A friend posted this on Facebook and I just had to share. In my opinion, this is how all Christians should be living out the teachings of Jesus. The saying "love your neighbor" comes from the story of the Good Samaritan.
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[c]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[d]"
28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
-Luke 10:25-37
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Surah Al-Ma'idah 51
In a recent blog comment, a Quranic verse has been brought up that always bothered me. I thought that rather than discuss in the comments, I would open the conversation here.
I will provide links to fatwas that interpret the verse and leave it for readers to discuss, as well as provide my own opinion on the matter.
All I ask is that we refrain from personal attacks in the comments and try to treat others in a kind manner, even when we disagree.
This is the verse in question:
Surah Al-Mai'dah, 51 Yusuf Ali translation:
O' You who believe, take not the Jews and Christians for your friends and protectors: they are but friends and protectors to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship) is one of them. Verily Allah guides not a people unjust.
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَتَّخِذُواْ ٱلۡيَہُودَ وَٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰٓ أَوۡلِيَآءَۘ بَعۡضُہُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءُ بَعۡضٍ۬ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمۡ فَإِنَّهُ ۥ مِنۡہُمۡۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهۡدِى ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
Here are a fatwa on the subject from supposedly reliable Islamic sources.
I think that their response is absolutely hideous.
Excerpt from an Islam QA.com fatwa on the subject:
"I have questions about Islam; can you explain them to me? Is it permissible for a Muslim to be a sincere friend to a person who is not Muslim?.
Praise be to Allaah.
What? So why then does the Quran in other places state,
There is no compulsion in religion...2:256
To you be your way, and to me mine 109:6
Those who believe (in the Quran). Those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Sabians and the Christians, -any who believe in Allah and the last day, and work righteousness, on them shall be no fear, neither shall they grieve. 5:69.
I read this other verse on the topic and can only think of the words from the Gospel that teach the exact opposite:
O' you who believe! Take not my enemies and yours as friends (or protectors),- offering them (your) love, even though they have rejected the truth that has come to you.. . Al MumtaHinah 60:1a
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be the sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. Matthew 5:44-45
So where does this leave us?
For me personally, I believe that loving one's enemies is a much higher calling of philosophical jihad (if one wants to use that term), because it is more difficult to forgive rather than retaliate.
I will continue to love all regardless of faith or lack thereof, because I believe we are all created in the image of God.
I will be looking forward to everyone's opinions on this subject.
I will provide links to fatwas that interpret the verse and leave it for readers to discuss, as well as provide my own opinion on the matter.
All I ask is that we refrain from personal attacks in the comments and try to treat others in a kind manner, even when we disagree.
This is the verse in question:
Surah Al-Mai'dah, 51 Yusuf Ali translation:
O' You who believe, take not the Jews and Christians for your friends and protectors: they are but friends and protectors to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship) is one of them. Verily Allah guides not a people unjust.
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَتَّخِذُواْ ٱلۡيَہُودَ وَٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰٓ أَوۡلِيَآءَۘ بَعۡضُہُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءُ بَعۡضٍ۬ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمۡ فَإِنَّهُ ۥ مِنۡہُمۡۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهۡدِى ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
Here are a fatwa on the subject from supposedly reliable Islamic sources.
I think that their response is absolutely hideous.
Excerpt from an Islam QA.com fatwa on the subject:
"I have questions about Islam; can you explain them to me? Is it permissible for a Muslim to be a sincere friend to a person who is not Muslim?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is not permissible for a Muslim to make friends with a mushrik or to take him as a close friend, because Islam calls on us to forsake the kaafirs and to disavow them, because they worship someone other than Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O you who believe! Take not as friends the people who incurred the Wrath of Allaah (i.e. the Jews). Surely, they have despaired of (receiving any good in) the Hereafter, just as the disbelievers have despaired of those (buried) in graves (that they will not be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection)”
[al-Mumtahanah 60:13]
This was also the teaching of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
1 – It was narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, “Do not keep company with anyone but a believer and do not let anyone eat your food but one who is pious.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2395; Abu Dawood, 4832. Abu ‘Eesa al-Tirmidhi said: this hadeeth is hasan. It was also classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2519)".
