Please Send Your Condolences To Sister Jayla Muhammad

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un

[Arabic: انّا للہ و انّا الیہ راجعون ] is part of the Quran, Sura Al-Baqara, Verse 156. The full verse is as follows, [Arabic: الذين اذا اصابتهم مصيبة قالوا انا لله وانا اليه راجعون ] “Those who if a disaster/every thing hated struck them they said: “We are to God, and we are to Him returning.”

Please send your condolences to Sister Jayla

http://livinglifeandlovinit.wordpress.com/2009/03/06/grieving/

Jayla lost her husband and father of her children years ago. She has been strong and carrying on. She made hijrah with her children and has lived in Egypt, Kuwait, The UAE, and most recently Qatar. She recently met a brother who, subhanallah, looked exactly like her late husband. They decided to do a marriage contract and have a little halal dating (technically married but no consumation so that they could get to know each other better). She uprooted her family and returned to the States just a few weeks ago and then traveled to meet him. If you read her last few blog entries and compare them to her older blog entries you can not help but feel her joy. We were all anxiously awaiting her continuation of her new love story. Sadly, she reported a car accident, and she is now left to grieve…again…the lost of a good husband. Qadr Allah wa ma sha fa al (This was the decree of Allah and He Willed this).

Please lend her your support in her time of need. Not only is she in mourning but I’m sure she is now very confused about where her next move will be.

Signs Of Allah’s Existence In The Creation Of The Earth – Part Two

 

[ And among His Signs {in this}, that you see the earth barren, but when We
send down water to it, it is stirred to life and growth {of vegetations}. Verily, He
Who gives it life, surely, {He} is Able to give life to the dead. Indeed! He is Able
to do all things.] Soorat Fussilat {41:39}

[ It is He Who sends down water from the sky, and with it We bring forth vegetation of all kinds, and out of it We bring forth green stalks, from which We bring forth thick clustered grain. And out of the date-palm and its spathe come forth clusters of dates hanging low and near,

and gardens of grapes, olives and pomegranates, each similar {in kind} yet different {in variety and taste}.  Look at their fruits when they begin to bear, and the ripeness thereof. Verily! In these things there are signs for people who believe.]

Soorat Al An’aam {6:99}

[ He it is Who has appointed for you the night that you may rest therein,

and the
day to make things visible {to you}. Verily, in this are aayaat {proofs, evidences,
lessons, signs, revelation, etc.} for a people who listen {i.e. those who think
deeply}.]

Soorat Younus {10:67}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ And it is He Who spread out the earth, and placed therein firm mountains and rivers and of every kind of fruits He made Zawjain Ithnain {two in pairs – may mean two kinds or it may mean: of two sorts, e.g. black and white, sweet and sour, small and big, etc.} He brings the night as a cover over the day. Verily, in these things, there are aayaat {proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, revelation, etc.} or people who reflect.] Soorat Ar Ra’d {13:3}

[ And among His Signs are the ships, in the sea, like mountains. If He wills, He
causes the wind to cease, then they would become motionless on the back {of the
sea}. Verily, in this are signs for everyone patient and grateful.]
Soorat AshShura {42:32-33}

[ Or He may destroy them {by drowning} because of that which their {people}
have earned. And He pardons much.] Soorat Ash Shura {42:34}

[ Allaah is He Who has created the heavens and the earth and sends down water
from the sky, and thereby brought forth fruits as provision for you; and He has
made the ships to be of service to you, that they may sail through the sea by His
Command; and He has made rivers {also} to be of service to you.] Soorat
Ibraheem {14:32}

[ See you not that the ships sail through the sea by Allaah’s Grace? that He may
show you of His Signs? Verily, in this are signs for every patient, grateful
{person}.] Soorat Luqman {31:31}

 

 

[ It is He Who made the sun a shining thing and the moon as a light and
measured out its {their} stages, that you might know the number of years and the
reckoning. Allaah did not create this but in truth. He explains the aayaat {proofs,
evidences, lessons, signs, revelation, etc.} in detail for people who have
knowledge.] Soorat Younus {10:5}

[ And He has made the sun and the moon, both constantly pursuing their
courses, to be of service to you; and He has made the night and the day, to be of
service to you.] Soorat Ibraheem {14:33}

[[ And from among His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the
moon. Prostrate not to the sun nor to the moon, but prostrate to Allaah Who
created them, if you {really} worship Him.] Soorat Fussilat {41:37}

Signs of God’s Existence In The Universe – Part One

“Is then He, Who creates as one who creates not? Will you not then remember?
And if you would count the graces of Allaah, never could you be able to count
them. Truly! Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

Soorat An Nahl {16:17-18}

“And He shows you His Signs and Proofs. Which, then of the Signs and Proofs of Allaah do you deny?”
Soorat Ghaafir {40:81}

 

 

 Proof For Allah’s Existance From The Noble Quran
The Perfect Speech of Allah revealed to All mankind:

[ And to Allaah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allaah is Ever Encompassing all things.]

