [49/11]
29. Avoid suspicion and guesswork. Suspicion and guesswork might deplete your communal energy [49/12]
30. Spy not upon one another [49/12]
31. Do not backbite one another [49/12]
32. When you meet each other, offer good wishes and blessings for safety. One who conveys to you a message of safety and security and also when a courteous greeting is offered to you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous or (at least) of equal courtesy [4/86]
33. When you enter your own home or the home of somebody else, compliment the inmates [24/61]
34. Do not enter houses other than your own until you have sought permission; and then greet the inmates and wish them a life of blessing, purity and pleasure [24/27]
35. Treat kindly " Your parents " Relatives " The orphans " And those who have been left alone in the society [4/36]
36. Take care of " The needy, " The disabled " Those whose hard earned income is insufficient to meet their needs " And those whose businesses have stalled " And those who have lost their jobs. [4/36]
37. Treat kindly " Your related neighbours, and unrelated neighbours " Companions by your side in public gatherings, or public transportation. [4/36]
38. Be generous to the needy wayfarer, the homeless son of the street, and the one who reaches you in a destitute condition [4/36]
39. Be nice to people who work under your care. [4/36]
40. Do not follow up what you have given to others to afflict them with reminders of your generosity [2/262].
41. Do not expect a return for your good behaviour, not even thanks [76/9]
42. Cooperate with one another in good deeds and do not cooperate with others in evil and bad matters [5/2]
43. Do not try to impress people on account of self-proclaimed virtues [53/32]
44. You should enjoin right conduct on others but mend your own ways first. Actions speak louder than words. You must first practice good deeds yourself, then preach [2/44]
45. Correct yourself and your families first [before trying to correct others] [66/6]
46. Pardon gracefully if anyone among you who commits a bad deed out of ignorance, and then repents and amends [6/54, 3/134]
47. Divert and sublimate your anger and potentially virulent emotions to creative energy, and become a source of tranquility and comfort to people [3/134]
48. Call people to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful exhortation. Reason with them most decently [16/125]
49. Leave to themselves those who do not give any importance to the Divine code and have adopted and consider it as mere play and amusement [6/70]
50. Sit not in the company of those who ridicule Divine Law unless they engage in some other conversation [4/140]
51. Do not be jealous of those who are blessed [4/54]
52. In your collective life, make rooms for others [58/11]
53. When invited to dine, Go at the appointed time. Do not arrive too early to wait for the preparation of meal or linger after eating to engage in bootless babble. Such things may cause inconvenience to the host [33/53]
54. Eat and drink [what is lawful] in moderation [7/31].
55. Do not squander your wealth senselessly [17/26]
56. Fulfil your promises and commitments [17/34]
57. Keep yourself clean, pure [9/108, 4/43, 5/6].
58. Dress-up in agreeable attire and adorn yourself with exquisite character from inside out [7/26]
59. Seek your provision only by fair endeavour [29/17, 2/188]
60. Do not devour the wealth and property of others unjustly, nor bribe the officials or the judges to deprive others of their possessions [2/188]
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Militants urged to rethink Jihad concept
From: http://www.islamicity.com/
The Peninsula
Dr Yousuf Al Qaradawi
doha • Prominent Islamic scholar Dr Yousuf Al Qaradawi has called the militant groups in the Islamic world to re-examine their concept of 'Jihad' and open a dialogue with Muslims scholars.
He was speaking at a symposium organised by the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) titled ‘human rights in Islam' on Monday at Doha Sheraton.
"There no justification for the suicide operation in Iraq where civilians are being killed, as Iraq has many developed weapon to fight the enemy. This was acceptable in Palestine in a certain time of period when the Palestinian people didn't have weapons to fight their enemies. Now, thank Allah, they do have some weapons and there is no much of that kind of operations," Qaradawi said answering a question from the audience.
Qaradawi condemned the bomb attacks which target innocent people.
"Right to life is the first and foremost human right upheld by Islam and in its view, no one has the right to take it. A person does not have the right to kill himself, not to say others, in the Islamic view," he said.
In Islam obligations come before the rights. "If you fulfil your obligations, this will protect the rights of others". "Parents' duty is to provide a decent life for their children which is their right," Qaradawi said.
He said in the western philosophy there is no red lines for human rights and anything has been a considered a right. What is the logic behind marriage between the same sex? The scholar recalled his experience three year ago when he visited London and was about to be sent out of the country because of his views on this issue.
Ali bin Simaikh Al Merri, NHRC Secretary-General was present at the symposium, among other dignitaries.
Blogger Comment:
Violence create counter violence and killing in Iraq is stupid and senseless. We have the right as Muslims to despise the American policies but I do not know what these killing of innocent people would achieve. I was the first to call for Sunna-Shia reconciliation form my website my small window to the world. We know America went to Iraq for the oil, Israel and the American Saudi King who is hiding his American passport under his pillow. No one will liberate us and take care of our people but us. That is why we need Muslim scholars to put their ideas together. Imagine today Imam Al Mahdi would rise who really would help him America, the Arab tyrants or the real sincere Muslim scholars that lead the nation. The Palestine Israel conflict have drained us of money efforts and helped our tyrants to distract us from taking care of the Muslims and spreading Islam. Some people in the world will fight to keep status quo of the world. However, they can not fight God. The strong and just God of Israel. When they were in Egypt oppressed and slave to the Egyptians God promised them their freedom and he kept his promise. You find a lot of Jews in America are very eager now to free the Muslims. A lot of Christians as well realized that the justice entails a drastic change of American policies.
That is what Muslim scholars need to do:
1- Forget about our egos or let us give our egos vacation. If we can not, let our egos be our religion, our freedom and dignified lives.