What? So why then does the Quran in other places state,
There is no compulsion in religion...2:256
To you be your way, and to me mine 109:6
Those who believe (in the Quran). Those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Sabians and the Christians, -any who believe in Allah and the last day, and work righteousness, on them shall be no fear, neither shall they grieve. 5:69.
I read this other verse on the topic and can only think of the words from the Gospel that teach the exact opposite:
O' you who believe! Take not my enemies and yours as friends (or protectors),- offering them (your) love, even though they have rejected the truth that has come to you.. . Al MumtaHinah 60:1a
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be the sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. Matthew 5:44-45
So where does this leave us?
For me personally, I believe that loving one's enemies is a much higher calling of philosophical jihad (if one wants to use that term), because it is more difficult to forgive rather than retaliate.
I will continue to love all regardless of faith or lack thereof, because I believe we are all created in the image of God.
I will be looking forward to everyone's opinions on this subject.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
What About Christmas?
In Western Countries, Christmas is the most widely-celebrated holiday of the year. It is not entirely either a religious or secular celebration. In fact, the secular people I know tend to celebrate it with more gusto than most observant Christians. It is a day that commercial activity comes to almost a complete standstill. People spend months saving for gifts that will be opened this day, and parents teach their children that these gifts come from an imaginary man based upon a historical figure, St. Nicholas. Food is purchased and prepared, families get together, and many people attend Church for the only time all year.
What does this celebration have to do with the historical birth of Jesus, the Messiah? Christian and secular scholars alike tend to agree that the timing of this celebration probably has no connection whatsoever to the actual birth of Jesus. The celebration of December 25th as the birth of Jesus was not widely recognized until the 4th Century.
We know that the early followers of Jesus were considered a sect of Judaism and would have celebrated the Biblical feasts such as Passover and Sukkot. The New Testament shows that these were the Holy Days that Jesus himself celebrated. The followers of Jesus were later thrown out of the synagogues and became recognized as a separate religious movement in the Roman Empire. This had many implications for the still-forming faith of the early believers. The books of the New Testament were completed and being circulated before the close of the 1st Century. During the following Century, Christians started worshiping on Sunday instead of Saturday. Most also ceased celebrating the Biblical Holy days.
Why did the birth of Jesus begin to be celebrated on December 25th?
There is evidence that this date can be traced back to the calculations of Church Fathers such as Julius Africanus, who lived around 200 C,E. He is known as the father of Christian chronography. He tried to correlate various Biblical events with actual dates. Unfortunately, his methods were faulty.
Most modern scholars would argue that Jesus was more likely born in the fall, sometime around the feast of Sukkot. One evidence of this in the Biblical text is a reference in Luke 2:8 to shepherds guarding their flocks at night. Sheep were not kept outside during the winter in Judea.We also know that Jesus was crucified during the feast of Passover, during the spring.
Do modern celebrations contain reference to pagan customs?
Unfortunately, yes. December 25th is just after the Winter Solstice. This time where the days are shortest was celebrated in many cultures as a symbolic death of the Sun, with a resurrection symbolized by the days getting longer again. The Romans celebrated a winter Solstice holiday called Saturnalia, where they used greenery to decorate in celebration of longer days and the eventual return of Spring.
So yes, the origins of Christmas a questionable at best. We know that Jesus and the disciples did not celebrate such a holiday.However, this doesn't necessarily mean that early Christians had bad intentions in creating a holiday to celebrate the birth of the Messiah. Since early historiographers had decided that he was born at this time, and it was already a Roman holiday, the celebration of Christmas probably made sense to most of the Christian populace. They could have their own religious holiday at the same time pagan Romans were worshiping Saturn.
Final conclusions?
I don't have a problem with celebrating the coming of Messiah, even if the date is wrong. I skip the obvious pagan refrences and consumerism, and pray that my honest intentions will bring glory to God.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Harun Yahya and Joel Richardson Interview
Harun Yahya is one of the most popular Muslim apologists and lecturers today. I really appreciate the work that he has done in regard to Creationism and his interfaith work with Christian leaders and Rabbis.
