Rejecting an Empty Philosophy

Many people have probably heard about a moslem ceremony called "Hajj" but I think the bulk of information available on this ceremony and the philosophy behind the whole thing is quite unknown to the majority. Asking some moslems about the event has shown me that many of their explanations were just not enough comprehensive to explain the full philosophy behind this great Islamic occassion.

An extensive search for relevent info which would answer many questions at last lead to finding a piece of writing by an Iranian Shia Scholar "Dr Ali Shariati"http://www.al-islam.org/hajj/shariati/.

I found it very interesting and thought-provoking and hope that everyone else would also enjoy reading some parts which I shall put in my posts.

Eli

Life today (not life as it should be carried on) is an idle cyclical action a movement with no goal! A meaningless pendular action starts with the day only to end at night and night starts only to disappear at dawn. In the mean time, man is busy watching the play of these black and white "rats" who chew the strings of our life until we die.

Life (as we live it) is like a theater. Man watches these aimless nights and days. Indeed, what foolish play is conducted! When you are in need, you hope and struggle to overcome your needs. Yet once you achieve this, you view your past efforts humorously. What a senseless philosophy to live by!

Living on a day to day basis, the person lacks direction. His aim is only to live. What exists is a dead spirit in a living body. However, the Hajj experience alters this unhealthy condition!

Once you decide to perform Hajj and take the necessary steps, you are on the road to the actualization of Hajj. Before going to Hajj you reside in your home calm and reposed. Upon entering the state of mind for Hajj, you arise and move away from your routine environment.

Hajj is the antithesis of aimlessness. It is the rebellion against a damned fate guided by evil forces. The fulfillment of Hajj will enable you to escape from the complex network of puzzles. This revolutionary act will reveal to you the clear horizon and free way to migration to eternity toward the Almighty Allah.

Depart from your home. and visit "Allah's house", or the "house of the people"! You, whoever you are,you are a man, Adam's son, and a representative of Allah on earth!You are a relative of Allah, Allah's trustee, His master of nature and a student of God. Allah taught you the names. He made you from His spirit and endowed you with special qualities. You were praised by Him; His angels even prostrated to you. This earth and everything in it was made available to man. God became your "homemate", with you at all times and watching all of your actions. Are you living up to His expectation?

Prophet (PBUH):
Allah is in the hearts of the believers

Quran XXIX:3
Thus Allah knoweth those who are sincere, and knoweth those who feign.

Quran LVII: 25
And that Allah may know him who helpeth Him and His messenger, though unseen.

Quran XVII: 7
Lo! We have placed all that is in the earth as an ornament thereof that we may try them: which of them is best in conduct.

Quran LXVII: 2
Who hath created life and death that He may try you, which of you is best in conduct; and he is the Mighty, the Forgiving,

With the passage of time and the influence of various forces of the social system which disregard human rights and duties, your character has been changed. The vicissitudes of life have affected you to the degree that you became alienated and neglectful. Originally, with Allah's spirit in your heart, you were supposed to shoulder the responsibility of being Allah's trustee on earth. You were granted time as a means for fulfilling this task but you failed because the gift was used carelessly!

Quran CIII: 2-3
By the declining day, Lo! man is in a state of loss,

This is what is called life! But realistically speaking what has been accomplished? What constructive contributions have you made? What have you gained? So many precious years have been lost, yet who are you?
Oh trustee and vicegerent of Allah on earth, you have turned to money, sex, greed, aggression, and dishonesty. You have regressed to the inferior status that you occupied before almighty Allah blew His spirit into you. Where is the spirit of Allah now? Oh man, rise out of this decadent situation! Divorce yourself from this gradual death.
Leave your surroundings and go to the pure land. There you may face Almighty Allah under the inspiring sky of Mashar. The estrangement which you have experienced will be overcome. At last, you will find yourself!

Is there prophesized evidence of the later prophets in the previous books?

The Jews believe that Moses prophesized the coming of a Christ, and as to this day some orthodox Jews consider themselves Messianic, which as I understand means that they are actually waiting for their real Christ to come (while they reject Jesus as the Christ). Therefore the coming of the next prophets is prophesized by the previous prophet. Then my question is: was the coming of another prophet prophesized in the Bible??

One Extremely important verse that I have encountered in the Bible is a verse which I would like to ask a Christian explain to me from their own viewpoint.

[This part I shall copy/paste from an article on Islam and Christianity-I'm no plagiarizer :0)]

Islamic belief and practice are not based on the Bible. They are based on the Qur'an and on the Sunna or example of the Prophet. The confrontation between Christian and Muslim is often largely a confrontation between books. For that reason Muslims assume that the Bible teaches what Christians believe and practice. They very often use the Bible to show that it does not teach Islam and shows evidence of not being valid. Whether or not the Bible has been corrupted, as Muslim commentators and Christian scholars maintain, is beside the point for the present study. There is no reason why the Bible could not be approached from the opposite angle. The conflict of books is generally a deadlock. A new approach might raise fresh issues among the traditions, and help us to see them in a new light. Does the Bible as we now have it, and as it has been used through centuries of Christian tradition, support Islamic beliefs and practices?

Some Muslims have appealed to the Christian Scriptures on behalf of their faith to some extent. Most such appeals surround the figure of the final prophet. Since much has been written about this, I have not given it a special chapter here. I shall merely summarize some of the more important arguments that Muslims have traditionally made.

The problem posed here is whether or not the Bible is complete and the faith finished, or whether it leaves the door open for prophets to come. The Bible on many occasions contends that people who rejected prophets and divinely appointed leaders in their own times, pretending to rely on earlier ones, no matter how valid these might have been, were lost. Are there any Biblical reasons for rejecting the idea of additions to the canon? Revelation 22:18 appears to be a serious obstacle to addition. `If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.' The answer to this is obvious. These words refer to the whole book that was written in the scroll at hand, that is, the book of Revelation. They do not refer to the addition of more books to the collection of the canon. The book of Revelation itself was accepted in the canon only centuries after it was written. No other Biblical evidence is to be found against more prophets.

On the contrary much warning is given against false prophets and how to recognise them. `For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.' Matthew 24:24. If the prophetic revelation were closed, it would only remain to say that anyone claiming to be a prophet is false. The implication is that at least one more prophet is forthcoming.

Those who came to question John the Baptist reveal that the people of the time knew that another prophet was coming and were expecting him. John 1:19-25. `And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he con­fessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptisest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?'

From this it appears clearly that three figures were ex­pected: the promised Messiah or Christ, Elias or Elijah, and `that prophet'. Although John in his modesty denied it, Jesus later stated that John was the expected Elias (Matthew 11:14). Jesus himself was the expected Messiah or Christ. Who then is the prophet to come? It is a fact that he does not appear in the Bible. So we must look for him after the time of Jesus.

We know that prophets according to the Bible, speak by the inspiration of the Spirit of God. So we can expect to find information if there is any in the promises relating to the future working of the Spirit of God. The most compre­hensive of these are found in John 14-16. Looking through these chapters the following verses stand out.

John 14:26. `But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remem­brance, whatsoever I have said unto you.'

John 15:26. `But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.'

John 16:7-14. `Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgement, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.'

Now the Spirit of God in the Bible narratives works not in a void but through human beings. This promise refers to a prophet who has ears and a mouth (John 16:13). What do we learn from this prophecy of Jesus about the prophet to follow him? Muslim scholars have pointed out that the Greek word translated `Comforter' is much like the Greek for `Most Praised' or Ahmed, which is a form of the name Muhammad. This alternative is found in the Gospel of Barnabas and in some Syriac sources.

First of all, there is a three-part message. He will reprove the world of unbelief in Jesus Christ. He will bring a message of righteousness, that is a renewed regard for obedience to the commandments. He will emphasise the importance of the Day of Judgement.

Secondly, Jesus remarks that there are many things to be said, but he cannot teach his hearers all of these things because they are not yet ready for them. The inference is that the prophet to come will teach some new points of doctrine and practice that the people of Jesus' time were not ready to receive. These things probably have to do with the change of the direction of prayer and place of pilgrim­age from Jerusalem to another place, and other details that could not be accepted as long as the temple existed.

Thirdly, the coming prophet would guide into all truth. That is, when his message is given, there will never be any need for another message, since with his revelation all truth which God intended to reveal will have been revealed.

Fourthly, he will not speak using his own words. He will be verbally inspired. He will actually hear the message of God in spoken form from the angel and will recite verbally what he hears. He will thus be different from some prophets who received the inspired message and wrote it in their own words.

Fifthly, he will reveal future events.

Sixthly, he will preach the things that Jesus himself taught.