2- Let us stop fighting together as scholars.
3- Let the scholars who are supporting the Arab tyrants to think the day they will meet their God. God promised us our freedom as our messenger Muhammad (PBUH) told us and he keeps his promise. He promised Moses and he liberated the people of Israel. Drop the tyrants before Muslims drop you.
4- Inspire Muslims that we will be a great nation again the west like it or dislik it (God knows what is in their hearts).
5- Let cut a good deal with Israel and have permanent peace and not strategic peace like some people fear in Israel or like to see it happened in America.
6- Some people will use all tactics to block the Muslim scholars to take the lead in a real large scale and organized plan. Status quo is great for a lot of rich and corrupt in the world many of them are Muslims.
7- Let us avoid confrontation with the west. We have the right to criticize wrong policies and to praise good policies. Do not buy much of giving us our freedom the Americans themselves are not free to change their country. Most of the control of American politics and policies is in hands of big corporations. Americans themselves now are looking for their own freedom.
8- The president of Iran is a great man however he has to cool it down with the west. Their purpose is to make the Americans feel there is war against them, Muslims against Christians or Muslims against the west or the Antichrist (they try to present Imam Al Mahdi as the Antichrist) against Jesus (who will be crossified if to come to the world to day) . The fact is there are a lot of very rich people in politics, Business and religion corporate to maintain the status quo of the world. Any major attempt to have the world change to a just world will find the mouth pieces of the corrupt stand against that.
9- Actually some people in the Arab corrupt system would wish to have an attack in America so they will have more control on their people. Many in America now even started to doubt the 9/11 is an attack by Muslim extremists.
10- God does not change people until they change themselves. The difficult question of religion that we have the will or God has the will is answered already in the Quran. God was determined that the law of Gravity will be discovered by Newton he dropped to him an apple. Newton worked his brain to find the law that makes this apple fall down and God inspired him with the law. More amazing to us and beyond our grasp is how God knows the future or what we call it prophecies. We Muslims need to change if we are willing to achieve our prophecy and trust God.
The Peninsula
Dr Yousuf Al Qaradawi
doha • Prominent Islamic scholar Dr Yousuf Al Qaradawi has called the militant groups in the Islamic world to re-examine their concept of 'Jihad' and open a dialogue with Muslims scholars.
He was speaking at a symposium organised by the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) titled ‘human rights in Islam' on Monday at Doha Sheraton.
"There no justification for the suicide operation in Iraq where civilians are being killed, as Iraq has many developed weapon to fight the enemy. This was acceptable in Palestine in a certain time of period when the Palestinian people didn't have weapons to fight their enemies. Now, thank Allah, they do have some weapons and there is no much of that kind of operations," Qaradawi said answering a question from the audience.
Qaradawi condemned the bomb attacks which target innocent people.
"Right to life is the first and foremost human right upheld by Islam and in its view, no one has the right to take it. A person does not have the right to kill himself, not to say others, in the Islamic view," he said.
In Islam obligations come before the rights. "If you fulfil your obligations, this will protect the rights of others". "Parents' duty is to provide a decent life for their children which is their right," Qaradawi said.
He said in the western philosophy there is no red lines for human rights and anything has been a considered a right. What is the logic behind marriage between the same sex? The scholar recalled his experience three year ago when he visited London and was about to be sent out of the country because of his views on this issue.
Ali bin Simaikh Al Merri, NHRC Secretary-General was present at the symposium, among other dignitaries.
Blogger Comment:
Violence create counter violence and killing in Iraq is stupid and senseless. We have the right as Muslims to despise the American policies but I do not know what these killing of innocent people would achieve. I was the first to call for Sunna-Shia reconciliation form my website my small window to the world. We know America went to Iraq for the oil, Israel and the American Saudi King who is hiding his American passport under his pillow. No one will liberate us and take care of our people but us. That is why we need Muslim scholars to put their ideas together. Imagine today Imam Al Mahdi would rise who really would help him America, the Arab tyrants or the real sincere Muslim scholars that lead the nation. The Palestine Israel conflict have drained us of money efforts and helped our tyrants to distract us from taking care of the Muslims and spreading Islam. Some people in the world will fight to keep status quo of the world. However, they can not fight God. The strong and just God of Israel. When they were in Egypt oppressed and slave to the Egyptians God promised them their freedom and he kept his promise. You find a lot of Jews in America are very eager now to free the Muslims. A lot of Christians as well realized that the justice entails a drastic change of American policies.
That is what Muslim scholars need to do:
1- Forget about our egos or let us give our egos vacation. If we can not, let our egos be our religion, our freedom and dignified lives.
2- Let us stop fighting together as scholars.
3- Let the scholars who are supporting the Arab tyrants to think the day they will meet their God. God promised us our freedom as our messenger Muhammad (PBUH) told us and he keeps his promise. He promised Moses and he liberated the people of Israel. Drop the tyrants before Muslims drop you.
4- Inspire Muslims that we will be a great nation again the west like it or dislik it (God knows what is in their hearts).
5- Let cut a good deal with Israel and have permanent peace and not strategic peace like some people fear in Israel or like to see it happened in America.
6- Some people will use all tactics to block the Muslim scholars to take the lead in a real large scale and organized plan. Status quo is great for a lot of rich and corrupt in the world many of them are Muslims.
7- Let us avoid confrontation with the west. We have the right to criticize wrong policies and to praise good policies. Do not buy much of giving us our freedom the Americans themselves are not free to change their country. Most of the control of American politics and policies is in hands of big corporations. Americans themselves now are looking for their own freedom.