In this interview by Joel Richardson, he discusses some of the issues regarding the end of days and the coming of the Mahdi. Joel also asks him several questions regarding the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, as well as issues related to his second coming.
They are both very kind and gracious instead of attacking one another personally. I would love to see more interviews like this one. The two men have obviously different faith and very different views on eschatology, yet they are both open to learning from one another.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Prominent Christian Leader Fasting for Ramadan
I'm not sure how many of you have heard of Brian McLaren. He is a pretty prominent leader in a sort of post-Modern Christian movement known by some as the Emergent Church. He and some other Christians are fasting for Ramadan, along with Muslim friends of theirs.
Here is an excerpt from his blog explaining the purpose of the fast.
"We, as Christians, humbly seek to join Muslims in this observance of Ramadan as a God-honoring expression of peace, fellowship, and neighborliness. Each of us will have at least one Muslim friend who will serve as our partner in the fast. These friends welcome us in the same spirit of peace, fellowship, and neighborliness.
We will seek to avoid being disrespectful or unfaithful to our own faith tradition in our desire to be respectful to the faith tradition of our friends. For example, since the Bible teaches us the importance of fasting and being generous to the poor, we can participate as Christians in fidelity to the Bible as our Muslim friends do so in fidelity to the Quran.
Among the core values of Ramadan are self control, expressing kindness, and resolving conflicts. For this reason, if we are criticized or misunderstood by Christians, Muslims, or others for this endeavor, we will avoid defending ourselves or engaging in arguments. Instead, we will seek to explain ourselves humbly, simply, and briefly when necessary, connecting with empathy to the needs and feelings of others as we express our own.
Our main purpose for participating will be our own spiritual growth, health, learning, and maturity, but we also hope that our experience will inspire others to pray and work for peace and the common good, together with people of other faith traditions.
May God bless all people, and teach us to love God and love one another, and so fulfill our calling as human beings."
Another pastor, Ben Ries has written an article about his experience of fasting Ramadan.
I think that fasting Ramadan, even for the non-Muslim, can have lasting spiritual implications. There are some days that Christians traditionally fast, or observe partial fasts, such as Catholics during lent. There is also the Bible fast of Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, which is a 24 hour total fast observed by Jews and certain Christian groups today. However, there are very few other times that Christians undertake fasts as a community. I think that Christians and Muslims both can use the time of Ramadan as a time of introspection into our own communities. By humbling ourselves and fasting, God can reveal to each of us what we are doing right and wrong in our own faith.
Some conservative Christian organizations have blasted McLaren and others for undertaking a Ramadan fast. For me, it makes a lot of sense. Fasting Ramadan was something I started doing quite a few years ago when I first started looking into Islam. I think that those who criticize people like McLaren have probably never had a close Muslim friend or neighbor who was a good example of Islam to them.
I hope that all of us who are spending more time in prayer and introspection during this month will be drawn close to our Creator. Amin.
Here is an excerpt from his blog explaining the purpose of the fast.
"We, as Christians, humbly seek to join Muslims in this observance of Ramadan as a God-honoring expression of peace, fellowship, and neighborliness. Each of us will have at least one Muslim friend who will serve as our partner in the fast. These friends welcome us in the same spirit of peace, fellowship, and neighborliness.
We will seek to avoid being disrespectful or unfaithful to our own faith tradition in our desire to be respectful to the faith tradition of our friends. For example, since the Bible teaches us the importance of fasting and being generous to the poor, we can participate as Christians in fidelity to the Bible as our Muslim friends do so in fidelity to the Quran.
Among the core values of Ramadan are self control, expressing kindness, and resolving conflicts. For this reason, if we are criticized or misunderstood by Christians, Muslims, or others for this endeavor, we will avoid defending ourselves or engaging in arguments. Instead, we will seek to explain ourselves humbly, simply, and briefly when necessary, connecting with empathy to the needs and feelings of others as we express our own.
Our main purpose for participating will be our own spiritual growth, health, learning, and maturity, but we also hope that our experience will inspire others to pray and work for peace and the common good, together with people of other faith traditions.
May God bless all people, and teach us to love God and love one another, and so fulfill our calling as human beings."
