Islam & Universal Brotherhood Part 1

By Dr. Zakir Naik

There are various types of brotherhoods - brotherhood based on blood relations, brotherhood based on regional affiliations, or brotherhood on the basis of race, caste, creeds, ideology, etc. But all these types of brotherhood are limited in their scope, coverage and benefits.
Islam, on the other hand, prescribes Universal Brotherhood. It rejects the thought that human beings have been created in castes or in different levels. In the Glorious Qur’an, in Surah Hujurat, Chapter No. 49, Verse No. 13, Allah (SWT) describes the Islamic concept of Universal Brotherhood:
‘O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other (not that you may despise each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most Righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).
This Verse of the Glorious Qur’an indicates that the whole human race originated from a single pair of male and female. All humans have common great-grandparents and ancestors.
Further, Allah (swt) says that he has made nations and tribes, so that humans can recognize each other, and not so that they may despise each other and fight amongst themselves.
This verse also clarifies that the criteria for judgment in the sight of Allah (swt) does not depend on caste, colour, creed, gender or wealth, but on Taqwa - God consciousness, piety and righteousness. Anyone who is righteous, pious and God-conscious, is honoured in the sight of Allah (swt).
Further it is stated in the Glorious Qur’an in Surah Ar-Rum verse. 22, that:
‘And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages, and your colours: Verily in that are signs for those who know.’
These variations in colour and language are not for the purpose of creating animosity or differences between groups of humans. Every language on earth has its own beauty and significance.
A foreign language may sound strange and funny to you, but it sounds sweet to those for whom it is the mother tongue.
Allah says in the Glorious Qur’an, in Surah Israa, Ch. 17, Verse 70:
‘We have honoured the sons of Adam’
Allah does not say that He has honoured only the Arabs or the Americans or a particular race. He states that He has honoured all the children of Adam, irrespective of race, caste, colour, creed or gender.
While there are many religions that believe that humankind originated from a single pair - Adam and Eve (peace be upon them), there some faiths that say, that it is because of the sin of the woman (Eve - may Allah be pleased with her) that the humans are born in sin. They blame only on the woman, which is Eve, for the downfall of human beings.
The Qur’an speaks about the story of Adam and Eve (peace be upon them) in several chapters, but in all the places, the blame is placed equally on both -Adam and Eve (peace be upon them).
According to Surah Araf, Ch. 7 : Verses 19 to 27 Both of them disobeyed Allah (swt), both of them repented, and both were forgiven.
Both are equally blamed for the mistake. There is not a single verse in the Glorious Qur’an, which puts the blame only on Eve (may Allah be pleased with her).
In Surah Taha, Ch. No. 20, V. No. 121, it is stated that Adam (pbuh) disobeyed Allah (swt).
Certain faith, on the other hand state that because Eve disobeyed God, it is she who is responsible for the sin of humankind’. Hence God cursed the woman, and said that she will bear labour pains. This means that pregnancy is a curse.
Islam of course does not agree with this unjust view.
In Surah Nisa, Ch. No. 4, V. No. 1, Allah states: ‘And (reverence) the wombs (that bore you).’
In Islam, pregnancy does not degrade a woman - it uplifts a woman. In Surah Luqman, Ch. 31, V. No. 14, it is stated that:
‘And we have enjoined on man (to be good) to his parents. In travail upon travail did his mother bear him, and in years twain was his weaning.’
The Qur’an says in Surah, Ahqaf, Ch. 46, V. No. 15...’We have enjoined on man to be kind to his parents. In pain did his mother bear him, and in pain did she give him birth.’
Islam states that men and women are created equal.
According to a Hadith mentioned in Sahih Bukhari, Vol.No. 8, in the Book of Adab, Chapter 2, Hasith No. 2:
‘A person came to Prophet Mohammed (saw), and asked him, ‘Who is the person who deserves the maximum love and companionship in this world ?’
The Prophet replied, ‘Your mother.’
The man asked, Who next?’
The Prophet said, ‘Your mother.’
The man asked, ‘After that who?’
The Prophet repeated for the third time, ‘Your mother.’
The man asked, ‘After that who?’
Then the Prophet said, ‘Your father.’
So, 75% or 3/4 of the love and companionship of the children are due to the mother and only 25% or 1/4 of the love and companionship goes to the father. In other words, the mother gets the gold medal, she gets the silver medal, as well as the bronze medal. The father has to be satisfied with a mere consolation prize.
These are amongst the teachings of Islam.
In Islam, men and women are equal - but equality does not mean identicality. There are many misconceptions about the status of women in Islam. These can be removed if one studies the authentic sources of knowledge of Islam and its teachings - the Glorious Qur’an and the Sahih Hadith.
While men and women are overall equal, equality does not mean identicality. Let’s take an example. In a class, two students - student ‘A’ and ‘B’ get the highest marks in a subject - 80 out of 100.
The question paper consisted of 10 questions, each of 10 marks.
In the first answer student ‘A’ gets 9 out of 10, student ‘B’ gets 7 out of 10. So in question 1 student ‘A’ has a degree of advantage than student ‘B’.
In question 2, student ‘B’ gets 9 out of 10, and student ‘A’ gets 7 out of 10. So in question 2, student ‘B’ has a degree of advantage, than student ‘A’.
In the remaining 8 questions, both get 8 out of 10, and if you total the marks of both the students, both get 80 out of 100.
So if you analyze, both student ‘A’ and ‘B’ have got over all equal marks.
But in answers to some questions, student ‘A’ has a degree of advantage and in answers to some other questions, student ‘B’ has a degree of advantage - but in terms of overall marks, both are equal.
Similarly in Islam, men and women are equal.
Brotherhood in Islam does not only mean that the same sexes are equal. ‘Universal Brotherhood’ in Islam means, that besides race, caste, and creed, even the sexes are overall equal. Men and women are equal in Islam, but in some aspects, men have a degree of advantage while in some other aspects, women have a degree of advantage - but overall both are equal.
For example, if a robber enters my house, I will not say, ‘I believe in women’s rights, and I believe in women’s liberation and therefore my sister, my wife, my mother, should go and fight the robber.’
Allah says in Surah Nisa, Ch. 4, V 34, ‘God has given the one (man) more strength than the other’’. Men have more strength than the women.’
So where strength is concerned, men have a degree of advantage. Since they have been given more strength, it is their duty to protect women. Here the men have a degree of advantage.
Where love and companionship from children is concerned, the mother gets three times more love and companionship than the father. Here women have a degree of advantage.
For more details, you can refer to the video-cassettes of my talk on ‘Women’s Rights in Islam - Modernizing or Outdated? Part I has the lecture and Part II has the Question-Answer session.

Pope Denounces Drug Cartels.

From: New America


Recovering addicts in Guaratingueta welcomed the pope on Saturday by waving flags and singing [AFP] Pope Benedict XVI has given warning to Latin America's drug cartels, saying they will face God's harsh judgment for wrecking countless lives across the region.

On Saturday - the fourth day of his visit to Brazil - after hearing stories of hardship and recovery from former drug addicts, he said that drugs were South America's blight.
Benedict said: "I therefore urge the drug dealers to reflect on the grave harm they are inflicting on countless young people and on adults from every level of society."

The pope was addressing recovering addicts at the Farm of Hope rehabilitation centre in the rural town of Guaratingueta.

The drugs trade has caused havoc and bloodshed in Latin America, from Colombia, the world's main source of cocaine, to Brazil, where rival trafficking gangs control many slums.

Human dignity

"God will call you to account for your deeds. Human dignity cannot be trampled upon in this way," Benedict said.

Thousands of followers sang and waved flags as the pontiff, flanked by bodyguards, then walked through the crowd, smiling and shaking hands.

About one-in-four of the 6,000 people who heard Benedict's address on a sports field at the farm were from various rehabilitation centres in Brazil.

Patients and former addicts went up on the stage to tell their stories.

Ricardo Correa Ribeirinha, 31, said he was a former street child whose mother was a prostitute.

As a teenager, Ribeirinha sniffed glue, took cocaine and crack and was shot twice, but he now runs a government anti-drugs programme and is finishing college.

He said: "Many people thought I'd end up in jail or in a cemetery but I started to walk on the correct path of life that led me to God."

Sylvia Hartwich, a 20-year-old from Berlin, wept as she described how she had tried to commit suicide several times.

Now she is a volunteer for a German branch of the programme.

Pope Benedict XVI hugs children at the drug rehabilitation centre [AFP] "Now I'm a light for other girls. They receive strength from me to become women," she said.

Benedict hugged her as she left the stage.

Founded by Franciscan friars 25 years ago, the Farm of Hope helps rehabilitate addicts from as far away as Russia and the Philippines.

This year-long programme helps addicts kick the habit by making them work as farm hands and reading the Bible.

Hedonism

Throughout his trip to the word's most populous Roman Catholic country, Benedict has railed against the hedonism of modern society and exhorted people to lead more moral lives.

He has spoken out against sex outside of marriage, and reiterated the church's unflinching opposition to abortion.

"God will call you to account for your deeds. Human dignity cannot be trampled upon in this way"
Pope Benedict XVIHe is also trying to rebuild the church's waning influence in Latin America, home to nearly half the world's 1.1bn Catholics.

Benedict is also trying to stem the tide of people turning to Protestant groups or giving up on religion altogether.

On Sunday, he will address a conference of Latin American and Caribbean bishops in Aparecida, the site of Brazil's holiest shrine and largest cathedral visited by millions of pilgrims each year.