It would appear that we have a good deal of information about the prophet to follow Jesus, probably enough to identify him with certainty. Nevertheless, on another occasion Jesus gave still more information. In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus points out that `by their fruits ye shall know them.' This is generally thought to refer to actions, bad fruits being evil actions and good fruits good acts. Psalm 1:3 describes this prophet `who brings forth fruit in his season.' The book of Revelation suggests that the tree has twelve different fruits (Revelation 22:2). It is very possible that Jesus is referring to the fact that the prophet to come should have twelve pure descendants or followers who would have authority and act as the final divine guides in their age. We can be sure of this only if we find a prominent contestant for the position of prophethood who actually had twelve such descendants or representatives.

Contemplation of the seven criteria shows immediately that most of them are subject to interpretation. It would be easy, for example, to construe the three-pronged message to fit almost any claimant to prophet-ship. The one criterion which is hard and fast is the prophecy on the means of revelation. We must look for a prophet who heard a voice and dictated the message word for word.

Joseph Smith, for example, claimed to receive the mes­sage on golden plates from which he translated in writing. Although he might fit all of the other criteria, he misses on the most objective one.

Ellen White, to take another prominent example, claimed to hear the voice, but she never claimed verbal inspiration, nor did she dictate the message of the angel in a book She wrote her books in words of her own choice. Besides, she, unlike Joseph Smith, was not followed by a succession of twelve. Nor did she herself in fact claim to be the promised prophet.

All of the criteria can be easily fitted to the case of Mu­hammad. But the one objective criterion, the means of revelation, seems so overwhelmingly appropriate that it is difficult to dismiss it. The story is that Muhammad was praying and meditating in a cave when the angel Gabriel suddenly appeared to him and he heard the words: `In the name of God the most gracious, ever merciful! Recite in the name of thy Lord who creates perfectly. He creates man from a clot. Recite! And thy Lord is the most honourable!' Qur'an 96:1-3.

The subject of Biblical prophecy as related to Muham­mad is widely dealt with by Ahmed Deedat, Abdul-Ahad Dawud, and many others. I have said little here in addition to such studies and left out much that has been said. I would only add something to Ahmed Deedat's excellent handling of Deuteronomy 18:18, `I will raise up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.' Christians often claim that this refers to Jesus. But the parallel between Moses and Jesus seems inconsistent, since Christians claim Jesus to be God and deny such status to Moses. If Jesus is God, he is definitely not like Moses and the passage cannot apply to him. If he is not God, then the Christian doctrine falls.

The history of Muhammad is tragic. After the death of Muhammad many Muslims followed unjust and irreligious caliphs. The later caliphs changed the religion to suit themselves. This is recognised by both orientalists and Muslims alike. The family of the prophet's daughter was hounded, persecuted, poisoned and murdered by the so­called Muslim State. It is only a miracle that some knowledge of the eleven descendants of the daughter of Muhammad has come down to us. These pure, humble, persecuted people might well be compared to the twelve fruits of the good tree Jesus mentions in Matthew seven.

Since we are examining the Bible as the traditional, his­torical text of Christianity I have chosen to use the King James Version in English and the Hebrew Massoretic text and received text of the Greek New Testament from which it was translated. The editions of the latter I have followed are The New Testament, The Greek Text Underlying the English Authorised Version of 1611, Trinitarian Bible Society, London, and Biblia Hebraica, Johanne Leusden, Everardo Van Der Hooght, Judah D'Allemand, London 1822. I have also referred to the Byzantine Greek text in the edition of Moscow, 1841.

The method will be to examine the whole Bible in terms of the various Islamic beliefs and practices. Critical method will be relevant to the extent necessary to identify Biblical beliefs and practices in context which show similarity or equivalence to Islamic ones. The method is rigorous and scientific, but approaches problems vastly different from those usually examined by scholars. It is not the goal to establish the original or source text. That would defeat the purpose. What is of interest is to what extent the Bible as it has come down to us through Christian tradition reflects not Christian but Islamic aspects. Such a study would be fortuitous except for the fact that the texts of Christianity and Islam share a geographical and to a great extent cultural heritage.

Contradiction no 1-Jesus Christ

Having gone through the holy texts of Judaism, Christianity and Islam for some time now, I have come to notice an amazing number of similarities in all 3 religions which when looked upon from a higher perspective makes one wonder whether the real Author of all three is not ONE!!

For example even though at first look it seems that it is Islam and Judaism which have the greatest number of similarities, yet when you look deeper and with more scrutiny you realize that there are in fact also many many astonishing similarities between Islam and Christianity!! ( I can give you the exact points if you are interested, it is very lengthy to mention in one email)

It starts getting difficult though when you come to the differences.
As an example I have come to realize that despite the many similarities in belief and religious law between Islam and Judaism, they have a shocking difference when it comes to one point and that is: JESUS CHRIST.

I have come to realize that while JUDAISM CONDEMNS Jesus as an imposter of the CHRIST or the savior to come, and considers him a sorcerer who actually MISLEAD many of the Israeli nation with his magic! (which Christians call Godly Miracles), ISLAM PRAISES Jesus Christ as a very dear prophet sent from the Lord to save the Children of Israel from corruption!! Many verses in the Quran talk in great reverence of Jesus Christ and praise her mother Mary as a CHASTE Godley maiden who was bestowed with the honor of being the mother of one of the Lord's holy prophets. There is even one WHOLE chapter in the Quran dedicated to "MARY"!!!

Here, another difficulty arises. Even though the Quran considers Jesus Christ in a very grand way there is one GREAT difference between the Muslim outlook and that of the majority of Christians. This difference is that:

The Quran, in NO way considers Jesus as the son of God and NEVER deifies him. The Quran mentions again and again that Jesus is ONLY a prophet of the Lord just like many other prophets before him and adds that those Christians who consider him God are in GRAVE mistake!! The funny thing is that I myself have not encountered anywhere in the Bible a direct reference to the TRINITY!!!

Chapter 5- verses 72-74:
* Those who say that God is Christ the son of Mary have disbelieved. Christ [himself] said: "Children of Israel, worship God [Alone, Who is] my Lord as well as your Lord." God will ban the Garden for anyone who associates anything else with God; his lodging will be the Fire. Wrongdoers will have no supporters.
* Those who say: 'God is the third of three," have disbelieved! There is no deity except God Alone. If they do not stop saying what they say, painful torment will afflict those among them who disbelieve. * Why do they not turn towards God and seek His forgiveness? God is Forgiving, Merciful.

So as one can see the difference between Islam and Christianity is NOT on the existence of a REAL Christ but on some aspects of his character as a GUIDE. Both believe in his guiding aspect , but Christianity deifies him while Islam discourages this.
I cant really come to terms with the Judaic version of denying Jesus Christ his prophetic law and the slanders that the Jews attribute to the Virgin Mary. Reading many passage of the Bible assures me that Jesus was NOT an imposter and his Book has a feeling of truth. Also the fact that he actually CONFIRMED what Moses had brought to the Israelites makes me remember a verse in the Quran which says:
Chapter 2-verse 87:
this part is talking to the "children of Israel"
(XI) * We gave Moses the Book and followed him up with messengers later on. We gave Jesus the son of Mary evidence and assisted him with the Holy Spirit. Yet every time some messenger comes to you with what you yourselves do not fancy, why do you act so overbearing? One group you have rejected while another group you would [like to] kill.
* Whenever a messenger from God has come to them to confirm what they already had, a group of those who were given the Book have tossed God's book behind their backs as if they did not know [any better]. (verse 101):
There are numerous other verses which use the word "confirm" in terms of Quran's role in relation to the previous Holy Books.
One very interesting thing that I found in the Bible is sth which is extremely close to these Quranic verses:
Jesus is here saying:
`Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.' Matthew 5:17-19.

So as you can see both religions talk about confirmation of the previous religions, but at the same time completing them.

Another very important fact is that Christians have actually INCLUDED the Old Testament in their holy book and thus I find it very bewildering when I encounter the arguments of Jews against Christians and vice versa.

One very interesting verse(chapter 2-verse 113) I have found in the Quran, ACTUALLy talks about this VERY major quarrel and iits futility since both Jews and Christians quote from the same book!!!!:

Chapter 2-verses 111-113:
* They say: "No one will enter the Garden unless he is a Jew or a Christian. Those individuals are merely saying "Amen" [to their leaders]. Say: "Bring on your proof if you are so truthful," * Rather anyone who commits his person peacefully to God and is acting kindly will receive his earnings from his Lord. No fear shall come upon them nor will they be saddened.

(XIV)* Jews say: Christians have no point to make;" while Christians say: "The Jews have no point to make." Yet they (all) quote from the [same] Book. Likewise those who do know anything make a statement similar to theirs. God will judge between them on Resurrection Day concerning how they have been differing.

Arch prophets-Muhammad

(5) PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SA) IBN 'ABDILLAH

The biography of Prophet Muhammad (SA) ibn Abdillah is clearer than those of all prophets preceding him, because as a result of the lapse of time and historical changes, their books, shari'ahs, and even their personalities have been distorted and their biographies have become ambiguous.

