Making Sense of Islam

MAKING  SENSE  OUT  OF

I S L A M

MOHAMMED & THE QUR’AN

b y

 D a l e   B r o w n

Copyright © 2003 by Dale G. Brown

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, restored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written consent from the author.

INTRODUCTION

Amidst all the media spin and political rhetoric, without some understanding of Biblical and Islamic history, it is impossible to have even a vague understanding of what is going on in the Middle East. The history of one of the Bible’s most important characters has brought a conflict into the world that has been with us since nearly two thousand years before Christ.  When Abraham (or Ibrahim as Muslims call him), encouraged by his wife Sarah, made a serious mistake in judgment, a family feud began.  God told Abraham he was going to have a son late in his life, who would be a blessing to the whole world.  When things did not happen right away, he and Sarah began to have doubts and thought they would help God out.  Since they were both past the age of child bearing, Sarah offered Abraham her maid, Hagar, through whom she figured could carry the child for them.  The child born was named Ishmael.  As one might expect, when their natural born child came along in a short while, this introduced much jealousy and strife into Abraham’s life.  Hagar and her child were eventually pressured out of the house and God began the process of redeeming the mess that this act caused, and even made great prophetic promises to the offspring of Hagar.  “And he will be a donkey of a man, his hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand will be against him; and he will live to the east of all his brothers” (Gen. 16:12).  Thereby came the Arabs.  Scripture records further prophetic predictions of their future.  God said to Abraham regarding Ishmael’s offspring, “I will bless him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly.  He shall become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation”(Gen. 17:20).  The natural son of promise finally came through Sarah.  His name was Isaac.   Who the true son of promise was is the center of a well worn debate between Israeli Jews, Christians and Arabs to this day.  The Tenach, or Old Testament scriptures, as well as the New Testament often portrays the descendants of Ishmael in a negative light, therefore it is often difficult using that common Judeo-Christian standard as a point of reference.  For example, the Bible shows Joseph being sold by his brothers to a caravan of Ishmaelites who were on their way to Egypt.  King Solomon apparently was able to gain some respect and get along with some of the descendants of Southern Arabia for a time.  It is recorded  that he received a visit from the Queen of Sheba who came to hear of his wisdom and in fact brought him many gifts.  Politicians and theologians have struggled with the details yet as time passes the conflict becomes more and more complicated leaving a situation so difficult and explosive that truly only God can sort out the details.

MOHAMMED

In the sixth century the birth of the religion of Islam through the prophet Mohammed, himself of Arab descent, fanned the flame of controversy.  Mohammed was born (567) in the town of Mecca during a time when the religious folk of the area rallied around a group of stones set up in a shrine at the center of town.  These several hundred stones represented the various gods and goddesses of the surrounding tribes.   The New Encyclopedia of Islam by Cyril Glassé, a Muslim, writes that one of the most important idols in Mecca prior to Mohammed was one representing the moon god Hubal.  It is said Mohammed made a doorstep of Hubal.   Other historians claim the chief deity was known as Allah[1] other idols represented his daughters.  One thing for sure, the word Allah was commonly used prior to Mohammed’s arrival, his father’s name was ‘Abd Allah, literally servant of Allah.   This shrine has come to be known as the Ka’ba (“cube” in Arabic).  Being on the trade route for caravans between India and the countries surrounding the Mediterranean it was a popular place for religious pilgrimage and as with most religious centers it produces some degree of income for the local economy.  It provided for a certain amount of cultural diversity as well.
        Mohammed, a camel driver from a ruling Quraish clan, was influenced by a number of different religious views of his day and much of this is reflected in the writings of a book, the Qur’an (often spelled Koran), that he claimed was revealed to him, in a trance, by God, through the angel Gabriel who commanded, “Read: In the name of thy Lord who createth, createth man from a clot.”[2]  Tradition has it that a Christian monk called Bahira in southern Syria claimed to have first noticed some sign of prophetic call in Mohammed during his early days of caravan trade.  During this time he was working for a wealthy widow, Khadija, who later became his wife.  It was Khadija who had “tried the spirit” that gave Mohammed the revelation and gave him the stamp of approval regarding its divine origin.  Others suggested he had eaten the forbidden fruit.  In Medina, or what was then called Yathrib, some 280 miles to the north of Mecca, he was exposed to local Jewish merchants and likely picked up some knowledge of their religious customs.
           The Al Qur’an, or  “The Reading,” was given to a man who they say could not read and many claimed at first to be a bit mad.   Much like the Mormon religion that sprang out of the revelations of the American prophet Joseph Smith, in 1830, Mohammed’s revelation was not well received by the traditional religions of his day.  His first converts were his wife, Khadijah, and a few close friends.  It appears some of his ideas sprang from a monotheistic religion of his day called Hanif, which was neither Jewish nor Christian.  His idea of doing away with the idol worship of many deities was revised to a monotheistic faith similar to Judaism, yet his ideas of both Jewish and Christian Scriptures are clearly seen from unschooled biases.
           Like Joseph Smith he claimed to restore his version of the “true” religion.  Mohammed’s version being Islam (those who submit), came about amidst a sea of debates that were present during his time.  One lingered from a controversy between church authorities in Rome and Nestorius of Antioch nearly two hundred years earlier.  The issue that was being grappled with was how to define the nature of the incarnate Christ.  Nestorius proposed that there were two separate Persons, one Divine and one Human.  Using unguarded language he was declared, some suggest unwarranted, a heretic, and was banished to Upper Egypt where he died.  The Nestorian movement was carried far and wide into Syria and Arabia.
           Another question that was prevalent was, what to call Mary, Jesus’ mother.  If Jesus was God incarnate, was it logical to call Mary the mother of God?  The concern of course was that Mary might be elevated to Deity herself.  As history proves, this was a legitimate concern.  The Roman tradition placed Mary as the “Queen of Heaven” and some began to look to her in prayer rather than to Christ the redeemer.
          The church in remote areas has often been plagued with lack of good leadership and good teaching materials.  As a result things have not always been healthy.  Sometimes the church has become mixed with pagan traditions and the Ethiopian (Abyssian) Church had even endorsed polygamy which is also a common teaching of Islam.
           The relationship between Christianity and Mohammed’s tribe had a tense history even before Mohammed was born.  In Yemen there was a strong and flourishing church which had a large chapel in Sana the capital city.  It was built by the governor Abraha, a zealous Christian leader.   In A.D. 567, the Arab pagans from Mecca in the north defiled a magnificent new chapel the night before it was to be dedicated.  This lead to what became a historical event in religious history.  Abraha, riding on a white elephant, lead his troops toward Mecca to teach the unruly pagans some discipline.  His journey turned into a nightmare when his army was ravaged by an epidemic which forced them to turn back.  This event was seen as a sign of divine favor to the Meccans and the year has come to be known as the year of the elephant.  It is claimed to be the year that Mohammed was born.
           Within the Qur’an are numerous references to historical events significant to the society and economic environment from which Mohammed’s religion sprang forth.  At one point a delegation of Christians came to Medina to reason with Mohammed.  The theological discussion inspired a few verses in the third Surah of the Qur’an which refutes the Christian concept of the divine nature of Jesus.  The collapse of the earthen irrigation dam of Ma’rib in South Arabia around 580 A.D. had a profound effect on the former greatness of the whole region.  The Qur’an looks at its destruction as divine judgment.[3]  Some link  the region to the Biblical Queen of Sheba. 
           At first the Muslim tradition held more Jewish-like traditions and faced Jerusalem during prayer.  Before long however as a result of disputes with Jews the tradition changed to Mecca (624 A.D.) where the traditional site of the pagan idols had been.  This gave the Jews even more reason to reject his revelation and accuse him of returning to idolatry.  The Islamic story goes that Abraham and his son Ishmael had built the first altar there in times long past.  The Bible however tells another story that centers on a mountain back in Jerusalem where the favored son is reported to have been Isaac.
           Mohammed must have had some understanding of this hill far away.  After his first wife died  he had an experience, whether real or a dream it is debated, but he claimed to have gone on a Nocturnal Journey to Jerusalem[4] (though the word Jerusalem does not actually appear in the Quran) on a celestial beast called Buraq.  There, it is claimed he ascended to the seventh heaven and met Abraham, Moses and Jesus on the site where now stands the famous mosque, the Dome of the Rock (As-Sakhra).  This is no small matter seeing as how it is also on the foundation of what was once Solomon’s temple, the “Holiest of Holies” for the Jews.  After a heavenly experience with the angel Gabriel Mohammed was back in Mecca early the next morning.  Jerusalem was destined to become the third most holy site for his later followers. Though Jerusalem does not appear anywhere in the Qur’an this legend stands. In some English versions of the Qur’an the word “Jerusalem” is interjected into the text in brackets in Surah 17:1 a clear effort to deceive the naïve English readers.  Tradition has it that the rock wanted to follow Mohammed to heaven but was restrained by the angel Gabriel whose fingers left imprints on the western side of the stone.[5]  Muslims can often be seen praying in  Jerusalem with their backs to this mosque (completed in A.D. 715) while facing south toward Mecca.
          This flying camel story has been embellished so that it appears at other religious tourist spots as well.  A beautifully illustrated book of colored lithographs by the British artist David Roberts illustrates his travels from Egypt to Syria in 1838.  He records a stop at the summit of Mount Sinai where there was both a chapel and a mosque in disrepair.  He examined a legend in the mosque where there is claimed a paw print from Mohammed’s Buraq made during the prophet’s famed night journey.  Why Mohammed would go out of his way to stop at this remote site defies logic.
          When it became obvious that many people did not buy Mohammed’s “new revelation” conflict was soon to follow.  The Qu’ran spells out the reaction of those who Mohammed claimed worshipped jinn (devils) very clearly, “When Our clear revelations are recited to them, they say: ‘This is but a man who would turn you away from the gods your fathers worshipped.’  And they say: ‘This is nothing but an invented falsehood.’  While those who denied the truth when it was first made known to them declare: ‘This is but plain sorcery.’”[6]  The Quraish clan that controlled Mecca and Mohammed’s followers did not get along well so the Mohammedans made a retreat to Medina in 622.
           The Jewish Old Testament gives instructions as to how false prophets were to be treated.  They were to be killed.  We all know the story of the persecution that Jesus and his early followers went through.  It is somewhat remarkable that Mohammed survived.  Apparently the Jews in Mohammed’s part of the country were not holding very close to the letter of the law.  Whatever the case, instead of letting God sort out the details he became embittered and began to take things into his own hands.  He had a knack for persuasive leadership and therefore mustered up a small militia to discipline the infidels.  His followers soon found that raiding rich caravans was profitable not only for material riches but also for demoralizing his enemies.  The Qur’an records these early days boldly without shame.  “They ask you (O Muhammad) about the spoils of war.  Say: ‘The spoils are for Allah and the Messenger.’  The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts. . .” And Allah gets all the credit, “You killed them not, but Allah killed them.”  “It is not for a Prophet that he should have prisoners of war until he had made a great slaughter in the land.  So enjoy what you have gotten of booty in war. . .”[7]  What a convenient way to shirk ones responsibility for the murder and plunder of another man’s goods.  Of course, Allah did it.  In the west some might say, “The devil made me do it.”  Some would suggest they are one in the same.
          In 626 Mohammed lead 3000 troops against the Banu-Kuraiza Jews demanding their submission to Islam or death.  They chose death and 600 men were buried in the market place at Medina.  The Qur’an claims that Allah caused the Muslims to “inherit their lands, their houses and their riches.”[8]  The women were sold into slavery.  In 628 he plundered the Khaibar Jews north of Medina and took Safiya, a seventeen year old Jew, for one of his wives.  Islam was forced upon all the Jews of Khaibar until the expulsion of all Jews from Arabia under the Caliphate of Omar.  Such events helped to revive age old tension between the Arabs and the Jews.  The Qur’an portrays Jews as “the greediest of mankind for life” and “monkeys (apes), despised and rejected.”[9]  These verses have often been cited to inflame hatred among Muslim youth against Jews.
          Before long Mohammed had gathered quite a number of followers who were intoxicated on their new found power and religion.  Mohammed signed the Treaty of Hudaybiya[10] in 628 with the Quraish clan back in Mecca while all along building his alliances with their enemies.  The treaty was to prevent any wars between the feuding tribes.  However when a squabble occurred causing several deaths of a neighboring Bani Khuza’a tribe Mohammed decided this would be a good time to challenge the ruling powers of Mecca.
          In the year 630 Mohammed led an overwhelming army of 10,000 men against Mecca where they took over the sanctuary of Allah and tore down all the images of foreign gods that had been introduced during the “Age of Ignorance” leaving only the Black Stone.  The prophet sanctioned a tradition of kissing it which is still practiced to this day.  Though Biblical characters at times set up stone altars or monuments for a memorial to historical events nothing compares to the Muslim adoration of the Ka’ba.  Muslim tradition has it that it was first built by Adam.  Later it was rebuilt by Abraham and his son Ishmael, who supposedly started the pilgrimage tradition.  “Lo! the first Santuary appointed for mankind was that at Becca (Mecca), a blessed place, a guidance to the peoples; wherein are plain memorials (of Allah’s guidance); the place where Abraham stood up to pray; and whosoever entereth it is safe.  And pilgrimage to the House is a duty unto Allah for mankind, for him who can find a way thither.”[11]  Mecca became the Holy City where Muslims have their annual gathering (hajj) and circle the Ka’ba seven times.  No unbeliever is authorized hereafter to set foot on this sacred bit of earth.  The Ka’ba has been rebuilt a number of times.  Shortly before Mohammed migrated from Medina, teakwood from a wrecked Byzantine ship at a nearby port was used to build a more elaborate Ka’ba.  Today it is draped with a black cloth embroidered with calligraphy in gold thread, which is cut up and distributed to those who make the annual pilgrimage.
           Two years after Mohammed had taken control of Mecca, while planning a major expedition against the Byzantines in Syria he fell ill and died.  He was buried under the floor of his wife Aisha’s house in Medina.  It may strike some as odd that Mohammed, who claimed such close ties with Abraham, would be buried in Medina rather than Hebron, where Abraham and Sarah are buried in the land of Israel.
           By this time his army had reached far and wide and tradition has it that he had sent letters to many foreign leaders such as Byzantium, Persia and Abyssinia asking them to adopt his religion.
           Leaving no heir to his kingdom, his death sent his followers into a tailspin.  Considering the power struggles that followed one might be amazed that the religion survived.  Though the Qur’an warns that there is to be no divisions among Muslims[12] Islam became divided into two major groups, the Sunna, considered the orthodox traditional version, and the Shi’a who elected a caliph (successor) from those related to the prophet through marriage.  A series of squabbles followed for the next ten years or so between followers of Mohammed’s wife Aisha and several caliphates (leaders), one being her father, Abu Bakr, who only lived for a couple of years after Mohammed’s death.  In 661 a rebellion arose through the leadership of Kharijite (Seceder), Mu’awiya, who killed his opposition, Ali, the husband of Mohammed’s daughter, Fatima.  Mu’awiya became the first Umayyad caliph in Jerusalem, and Damascus, in Syria for a time became the new capital of Islam.  Rivalry continued between Umayyad and the Abbasid family, descendants of the Prophet’s uncle Abbas.
          At one point siege was laid against Mecca (683) where the Ka’ba was smashed with stones from catapults and burned.  The sacred black stone was cracked into three pieces by the heat.  The stone was later stolen by Qarmatian raiders (930) who kept it at either al-Hasa or Bahrayn until it was returned in 951 broken into seven pieces.
         The Abbasids eventually executed most of the Umayyad clan who held the Arab superiority doctrine and moved the capitol of the Muslim empire from Damascus to Baghdad in Iraq where it remained for five centuries.  From there Islam began to grow not merely as an Arab tribal religion but intellectually as a world power.  The Abbasids held little conviction regarding marrying non-Arabs for many Abbasids were quite literally sons of non-Arab slaves.  Crossing these ethnic lines became quite beneficial for the spread of Islam.  It became a more inclusive religion.