He also will celebrate an open air mass with hundreds of thousands of people at the Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida, Brazil's national saint.

Blogger Comment:
Pope Benedict is a great man. He is standing to the drug cartel and tackling one of the major world problems. As Muslims we have much in common with his message. We have to work with him and learn from him.

II. THE QUR’AN PLAGIARIZED FROM THE BIBLE:

From: www.irf.net

"Is The Quran God's Word" to Zakir Naik

Many critics state that while Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) himself was not the author of the Qur’an he learnt it from other human sources or plagiarized it, i.e. copied or adapted from previous scriptures or revelations.

1. MUHUMMAD (PBUH) LEARNT THE QUR’AN FROM A ROMAN BLACKSMITH WHO WAS A CHRISTIAN:

Some pagans accused the Prophet (pbuh) of learning the Qur’an from a Roman Blacksmith, who was a Christian and lived in the outskirts of Mecca. The Prophet very often use to go and watch him do his work. A revelation of the Qur’an was sufficient to dismiss this change. The Qur’an says :

“We know indeed that they say,
“It is a man that teaches him.”
The tongue of him they wickedly point to is notably foreign,
while this is Arabic, pure & clear.”
(Al Qur'an 16:103)

How could a person whose mother tongue was foreign and could hardly speak little but of poor broken Arabic be the source of the Qur’an which is pure, eloquent, fine Arabic? To believe that the blacksmith taught the Prophet (pbuh), the Qur’an, is somewhat similar to a Chinese immigrant to England, who did not know proper English, taught Shakespeare.

2. MUHAMMAD (PBUH) LEARNT THE QUR'AN FROM WARAQA - THE RELATIVE OF KHADIJAH (R.A.)

Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) contact with the Jewish and Christian scholars was very limited. The most prominent Christian was an old blind man called Waraqa Ibn-Naufal who was a relative of the Prophet’s first wife Khadijah (R.A.). He, although of Arab descent was a convert to Christianity and was very well versed with the New Testament. The Prophet (pbuh) met him only twice, first when Waraqa was worshipping at the Ka'aba, (before the prophetic Mission) and he kissed the Prophet’s forehead affectionately. The second was when the Prophet (pbuh) went to meet Waraqa after receiving the first revelation. Waraqa died 3 years later and the revelation continued for about 23 years.

3. PROPHET’S RELIGIOUS DISCUSSIONS WITH THE JEWS AND CHRISTIANS:-

It is true that the Prophet (pbuh) did have religious discussions with the jews and christians but these discussions took place in Madinah more than 13 years after the revelation of the Qur’an had started. The allegation that these jews and Christians were the source is the reverse, since in these discussions Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) was the teacher inviting them to embrace Islam and pointing out that they deviated away from their true teaching of Monotheism. Several of them later embraced Islam.

4. PROPHET LEARNT THE QUR’AN FROM JEWS AND CHRISTIANS THAT HE MET OUTSIDE ARABIA:

All historical records available show that Muhammad (pbuh) had made only three trips outside Makkah before his Prophethood.

i) At the age of 6 he accompanied his mother to Madinah.
ii) Between the age of 9 & 12, he accompanied his uncle Abu – Talib on a business trip to Syria,
iii) At the age of 25, he led Khadija’s (R.A) caravan to Syria.

It is highly imaginary to assume that the Qur’an resulted from the occasional chats and meetings with the Christians or Jews from any of the above three trips.

5. LOGICAL GROUNDS TO PROVE THAT THE PROPHET DID NOT LEARN THE QUR’AN FROM JEWS OR CHRISTIANS:

The day-to-day life of the Prophet (Pbuh) was an open book for all to see. In fact a revelation came asking people to give the Prophet some privacy in his own home. If the Prophet (pbuh) had been meeting people who told him what to say as a revelation from God, this would not have been hidden for very long.

The extremely prominent Quraish nobles who followed the Prophet and accepted Islam were wise and intelligent men who would have easily noticed anything suspicious about the way in which the Prophet brought the revelation to them – more so since the Prophetic mission lasted 23 years.

The enemies of the Prophet kept a close watch on him in order to find proof for their claim that he was a liar – they could not point out even a single instance when the Prophet may have had a secret rendezvous with particulars Jews and Christians.

It is inconceivable that any human author of the Qur’an would have accepted a situation in which he received no credit whatsoever for originating the Qur’an.

Thus, historically and logically it cannot be established that there was a human source for the Qur’an.

6. MUHAMMAD (PBUH) WAS AN ILLITERATE

The theory that Muhammad (Pbuh) authored the Qur’an or copied from other sources can be disproved by the single historical fact that he was illiterate.

Allah testifies Himself in the Qur’an

And you were not (able) to recite a Book before this (Book came), nor were you (able) to transcribe it with your right hand: in that case, indeed, would the talkers of vanities have doubled.”
(Al Qur’an 29:48)

Allah (swt) knew that many would doubt the authenticity of the Qur’an and would ascribe it to Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh). Therefore Allah in his Divine Wisdom chose the Last and Final Messenger to be an ‘Ummi’ i.e. unlettered, so that the talkers of vanity would not then have the slightest justification to doubt the Prophet. The accusation of his enemies that he had copied the Qur’an from other sources and rehashed it all in a beautiful language might have carried some weight, but even this flimsy pretence has been deprived to the unbeliever and the cynic.

Allah reconfirms:

“Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (Scriptures) in the Law and the Gospel”
(Al Qur’an 7:157)

The prophecy of coming of the unlettered Prophet (Pbuh) is also mentioned in the Bible in the book of Isaiah:

“And the book is delivered to him that is not learned “
(Isaiah 29:12)

The Qur’an testifies in no less than four difference places that the Prophet (Pbuh) was illiterate. It is also mentioned in Al-Qur’an 7:158 and 62:2.

7. ARABIC VERSION OF THE BIBLE WAS NOT PRESENT :

This Arabic version of the Bible was not present at the time of Prophet Muhammed (Pbuh). The earliest Arabic version of the old Testament is that of R. Saadias Gaon 900 C.E. - more than 250 years after the death of our beloved Prophet. The oldest Arabic Version of the new testament was published by Erpenius in 1616 C.E. - about a thousand years after the demise of our Prophet.

8. SIMILARITIES IN THE QUR’AN AND THE BIBLE DUE TO COMMON SOURCE :

Similarities between the Qur’an and the Bible does not necessarily mean that the former has been copied from the latter. In fact it gives evidence that both of them are based on a common third source, all divine revelations came from the same source - the one Universal God. No matter what human changes were introduced into some of these Judeo-Christian and other older religious scriptures that had distorted their originality, there are some areas that have remained free from distortion and thus are common to many religions.

It is true that there are some similar parallels between the Qur’an and the Bible but this is not sufficient to accuse Muhammad (Pbuh) of compiling or copying from the Bible. The same logic would then also be applicable to teachings of Christianity and Judaism and thus one could wrongly claim that Jesus (Pbuh) was not a genuine Prophet (God forbid) and that he simply copied from the old testament.

The similarities between the two signify a common source that is one true God and the continuation of the basic message of Monotheism and not that the later Prophets have plagiarized from the previous Prophets.

If some one copies during an examination, he will surely not write in the answer sheet, that he has copied from his neighbour or Mr. XYZ. Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) gave due respect and credit to all the previous Prophets (Pbut). The Qur’an also mentions the various revelations given by Almighty God to different Prophets.

9. MUSLIMS BELIEVE IN THE TAURAH, ZABOOR, INJEEL AND QUR’AN

Four revelations of Allah (swt) are mentioned by name in the Qur’an: the Taurah, the Zaboor, the Injeel and the Qur’an.

Taurah, the revelation i.e. the Wahi given to Moosa (a. s.) i.e. Moses (Pbuh).

Zaboor, the revelation i.e. the Wahi given to Dawood (a. s.) i.e. David (Pbuh).

Injeel, the revelation i.e. the Wahi given to Isa (a. s.) i.e. Jesus (Pbuh).

‘Al-Qur’an’, the last and final Wahi i.e. revelation given to the last and final Messenger Muhammed (Pbuh).

It is an article of faith for every Muslim to believe in all the Prophets of God and all revelations of God. However, the present day Bible has the first five books of the old Testament attributed to Moses and the Psalms attributed to David. Moreover the New testament or the four Gospels of the New testament are not the Taurah, the Zaboor or the Injeel, which the Qur’an refers to. These books of the present day Bible may partly contain the word of God but these books are certainly not the exact, accurate and complete revelations give to the Prophets.

The Qur’an presents all the different Prophets of Allah as belonging to one single brotherhood; all had a similar prophetic mission and the same basic message. Because of this, the fundamental teachings of the major faiths cannot be contradictory, even if there has been a considerable passage of time between the different prophetic missions, because the source of these missions was one: Almighty God, Allah. This is why the Qur’an says that the differences which exist between various religions are not the responsibility of the Prophets, but of the followers of these Prophets who forgot part of what they had been taught, and furthermore, misinterpreted and changed the scriptures. The Qur’an cannot therefore be seen as a scripture which competes with the teachings of Moses, Jesus, and the other Prophets (Pbut). On the contrary, it confirms, completes, and perfects the messages that they brought to their people.

Another name for Qur’an is the ‘The Furqan’ which means the criteria to judge the right from the wrong, and it is on the basis of this Qur’an that we can decipher which part of the precious scriptures can be considered to be the word of God.