In fact, there are no clear documents other than those imparted to us through the divine book of Islam, viz, Qur'an and the speeches and statements of Prophet Muhammad (SA) and the Ahl al-Bayt (AS). But there is a clear history on the life of Prophet Muhammad (SA) which describes the characteristics of his life adequately.

The Holy Prophet (SA) of Islam is the last prophet appointed by the Almighty Allah to lead the people of the world.

Fourteen centuries ago, mankind lived in such a condition that nothing was left of Tawhid except nominally and when people had completely deviated from Tawhid and theism. Human manners and justice had died away in their society. Holy Ka'bah had turned into an idol-temple and the religion of Ibrahim (AS) had converted into idolatry.

Arabs led a tribal life and even a few of their cities in Hijaz and Yemen and elsewhere were governed in the same tribal manner. The Arabs lived in the meanest and most backward conditions. Instead of culture and civilization, they indulged in unchastity, sensuality, alcoholism, and gambling. They buried their daughters alive. Most people subsisted by Way of theft, banditry, murder, and plundering each other's belongings, livestock, and cattle. Cruelty and bloodshed were regarded as the greatest honours.

In such an environment, the compassionate Allah appointed Prophet Muhammad (SA) to reform and lead the people of the world. Allah revealed the Holy Qur'an to him, consisting of divine education, theism, the ways of implementation of justice, and beneficial advice. Allah commissioned him to invite people toward humanity and adherence to the truth using that divine authentic Book, Qur'an.

Prophet Muhammad (SA) was born in the city of Makkah in 570 AD (53 years before Hijrah) in the noblest and most honourable Arab family.Muhammad's (SA) father died before he was born. He lost h is mother when he was six years old. After two years, his grandfather (Abdul Muttalib), who was his guardian, died. Then the Prophet (SA) was put under the guardianship of his kind uncle, Abu Talib (the father of the Leader of the Faithful, 'Ali [AS]).

Abu Talib held him then just like one of his own children. Until a few months before Hijrah, he always did his best for the protection and support of Muhammad (SA) and he was never negligent.The Arabs of Makkah, like other Arabs, indulged in breeding sheep and camels. They sometimes used to trade with neighbouring countries, especially with Syria. They were illiterate people who made no effort to educate their children.

Like all his people, the Prophet (SA), too, had not learnt to read and write, but from the beginning of his life, he was privileged by having a series of praiseworthy attributes. He never worshipped idols, lied, and committed theft and treachery. He guarded against evil, disrespectful, and indecent actions and was wise and efficient. Therefore, he gained considerable popularity among the people within a short period and became known as "Muhammad al-Amin" meaning "Muhammad the trustworthy". The Arabs often entrusted him with their belongings and talked about his honesty and efficiency. When he was about twenty years old, a wealthy lady of Makkah, Khadijah al-Kubra, designated him as her representative in commercial trade. As a result of his truthfulness, honesty, wisdom, and efficiency, she earned a great deal of profit. She was naturally attracted by the personality and magnanimity of the Holy Prophet (SA) more than ever and finally proposed to him for marriage. Afterwards also for years, she continued commercial works with her husband.Being considered as one of the people, the Holy Prophet (SA) had an ordinary association with people until the age of forty. Of course, he differed from them in that he had a praiseworthy and decent behaviour and guarded against indecent deeds and conducts which had spoiled others. He did not possess cruelty, hard-heartedness, and status consciousness, thus had earned the respect and confidence of people. It was such that when the Arabs were reconstructing the House of Ka'bah, a quarrel and dispute arose among the tribes on the erection of Al-Hajar al-Aswad (the Black Stone). The people unanimously chose the Holy Prophet (SA) as an arbitrator. He then ordered the people to spread a cloak to place Al-Hajar al-Aswad within. The nobles of the tribes lifted the sides of the cloak and the Holy Prophet (SA) installed the Al-Hajar al-Aswad in its place, thus bringing the conflict of the people to an end without any massacre and bloodshed.

Before his Al-Bi'that al-Nabawiyyah (appointment for prophethood), although the Holy Prophet (SA) worshipped Allah and refrained from idol-worshipping, the people did not bother about him because he did not explicitly struggle against the superstitious beliefs of idolatry. The same applied to those belonging to other religions such as Jews and christians, who lived respectfully among the Arabs without being bothered by them.

Arch prophets-Jesus

(4) PROPHET JESUS (AS)

Prophet 'Isa (AS) is the fourth of the Ulul'azm Anbiya' bestowed with a book and shari'ah. The circumstances of his birth were unusual. His mother, Maryam, a pious virgin, was worshipping Allah (in Jerusalem) when Ruhulqudus or Jibril (Gabriel) descended from heavens, gave her the good tidings of 'Isa's (AS) birth; and by Jibril's breathing on her sleeves, Maryam became pregnant with 'Isa (AS).

After his birth, 'Isa (AS) began to speak in the cradle in defence of his mother against unfair calumnies attributed to her. He also informed the people about his Nubuwwah(prophethood) and divine book (Inji-Biblel). Later, in his youth, he proceeded to invite the people and revived the shari'ah of Musa (AS) with minor modifications. He sent missionaries from among his hawaris (disciples) to the surrounding places. After his call was spread among the people, the Jews (his ummah) embarked on killing him, but Allah saved him, and the Jews caught someone else in his place and crucified him.

It should be pointed out here that the Almighty Allah, in the Holy Qur'an, confirms a divine book called the "Injil" for 'Isa (AS), which was revealed to him. It is different from the Gospels written after 'Isa (AS) about his life and call. Among them, four Gospels compiled by Luke, Mark, Matthew, and John are formally recognized by Christians

Arch prophets-Moses

(3) PROPHET MOSES (AS)

Musa (AS) (Prophet Moses) ibn 'Imran is the third of the Ulul'azm Anbiya' and is bestowed with a book and shari'ah (divine religious laws). He was a descendant of Isra'il (AS) or Y'aqub (AS) (Prophet Jacob).Musa (AS) had a tumultuous life. He was born at a time when the Israelites were living in Egypt among Gipsies in a state of abjectness and servitude and when their sons were beheaded by the order of Fir'awn (Pharaoh*).The mother of Musa (AS), according to the order given to her while asleep, placed Musa (AS), in a wooden box and left him in the Nile River. The water carried the box directly to the castle of Fir'awn.By the order of Fir'awn, the box was picked up. When they opened it, they found a baby inside.

Because of the insistence of the queen, Fir'awn dispensed with killing the child. Since they did not have a son, they adopted him as their own son and put him under the care of a nurse (who was incidentally his own mother)Up to the early stages of his youth, Musa (AS) lived in the palace of Fir'awn. Then, after an accidental murder, fearing Fir'awn, he ran away from Egypt. He went to Madyan and met Prophet Shu'ayb (Jethro) (AS). He married one of Shu'ayb's daughters and grazed his sheep for a few years. After a few years, he reminisced his birthplace, took his wife with him, and set out for Egypt, carrying his belongings along. On his way, when he reached Mount Sinai at night, he was assigned to prophetic mission by the Almighty Allah. He was chosen by Allah to invite Fir'awn to the religion of Tawhid(one God), to liberate the Israelites from the yoke of the Gipsies, and to designate his brother, Harun (Aaron), as his minister. But after he announced his mission and communicated the divine message, Fir'awn who was an idol-worshipper and who had also introduced himself to the people of Egypt as one of the gods, did not accept Musa's (AS) prophetic mission and refused to grant freedom to the Israelites.

Although for many years Musa (AS) invited people to tawhid and showed many miracles, Fir'awn and his people showed no reaction other than toughness and moroseness. Finally, by the order of Allah, Musa (AS) emigrated the Israelites and went from Egypt to Sinai desert at night. When they reached the Red sea, Fir'awn, too, came to know and chased them with his army.

Through a miracle, Musa (AS) split the water of the sea and crossed it along with his people, but Fir'awn and his army were drowned. After this event, Allah revealed the Tawrat to Musa (AS) and established the Shari'ah of Musa (AS) among the Israelites.

* In Egypt, kings were called "Pharaohs".