SHI’ITES

          The loyal followers of Ali known as the Shi’at Ali, or “party of Ali” have continued to fight for what they consider to be divine rights in the rule of the Islamic world.  The Shi’ites can be seen lacerating themselves during the annual commemoration of the martyrdom of past leaders.
          The Shi’ite faction which became the state religion of Iran brought about new ideas regarding divine eligibility to the caliphate which is linked to the royal blood line of the prophet.[1]  Out of this conviction sprang an elite group of “Ismailites” who held a secret order similar to western Masonic mysticism in which members were led to believe they would hold the keys of the Talim or Secret Doctrine (that God is All) elevating them above every creed and law.  This required a somewhat more allegorical interpretation of the Qur’an.  It also required of course total obedience to the Dai-d-Duat, or Grand Master of the order.  Often times esoteric views have been put forth related to numerology and transmigration of the soul from the dead to certain living leaders or Imams.  Some of these ideas are most difficult for the western mind to grasp.  Their numerology ideas are possibly linked to ancient Jewish mysticism called the kabballa, or even numerical patterns in the Bible.  A group of twelve Imams, the “Twelvers,” in Iran claimed to direct the world’s future and around them developed a tradition of followers making pilgrimages to their tombs.  A considerable business is maintained around the burial of corpses of the faithful around the cities where these tombs are found.  They are carted here from considerable distances.  Imam Husain, the grandson of the prophet being an important focus of honor.  Husain is one of those martyrs for whom the faithful flail themselves with an assortment of blades during the Ashura, or traditional day of mourning at the memorial in Karbala, Iraq.  It is a frenzied form of mourning that few in the west can wrap their minds around.  Boys as young as five or six years old take part to show their bravery and devotion.  A student of the Bible might have Old Testament scenes of the conflict with Elijah and the prophets of Baal come to mind.  The prophets of Baal used similar methods for getting the attention of their god.[2]  The mystical idea of the reappearance of a Hidden Imam as the Mahdi (Guided One), who will bring peace and justice has been promoted through various leaders who have preached Islamic reform.  This became the foundation of the Fatimid dynasty.
         One present day sect, the Druze, believes that God was incarnated in al-Hakim, the sixth Fatimid caliph in Cairo (1016).  The Druze religion is a somewhat underground belief system found in Lebanon and southern Syria.
        Abu al-Abbas, great-great-grandson of one of Mohammed’s uncles, proclaimed himself caliph in 749.  Embittered to see the liberal Umayyad, tribal enemies of the prophet carrying the caliph torch for Islam, he took on an addition to his name, al Saffah, the Bloodthirsty.  He announced a great feast for eighty Umayyad leaders during which his soldiers fell upon the unsuspecting dinner guests with their swords.  The Umayyads ruling from Damascus put down many of the old school Muslims for the sake of world domination even the direction of the qibla walls in new Mosques changed during this time.  According to research by Dan Gibson this can be seen in the ruins of that period.  Qiblas that once face Petra began a shift toward modern Mecca in the south.
          Another rival caliphate, an Umayyad descendant who fled a Abbasid massacre brought about the Umayyad dynasty and caliphate of Spain with its capital in Cordoba until 1031.  Muslim Spain had rejected al-Saffah’s authority.  In the 10th century the Fatimid caliphates ruled much of north Africa and posed a serious threat to the Abbasids in Baghdad.  So went the ebb and flow of Arab politics and Muslim rule.  Had it not been for infighting among Muslim kingdoms, some say, Islam would have swept Christian Europe off the map.  Often the main cohesive glue that has held Islam together has been its view of their common enemy, or mission field; that is non-Muslims.  A common enemy has been at times a uniting force among religions of the western world as well.  In peace times they might argue over theological and historical differences, but in the fox hole they find themselves praying and dying together.
           In 1258 Baghdad had a major setback when it was disciplined by invading Mongols from the east.  The city was sacked and the caliphate came to an end.  This horde of invaders were stopped from spreading further west by Syrian troops.  Strangely enough, after a time these invaders embraced Islam.  Baghdad was hit again in 1393 by Tamerlane, another descendant of Chinggis Khan.  He posed a serious problem for the Muslim world until his death in 1405.
          After World War I the Ottoman title of caliph was abolished by Turkish nationalists causing much consternation and frustration in the world of Islam. There have been efforts in Egypt to reestablish the caliphate with little success.

AHMADIYYA

            The Ahmadiyya sect is a group which adheres to the messianic idea with a present day caliphate, Mirsa Masroor Ahmad (born September 15, 1950), whose official title is Khalifatul Masih V, the fifth successor of Mirza Ghulam Ahmas who founded the movement in India in 1889.  They are not accepted by the mainstream because of Mirza’s claims of messianic fulfillment.  Their headquarters is the Fazal Mosque in London, and in 2008 completed the largest mosque in Canada.  This Baitunnur (House of Light) mosque was built in Calgary, Alberta to the tune of $15 million.

SUFI MYSTICS

          The more mystical and unorthodox varieties of Islam have many roots, and at times a mix of traditional ethnic folk religion.  Blended with Hindu like revelation, seeking union with God, pantheism is common among the Sufis.  Sufis comes from the word wool (suf) of the simple robe that they have become known to wear, especially in their swirling dances that westerners find so entertaining.  The standard rituals of Mecca are often considered too rigid and politics require too much focus.

SUNNA ORTHODOX PILLARS

            The five standard pillars of orthodox Islam have become: praise of Allah as the only God, with Mohammed as prophet, Shahada; prayer five times a day, Salah; almsgiving, Zakat; fasting, Sawm; and annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Hajj.

            The Hajj to the Ka’ba at the Grand Mosque of Mecca is most fascinating.  It consists of a series of events which take several days.  Special garments must be worn, which can be purchased locally, and one goes through a consecration process before entering the forbidden, or Haram area.  Things have changed considerably since the days of the camel caravan.  With the advent of modern air transportation it is claimed that over two million people now come for this ritual.  The open air space inside the walls does not allow for everyone to take part in the circumambulation of the Ka’ba seven times at the same time without some overflow of humanity outside of the main courtyard.  For everyone to perform this ritual, which includes drinking from the sacred well ZAMZAM it has become a major logistical feat.  In 1990 1,426 pilgrims were killed in a stampede in a tunnel leading to the holy sites.  It takes a considerable cottage industry to manufacture the ritual garments which consists of two seamless pieces of cloth.

            The final episode of the Hajj consists of throwing pebbles at a number of symbolic pillars representing temptation by Satan.  It has been near this site where 180 people were trampled to dead in a 1998 stampede of humanity, and 345 in January 2006.  Throwing stones at Satan is risky business.  Yet, the authorities right off any responsibility by claiming their fate was merely Allah’s will.  Slaughter of a sacrificial camel, an ox, or a ram happens toward the end of the ritual journey and the hair of the pilgrim is clipped or shaved.  The cutting of the sacrifice’s throat commemorates the Bible story of Abraham and his son Isaac; or I should say Ishmael?  Both the practice of circling the Ka’ba and the animal sacrifice predate Mohammed’s tradition and were part of the local pagan practices before him.  The annual animal sacrifice hints of earlier Jewish temple tradition before the advent of Christ, as does the washing of hands, face and feet before prayer.  The only thing remotely similar in religious tradition in the west might be the Mormon Temple ritual which is reserved for an elite group of believers who wear special garments designed by the church.  There is no animal sacrifice however.

            Muslims normally gather on Fridays at the local mosque where they are called to prayer.  In a Muslim country the call is from a minaret towering over the city.  This Adhan is “God is most great (x4), I testify there is no god but Allah (x2), I testify that Muhammad is the apostle of Allah (x2), Come to prayer (x2), Come to salvation (x2), God is most great (x1), There is no god but Allah (x1).”  The word minaret comes from the Arabic word manarah, “a lighthouse.”  In other countries the call is from inside the mosque often on a sound system.  On top of the mosque either on a tower or dome there is usually a crescent and occasionally three gold balls representing differing metaphysical degrees of reality are below the crescent.  Within the mosque one finds no artwork of historical saints, nor any choir, and everyone removes their shoes before entering.  There is no pews or chairs for everyone sits on the floor.  Everyone faces a niche (mihrab) in the wall indicating the direction (qibla) of Mecca.  In this niche, is where the leader (Imam) reads from the Qur’an and leads in prayer.  In larger mosques there is an elevated platform (minbar) equivalent to a pulpit.  The women are usually separate from the men behind a curtain, in the balcony, or in another room out of sight.

            Critics and those void of much knowledge of the religion have often referred to Muslims as Mohammedans; however, Muslims usually are insulted by this title for it implies that they are followers of Mohammed rather than Allah.

            An off-shoot of the Shi’ite “Twelvers” tradition is the modern peace promoting Bahai Faith which has a large shrine in Haifa, Israel.  It was started by Baha’u’llah in Iran in the 1860s where it is persecuted as a heretical version of Islam.

            Not understanding much about Islam nor the Bahai Faith we once entered a large mosque in Washington D.C., as curious tourists under the guise of looking for a place to pray.  A polite but puzzled young man took us inside after discovering that though we were not Muslims we believed in God.  Being proud of his religion and the mosque, he provided Peggy with a cloth to cover herself, had us remove our shoes, and led us to the center of the large dome covered room and pointed to a place on the large Persian carpet where we could pray.  We knelt and began to pray in tongues.  We soon discovered that this was unacceptable so our guide got on his knees and demonstrated the proper method for us.  He was somewhat shaken when we told him that we were Christians and did not want to copy his instructions.  As we walked together back to the lobby for our shoes, several other men arrived and began to lecture our guide in rather heated Arabic, we assumed about taking us in for prayer.  When they found out that we were Christians they quickly exclaimed that they too believed in Jesus the prophet.  I asked them if they believed also in the prophet Joseph Smith.  They gave us a confused look and said they knew nothing about him.  I then asked if they believed in Baha’u’llah.  They responded in an angry tone that he was the Devil’s prophet.  I told them that both Mohammed and Baha’u’llah were dead but Jesus had risen from the dead therefore we would continue to follow Him and his teaching rather than a dead man’s religion.  Two of them quickly exited leaving us with the first man who tried in vain to sell us a Qur’an.

Though most Muslims would agree that Jesus (Isa) “peace be upon him”[1] was a prophet sent from God (Allah), it is sad that many of them have not been able to benefit from His teaching and what He has done for them.  Few have read a Bible and are not encouraged to do so.  I have often had Muslims quote things to me about Jesus that are found nowhere in the Bible nor the Qur’an.  Where they get some of their information is beyond me.

            What is unknown to many is that the Qur’an speaks favorably of the Bible and its Jewish heritage in many places.  In support of the Old Testament the Qur’an states the following.

            Indeed, We gave the Children of the Book, the Judgment, and Prophethood, and We provided them with good things and We preferred them above all beings.

            We gave them clear signs of the Command: (Surah 45:15, 16a/16,17a).  Surely We sent down the Torah (the five books of Moses or the Old Testament), wherein is guidance and light; thereby the Prophets who had surrendered themselves gave judgment for those of Jewry, as did the masters and the rabbis, following such portion of God’s Book as they were given to keep and were witnesses to.  So fear not men, but fear you Me; and sell not My signs for a little price.  Whoso judges not according to what God has sent down - they are the unbelievers (Surah 5:47).

QUR’AN CONFIRMS

NEW TESTAMENT?

     And We sent, following in their footsteps, Jesus son of Mary, confirming the Torah before him; and We gave to him the Gospel (the New Testament), wherein is guidance and light, and confirming the Torah before it, as a guidance and an admonition unto the godfearing.

          Let the People of the Gospel judge according to what God has sent down therein.  Whosoever judges not according to what God has sent down - they are the ungodly (Surah 5:46-51)

In Surah 10: 94 we read where Allah is advising Mohammed about his revelation, “So if you (O Muhammad) are in doubt concerning that which We have revealed unto you, [i.e that your name is written in the Taurat (Torah) and the Injil (Gospel)], then ask those who are reading the Book [the Taurat (Torah) and the Injil (Gospel)] before you.  Verily, the truth has come to you from your Lord.  So be not of those who doubt (it).  This suggests that Mohammed and his followers should look to the Jewish and Christian Scriptures as a reliable source of revelation. In these verses or surahs might appear on the surface that Muslims are on the same page as far as their historical beliefs about the Patriarchs, the law of Moses and the History of Israel, when in fact nothing could be further from the truth.  As Bruce Feiler pointed out in his book Walking the Bible in which he traveled the steps of the Old Testament visiting many of the archeological sites of the Middle East, most Muslims who base their understanding of history on the Qur’an do not have a clue as to why Jews are so interested and drawn to Israel.  The Qur’an avoids the whole reason Moses lead the Jews out of Egypt.  They know nothing of the Jews hope for a Promised Land.  The Qur’an spins Mecca and Medina, not Israel, as the Holy Land and does not even mention the fact that Moses never crossed into the land of promise because of his own character flaws.  A prophet with “character flaws”?  That is a big pill for a Muslim to swallow.