Another pastor, Ben Ries has written an article about his experience of fasting Ramadan.
I think that fasting Ramadan, even for the non-Muslim, can have lasting spiritual implications. There are some days that Christians traditionally fast, or observe partial fasts, such as Catholics during lent. There is also the Bible fast of Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, which is a 24 hour total fast observed by Jews and certain Christian groups today. However, there are very few other times that Christians undertake fasts as a community. I think that Christians and Muslims both can use the time of Ramadan as a time of introspection into our own communities. By humbling ourselves and fasting, God can reveal to each of us what we are doing right and wrong in our own faith.
Some conservative Christian organizations have blasted McLaren and others for undertaking a Ramadan fast. For me, it makes a lot of sense. Fasting Ramadan was something I started doing quite a few years ago when I first started looking into Islam. I think that those who criticize people like McLaren have probably never had a close Muslim friend or neighbor who was a good example of Islam to them.
I hope that all of us who are spending more time in prayer and introspection during this month will be drawn close to our Creator. Amin.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Readings and Ramblings
Salaam, Nabad, Shalom, and Peace all,
Update: As of Aug 16 I am almost done with the Torah (Genesis-Deut) and have read 35 of the Psalms as well. I'm waiting to start the Quran until Ramadan.
Our little family was productive today. The hubby and myself are now licensed Oregon drivers with Oregon license plates. It wasn't actually all that bad. We did forget one paper at home to prove our address, so Dave had to drive back while I stayed at the counter with Layla. She was really good, but I didn't bring the camera. So it's out with the old, Minnesota, and in with the new, Oregon. Our tabs had expired in July, so we figured to just get it all done in one shot.
My mom and brother are coming tomorrow! I'm so excited. My mom just saw Layla right before we moved, but after seeing her every day for a year she's going through withdrawls. I don't blame her though. I can't wait to show them around the city. We are also planning to go to Mt. St. Helens during the week. I want them to fall in love with it so they move here when my dad retires.
I have gotten a jump start on the Bible reading part of my Ramadan Challenge. I'm already to Exodus 22. I have some comments and insights from my readings in Genesis, but I may just write a few notes and post them later. As far as the Bible is concerned, the most ancient period of Israelite history excites me the most. Unfortunately, the texts themselves were written long after the events they are purported to describe. I do believe that oral transmission of stories was pretty reliable during that time, but the details are still sketchy. I always find that part of the Bible drawing me in. I'm not so into theology. I like the human interest stories in Genesis, Joshua, Judges, I and II Samuel and I and II Kings the best. No matter how you look at the inspiration issue, I think that most of the Old Testament's authors were great storytellers and writers.
Do any of you Muslimas who were People of the Book previously miss reading the Bible, or do you still read it sometimes?
Update: As of Aug 16 I am almost done with the Torah (Genesis-Deut) and have read 35 of the Psalms as well. I'm waiting to start the Quran until Ramadan.
Our little family was productive today. The hubby and myself are now licensed Oregon drivers with Oregon license plates. It wasn't actually all that bad. We did forget one paper at home to prove our address, so Dave had to drive back while I stayed at the counter with Layla. She was really good, but I didn't bring the camera. So it's out with the old, Minnesota, and in with the new, Oregon. Our tabs had expired in July, so we figured to just get it all done in one shot.
My mom and brother are coming tomorrow! I'm so excited. My mom just saw Layla right before we moved, but after seeing her every day for a year she's going through withdrawls. I don't blame her though. I can't wait to show them around the city. We are also planning to go to Mt. St. Helens during the week. I want them to fall in love with it so they move here when my dad retires.
I have gotten a jump start on the Bible reading part of my Ramadan Challenge. I'm already to Exodus 22. I have some comments and insights from my readings in Genesis, but I may just write a few notes and post them later. As far as the Bible is concerned, the most ancient period of Israelite history excites me the most. Unfortunately, the texts themselves were written long after the events they are purported to describe. I do believe that oral transmission of stories was pretty reliable during that time, but the details are still sketchy. I always find that part of the Bible drawing me in. I'm not so into theology. I like the human interest stories in Genesis, Joshua, Judges, I and II Samuel and I and II Kings the best. No matter how you look at the inspiration issue, I think that most of the Old Testament's authors were great storytellers and writers.