8- The president of Iran is a great man however he has to cool it down with the west. Their purpose is to make the Americans feel there is war against them, Muslims against Christians or Muslims against the west or the Antichrist (they try to present Imam Al Mahdi as the Antichrist) against Jesus (who will be crossified if to come to the world to day) . The fact is there are a lot of very rich people in politics, Business and religion corporate to maintain the status quo of the world. Any major attempt to have the world change to a just world will find the mouth pieces of the corrupt stand against that.
9- Actually some people in the Arab corrupt system would wish to have an attack in America so they will have more control on their people. Many in America now even started to doubt the 9/11 is an attack by Muslim extremists.
10- God does not change people until they change themselves. The difficult question of religion that we have the will or God has the will is answered already in the Quran. God was determined that the law of Gravity will be discovered by Newton he dropped to him an apple. Newton worked his brain to find the law that makes this apple fall down and God inspired him with the law. More amazing to us and beyond our grasp is how God knows the future or what we call it prophecies. We Muslims need to change if we are willing to achieve our prophecy and trust God.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Christianity: A Concise Reply to Christianity (1/3)
From: www.thetruereligion.org
By Dr. Gary Miller
If this booklet were written to announce my conversion to Christianity, no Christian would complain that it is too blunt. So if I must reject an aspect of Christianity in a succinct form, let me not be accused of bluntness either. A Muslim believes in the religion of Jesus but sees mainline Christianity as a religion constructed about Jesus. Our protest is against two excesses: The apotheosis of Jesus and the most frequent missionary tactic directed toward Muslims.
Part One
Christians and Muslims who learn something of one another's religion find that a crucial issue is the nature of Jesus. The majority of Christians deify Jesus while Muslims say that he was no more than a prophet of God, a faultless human being. The doctrine of the Trinity avows that three distinct co-equals are God. In particular, Jesus is said to be God the Son, or the Son of God. As the Muslim questions details of this theology, the Christian characteristically forms a common explanation for our differences: He complains that Muslims do not understand the Trinity; that we are actually accusing Christians of Tritheism and other heresies.
So the Muslim seeks clarification of the teaching and asks at every step: "How could that be so?" For example, we insist that the term "Son of God" cannot have a literal interpretation. Sonship and divine nature would be necessary attributes of such an actuality, but these are incompatible. The first describes a recipient of life while the second describes One who received life from no one. These are mutually exclusive requirements then. To be a son is to be less than divine, and to be divine is to be no one's son.
As a discussion proceeds, it is the Christian who will eventually take refuge in the response: "These are things that we cannot understand." His assessment of the Muslim's problem becomes his own confession. The Christian explanation becomes self-defeating so there is a change of tactic.
He complains that the Muslim refuses to accept what cannot be understood. But the modified approach is a diversion. Now the concepts of verification and understanding are confused. To illustrate: Chemical reactions may be verified but the atom is not thereby understood. Facts are catalogued but not always explained. This distinction is the key to our concise reply. It is the Muslim who must redirect the discussion. Our primary issue is more basic than resolving the incongruities of Trinitarian doctrine. Rather than ask how the Trinity can be so, we should ask why it must be so. We ask, "Why must Jesus be divine? Can we verify the necessity of this belief?"
The Muslim Position
A few centuries ago, European Philosophers commonly felt that a conjecture was proven if it could be shown to be equivalent to an assertion made by Aristotle. Unfortunately, such an approach stopped short of challenging Aristotle and discovering truth. Similarly, testing the Trinitarian case on what people have said about Jesus stops short of establishing the integrity of the authorities and the truth of the matter.
Our purpose here is no more than the illustration that belief in the Trinity can only be based on Church authority. Many Christians admit that this is the case while others insist that the teaching was elaborated by Jesus himself. "Let them produce their proof," is the repeated admonition of the Quran, that is, "provide the documentation that Jesus himself claimed unqualified deity," (Quran 21:24). Unless this evidence can be produced, authorities are subject to challenge. Then the Christian may not evade the Muslim's questions concerning understanding. The Christian will have no justification for maintaining an illogical position, unless he is content to rely on the opinions of men. If he will probe no deeper than this, the Christian-Muslim dialogue is finished.
For Christians, the only documents accepted as reporting the words of Jesus are the accounts given in the Bible. We leave the Muslim attitude toward the Bible for part II of this essay and find our motivation now in the Quranic verse, "Say: 'O People of the Book! You have no ground to stand upon unless you stand fast by the Law, the Gospel, and all the revelation that has come to you from your Lord." (Quran 5:68). Christians are advised to support their claims by citing their books. Thus Muslims believe that no saying of Jesus can be produced which shows him grasping at equality with God. The primary issue is not whether Jesus is God. The first question is whether he said that he was equal to God.
Methodology
The Bible record of sayings credited to Jesus is quite meager. After allowance for duplication in the four gospel accounts, these sayings could be printed in two columns of a newspaper. None of this handful of texts is an explicit claim of deity. All quotations are implicit, that is, they require interpretation. We are told what Jesus said and then told what he meant. So our methodology takes an obvious form.
It is not our intention or obligation to reinterpret the Bible. We are satisfied to merely verify that Christian interpretations are insufficient, ambiguous, or impossible. We mean to argue: 1) that where the meaning of a quotation is clear, it is still insufficient to prove that Jesus claimed equality with God; 2) that other quotations cited are open to various interpretation, ambiguous; 3) and that still other quotations have been given interpretations that are impossible. This means the evidence is either inadequate, inconclusive, or unacceptable, respectively.
Insufficient Evidence
The virgin birth of Jesus and the miracles he demonstrated are cited by some as proof of his divinity. The insufficiency of the premise is obvious. We need only read the Biblical account of Adam's creation, without father or mother, and the accounts of miracles associated with the prophet Elisha (Genesis and 2 Kings chapters 4,5,6). In the case of these two men, no Christian asserts their divinity, yet each has a qualification in common with Jesus.