Jesus, peace be upon him, was a Muslim.

From: www.jesusthemuslim.com

Jesus, peace be upon him, was a Muslim.
It's what millions of people believe.
It's what the best New Testament scholarship now suggests.

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

We hear a great deal today about a “war,” “conflict,” or “clash” between Islam and Christianity. The topic is so prominent in the media that many people assume that there is something irreconcilable between these two approaches to God. It is not surprising, then, that so many Christians of good will have concluded that Islam and Christianity are fundamentally incompatible. Yet, if, by “Christianity,” we mean “that which Jesus Christ (pbuh) meant to convey to his hearers,” I believe that these people of good will are mistaken when they tell us that Islam is incompatible with Christianity.
What's more, I believe we can now prove that the historically oldest Gospel verses reflecting the reported sayings of Jesus (pbuh) are entirely compatible with Islam.

A WAVE OF CONVERSIONS
If you are a Christian, the idea that Jesus (pbuh) practiced the same faith that today’s news broadcasts hold responsible for so many of the world’s problems may seem far-fetched to you. It seemed far-fetched to me when I first encountered it, before I consulted the Gospels closely. Yet you should know that many, many contemporary Christians have reached life-changing personal conclusions about the Gospel message and its relation to Islam.
“There is compelling anecdotal evidence of a surge in conversions to Islam since September 11, not just in Britain, but across Europe and America. One Dutch Islamic centre claims a tenfold increase, while the New Muslims Project, based in Leicester and run by a former Irish Roman Catholic housewife, reports a steady stream of new converts." (London Times, January 7, 2002.)

MAINSTREAM MEDIA IGNORES US
The Western news media only rarely shares the stories of these individual converts to Islam with the world at large, but I strongly suspect that most of these people -- if they are like me -- found themselves, at the end of the day, concerned about the consequences of calling Jesus (pbuh) “Lord” without obeying his instructions ... found themselves far more concerned about that, in fact, than about any media coverage of geopolitical issues.
This kind of concern causes people to change their lives.

THE CHALLENGE OF Q
Speaking personally, I changed my own life because I could not ignore the implications of the authentic, stand-alone Gospel passages that today’s most accomplished (non-Muslim!) scholars believe to be of the earliest date available.
These sayings, which form a reconstructed text known as Q, can all be found in the New Testament. They are almost certainly the closest we will ever be able to come to an authentic oral tradition reflecting the actual sayings of Jesus (pbuh).

Q CONFIRMS ISLAM
If you are new to Q, you should know what the best New Testament scholars now know, namely that today’s scholarship identifies certain Gospel passages as not only instructive, but historically more relevant than other passages. This scholarship has led to some fascinating discussions among scholars (and a comparatively few lay readers).
I believe the Q verses tend to confirm Islam’s depiction of Jesus (pbuh) as a human Prophet with a Divine mandate essentially indistinguishable from that of Muhammad (pbuh).

A HUMAN PROPHET
I did not develop the theory of Q. It has been around for years. "Traditionalist" Christian clergy and theologians are generally hostile to it. They claim that students of Q are somehow eager to diminish the status of Jesus (pbuh). Actually, we are eager to learn what he is most likely to have actually said.
Q represents a major challenge for contemporary Christianity, not least because it strongly suggests that Islam's picture of Jesus (pbuh) is historically correct. The fact that Q essentially confirms Islam’s image of Jesus (pbuh) as a distinctly human Prophet has not, I think, been widely noticed by today's Christians. And it must be. Because a careful review of the scriptures demonstrates that Jesus (pbuh) is in fact calling his people to Islam.

JESUS (PBUH) BROUGHT ME TO ISLAM!
I came to Islam, alhamdulillah, after three decades of restless dissatisfaction with conventionial Christianity. Although I've read a lot of conversion stories since I embraced Islam in March of 2003, I haven't found many that cited the Gospels as a point of entry to the Holy Qur'an. This is how it was for me.
I was drawn to the Gospels at a young age -- eleven -- and I read them compulsively on my own, despite the fact that I did not live in a Christian household. I soon learned to keep religious matters to myself.

EARLY QUESTIONS
For most of my adolescence I studied the Christian scriptures on my own. I still have the red King James Bible I bought as a child; my own handwritten note on the front page proclaims June 26, 1974, as the date I accepted Jesus (pbuh) as my personal savior. When I say I read the scriptures compulsively, I mean that I was drawn to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John like a magnet. There are plenty of notes and highlightings in that old Bible of mine in Psalms, in Ecclesiastes, in Proverbs -- but most of the notes and underlinings are in the Gospels. But I sensed, even at an early age, that there were some internal problems with the texts I loved so dearly.

WHO TAMPERED WITH THE GOSPELS?
I can clearly remember reading the account in the 22nd chapter of Luke where Jesus (pbuh) withdrew from the disciples, prayed, and returned to find them fast asleep. Who, I wondered, could have possibly observed him praying ... and then related the incident so that it eventually could be included in the Gospel of Luke? There's another passage in the Gospels where Jesus (pbuh) supposedly includes the words "let him who reads understand" in one of his spoken discourses, which seemed odd to me. And there was yet another spot where the New Testament author assured first-century Christians that their generation would see the second coming of the Messiah -- a passage I found difficult to square with modern Christian doctrine. These and other queries about the New Testament arose while I was still quite young, certainly before I was fifteen. Had someone manipulated the Gospels? If so, who? And why?
I "filed" my questions for later, and decided that the real problem was that I was not part of a vigorous Christian faith community.

CATHOLIC
At eighteen, I headed East for college and entered the Roman Catholic Church. In college, I met a beautiful and compassionate Catholic girl who was to become the great love and support of my life; she was not particularly religious, but she appreciated how important these matters were to me, and so she supported me in my beliefs. I do a great injustice to her seemingly limitless resources of strength, support, and love by compressing the beginning of our relationship into a few sentences here.

AN ENCOUNTER WITH A PRIEST
I asked the campus priest -- a sweet and pious man -- about some of the Gospel material that had given me trouble, but he became uncomfortable and changed the subject. On another occasion, I remember telling him that I was focusing closely on the Gospel of John because that Gospel was (as I thought then) a first-person account of the events in question.
Again, he stammered and changed the subject and did not want to discuss the merits of one Gospel over another; he simply insisted that all four were important and that I should study all of them. This was a telling conversation, and a fateful one, as it turned out.

CHRISTIANITY? OR PAULISM?
Now, this is not my life story, but rather my reversion account, so I'm going to fast-forward over a lot of important events. That sweet campus priest eventually married my girlfriend and me, and we settled in suburban Massachusetts. We each moved ahead professionally and became grownups. We had three beautiful children. And I kept reading and rereading the Bible. I was drawn, as ever, to the sayings about the lamp and the eye, the Prodigal Son, the Beatitudes, the importance of prayer, and so many others -- but I had steadily more serious intellectual problems with the surrounding "architecture" of the New Testament, particularly with the Apostle Paul. The fact that Paul never seemed to build a theological argument around anything that Jesus (pbuh) actually said was a big, big problem for me. In the mid-1990s, my wife and I both became deeply disenchanted with the Catholic Church, in part because of a truly terrible priest who gave very little attention to the spiritual needs of his community. We later learned that he had been covering up for a child abuser!

PROTESTANT
I found it necessary to immerse myself in a faith community. I joined, and became active in, the local Protestant denomination, a Congregational Church. So I led Sunday School classes for children, and briefly taught a Gospel class on the Parables for the adults. In the Sunday School classes for the kids I stayed right with the curriculum I had been given; but in the adult class, I tried to challenge the participants to confront certain parables directly, without filtering everything through the Apostle Paul. We had interesting discussions, but I sensed some resistance, and I didn't try to teach an adult class again. My wife eventually joined my church. (She is a member there today.) By this point, I had become deeply affected by the apparent intersection of the Christian mystic tradition and that of the Sufis and the Zen Buddhists. And I had even written on such matters. But there seemed to be no one at my church who shared my zeal for these issues.

FOCUSING ON THE GOSPEL SAYINGS
In particular, I was interested in the research being done that indicated that the oldest strata of the Gospels reflected an extremely early oral source known as Q, and that each of the individual sayings of Jesus (pbuh) needed to be evaluated on its own merits, and not as part of the narrative material that surrounded it.
This is because that narrrative material was added many years later.

AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT?
In fact, the more I researched this subject, the more I found myself thinking of that conversation about the Gospel of John with my priest.I realized that what he had been unwilling or unable to tell me was that the author(s) of the Gospel of John had been lying. This was manifestly not an eyewitness account, though it claimed to be. I was in a strange situation. I was certainly enjoying the fellowship of the Christians at my church, who were all committed and prayerful people. Being part of a religious community was important to me. Yet I had deep intellectual misgivings about the supposed historicity of the Gospel narratives. What's more, I was, increasingly, getting a different message from the Gospel sayings of Jesus (pbuh) than that which my fellow Christians were apparently getting. WRESTING WITH THE DOCTRINE OF

THE TRINITY
The more I looked at these sayings, the more impossible it became for me to reconcile the notion of the Trinity with that which seemed most authentic to me in the Gospels. I found myself face-to-face with some very difficult questions.
Where in the Gospels did Jesus use the word "Trinity"?
If Jesus (pbuh) was God, as the doctrine of the Trinity claims, why did he worship God?
AND -- if Jesus (pbuh) was God, why in the world would he say something like the following? "Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God." (Mark 10:18) Did he somehow forget that he himself was God when he said this? (A side note -- I had a discussion with a woman who assured me that this passage was not really in the Gospels, and who refused to believe that it appeared there until I gave her the chapter and verse number and she looked it up for herself!)