Soorat An Nisaa {4:126}

[ We will show them Our Signs in the universe, and in their ownselves, until it becomes manifest to them that this {the Quraan} is the truth. Is it not sufficient in regard to your Lord that He is a Witness over all things?]

 Soorat Fussilat {41:53}

[ And say {to these polytheists and pagans etc.}: “All the praises and thanks be to Allaah. He will show you His aayaat {signs, in yourselves, and in the universe or punishments, etc.}, and you shall recognise them. And your Lord is not unaware of what you do.”]

Soorat An Naml {27:93}

 

[ Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding.]

Soorat Aal ‘Imraan {3:190}

[ And among His Signs is the sleep that you take by night and by day, and your seeking of His Bounty. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who listen.]
Soorat Ar Ruum {30:23}

 

[And in the alternation of night and day, and the provision {rain} that Allaah sends down from the sky, and revives therewith the earth after its death, and in the turning about of the winds {i.e. sometimes towards the East or North, and sometimes towards the south or west etc., sometimes bringing glad tidings of rain etc., and sometimes bringing the torment}, are signs for a people who understand.

These are the aayaat {proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, revelation, etc.} of
Allaah, which We recite to you with truth. Then in which speech after Allaah and His aayaat will they believe?

Woe to every sinful liar, Who hears the Verses of Allaah {being} recited to him, yet persists with pride as if he heard them not. So announce to him a painful
torment!

And when he learns something of Our Verses {this Quraan}, he makes them a jest. For such there will be a humiliating torment.

In front of them there is Hell, and that which they have earned will be of no
profit to them, nor {will be of any profit to them} those whom they have taken as Awliya’ besides Allaah. And theirs will be a great torment.

This {Quraan} is a guidance. And those who disbelieve in the aayaat {proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, revelation, etc.} of their Lord, for them there is a painful torment of Rijz {a severe kind of punishment}.

Allaah it is He Who has subjected to you the sea, that ships may sail through it by His Command, and that you may seek of His Bounty, and that you may be thankful,

And has subjected to you all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth; it is all as a favour and kindness from Him. Verily, in it are signs for a people who think deeply.]

Soorat Al Jaathiya {45:5-13}

 

[ And Allaah makes the aayaat {proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, revelation, etc.}
plain to you, and Allaah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.] Soorat An Nuur {24:18}

[ Thus do We explain the aayaat {proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, revelation,
etc.} in detail, so that they may turn {unto the truth}.] Soorat Al A’raaf {7:174}

Did Jesus Really Die?

The idea of Jesus dying on the cross is central to the Christian belief. It represents the conviction that Jesus died for the sins of mankind. The crucifixion of Jesus is a vital doctrine in Christianity; however Muslims reject it completely. Before describing what Muslims believe about Jesus’ crucifixion, it may be useful to understand the Islamic reaction to the notion of original sin.

When Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree in paradise, they were not tempted by a serpent. It was Satan who deceived and cajoled them, whereupon they exercised their free will and made an error in judgement. Eve does not bear the burden of this mistake alone. Together, Adam and Eve realised their disobedience, felt remorse and begged for God’s forgiveness. God, in his infinite mercy and wisdom, forgave them. Islam has no concept of original sin; each person bears responsibility for his own deeds.

“And no bearer of burdens shall bear another’s burden”. (Quran 35:18)

There is no need for God, a son of God, or even a Prophet of God to sacrifice himself for mankind’s sins in order to buy forgiveness. Islam refuses this view entirely. The foundation of Islam rests on knowing with certainty that nothing should we worshipped but God alone. Forgiveness emanates from the One True God; so, when a person seeks forgiveness, he must turn to God submissively with true remorse and beg forgiveness, promising not to repeat the sin. Then and only then will sins be forgiven.

In the light of Islam’s understanding of original sin and forgiveness, we can see that Islam teaches that Jesus did not come to atone for the sins of mankind; rather, his purpose was to reaffirm the message of the Prophets before him.

“.. None has the right to be worshipped but God, the One and the Only True God…” (Quran 3:62)

Muslims do not believe in the crucifixion of Jesus, nor do they believe that he died.

The Crucifixion
Jesus’ message was rejected by most of the Israelites as well as the Roman authorities. Those who believed formed a small band of followers around him, known as the disciples. The Israelites plotted and conspired against Jesus and formulated a plan to have him assassinated. He was to be executed in public, in a particularly gruesome manner, well known in the Roman Empire: crucifixion.

Crucifixion was considered a shameful way to die, and “citizens” of the Roman Empire were exempt from this punishment. It was designed to not only prolong the agony of death, but to mutilate the body. The Israelites planned this humiliating death for their Messiah – Jesus, the messenger of God. God in his infinite mercy prevented this abominable event by putting the resemblance of Jesus on somebody else and elevating Jesus alive, body and soul, to heaven. The Quran is silent about the exact details of just who this person was, but we know and believe with certainty that it was not Prophet Jesus.