Some maintain that Jesus was God because the Hebrew Scriptures predicted his coming. The inadequacy here is only slightly less apparent. The ancient Hebrew Scriptures are also cited as predicting the role of John the Baptist (Malachi chapter 4). These three arguments are mentioned to show that the ready claims of Christian betray a selective or forgetful recall of scripture. They know the fact of virgin birth as well as they know the account of Adam's origins, yet they interpret the first and overlook the second.
Now to pursue our case indirectly. Does the Bible quote Jesus as claiming equality with God? Bible texts are produced to show that Jesus used the terms "son of man", "son of God", "Messiah", and "savior". But each of these terms is applied to other individuals in the Bible. Ezekiel was addressed as "son of man" (Ezekiel chapter 3). Jesus himself speaks of the peacemakers as "sons of God" (Matthew 5:9). Cyrus the Persian is called "messiah" at Isaiah 45:1. The duplicity of translators is manifested here, for they inevitably render only the meaning of the word "Messiah" which is "anointed". Where other Bible verses seem to refer to Jesus, they prefer to transliterate "Messiah" or the Greek equivalent "Christ". In this way they hope to give the impression that there is only one Messiah. As for "savior", the word is applied to other than Jesus (2 Kings 13:5). Christians choose to cite the forty-third chapter of Isaiah as proof that there is only one savior. Again, translators have tried to obscure the fact that God is the only savior in the same ultimate sense that He is our only nourisher and protector, though men also have these assigned tasks. By over specifying this pronouncement in Isaiah they hope to have us believe that God equals savior and Jesus equals savior therefore Jesus equals God. The conspiracy of modern translation is easily demonstrated. The King James Bible of 1611 is everywhere available. Compare it to a more recent translation, say the New American Bible of this century. In the earlier version we find 2 Kings 13:5 contains the word "savior", but in the newer version the synonymous word "deliverer" has been substituted. In fact, "saviours", the plural, will be found at Obadiah 21 and Nehemiah 9:27. Here again, by substituting a different word, the connotation of divinity tied to the word "savior" has been guarded in modern versions by less than honest translation.
Once more we have exhibited the insufficient warrant of arguments offered: Those terms said to connote divinity are used of individuals other than Jesus.
There is a quotation that should be mentioned here also. At John 8:58 it is reported that Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I am". Even if Jesus meant to claim by these words that he was alive before Abraham was, is this sufficient ground to say that he was divine? If Jesus lived in heaven then came to earth it might mean something remarkable, but it would not be enough to establish him as God incarnate. Additionally, it should be noted that these words are open to other interpretation. Christians do not imagine that the prophet Jeremiah had a pre-human existence and so they find a suitable way of interpreting the words of Jeremiah 1:5 which portray such a situation, if taken literally, Why not apply a similar understanding in the case of John 8:58?
Ambiguous Evidence
Some scholars have insisted that in this statement of Jesus just discussed, he appropriated for himself a divine title. In Exodus chapter 3, it is reported that God told Moses "I am what I am," as most English Bibles translate the Hebrew text. At John 8:58 Jesus says, "before Abraham was, I am," as most English Bibles translate the Greek text. But here is the key to another deception. The original of the first text is in Hebrew while the original of the second is in Greek. All but a few of Jesus' words were recorded in Greek. For two hundred years before the time of Jesus the Jews used a Greek translation of their Hebrew scriptures, the Septuagint. This work translated the key phrase "I am" of Exodus as HO ON. However, the words of Jesus, "I am", have been given to us in Greek as EGO EIMI. If the gospel writer of John 8:58 wanted to tell his Greek-speaking audience that Jesus had imitated God he would have used the familiar words of the Septuagint, otherwise the point would be lost. The evidence of John 8:58 is far from conclusive.
There is another Greek word to consider which betrays suppression or neglect of evidence. At John 10:30 Jesus is quoted as saying "I and the Father are one." The Greek word translated "one" is HEN. Certain scholars have insisted that the only possible understanding of this word is "one in essence or nature". One need not be a Greek scholar to refute this unjustified claim. A counter example is sufficient. The same word is used by Jesus in John 17:11,21,22,23, as he includes his disciples in this oneness, whatever its meaning.
The most widely translated sentence on earth is said to be Jesus' statement of John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son..." While Christians wish to say that the word "only-begotten" gives Jesus special status among all the "sons of God", again there is a problem if ambiguity. The same word translated as "only-begotten" is found at Hebrews 11:17. In this verse the word refers to Isaac. The Bible itself shows that Isaac's older brother Ishmael outlived his father (Genesis 25:9). Therefore, at no time was Isaac, strictly speaking, the only-begotten son of Abraham. Recognizing this, Christian scholars qualify the meaning of the word in this case and give it a less than literal interpretation. But if the meaning is subject to interpretation here, why not also in the passage of John 3:16? Once more the possibility of ambiguity means that John 3:16 is inconclusive evidence.
Whether or not Jesus really used the term "Father" when speaking of God is another controversy. But here our point is again, that suck use is inconclusive evidence that God was literally Father to Jesus. All Christians use the term when addressing God. The Jews themselves used the term (John 8:41). Jesus told them that the devil was their father (John 8:44). Of course, he was not speaking literally.
Certain scholars stress the verse of Mark 14:36 where Jesus speaks the Aramaic word for Father, "Abba". They insist that this implies a very unique relationship between Jesus and God. This displays a- schizophrenic forgetfulness. For favorite scripture passages are Romans 8:14 and Galatians 4:6 where every Christian is said to use this term of address for God.