Arch Prophets-Abraham

(2) PROPHET ABRAHAM (AS)

A long time elapsed after Nuh. (AS). Although many prophets, such as Hud, Salih, and others also led the people towards Allah and righteousness, the polytheism and idolatry flourished day by day and finally became universal. By His sublime wisdom, the Almighty Allah appointed Ibrahim (AS) (prophet Abraham) as a prophet.
Ibrahim (AS) was a perfect example of a man with innate disposition who searched for truth with his pure and immaculate nature. He found out the oneness of Allah and struggled against polytheism and injustice all his life.As revealed by the Holy Qur'an and confirmed by the ahadith of the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt (Members of the Household of the Prophet Muhammad [SA]), Ibrahim (AS) spent his childhood in a cave away from the clamours of people and the tumultuous urban life. He only saw his mother who carried food and water for him from time to time.
One day he came out of his cave and followed his mother to town and paid a visit to his uncle, Adhar, but everything seemed new and interesting to him. Amidst thousands of bewilderments and wonders and with utmost impatience and calmness, his immaculate nature focussed on the creation of things that he saw, trying to find out the secret of their existence and the cause of their creation. He saw idols which Adhar and others carved and worshipped. Ibrahim (AS) asked about their identity, but the explanation he got about their divinity was not convincing. He saw a group of people who worshipped venus, others who worshipped the moon, and yet another group who worshipped the sun. Their divinity was unbelievable to Ibrahim (AS) because each one of them set after a few hours.
After these incidents, Ibrahim (AS), fearlessly, announced his worshipping of the Almighty Allah and his disgust of polytheism and idolatry. He thought of nothing but struggle against idolatry and polytheism. He struggled against idol-worshippers tirelessly and relentlessly and invited them towards monotheism.
Finally, he found a way to the idol-temple and broke the idols. Because of this deed, which people regarded as the greatest crime, Ibrahim (AS) was put to trial. After completion of the formalities, Ibrahim (AS) was thrown into the fire, but Allah saved him and he came out of the fire unharmed.After a while, Ibrahim (AS) emigrated from his original birthplace, Babylon, to Syria and Palestine and continued his invitation of monotheism there.In the last days of his life, he was blessed with two children: Ishaq (AS) (Prophet Isaac), the father of Isra'il (AS) and Isma'il (AS) (Prophet Ishmael), the father of 'Arab Mudar. By the order of Allah, Isma'il (AS), in infancy, and his mother were taken to Hijaz by Ibrahim (AS). They settled around Mount Tuhamah in an arid and barren land without inhabitants. In this manner, Ibrahim (AS) invited the nomadic Arabs to monotheism. Then he built Ka'bah and described the rites of Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) which remained prevalent among the Arabs until the advent of Islam and the call of Prophet Muhammad (SA).
Ibrahim (AS) was endowed with the innate religion. According to the explicit wording of the Holy Qur'an, he had a divine book. He was the first person to call the divine religion as "Islam" and it's followers as "Muslims". Indeed, the religions of the world advocating monotheism, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam terminate at Ibrahim (AS), because Musa (AS), 'Isa (AS), and Prophet Muhammad (SA), the leaders of the aforementioned three religions, were all the descendants of Ibrahim (AS) and had followed his path of call and invitation to monotheism.

Arch Prophets- Noah

(1) PROPHET NOAH (AS)

Nuh (AS) (prophet Noah) was the first prophet appointed to prophetic mission and sent towards mankind as bearer of divine religious laws and a divine book by Allah, the Merciful.
Nuh (AS) invited the people of those days to monotheism and belief in the Oneness of Allah and asked them to refrain from polytheism and idolatry. As evident from his stories in the Holy Qur'an, Nuh (AS) seriously struggled to settle class distinctions and to eradicate injustice and cruelty. He notified the people of his teachings by way of reasoning which was something new to the people of those days.
After a long period of suffering with ignorant, stubborn, and unruly people, Nuh (AS) guided only a small group of people. Thus, by means of Nuh's (AS) Deluge, the Almighty Allah annihilated unbelievers and cleansed the earth of their defiled entity. Nuh (AS) and a group of his followers who were saved laid the cornerstone of a religious society over again.
This Holy Prophet (SA) is the founder of the religious laws of monotheism and the first divine representative who struggled against cruelty, injustice, and rebellion. Owing to his valuable services rendered to the divine religion, he is allotted a praise and greeting by Allah, a praise which will remain alive and perpetual as long as mankind exists."Peace and salutation to Nuh among the nations (37:79)."

Arch Prophets

ARCH-PROPHETS AND ALL OTHER PROPHETS

There were five prophets who had divine books and independent teachings. They are referred to as Nuh (Noah) (AS), Ibrahim (Abraham) (AS), Musa (Moses) (AS), 'Isa (Jesus) (AS), and Muhammad (SA) in the following verse:
"He has made plain to you of the religion what He enjoined upon Nuh and that which We have revealed to you, and that which We enjoined upon Ibrahim and Musa and 'Isa that keep to obedience and be not divided therein... (42:13)."
These five prophets, who have books and divine religious laws, are called the Ulul'azm Anbiya' (arch-prophets). The messengers of Allah, however, were not limited to these five prophets, rather each ummah (people) had a messenger. Many prophets were sent by Allah to lead the people, of whom only the names of less than twenty have been mentioned in the Holy Qur'an.
The Almighty Allah states:
"... There are some of them that We have mentioned to you and there are others whom We have not mentioned to you...(40:78)."
He also states:
"And every ummah had a messenger...(10:47)."
Allah states:
"...And (there is) a guide for every people (13:7)."
Yes, prophets, who came after each of the Ulul'azm Anbiya' invited people to follow the divine religious laws of the same prophets. Thus, prophetic mission and the call continued until Allah appointed the Prophet Muhammad (SA) ibn Abdillah to bring the previous prophetic missions to perfection and to communicate the latest orders and the most complete divine religious laws. His divine book became the last book and consequently, the religion of Prophet Muhammad (SA) will remain valid until Qiyamah (Resurrection) and his religious laws will remain everlasting.

Are All prophets sinless?

Greetings to all;

In an email I received I encountered this question:

"you say that the Muslim faith believes the prophet must be one completely devoid of sin? Does that mean they believe the prophet Mohammed lived a life without sin? As far as I am aware, the only man who has been able to stand-up to the test of "sinlessness" is Jesus Christ . . ."

As you can see in my post on Women in Islam it is mentioned that the Shia Moslems believe that ALL prophets are sinless. According to them being sinless is very crucial criterion of being chosen as a prophet. Therefore they believe that Jesus as the messenger of the Lord is sinless as well as All other prophets including Noah, Isaac, Joseph.......Moses and of course the prophet of Islam Mohammad.

Here is a part of a book I have found concerning the reasons according to common sense behind this claim. The passage first of all talks about the logic behind prophet hood, then moves on towards why all prophets need to be unique and far above other men in terms of all their actions and then distinguishes prophets by categorizing them into "Arch-prophets" and other prophets.

Eli

NUBUWWAH (PROPHETHOOD)

While independent in every respect, the Almighty Allah, with His immense power, has created the world of existence and its various creatures, allowing them to enjoy His countless blessings.
From the first day of creation till the last day of existence, man and other creatures are fostered by Allah. They are each led toward a known and determined goal with a particular order and system. They proceed towards their ends while being exposed to His noteworthy blessings.
If we study and deliberate upon our lifetime, namely the period of infancy, childhood, youth, and old age, our conscience will testify Allah's complete favours to us. When we become more aware of this matter, our wisdom will undoubtedly judge that the Creator of the world is more compassionate to His creatures than anyone else is. Due to this compassion and favour, Allah always considers their interests and never consents to the corruption and defect of their affairs without wisdom and expediency. Mankind is one of the creatures of Allah. We know that man's interest and prosperity depend upon his being realistic and benevolent; that is to say, he must possess true beliefs, praiseworthy ethics, and good deeds.
One may say that with his Allah-granted wisdom, man can distinguish between good and bad and can recognize a well from a path.
It should be known, however, that wisdom alone cannot resolve this difficulty and lead man to realism and benevolence. All these indecent characteristics and unjust actions witnessed in the human society are committed by those who possess wisdom and discernment, however, as a result of selfishness, profit-seeking, and voluptuousness, their wisdom has been overcome by their sentiments and they have succumbed to their carnal desires, leading them astray. Therefore, the Almighty Allah must lead and invite us to prosperity through some other ways and through means which can never be overcome by carnal desires and which never make blunders or mistakes in their guidance. This path is nothing but the path of Nubuwwah.