           Like the Mormons who say they believe in the Bible yet respond quickly with the disclaimer, “as far is it is translated correctly,” most Muslims claim that the Bible that we have today has been corrupted and it is not as it was originally given.  By taking this stand they are obviously unaware of the ancient manuscripts of both Old and New Testament Scripture that are still on hand.  The Dead Sea Scrolls, found in the caves of Qumran, show that the text of the Old Testament has been reliably passed on to us.  Some of the New Testament manuscripts that are available to us today are the John Ryland Manuscript, the Bodmer Papyrus, the Chester Beatty Papyri, the Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Alexandrinus and various versions of the Syriac Peshitta etc., all of which date back to the first five centuries.  So we have proof of the Scriptural content before Islam arrived on the scene.  And, because the Bible is the oldest revelation of Scripture, it would do us well to give heed to what it says.  Jesus himself said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away” (Matt. 24:34).  Jesus never indicated even once that the Old Testament Scripture contained any error.  In fact, he taught directly from them and said that the things that were happening during his ministry were taking place that the Scripture of the prophets be fulfilled (Lk. 24:27, Matt. 26:56).
          It seems rather odd that Muslims can believe that God is able to keep the Qur’an pure without defects, yet He was unable to do the same for the Bible.
         If the manuscript evidence were not enough, there are letters of church fathers who were taught directly by those who were eyewitnesses of Jesus.  The majority of the bible could be reconstructed merely from quotes of the church fathers.
         The fact that Jesus himself did not write the New Testament is sometimes used as an argument against the Scripture.  In a court of law this would actually help to validate the events rather than to disprove them.  Alluding to the Biblical principle that every fact should be confirmed out of the mouth of two or three witnesses, Jesus Himself said, “If I alone bear witness of Myself, My testimony is not true...the very works that I do, bear witness of Me” (Jn. 5:31-36).  The harmony of the synoptic gospel writers, and the eye witness testimonies of others that Paul referred to, give us not only eyewitness accounts of the “works” (miracles etc.) of Jesus but also the historical events surrounding the Lord as well.  If someone were standing before a judge being accused of a crime he would surely like to have a few eyewitnesses to verify his side of the story.  Paul felt this argument so important that in his letter to the Corinthians he made a special point of mentioning that over five hundred brethren saw Jesus alive after the crucifixion, “most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep.”[1]  In other words, “If you don’t believe me, go ask them!  They are still around.”  When Jesus prayed for the whole Church, apart from the apostles, as those who should “believe on Me through their word” (Jn. 17:20), he assumed permanent availability of that word, as though He was anticipating an apostolic New Testament record.
         Using the argument from Surah 19:37, that all of the Christian sects are divided, Muslims often suggest this is proof that Christianity is not the true religion.  That is really not a problem for anyone who truly believes in the words of Jesus, because he himself said that many would say that they were Christians who in actuality were not (Matt. 7:21-23).  Many who claim to represent Islam are not good examples of that faith either, thus we have many factions within Islam (Sunnites, Shiites, Ahmdiyan, Sufis, etc.).  The Qur’an makes the claim in Surah 98 as a “clear proof” that the People of the Scripture were not divided until Mohammed came along with his revelation.  The gospels and the rest of the Bible shows this is simply not the case.  There were many factions at the time of Christ.  There were Pharisees, Sadducees and other groups whom Jesus and His followers struggled to address.

Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are wolves” (Matt. 7:15).  The Bible says that we should beware of false gospels, false Christs and even false Jesus’ (Gal. 1:9, 2 Cor. 11:4, Matt. 24:24).

            Many of the apparent divisions of Christianity are external and trivial, while the elementary teachings concerning Christ are basically uniform.  Christians are merely humans who express their faith in Jesus according to their experience, their education and maturity.

          To become a Muslim one must recite the standard Islamic confession affirming that there is only one God and that Mohammed is his prophet.  A person is either a believer in God and his prophet Mohammed or he is an unbeliever.  One is obligated to make a pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime to the shrine of Kaaba where many kiss the black stone that once represented the moon god of the ancient Quraish tribe.  The crescent moon is still found on mosques, and national flags of Islamic countries. 
        To be a Christian one must also believe in only one God but it is necessary for the person to be actually transformed by the power of God.  This comes about when a person turns his life over to God by taking Christ as his own Savior.  When someone acts in faith, in receiving Christ, God in turn, acts in giving new life, he is born again, spiritually. Jesus said, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (Jn. 3:3).  Whatever may be said about the similarities between the Jesus of the Qur’an and the Jesus of the Bible, there are many striking differences.  To the Qur’an, Jesus “was only the Messenger of God” (Surah 4:171).  To the Bible, Jesus is the only Savior and Lord who alone is “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev. 19:16), worthy of our utmost devotion and praise (Rev. 5:11-14).  He is the Son of the living God (Matt.16:16).
         The same Jesus that was born of the virgin Mary (Surah 3:47, Luke 1:34&35), fulfilled the divine pattern laid down for us by Moses (Ex. 12:5).  By this virgin birth, God was able to provide for us a lamb without the blemish of sin that all other men have.  By laying down his life for all of mankind Jesus became the lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world (John 1:29), and whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.  Isaiah the prophet foretold of this lamb over 600 years before He appeared (Isaiah 53).
         This Jesus who healed the sick and cast out demons (jinn) was the same one who the prophet and psalmist David said that God would not allow His Holy One to undergo decay (Psm. 16:10, Acts 2:27).  Thus after shedding His blood on the cross, as was predicted, He was raised from the dead as proof of His Deity and resurrection power.
         Jesus said the Holy Spirit of God would be left in His place as a comforter and teacher forever (John 14:16&26).  On the day of Pentecost (also called Feast of the Harvest or Shavuot), while the second of the three major Jewish feasts was being celebrated (Exod. 23:14-16), God anointed those who believed in Jesus Christ with the power of the Holy Spirit (Mark 16:17&18) and because He is the same yesterday, today and forever,[2] He still confirms His word through His servants today.
         The Bible teaches that all can be cleansed from their sins by the blood of Jesus and be filled with the Holy Spirit.  If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved (Rom. 10:9). “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”
          The Muslim idea that the Bible has been changed or translated incorrectly actually goes against the instruction of some of the most ancient Old Testament text.  “Who has ascended into heaven and descended?  Who has gathered the wind in His fists?  Who has wrapped the waters in His garment?  Who has established all the ends of the earth?  What is His name or His son’s name?  Surely you know!  Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.  Do not add to His words lest He reprove you, and you be proved a liar (Prov. 30:4-6).
           Though Muslims believe that Jesus was born miraculously they believe he was created as was Adam.  “Truly the likeness of Jesus with God is as the likeness of Adam.  He created him of dust and then said to him, ‘Be!’ and he was.” (Surah 3:59)

In the NAME of GOD,

the Compassionate, the Merciful

BLESSED be the NAME

With the exception of chapter 9, each chapter of the Quran begins with these words “In the Name of God. . .” which are called the bismillah.  Honor of the “name” is the focus of much energy and religious fervor.  Debate over the true origin of the Arabic word for God  (Allah) in the Quran has caused many critics on both sides of the issue to draw lines in the sand.  With the history of animosity between Jews and Arabs it is not likely the problem will go away any time soon.

            A tract entitled Concept of God in Islam published by the Muslim proselytizing group WAMY makes the claim that Allah is the personal name of God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus and a sister language of Arabic.  This is simply not true.  An Aramaic dictionary will show that there were many names used for God in the Jewish Tenach.  El, Elohim, Eloah were general terms for the Deity, even used for false gods. We see it linked with other Jewish words such as Israel, Michael, Daniel etc. Yahweh (Jehovah[1] in Latin) is the common pronunciation of the tetragammaton (YHWH) or “I AM”.  Adonai (Lord) became the most common word used in reference to the God of Israel because of fear of taking the name YHWH in vain.  Allah is nowhere to be found.  Muslims speak much of the 99 names of God, however El is never mentioned.  Even when words like Jibrail (Gabrael) and Israel appear in the Qur’an they conveniently avoid referring to the obvious connection to the God (El) of the Jews.  We might wonder why Israel is not Isra-allah, or Jibrail is not Jibra-allah. 

            The Qur’an was not compiled into one complete text until about a year after Mohammed’s death.  His successor Abu Bakr and Zaid Ibn Thabit went about to collect supposed sayings of the prophet that were written on scraps of date leaves, stone tablets and from personal testimonies.  We are told that Ali came up with a standard text for the Quran within six months of Mohammed’s death.  Because of disputes about other versions some time later the third caliphate Uthman decided to standardize the Quran into the Quraish dialect because it was revealed in their tongue.  Uthman commanded that all other manuscripts be burnt in about year AD 653.  There is reference to this in the Hadith (Bukhari 6:61:510).  This suggests that things were not quite as perfect as modern Muslims try to spin it.  If there were not problems with these other copies there would have been no reason to destroy the evidence.

            It is a fact that languages evolve.  It can be easily seen by simply comparing the style of English that Shakespeare used with that of today.  New words develop to describe modern advances in technology and culture.  Old words lose their meaning and eventually fall out of use.  Words common in one generation might be found to be offensive in the next.  Today a person born illegitimate would once have been called simply a bastard.  Political correctness often softens and redefines words.  A spoken language evolves faster than written language but eventually new words are added to dictionaries to provide a standard by which a people communicate.

            While some cult religions dream up new words and redefine old ones, others, for fear of becoming tainted by the world, remain more rigid.  The latter has been the case of Arabic and Hebrew.  Both claim Abraham as their father so their Semitic root is the same.  Because of the lengthy time of their existence both have gone through a few changes, but the conviction about their language is similar.  Both claim that the language spoken at the time of their scripture is the purest language.  Hebrew has some obvious documented flaws as a result of the changes that took place during the Diaspora in Babylon around 600 B.C.  The Muslims of Arab decent of course make the impossible claim that their language did not suffer such changes, in spite of the fact that some non-Arabic words appear in the ancient text.  Arabic is an offshoot of earlier Aramaic script.  Today, though the Qur’an is still used as the classical written language and is used in Muslim schools for teaching the basic Arabic language, one finds spoken Arabic a colloquial mix of many different ethnic and regional persuasions.  The modern literary standard, outside its religious setting, has had to add modern terms to the language in order to communicate in this socially evolving computer age we all live in.

            How the Muslims look at Arabic presents some rather unusual problems in communicating their religion.  The Quran, or word of God, was given to Mohammed in Arabic, the claimed perfect language, which has never changed, therefore they claim the very language itself to have some divine significance.  The very art of religious calligraphy has become a form of talisman.  Having a copy of the Qur’an on one’s person is said by some to be a protection against evil and carry a blessing like a good luck charm.  Amulets, good luck charms, are very common in Muslim society.  Where a shaman might prescribe a magic potion carried in a small bag around a person’s neck, the Muslim will have a bag carrying an inscription from the Qur’an.  Where some Christians believe crosses or jewelry representing certain saints might give them good luck, Muslims might wear a piece of palm shaped silver jewelry called the “Hand of Fatima,” with an inscription  believed to have magical powers.  Where on the walls of Christian churches one finds artwork telling the stories of the Bible, due to Muslim prohibitions regarding idols, on the walls of mosques you will instead see various sayings about Allah beautifully written in stylized script, but no illustrations of Muslim religious stories.  Whenever Islam is criticized by anyone using any language other than Arabic the Muslim defenders nearly always cast doubt on the translation, thus quickly writing off any questions.  We have experienced Muslims who will launch off in some elite Arabic prayer or explanation then claim there is no equal translation in any other language, thus implying that the questioning person is simply a poor ignorant infidel unworthy of God’s holy words.  Jews have at times used the same defense in defusing points made by Christians.  They will suggest that New Testament ideas stem from Greek tradition rather than the Hebrew tradition therefore are without merit.  The Christian defense is rather simple however when one understands that the Greek Septuagint version which was available during the time of Christ had been translated by Jewish scholars not Christian ones.

            Imam W. Deen Mohammed, son of the late Elijah Muhammad, leader of the largest indigenous group of Muslims in America explains in the Muslim Journal that to show reverence to the Name of G-d Almighty, we should not use the spelling “God” that might be read in reverse “dog.”  Now I doubt God is concerned with such trivia.  It is not likely He is so insecure or paranoid.

            Some Jewish and Christian traditions are guilty of what sometimes appears to be similar illogical reasoning.  The Jewish view was that the name of God in Hebrew, the sacred Tetragrammaton (YHWH), was a word too holy to risk misrepresenting.  It became customary therefore to use other titles descriptive of His nature and authority such as Adonai, which in the English is rendered simply “Lord.”     This traditional reverence for the message has been extremely beneficial in preserving the content of the Scriptures but presents problems in communicating the message to a modern society, especially when it is translated to another language which at times do not always have words of perfectly equal meaning.  Thus, in the English versions we see God referred to in transliteration as Jehovah or Yahweh.  Though some would argue about such words, in reality, a rose by any other name will smell just as sweet.

            The old 1611 King James English standard translation has even been viewed by some as not merely authorized by the King of England but by the King of the universe as well, as though God spoke only 1611 style English.  Surely, if God only speaks one language, whether it be Hebrew, Arabic or English, He has a problem.  That places limitations on His omnipotence. If He can speak through prophets, who are human with the usual imperfections, and who represent many different levels of intellectual and social abilities throughout history, He is surely able to empower man to translate the message into the various modern languages of humanity in order to communicate to the vast global diversity that He longs to communicate with.  To require man to step up to God’s level of communication and learn some mystical archaic language, flies in the face of the nature of the merciful God portrayed in the gospel.  As the biblical writers say, the letter kills but the spirit gives life.  Jesus addressing the religious crowd in His day said, “You search the Scripture, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me.”[2]

            As with the Hebrew Bible the Qur’an calls God by many descriptive names; “The Mighty”, “The First”, “The Last”, “the Merciful One”, Etc.  The Qur’an cites ninety-nine names of Allah which are descriptive of his character and holiness etc.  Some of these titles are listed in Surah 59:23&24.  They are often recited while fingering the ninety-nine worry-beads of the Muslim rosary.