Muslims believe that the Quran and the authentic narrations of Prophet Muhammad contain all the knowledge mankind needs in order to worship and live according to God’s commandments. Therefore, if small details are not explained, it is because God in His infinite wisdom has judged these details to be of no benefit to us. The Quran explains, in God’s own words, the conspiracy against Jesus and His plan to outwit the Israelites and raise Jesus to heaven.

“And they plotted to kill Jesus and God planned too. And God is the Best of the planners.” (Quran 3:54)

“And because of their boasting, “We killed Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of God.” But they killed him not, nor crucified him, but the resemblance of Jesus was put over another man, and those who differ therein are full of doubts. They have no (certain) knowledge; they follow nothing but conjecture. For surely, they killed him not. But God raised him Jesus up unto Himself. And God is Ever All­ Powerful, All­ Wise.” (Quran 4:157)

Jesus Did Not Die
The Israelites and the Roman authorities were not able to harm Jesus. God says clearly that He took Jesus up to Himself and cleared him of the false statements made in Jesus’ name.

“O Jesus! I will take you and raise you to Myself and clear you of the forged statement that Jesus is God’s son.” (Quran 3:55)

In the previous verse, when God said He “will take” Jesus, he uses the word mutawaffeeka. Without a clear understanding of the richness of the Arabic language, and knowledge of the levels of meaning in many words, it may be possible to misunderstand God’s meaning. In the Arabic language today the word mutawaffeeka is sometimes used to denote death, or even sleep. In this verse of Quran, however, the original meaning is used and the comprehensiveness of the word denotes that God raised Jesus to himself, completely. Thus, he was alive at his ascension, body and soul, without any injury or defect.

Muslims believe Jesus is not dead, and that he will return to this world in the last days before the Day of Judgement. Prophet Mohammad said to his companions:

“How will you be when the son of Mary, Jesus descends amongst you and he will judge people by the Law of the Quran and not by the law of Gospel.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

God reminds us in the Quran that the Day of Judgement is a Day that we cannot avoid and cautions us that the descent of Jesus is a sign of its nearness.

“And he, Jesus, son of Mary shall be a known sign for the Hour. Therefore have no doubt concerning it. And follow Me! This is the Straight Path.” (Quran 43:61)

Therefore, the Islamic belief about Jesus’ crucifixion and death is clear. There was a plot to crucify Jesus but it did not succeed; Jesus did not die, but ascended to heaven. In the last days leading up to the Day of Judgement, Jesus will return to this world and continue his message.

By Aisha Stacy

The Request of Moses to See God

Eyes can not bear the vision of God. He tells us in the Quran:

“Vision cannot grasp Him, but His Grasp is over all vision.” (Quran 6:103)

Moses, to whom God spoke and gave great miracles, was chosen by God to be His Prophet. It is said that he thought that, since God used to speak to him, he might be able to actually see God. The story is in the Quran, where God tells us what happened:

“And when Moses arrived at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, ‘My Lord, show me (Yourself) that I may look at You.’ (God) said, ‘You will not see Me, but look at the mountain; if it should remain in place, then you will see Me.’ But when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He rendered it level, and Moses fell unconscious. And when he awoke, he said, ‘Exalted are You! I have repented to You, and I am the first of the believers.’” (Quran 7:143)

 

 

God made it clear that no-one, including the great prophet Moses, can bear the sight of the divine, for God is too great to be grasped by human eyes in this life. According to the Quran, Moses realized his request was in error; therefore, he sought forgiveness from God for having asked.

Glory Be To The One True God – Who Created The Heavens And The Earth

In the Quran, none of the Prophets are said to have associated others than God, even if they were uninformed of the correct way before they were commissioned as prophets. The Quran tells of Abraham:

“When the night grew dark upon him, he beheld a star, and said, ‘This is my Lord!’ But when it set, he said: ‘I love not things that set.’” (Quran 6:76)

Abraham put forth to them the example of the stars, a creation truly incomprehensible to humans at time, seen as something greater than humanity, and many times having various powers attributed to them. But in the setting of the stars Abraham saw their inability to appear as they desired, but rather only at night.

He then struck the example of something even greater, a heavenly body more beautiful, larger, and that could appear at daytime as well!

“And when he saw the moon rising up, he exclaimed: ‘This is my Lord.’ But when it set, he said: ‘Unless my Lord guides me, I surely shall become one of the folk who are astray.’” (Quran 6:77)

Then as his culminating example, he struck an example of something even bigger, one of the most powerful of creation, one without which life itself was an impossibility.