Impossible Evidence
An episode is recounted in the twentieth chapter of John and a certain Thomas is quoted as saving, "My Lord and my God." In interpreting this, Christians maintain that Thomas was addressing Jesus by both of these titles. The Muslim would have no objection to the term "Lord". As the Bible explains, the word means "master" and Sarah is said to have called her husband Abraham by this title (Peter 3:6). The suggestion that Thomas addressed Jesus as literally being God is a different matter. Jesus has already pointed out that the Hebrew scriptures themselves address men as "gods" (John 10:34; Psalms 82:6). This would allow for Thomas' use of the term. However, Paul gave new rules in 1 Corinthians chapter 8, saying that there are many lords and gods "...yet for us there is but one God, the Father.... and one Lord, Jesus Christ..." Christians apply this verse to sort out the ambiguities of Thomas' expression. But now we are left with an unorthodox doctrine, namely that Jesus is the Father. This ancient heresy has been branded by the Church as Patripassianism, Monarchianism, or Sabellianism. The impossibility of an orthodox interpretation of Thomas is now apparent.
The distinction between Father and Son is essential to the doctrine of the Trinity. This distinction is blurred again when John 14:9 is pressed into service. Here Jesus' reply to a man named Philip is recorded as, "He who has seen me has seen the Father." A strictly literal explication would mean the unacceptable doctrine that Jesus is the Father. So interpreters say that "Father" is here equivalent to "God". However, we cannot possibly be obliged to understand that Jesus meant to say that seeing him was exactly the same as seeing God because he was God. Our reason is found in the contrariety of John 5:37. Here he told a crowd about the Father saying, "You have neither heard His voice at any time not seen his form."The Total Evidence Did the Jews Understand?
Surprisingly enough, it is often conceded that individual verses are insufficient, inconclusive, or even unusable in the case made for the divinity of Jesus. However, there are those who insist that while any given verse may be deficient, it is the total collection of all such verses that proves the case. This betrays a misunderstanding of the reasoning process. Each verse must prove something, or it is dispensable. Given a verse, we must demand to know exactly what it does prove, and why. Christian exegesis, the traditional explanation of scripture, has been exposed as incredible within the church itself. It has been shown to be enthymemic in the extreme. That is, premises and conclusions are not clearly stated. (Exactly what is meant by the "redemption of man" is still not clear to this date. [This article was written in 1983]) Whether we probe the roots or the outgrowth of the system, the structure becomes vague. (See for example, THE MYTH OF GOD INCARNATE, a Christian publication.)
A final argument has been offered based on the understanding of the Jews. Christians have said that our rebuttal given here is unimportant because the Jews understood Jesus to grasp at equality with God. They cite John 5:18, ' ...because ... (he) was calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God." They pass over the verses that follow immediately, where Jesus subjected himself to God, naming those things which God gave him.
They cite the tenth chapter of John where the Jews tried to stone Jesus for blasphemy. The point of the reply Jesus made is neglected. He demonstrated to those Jews, by quoting their own scripture, that they had no grounds for their accusation.
Curiously enough, in their haste to put claims on the lips of Jesus, part of the Christian church constructs a very confused story. The Hebrew scriptures made reference to a Messiah and the Church says this can only mean an incarnate God and so when Jesus spoke of himself as Messiah he was blaspheming because no man can be God, according to Hebrew scriptures ... or so the reasoning seems to flow together in confusion.
There is a legal point to be made here. If the a understood that the Messiah was to be a man who was equal to God then a man who claimed to be the Messiah could only be condemned as a false messiah. He could not be condemned on the grounds that he uttered a statement which must always be blasphemous in itself. At some future time, the true Messiah would have to speak the very same words without being condemned. When certain Jews declared Jesus' words as blasphemy they could only have meant to condemn him as a false messiah. Any supposed connection between the word "Messiah" and the attribute of divinity has no bearing on this matter. (The fact is, the Jews have never believed that the promised Messiah would be a man who is equal to God.)
In the second chapter of Mark, Jesus tells a man, "Your sins are forgiven." The customary interpretation takes the side of the Jews then present, who asked, "Who can forgive sins but God Alone?" But the verse at John 12:49, among others, explains very well how a man could make such a statement. In this verse Jesus denies any personal initiative. (See also John 8:40; 14:10.) The argument based on Jewish understanding makes the assumption that the Jews understood Jesus. A more viable hypothesis is simply that the enemies of Jesus misunderstood him. In fact Jesus repeatedly alludes to this (e.g. Mark 4:11, 12). It is interesting to note that today Jewish scholars find virtually no objections to anything Jesus said. (See the reference under Jesus in the UNIVERSAL JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA.)
Conclusion
We have not merely used the Bible to suit ourselves. Verses have been cited without any commitment as to their veracity. It has been our intention only to show the defects in the Christian stand which says: "Jesus claimed to be equal to God." If we decoct the mixture said to establish that stand, we find inferior ingredients, weak evidence and specious reasoning. Our position has been narrowed enough to make almost any Christian response a step toward the Muslim’s position. We have cited the most quoted and clear scriptures, so if any others are brought forward, the Christian admits the deficiency of previous arguments, and thus makes a short list even shorter ... the list of quotations said to prove his case. Or, if the Christian builds a case on something other than the words attributed to Jesus, he repeats exactly what we first protested: mainline Christianity is based on what people have said about Jesus.