            It seems quite clear that the Arabic word Allah was linked to ancient pagan deities of pre-Islam.  Modern Muslims however are quick to dismiss such connections.  It is claimed by some that Allah is the God Arabic-speaking Christians worship and that Allah is nothing other than a generic word for God such as the French Dieu, or the Spanish Dios.  It seems rather odd that a true Christian would even consider Jesus to be the Son of a Pagan deity, yet that is what the modern Arabic Bible implies.  In a tract distributed by WAMY it is claimed Allah is the personal name of God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus and a sister language of Arabic.  This is simply dishonest.  The sister language statement is correct but any person with a simple Strongs Concordance can look in its Aramaic dictionary to get the truth about the many words used for the God of the Hebrews.   Many English versions of the Qur’an translate the name simply “God.”  The question then lies in whether God looks beyond the technical data of history and looks at the intent of the human heart.  I would suggest that the heart is more important on the surface of the argument but one must take a serious look at the nature of the God that Islam represents.  Within Islam there are many who gloss over the many problems as though they are not serious enough to squabble about.  One fellow giving us a tour of his mosque kept trying to avoid any topic that pointed out our differences.  He continued to bring us back to moral issues such as abortion on which we mostly agreed.  The point being that if one agreed with his view on abortion we were in harmony, never mind the problem that one of us might be worshipping a false god.  To lie about the nature of God did not seem to strike much moral conviction in the fellow.  Consequently, for the sake of unity, where this leads of course is the age old religion of many American founding fathers, deism.  It is the view that all paths lead to the Great Spirit, Supreme Architect, Allah, God, or whatever title you place on Deity.

            Apostle Paul must have struggled with a similar problem when he addressed the people of Athens.  It was clear to him that the people had a twisted view of God because they had an altar with an inscription, “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.”[3]  He appealed to their tradition and made reference to the Hymn to Zeus which claimed “For we are His offspring.”  The point Paul was trying to make was that God’s nature is not like that of a stone idol or image, but He is a living being. Yet, the Greek mythological understanding of God was more akin to a superman with offspring.  The Greeks clearly misunderstood the apostles at times and even thought they were the gods Hermes and Zeus.  Paul and Barnabas in effort to set them straight tore their robes and exclaimed publicly “Men, why are you doing these things?  We are men of the same nature as you. . .”[4]

            On more than one occasion while wearing a shirt with the message “THERE IS A GOD AND YOU ARE NOT HIM” I have had people be offended not by the grammar but the idea that God is being referred to as masculine.  Why could God not be a “she”?  Given that the Bible was revealed in a patriarchal society it is only common sense that the deity is defined in masculine terms.  In modern practical terms however it is reasonable to view God as, both and neither, masculine and feminine.  In Genesis we read that “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created Him; male and female He created them.”[5] But for the sake of orthodoxy and common communication the masculine tradition safely stands.  Jesus used the illustration that it was God’s desire to gather his people, “the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings” but we do not suggest that God is a female chicken.   To debate over the gender of God seems rather ridiculous but for one Muslim man I talked to this was a topic of concern.  Where these thoughts came from was unclear.  Possibly his thinking was jaded by biased information he had heard from critics of Christianity by Muslim apologists.

         Another problem that often occurs to English speaking people is, which English version of the Qur’an to use.  George Sale’s version (1734) is taken from Maracci’s earlier Latin version.  It was seen as an English standard for some time but it is not liked by Muslims for obvious reasons.  It was dedicated to the Roman Emperor Leopold I, with an introduction entitled “Refutation of the Qur’an.”  Though most Muslim scholars will admit that J.M. Rodwell’s 1861 version is a fair translation, it is not well received because of his commentary which is critical of Islam.  E. H. Palmer’s version (1876) is not liked because he felt it should be translated into colloquial language.  A. Ross did a version but used the Du Ruer (1647) French version rather than the Arabic as the source text.  The first Muslim to undertake an English translation was Dr. Muhammad ‘Abdul Hakim Khan, of Patiala, (1905).  Marmaduke Pickthall (born William Pickthall in London, 1875) was an English convert to Islam whose popular 1930’s version is considered almost literal but lacks notes to elucidate the meaning of the text.  He traveled and studied in India.  Pickthall used the common disclaimer that “the Qur’an cannot not be translated.”  This is of course to dodge the criticism of those who consider it a grave sin to translate the Holy Arabic words of Allah.   A version by Abdullah Yusuf Ali was published in 1934 in Lahore, Pakistan.  Its endorsement by the Presidency of Islam Researches raises questions to some by their comment that “we had to take some ‘liberties’ with the style and diction of the language.  In the first place, we changed the ‘Biblical’ style of the Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s translation.  We made a modest attempt at ‘modernizing’ the language to bring it more into line with the 21st Century usage.”  Rather strange that they can remain so rigid with the Arabic version of the Qur’an yet suddenly feel it appropriate to modernize the English version to fit the times we live in.  With all these different versions around it is clearly not a perfect world when it comes to presenting the Qur’an to the English speaking world.

            A more recent one released through a publisher in Saudi Arabia is likely to be a bit of an embarrassment to Muslims because of its clearly militant commentary.  This “Interpretation of the Meaning of the Noble Qur’an” by Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali, Ph.D. (Berlin) and Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan, both from the Islamic University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia, reads something like an Amplified Bible with additional notes and commentary which includes transliteration of Arabic terms.  It is a handy tool for those just learning their way around the Qur’an for it leaves no doubt as to the accepted understanding of every major doctrine.  As do most non-Trinitarian cults the commentary goes into great detail refuting orthodox Christian doctrine, quoting from Biblical passages that support their prejudice and avoiding those that do not.  Someone unfamiliar with the Bible might easily be persuaded.

            The Council of American-Islamic Relations has distributed a translation by Muhammad Asad (born Leopold Weiss) a Jewish convert to Islam.  It is written in both English and Arabic with transliteration helps and a commentary which comes across at times a bit politically correct.  Where most versions read that man was created from a clot (of blood) Asad’s version reads “created man out of a germ cell”(Surah 96:2).  One might wonder what Mohammed (or his God) knew about germs or cells when in fact those terms were not even used.  A clot of blood sounds more likely.  It is a revealing piece of work with over 1,100 pages.

SHARI’A

MUSLIM LAW

Most westerners, with minds jaded by history of egalitarian liberties and separation of church and state, find Islamic society a difficult concept to grasp.  During the peak of Islamic culture in the tenth century when the religion had spread to cultures foreign to that of Mecca, a period of research went on to collect all known acts and teachings of Mohammed  (Hadith or Sunnah) in a process known as ijtihad, which means personal judgment or struggle (akin to the word jihad).  The Hadith is made up of two major collections of material.  One is that in which is God speaking “sacred” words through the prophet, the other is Mohammed’s own “noble” words.  The Hadith consists of numerous volumes of commentary on an assortment of theological and social customs.  The two most often referred to collections are the “Bukhari”[1] and “Muslim”[2] gathered within a couple hundred years after Mohammed’s death.  Some of the Hadith literature has been considered dubious even by Muslims, yet most of it stands as authoritative. The ulama (law giving clerics) canonized a code of law and pronounced it divine, then, similar to the canonizing of the Christian scripture, the Sunnis claimed “The door of ijtihad was closed” to any further revelation.  This Shari’a, or “way” of commandment (Sura 45:18) was an effort to fill the gaps in the Qur’an where issues are not addressed or are too vague or cryptic.  Shari’a law is looked at much like the Jews look at the law of Moses, but with the additional Talmud commentary.  It is a way of uniting the spiritual morals with a civil form of law.  Instituting Muslim Shari’a in every country of the world is the ultimate political goal of the Muslim evangelist.  It represents a utopian ideal heaven on earth fantasy.

            The Shari’a, like the Quran, represents a carrot and stick form of salvation of works.  That is, reward man for being good and whack him if he is not.  “Whoever builds a mosque for Allah, Allah Subhanahoo wataala will reward a palace for him in paradise.”[3]  One Muslim wrote to me that he was more righteous than me because he had memorized the whole Qur’an.  I guess that suggests that people with poor memories are looked upon as second-class believers.  As Christians model their moral code around Christ who is more than human, Muslims attempt to model themselves after Mohammed who claimed to be merely a prophet, yet heaven and hell depend on it.  To suggest any imperfection in Mohammed is to blaspheme.  Submission to Mohammed is essential to salvation.  Simply believing in God is not enough.  This might cause one to question the Sharia where Mohammed is cited as ordering his followers to drink the urine and blood of his camels for the sake of their health (7.590).  By pronouncing the Shari’a divine it therefore becomes immutable, without criticism, frozen in time, unable to apply easily to changes in culture, time and technology.  Any innovation or reason, no matter how logical, applied to the Shari’a might be considered heresy (bid’a) and seen as challenging God, thus opening one to the sword of jihad.  The ulama see any learning beyond the Islam religion as suspect to undermining faith.  As the Qur’an left gaps, so did the Shari’a and interpretation varies by degrees of emotion, life experience, knowledge and fanaticism, thus its weakness.  The Shi’ites for various reasons hold that the ijtihad needs to remain open.  The great divide between the orthodox Sunni tradition and the hardcore fundamentalist stems from how rigid to apply the Shari’a.

         Where the Sunni tradition was to apply more laws to fill the gaps, the Sufi turned to various tribal tradition and mysticism.  They are therefore looked at as heretical by the other more dogmatic forms of Islam.
In Christianity the principle of grace gives room for more liberal application in issues that are not spelled out clearly in Judeo moral code.  In Islam, when social problems arise, the answer is to press hard the “law,” yet the law never reaches the heart of the issue, the inner man.  It is like placing a Band-Aid on a puncture wound.  The golden age utopia is never reached merely by rules regardless of how noble the effort.  In order to follow rules one requires knowledge of the rules which produces merely a more sophisticated problem, intellectual pride.  In the Muslim mind Islam is the perfect religion, therefore Muslims are the perfect people.  Here in lies the key problem, self-righteousness.  Self-righteousness breeds spiritual blindness.
          It is often the most educated Muslims who are the most militant.  This illustrates the true nature of man’s sinfulness.  An educated sinner, whether he be a Muslim or a pagan, has the same sinful nature.  With education he becomes a more efficient and sophisticated sinner, able to fly large airplanes into skyscrapers, as though that is going to solve the world’s problems.
           A publication by World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) claims[4], “Islam is not a new religion, but a re-presentation of the same message and guidance that Allah revealed to all of His prophets.  In Qur’an (3:3), we read: ‘Say, we believe in Allah and that which has been revealed to us, and that which was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes and that which was given to Moses and Jesus and to other Prophets, from their Lord.  We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we submit.’”  The Muslim cannot grasp the idea that God would speak through imperfect “prophets,” therefore Mohammed is declared “perfect” and the Bible record is rejected because it shows the frailties and character flaws of the patriarchs and prophets.  The Bible even records God speaking through a donkey, which further proves the point.  Muslims are not too eager to discuss the fact that Ismael, the father of the Arabs, was the product of a relationship Abraham had with Hagar, a woman who was not his wife.
          In Christianity one understands that we are all sinners (including Mary the mother of Jesus) saved by grace not by works of our own righteousness.  Though we may claim the perfect religion, we ourselves are forever flawed outside the redemptive work of Christ, “sinners saved by grace”.  The goal through faith in Christ is to change man from the inside out.  With a fatalistic works type religion such as Islam one is molded from the outside in.  Some Muslims will argue that apostle Paul was the one who introduced the idea of original sin.  Paul however, who indeed wrote that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” got his ideas from Old Testament scriptures.  It was king David, hundreds of years before Christ who wrote the psalm which reads “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me.”[5]  With all of the religious works performed in Islam in effort to put down the weaknesses of the flesh Muslims are forced to admit they struggle with a fallen sin nature.
          Human nature has changed little in the past few thousand years.  The religious leaders of Christ’s day were rigid as well and applied the “law” of their tradition to silence Him.  Their pride was stirred up to hostility by the very thought that God could honor someone outside their system of rules, not to mention His claims of Deity.  The fruit of this type of jealousy is seen played out in the oldest recorded conflicts in human history, the lives of Cain and Abel (Gen. 4:5).  Cain was driven to kill Abel thinking it would solve his moral problem whereas it only compounded it.  Abel’s blood cried out to God for justice.
          When the Mujahideen (makers of holy war), or jihadis, are directed by “fundamentalist” Mullahs (religious scholars) with such tunnel vision, the naive religious students (taliban) with little life experience they are motivated with reckless legalistic religious zeal.  Thus there is produced a social disaster which eventually breeds hatred, fear and much anxiety because in reality it cannot meet the complex needs of modern society by retreating to the simplistic age of early Islam.
          Understanding the sinful nature of man, British statesman Edmund Burke stated that there must be some restraining influence upon the wills and passions of men, and the less there is from within, the more there must be from the outside.  Certainly if Shari’a represented only a civil form of law it could easily be argued that any law is likely better than total anarchy.  If a thief knows that he will lose a hand if caught stealing he might have a stronger moral conviction about the consequences of his actions.   However when the civil law is based on a rewritten history of both Christianity and Judaism it’s very foundation is deeply flawed.  Thomas Jefferson wrote that when the government fears the people there is liberty.  When the people fear the government there is tyranny.  The fear a non-Muslim experiences under Islamic law is obvious.  Given the fact that just outside Washington D.C. in Falls Church, Virginia is one of the largest American Muslim communities, often referred to as Little Mecca, many non-Muslims who know the history of Islam have become a bit concerned that so many Muslim professionals gather here for prayer.
           The struggle that countries such as Turkey and Egypt have with militant Islam stems from the fact that they are constantly under pressure from those who want a return to Shari’a law.  Turkey instituted it’s present secular government model by Kemal Ataturk between 1923-38 and it is generally hated by fundamentalist Muslims.  The turning point in Egypt toward secular government was in 1798 when Napoleon invaded the Nile with troops and a horde of archeologists and scientists.  The British armies that followed further cemented western ideals into Egyptian society.  This bit of history is still an embarrassing fact in the mega-city of Cairo which has somewhere around a thousand mosques.