Do any of you Muslimas who were People of the Book previously miss reading the Bible, or do you still read it sometimes?
Saturday, August 1, 2009
The Ramadan Challenge
Muslims all over the world will be celebrating the giving of the Quran as well of the unity of the Ummah in just a few weeks. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from food and water during daylight hours. While fasting a person experiences physical deprivation, but can also use this to draw closer to God. I came up with my own challenge for this year's Ramadan.
I will be reading the entire Old Testament (Torah, Prophets, and Writings):
Isaiah from the Dead Sea Sea Scrolls 57:17-59:9, 1Cent BCE
The entire New Testament:
Tashkent Quran, 8th Cent CE (oldest extant copy)
I would love to read them each in their original languages, but for time's and sanity's sake I will be reading them all in English. I have chosen to read the ESV for the Bible, clearing it up with the Hebrew or Greek whenever I have a question. I feel like reading the Bible and the Quran together could confuse me, but might also help me gain insights into the Quran and Bible that I haven't seen before.
I might need some help in choosing a Quran translation though. I have Yusuf Ali's translation, but it is awkward to read. I have never actually finished reading the entire Quran mostly because of that. I have heard that Muhammad Asad's translation is good. Any thoughts?
It is a lot of reading, I'll admit, but I know I can do it. I just need to ignore the other books on my shelves and spend less time online. Is anyone else doing a special challenge for Ramadan?
I will be reading the entire Old Testament (Torah, Prophets, and Writings):
Isaiah from the Dead Sea Sea Scrolls 57:17-59:9, 1Cent BCE
The entire New Testament:
Opening of the Gospel of John, P66, late 1st Cent C.E.
and the entire Quran:
Tashkent Quran, 8th Cent CE (oldest extant copy)
I would love to read them each in their original languages, but for time's and sanity's sake I will be reading them all in English. I have chosen to read the ESV for the Bible, clearing it up with the Hebrew or Greek whenever I have a question. I feel like reading the Bible and the Quran together could confuse me, but might also help me gain insights into the Quran and Bible that I haven't seen before.
I might need some help in choosing a Quran translation though. I have Yusuf Ali's translation, but it is awkward to read. I have never actually finished reading the entire Quran mostly because of that. I have heard that Muhammad Asad's translation is good. Any thoughts?
It is a lot of reading, I'll admit, but I know I can do it. I just need to ignore the other books on my shelves and spend less time online. Is anyone else doing a special challenge for Ramadan?
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Is the Quran Corrupted?
I have included 2 videos. One is made by a Christian working to prove that some stories in the Quran were taken from Jewish and Christian apocryphal works dating from the 2nd to 5th Cent. CE. These sources are works that were never included in the accepted canon of the Bible.
The second of these videos is a Muslim response to the video. Feel free to add to either side of the argument.
Is the validity of the Quran compromised if some of its stories were included in non-canonical works?
The Muslim man says that these claims have been refuted. If you are aware of references for these rebuttals please share this information with me.
God's blessings to you all!
Here is the source for the rebuttal of the Cain and Abel story
The second of these videos is a Muslim response to the video. Feel free to add to either side of the argument.
Is the validity of the Quran compromised if some of its stories were included in non-canonical works?
The Muslim man says that these claims have been refuted. If you are aware of references for these rebuttals please share this information with me.
God's blessings to you all!
Here is the source for the rebuttal of the Cain and Abel story
Monday, July 27, 2009
How About Some Dawah? Seven Questions About Islam
This post is a follow up to my previous post Seven Things I Love About Islam. In this post I will discuss some of the issues that have yet to be resolved for me about the religion.
I don't mean for any of these things to be accusations against Islam or any of the wonderful and honest Muslims that I know and love. In fact, I would love to get some feedback on some of these issues, so hopefully some other bloggers can post information that will be useful to others who are learning about Islam. I would love to see individual posts on some of the questions if you consider yourself an expert on any of these issues and have access to good sources of information. I am not an expert by any means. I have only a scanty knowledge of Arabic and don't know which hadiths are considered most authoritative next to the Quran.