THE HOLY QUR'AN
In November of 2002, I began to read a translation of the Qur'an. I had never read an English translation of the entire text of the Qur'an before. I had only read summaries of the Qur'an written by non-Muslims.(And very misleading summaries at that.) Words do not adequately describe the extraordinary effect that this book had on me. Suffice to say that the very same magnetism that had drawn me to the Gospels at the age of eleven was present in a new and deeply imperative form. This book was telling me, just as I could tell Jesus (pbuh) had been telling me, about matters of ultimate concern.

AUTHORITATIVE GUIDANCE
The Qur'an was offering authoritative guidance and compelling responses to the questions I had been asking for years about the Gospels.
“It is not (possible) for any human being to whom God has given the Book and Wisdom and Prophethood to say to the people: ‘Be my worshippers rather than God’s.' On the contrary, (he would say): ‘Be devoted worshippers of your Lord, because you are teaching the Book, and you are studying it.’ Nor would he order you to take angels and Prophets for lords. Would he order you to disbelieve after you have submitted to God’s will?” (Qur’an 3:79-80)
The Qur'an drew me to its message because it so powerfully confirmed the sayings of Jesus (pbuh) that I felt in my heart had to be authentic. Something had been changed in the Gospels, and that something, I knew in my heart, had been left intact in the text of the Qur'an.

STARTLING PARALLELS
Below, you will find just a few examples of the parallels that made my heart pliant to the worship of Allah (swt). Each Gospel verse comes from the reconstructed text known as Q -- a text that today's scholars believe represents the earliest surviving strata of the teachings of the Messiah. Note how close this material is to the Qur'anic message.

Q AGREES WITH QUR'AN ON TAWHEED (MONOTHEISM)
In Q, Jesus (pbuh) endorses, in no uncertain terms, a rigorous monotheism.
"Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, 'Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.' (Luke 4:8)
Compare:
"Children of Adam, did We not command you not to worship Satan? He was your sworn enemy. Did We not command you to worship Me, and tell you that this is the straight path?" (Holy Qur'an 36:60-61)

Q AGREES WITH QUR'AN ON AQABA (THE UPHILL PATH)
Q identifies a Right Path that is often difficult, a path that unbelievers will choose not to follow.
"Enter ye in through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in there. Narrow is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)
Compare:
"The worldly life is made to seem attractive to the disbelievers who scoff at the faithful, but the pious, in the life hereafter, will have a position far above them." (Holy Qur'an 2:212)
"Would that you knew what the uphill path is! It is the setting free of a slave or, in a day of famine, the feeding of an orphaned relative and a downtrodden destitute person, (so that he would join) the believers who cooperate with others in patience and kindness." (Holy Qur'an 90:12-17)

Q AGREES WITH QUR'AN ON TAQWA (FEAR OF GOD)
Q warns us to fear only the judgment of God.
"And I say unto you, my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear. Fear Him, which after He hath killed, hath the power to cast into Hell. Yea, I say unto you, fear Him!" (Luke 12:4-5)
Compare:
"To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. God's retribution is severe. Should you then have fear of anyone other than God?" (Holy Qur'an 16:52)

Q AGREES WITH QUR'AN ON THE TRAPS OF DUNYA (EARTHLY LIFE)
In Q, Jesus (pbuh) warns humanity plainly that earthly advantages and pleasures should not be the goal of our lives:
"Woe unto you that are rich! For you have received your consolation. Woe unto you who are full! You shall be hungry. Woe unto you who laugh now! You shall weep and mourn." (Luke 6:24)
Compare:
"The desire to have increase of worldly gains has preoccupied you so much (that you have neglected the obligation of remembering God) -- until you come to your graves! You shall know. You shall certainly know (about the consequences of your deeds.) You will certainly have the knowledge of your deeds beyond all doubt. You will be shown hell, and you will see it with your own eyes. Then, on that day, you shall be questioned about the bounties (of God). (102:1-8)

Q WARNS MANKIND NOT TO ASSUME ENTRY TO HEAVEN IS ASSURED!
Consider also the following chilling words from the Messiah, which should (!) make every heart humble, choke off all forms of arrogance in spiritual matters, and quiet every attack upon a fellow monotheist:
"And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But those who believe they own the kingdom of heaven shall be cast out into the outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 8:11-12)
Obviously, this is an important teaching for all people of good will to bear in mind ... and to etch upon the memory.

Q SAYS NOTHING OF CRUCIFIXION OR SACRIFICE!
You have seen how the historically earliest verses -- the Q verses -- parallel the major teachings of the Qur'an. Also worthy of mention is the fact that Q teaches nothing whatsoever of the Crucifixion, of the sacrificial nature of the mission of Jesus (pbuh) ... an intriguing omission indeed!
We are left then with an amazing early Gospel -- a Gospel that (non-Muslim) scholars believe is historically closest to Jesus (pbuh) -- a Gospel that has the following characteristics:
Agreement with the Qur'an's uncompromising message of God's Oneness.
Agreement with the Qur'an's message of an afterlife of salvation or hellfire ... based on our earthly deeds.
Agreement with the Qur'an's warning not to be misled by dunya -- the attractions and pleasures of worldly life.
AND ...
A complete ABSENCE of any reference to Christ's death on the cross, resurrection, or sacrifice for humanity!
This is the Gospel that today's most advanced non-Muslim scholars have identified for us ... and this Gospel is pointing us, if only we will listen to it, in precisely the same direction as the Qur'an!

MY DEAR CHRISTIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS -- I BEG YOU TO ASK YOURSELVES PRAYERFULLY, TO SEEK ALMIGHTY GOD'S GUIDANCE ON THIS QUESTION: CAN THIS POSSIBLY BE A COINCIDENCE?
SHARE THE WORD!
I became a Muslim on March 20, 2003. It became obvious to me that I had to share this message with as many thoughtful Christians as I could. I wrote a book of Dawah to share with open-minded students of the Gospels. There are many, many more parallels between the oldest words of Jesus (pbuh) and the Holy Qur'an; I discuss them at length in my book Mere Islam.
Please share this book's message with the Christians in your life!
A BOOK FOR THOUGHTFUL CHRISTIANS
I wrote Mere Islam to help people reach an informed conclusion about the true nature of the mission of Jesus (pbuh). Because media coverage of Islam in the West is so unremittingly hostile, I decided to rely primarily on the words of Jesus (pbuh), appealing only rarely to the Holy Qur'an. To the degree that they realize that the oldest Gospel verses accurately mirror the teachings of Islam, thoughtful Christians may, Godwilling, become more curious about the teachings of the Qur'an.
Reasonable people may disagree on the age and authenticity of the Q sayings of Jesus (pbuh) that I appeal to in Mere Islam. All followers of Jesus (pbuh) must agree, though, that the words in Q cited in this book also appear in the Gospels found in every Bible and are binding on every Christian. For those who insist on the importance of following Jesus (pbuh), surely that is enough.
What you have read here is a brief summary of why I believe Jesus (pbuh) was a Muslim. To learn more about the recent New Testament scholarly breakthroughs that support this point, please read my book.
I would love to hear from you. I hope you will e-mail me.

Prophet Muhammad The Architect Of Peaceful Revloution

From: Radiance viwesweekly

By: KHAN YASIR

Other Article/s in this Section
• Prophet Muhammad's Recipe for World Peace
• World Peace and The Prophetic Mission
• How Islam Seeks To Maintain World Peace
• MUHAMMAD The Saviour of Human Dignity and Peace
• MUHAMMAD'S Soft Touch
• Imagine A World Embraced
• MUHAMMAD’S Testament to Peace
• Messenger of God - Apostle of Peace
• Muhammad and World Peace
• Religious Tolerance: The Prophetic Resources
• MUHAMMAD’S The Messenger to Mankind
• Apostle of Peace and Mercy for Women
• The Prophet's Leadership Qualities
• Love, Nay Social Justice The Core of Muhammad's Message
• Let's Revive The Prophet's Sunnah
• His Character was The Qur'ān
• The Prophet and Universal Brotherhood
• An Interactive Session on the Life and Message of the Prophet
• Why Prophet Muhammad's Followers are Derided, Ridiculed

The 20th century witnessed a profound “explosion” in every walk of life. Be it ‘knowledge explosion’, ‘technological explosion’, ‘information explosion’ or ‘population explosion’. Go further and you will discover that it was not only knowledge or population that exploded but some “little boy” and “fat man” also exploded (in Hiroshima and Nagasaki). Besides two horrendous world wars, peace was constantly threatened during the ‘cold war’. Some areas like Palestine and Chechnya are permanently under threat. The vulnerability of even the super power of unipolar world was exposed through 9/11. The ‘drama’ of state terrorism, its implication and brutalities, its counter retaliation and consequences need no description. The so-called noble organisations like the League of Nations and the United Nations Organisation fell very short of expectations and did little to minimise the rumpus that prevailed throughout the globe. In a nutshell, “Peace is not at all a contemporary phenomenon, it is either mere hearsay or history.”
We cannot wholly discard Marx’s observations that, “All hitherto history is the history of class struggles.” In every era, in every epoch with some minor exceptions, violence, bloodshed, arson existed. What is the cause of such commotion? A bird’s eye view over the conflicts which arose in the world, will ultimately lead us to the conclusion that denial of rights to a person or group or concerned society is the root of all dissensions such as exploitation of labourers – proletariat and bourgeoisie conflict, colonial exploitation – black and white races conflict, denial of right to self rule in Palestine and Chechnya, etc.
So it is crystal clear that if peace has to prevail, wilful respect for others’ rights is indispensable.
Now briefly scan through all theories and practices of the world or every man-made law and you will certainly discern that such laws guarantee privileges to some and at the same time deny those privileges to some others. They are bound to do justice with ‘some’ and injustice with ‘some others’ because man lacks universal outlook and neutrality which is prerequisite for a just law. If a capitalist has to make a law, he will legitimise all the exploitation of workers, and if vice versa labourers will seize even capitalists’ minimal right to property. Hitler believed that he along with his Aryan German race was destined to rule the world. No human being is exempt from such bias that’s why no theory is pure and perfectly just. As a student of political science I am compelled to confess and as a Muslim proud to declare that the revolution which Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be with him) has brought, the theory which he propounded (the Qur’ān and Sunnah), the system that he evolved (Islami Nizam) was far more superior to, far more just and peaceful than all other theories, ideas and concepts of the world put together.