ALLAH

and the Man on the Moon

An American sailboat captain discussing the moon overhead with his Muslim pilot as they navigated the Suez Canal mentioned that men had walked on its surface.  The Muslim recoiled in unbelief because in his view God would never allow man to walk on the moon’s Holy surface.  This Muslim man’s view of modern science is common among many religious people and is explored by an author who goes by the name Ibn Warraq in his book Why I Am Not A Muslim.  The author, an ex-Muslim gone secular humanist, writes it as a “war effort” to expose the Muslim injustice against the murder of intellectuals, women and ordinary people who need a voice.  Though he goes a bit far by quoting from many atheist and dubious sources as authorities on spiritual truth, he does make some valid points.  He divides Islam into three categories.  (1) What the prophet taught. (2) What the religion has come to believe as it developed through tradition.  Then, (3) what Islamic civilization has actually done; that is, the fruit it has revealed to the world.
        While Christians have done their share of book burning, according to Bar-Hebraeus (1226-86), Amr ibn al-As, a short time after Mohammed’s death, fueled the furnaces of the public baths in Alexandria with the books of that cities famous library.  The early idea that the Qur’an contained all the learning that was necessary was fortunately abandoned later on.
       Ibn Warraq however claims Islam is still stuck in a time warp.  While most modern civilizations have gone to the solar calendar, Islam hangs onto its ancient lunar one for reasons quite religious, for the Qur’an says God appointed the moon for a light, and hath ordained her stations that ye may learn the number of years and the reckoning of time (Sura 10:5).  Apparently some Muslims still think the sun revolves around the earth.  Recent news articles refer to the fact that predicting the last day of the fast of Ramadan is unclear until a few days before it actually happens because they use unscientific methods for sighting the moon.  This united with Islamic fatalism, might help explain why Muslims so readily accept astrology.
        Though it is generally condemned in modern times, astrology has played an important part in Islamic history.  Mixed with the true science of astronomy, the observation of the heavenly bodies, and the signs of the zodiac and mythological  horoscope, Muslims have used heavenly prophecies to destabilize and establish political events.  Using apocalyptic interpretations and Persian Zoroastrian religious traditions the Fatimids predicted the rise and fall of Caliphate empires then set about to help fulfill their predictions.  Though not always accepted by the religious scholars, Arabs added to the previously accepted traditional Greco-Egyptian horoscope leading to a variety of market place forms of divination.
         An interesting Bible story dating somewhere around 1000 B.C. tells of Gideon going to war against some Ishmaelites of Midian who decorated their camels with crescent ornaments around their necks.[1]  The star of Bethlehem story of Christ, and the wise men from the east, might very well be connected somehow to these early traditions.  How to separate truth from myth continues to be an ongoing debate, but there is little question that towers such as the Biblical tower of Babel have been built around the world based on various understandings of the heavenly bodies.  Arabs have played an important part in the true science of astronomy.
         One Muslim man from Iran questioned me, asking if the Bible taught that the world was flat.  Apparently that was what he had been taught as a Shiite Muslim.  I reminded him that Christopher Columbus was a Catholic Christian and he discovered the Americas by believing he could sail west around the world to India. 
          While Muslims are quick to point to the “illogical view of Christianity that God became a man in the form of Jesus,” there is little in the form of logic to support Islam and its prophet.  The 114 Suras (chapters) of the Qur’an are arranged in a disorderly fashion from the longest to shortest.  The earlier Suras are generally shorter thus giving us a mixed bag of history, mostly in reverse.  The Medina material appearing first, then that accumulated at Mecca last.  The Qur’an gives lipservice to the Bible and the “People of the Book” yet rejects nearly everything in the Bible as being unsubstantiated.  They fail to show any documented proof of when exactly the Biblical documents were tampered with, or who it was that carried out this alleged deed.  When there is any contradiction between the Bible and the Qur’an, the Bible is, of course in error.  Some of these glaring contradictions are seen in some of the main events of biblical characters lives.  The story of Zacharias being struck mute by an angel for his unbelief in the message that his wife was to become pregnant with John the Baptist despite her old age is a classic.  The first chapter of Luke’s gospel tells us that he was unable to speak for the duration of the pregnancy and his tongue was not loosed until the time the child was to be named.  The Qur’an’s much shorter version of this event claims Zacharias was speechless for merely three days[2].
        According to Islam, (Narrated Abu Hurairah) Mohammed supposedly claimed man was created in God’s image sixty cubits (about 30 meters) in height.  One might wonder where the fossil records are of these big guys.  It is claimed that man’s size has continued to diminish to the present time (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 6227).

Gospel of Barnabas?

        It is not uncommon for Muslims to prop up fake documents such as the apocryphal Gospel of Barnabas, in which Jesus was not crucified, to support the Qur’an, never mind the unreliability of the document.  Though there were vague references by early church fathers regarding material written by Barnabas none quoted from it thus its validity remained ambiguous until the 16th century when the “Gospel of Barnabas” surfaced written in Italian.  Aside from the suspicious fact that it was not written in any early biblical languages such as Hebrew or Greek, it contains numerous historical and scientific problems with the document and contradicts both the Bible and the Qur’an.  Muslims often point to a place in the Bible that records a disagreement that Paul had with Barnabas to support the idea that Paul went off on his own to dream up revelations contrary to that of the other Apostles.[1]  Peter however made a special point in his second epistle to support Paul’s words as being reliable, “Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.”[2]  The Qur’an and Hadith teaches that Jesus is the only prophet who never sinned.  Barnabas however, puts these words in the mouth of Jesus, “May it please God that I receive punishment of God in this world, because I have not served Him faithfully as I was bound to do”(Chapter 198).  “Jesus confessed and said the truth, ‘I am not the Messiah’” (Chapter 13).  “I am sent to the house of Israel as a prophet of salvation, but after me shall come the Messiah, sent of God to all the world . . .” (Chapter 82).  Apparently whoever wrote the Gospel of Barnabas had never seen a map of the Holy Land.  Chapter 20 says, “Jesus went up to the Sea of Galilee, and having embarked in a ship, sailed to his city of Nazareth.”  Nazareth is in the hill country quite some distance from the shores of Galilee.  The list of problems goes on.
          There is one story in the Qur’an (Sura 5:110) of Jesus making a bird out of clay and breathing life into it, which was plucked from another dubious document, the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas.  This presents a number of problems for Islam, one of which is; who can create life but God?

 SEVEN SLEEPERS IN A CAVE?

There is a legend that claims that in about 250 AD seven Christians were commanded to renounce their faith.  They went into a cave near Tarsus where they were sealed in by a large stone.  Two hundred years later the entrance was reopened and these seven fellows awoke as though it had been only a day.  When one of them tried spending some of his ancient pocket change he became a public figure and was questioned by the local priest regarding this miraculous resurrection. Then strangely enough all seven fell asleep again.  There are at least three caves claiming to be the historical location of this strange event.  One is in Ephesus, one in Tarsus and the other one in Amman, Jordan.  The Muslims have built a mosque over the one in Tarsus while yet claiming the cave in Jordan to be the authentic one.  The Qur’an has a chapter entitled Al-Kahf (The Cave, Surah 18) to this myth, however it adds a dog to the number of the seven sleepers and claims the seven men were being persecuted for Tawhid (their devotion to one God, Allah).

         Why Muslims will elevate books that are loaded with errors, yet reject the Bible because they claim it is not reliable seems rather prejudicial.  Given the fact that the Qur’an claims that the Scripture, both the Torah and the Gospel, revealed God’s truth and no one can change His Words,[3] it is rather strange that the same book claims that all Scripture prior to the Qur’an has be changed.
          Another wonder is, if Allah is all powerful, why it is so common among Muslims to believe in the superstitious belief that the glare of an “evil eye” can cast a curse.  The reason for this is that the Sharia (7.636) claims Mohammed taught it.  Even sophisticated Muslims of Saudi Arabia who have overcome the fears of radio and television are yet known to pin blue beads to their children for protection from the evil eye.
          Though circumcision is not taught in the Qur’an, the majority of Muslim men, following earlier Jewish tradition, are circumcised.  In a most cruel and barbaric fashion women are circumcised as well in some countries.  As during the reign of  Omar II (717-20), circumcision has been forced on unbelievers in some cases as an evangelistic effort and at times unbelievers have submitted to it to avoid taxes.

The Woman

            A tract about polygamy in Islam distributed in many American mosques states that “Early Christians invented ideas that women were ‘full of sin’ and man was better off to ‘never marry’.  Since this would be the end of mankind these same people compromised and said ‘marry only one.’”[1]  Yet, the Bible teaches no such thing.  Many followers and supporters of Christ were godly women.  The Muslim tract claims “that artificially created monogamy has become a factor in ruining the family structure, and the social, economic and political systems of the country.”  Mormonism is cited as an example of a “Christian” group that has supported polygamy, though they fail to point out that Mormonism is actually a heretical cult.  One justification for polygamy is that during a woman’s monthly period and during months of pregnancy the man needs a means to fulfill his sexual desires outside of adultery, prostitution, etc.

            Though the Old Testament contains many stories of men that had more than one wife it was clearly viewed as a practice not encouraged.  In the law of Moses kings were instructed not to “multiply wives to themselves,”[2]a guideline that Solomon disobeyed to his own demise.  The New Testament guideline for elders is that they are to be “husbands of one wife.”[3]  The fact that the apostle Paul was not married is explained in his own letters as simply a means to remain free from the burden of caring for a wife and family for the sake of his ministry.  It had nothing to do with any negative attitude toward women.  He made it clear that whether male or female “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”[4]

            The Muslims should be embarrassed about their own treatment of their women who are kept hidden sweating under black veils and abaayas.  The Qur’an clearly teaches “Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women).  So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret what Allah hath guarded.  As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them.  Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them.”[5]  The Qur’an allows for men to have four wives.  Mohammed had many revelations regarding the taking of wives.  One came about when his eyes took a liken to the wife of his adopted son, Zaid.  Zaid was pressured to divorce her so that Mohammed could have her.  “It is not for believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision.  And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed into a plain error.”  After the following Surah, that spells out Mohammed taking Zaid’s wife, the Qur’an reads, “There is no blame on the Prophet in that which Allah has made legal for him.”[6]  Surah 33:50 tells of other special privileges the prophet had over other believers regarding the taking of wives.  According to the same chapter of the Qur’an Mohammed’s wives were not permitted to marry anyone else after his death.

            Women are considered second-class citizens whose word amounts to little in a court of law.  In some Muslim countries they are not allowed to even drive a car.  Saudi men customarily divorce wives who are barren.  For the sake of male supremacy (and I must say hypocrisy) women nearly always suffers the blame of a divorce regardless the true cause.  This painful reality is revealed in the book PRINCESS, A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia, by Jean P. Sasson.  When liberal female Kuwaiti refugees fled to Saudi Arabia to avoid the invasion of Iraqi soldiers, Saudi women saw for the first time women driving cars with faces exposed to the light of day.  It was short-lived however when the religious authorities brought the law to bear on these rebels crushing any vision of freedom others might have had.  The structure of the U.S. military includes having foreign female soldiers on Saudi soil, which is the ultimate slap in the face of the religious fundamentalist leaders.  It flies in the face of not only the religious tradition but the male ego as well.  In Islam it not only a man’s world where he may have up to four wives, it is also a man’s heaven, where there will be many virgins and young boys to serve wine to the faithful who will wear gold armlets and be clothed in holy green silk robes embroidered in gold (Sura 56:17&18, 18:31).  It is discouraged in Islam to drink wine, in heaven however there are rivers of wine for the faithful (Sura 47:15, 83:25).  It is a wonder why it is called wine however because the Qur’an claims that this heavenly wine will cause no intoxication or hangovers (Sura 56:19).  This is about as ridiculous as Christians who claim that Biblical wine was not alcoholic.  If that were the case then why did the religious crowd accuse Jesus of being a winebibber?  In a world where we can go to the super-market and buy refrigerated grape juice anytime of the year we are clearly out of touch with the reality of ancient food storage.

            After one lengthy e-mail exchange I had with a Muslim leader, the man suggested we talk strictly about the nature of God.  He charged that if Jesus was God then he must have had the same humbling physical limitations as any other man.  “Can you imagine God sitting on a toilet,” he said.  With his same logic I then reminded him that Allah, who serves wine and women to the faithful in paradise, must therefore be a bartender in a heavenly brothel.  He was so shocked at my illustration he claimed I had blasphemed Allah and refused any further dialogue.

            Is it any wonder that so much controversy arises when someone alludes to the “Satanic Verses?”  Early on it was claimed that the devil had inserted some verses in the Surah called “The Star,” which reads, “Indeed he (Muhammed) did see of the Greatest Signs, of his Lord (Allah).  Have you then considered Al-Lat, and Al-’Uzza (two idols of the pagan Arabs).  And Manat (another idol of the pagan Arabs), the other third?  Is it for you the males and for Him the females?”[7]  The devil supposedly added after verse 20: “These are sublime swans whose intercession may be sought.”  These Satanic Verses have been fuel for criticism against the Qur’an’s reliability.  It has been asserted by some that the prophet was appealing to the Meccan’s pagan tradition for support, which flies in the face of the Muslim tradition that the prophet would never compromise his views for the sake of gain.

            There are verses that open up a whole different pluralistic can of worms.  The Qur’an states that revelations have been given to other people or nations, whom are not part of the traditional Arab religious club, and that even Mohammed was not privy to their revelation.  “And, in We have sent Messengers before you (O Muhammad), of some of them We have related to you their story.  And of some We have not related to you their story . . .”  “And for every Ummah (a community or a nation) there is a Messenger . . .”[8]  The question that might be asked is; what makes Mohammed’s revelation the superior or final revelation?

            The fatalistic nature of Islam is apparent in its view of victors in war.  In the section entitled The Call to Jihad in the Qur’an published by Darussalam it reads, “Similarly the Qur’an points out the well-known fact that the battle is by turns, (one) day (victory) is for you — (the other) day (victory) is for others — as Allah said: “If a wound (and killing) has touched you, be sure a similar wound (and killing) has touched the others.  And so are the days (good and not so good), that We give to men by turns...” (Sura 3:140).  So apparently Allah is for both sides.  These would not be very encouraging words for most western soldiers.  It’s one thing to say “you win some, you lose some” in a game of checkers, but if that is God’s attitude on your life, one might consider a different God.