THE LOGIC IN NUBUWWAH (prophethood)

From what. we have discussed about monotheism, it becomes evident that since Allah creates everything, its fostering also depends upon Him. In other words, the Almighty Allah is the organizer and leader of the movement of any worldly creature or phenomenon that from the very beginning of existence endeavours for its survival, strives to remove its imperfections, eliminates its needs and shortcomings one after another, makes itself independent and self-sufficient as much as possible, and moves in an orderly manner in its path of survival and existence.
A definite conclusion can be drawn from this concept. That is to say, any one of the various kinds of phenomena of the world has a specific evolutionary process for its survival which is done by its special endeavours. In other words, in the path of their survival, worldly creatures of each particular group have a series of specific functions assigned to them by Allah. As the Holy Qur'an, with reference to this fact, states:
"...Our Lord is He Who gave to everything its creation, then guided it (to its goal) (20:50)."
This order applies to all components of creation without any exception. It includes the stars, the earth, their components, compositions that generate primary phenomena, plants, and animals.
Man's condition is the same as others, in this universal guidance, but there is a difference between him and others.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MAN AND OTHER CREATURES

The earth has supposedly been created millions of years ago. It employs all its hidden forces and endeavours in the environment of its existence to the extent permitted by opposing forces. It displays the signs of its entity in the field of its rotation and transitional movement, thus maintaining its survival. Unless faced with a stronger opposing force, it will continue this activity and will not fall short of carrying out any of its functions.
For example, from the time an almond tree takes root from a seed until it becomes a fully grown tree, it assumes duties, such as nourishing, developing, etc (in other words, it performs these duties to pursue the course of its existence.) It will never refrain from carrying them out unless it is precluded by a stronger opposing force. This process also applies to any other phenomenon. But mankind performs his particular activities voluntarily and his actions originate from his thoughts and determination. Many a time, man refrains from a task which is entirely to his interests and which is not hindered by any opposing force and undertakes a task which is entirely disadvantageous to him knowingly and intentionally. Sometimes, he abstains from drinking antidote and sometimes he drinks a cup of poison and kills himself.
It is certainly clear that the divine universal guidance will not be compulsory for a creature born with free will. That is to say, the prophets conveyed the message of the Almighty Allah on good and bad and prosperity and wretchedness to the people and warned believers of Allah's chastisement, but the believers have always been free to adopt any one of them. It is true that, in general, man perceives his good and bad and advantage and disadvantage through his wisdom, but that very wisdom often loses its keenness, follows carnal desires, and makes error. Therefore, in addition to the medium of wisdom, divine guidance should positively be achieved through a different medium, which is entirely inviolable to sin and error. In other words, in addition to the medium of wisdom, the Almighty Allah confirms His orders by another medium.
This medium is the same medium of prophethood by which the Almighty Allah reveals His orders to one of His servants through wahy leading mankind to prosperity. Allah appoints him to communicate His orders to the people and to oblige them to follow the orders through hope, despair, encouragement, and threat.
The Almighty Allah states:
"Surely We have revealed to you as We revealed to Nuh (Noah), and the prophets after him...(4:163)." "(We sent) messengers as the bearers of good news and as warners, so that people should not have a plea against Allah after the (coming of) messengers...(4:165)."

ATTRIBUTES OF PROPHETS

From what was discussed, it becomes clear that the Almighty Allah, with His divine teachings, must have provided some of His servants with intuitive knowledge and laws that guarantee man's prosperity and must have sent them to lead the people.
A person who possesses divine messages is called a "nabi (prophet)" and messenger of Allah and the entire set of messages from Allah which he has brought to the people are called "religion".
It has also become clear that a prophet:
(1) Must be free and immune from error. In order to communicate what has been revealed to him to the people without error and mistake, he should be immune from forgetfulness and other mental weaknesses; otherwise, divine guidance will not attain its goal and the general guidance rule will forfeit its applicability and lose its power to influence people.
(2) Must be inviolable to error and sin both in deeds and speech, because sinfulness has no effect in propagation. People do not esteem the speech of a person whose manner and speech are at odds. They even take his deeds for his mendacity and imposture by saying if he meant what he said, he would act accordingly.
By bringing these two aspects together in one phrase, we can say that a prophet must be inviolable to errors and sins to render preaching and propagation effective. In His words, the Almighty Allah, too, refers to this point and states:
"The Knower of the unseen! so He does not reveal His secrets to any, except to him whom He chooses as a messenger. for surely He makes a guard to march before him and after him, so that He may know that they have truly delivered the messages of their Lord...(72:26-28)."
(3) Must possess moral virtues such as chastity, courage, justice, etc, for these are considered as praiseworthy qualities. Anyone who is immune to any sins and follows religion in a perfect manner will never be blemished by moral vices.

PROPHETS AMONG PEOPLE

History indicates that there were prophets among people who responded to the call of Allah; however, the details of their life is not so clear. Only the details of life of Prophet Muhammad (SA) is devoid of ambiguity. The Holy Qur'an, which is the divine book given to Prophet (SA), contains sublime religious aims, has clarified the call of the prophets in the past and has described their goals and objectives.
The Holy Qur'an stipulates that many prophets have been, assigned by Allah to lead the people, all of whom consistently invited the people to monotheism and the true religion. As Allah states:
"And We did not send before you any messenger but We revealed to him that there is no god but Me, therefore worship Me (21:25)."

Islam in practice-On man's duty towards others

Dear all;

through some emails I have realized that one of the most important aspects of ANY religion is the extent to which it is involved in each person's or a society's affairs. Thus I have decided to look for the involvement of Islamic teachings concerning social rules and regulations. Through my research I have found out that Islam is an infinit source of such information and tries and claims to give ALL people, not just a particular group, all the rules and regulations they may need in earthly life. What I have found out is very interesting to read.

Eli

THE DUTY OF MAN TOWARDS HIS PARENTS

Parents are the means of the creation of a child and the imparters of his initial education and training; therefore, the holy religion of Islam has placed a great deal of emphasis on children's obeying to them and on their respect to an extent that the Almighty Allah has commanded the people to be kind and generous to their parents right after mentioning Tawhid (the Oneness of Allah) and states:
"And your Lord has commanded that you shall not serve (any) but Him and has commanded goodness to your parents...(17:23)."

In ahadith enumerating mortal sins, misconduct towards parents ranks second to shirk (polytheism). The Almighty Allah states:

"...If either or both of them reach old age with you, say not to them (so much as) "ugh" nor chide them, and speak to them generous words. And make yourself submissively gentle to them with compassion, and say: 'O my Lord! have compassion on them, similar to what they had on me when they brought me up (when I was) little' (17:23-24)."

How well did an old woman say to her child when she saw him powerful and bulky.
If you recalled your childhoodWhen you were helpless in my arms,You would not treat me unkindly todayAs you are a brave man and I am an old woman.

In the holy religion of Islam, obedience of the parents is wajib (compulsary) except in the case when they order the children to give up one of the wajib deeds of religion or perform a religiously haram act. It has been proven by experience that those who tease their parents do not remain happy and prosperous in their lives and consequently they will not attain salvation.

Mathematic Miracle of the Quran!!!!!

Dear All;

This week has been a very fruitful one in terms of the new information, sites and articles which I have found.

This post is by FAR different from my previous posts as it contains something that even now that I'm typing it I find really hard to grasp.

As You all probably know one of the reasons for the existence of different versions of the Bible and the Talmud is the different outlooks held by the previous Rabbis or Priests concerning different aspects of these two religions which has unfortunately ( well I think it is unfortunate) lead to many changes taking place in the Talmud or the Bible and in the end in a sort of manipulation of the original text.

Amongst ALL these different versions a person looking for the Truth would like to be given or at least be able to find the ONE version which is the AUTHENTIC one. It is only reasonable to believe that NOT EVERY version of the Talmud or the Bible can be authentic and there should be the possibility of human error (as the Rabbis or Priests who have undertaken to interpret or perhaps change some segments were NOT prophets and therefore NOT immune to human error!)

With Islam the different denominations exist NOT due to these different interpretations or manipulations (as All denominations of Islam have the SAME Quran) but rather as a result of " who should inherit the guidance of Islam after prophet Muhammad's passing away."

The Shia believe that the leadership (of course no more prophet hood here, as Muslims believe that Muhammad was The Last Prophet and there would be no other prophet after him) of the Islamic society should be decided through heavenly guidance and believe that the chosen person should be one who is COMPLETELY FREE of ANY sort of SIN ( just as all the prophets were free of sin according to the Shia). Therefore they believed that the Lord himself has to choose the person and according to Shia sources, the prophet Muhammad -after divine inspiration-announced to his people the rightful person as his successor who would guide them and he was his cousin ALI. But after the prophet's passing away some of the influential people denied Ali the right of becoming the first "Imam" and selected a person in his stead, these people form the Sunni denomination in Islam. Therefore the major difference amongst Muslims is NOT the different versions of the Quran but rather the matter of choosing a successor.

Now All what I have written was an introduction for what I'm about to write now (I'm reaaally sorry for the long intro but I felt I had to give more explanation).

The Muslims believe and I think the Quran itself announces( I have to check out the exact chapter) that while the previous Holy Books of Judaism and Christianity for eg have been manipulated by mankind and therefore distorted some of the words of the Lord, NOTHING of the sort has happened for the Quran and shall actually NEVER happen and the muslims believe that this is a promise of the Lord to keep the Quran immune from manipulation.
Now for me it was very hard to just take these words for granted without seeing even the slightest form of some reason. By reading the Quran of course, one realizes that everything is somehow different from what any human being could write, But I had my doubts as to whether ALL these years after the revelation to Prophet Muhammad there could not occur some small forms of change and manipulation, some segments taken out and erased for example or other segments added and changed.

What I have actually found out on August 27th 2008 is something I can just call EXTRAORDINARY!!