“And when he saw the sun rising, he cried: ‘This is my Lord! This is greater!’ But when the sun set, he said, ‘O my people! Surely I am free from that which you associate with God. Verily, I have turned my face towards Him Who has created the heavens and the earth, away from idolatry, and I am not of those who associate others with God.’” (Quran 6:78)

Abraham proved to them that the Lord of the worlds was not to be found in the creations that their idols represented, but was, rather, the entity who created them and everything which they could see and perceive; that the Lord does not necessarily need to be seen in order to be worshipped. He is an All-Able Lord, not bound by limitations as the creations found in this world are. His message was simple:

“Worship God, and keep your duty to Him; that is better for you if you did but know. You worship instead of God only idols, and you only invent a lie. Lo! Those whom you worship instead of God own no provision for you. So seek your provision from God, and worship Him, and give thanks to Him, (for) to Him you will be brought back.” (Quran 29:16-19)

He openly questioned their adherence to mere traditions of their forefathers,

“He said: ‘Verily you and your fathers were in plain error.’”

Reminder: Upcoming Muslim/Christian Conversation Hosted By Holly and My Comments On Her Comments About The Preservation Of The Bible

  . . “Indeed, there has come to you from Allah a light and a plain Book. Wherewith Allah guides all those who seek His good pleasure, and He brings them out of darkness by His Will and brings them unto light and guides them to a Straight Way. (Surah 5:15-16)

Holly posted a very thought provoking Introduction to her upcoming ‘Who is Jesus? ‘ post. I am very surprised and impressed with the amount of thought, study and future research she has dedicated to this project. She listed all of the resources she is studying. I did not want to comment on the introduction post – I’m saving my comments for the actual conversation.

However, she quoted something that  I found to be very conflicting and contradicting concerning the bible. This is one reason I did not want to leave a  comment on her blog, because the focus of her conversation will be on ‘Who Is Jesus’ not the authenticity of the bible. The red highlight is from me.

We believe that God has worked throughout history to preserve His Word.  Although there are indeed many translations and manuscripts – they all have incredible unity considering the fact that God divinely inspired 40 writers over 1,500 years of time!

Consider this:

God does not leave us with just claims of His divine handiwork in the Bible, but also supports it with compelling evidence. The design of the Bible itself is a miracle. Written over more than 1,500 years by vastly different writers, yet every book in the Bible is consistent in its message. These 66 books talk about history, prophecy, poetry, and theology. Despite their complexity, differences in writing styles and vast time periods, the books of the Bible agree miraculously well in theme, facts and cross-referencing. No human beings could have planned such an intricate combination of books over a 1,500-year time span. Bible manuscripts (remember, there were no printing presses until 1455) have survived despite weather, persecution and time. Most ancient writings written on weak materials like papyrus have vanished all together. Yet many copies of the Old Testament scriptures survived. For instance, the Dead Sea Scrolls contain all books of the Old Testament, except Esther, and have been dated to before the time of Christ. Consider Julius Caesar’s Gallic Wars. Only ten copies written about 1,000 years after the event are in existence. In comparison, there are over 24,000+ New Testament manuscripts, the earliest one dating to within 24 years after Christ.

The Bible also validates its divine authorship through fulfilled prophecies. An astonishing 668 prophecies have been fulfilled and none have ever been proven false (three are unconfirmed). An honest study of biblical prophecy will compellingly show the divine authorship of the Bible. Further, archeology confirms (or in some cases supports) accounts in the biblical record. No other holy book comes close to the Bible in the amount of evidence supporting its divine authorship. (from Who Wrote the Bible?)

Incredulous!  An honest study of the Bible will show that the Bible is riddled with corruption and inaccuracies. It is well known that man has edited the bible everytime it’s revised. No two bibles are identical, it depends who’s doing the editing, and which denomination he belongs to. The many denominations of Christianity do not agree on the canon (the list of books accepted by the church as authoritative or divinely inspired) of the Christian Bible. Some of these books are not universally accepted. There is no such thing as one Bible. Catholics have extra books in their version which non-catholics reject, but the Catholics claim to be carrying the words of God and vice versa. The number of books in the Bible depends upon the Church one is following:

Protestant Church (66 books)

Roman Catholic Church (73 books)

While there are many bibles , there is only ONE Quran. This itself is a miracle. Allah savegaurded the Quran from tamperings, which the bible has suffered from. The Bible is a collection of writings produced at different points in history and authored by different writers. Never did God inspire the authors of books that belittles Him.

My question to all 2 billion Christians is, WHAT DID GOD REALLY SAY? I am not talking about those books which were written by Paul, Peter, Matthew, Luke and Mark  – who were  not around to have Jesus repeat the direct words of God to them so that they could memorise it and teach others. BRING THE WORD OF GOD not WORDS ‘INSPIRED’ BY MEN. This will be impossible because I’m sure we are all in agreement that the words revealed from God to Jesus were never recorded, so even the manuscripts that we have are not manuscripts of the word of God but by your own admissions by men who claim to have been inspired by God. What makes those men even trustworthy? What makes their claims of ‘divinely inspired’ any different from any other person who feels inspired to write about God?