            In a chapter of the Qur’an entitled “Mary,” one can read about Jesus being her son.  We can also read a curious verse that calls Mary the sister of Aaron (Sura 19:28).  Apparently the writer of the Qur’an got a bit confused regarding which Mary God was talking about.  Mary, or Miriam, the sister of Aaron was the Old Testament character, not the mother of Christ.

            While Muslims go to great length to defend the oneness of God (for God alone is the Almighty, and He stands in need of none of His creatures) vehemently rejecting the Trinity, there are some words in the Qur’an that present some problems to their argument.  In numerous places we find, as in the Jewish tradition, God speaking in a plural form.  For example in Genesis we read, “Then God said, ‘Let US make man in our image, according to Our likeness.’”  The Christian points to such language to suggest the triune nature of the Godhead in the Old Testament.  In like manner Allah speaking in the Qur’an says, “So We leave those who expect not their Meeting with Us, in their trespasses, wandering blindly in distraction.  And when harm touches man, he invokes Us...” (Surah 10:11 & 12), “And the Day when We shall roll up the heaven like a scroll rolled up for books.  As We began the first creation, We shall repeat it.  (It is) a promise binding upon Us.  Truly We shall do it”(Surah 21:104).  You have to ask yourself who the “We” is here.  The Muslim quickly argues that this simply implies to God’s majesty.  To others this appears either that there is more than one God or else He is being helped by someone.  If we were to use the same Muslim logic that they use against the Trinity we could claim Islam is a polytheistic religion.  The traditional Jewish Sh’ma[9] of Deuteronomy 6:4 clearly refutes the idea, “Hear, O Israel!  The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!”

            The Qur’an contains many such ideas based on earlier religious traditions.  The Jewish idea of eating only “kosher” (foods divinely approved) is duplicated in Islam, “O mankind Eat of that which is lawful and good on the earth, and follow not the footsteps of Shaitan (Satan).  Verily, he is to you an open enemy.” (Surah 2:168)  “He has forbidden you only the Maitah (dead animals), and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allah (or has been slaughtered for idols, on which Allah’s Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering).  But if one is forced by necessity without willful disobedience nor transgressing due limits, then there is no sin on him” (Surah 2:173).  However, in Dearborn, Michigan, where about 35 percent of the students in 2001 were Muslims, they pressured the public school system to provide halal food at the cafeteria, which must be provided by Islamic food distributors.  This was done, of course, in the name of ethnic diversity.  Southeast Michigan has become the second-largest Arab community outside the Midde East, following Paris, France who is in the lead.  Much like the Seventh-day Adventists of the western world, scientific research is often used as “proof” of their religious convictions.  Within the realm of Halal –“Islamically pure”– one finds other items marketed with the prophets stamp of approval.  Black seed tea and oil is claimed to be one of the divine elixirs.  “Use the seed for indeed it is a cure for all diseases except death.”.  Muslims are encouraged to develop a Halal economy by demanding Halal and consuming Halal products from either Halal certified stores and/or from the major food manufacturers and suppliers.[10]

            The Islamic reaction to pigs borders on swinophobic.  In 1838 artist David Roberts secured permission from Muslim leaders to travel through the Middle East for the sake of drawing and painting the ancient biblical sites. In order to paint inside a mosque in Cairo it was required that he use no brushes made with bristles from the swine.  One common Muslim claim is that eating pork is a major cause of alcoholism.

            Facing toward Mecca while praying is a rather curious tradition as well.  While we see the Jews praying at the wall in Jerusalem they are mourning for the loss of their most holy temple.  Though the temple was a central place of sacrifice and prayer they do not suggest that prayer must always be toward the direction of the ancient building foundation.  One Muslim man became quite uncomfortable when we asked him if we could pray for him.  He wanted to know what position he must be in.  He was of course referring to whether he should be facing Mecca with his face to the ground.  When we pointed out to him that God was everywhere, not in some black box back in Mecca, he relaxed some but still had some reservation about our liberties.  I pointed out to him that in the Bible there is record of people praying in many different positions.  At the day of Pentecost they were sitting, in other places they were standing, while at other times they fell prostrate on the ground.  It depends on the individual situation.  I suggested that God would hear us just the same whether we were stationary or walking down the street.  Even driving down the highway would not be outside of God’s presence.  Later we prayed while walking down the sidewalk and this Muslim man became so elated he smiled from ear to ear.  A great burden was lifted from his mind.  This burden, however, follows most Muslims to their grave.  They often go to great lengths to position their graves so that they point toward Mecca.

            In Islam there are rather rigid guidelines to follow in prayer.  Some versions of the Qur’an have elaborately decorated pages with special calligraphic art illuminating instructions in the text where the believer is to prostrate (sajdah) while reciting the verses of the book.

            Muslims proud of Mohammed’s book are quick to point to Surah 4:82 which claims if the Qur’an had come from anyone other than Allah then it would have been found to have many discrepancies.  Comparing a few numbers in the creation story the Qur’an leaves us a bit confused, “Lo! your Lord is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days, then mounted He the Throne.”[11]  Then strangely enough in Sura 41:9 it says God created the earth in two days.  One of God’s days are equal to a thousand to man, in Sura 32:5; yet in Sura 70:4 a day is equal to fifty thousand years.  Was it God who could not make up his mind or was it Mohammed?

            When pressed with some of these illogical issues the Muslim, like members of the Mormon cult, will often resort to a canned testimony.  The Muslim version is called Shahada, “I bear witness that I am a Muslim, and that there is no God except Allah, and Mohammed is his final messenger and prophet.”

            With Mohammed being the final prophet, revealing the complete word of God, nothing that came before is good enough and all who come after are heretics.  When Islam fails it quickly blames someone else; Jews, Christians, infidels, etc. showing its totalitarian, intolerant, paranoid nature.  Colonization by foreign nations is often given as a reason for the poor situation some Muslim countries find themselves in.  But, as Milton Viorst points out in his book In the Shadow of the Prophet, Yemen was never colonized yet is one of the most backward societies in the world.   As author Ibn Warraq points out people normally convert to Islam “in terror, in quest of power, to avoid heavy taxes or because of infatuation for a Muslim woman.”  In an Islamic country there would be obvious social advantages to becoming a believer.  Democracy and Islam is like oil and water.  The God given ability to question or doubt is an obstacle to the Quran because of its many flaws, and Muslims react to criticism of their religion as though God cannot defend Himself.  The same logic applies to why foreign infidel military troops have had to come to the aid of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.  In 1979 France’s elite counterterrorist unit (GIGN) had to take control of the Great Mosque in Mecca that had been taken over by terrorists[12].  The Saudis are not too eager to have a strong military of their own for fear of being overthrown.  It is to their advantage to have a military that they can send home to some other part of the globe.  Therefore the Saudi “keepers of the faith” and protectors of the holy shrines under criticism of the religious fundamentalists support the paradox of entertaining foreign military powers on their own soil, a military which can be bought with oil money yet has no vote in their social decisions.

            Mohammed admittedly never attained perfection, nor was he able to perfect others.  He performed no miracles (unless you believe more modern tales that are now being told).  And, like the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith, his followers claim he was an uneducated man.   Why would anyone follow him or anyone else for that matter who would rally around a meteorite that fell from the sky in the Arabian desert which represents a tribal moon god named Allah?

            While the Qur’an teaches equality of all men, it has been historically true that only those who speak the sacred language, mainly Arabs, have usually risen to the top of the heap.  The conflict in Afghanistan with Bin Laden and the Taliban is a case in point.  It has been Arabs running the show.  As with the Temple Mormon elite (with a temple recommend) in Mormonism, it is only authorized believers who are allowed to approach the sacred rock in Mecca, within Islam.  Even though the Makkah Hilton which towers over the Al-Haram Mosque is part of an American hotel chain, its guests are restricted to followers of the Muslim religion.

            Researching the facts of history on anything is difficult enough.  The “facts,” depending on who reported them, can be jaded by a multitude of things; politics, ethnic prejudice, economics, language barriers, lack of evidence, etc.  History is most often written by conquerors, who at times have gone to great lengths to destroy monuments and evidence of those of whom they are conquering.  History to Muslims has generally been confined to Muslim interests.  Infidels are of little interest therefore their countries have no history.  Once a country has been conquered by Islam its prior history quickly vaporizes.  One Muslim told me that growing up in Cairo he knew of no other history prior to the life of Mohammed.  What little Biblical history one might find in the Qur’an is very vague and disjointed.  Islam shows little or no empathy toward non-Muslim nations.  The ancient Jewish scriptures in contrast records Jonah the prophet getting a lesson in compassion toward unbelievers when God is on the brink of destroying the city of Nineveh for its sin.

            Reporting on a religion presents its own set of problems.  Watching how the history of Mormonism was revised and glorified during the Winter Olympics of 2002 was a perfect example.  Had there not been hordes of non-Mormon evangelists on the streets and journalists working the media, the poor foreigners might well have gone home thinking that Mormonism was simply another Christian denomination oppressed by an evil society.  A journalist flown back in time to the era of Mohammed might find himself in a most difficult situation.  With Mormonism, a print shop in Illinois run by some critical of Joseph Smith was burned to the ground by leaders of the movement which landed their prophet in jail where he was shot to death by an angry mob who felt the law would not carry out justice.  The laws in the Arabian desert were tribal and the sword of justice was swift.  The law of the desert was much like the law of the jungle.  The strong man rules.  History has proven that the potential economic gain of a religion that is in control of every aspect of society is most dangerous.  Even in Salt Lake where there was freedom of speech there were Mormon authorities who tried every possible means, even going beyond their boundaries of power, to suppress those demonstrating against the Mormon Church.  One can only imagine what it must be like in Saudi Arabia where there are no first amendment rights to protect those who might be critical of Islam.   As they say, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  When the facts depend on what “God” has revealed, problems beyond imagination come in to play.  With Mormonism, they have ongoing revelation which can override previous revelation leaving God, or at least His prophet, looking rather outside of human logic.  But, to be fair, faith to some degree defies logic.  With all its eyewitnesses and documented “proof,” even orthodox Christianity leaves its followers making a step of faith to believe that Christ rose from the dead.  Muslims cannot seem to make that step.

            The average naive American who has little or no exposure to Islam is at a disadvantage in his effort to understand the religion.  Daniel Pipes who has spent much of his life researching and writing on Islam makes the observation in his book Militant Islam Reaches America that even some of the most respected authors on the subject have presented what is little more than a politically correct version of the facts.  The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World which was edited by John Esposito of America’s prestigious Georgetown University presents much of Islam in such glowing terms it comes across as an apologetic defense for the Muslim world.  Pipes points to what he calls the “vanity bibliographies” in the Encyclopedia where it is clear that many of its contributors more often than not cite their own material as proof references.  As a result, volumes in a library where a person might once have gone for understanding of objective knowledge have become questionable at best.

Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh.  This is the deceiver and the antichrist.  Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.  Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.  If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds. (2 John 7-11)

            Ignoring the advice of Christian scriptures many American clergy have not only compromised their faith but have put their congregations at risk by inviting Muslim leaders into their pulpits to expound on Islam.  In the small farming town of Prosser in eastern Washington, a pastor of a United Methodist Church opened his doors to the Muslim cleric of the Islamic Center of West Richland to expound on the “misunderstood religion of Islam.”  It seems rather suspicious to start with that a mosque has so recently popped up so near the Hanford Atomic Reserve where much of the United States research on atomic energy and bombs has been carried out since the second world war.  Now the evangelistic efforts of the Islamic Center is being encouraged by unsuspecting Christians who provide a platform right in their church.  I remember as a child growing up in this area seeing sheep-herders carrying rifles to protect their flock from coyotes.  Apparently this pastor does not take the words of the Bible serious where it so clearly warns about wolves who are continuously lurking about seeking some innocent sheep to have for lunch.

            The rationale of these kinds of meetings of course depends to some degree on the temperament of those involved.  If the Christian leader is not aware of how sincere the Muslim’s goal is to win converts he might be neutralized in his critical thinking by the overwhelming barrage of apologetic persuasion.  This Methodist pastor when challenged by his decision to invite the Imam into his pulpit made the claim that there are extremists in all religions.  This is true to a point yet it is far easier to justify militant actions with quotes from the Qur’an than it is from the New Testament.

            The Noble Qur’an clearly states, “Verily, those who disbelieve (in the religion of Islam, the Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad) from among the people of the Scriptures (Jews and Christians) and Al-Mushrikun[13] will abide in the fire of Hell.  They are the worst of creatures.” (Sura 98:6)

            The mixed message sent through the political propaganda machine since the towers were destroyed in New York has gone to great lengths to separate the “terrorism” from Islam, as though they have nothing in common.  Obviously for the sake of national unity, security and for the sake of not offending our Muslim allies, language has been experimented with which clearly compromises reality.  It is for this reason good preachers make poor politicians.  Those such as Billy Graham and others who have successfully preached a most simplistic gospel message, to avoid the controversy of cult apologetics and biblical difficulties, have found themselves struggling with how to deal with other Christian preachers who are possibly not so concerned with preserving their reputation.  Billy’s son Franklin let it fly by making public statements of his conviction regarding the not so pleasant history of Islam.

            Thinking the militant form of Islam, that is so often portrayed in the media, is a modern phenomena based on nothing more than media bias and the geopolitical economics surrounding the flow of oil, one might get the idea that the solution can be solved through diplomatic means.  Unfortunately there is no reasoning with those who have crossed the moral threshold of conscience which would allow cutting the throats and raping of innocent people in the name of their God.  Anyone with half a conscience left finds it hard to believe that our differences cannot be worked out over a cup of coffee.  It probably could be, providing there is someone standing over the coffee-table with a rifle.  How to understand war from a New Testament perspective is no easy task, after all it was Jesus who rebuked Peter for pulling his sword, with the words, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.”[14]  It is important to understand this verse in its context however, because it is followed by the statement, “Or do you not think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?  How than shall the scripture be fulfilled, that it must happen this way.”  He is referring not only to his relationship with His Father but also to the predestined plan of redemption which Peter’s sword was not likely to change.  The somewhat frightening implication is that the sword of Rome (or more specifically, the cross) and the misjudgment of the Jewish leaders played into the hand of God for His divine will, a thought that Peter nor most of us are too eager to embrace.

“. . . but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think

that he is offering service to God.  And these things they will do,

because they have not known the Father, or Me.” — Jesus Christ (John 16:2&3)

JIHAD

HOLY WAR?