Afterword
We asked, "Why must Jesus be divine?" By this we meant to ask why a Christian believes so. If the question is asked without reference to the foregoing discussion, a Christian will answer that Jesus must be divine if his death is to be sufficient atonement for the sins of mankind. In the Christian scheme of redemption, it is held that sacrificial death was necessary that men might be saved. Ask why the death of any man would be insufficient and the Christian replies that all men are imperfect. Ask why they are imperfect and we are told that this is an inheritance from our fathers. Jesus had no father. By their own scheme he would have been an unblemished sacrificial victim. Nevertheless, they still require that he be divine to suit the role of redeemer. So we ask, "Did God die?" He quickly replies, "No, only the man Jesus died." Jesus is said to be a God-man and it was the human component that died. But now he has said that the death of a man has atoned for sin. The Infinite is required for this ritual of sacrifice but the Infinite is not actually sacrificed.
By Dr. Gary Miller
If this booklet were written to announce my conversion to Christianity, no Christian would complain that it is too blunt. So if I must reject an aspect of Christianity in a succinct form, let me not be accused of bluntness either. A Muslim believes in the religion of Jesus but sees mainline Christianity as a religion constructed about Jesus. Our protest is against two excesses: The apotheosis of Jesus and the most frequent missionary tactic directed toward Muslims.
Part One
Christians and Muslims who learn something of one another's religion find that a crucial issue is the nature of Jesus. The majority of Christians deify Jesus while Muslims say that he was no more than a prophet of God, a faultless human being. The doctrine of the Trinity avows that three distinct co-equals are God. In particular, Jesus is said to be God the Son, or the Son of God. As the Muslim questions details of this theology, the Christian characteristically forms a common explanation for our differences: He complains that Muslims do not understand the Trinity; that we are actually accusing Christians of Tritheism and other heresies.
So the Muslim seeks clarification of the teaching and asks at every step: "How could that be so?" For example, we insist that the term "Son of God" cannot have a literal interpretation. Sonship and divine nature would be necessary attributes of such an actuality, but these are incompatible. The first describes a recipient of life while the second describes One who received life from no one. These are mutually exclusive requirements then. To be a son is to be less than divine, and to be divine is to be no one's son.
As a discussion proceeds, it is the Christian who will eventually take refuge in the response: "These are things that we cannot understand." His assessment of the Muslim's problem becomes his own confession. The Christian explanation becomes self-defeating so there is a change of tactic.
He complains that the Muslim refuses to accept what cannot be understood. But the modified approach is a diversion. Now the concepts of verification and understanding are confused. To illustrate: Chemical reactions may be verified but the atom is not thereby understood. Facts are catalogued but not always explained. This distinction is the key to our concise reply. It is the Muslim who must redirect the discussion. Our primary issue is more basic than resolving the incongruities of Trinitarian doctrine. Rather than ask how the Trinity can be so, we should ask why it must be so. We ask, "Why must Jesus be divine? Can we verify the necessity of this belief?"
The Muslim Position
A few centuries ago, European Philosophers commonly felt that a conjecture was proven if it could be shown to be equivalent to an assertion made by Aristotle. Unfortunately, such an approach stopped short of challenging Aristotle and discovering truth. Similarly, testing the Trinitarian case on what people have said about Jesus stops short of establishing the integrity of the authorities and the truth of the matter.
Our purpose here is no more than the illustration that belief in the Trinity can only be based on Church authority. Many Christians admit that this is the case while others insist that the teaching was elaborated by Jesus himself. "Let them produce their proof," is the repeated admonition of the Quran, that is, "provide the documentation that Jesus himself claimed unqualified deity," (Quran 21:24). Unless this evidence can be produced, authorities are subject to challenge. Then the Christian may not evade the Muslim's questions concerning understanding. The Christian will have no justification for maintaining an illogical position, unless he is content to rely on the opinions of men. If he will probe no deeper than this, the Christian-Muslim dialogue is finished.
For Christians, the only documents accepted as reporting the words of Jesus are the accounts given in the Bible. We leave the Muslim attitude toward the Bible for part II of this essay and find our motivation now in the Quranic verse, "Say: 'O People of the Book! You have no ground to stand upon unless you stand fast by the Law, the Gospel, and all the revelation that has come to you from your Lord." (Quran 5:68). Christians are advised to support their claims by citing their books. Thus Muslims believe that no saying of Jesus can be produced which shows him grasping at equality with God. The primary issue is not whether Jesus is God. The first question is whether he said that he was equal to God.
Methodology
The Bible record of sayings credited to Jesus is quite meager. After allowance for duplication in the four gospel accounts, these sayings could be printed in two columns of a newspaper. None of this handful of texts is an explicit claim of deity. All quotations are implicit, that is, they require interpretation. We are told what Jesus said and then told what he meant. So our methodology takes an obvious form.
It is not our intention or obligation to reinterpret the Bible. We are satisfied to merely verify that Christian interpretations are insufficient, ambiguous, or impossible. We mean to argue: 1) that where the meaning of a quotation is clear, it is still insufficient to prove that Jesus claimed equality with God; 2) that other quotations cited are open to various interpretation, ambiguous; 3) and that still other quotations have been given interpretations that are impossible. This means the evidence is either inadequate, inconclusive, or unacceptable, respectively.
Insufficient Evidence
The virgin birth of Jesus and the miracles he demonstrated are cited by some as proof of his divinity. The insufficiency of the premise is obvious. We need only read the Biblical account of Adam's creation, without father or mother, and the accounts of miracles associated with the prophet Elisha (Genesis and 2 Kings chapters 4,5,6). In the case of these two men, no Christian asserts their divinity, yet each has a qualification in common with Jesus.
Some maintain that Jesus was God because the Hebrew Scriptures predicted his coming. The inadequacy here is only slightly less apparent. The ancient Hebrew Scriptures are also cited as predicting the role of John the Baptist (Malachi chapter 4). These three arguments are mentioned to show that the ready claims of Christian betray a selective or forgetful recall of scripture. They know the fact of virgin birth as well as they know the account of Adam's origins, yet they interpret the first and overlook the second.