So, give me some love, and give me some dawah. I have questions, and who doesn't love a good answer right?
1. How can we be sure of Muhammad's prophethood?
The Hebrew Bible (Genesis-Malachi) is evidenced to have existed in its current form since before the lifetimes of both Jesus and Muhammad. Copies of the Greek New Testament also exist from centuries before Muhammad was born.
The prophetic books in the Bible all have a common theme. That is calling the people back to true worship of God as defined in the Torah. Jesus kept with this theme and is recorded to have said in Matthew 5:17: Don't even think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish but to fulfill them.
Muhammad did call the pagans to worship the one Creator God in strict Monotheism, but he replaced the Torah with another law that contradicts it. Some of the biggest changes include the replacement of the Biblical feasts such as Passover and Sukkot with the 'Eids in the Quran and replacing the Sabbath with Friday prayer. Why would God change these after 2000 years?
In saying this also understand that I think it was a mistake for the Christians to abandon the Saturday sabbath with Sunday and celebrate Christmas and Easter rather than the Biblical holidays. This happened as the Christians became Romanized, but the Bible itself doesn't teach Sunday worship or the holidays of Christmas or Easter. Jesus kept the Sabbath, ate Kosher, and celebrated the holidays of Passover, Sukkot, the Day of Atonement.
2. What is required of the people of the book according to Quran?
Surah Al Maidah 68a says.
Say: O' people of the book! You have no ground to stand upon unless you stand fast by the Torah, the Gospel and all the revelation that has come to you from your Lord...
and 69b Those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Sabians and the Christians, -any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
These verses seem to suggest the People of the Book are fine as they are and have no need to change their faith.
Contrast this with S. Al Imran 85: If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost.
Or S Al Tawba 29: Fight against those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which has been forbidden by Allah and his Messenger, nor acknowledge the Religion of Truth from, among the People of the book, until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.
These seem to suggest that those living after the coming of Islam must become Muslim or they can never attain Jannah and that they are to be considered lesser than Muslims. Which is true?
3. Will there be sex and marriage in Heaven?
In Matthew 22:30 Jesus says: For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven.
Surah An-Nisa 57: But those who believe and do deeds of righteousness we shall soon admit to Gardens, with rivers flowing beneath, their eternal home: therein shall they have spouses purified. . .
It is hard to understand what the purpose of sexual activity in heaven would be. It seems that our most base desires are something of this earth that don't belong in the next life.
4. The Prophet's many marriages
Why would God limit the number of wives to 4 for ordinary Muslims (S 4:3), while Muhammad could have as many as he wanted according to S. Al Ahzab 51?
Also problematic for me is that Muhammad married Zainab even though she had already married his adopted son Zaid, and of course there is the matter of Aisha's age when she was married. I have heard some theories saying that she had to be older than 9, but I don't know how reliable their accounting methods are. I do, however, think it was wonderful that Muhammad was willing to marry women who were widowed, and that he did exhibit great kindness with his wives. He also forbid the female infanticide that was prevalent in pagan Arab culture.
5. Which one of Abraham's sons did he offer for sacrifice?
I don't mean for any of these things to be accusations against Islam or any of the wonderful and honest Muslims that I know and love. In fact, I would love to get some feedback on some of these issues, so hopefully some other bloggers can post information that will be useful to others who are learning about Islam. I would love to see individual posts on some of the questions if you consider yourself an expert on any of these issues and have access to good sources of information. I am not an expert by any means. I have only a scanty knowledge of Arabic and don't know which hadiths are considered most authoritative next to the Quran.
So, give me some love, and give me some dawah. I have questions, and who doesn't love a good answer right?
1. How can we be sure of Muhammad's prophethood?
The Hebrew Bible (Genesis-Malachi) is evidenced to have existed in its current form since before the lifetimes of both Jesus and Muhammad. Copies of the Greek New Testament also exist from centuries before Muhammad was born.
The prophetic books in the Bible all have a common theme. That is calling the people back to true worship of God as defined in the Torah. Jesus kept with this theme and is recorded to have said in Matthew 5:17: Don't even think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish but to fulfill them.