ISLAM AND OTHER REVOLUTIONS
§ The French Revolution is put at a high pedestal by all those who eulogise the values of democracy. The Revolution proved to be just a ‘change of power’ – replacement of a tyranny by another and the price of such change of guard was at least 66 lakh of lives killed by the weapons especially invented for collective slaughter of humans.
§ Communism was perceived as Messiah of the poor and downtrodden. It claimed the echelon of ultimate solution for human miseries. To accomplish this “landmark” revolution more than one crore people were done to death. Thousands were transported to the chilly Siberia where they themselves were frozen to death. For what? To experience the tyranny of state communism that history had never seen before. Hence its collapse within 90 years of its inception despite being co-superpower of the world.
§ Needless to elaborate the losses of world wars which were fought insanely and to achieve no good by European countries. Crores of people lost their lives and still at several places children are born deaf and blind and with several other congenital defects due to radiation generated in these wars. These monstrous wars which were fought for “peace” were followed by “cold war” and now a ‘Third world war’ seems inevitable due to the paranoia of U.S.
§ Contrary to all the above, the revolution which Prophet Muhammad (peace to him) brought within a short span of 23 years was far more ‘comprehensive’, ‘all inclusive’ and ‘all encompassing’ – a revolution which altered the socio-economic and political life of the people. The most bloodless revolution history has ever witnessed. As Sayyed Asad Geelani would argue through statistics that the Prophet participated in 27 ghazwats and sent 55 siryas – a sum total of 82 confrontations with the opponent. To calculate mathematically on every 35th day there was some clash or the other with opponents in the Prophet’s Medinite life. But what about the casualties? Geelani then presents the most stunning statistics:
imprisoned wounded killed
Muslims 11 127 459
Opponents 6564 – 459
Leave the wounded aside, the total price that the propagators of this revolution had to pay was 918 lives and the vicissitude which it brought was exorbitant.

THE MESSENGER OF PEACE
Muhammad (peace to him) was the messenger of peace. As articulated in the Qur’ān that he was “nothing else but a mercy for the universe”. He took war (qital) as not the first but the last resort. The system which he executed on earth was “just” not only for Arabs, not only for Muslims but for the whole humanity. Even during wars he maintained a high code of conduct and urged his followers also to do the same as per the injunctions of the Qur’ān. “Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah does not love transgressors.” (2:190) His endeavour, toil and all the sufferings of warfare was not for any personal gains but for the eradication of evil. No personal enmity or hatred was the motive factor “And fight them on until there is no tumult or oppressions and there prevail justice and faith in Allah.” (Anfal-39)
Thus the whole life of the Prophet is a living embodiment of a person who adored peace, who tried to sort out problems through peaceful measures, but one who did not compromise with wrong even for peace at any cost.
Although the Holy Prophet’s whole life is overflowing with the incidents when he had the power to crush his enemies but he hated sin and not the sinners. So we find him on one hand forgiving a Bedouin who attempted to kill him, or respecting a Jew who was ruthlessly demanding his due before the specified time. But the following three instances are the replica of his commitment to the cause of peace.
1) The Holy Prophet (peace to him) was more or less dejected about the barren hearts of Makkan people when he visited Taif in the hope of establishing his Dawah centre there. The three most influential persons whom the Prophet had met gave hopeless replies and urged scoundrels and rogues to pelt stones on him. His shoes were spilling with blood. When he sat to have a rest, those bullies forced him to stand and walk and again stoned his body targeting his knees and ankle. Finally when this game of heartlessness ended the angel of rocks and hills came upon him with Gabriel and sought his permission to intermingle the two hills surrounding Taif such that the trace of the city could not be found in future. The Prophet replied in the words which are worth writing in gold. “Why should I curse them and pray for their extinction? If they have not accepted Islam their future generations may do so!” – Humanity salutes you O’ Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah with you).
2) One thousand four hundred Companions were sitting round the Prophet (peace to him) waiting for the slightest intimation to take their swords out and attack Makkah to take the revenge of Uthaman. The Prophet was silently listening to the Qureyshi Ambassador Suhail Bin Amr to reach upon a truce. Needless to say Muslims at that time had an upper hand over infidels. They had won most of the clashes with Qureysh and even once had thwarted out an attempt by the entire Arab to exterminate the tiny state of Medina in the Battle of Ahzab. The following conditions of Qureysh were considered a blasphemy by many of the Companions which were
i) There will be no war between parties for ten years and they will live at peace.
ii) Muslims should return this year and come for pilgrimage of Ka’aba next year keeping their swords sheathed and stay for just three days.
iii) All tribes will be free to conclude alliance with any party.
iv) Trade Caravans of Qureysh passing through Medina will not be molested.
v) If anyone from the Qureysh goes to Medinah without consent of Qureysh he should be returned, but a Muslim coming to Makkah from Medinah will not be returned.
But the wisdom of the Prophet was such that he acquiesced all the conditions of Qureysh, and even urged Abū Jandel, who had fled from his house in Makkah, to keep patience, and finally endorsed for peace.
Later it was as bright as the shining sun that it was the fruits of Dawah sown in those hiatus years after the Hudaibiyah Treaty that the whole of Arab so soon sought asylum in the exalted way of life called Islam.
3) Readers know that the Qureysh had tormented the Prophet and his companions both physically and mentally throughout the 13 years of his Prophethood. They threw dust upon him, mischievously put the wastes of camel on his back while prostrating, called him with several filthy names like magician, nonsense, insane, ill, etc. They urged husbands of his newly wed daughters to divorce them, socially boycotted him and his clan for three years. More than all they forced him out of his native land. After his migration also they waged wars to uproot his newly acquired destination, fomented other tribes against him and conspired with them.
Still on the occasion of Makkan victory, when all those tormentors and strategists of his murder and wars, conspiracies and cheats were standing before him helpless, the judgment of even the noblest persons we could think of would have been to decapitate all of them without any delay – but the judgment pronounced by the Holy Prophet on that day reads: “This day let no reproach be (cast) on you; Allah will forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.”

THE LAST SERMONS
Louis Henkin, like many westerners, believe that “human rights is an idea of our time.” But Tahir Mahmood was precise about rejecting this unscientific claim, in his own words, “Anybody who makes a dispassionate and unbiased study of Prophet’s teachings would be convinced that the claim of modern westerners to be the inventor of Human Rights must be rejected for its historical inaccuracy.”
In his last sermon, the Prophet propounded the whole humanity with a doctrine that was most compact and all inclusive.
All the “modern” principles such as right to life, right to equality, right to justice, fair trial, trial by jury, rule of law, equality before law seem to have been extracted from the Last Sermon of the Holy Prophet. All of them so conspicuously mentioned and so vehemently practised for a millennium that it put to shame not only Magna Carta of 1225 but Petition of Rights 1672, Habeas Corpus Act of 1679, Bill of Rights of 1689 and let me say United Nations Charter of Human Rights declaration of 1948 as well.
M. I. Patwari illustrated the real status of U.N. Charter when he said, “All these rights contained in the universal declaration of Human Rights are declaratory because the declaration is not a legally binding treaty. It has only moral and political significance.”
Here are some extracts from the last sermon of the Prophet which will speak for themselves how far they are relevant in modern context and how the solution lies in its implementation and execution of the world’s miseries and distress.
“…O’ ye people! Allah says We created you from one male and one female …. There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab and for a non-Arab over an Arab, nor for the white over the black nor vice versa except in God-Consciousness…. Verily your blood, your property and your honour are sacred and inviolable….O’ people you have got certain rights over your women and your women have certain rights over you… Allah, the mighty and exalted, has ordained to every one his due share (of inheritance).… All debts must be repaid…. Beware! No one committing a crime is responsible for it but himself…. And your Slaves; see that you feed them with such food as you eat yourselves, and clothe them with the cloths that you yourself wear.”
After this precise and all encompassing lecture he addressed the congregation in words that will continue to inspire humanity till the Doomsday. It is certain that he was addressing not only the congregation but his discourse was also for us and for our generations. He proclaimed “O’ people! No Prophet would be raised after me and no new Ummah (would be formed) after you… beware of transgressing the limits set in the matters of religion… Let him that is present, convey it unto him who is absent, for many people to whom the message is conveyed may be more mindful of it…”
May Allah give us courage and capability to discharge the duty of standing as witness unto mankind.