Seriously.

“Do they not consider the Qur’an? Had it been from other then Allah surely they would have found much discrepancies within it” (Surah An-Nisa 4:82)

Say: “O people of the Scripture! Do you criticize us for no other reason than that we believe in Allah, and in (the revelation) which has been sent down to us and in that which has been sent down before (us), and that most of you are disobedient?” [Ma’idah:59]

Say: “O people of the Scripture! Why do you reject the verses of Allah while Allah is Witness to what you do?” [Aali-Imraan:98]

Say “O people of the Scripture! You have nothing until you act according to the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been sent down to you from your Lord (the Quran).” [Ma’idah:68]

IT’S ON!

“There is no god but Allah, And Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” 

 

Brothers and Sisters in Islam – Cousin Holly has called us out! I call her Cousin with all due respect.  Cousin is a term of endearment and it also shows our related religious lineage. What Cousin Holly may not know, is that it is really our shared love for BUTTERNUT SQUASH that has bonded us. She was the first person I met that ate BS – that I didn’t introduce it to them. Every since she has become a dear confidant and person I go to for advice. We’re now inseparable. Be that as it may, we are now duking it out and getting down to the nitty gritty of our religious views.

Cousin Holly participated in the recent Christian –  Muslim discussions on my blog. She is preparing to host one on her blog and has sent this message out to prepare her troops. Notice that she is reading from the Answer Islam site ran my Christian missionaries. The site is banned here in Saudi but I have come across their material in the past. I ask that those of you (with firm eemaan) who can access that site – read it and come prepared to discuss the issues that may be brought forth when she host the discussion. Allah, the Exalted, gives us direction by saying:   “Call people to the path of your Lord with wisdom and inspiring speech. Reason with them in a superior and respectful manner. Certainly, your Lord knows best who strays from His path and who is guided.” (Qur’an 16:125) The Blessed Prophet told us about da’wah: “Convey this Message, even if only one sentence (ayah).” “Learn the required precepts of Islam and the Qur’an, then teach them to others, for I will not live forever.” (Bukhari)

I will post a reminder, insha’Allah, when her topic is posted. In the mean time troops…

Let the battle begin!

“Truth has (now) arrived, and Falsehood perished: for Falsehood is (by its nature) bound to perish.” [Qur’an 17:81]

“Thus we have appointed you a middle community in order that you may be witnesses towards humankind and that the Messenger may be a witness towards you…” (Al-Baqarah:143)

Recommended Reading

The Best Quran Translation IMO

Islam Question and Answer

The Clear Path

Islaam

What Did Jesus Really Say

Below is from Shaykh Saleh As Saleh’s site

New to Islamic Knowledge – Lectures on this Topic – top
Allaah – Knowing Him	The Belief in Allaah – Evidences of His Existence.pdf  The Transcendence of Allaah.pdf	Allaah is the True God.pdf
Basic Knowledge – Testimony of Faith	Explaining the Foundations of Faith.pdf  Fiqhul Ibaadat — Understanding Worship.pdf	Knowing Prophet Muhammad.pdf  The Testimony of Faith — The Shahaadah.pdf
Creation	Creation versus Evolution — Darwin.pdf  The Creation Is In Need of Allaah.pdf	Knowing Allaah -Purpose of our Existence.pdf  Purpose Behind Creation – Return to Creator.pdf
First Contact	Islam the Final and Complete Message to Man.pdf  Who Deserves To Be Worshipped Alone.pdf	Islam — Is It For Me.pdf  Sincere Advice to Every Christian.pdf

 

“This is a reminder for all humanity, for those who desire the straight road.” (Qur’an 81:27-28)

Deaf, dumb and blind – so they will not return [to the right path].

Yaa Rabbi (O My Lord!) What did I get myself into?! lol

I’m with Holly and Emma – duties call. I step away from here and the comments are all over the place. I love it – keep it up- but don’t expect me to be able to keep up with or respond to each point. These religious threads are getting a lot of views even though only a handful of people are responding to them. I pray they are beneficial to all who read them…aameen!