Muhammad did call the pagans to worship the one Creator God in strict Monotheism, but he replaced the Torah with another law that contradicts it. Some of the biggest changes include the replacement of the Biblical feasts such as Passover and Sukkot with the 'Eids in the Quran and replacing the Sabbath with Friday prayer. Why would God change these after 2000 years?
In saying this also understand that I think it was a mistake for the Christians to abandon the Saturday sabbath with Sunday and celebrate Christmas and Easter rather than the Biblical holidays. This happened as the Christians became Romanized, but the Bible itself doesn't teach Sunday worship or the holidays of Christmas or Easter. Jesus kept the Sabbath, ate Kosher, and celebrated the holidays of Passover, Sukkot, the Day of Atonement.
2. What is required of the people of the book according to Quran?
Surah Al Maidah 68a says.
Say: O' people of the book! You have no ground to stand upon unless you stand fast by the Torah, the Gospel and all the revelation that has come to you from your Lord...
and 69b Those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Sabians and the Christians, -any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
These verses seem to suggest the People of the Book are fine as they are and have no need to change their faith.
Contrast this with S. Al Imran 85: If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost.
Or S Al Tawba 29: Fight against those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which has been forbidden by Allah and his Messenger, nor acknowledge the Religion of Truth from, among the People of the book, until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.
These seem to suggest that those living after the coming of Islam must become Muslim or they can never attain Jannah and that they are to be considered lesser than Muslims. Which is true?
3. Will there be sex and marriage in Heaven?
In Matthew 22:30 Jesus says: For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven.
Surah An-Nisa 57: But those who believe and do deeds of righteousness we shall soon admit to Gardens, with rivers flowing beneath, their eternal home: therein shall they have spouses purified. . .
It is hard to understand what the purpose of sexual activity in heaven would be. It seems that our most base desires are something of this earth that don't belong in the next life.
4. The Prophet's many marriages
Why would God limit the number of wives to 4 for ordinary Muslims (S 4:3), while Muhammad could have as many as he wanted according to S. Al Ahzab 51?
Also problematic for me is that Muhammad married Zainab even though she had already married his adopted son Zaid, and of course there is the matter of Aisha's age when she was married. I have heard some theories saying that she had to be older than 9, but I don't know how reliable their accounting methods are. I do, however, think it was wonderful that Muhammad was willing to marry women who were widowed, and that he did exhibit great kindness with his wives. He also forbid the female infanticide that was prevalent in pagan Arab culture.
5. Which one of Abraham's sons did he offer for sacrifice?
The Biblical narrative in Genesis 22 states specifically that Yahweh commanded to offer his son Isaac for sacrifice. This story takes place in the Bible after Ishmael and Hagar were sent away from Abraham. The story mentions Isaac by name five times. This text could not have been changed any later than about the 6th Century BCE if someone was going to used the argument that the Bible was edited to say Isaac instead of Ishmael. Hebrews 11 excerpts the story of Abraham's faith in the New Testament and also mentions the name of Isaac.
The Quran is less detailed in the retelling of this story in S. As Saffat. The story in the Quran much shorter that in the Bible, yet emphasizes the obedience of Abraham to God's test. The Quranic narrative doesn't mention the son by name but Islamic tradition seems to say unanimously that it was Ishmael. Are there any segments of Islam that believe Isaac was the son in this story?
6. Honoring Muhammad too much?
I am not sure of what to think of the custom of saying Salah Allahu 'Alayhi w salaam after every mention of the Prophet's name. He is also mentioned during the prayer in al tashahuud. The Quran is very clear in its instruction not to make partners with Allah, yet praising the Prophet during prayer is sanctioned as part of the prayer pattern. I just don't know what to make of it. Are there any Muslims who don't particularly feel comfortable with this custom? I am not against giving respect where respect is due, I just don't know how I feel with that being included in the Shahada and in Salaah.
7. How can you know for sure?
That is, how can you know for sure that you will make it to Jannah according to Islam? There are 2 verses that come to mind that speak of good deeds being the most important element.