This was most probably not known to the world until 4 or five years ago ( I don't know the exact date but I have to search and find out) PLEASE READ VERY CAREFULLY:

A recent research of the Quran using minimum requirements such as a calculator has lead to stupefying results in calculations of some numbers which I can just call MIRACLE NUMBERS (see if you can find anything else to call them)

By the way, anyone can do the same, all you'll need is a calculator and a copy of the Quran.

If you look at the table of contents in the Quran, you'll find that there are 114 chapters of various lengths.
Now if you look at chapter One, you'll see that it only consist of seven verses, chapter two has 288 verses and so on.

what you need to do is to add the number position of each chapter with its number of verses. For example the first chapter: chapter 1+7(verses); Chapter 2+286(verses)…

You will notice that Miraculously what you get is exactly 57 "even" results and yes exactly 57 "odd" results!!!

But the amazing surprise continues:

*If we add up all our "even" results what we get is a number which is exactly the same as the total number of ALL the verses in the Quran!!!! 6236

AND….

*If we add up all our "odd" results what we get is a number which is exactly the same as the total number of ALL the chapters in the Quran!!!! 6555

See for yourself by using a calculator, a sheet of paper and a pencil. You'll need nothing more!



Note:
I don't really know what the odds are of somebody writing a whole book of about 500 pages( Keep in mind that Prophet Muhammad was ILLITERATE prior to prophethood!!!) in which everything is closely interwoven and completely makes sense, full of different genres such as stories, supplications, prayers, warnings…. and at the same time organize every break of thought or sentence in a way so that about 1000 something years later with the great extent of research done on the Quran, such carefully impossible categorization can be found in it!!!!

I can just exclaim: WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!

This table makes it easier to visualize:

Eagerly awaiting your helpful thoughts.

Wish you all a blessed day
Eli

Eve's Legacy

Dear all:
The parts in which the wording is in red are parts which I would like to be discussed from authentic Judaic, Christian points of view and I would like you to help me in terms of their authenticity, even though there are bibliographic Notes at the end which seem to show that all the segments have been taken from the Bible and the Talmud.

Thank you for your help once more.
Eli

The image of Eve as temptress in the Bible has resulted in an extremely negative impact on women throughout the Judaeo-Christian tradition.

All women were believed to have inherited from their mother, the Biblical Eve, both her guilt and her guile. Consequently, they were all untrustworthy, morally inferior, and wicked. Menstruation, pregnancy, and childbearing were considered the just punishment for the eternal guilt of the cursed female sex.

In order to appreciate how negative the impact of the Biblical Eve was on all her female descendants we have to look at the writings of some of the most important Jews and Christians of all time. Let us start with the Old Testament and look at excerpts from what is called the Wisdom Literature in which we find:

"I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare....while I was still searching but not finding, I found one upright man among a thousand but not one upright woman among them all" (Ecclesiastes 7:26-28).

In another part of the Hebrew literature which is found in the Catholic Bible we read:

"No wickedness comes anywhere near the wickedness of a woman.....Sin began with a woman and thanks to her we all must die" (Ecclesiasticus 25:19,24).

Jewish Rabbis listed nine curses inflicted on women as a result of the Fall:

"To the woman He gave nine curses and death: the burden of the blood of menstruation and the blood of virginity; the burden of pregnancy; the burden of childbirth; the burden of bringing up the children; her head is covered as one in mourning; she pierces her ear like a permanent slave or slave girl who serves her master; she is not to be believed as a witness; and after everything--death."[3]

To the present day, orthodox Jewish men in their daily morning prayer recite "Blessed be God King of the universe that Thou has not made me a woman." The women, on the other hand, thank God every morning for "making me according to Thy will"[4]. ( This is really something I find very hard to believe from a reigion of the Lord, somebody help me please, I need clarifications. Eli)

Another prayer found in many Jewish prayer books: "Praised be God that he has not created me a gentile. Praised be God that he has not created me a woman. Praised be God that he has not created me an ignoramus."[5]

The Biblical Eve has played a far bigger role in Christianity than in Judaism. Her sin has been pivotal to the whole Christian faith because the Christian conception of the reason for the mission of Jesus Christ on Earth stems from Eve's disobedience to God. She had sinned and then seduced Adam to follow her suit. Consequently, God expelled both of them from Heaven to Earth, which had been cursed because of them.

They bequeathed their sin, which had not been forgiven by God, to all their descendants and, thus, all humans are born in sin. In order to purify human beings from their 'original sin', God had to sacrifice Jesus, who is considered to be the Son of God, on the cross. Therefore, Eve is responsible for her own mistake, her husband's sin, the original sin of all humanity, and the death of the Son of God. In other words, one woman acting on her own caused the fall of humanity.[6]

What about her daughters? They are sinners like her and have to be treated as such. Listen to the severe tone of St. Paul in the New Testament:

"A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I don't permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner" (I Timothy 2:11-14).

St. Tertullian was even more blunt than St. Paul, while he was talking to his 'best beloved sisters' in the faith, he said[7]:
"Do you not know that you are each an Eve? The sentence of God on this sex of yours lives in this age: the guilt must of necessity live too. You are the Devil's gateway: You are the unsealer of the forbidden tree: You are the first deserter of the divine law: You are she who persuaded him whom the devil was not valiant enough to attack. You destroyed so easily God's image, man. On account of your desert even the Son of God had to die."

St. Augustine was faithful to the legacy of his predecessors, he wrote to a friend:
"What is the difference whether it is in a wife or a mother, it is still Eve the temptress that we must beware of in any woman......I fail to see what use woman can be to man, if one excludes the function of bearing children." (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am bewildered)

Centuries later, St. Thomas Aquinas still considered women as defective:
"As regards the individual nature, woman is defective and misbegotten, for the active force in the male seed tends to the production of a perfect likeness in the masculine sex; while the production of woman comes from a defect in the active force or from some material indisposition, or even from some external influence."

Finally, the renowned reformer Martin Luther could not see any benefit from a woman but bringing into the world as many children as possible regardless of any side effects:
"If they become tired or even die, that does not matter. Let them die in childbirth, that's why they are there"

Again and again all women are denigrated because of the image of Eve the temptress, thanks to the Genesis account.

To sum up, the Judaeo-Christian conception of women has been poisoned by the belief in the sinful nature of Eve and her female offspring.

If we now turn our attention to what the Qur’an has to say about women, we will soon realize that the Islamic conception of women is radically different from the Judaeo-Christian one. Let the Qur’an speak for itself:

"For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast, for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in Allah's praise-- For them all has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward" (33:35).

"The believers, men and women, are protectors, one of another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil, they observe regular prayers, practise regular charity, and obey Allah and His Messenger. On them will Allah pour His Mercy: for Allah is Exalted in power, Wise" (9:71).

"And their Lord answered them: Truly I will never cause to be lost the work of any of you, Be you a male or female, you are members one of another" (3:195).

"Whoever works evil will not be requited but by the like thereof, and whoever works a righteous deed -whether man or woman- and is a believer- such will enter the Garden of bliss" (40:40).

"Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, verily to him/her we will give a new life that is good and pure, and we will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their actions" (16:97).

It is clear that the Qur’anic view of women is no different than that of men. They, both, are God's creatures whose sublime goal on earth is to worship their Lord, do righteous deeds, and avoid evil and they, both, will be assessed accordingly.

The Qur’an never mentions that the woman is the devil's gateway or that she is a deceiver by nature. The Qur’an, also, never mentions that man is God's image; all men and all women are his creatures, that is all. According to the Qur’an, a woman's role on earth is not limited only to childbirth. She is required to do as many good deeds as any other man is required to do.

The Qur’an never says that no upright women have ever existed. To the contrary, the Qur’an has instructed all the believers, women as well as men, to follow the example of those ideal women such as the Virgin Mary and the Pharaoh's wife:

"And Allah sets forth, As an example to those who believe, the wife of Pharaoh: Behold she said: 'O my lord build for me, in nearness to you, a mansion in the Garden, and save me from Pharaoh and his doings and save me from those who do wrong.' And Mary the daughter of Imran who guarded her chastity and We breathed into her body of Our spirit; and she testified to the truth of the words of her Lord and of His revelations and was one of the devout" (66:11-13).

Notes:
[3] Leonard J. Swidler, Women in Judaism: The Status of Women in Formative Judaism (Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1976), p. 115
[4] Thena Kendath, “Memories of an Ortodox Youth”, in Susannah Heschel ed, On Being a Jewish Feminist (New York: Schocken Books, 1983), pp. 96-97.
[5] Leonard J. Swidler, Women in Judaism: The Status of Women in Formative Judaism, op. cit., pp. 80-81.
[6] Rosemay R. Ruether, “Christianity”, in Arvind Sharma ed., Women in World Religions (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1987) p. 209.
[7] For all the saying of the prominent Saints, see Karen Armstrong, The Gospels according to Woman (London, Elm Tree Books, 1986) pp. 52-62. See also Nancy Van Vuuren, The Subversion of Women as Practiced by Churches, Witch-Hunters, and Other Sexists (Philadelphia: Westminster Press) pp. 28-30.