I’m thinking that we need some type of order here, but that will be difficult because we still keep coming back to the same points and as a Muslim trying to follow the methodology of all of the Prophets of God – then I must keep on pushing Tawheed  [the fundamental principle of Islam on which all other principles, rules and pillars are based. The aspect of Tawheed emanates from the Shahada “There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is His servant and Messenger” . It is this declaration that forms the dividing line between Iman (belief) and Kufr (disbelief).]
before I can fully discuss other issues. Calling to Allaah (ad-Da’wah ilallaah) is the way of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and his followers, as Allah, the Most High, says:

Say, O Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam): This is my way, I call to Allaah (i.e to the testification that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, alone, with no partner) upon certain knowledge – I, and those who follow me. I declare Allaah free and far removed from all that they associate as partners with Him, and I am free of those who worship anything else along with Him. [Soorah Yoosuf 12:108]

However, I do see that pushing Tawheed to some people – falls on deaf ears. The problem as I see it is that even though Jesus pushed Tawheed to his true followers – the concept of the innovated Trinity has blinded them to the truth. What is the truth? Muslims believe that the truth is evident and clear. Christians believe that truth is what you want to believe based on ‘faith’. Muslims know the Quran is true. Christians accept the Bible as the word of God despite the fact that even Christian Scholars refute the status of the New Testament as an inspired scripture – even comments and footnotes in the various different bible versions show evidence of tampering and fraud, not to mention doubt over who the author of the Gospels are. We have an obvious difference in authority.

So the difference in Christianity and Islam comes down to a difference of authority and appeal to authority. The Christian wants to appeal to the Bible and the Muslim wants to appeal to the Quran. You can not stop by saying: This is true because me book say it is, and somebody else would say something else is true because my book says differently, you can not stop at that point, and the Quran does not. The Christians may point to some words that it is recorded Jesus said and say this proves my point. But the Muslim does not simply open his book and say: No, no the Quran says this, because the Quran does not simply deny something the Bible says and say something else instead. The Quran takes the form of a rebuttal, it is a guidance as the opening says (Huda lil mutakeen). So that for every suggestion that the Christian may say: My Bible say such and such, the Quran will not simply say: No that is not true, it will say: Do they say such and such then ask them such and such. You have for example the Ayah that compares Jesus and Adam. There are those who may say that Jesus must have been God (Son of God) because he had no father. He had a woman who was his mother, but there was no human father. It was God that gave him life, so he must have been God’s son. The Quran reminds the Christian in one short sentence to remember Adam – who was his father ? – and in fact, who was his mother ? He did not have a father either and in fact he did not have a mother, but what does that make him? So that the likeness of Adam is the likeness of Jesus, they were nothing and then they became something; that they worship God.

Quran Invites – Not Demands

So that the Quran does not demand belief – the Quran invites belief, and here is the fundamental difference. It is not simply delivered as: Here is what you are to believe, but throughout the Quran the statements are always: Have you O man thought of such and such, have you considered so and so. It is always an invitation for you to look at the evidence; now what do you believe ?

Special Pleading of the Bible

The citation of the Bible very often takes the form of what is called in Argumentation: Special Pleading. Special Pleading is when implications are not consistent. When you take something and you say: Well that must mean this, but you don’t use the same argument to apply it to something else. To give an example, I have seen it in publications many times, stating that Jesus must have been God because he worked miracles. In other hand we know very well that there is no miracle ever worked by Jesus that is not also recorded in the Old Testament as worked by one of the prophets. You had amongst others, Elijah, who is reported to have cured the leper, raise the dead boy to life and to have multiplied bread for the people to eat – three of the most favourite miracles cited by Jesus. If the miracles worked by Jesus proved he was God, why don’t they prove Elijah was God ? This is Special Pleading, if you see what I mean. The implications are not consistent. If this implies that then in that case it must also imply the same thing. We have those who would say Jesus was God because he was taken up in the heaven. But the Bible also says the a certain Einah did not die he was taken up into the heaven by God. Whether it is true or not, who knows, but the point is if Jesus being taken up proves he is God, why does not it prove Einah was God? The same thing happened to him.

The truth is that the Christians are basing their belief on blind faith and are  avoiding the facts. One of the facts that they are ignoring, is that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is a true Messenger of God and that the Quran was revealed to him. We believe that the one who disbelieves in Jesus is not a Muslim, because the person who disbelieves in one the prophets disbelieves in all of them. So Muslims believe in Jesus and in his message. His message was one with all the other messengers. In the Quran, it is said that God never sent a messenger to mankind except that he was sent with one warning: Worship Allâh alone.

Muhammad (pbuh) said:

“I am the most worthy of Jesus son of Mary in this life and in the hereafter.” They (companions) asked: “Why is that O Messenger of Allâh (sala Allâhu ‘alihi was-Salaam)?”

He (sala Allâhu ‘alihi was-Salaam) replied:

“The Prophets are paternal (bloodline) brethren (from fathers side). Their mothers may be different (races, peoples, bloodlines) yet their Deen is always one (Islam).” Reported by Bukhari and Muslim.

Therefore this necessitates that he who disputes the validity of one of the true Prophets and Messengers has in fact reviled and disputed all of them. One cannot believe in Muhammad (pbuh) and not believe in Jesus (pbuh). Equally, one cannot truly believe in Jesus and not believe in Muhammad (pbuh). To truly accept one Prophet or Messenger necessitates the acceptance of all those who came before him and all who will come after him, ending with Muhammad (pbuh).