 A few weeks before the airliner was blown to bits over Lockerbie Scotland, Peggy and I were at a large Muslim Mosque in London distributing gospel literature.  Before long a number of the men were loudly protesting the woman on the front steps of the mosque.  All other women, which made up less than a dozen, were out of public view in the basement.  After prayer many men made a mad dash to roll out carpets on the concrete steps in front of the mosque where they set up displays of literature and religious paraphernalia such as anointing oil and worry-beads.  The Mahjubah, a magazine for Muslim women, was also being distributed to the hundreds of men who had come there to pray.  On the cover was a color photo of Imam Khomeini, the great Islamic leader of the Islamic revolution and founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran.  The seven page article by Khomeini blasted away at the Soviet Union and the Great Satan (the U.S.).  "We call for the expansion of the influence of Islam in the world, and reduction of the world-devourer's domination, and now if the agents of the U.S. consider this policy as expansionism, we will have no apprehension; rather we will welcome it." "Our war is a war of ideology, and it does not know any geography and frontier. We must, in our war of ideology, embark on a major mobilization of the combatants of Islam in the world."

         Khomeini is no longer a threat to the living, but his ideology is.  As long as there are believers in the Qur’an, there will be fundamentalists or literalists who take the many verses pertaining to the "Jihad" or Holy War to heart.  Traditionally in Islamic thinking the world is divided into two categories, Dar al-Islam (the House of Islam) and  Dar al-Harb (the House of War).  The white sword on a field of Islamic green on the Saudi Arabian flag speaks loudly of the religion’s militant history.  The national logo is two crossed swords and a date palm tree in a land where the Qur’an is the constitution.  Once the west was concerned with the threat of communist red.  The newly recognized green peril is based on the threat of world domination by Islam which feeds on societies of poverty and discontent.  Numerous websites and publications encourage Muslims to seek positions of authority on school boards and local government.
        How to harness science and technology for the sake of Islam is a double-edged sword which threatens their very soul.  The clerics struggle with how they can separate the benefits of western society from the two evils of secularism and the Judeo/Christian belief system.  To some, all non-Islamic knowledge is ignorance.
        We had flown from Alaska to England to get some hands-on experience communicating with Muslims whom we had only read about.  At Speaker’s Corner in London we spent several afternoons listening to the Muslim preachers expounding to the crowds of tourists from their portable soapbox.  Christian evangelists as well would be presenting the Christian views amongst another crowd a short distance away.  Often times Muslim hecklers would challenge the Christians with pointed and sometimes twisted logic.
          One Muslim preacher started with a verse from Deuteronomy, the fifth book of the Bible, quoting Moses, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him.”[1]  This of course he claimed was a reference to Mohammed.  It rang as a familiar quote, for Mormons use it regularly to point to their prophet Joseph Smith.  He went on to proclaim that if the world would submit to Islam and the prophet Mohammed there would be world peace.  I shouted from the crowd, “What about jihad?”  He ignored me and continued on.  Before long I asked the question again, “What about jihad?”  He turned slightly on his three rung ladder and faced away from me and continued with his message.  The next time I asked the question a few bystanders chimed in with me.  Then, the whole crowd joined in a chant.  “What about jihad?  What about jihad?  What about jihad?”
          With his anger reaching the boiling point the young preacher turned toward me with fire in his eyes, stepped down from his short step-ladder, pointed his trembling finger at me and screamed in his Arab accent, “You know nothing of jihad!”
         “One thing I do know,” I replied, “if it were not for the witnesses of this crowd, you might be tempted to cut my throat.”  The crowd roared in agreement to my statement and began to disperse in different directions leaving the man embarrassed at his outburst.
         In order for one to see Mohammed as the fulfillment of the passage from Deuteronomy they must remain ignorant of both the Old and New Testament scriptures.  The Old Testament picture of Moses, who was educated in all the ways of the Egyptians, is one in which God proved His prophet’s calling with signs and wonders, and disciplined disobedient followers through plagues and other supernatural means.  Mohammed however was uneducated, worked no miracles and vindicated himself with the sword.  In the New Testament book of the Acts of the Apostles, both Peter and Stephen quote[2] the Deuteronomy passage as a clear reference to its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
         From that day on I began to look into the Qur’an and examine their propaganda machine in order to gain a better understanding of our obviously differing perspectives.  I picked up a copy of the Qur’an translated by J.M. Rodwell at a used book store in London.  It turned out to be a valuable tool for it is filled with a wealth of commentary on both history and theology from a Christian perspective.

 To give a better understanding of the mind of Islam, which is not so eager to turn the other cheek, consider a few passages from the Qur’an, inspired by Mohammed (A.D. 567-632).

"And think not that the infidels shall escape Us!  They shall not weaken God (Allah).

Make ready then against them what force ye can, and strong squadrons([3]) whereby ye may strike terror into the enemy of God and your enemy, and into others beside them whom ye know not, but whom God knoweth.  All that you shall expend for the cause of God shall be repaid you; and ye shall not be wronged." (Surah 8:60 - THE SPOILS)

 "When ye encounter the infidels, strike off their heads till ye have made a great slaughter among them, and of the rest make fast the fetters." "And whoso fight for the cause of God, their works he will not suffer to miscarry...he will bring them into the Paradise, of which he hath told them."  "But as for the infidels, let them perish: and their works shall God bring to nought." (Sura 47:4,5,6 - MOHAMMED)

 “O ye who believe!  Take not the Jews and Christians for friends.  They are friends one to another.  He among you who taketh them for friends is (one) of them.  Lo!  Allah guideth not the wrongdoing folk” (Surah 5:51, 4:144).[4]

 “We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve because they ascribe unto Allah partners, for which no warrant hath been revealed.  Their habitation is the Fire, and hapless the abode of the wrong-doers” (Surah 3:151)

           Whenever these verses and others that point out the militant and divisive nature of the Qur’an are referred to, the usual reaction for a Muslim is to quote Surah 2:256, “There is no compulsion in religion.”  What that means however is up for debate.  The implication is that no one becomes a Muslim through coercion.  Many will say this applies only to non-Muslims because it is clear that Muslims are “compelled” with much compulsion to remain Muslims.  Yet, there are many verses directed toward unbelievers that are quite harsh and paint quite a different story.  “O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites!  Be harsh with them.  Their ultimate abode is hell, a hapless journey’s-end.”  “Oh ye who believe!  Fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty (unto Him).”[5]

        Abrogation in the Qur’an, that is, the ability for Allah to change his mind and reveal a contradictory principle to his followers, is common and not to be questioned.  “Whatever a verse (revelation) do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring a better one or similar to it.  Know you not that Allah is able to do all things?”[6]  “And when We change a verse (of the Qur’an) in place of another — and Allah knows best what he sends down — They (the disbelievers) say: ’You (O Muhammad) are but a Muftari! (forger, liar).’ Nay, but most of them know not.”[7]

         This presents Allah as a God of contradictions thus making it easy for those reading the Qur’an to find nearly anything in it to justify whatever view fits with the present situation, especially in regards to fighting or punishing the infidel.  If one wants to apply a principle it only requires finding the appropriate surah, preferably a most recent one that will trump an earlier revelation.  Chapter 9 (Repentance) which has the most militant views about jihad is commonly understood to be of a later date in the process of revelation to Mohammed.

San Diego’s Muslims

A version of the Qur’an[1] endorsed by Sheikh ‘Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Humaid[2], Chief Justice of Saudi Arabia, was being distributed from the Islamic Center of San Diego, California in the months after 9/11.  It is most militant in its style and commentary.  In a section entitled “The Call to Jihad” we read, “As it is now obvious, at first ‘the fighting’ was forbidden, then it was permitted and after that it was made obligatory – (1) against them who start ‘the fighting’ against you (Muslims)... (2) and against all those who worship others along with Allah... as mentioned in Sura 2, 3, 9... and other Sura (Chapters of the Quran).  Allah made the fighting (Jihad) obligatory for the Muslims and gave importance to the subject-matter of Jihad in all the Sura which were revealed (at Al-Madinah) as in Allah’s Statement: ‘March forth whether you are light (being healthy, young and wealthy) or heavy (being ill, old and poor), and strive hard with your wealth and your lives in the Cause of Allah.  This is better for you if you knew.’ (Sura 9:41)  And He (Allah) said: ‘Jihad (holy fighting in Allah’s Cause) is ordained for you (Muslims) though you dislike it, and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you.  Allah knows but you do not know.”(Sura 2:216)
         Leaving out major issues of theology and historical politics Islam and the media often portrays the teaching of the Quran as being as peace loving as a Mormon TV commercial and “being closely linked with both Christianity and Judaism, promoting the same God.”  Few Muslims are willing to admit that the first four caliphs after Mohammed’s death were all assassinated by fellow Muslims.  There are those who will admit that “militant Islam” is  a threat but want to separate those “fundamentalist” Muslims from the others who follow the teaching of the same book.  The implication is that a white lie and a black lie constitute two different forms of morality.  It may be a gray issue if for the sake of hurt emotions one tells a child that the over-baked cookies she just made are very tasty, but when one is lying about the nature of God we have crossed over the line.
        In order to neutralize public criticism about murders done to the innocent in the name of Allah, Muslims often claim the Qur’an forbids such violence.  They then casually quote, “Whoever kills a person, unless it be for manslaughter or for mischief in the land, it is as though he had killed all men.  And whoever saves a life, it is as though he had saved the lives of all men.”[3]   If one were to read the Surah in its context however it is clear something else is meant.  In reality the verse starts out referring to the Children of Israel, that is Jews, and the Surah that follows reads, “The only punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive to make mischief in the land is that they should be murdered, or crucified, or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposites sides, or they should be imprisoned.”  It is clear that the point being made here is, woe to any Jew killing or making mischief against Islam or the prophet.   Context seems to mean little to a Muslim who is trying to persuade a non-Muslim.  If a non-Muslim however quotes anything out of the Qur’an that brings question to the religion or its prophet they are quickly criticized and accused of misrepresenting the text.
         Peggy and I attended a lecture by a history professor at Phoenix, Arizona on the topic of Islam.  Though claiming to be a Baptist, when asked about the jihad question the professor quickly responded in Unitarian fashion saying he had Muslim friends that assured him that jihad was not in the Qur’an and that it was simply an expression of one extreme form of Islam.  Obviously the professor had never looked it up himself.  He seemed to be overlooking some very important details of history.  Was it because of fear that he was trying to be polite by quoting the Muslim party line?
         This religion of “peace and tolerance” notion is often picked up through the material published by the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement of Pakistan.  This movement, often considered heretical by other Muslims, was started by, self proclaimed mujaddid (renewer),  Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908) and popularized by the writings of Maulana Muhammad Ali (1874-1951).  His 1951 English translation and glowing commentary of the Quran works well in evangelizing naive westerners who have little knowledge of Islam or its history.  The British Muslim Scholar, Marmaduke Pickthall claimed in a review of one of Maulana’s books: “Probably no man living has done longer or more valuable service for the cause of Islamic revival than Maulan Muhammad Ali of Lahore.”  The highly evangelistic Ahmadiyyas have traditionally been opposed to all western rule, viewing it as the dajjal (imposter and apocalyptic Antichrist), though advocating reform through intellectual means that appeal to human nature rather than militant jihad.
         To say jihad is not in the Quran is like saying the Trinity is not in the Bible.  Even if the word itself is not used, the doctrine is clearly there for those who have eyes to see.  This is like so-called Christians who say they don’t believe in being born again.  Jesus clearly said that unless one is born again he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  To ignore key portions of ones religious book or the teaching of the leader of that religion disqualifies one from being considered a member of the sect.  The commentary in one Qur’an reads, “By Jihad Islam is established, Allah’s Word is made superior.”
         The Christian Crusades which have been rightly accused of many barbaric acts were retaliation to earlier Muslim jihads and partly spurred on by the Muslim atrocities of a caliph who followed the prosperous rein of the Fatimids, who in the spirit of earlier Ismaili of Qarmat, set out to restore the Persian Empire and overthrow the Arabs in Mecca (930).  Al-Hakin (996-1021) persecuted Christians and Jews, burning their churches and synagogues and even destroying the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.  Around the same time, the terrorists of Alamut (Eagles Nest) in northern Persia, in the name of Allah, were sending out hashshasheen (drinkers of hashish, where we get the modern word assassin) targeting what they felt were corrupt Muslim tyrants or usurpers and also infidel leaders as well.  Their leader Hasan ibu al-Sabbah, an Ismaili, rewarded his assassins with paradise, supposedly after brainwashing them with the help of intoxicating drugs.  Some of our understanding of the Assassins come from stories related by the famous traveler Marco Polo who passed through the area in 1271 after several hundred years of this assassin tradition.  Numerous were the victims of these secret terrorist warriors, including Conrad of Montferrat, King of Jerusalem.  Nizan of Spain was stabbed to death in 1092 by one of Hasan’s followers.  The Alamuts fought against the Crusaders and others until they were eventually captured by the Mongols under Hulagu in 1256.
         The history of the Sikhs in the Punjab area of northern India is another picture of Islam’s conversion by the sword.  Guru Tegh Bahadur was publicly beheaded at Delhi in 1675 after making the statement to Aurangzeb, “The Prophet of Mecca who founded your religion could not impose one religion on the world, so how can you?  It is not God’s will.” Gobind Singh, the last of the Sikh gurus, died of knife wounds inflicted by a Muslim assassin.  In the years following, after other Sikhs refused to submit to the Mughals, cartloads of their heads were put on public display on the tips of Muslim spears.  
         The reality is that the Qur’an teaches Mohammed’s sixth century misunderstanding of both Christianity and Judaism.  They do hold to similar doctrines when it comes to the existence of angels, the one that fell, namely Satan (shaitan) or the devil, and they acknowledge the issue of sin, and eternal punishment or hell.  One punishment for falling away from Islam is that the apostate will be resurrected blind after a life of hardship (Surah 20:124).  Heaven or paradise, in Islam, is a garden flowing with water, wine, honey and fruit trees.
         Jinns, where we get the English idea of genies in bottles etc., are similar to devils but of a different class.  They are believed to be a carry over from pre-Islamic Arabian gods.  Created of “smokeless fire”[4] they have free will and have invented the religions of the world.  Unlike Biblical demons they are capable of salvation.
        To the Muslim, Islam is the religion of Adam.  All of humanity is born by nature into that religion, then loses its way through erroneous tradition and teachings of society.  Then, strangely enough, the Qur’an teaches that some are predestined for hell, “And surely, We have created many of the jinn and mankind for hell”(Sura 7:179).  The Christian view is that everyone is born with a sinful and fallen nature in need of redemption through the cross and it is God’s will that none perish.  There is no Biblical redemption however for the devil or his angels for whom God created hell (Matt. 25:41).