Now to pursue our case indirectly. Does the Bible quote Jesus as claiming equality with God? Bible texts are produced to show that Jesus used the terms "son of man", "son of God", "Messiah", and "savior". But each of these terms is applied to other individuals in the Bible. Ezekiel was addressed as "son of man" (Ezekiel chapter 3). Jesus himself speaks of the peacemakers as "sons of God" (Matthew 5:9). Cyrus the Persian is called "messiah" at Isaiah 45:1. The duplicity of translators is manifested here, for they inevitably render only the meaning of the word "Messiah" which is "anointed". Where other Bible verses seem to refer to Jesus, they prefer to transliterate "Messiah" or the Greek equivalent "Christ". In this way they hope to give the impression that there is only one Messiah. As for "savior", the word is applied to other than Jesus (2 Kings 13:5). Christians choose to cite the forty-third chapter of Isaiah as proof that there is only one savior. Again, translators have tried to obscure the fact that God is the only savior in the same ultimate sense that He is our only nourisher and protector, though men also have these assigned tasks. By over specifying this pronouncement in Isaiah they hope to have us believe that God equals savior and Jesus equals savior therefore Jesus equals God. The conspiracy of modern translation is easily demonstrated. The King James Bible of 1611 is everywhere available. Compare it to a more recent translation, say the New American Bible of this century. In the earlier version we find 2 Kings 13:5 contains the word "savior", but in the newer version the synonymous word "deliverer" has been substituted. In fact, "saviours", the plural, will be found at Obadiah 21 and Nehemiah 9:27. Here again, by substituting a different word, the connotation of divinity tied to the word "savior" has been guarded in modern versions by less than honest translation.
Once more we have exhibited the insufficient warrant of arguments offered: Those terms said to connote divinity are used of individuals other than Jesus.
There is a quotation that should be mentioned here also. At John 8:58 it is reported that Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I am". Even if Jesus meant to claim by these words that he was alive before Abraham was, is this sufficient ground to say that he was divine? If Jesus lived in heaven then came to earth it might mean something remarkable, but it would not be enough to establish him as God incarnate. Additionally, it should be noted that these words are open to other interpretation. Christians do not imagine that the prophet Jeremiah had a pre-human existence and so they find a suitable way of interpreting the words of Jeremiah 1:5 which portray such a situation, if taken literally, Why not apply a similar understanding in the case of John 8:58?
Ambiguous Evidence
Some scholars have insisted that in this statement of Jesus just discussed, he appropriated for himself a divine title. In Exodus chapter 3, it is reported that God told Moses "I am what I am," as most English Bibles translate the Hebrew text. At John 8:58 Jesus says, "before Abraham was, I am," as most English Bibles translate the Greek text. But here is the key to another deception. The original of the first text is in Hebrew while the original of the second is in Greek. All but a few of Jesus' words were recorded in Greek. For two hundred years before the time of Jesus the Jews used a Greek translation of their Hebrew scriptures, the Septuagint. This work translated the key phrase "I am" of Exodus as HO ON. However, the words of Jesus, "I am", have been given to us in Greek as EGO EIMI. If the gospel writer of John 8:58 wanted to tell his Greek-speaking audience that Jesus had imitated God he would have used the familiar words of the Septuagint, otherwise the point would be lost. The evidence of John 8:58 is far from conclusive.
There is another Greek word to consider which betrays suppression or neglect of evidence. At John 10:30 Jesus is quoted as saying "I and the Father are one." The Greek word translated "one" is HEN. Certain scholars have insisted that the only possible understanding of this word is "one in essence or nature". One need not be a Greek scholar to refute this unjustified claim. A counter example is sufficient. The same word is used by Jesus in John 17:11,21,22,23, as he includes his disciples in this oneness, whatever its meaning.
The most widely translated sentence on earth is said to be Jesus' statement of John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son..." While Christians wish to say that the word "only-begotten" gives Jesus special status among all the "sons of God", again there is a problem if ambiguity. The same word translated as "only-begotten" is found at Hebrews 11:17. In this verse the word refers to Isaac. The Bible itself shows that Isaac's older brother Ishmael outlived his father (Genesis 25:9). Therefore, at no time was Isaac, strictly speaking, the only-begotten son of Abraham. Recognizing this, Christian scholars qualify the meaning of the word in this case and give it a less than literal interpretation. But if the meaning is subject to interpretation here, why not also in the passage of John 3:16? Once more the possibility of ambiguity means that John 3:16 is inconclusive evidence.
Whether or not Jesus really used the term "Father" when speaking of God is another controversy. But here our point is again, that suck use is inconclusive evidence that God was literally Father to Jesus. All Christians use the term when addressing God. The Jews themselves used the term (John 8:41). Jesus told them that the devil was their father (John 8:44). Of course, he was not speaking literally.
Certain scholars stress the verse of Mark 14:36 where Jesus speaks the Aramaic word for Father, "Abba". They insist that this implies a very unique relationship between Jesus and God. This displays a- schizophrenic forgetfulness. For favorite scripture passages are Romans 8:14 and Galatians 4:6 where every Christian is said to use this term of address for God.
Impossible Evidence
An episode is recounted in the twentieth chapter of John and a certain Thomas is quoted as saving, "My Lord and my God." In interpreting this, Christians maintain that Thomas was addressing Jesus by both of these titles. The Muslim would have no objection to the term "Lord". As the Bible explains, the word means "master" and Sarah is said to have called her husband Abraham by this title (Peter 3:6). The suggestion that Thomas addressed Jesus as literally being God is a different matter. Jesus has already pointed out that the Hebrew scriptures themselves address men as "gods" (John 10:34; Psalms 82:6). This would allow for Thomas' use of the term. However, Paul gave new rules in 1 Corinthians chapter 8, saying that there are many lords and gods "...yet for us there is but one God, the Father.... and one Lord, Jesus Christ..." Christians apply this verse to sort out the ambiguities of Thomas' expression. But now we are left with an unorthodox doctrine, namely that Jesus is the Father. This ancient heresy has been branded by the Church as Patripassianism, Monarchianism, or Sabellianism. The impossibility of an orthodox interpretation of Thomas is now apparent.