Women In Islam Versus Women In The Judaeo-Christian Tradition

Dear readers;

As a woman specially interested in women's affairs, but at the same time someone who is 100% agianst the misleading feminist movement, and also as somebody who is trying to study three of the major religions of our world I am very much interested in what each of these religions have to say about "My part of the population: Woman".

As you know I have started reading the Quran and I must inform you that to my amazement ( since I always saw Islam depicted as a very backward religion in its stance towards women which in some respects could be deduced from the situation of women in many Arabic countries) I found ONE WHOLE chapter entitled "Woman".
Now to me this was really amazing to find out.

I am very eager to know what the other two religions have to offer in terms of woman and her rights and hope that those of you who are more informed than me in this particular respect shall help me out.

In my search I have come across this article which I have found very interesting to read. I have not read it completely yet but I was so excited about what I read that I thought I'd share it with you as I read. I'll put additional posts as I continue.

I am still waiting you thoughtful, kind ideas and thoughts.

Eli

Have a good week to come.

WAS IT EVE'S FAULT?!

The three religions agree on one basic fact: Both women and men are created by God, The Creator of the whole universe.

However, disagreement starts soon after the creation of the first man, Adam, and the first woman, Eve. The Judaeo-Christian conception of the creation of Adam and Eve is narrated in detail in Genesis (2:4-24).

God prohibited both of them from eating the fruits of the forbidden tree. The serpent seduced Eve to eat from it and Eve, in turn, seduced Adam to eat with her.

When God rebuked Adam for what he did, he put all the blame on Eve,

"The woman you put here with me --she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it."(Genesis, 3: 12).

Consequently, God said to Eve:

"I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband and he will rule over you." (Genesis, 3: 16).

To Adam He said:

"Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree of which I forbideen you to eat, “ Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life..." (Genesis, 3: 17).

The Islamic conception of the first creation is found in several places in the Qur’an, for example:

"O Adam dwell with your wife in the Garden and enjoy as you wish but approach not this tree or you run into harm and transgression. Then Satan whispered to them in order to reveal to them their shame that was hidden from them and he said: 'Your Lord only forbade you this tree lest you become angels or such beings as live forever.' And he swore to them both that he was their sincere adviser. So by deceit he brought them to their fall: when they tasted the tree their shame became manifest to them and they began to sew together the leaves of the Garden over their bodies. And their Lord called unto them: 'Did I not forbid you that tree and tell you that Satan was your avowed enemy?' They said: 'Our Lord we have wronged our own souls and if You forgive us not and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be lost' " (7:19:23).

A careful look into the two accounts of the story of the Creation reveals some essential differences.

The Qur’an, contrary to the Bible, places equal blame on both Adam and Eve for their mistake. Nowhere in the Qur’an can one find even the slightest hint that Eve tempted Adam to eat from the tree or even that she had eaten before him. Eve in the Qur’an is no temptress, no seducer, and no deceiver. Moreover, Eve is not to be blamed for the pains of childbearing. God, according to the Qur’an, punishes no one for another's faults. Both Adam and Eve committed a sin[2]and then asked God for forgiveness and He forgave them both.

Notes:
[2]Shi’ah Muslims do not subscribe to the belief that Adam and Eve committed a ‘sin’. They argue that Adam was a prophet and prophets do not sin. Furthermore Adam eating from the tree was before he was sent to the earth {where the ‘Permissible & Forbidden’ (halal & haram) and ‘Obedience & Disobedience’ are applicable and possible}. For more information see http://www.al-islam.org/shiism/ (Chapter 7).

Prayer of the Repenters

Dear Friends;
Surfing through different sites on the web I came across this prayer in a site which I have put in my sidebar (www.al-islam.org). The prayer is from a very famous person, someone the Shia moslems call the Imam, in this special case Imam Sajjad and his book Sahifa al Sajjadiyah(Munajat).

There are many more prayers each relating to a special case between the Lord and mankind.

I found the wording so intimate and beautiful that I thought it a pity not to share it with everybody else.

It seemed as though I had always wanted to talk to the Lord in this way but had never found quite the right words to say what I wanted to.

I'm sure you'll enjoy it as well

Would love to hear your response and feelings after reading it.

Bless you all

Eli

*Note: Allah is an Islamic word for the Lord or God.


The Whispered Prayer of the Repenters

1- In the Name of ALLAH, the All-merciful, the All-compassionate
2- My God, offenses have clothed me in the garment of my lowliness,
3 -separation from Thee has wrapped me in the clothing of my misery!
4- My dreadful crimes have deadened my heart, so bring it to life by a repentance from Thee!
5- O my hope and my aim!
6- O my wish and my want!
7- By Thy might,َ
8- I find no one but Thee to forgive my sins
9- and I see none but Thee to mend my brokenness!
10- I have subjected myself to Thee in repeated turning,
11- I have humbled myself to Thee in abasement.
12- If Thou castest me out from Thy door, in whom shall I take shelter?
13- If Thou repellest me from Thy side, in whom shall I seek refuge?
14- O my grief at my ignominy and disgrace!
15- O my sorrow at my evil works and what I have committed!
16- I ask Thee,
17- O Forgiver of great sins,
18- O Mender of broken bones,
19- to overlook my ruinous misdeeds
20- and cover my disgraceful secret thoughts!
21- At the witnessing place of the Resurrection, empty me not of the coolness of Thy pardon and forgiveness,
22- and strip me not of Thy beautiful forbearance and covering!
23- My God,
24- let the cloud of Thy mercy cast its shadow upon my sins
25- and send the billow of Thy clemency flowing over my faults!
26- My God,
27- Does the runaway servant go back but to His master?
28- Or does any anyone grant sanctuary to him form His angert but He?
29- My God,
30- if remorse for sins is a repentance,—by Thy might—am one of the remorseful!
31- If praying forgiveness for offenses is an alleviation, I am one of those who pray forgiveness!
32- To Thee I return that Thou may be well pleased!
33- My God, through Thy power over me, turn toward me,
34- through Thy clemency toward me, pardon me,
35- and through Thy knowledge of me, be gentle toward me!
36- My God, Thou art He who hast opened a door to Thy pardon and named it 'repentance', for Thou said,
37- (Repent to ALLAH with unswerving repentance).
38- What is the excuse of him who remains heedless of entering the door after its opening?
39- My God,
40- though the sins of Thy servant are ugly, Thy pardon is beautiful.
41- My God I am not the first
42- to have disobeyed Thee, and Thou turned toward him,
43- or to have sought to attain Thy favour, and Thou wert munificent toward him.
44- O Responder to the distressed!
45- O Remover of injury!
46- O Great in goodness!
47- O Knower of everything secret!
48- O Beautiful through covering over!
49- I seek Thy munificence and Thy generosity to intercede with Thee,
50- I seek Thy side and Thy showing mercy to mediate with Thee,
51- so grant my supplication,
52- disappoint not my hope in Thee,
53- accept my repentance,
54- and hide my offense, through Thy kindness and mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful!

Good to Share

Dear All;

A Godly Kind Blogger (Dana) has been posting and answering some of my Questions concerning Christianity and the Bible and the different denominations or the versions of the Holy Bible. I actually thought it worthwhile and enlightening to post these dialogues on my main page for all of you to read, in case some of you dont read all the comments section. Here they are. Hope you enjoy reading them and add your own helpful comments and ideas.

Eagerly awaiting your contributions and help

Eli




Dana said...

Eli:Wow! You have tackled quite an undertaking here -- and with children at home! I admire your deligent search for the truth, and I am praying God will honor your search. You asked me to provide some insight, so I thought I would answer some of your questions regarding Christianity. I'll try to keep this short! Of course, keep in mind I'm coming from a Christian perspective and I believe firmly in God as the only God, and Jesus Christ as the only means to Him, so that will (rightfully so) influence all I tell you.First, while there are many denominations of Christianity, all agree on some basic tenants. They are: we are all created by God, in His image; we are all sinners, meaning we have traded the truth about God for a lie and lived accordingly; God's justice demands we pay the penalty for our sins - death; God's mercy provided a solution for this payment - He sent His son, to die on a cross, to pay the penalty for our sins; when we believe in God and put our trust in Him, we receive His free gift of mercy and His on-going gift of grace, and we will join Him in heaven for all eternity; the Bible is the Word of God, communicated by God through men, to provide us with both an understanding of who God is and an understanding of the standard He holds us to; it is only by the Holy Spirit that we are empowered to live the life required of us in the Bible. Even in these few statements, there are areas of disagreement - but I would say most people who call themselves a Christian would agree with these statements. Denominations, then, are really a reflection of God's creativity! Just as we each are individuals, each denomination is kind of like a corporate individual. So don't get stuck on which denomination is "right" - that's not as critical of a question as the real questions you're asking - which God is right?The next question you had was regarding the Bible. As you noted, there are many different translations available. The difference between translations, at the most basic level, lies in the translation approach taken, whether the translators were trying to render a literal translation or a "thought-for-thought" translation. My recommendation - pick the one that makes the most sense to you (unless you want to learn Greek and Hebrews and read it in the original language!). All of them contain the same information, it's just presented differently.Finally, I want to recommend one site that I think does an incredible job of offering reviews and insights on studying the Bible - it's called Best Bible (http://www.best-bible.org/). Truth-in-advertising statement here - a friend put it together! But I would recommend it even if the moderator weren't a friend.I'll stop for now, to save you space! But please let me know if there are any other questions I can answer. I'll keep an eye on your blog and chime in when I have something worth sharing.
August 11, 2008 11:32 AM



eli said...