Al Isra'a 13: Every man's fate we have fastened on his own neck: on the Day of Judgment we shall bring out for him a scroll which he will spread open.
Al Muminun 102-103: Then those whose balance (of good deeds) is heavy, they will be successful. But those whose balance is light, they will be those who have lost their souls; in Hell will they abide.
The Quran is a book that speaks much about the Day of Judgment, heaven and hell. In contrast, much less of the Bible's content is focused on these subjects.
In fact, the Torah doesn't speak about an afterlife specifically. The Torah does, however, teach that animal sacrifice is the means by which humans can receive atonement for their sins (Lev. 17:11). The concept in Christianity is that the death of Jesus, who never sinned, provides the final atonement for regular humans who can never attain perfection before God.
My feeling is that God wanted us to worship him out of love and awe for having created us and all that is in the world. If we are only worshiping out of fear of punishment, it is hard to experience the presence of God in this world.
Overall, there are a lot of things that are hard to understand in both the Quran and in the Bible. The first thing we can do is study and compare both sets of scriptures in the historical settings they were written in. This is easier for the Quran because it was written in a single lifetime, while the Bible was composed and edited over a period of about 1,300 years. However, I think that both sets of scriptures can do a lot to illuminate each other. That's about all I've got for now.
Seriously though, I would welcome any answers or further questions as long as they are respectful so that we can create further dialogue between people who just want to worship God as best we know how.
Check out this post that Pixie just made today that talks about some reasons that Muslims don't follow the Bible.
I would love to pursue some of the issues raised in the videos she posted in some further posts if I have time.
The Quran is less detailed in the retelling of this story in S. As Saffat. The story in the Quran much shorter that in the Bible, yet emphasizes the obedience of Abraham to God's test. The Quranic narrative doesn't mention the son by name but Islamic tradition seems to say unanimously that it was Ishmael. Are there any segments of Islam that believe Isaac was the son in this story?
6. Honoring Muhammad too much?
I am not sure of what to think of the custom of saying Salah Allahu 'Alayhi w salaam after every mention of the Prophet's name. He is also mentioned during the prayer in al tashahuud. The Quran is very clear in its instruction not to make partners with Allah, yet praising the Prophet during prayer is sanctioned as part of the prayer pattern. I just don't know what to make of it. Are there any Muslims who don't particularly feel comfortable with this custom? I am not against giving respect where respect is due, I just don't know how I feel with that being included in the Shahada and in Salaah.
7. How can you know for sure?
That is, how can you know for sure that you will make it to Jannah according to Islam? There are 2 verses that come to mind that speak of good deeds being the most important element.
Al Isra'a 13: Every man's fate we have fastened on his own neck: on the Day of Judgment we shall bring out for him a scroll which he will spread open.
Al Muminun 102-103: Then those whose balance (of good deeds) is heavy, they will be successful. But those whose balance is light, they will be those who have lost their souls; in Hell will they abide.
The Quran is a book that speaks much about the Day of Judgment, heaven and hell. In contrast, much less of the Bible's content is focused on these subjects.
In fact, the Torah doesn't speak about an afterlife specifically. The Torah does, however, teach that animal sacrifice is the means by which humans can receive atonement for their sins (Lev. 17:11). The concept in Christianity is that the death of Jesus, who never sinned, provides the final atonement for regular humans who can never attain perfection before God.
My feeling is that God wanted us to worship him out of love and awe for having created us and all that is in the world. If we are only worshiping out of fear of punishment, it is hard to experience the presence of God in this world.
Overall, there are a lot of things that are hard to understand in both the Quran and in the Bible. The first thing we can do is study and compare both sets of scriptures in the historical settings they were written in. This is easier for the Quran because it was written in a single lifetime, while the Bible was composed and edited over a period of about 1,300 years. However, I think that both sets of scriptures can do a lot to illuminate each other. That's about all I've got for now.
Seriously though, I would welcome any answers or further questions as long as they are respectful so that we can create further dialogue between people who just want to worship God as best we know how.
Check out this post that Pixie just made today that talks about some reasons that Muslims don't follow the Bible.
I would love to pursue some of the issues raised in the videos she posted in some further posts if I have time.
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