The distinction between Father and Son is essential to the doctrine of the Trinity. This distinction is blurred again when John 14:9 is pressed into service. Here Jesus' reply to a man named Philip is recorded as, "He who has seen me has seen the Father." A strictly literal explication would mean the unacceptable doctrine that Jesus is the Father. So interpreters say that "Father" is here equivalent to "God". However, we cannot possibly be obliged to understand that Jesus meant to say that seeing him was exactly the same as seeing God because he was God. Our reason is found in the contrariety of John 5:37. Here he told a crowd about the Father saying, "You have neither heard His voice at any time not seen his form."The Total Evidence Did the Jews Understand?
Surprisingly enough, it is often conceded that individual verses are insufficient, inconclusive, or even unusable in the case made for the divinity of Jesus. However, there are those who insist that while any given verse may be deficient, it is the total collection of all such verses that proves the case. This betrays a misunderstanding of the reasoning process. Each verse must prove something, or it is dispensable. Given a verse, we must demand to know exactly what it does prove, and why. Christian exegesis, the traditional explanation of scripture, has been exposed as incredible within the church itself. It has been shown to be enthymemic in the extreme. That is, premises and conclusions are not clearly stated. (Exactly what is meant by the "redemption of man" is still not clear to this date. [This article was written in 1983]) Whether we probe the roots or the outgrowth of the system, the structure becomes vague. (See for example, THE MYTH OF GOD INCARNATE, a Christian publication.)
A final argument has been offered based on the understanding of the Jews. Christians have said that our rebuttal given here is unimportant because the Jews understood Jesus to grasp at equality with God. They cite John 5:18, ' ...because ... (he) was calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God." They pass over the verses that follow immediately, where Jesus subjected himself to God, naming those things which God gave him.
They cite the tenth chapter of John where the Jews tried to stone Jesus for blasphemy. The point of the reply Jesus made is neglected. He demonstrated to those Jews, by quoting their own scripture, that they had no grounds for their accusation.
Curiously enough, in their haste to put claims on the lips of Jesus, part of the Christian church constructs a very confused story. The Hebrew scriptures made reference to a Messiah and the Church says this can only mean an incarnate God and so when Jesus spoke of himself as Messiah he was blaspheming because no man can be God, according to Hebrew scriptures ... or so the reasoning seems to flow together in confusion.
There is a legal point to be made here. If the a understood that the Messiah was to be a man who was equal to God then a man who claimed to be the Messiah could only be condemned as a false messiah. He could not be condemned on the grounds that he uttered a statement which must always be blasphemous in itself. At some future time, the true Messiah would have to speak the very same words without being condemned. When certain Jews declared Jesus' words as blasphemy they could only have meant to condemn him as a false messiah. Any supposed connection between the word "Messiah" and the attribute of divinity has no bearing on this matter. (The fact is, the Jews have never believed that the promised Messiah would be a man who is equal to God.)
In the second chapter of Mark, Jesus tells a man, "Your sins are forgiven." The customary interpretation takes the side of the Jews then present, who asked, "Who can forgive sins but God Alone?" But the verse at John 12:49, among others, explains very well how a man could make such a statement. In this verse Jesus denies any personal initiative. (See also John 8:40; 14:10.) The argument based on Jewish understanding makes the assumption that the Jews understood Jesus. A more viable hypothesis is simply that the enemies of Jesus misunderstood him. In fact Jesus repeatedly alludes to this (e.g. Mark 4:11, 12). It is interesting to note that today Jewish scholars find virtually no objections to anything Jesus said. (See the reference under Jesus in the UNIVERSAL JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA.)
Conclusion
We have not merely used the Bible to suit ourselves. Verses have been cited without any commitment as to their veracity. It has been our intention only to show the defects in the Christian stand which says: "Jesus claimed to be equal to God." If we decoct the mixture said to establish that stand, we find inferior ingredients, weak evidence and specious reasoning. Our position has been narrowed enough to make almost any Christian response a step toward the Muslim’s position. We have cited the most quoted and clear scriptures, so if any others are brought forward, the Christian admits the deficiency of previous arguments, and thus makes a short list even shorter ... the list of quotations said to prove his case. Or, if the Christian builds a case on something other than the words attributed to Jesus, he repeats exactly what we first protested: mainline Christianity is based on what people have said about Jesus.
Afterword
We asked, "Why must Jesus be divine?" By this we meant to ask why a Christian believes so. If the question is asked without reference to the foregoing discussion, a Christian will answer that Jesus must be divine if his death is to be sufficient atonement for the sins of mankind. In the Christian scheme of redemption, it is held that sacrificial death was necessary that men might be saved. Ask why the death of any man would be insufficient and the Christian replies that all men are imperfect. Ask why they are imperfect and we are told that this is an inheritance from our fathers. Jesus had no father. By their own scheme he would have been an unblemished sacrificial victim. Nevertheless, they still require that he be divine to suit the role of redeemer. So we ask, "Did God die?" He quickly replies, "No, only the man Jesus died." Jesus is said to be a God-man and it was the human component that died. But now he has said that the death of a man has atoned for sin. The Infinite is required for this ritual of sacrifice but the Infinite is not actually sacrificed.
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