The Miraculous Quran (part 11 of 11): A Challenge for Humanity

From: www.islamreligion.com

Description: The linguistic miracle of the Quran, the challenge of the Quran, and the final decision.

By Jamaal al-Din Zarabozo

The Linguistic Miracle of the Quran

There is another important aspect that Muslim scholars have traditionally considered the greatest miraculous aspect of the Quran, this is the linguistic miracle. Unfortunately, though, before becoming a Muslim (and even afterwards), I had no way to truly appreciate this topic. I could only read what some scholars had written about the language and beauty of the Quran. For example, John Naish wrote:
The Quran in its original Arabic dress has a seductive beauty and charm of its own. Couched in concise and exalted style, its brief pregnant sentences, often rhymed, poses an expressive force and explosive energy which is extremely difficult to convey by literal word for word translation.[1]

Similarly, Arberry yearned for his earlier days when he would hear the Quran being recited during Ramadhan in Egypt.[2] I actually had no access to hearing the Quran being recited and therefore did not know what a moving experience it is. Furthermore, without knowledge of the Arabic language, the impression of the English translations could not possibly be like that of the original Arabic. However, I must discuss this miraculous here, however briefly, because it is truly one of the most amazing aspects of the Quran.

Again, traditionally, Muslim scholars have considered the linguistic miracle of the Quran as perhaps the most important miraculous aspect of the Quran—and it is definitely the one that had the most influence at the time of the Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him. The Arabs were very proud of their language. The very word that they used for foreigner, ajami, basically meant one who is barbarous in speech or lacking clarity in his speech.[3] However, even they were no match for the Quran. Before the Quran, they used to have fairs and competition to see which of them could produce the most beautiful work in Arabic. However, according to Draz:
But when the Quran was revealed all such fairs came to an end, and literary gatherings were defunct. From now on, the Quran was the only work to command people's attention. None of them could challenge or compete with it, or even suggest that a single word be changed, moved, added or omitted from the sentence where it occurs. Yet the Quran did not close the door to competition. Indeed, it left it wide open, calling on them, individually and collectively, to take up its challenge and produce anything similar to it. It repeated the challenge in different forms, berating their inability to do so, and reducing the task for them time after time.[4]

Arabic scholars have identified many linguistic aspects that distinguish the Quran from all other works and sets it apart as a miracle. Herein, only a few shall be mentioned briefly[5]:
(1) Each word that is used in its precise place and cannot be moved or exchanged for a close synonym without its beauty or meaning being loss.
(2) The Quran has a unique sentence structure and rhythm that sets it apart from both prose and poetry, sometimes resembling one more than the other but never being completely one or the other.
(3) The sentences use the smallest number of words without losing any necessary meaning. In other words, they are concise, which adds to their beauty, while at the same time they convey all that needs to be conveyed.
(4) There is a perfect balance as well as a consistency in style between emotional and intellectual passages of the Quran. Draz noted that this beauty can only truly be found in the Quran:
Two forces are always active within a human being: the intellectual and the emotional. They have different roles and directions. The first aims to know the truth, and to identify what is good and beneficial so as to adopt it. The other records its feelings of pain and pleasure. A perfect style is that which satisfies both needs at the same time, giving you intellectual satisfaction and emotional pleasure…Do we find such perfection in human style? We have seen the writings of scientists and philosophers, and works of poets and fine prose [yet they cannot meet this goal]…[6]

The Challenge of the Quran Itself

Scholars have noted many other miraculous aspects of the Quran, such as its perfect consistency and freedom from contradiction even though it was revealed over a span of twenty-three years[7], the effect the Quran has on the individuals who listen to it[8] and so. However, what we have discussed here is definitely sufficient for our purposes, as I have covered the issues that most influenced me on my path to Islam. Furthermore, I believe that what has already been discussed is sufficient to demonstrate that the Quran is indeed miraculous.
According to Muslims, the Quran is the speech and word of God. Therefore, it is not surprising that it is inimitable. However, God has willed to make this point very clear to all of humankind, leaving them no room to argue, doubt or excuse themselves. In the Quran, God challenges humankind to produce anything similar to the Quran. In fact, the challenge from God goes even further than that: There is a challenge to produce even one chapter like the chapters of the Quran.
This challenge is still open to humankind today. Anyone is free to attempt to rebuke the Quran by producing something similar to even a portion of the Quran. In reality, though, God even makes it clear that all of humankind will never be able to produce anything comparable to the Quran—anything amazing prophecy of the Quran.
The challenge from God occurs in five different places in the Quran. Here are the relevant verses in the order that they were revealed by God:
“And if you (Arab pagans, Jews, and Christians) are in doubt concerning that which We have sent down (i.e. the Quran) to Our servant (Muhammad), then produce a chapter the like thereof and call your witnesses (supporters and helpers) besides God, if you are truthful. But if you do it not, and you can never do it, then fear the Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for the disbelievers” (Quran 2:23-24, emphasis added)
“Or do they say, ‘He (Muhammad) has forged it?’ Say, ‘Bring then a chapter like unto it, and call upon whomsoever you can, besides God, if you are truthful!’” (Quran 10:38)
“Or do they say, ‘He (Muhammad) forged it.’ Say, ‘Bring you then ten forged chapters like unto it, and call whomsoever you can, other than God (to your help), if you speak the truth’” (Quran 11:13)
“Say (to the people), ‘If all of humankind and jinns were together to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they helped one another’” (Quran 17:88)
“Or do they say, ‘He (Muhammad) has forged it?’ Nay! They believe not! Let them then produce a recital like unto it if they are truthful” (Quran 52:33-34)
In sum, if anyone still has any doubt about the Quran, let him rise to this challenge.

A Very Important Statement of the Prophet and My Decision

It was not an afterthought that this Quran is miraculous. It was not that scholars after the time of the Prophet, may God praise him, looked at it and declared that it was a miracle. No, indeed, this Book was meant to be the miracle of the Prophet Muhammad and his greatest sign. The disbelievers at the time of the Prophet were seeking some other kind of miracle—perhaps more tangible or requiring less thought—but God made it clear that this Quran should be sufficient as a sign testifying to the veracity of the Prophet. God says:
“And they say, ‘Why are not signs sent down to him from his Lord?’ Say, ‘The signs are only with God, and I am only a plain warner.’ Is it not sufficient for them that We have sent down to you the Book which is recited to them? Verily, herein is mercy and a reminder for a people who believe” (Quran 29:50-51)

Indeed, this Book should be sufficient for any sincere, truth-seeking individual. There is no need for any other signs or miracles after this Book. This is the gist of what God has said in this passage and this is what my heart and mind concluded as I studied the Quran in the face of all the writers who claimed that it was not a revelation from God.

The Prophet also made a very important statement concerning this sign and miracle that God had given him. Since he was the final prophet, the nature of his sign and miracle had to be different from all that preceded him. It had to be a miracle that could have a lasting affect until the Day of Judgment. Indeed, it is. Even more so, it is a very different type of miracle. It is one upon which humans can reflect and be completely convinced of its truth. Thus, the Prophet said, “There has been no prophet except that God gave him miracles due to which people believed in him. I have been given (as my miracle) the revelation which God revealed to me. I hope, thereby, that I will have the largest number of followers on the Day of Judgment.” (Recorded by Al-Bukhari.) Given the nature of the sign that the Prophet has received, there is no excuse for people of other times not to follow the Prophet. Hence, he will, God willing, have the greatest number of followers on the Day of Judgment.

The Quran demanded a decision on my part—as it actually demands a decision on everybody’s part. The signs pointing to its miraculous nature and that it must be a true revelation from God were simply overwhelming to me. None of the theories opposing the Quran or denying the sincerity of the Prophet were strong enough or logical enough to convince me otherwise. Hence, I, via the Quran, embraced Islam and all praise and thanks are due to God.


Footnotes:
[1] John Naish, The Wisdom of the Quran (Oxford, 1937), p. viii. Quoted in Islam—The First and Final Religion, pp. 87.
[2] See his feelings expressed in A. J. Arberry, The Koran Interpreted (New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., 1955), p. 28.
[3] E. W. Lane, Arabic-English Lexicon (Cambridge, England: The Islamic Texts Society, 1984), vol. 2, pp. 1966-1967.
[4] Muhammad Abdullah Draz, The Quran: An Eternal Challenge (Markfield, United Kingdom: The Islamic Foundation, 2001), p. 69.
[5] For more details, one can consult Draz, passim.
[6] Draz., p. 97.
[7] God says in the Quran, “Do they not then consider the Quran carefully? Had it been from other than God, they would surely have found therein much contradictions” (al-Nisaa 4:82).
[8] Be they believers or unbelievers, the Quran is bound to affect them. For example, concerning the believers, God says, “God has sent down the best statement, a Book (this Quran), its parts resembling each other in goodness and truth, oft-repeated. The skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it (when they recite it or hear it). Then their skin and their heart soften to the remembrance of God. That is the guidance of God. He Guides therewith whom He pleases and whomever God sends astray, for him there is no guide” (al-Zumar 39:23). On the other hand, concerning the disbelievers, God says, “And surely, We have explained [Our Promises, Warnings and (set forth many) examples] in this Quran that they (the disbelievers) may take heed, but it increases them in naught save aversion” (al-Israa 17:41).
Previous: The Miraculous Quran (part 10 of 11): Scientific Miracles

Parts of This Article
The Miraculous Quran (part 1 of 11): My Path to Islam
The Miraculous Quran (part 2 of 11): The Quran and Orientalists
The Miraculous Quran (part 3 of 11): A Sacred Scripture Must be From God
The Miraculous Quran (part 4 of 11): The Detailed Preservation of the Quran
The Miraculous Quran (part 5 of 11): The Excellence of its Teachings I
The Miraculous Quran (part 6 of 11): The Excellence of its Teachings II
The Miraculous Quran (part 7 of 11): Various Aspects of the Law
The Miraculous Quran (part 8 of 11): From Savages to Saints
The Miraculous Quran (part 9 of 11): A Unique Prophecy
The Miraculous Quran (part 10 of 11): Scientific Miracles
The Miraculous Quran (part 11 of 11): A Challenge for Humanity
View all parts together

Concept Of God In Islam.