Dana;I really appreciate your helpful response. thanx also for the site, I'll visit it in my first free time from housework...... :-). You gave a good summary of who a Christian is, I hope you'll continue visiting my blog and add more crucial information about all aspects of Christianity.While I'm thankful to your enlightening response I must admit that there are some points I find difficult to agree on. One such point is what you said about the different denominations and their being a symbol of God's creativity.You said that you believe in Only One God(As far as I have found out this is exactly what the Jews and Moslems also believe in). Don't you think that it can only be reasonable that this One and Only God should present the ones whom he has equally created with only one way that leads to salvation? If you really think about it you'll realize that being unified in outlook is in fact a very important advantage that I dont think someone as wise and all-knowing as God would sacrifice in order to show his creativity. I agree that we are all individuals and may have our individual needs when it comes to fulfilling our religious needs, but i would think that to a great power such as God we would all be the same. I would think that it were perhaps the degree of each person's piety and his/her dedication to God which would make one individual different from another, not choosing a particular denomination. I'm sure you also agree that there are instances when denomination differences lead to trouble and havoc just as we have seen in all major religions and the conflicts among their different denominations in world history.I therefore think that a limitless all powerfull, like God would move all his people towards ONE Unified Truth and NOT various half-truths which would I think in the end not be able to grasp the REAL TRUTH.Wow I thought I'd be brief and look what has happend!!I once again thank you for your comment and greatly hope that you'll continue your thoughtful dialogue here with me and hopefully other visitors.Have a nice time with your family and your two lovely children.Eli
August 11, 2008 12:16 PM



Dana said...

Eli:I'll keep this brief because now is the time I usually spend in the Bible . . . but I wanted to write back that you are absolutely, 100% correct. It would make no sense for an absolutely perfect God to have several different ways to reach Him. As the Bible says (in John 14:6) "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (this is Jesus Christ, the son of God, speaking). I think your confusion lies in what denominations are. In the Christian religion, denominations aren't different "sects" that have different opinions on how to reach God - they differ on uncritical aspects, such as worship style (whether the music should be acapella, with organs, or with guitars and drums), whether a person should be "dunked" or "sprinkled" when baptized . . . I wouldn't worry about the differences in denomination at this point in your search. There are more critical differences regarding theology between the different denominations, but they won't make much sense until you understand who God is and why He is, as I believe, the only true God. One thing that denominations should not disagree on is who God is (which is one reason why I would disagree with the thought that Mormons are a "denomination" of Christianity - they believe, among other differences, that there is another book in addition to the Bible and this thought doesn't line up with what the Bible says about itself). Really, the easiest way to tell what all Christians should agree on is to read the Bible, in its entirety, with prayer. There are certainly different interpretations on what it all means, but I believe that if you read the Bible prayerfully and honestly God will reveal Himself to you. The Bible can only be understood with prayer, and in context (removing verses to make points can get very dangerous). I hope that clarifies the denomination question. Summary answer -- don't get bogged down in what the differences are between denominations. They are a man-made creation. Look at what the Bible, the word of God, says about who God is. That's where your answers lie, not in the documents put out by man-made institutions.
August 13, 2008 4:15 AM



eli said...

Dana;You are absolutely right. I think I need to clarify a few points here as to avoid furthur misconceptions :-)It has never been my intention to discover which denomination is the absolute truth.In All religions there are unfortunately many many denominations which only makes it more difficult for the seeker. I agree that talking about denomination differences is only a WASTE of time and shall result in no good.I just have a short question:If I want to study Christianity is it OK for me to start by reading the first Bible that comes my way? Is it ok for example to search the internet and start reading any Bible (you know that there are many different versions)that I find online? Wouldn't I later on for example encounter differences in outlook which would force me to study other versions as well?Up to now I have realized that the Bible is a lot easier than the Talmude in reading. That is because even in one version of the Talmude there are numerous versions of verdicts by different Rabbis on the same subject which I find very confusing and as I have found out even the most religious Jews cannot agree on many of them.So Dana,( I don't know which denomination you belong to) would you recommend me to read the Bible, just any version I may like or do you think that one should be careful in choosing? If the latter, how should one find out which version is more near to truth and authentic? I didn't have this problem with the Quran, because as I have mentioned before there is only and only ONE version and I find it a blessing (the Quran itself considers this fact a miracle of the Lord shown to mankind in terms of showing the authenticity of the book)I would be eagerly waiting your helpful answers.thanx againEli
August 14, 2008 12:01 AM



Dana said...

Eli:Something further to add to our discussion on denominations -- I asked a friend in seminary how he would explain the difference between denominations, and here's what he had to say. Hope it helps, and hope your quest continues to go well! Oh, and here's his blog (http://www.goingtoseminary.com/), if you're interested."Denominations occur mostly out of human preference. As humans, we tend to decide the things we want to emphasize and we gather like minded people around us. So, Presbyterians like to talk about God's sovereignty and think that it is important, so people who also think that tend to be drawn to that denomination. Baptists think that evangelism is really important, so people who think that tend to be drawn to that denomination. Charismatics think spiritual gifts are really important, so people who think that tend to be drawn to those denominations.Now, the catch is that though these denominations tend to have areas of emphasis, they all agree on the main thing, that Jesus is the most important.An analogy, though probably a weak one (as most analogies are) is Restaurants. All restaurants are about food. However, some restaurants tend to emphasize different aspects of food. Some emphasize it ability to be prepared quickly, some emphasize its ability to be presented in a beautiful manner, and some emphasize how amazing it can taste. While all these restaurants focus on a true aspect of food, they all agree that restaurants are about food. Also, in most restaurants you'll find mostly the same thing: meat, seasonings, starch, veggies, a kitchen, pots, pans... They may be set up slightly different, they might uses things in a slightly different manner... but at the end of the day, it is a restaurant and it serves food.In the same way, denominations are about Jesus. In all of them you will find the gospel of faith in christ, you will find communion and baptism, you will find the 66 books of the bible, you will find worship and prayer of the triune God, you will find a virgin birth, you will find death on a cross. Now, these might be arranged a little differently or presented a little differently, but it is all there."Hope that helps!Dana
August 20, 2008 12:02 PM



eli said...

Dana;I really appreciate your designating some part of your time to answer my questions. May the Almighty Lord give you your due reward and blessing.Thanx for the explanation on denominations, but you still didn't answer my question concerning different versions of the Bible and whether its fine to read ANY version I come across. Its really important for me to know the differences about the different versions and the extent of difference. Also some info concerning the reasons for lack of unity among the available Bibles would be of great help. You see I just cant come to terms with the fact that if God is ONE unique entity being worshipped by for eg all Christians, why should He NOT send ONE unique book for the worshippers? I understand your explanations concerning the differenr denominations but really can't come to terms with the DIFFERENT versions of the Bible, it just doesn't make sense.Of course as I have mentioned before, this problem is non-existant regarding the Quran which has made my job or anyone else's quite easy and the Quran itself considers this ( its uniqueness amongst All Moslems regardless of any denomination) something miraculous and a reflection of the Qurans lack of manipulation by mankind and a true revelation without change sent from God.Of course if you take a quick look at my blog you'll see that up to now I have found verses from the Quran which shows that the Moslems through the Quran are faithful to the holy religions before Islam, namely Judaism , Christianity and they also believe in all the prophets that the Jews and Christians believe in. Islam just claims that it has come as a COMPLETING agent and the Final revelation from the Lord in order to finish off and complete whatever was revealed before it and also to remove any manipulations which have entered the Holy Books of the previous pious People of the Holy Books.I am therefore asking you and ANY other good Christian to help me find out the version of the Bible upon which MOST denominations agree upon and also to have reasons to support this choice, ones that would satisfy any one who might ask me why I have chosen that particular version for example.Also information regarding the differences amongst the available Bibles and the REASONS for these differences would be much helpful and appreciated.I'm sorry for all the troubles I'm making, but you probably understand how important it would be to me or anybody else who has started this major research for the Truth.May the Almighty help us all in our journey for TRUTH.Thank you againEli
August 23, 2008 7:09 AM