If you are objective in your readings, you will find the Truth. The Truth is that the Quran is the Book of Allah, the One and Only True God and Creator of all mankind. Muslims cannot be considered as believers unless we confirm that the Bible was originally from Almighty God. So this is not a point of discussion, in that we both agree. However, I highly recommend reading , Bible A Closer Look by Yusuf Estes – Former Christian – Muslim Chaplain

Introduction and Explanation of Purpose of This Research and Presentation

First of all, let me begin by saying that I am a former Christian, preacher, minister of music and organist for a long number of years in the Disciples of Christ Church, Baptist, Methodist churches and The Church of God. I totally and completely accepted the teachings and concepts of salvation within the Christian church many years ago. My parents were very religious and their parents were also very instrumental in building and supporting the work of the church throughout their entire lives. So, it is not my aim to discredit the efforts of those who came before me whatsoever. This is totally the opposite of my purpose in this presentation.

Second, I am still most active in the spreading of the True Word of God as much as HE will allow me to be. I have found that some of the teachings of the translations of the Bible contain errors and mistakes which must be examined and thought through so as to bring about a better understanding for both the Christians and the non-Christians, especially those of the Muslim (Islam) faith.

Third, I am presently an institutional chaplain and I hold the position of Delegate to the United Nations Peace Conference for the World’s Religious Leaders. As such I hold all the leaders of other religions in proper regard and with due respect. Many of my associates and co-workers are from the Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and Hindu faiths.

Therefore, it is not my intention to cause people to loose their belief in God, His divinely-inspired prophets and messengers, or the holy scriptures that they brought. I humbly request all who read and study these pages to be considerate of those who are committed to believe in the scriptures of the Bible and not use this material as a tool for attacking and harming the faiths of others. The opposite is what I request the reader to do. Please take time to learn the materials and then share in a positive light with those whom you honestly feel can handle a discussion on this topic without being confrontational.

May Almighty God guide all of us the all truth, amen.

…

I try to be patient in these discussions but I would be lying if I said that they are not frustrating. I find myself wondering how can people be so blind, deaf, and dumb. Then I remember our (mankinds) open enemy. The one who knows he’s going to hell and has promised to ‘bring down’ as many as possible with him. I then realize how satan has manipulated the Christians!

It is obvious to anyone with reason that Satan has greatly manipulated these misled people (Christians). He called them and they responded to him; he befooled them and they obeyed him.
He manipulated them with regards to Allah, the Exalted and Most High.
He manipulated them with regards to Jesus (peace be upon him).
He manipulated them with regards to the cross and the worship of it.

He also manipulated them with regards to making pictures and statues in churches and then worshipping them, so you will not find one of their churches without the picture of Mary and Jesus, saints and other holy individuals and martyrs of theirs. Most of them prostrate to pictures and statues, and pray to them instead to Allah the Most High…

The typical example of what these polytheists are doing is like that of a servant of a king who entered upon a man, so the man jumped from his place, prostrated to the servant, worshipped him, and did to him what he was not supposed to do except to the king. Every rational person would consider him an ignorant and a fool because of what he did, since he did to the king’s servant what he was supposed to do only to the king, in terms of honoring, humbleness and humility.

It is well-known that what the servant did here is more likely to cause the king to hate him and look down upon him than to honor him and exalt his status.

This is the situation of one who prostrates to creation, or a picture of creation. This is because he resorted to prostration which is the greatest means of reaching the Lord’s pleasure. Such an action is not valid except for Allah, so there is no greater repulsiveness or injustice than doing it for a picture or statue of a servant and equalizing between Allah and His servant.

This is why Allah the Most High said,

“Verily, shirk (polytheism, setting up partners with Allah) is a great injustice.” [Luqman: 33]

Allah the Most High has created his worshippers prone to recognize ugliness in expressing exaltation, glorification, sumbisiveness and humility towards king’s slaves and servants (as such actions are usually done for the king).

So what is the situation of the one who shows this type of reverence to king’s enemies? For Satan is the enemy of Allah, and the polytheist is in reality setting Satan, not Allah’s prophets and righteous servants¸ as a partner with Allah. For the prophets and righteous servants have nothing to do with those who set them as partners with Allah; they are against them and the strongest in hatred of all people towards them. The polytheists, therefore, are only setting up as partners with Allah His enemies, and equalizing between them and Allah in worship, exaltation, prostration and humility.

This is why the invalidity and ugliness of polytheism is recognized by sound innate nature and reason, and this type of ugliness is recognized more clearly than its other types. [Holly this should answer your question about why Muslims find the concept of God scarificing Himself ‘horrible’]

The intent here was to mention Satan’s manipulation of these people in both the foundation and branches of their religion.

by Imâm Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah
From “Ighatul-Lahfaan min Masaa`id al-Shaytan” Translalated by Islaam.com

This post was much longer than I intended. I’m sure I still haven’t said all that I would like to convey. If there are any questions that anyone would like to ask about Islam, please use this thread to do so. There are several previous threads that are ‘interfaith’ discussion/debates where we learned about each others belief. I prefer that that not be carried over to this post and I am requesting that all comments be inquiries into Islam or related to Islam only.