Published by The Institute of Islamic Information and Education (III&E)

It is a known fact that every language has one or more terms that are used in reference to God and sometimes to lesser deities. This is not the case with Allah. Allah is the personal name of the One true God. Nothing else can be called Allah. The term has no plural or gender. This shows its uniqueness when compared with the word god which can be made plural, gods, or feminine, goddess. It is interesting to notice that Allah is the personal name of God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus and a sister language of Arabic.
The One true God is a reflection of the unique concept that Islam associates with God. To a Muslim, Allah is the Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who is similar to nothing and nothing is comparable to Him. The Prophet Muhammad was asked by his contemporaries about Allah; the answer came directly from God Himself in the form of a short chapter of the Quran, which is considered the essence of the unity or the motto of monotheism. This is chapter 112 which reads:
"In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Say (O Muhammad) He is God the One God, the Everlasting Refuge, who has not begotten, nor has been begotten, and equal to Him is not anyone."
Some non-Muslims allege that God in Islam is a stern and cruel God who demands to be obeyed fully. He is not loving and kind. Nothing can be farther from truth than this allegation. It is enough to know that, with the exception of one, each of the 114 chapters of the Quran begins with the verse: "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate." In one of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) we are told that "God is more loving and kinder than a mother to her dear child."
But God is also Just. Hence evildoers and sinners must have their share of punishment and the virtuous, His bounties and favors. Actually God's attribute of Mercy has full manifestation in His attribute of Justice. People suffering throughout their lives for His sake and people oppressing and exploiting other people all their lives should not receive similar treatment from their Lord. Expecting similar treatment for them will amount to negating the very belief in the accountability of man in the Hereafter and thereby negating all the incentives for a moral and virtuous life in this world. The following Quranic verses are very clear and straightforward in this respect:
"Verily, for the Righteous are gardens of Delight, in the Presence of their
Lord. Shall We then treat the people of Faith like the people of Sin?
What is the matter with you? How judge you?" (68:34-36)Islam rejects characterizing God in any human form or depicting Him as favoring certain individuals or nations on the basis of wealth, power or race. He created the human-beings as equals. They may distinguish themselves and get His favor through virtue and piety only.
The concept that God rested in the seventh day of creation, that God wrestled with one of His soldiers, that God is an envious plotter against mankind, or that God is incarnate in any human being are considered blasphemy from the Islamic point of view.
The unique usage of Allah as a personal name of God is a reflection of Islam's emphasis on the purity of the belief in God which is the essence of the message of all God's messengers. Because of this, Islam considers associating any deity or personality with God as a deadly sin which God will never forgive, despite the fact He may forgive all other sins.
The Creator must be of a different nature from the things created becauseif he is of the same nature as they are, he will be temporal and will therefore need a maker. It follows that nothing is like Him. If the maker is not temporal, then he must be eternal. But if he is eternal, he cannot be caused, and if nothing outside him causes him to continue to exist, which means that he must be self-sufficient. And if the does not depend on anything for the continuance of his own existence, then this existence can have no end. The Creator is therefore eternal and everlasting: 'He is the First and the Last.'
He is Self-Sufficient or Self-Subsistent or, to use a Quranic term, Al-Qayyum. The Creator does not create only in the sense of bringing things into being, He also preserves them and takes them out of existence and is the ultimate cause of whatever happens to them.
"God is the Creator of everything. He is the guardian over everything.
Unto Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth." (39:62, 63) "No creature is there crawling on the earth, but its provision rests on God.
He knows its lodging place and it repository." (11:6)
God's Attributes If the Creator is Eternal and Everlasting, then His attributes must also be eternal and everlasting. He should not lose any of His attributes nor acquire new ones. If this is so, then His attributes are absolute. Can there be more than one Creator with such absolute attributes? Can there be for example, two absolutely powerful Creators? A moment's thought shows that this is not feasible.
The Quran summarizes this argument in the following verses:
"God has not taken to Himself any son, nor is there any god with Him: For
then each god would have taken of that which he created and some of them
would have risen up over others." (23:91) And Why, were there gods in
earth and heaven other than God, they (heaven and earth) would surely go to
ruin." (21:22)
The Oneness of God The Quran reminds us of the falsity of all alleged gods. To the worshippers of man-made objects, it asks:
"Do you worship what you have carved yourself?" (37:95)
"Or have you taken unto you others beside Him to be your protectors,
even such as have no power either for good or for harm to themselves?" (13:16)To the worshippers of heavenly bodies it cites the story of Abraham:
"When night outspread over him he say a star and said, 'This is my Lord.'
But when it set he said, 'I love not the setters.' When he saw the moon rising, he said, 'This is my Lord.' But when it set he said, 'If my Lord does not guide me I shall surely be of the people gone astray.' When he say the sun rising, he said, 'This is my Lord; this is greater.' But when it set he said, 'O my people, surely I quit that which you associate, I have turned my face to Him Who originated the heavens and the earth; a man of pure faith, I am not of the idolaters.'" (6:76-79)
The Believer's Attitude: In order to be a Muslim, i.e., to surrender oneself to God, it is necessary to believe in the oneness of God, in the sense of His being the only Creator, Preserver, Nourisher, etc. But this belief - later on called "Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah is not enough." Many of the idolaters knew and believed that only the Supreme God could do all this. but that was not enough to make them Muslims. To tawhid ar-rububiyyah one must add tawhid al'uluhiyyah, i.e., one acknowledges the fact that is God alone Who deserves to be worshipped, and thus abstains from worshipping any other thing or being.
Having achieved this knowledge of the one true God, man should constantly have faith in Him, and should allow nothing to induce him to deny truth.
When faith enters a person's heart, it causes certain mental states which result in certain actions. Taken together these mental states and actions are the proof for the true faith. The Prophet said, "Faith is that which resides firmly in the heart and which is proved by deeds."
The feeling of gratitude is so important that a non-believer is called 'kafir,' which means 'one who denies a truth' and also 'one who is ungrateful.'
A believer loves, and is grateful to God for the bounties He bestowed upon him, but being aware of the fact that his good deeds, whether mental or physical, are far from being commensurate with Divine favors, he is always anxious lest God should punish him, here or in the Hereafter. He, therefore, fears Him, surrenders himself to Him and serves Him with great humility. One cannot be in such a mental state without being almost all the time mindful of God. Remembering God is thus the life force of faith, without which it fades and withers away.
The Quran tries to promote this feeling of gratitude by repeating the attributes of God very frequently. We find most of these attributes mentioned together in the following verses of the Quran:
"He is God; there is no god but He, He is the Knower of the unseen and the visible; He is the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate. He is God, there is no God but He. He is the King, the All-Holy, the All-Peace, the Guardian of Faith, the All-Preserver, the All-Mighty, the All-Compeller, the All-Sublime. Glory be to God, above that they associate! He is God the Creator, the Maker, the Shaper. To Him belong the Names Most Beautiful. All that is in the heavens and the earth magnifies Him; He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise." (59:22-24)
"There is no god but He, the Living, the Everlasting. Slumber seizes Him not, neither sleep; to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. Who is there that shall intercede with Him save by His leave? He knows what lies before them and what is after them, and they comprehend not anything of His knowledge save such as He wills. His throne comprises the heavens and earth; the preserving of them oppresses Him not; He is the All-High, the All-Glorious." (2:255)
"People of the Book, go not beyond the bounds in your religion, and say not as to God but the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only the Messenger of God, and His Word that He committed to Mary, and a Spirit from Him. So believe in God and His Messengers, and say not, 'Three.' Refrain; better is it for you. God is only one God. Glory be to Him - (He is) above having a son." (4:171)


The Institute of Islamic Information and Education (III&E) is dedicated to the cause of Islam in North America through striving to elevate the image of Islam and Muslims by providing the correct information about Islamic beliefs, history and civilizations from the authentic sources, inquiries are welcome.
For more information please contact:
The Institute of Islamic Information and Education P.O. Box 41129 Chicago, Illinois 60641-0129 U.S.A.

Truth Seeker.

From: www.thisistruth.org

No one is compelled to accept the truth, but it is certainly a shame upon the human intellect when a man is not even interested in finding out what the truth is!

Islam teaches that our Creator has given human beings the faculty of reason. Therefore, it is incumbent upon them to reason things out objectively and systematically for themselves to ponder, to question and to reflect.

Nobody should press you to make a hasty decision to accept any of the teachings of Islam, for Islam teaches that human beings should be given the freedom to choose. Even when a person is faced with the truth, there is no compulsion upon him to embrace it.