Mu’aawiyyah radiallaahu anhu who said:
The Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu alaihi was sallam said, “He who Allaah wants good for He gives him understanding of the religion.”

So if they believe in the like of that which you believe, then they are rightly guided, but if they turn away, then they are only in opposition. So Allâh will suffice you against them. And He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower. (Al-Baqarah (2):137)

Re: Saving Susanne

susanne430 Says:
December 9, 2008 at 1:18 am e

I agree with Emma. I pray to God directly. Jesus did away with the need of the high priest (see OT and the Jewish sacrifice system) so we go directly to God in prayer through Jesus’ work on the cross.

We don’t try to earn our way to God with rituals and pilgrimages. The Bible is clear  [emphasis and disbelief courtesy of Umm Adam]— we will never measure up to God’s standard. All our righteousness is like filthy rags in His eyes. It’s only the works we produce as a result of salvation that have merit in His eyes. And we don’t do those to earn salvation, but as a result of Jesus in our lives. HE works through us and that is beautiful in God’s eyes.

Can true salvation from God, be the punishment of someone else who is innocent from any of these crimes, to be punished as though he were guilty?  A lot of Christians (especially Catholics) have this unfair and unjust idea about God!

The Qur’an tells us: “And those who, having done an evil deed, or wronged their own souls, earnestly remember Allah, and ask for forgiveness for their sins,- and who can forgive sins except Allah?- and are never obstinate in persisting knowingly in (the wrong) they have done. For such the reward is forgiveness from their Lord, and Gardens with rivers flowing underneath,- an eternal dwelling: How excellent a recompense for those who work (and strive)!” [The Qur’an, 3:35-36].

and

“But seek the forgiveness of Allah; for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful” [The Qur’an, 4:106].

The Bible says : “But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die” [Ezekiel 18:21], “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon” [Isaiah 55:6-7],

and

“If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” [2 Chronicles 7:14].

Therefore, salvation rests on faith (which includes), good actions and hope in God’s mercy, all combined in a truly unique manner which is not found in any other religion or system, but Islam. In the dozens of times Allah Almighty talks in the Quran about salvation, he always states, “Those who believe and do good deeds.” Belief is always mentioned before deeds or works. When one converts to Islam, one does not do it by doing some good work but rather through realizing and believing that there is but one God and Muhammed is his last messenger.

Furthermore, it is only Allah who can forgive our sins and He is not in need of any intercessor.
Let us look at this almost cominal point that the formal Christian preacher turn Muslim –  Yusuf Estees made:

The Bible states:

“Spare the rod and you spoil the child.”

Do you see that God Almighty has instructed the followers of Moses and the Jews to use the stick to punish the children.

It is clear from the many examples given in the Bible that Almighty God has no problem in punishing the wicked and evil doers. I fail to see why anyone who reads the Bible could overlook such an important teaching.

…

He also does not “suffer” as a result of our shortcomings and evil. He is never effected by His Creation. This is preposterous. He is far above and beyond these human failings. He is God. The real One and Only God.

And we do not compare Almighty God to anything that He created, for He is Glorified far above what they are trying to attribute to Him.

You tried to bring in a story of parents and their children. God is not a Father, nor are we His “children.” The correct word or more appropriate meaning of the word “son” in this case would be “servant” or perhaps “worshipper”, not “son” or “daughter” or “child.” You can verify this is the dictionary of Strong’s Concordance, by the way. I did.

Even in the case of the parents that you mentioned, have you ever heard of parents who beat themselves or some innocent child because they loved their child so much and did not want to punish him? That is sick. And you are not talking here about beating or hitting; you are talking about murder.

What kind of front page headlines would that be for parents that murdered each other or someone else’s child, because their own child was bad and they just couldn’t stand the suffering they were feeling while the child was being bad?

Come on. Let us try to keep our brains in our heads while we are thinking here.

Praise be to Allah, Who has saved me from such a notion! One  enters paradise based on submitting to will of Allah – this is in general for anyone who dies in a state of Islam. All one has to do is not commit shirk (commit partnership) with Allah, then one can be forgiven for their other sins and enter paradise.

The only thing we don’t know whether we will be forgiven all our sins without any punishment (which is a purifier). However, We do not despair in the mercy of Allah and trust that we may be forgiven our shortcomings and enter paradise without punishment beforehand. Be it as it may, paradise is only promised for that person who declares Laa ilaaha ilallah Muhammadur rasoolullah – There is not God but Allah and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His final Messenger.

And Allah knows Best