But before you begin to form an opinion about Islam, ask yourself whether your existing knowledge about it is thorough enough. Ask yourself whether that knowledge has been obtained through third party sources who themselves have probably been exposed to only random glimpses of Islamic writings and have yet to reason out on Islam objectively and systematically themselves.

Is it fair enough that one should form an opinion about the taste of a particular dish just by a mere hearsay from others who may themselves have not necessarily tasted the dish yet?

Similarly you should find out for yourself about Islam from reliable sources and not only taste it, but rather digest it very well before you form an opinion of it. That would be an intellectual approach to the truth.

In making your next move to the truth, Islam continually reassures you that your rights to freedom of choice and freedom to use that God-given faculty of thought and reason will be respected, for everyone has that individual will. No one else can take away that will and force you to submit to the true way of your Creator, you have to find out and make that decision yourself!

May your intellectual journey towards the truth be a pleasant and fruitful one... Amen

The Fundamental Articles Of Faith In Islam.

From: www.thisistruth.org

The true faithful Muslim believes in the following principal articles of faith:

Belief in one God (Allah), Supreme and Eternal, Infinite and Mighty, Merciful and Forgiving, the Creator and the Provider, He begets not, nor was He begotten, and there is none equal or comparable unto Him.

Belief in all Messengers of Allah (Ar-Rusul) without any discrimination among them, as every known nation had a Warner or Messenger from Allah. They were chosen by Allah to teach humanity and deliver His Divine message. The Qur'aan mentions the names of some of them, and Muhammad (peace be upon him) stands as the Last Messenger and the crowning glory of the foundation of prophethood.

Belief in all original scriptures and revelations of Allah (Al-Kutub), accepting them as the guiding light that the messengers received to show their respective people the right path to Him. In the Qur'aan, special reference is made to the books of Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus (peace be upon him), but long before the revelation of the Qur'aan to Muhammad (peace be upon him) some of these books and revelations had been lost or corrupted. The only authentic and complete book of Allah in existence today is the Qur'aan, which has been preserved as it was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in its pristine, pure form.

Belief in the Angels (malaa-ikah) of Allah, recognizing them as spiritually pure and splendid beings whose nature requires no food, drink or sleep. They are honored servants who are assigned certain functions, and spend their days and nights in the worship of Allah. They do not speak before Allah does, and they act only by His command.

Belief in the Last Day (Yaum Al-Qiyaamah) and the Hereafter (Al-Aakhirah), acknowledging that this world will end someday, and that the dead will rise to stand for their final and fair trial. People with good records will be generously rewarded and warmly welcomed to the Heaven of Allah, and those with bad records will be punished and cast into Hell and none will be treated with injustice.

Belief in Fate (Qadr), whether good or bad, which Allah, measured and ordained for all creation according to His previous knowledge, and as deemed suitable by His wisdom. And in the timeless knowledge of Allah, and in His power to plan and execute His plans, nothing could happen in His Kingdom against His will. His knowledge and power which are always in action command over His creation. He is Wise and Merciful, and whatever he does must have a meaningful purpose. If this is established in our minds and hearts, we should accept with good faith all that He does, although we may fail to understand it fully, or think it is bad.

Faith without action and practice is a dead end as far as Islam is concerned, for faith by nature is very sensitive and can be most influential. When it is out of practice or out of use, it quickly loses its liveliness and motivational power.

The Light Of Truth.

From: www.thisistruth.org

What is life? Man's existence in this world and the creation of this entire universe are not mere accidents or products of a fortuitous nature. This universe, every single atom of it, manifests and leads us to the realization of a Loving, Merciful and All-powerful Creator. Without a Creator, nothing can exist. Every single soul knows that he is existing and that his existence is dependent upon a Creator he knows for sure that he cannot create himself. Therefore it is his duty to know his master, the Creator.

Mankind: Man is a unique creature. God gave man the ability to govern over all other creatures in this world. He is endowed with the faculty of reason which sets him apart from all other animals. Together with this faculty to discriminate and discern, man is given the freedom (free-will) to choose for himself a way of life worthy of his position or to fall lower than the lowest of all animals or creations. Man is born pure and sinless and is given the choice to do righteous deeds or indulge in sins.

Divine Guidance: The Creator, out of His abundant Love and Mercy for mankind has not left us in darkness to discover the right path by trial and error alone. Coupled with our intellectual capability to reason, our Creator bestowed upon us Divine Guidance that outlines the criterion for truth, knowledge, as well as the reality of our existence in this world and the Hereafter.
Revelations: From the beginning of mankind, our Creator sent Prophets to convey His revelation and to invite human beings to the path of true peace and obedience to the One True God. This is Islam. This message is conveyed towards successive generations of man through the different prophets, all inviting mankind to the same path. However all the earlier messages or revelations from God were distorted by people of later generations.
As a result of this distortion, pure Revelation from our Creator was adulterated and polluted with myths, superstitions, idol worship and irrational philosophical ideologies. The religion of God in a sense was lost in a plethora of religions. Human history is a testament of man's drift between light and darkness, but God out of His abundant love for mankind has not forsaken us.

Final Revelation: When mankind was in the depths of the Dark Ages, our Creator sent His final Messenger, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to redeem humanity with the final revelation which represents the ultimate and permanent source of guidance for the whole world.

Criteria For Truth: The following criteria can best serve as a gauge to find out the authenticity of the last revelation (the Qur'aan) as the Word of God:

Rational Teachings: Since our Creator bestowed reason and intellect upon us, it is our duty to use it to distinguish the truth from falsehood. True, undistorted revelation from God must be rational and can be reasoned out by all unbiased minds.

Perfection: Since our Creator is all perfect, His revelation must be perfect and accurate, free from mistakes, omissions, interpolations and multiplicity of versions. It should be free from contradictions in its narration.

No Myths or Superstitions: True revelation is free from myths or superstitions that degrade the dignity of our Creator or man himself.

Scientific: Since our Creator is the Creator of all knowledge, true revelation is scientific and can withstand the challenge of science at all times.

Factual Prophecy: Our Creator is the Knower of the past, present and future. Thus His prophecies in His revelation will be fulfilled as prophesied.

Inimitable By Man: True revelation is infallible and cannot be imitated by man. God's true revelation is a Living miracle, an open book challenging all mankind to see and prove for themselves its authenticity or veracity.

Inimitability of the Qur'an and Some Evidences of it being from God.

From: www.thetruereligion.org

Excerpted from an article written by scholars from al-Azhar. Originally published by MSA-NEWS.

FIRST - Because it is the pinnacle of linguistic perfection. The Arabs [of Jahiliyyah] were not accustomed to its form. Their linguistic abilities were hindered by the fact that its expression was worded in the shortest of forms without loss of clear meaning [bayan].

SECOND - Its wonderful structure was unique when it comes to the beginning of verses, their termination, and the places where one stops [when rehearsing it]. This is added to a refined way of presenting truth and the true knowledge of God [`irfan]. Its beautiful word and kind insinuation, easiness of construct and correctness of ordering made the minds of the purest of desert dwellers [al-Arba'] amazed and the understanding of the masters of the tongue struck. The wisdom behind this intended differentiation in which the Qur'an was revealed was to leave no doubt for those with wit [fiTna] or give them reason to steal [by producing something like it].

THIRD - Because the Qur'an has a record of things to come. They came to pass in accordance with the way God has intended. Allah said, "you shall most certainly enter the Sacred Mosque [Mecca], if Allah pleases, in security, (some) having their heads shaved and (others) having their hair cut, you shall not fear." (Surah "The Victory", 48.27)

FOURTH - What it told about previous generations and the people of yore and it was known [to the people of Quraish] that [Mohammed] was but an illiterate who neither read nor wrote. He did not sit with teachers in schools, nor mixed with the learned. He was raised within a people who knew no book. They were naked [`arin] when it came to scientific inquiry [al-ulum al-`aqliyyah]. Allah said, "Surely this Qur'an declares to the children of Israel most of what they differ in." (Surah "The Ant", 27.76).

FIFTH - What it revealed of the secrets of those who opposed it and what they used to plot. Their deceit was revealed to the messenger of God.

SIXTH - That it included knowledge from the smallest of particles to cosmic facts the Arabs did not know in general and neither did Mohammed (peace be upon him); most important, what it included about the science of Shari`ah and how to deduce laws, the ways to logical argumentation [al-hujaj al-`aqliyyah], the wisdom one derives from the stories of yore, the matters of the hereafter and the best of manners and behavior.

SEVENTH - It is free of contradiction despite the fact that it is a large book which includes many facts and various arts. "If it were from any other than Allah, they would have found in it many a discrepancy." (Surah "The Women", 4.82)

EIGHTH - It is a living miracle for it is read everywhere in uniformity, and God has promised to protect it. It is an established argument that, in contrast to other prophets whose miracles disappeared with them, the Qur'an is Mohammed's eternal miracle.

NINTH - Those who read it are not tired of it. Those who hear it are not bothered by it. And those who rehearse it fall in love with it.

TENTH - It includes both proof and proven. Those who understand the meaning know how to derive proof and how to find religious dictum at the same time when they consider both the way it is read and the way it is understood. It is conciseness of words [balaghah] which proves its miraculous character. It is with meaning that one finds God's order and His warning. Learning it by heart [hifdh] has been made easy. The fear that comes to the heart when hearing it and the humbleness that surrounds those reading it are beyond description.