The Qur’an places some very revealing words in the mouth of Jesus.  And (remember) when ‘Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), said: “O Children of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allah unto you, confirming the Taurat [(Torah) which came] before me, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad.[5]  But when he (Ahmad, i.e. Mohammed) came to them with clear proofs, they said: “This is plain magic.’”(Surah 61:6
        Citing Greek Bible text it is claimed by many Muslims that Mohammed was the fulfillment of a prophecy of Christ referring to the coming Holy Spirit (Comforter or Parakelitos Grk), which would glorify Christ and be with us forever (John 14:16,16:7,14).  They however, use the word “Periklutos” (the praised one, or Ahmad) instead.  It might be worthy to note that Mohammed is no longer with us and his followers want nothing to do with the Biblical Christ.  This appeals to the half-hearted searcher of scripture but fails by not acknowledging that it is Jesus who is credited in the Bible as sending Him (the parakelitos) to you.[6]  Muslims are not eager to accept Mohammed being sent by any other than Allah.  This is not to mention that the Holy Spirit’s role is to glorify Christ, not Allah.[7] 

T H E   T R I N I T Y ?

 Despite the fact there is ample manuscript evidence of the Bible’s reliability the Qur’an teaches that the Bible has been corrupted in translation and that the Trinity is a belief in three Gods.  “Abraham was neither Jew nor Christian; but he was sound in the faith, and not of those who add gods to God”(Sura 3:67).  The Qur’an understanding of the Trinity is three Gods; Father God, Mother God (Mary), Baby God (Jesus) therefore Christians are viewed as polytheists, thus guilty of the unpardonable sin (shirk) of adding gods to the Godhead.  “Believe therefore in God and his apostles, and say not, ‘Three:’ (there is a Trinity)   Forbear it will be better for you.  God is only one God!  Far be it from His glory that He should have a son!”(Sura 4:171)  “Infidels now are they who say, ‘Verily God is the Messiah Ibn Maryam (son of Mary)!” (Sura  5:72)   

       The Muslim misconception is 1+1+1=3, whereas the Christian concept is 1x1x1=1.

       The Muslim cannot grasp the concept of God being so loving that He would sacrifice His only begotten Son for the sins of man.  Yet, that is exactly what John the Baptist was saying when he called Jesus the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29).
        The Muslim challenge to Christian theology has been so public as to have anti-Trinitarian verses from the Qur’an printed on their first gold coins in 694 by Abd al-Malik. “There is no God but God (Allah) alone, he has no companion.  Muhammed is the Prophet of God, who sent him with guidance and the religion of the truth to make it prevail over all religion.” (9:33)  “He is God, one, eternal; he does not beget nor is he begotten.” (112:1-3)  The same verses he had written on the walls of the Dome of the Rock Mosque he built in Jerusalem in 691.  This was to rival the Christian Church of the Holy Sepulchre and make a strong polemic statement against Christian doctrine.  Other anti-Trinitarian verses repeatedly decorate the walls.  Islam is clearly antichrist in its history, its theology and its scripture the Qur’an.  The placement of this mosque on the site of the old Jewish temple was a statement against the Jews.
        The Qur’an clearly teaches, “And when the sacred months are passed, kill those who join other gods with God wherever ye shall find them; and seize them, besiege them, and lay wait for them with every kind of ambush: but if they shall convert, and observe prayer, and pay the obligatory alms, then let them go their way, for God is Gracious, Merciful” “Christians say, ‘The Messiah is a son of God.’ Such the sayings in their mouths! They resemble the saying of the Infidels of old!  God do battle with them!  How are they misguided.”  “O Prophet!  Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites!  Be harsh with them.  Their ultimate abode is hell, a hapless journey’s-end” (Sura 9:5,30,73 “IMMUNITY”).  Apparently it is not enough that the infidels are going to hell, some Muslims, with encouragement from the Qur’an, feel they should hurry up the process of getting them there.  To avoid criticism Muslims often claim these verses were only for a particular event in history and do not apply today.  Christians, at times, are guilty  of the same ploy when they find something in their scripture that they do not like.  Some are known to say certain things only apply to the “apostolic age” or to the Jewish culture, etc.
         One way of doing battle with the “infidels,” or tolerated minorities  under Islam within its borders has been to levy poll-taxes (jizyah) “obligatory alms” against them.[1]  These taxes are then used to finance jihad and Islamic expansion.  It is beneficial to protect some people with a covenant Dhimma if they are offering to society something that Islam has use for.
         In America however, the tone is a milder one, in the key of democracy, it seems perfectly fine for them to publish deceptive statements about Christianity but when someone makes a statement critical of Islam and its violent history they are accused of being bigoted “Islam-bashers” and the Muslims beg for religious tolerance.  Daniel Pipes has written extensively on Islam and studied Arabic in Cairo, the city of a thousand minarets, is a most outspoken critic of the religion.  He claims that the subtle neutralizing of all critical thinking toward the religion is the first step in the Muslim plan to bring about Shari’a law.
        There is a reason many Christian missionaries don’t put their home addresses on their literature.  The word assassin is an Arabic one.  When noted Christian leader Jerry Falwell made remarks that Mohammed himself was a violent man in the same nature as a modern terrorist he was immediately targeted with death threats by numerous Muslim leaders in Iran and Lebanon.  The proclamation (fatwa) of death came in the same fashion as those years earlier against author Salman Rushdie.  Falwell made a halfhearted apology after riots were ignited around the globe as a result of Muslim reactions to his remarks.  If Mohammed were truly a prophet speaking for God one would think that God should be able to defend the message without his followers getting so emotional and calling for revenge.  If God is the judge, why not let him be the judge.  Apparently some Muslims figure he needs a little help.
         Meanwhile Muslims practice what they call taqiyya, that is, the doctrine of deception to conceal their true beliefs.  It is akin to smiling politely while you look for a soft spot in your enemies armor in which to stick your sword.
          Khalid Duran’s book Children of Abraham: An Introduction to Islam for Jews came under attack in April of 2001 by a Washington D.C. Muslim advocacy group called the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).  Pleas were made to have Khalid killed for apostacy simply because he recorded some embarrassing facts about Muslim history.  His early involvement with PBS in the 1994 documentary, Jihad in America, put him on CAIR’s radar.  CAIR followed the same pattern as many fundamentalist Islamist groups who pressure journalists and others in effort to rewrite history and mold public opinion.  Steven Emerson, the producer of the documentary, was contacted by federal law enforcement officials in 1995 who informed him that their surveillance revealed his life was in danger.  They claimed a foreign hit squad had been sent to work with American militant Muslims to have him assassinated.
         CAIR has put statements about Daniel Pipes on their website designed to inflame the militant arm of Islam.  Claims that his critical analysis of Islam is nothing more than lies and charge him of hate crimes against Islam.  They have made not so veiled threats about him being held responsible before the Creator.
         It has been said that Jihad is the embarrassing sixth pillar of Islam.  John Esposito, Professor of Religion and International Affairs, and Director of the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, in his book The Islamic Threat, Myth or Reality, catalogs the ebb and flow of militant Islam in modern history.  The disdain for separation of mosque and state is the underlying factor fueling political tensions.  The ultimate goal is government run by “Allah.”  Esposito observes there are two options in meeting that goal: (1) Evolution, through preaching and social activism or (2) revolution, when things are not evolving fast enough.  How fast is fast enough depends on whom you talk to.  The secret revolutionary anarchist method is one that falls somewhere in between.  It uses jihad to disrupt secular society challenging authority by whatever means it finds necessary.  Modern Egypt, where Coptic Christians and foreign tourists have been murdered, is a good example; it has been targeted by groups such as The Brotherhood, the Islamic Liberation Organization and the Holy War Society.   These hard-liners see only black or white.  One is either in the party of God or the party of Satan.  Even those who claim to be Muslims who do not endorse the revival package are considered enemies of Allah.  It is for this reason that Muslims can target civilians and at times kill fellow Muslims and feel little remorse.  Religious dictators have used this mindset to their advantage throughout history.
          It has been some consolation to the west when Muslim countries such as Iraq and Iran spend their energy killing each other.  At least they were not focused on us.  Now that some of these rogue countries, and individual groups within them, have turned their attention to the west with technology of mass destruction that could devastate the planet we now have a serious concern.
         One Muslim we met in England who had converted to another religion was terrified about being deported back to Israel for fear of being murdered by his own family.  The Qur’an has some wonderful instruction on how to treat hypocrites who have turned back from their Islamic faith, “They long that you should disbelieve as they have disbelieved so that you might be on the same level; so take not from among them friends until they flee in Allah’s way.  Then if they turn back, seize them, and kill them wherever you find them, and take no friend nor helper from among them.”[2]  Another we met at a university in Arizona, a student from Iran, was eager to learn as much about the Christian Bible as he could while in America but expressed his concerns about going home to a country that forbids one to convert from Islam to another religion.  He claimed that two-thirds of the people in his country hate Islam and the fruit of hatred it has produced but few are willing to voice their convictions.
         Asnraf Hussein, a professor of Islamic studies at the University of Dharka in Bangladesh is quoted as saying, “According to Islamic laws, anyone who speaks ill against Prophet Muhammed or criticizes the Qur’an in any way should be given the death sentence.”  One would think that if Islam produced such peace it would be evident in the home land of the religion, Saudi Arabia.  Yet, King Faisal was assassinated by his own nephew Prince Faisal ibn Musaid in March 25, 1975, all over earlier squabbles over the introduction of a television station, a great evil from the west.  Once again they are threatened by anything that makes them think beyond their tradition.  Some Christians in the west have had knee-jerk reactions to the introduction of new technology as well but they normally recoil in fear rather than resorting to violence.  Usually the reaction is merely fear of losing control.  When Gutenburg printed the first Bible (1454-55) with his movable type, and later when the first Bibles were made available to the common man in English, it was the government authorities that had the most difficult time of it, for it meant the average person could read it and make up his own mind on what it meant.  That’s bad for business, church business, that is.
         We interviewed a young black man with a white embroidered scull-cap, or takiah (“piety”), at the final Ramadan service in San Diego, California in 2001, where there were 7,000 Muslims.  He wore a denim jacket with the words “JIHAD AND THE RIFLE ALONE,  NO Negotiations!  NO Conferences!  NO Dialogue!” embroidered in yellow on his back.  It is a quote from the book Join the Caravan, a popular book written by the late Shiek Abdullah Azzam.[3]  When we asked him if he could explain his understanding of Jihad to us he said,  “Any Muslim who does not believe in jihad, is not a good Muslim.”  He went on to write down familiar Qur’an references regarding jihad on a piece of paper for us.  He went on to tell us that Mohammed the prophet was noted to have said the only reason he would be willing to come back from the dead would be to fight in jihad.  I found the reference in the Saudi authorized version of the Qur’an “Call to Jihad” commentary.  “I would love to be martyred in Allah’s Cause and then come back to life and then be martyred and then come back to life again and then be martyred and then come back to life again and then be martyred.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 2797).
        The same commentary from the Hadith reads, “Jihad is a great deed indeed and there is no deed whose reward or blessing is as that of it, and for this reason, it is the best thing that one can volunteer for.”  Jihad is seen as the ultimate form of Shahada, or testimony for God.
        The man with the denim jacket was asked if he felt that flying commercial airliners into the twin towers in New York was a good expression of jihad.  He said that he thought the targets should have been kept military.  But, then he shrugged his shoulders and said, “But who am I?”  This is the attitude of many in the Muslim world who are not really of the militant Islamist temperament themselves.  Though they may not be partakers in the violence they are not too eager to condemn it either.
        The Qur’an is not too vague in its statements about other religions.  “Whoso desireth any other religion than Islam, that religion shall never be accepted from him, and in the next world he shall be among the lost” (SURA 3:85).            One needs no knowledge of Arabic to get the translation.  These unbelievers, or apostates, are referred to in derogatory terms as kafir  (kuffar plural) or infidels.
         It was this type of religious fervor for control that had driven Europe to seek an alternate route to India which ultimately lead to Columbus discovering the Americas.  After the capture of Constantinople (now named Istanbul) in 1453 a blockade by the Muslim Turks cut off trade to the Far East making for hard times in the shipping industry of southern Europe.  Maybe the American Indians should blame the Muslims for the Europeans coming to America.
        The first Masonic book printed in America was produced by Benjamin Franklin in 1734 was a reprint of a work by James Anderson printed in London 1723.  Its view of Islam on page 27 is quite revealing, “as the Asiatic and African Nations fell under the same calamity [as by Goths and Vandals] by the conquest of the Mahometans, whose grand design is only to convert the world by fire and sword, instead of cultivating the Arts and Sciences.”

     G. Margoliouth’s introduction of the 1861 English version of the Koran, translated by J. M. Rodwell and dedicated to the Chief Justice of New Zealand, points out the nature of Mohammed’s book.  “From the first flash of prophetic inspiration which is clearly discernible in the earlier portions of the book he, later on, frequently descended to deliberate invention and artful rhetoric. . .Biblical reminiscences, Rabbinic legends, Christian tradition mostly drawn from distorted apocryphal sources, and native heathen stories, all first pass through the prophet’s fervid mind...to serve as an encouragement to his faithful adherents, and to strike terror into the hearts of his opponents.”

          The monument of 800 skulls are displayed in the cathedral of Otranto, Italy as a constant reminder of bishop Stefano Pendinelli who was sawn in two, and the men who were beheaded in front of their wives and families in the valley of the martyrs by the invading Muslims in 1480 because they would not endorse the prophet’s religion of peace.

          Should one believe this to be an exaggeration of the facts, consider the commentary of a modern Qur’an in the description of the ultimate goal of Islam under one world ruler.  “When you all (Muslims) are united (as one block) under a single Khalifah (a chief Muslim ruler), and a man comes up to disintegrate you and separate you into different groups, then kill that man.”  It goes on with more supposed words from the prophet, “If the Muslim world gave the Bai’ah (pledge) to two Khalifah (chief Muslim rulers), the first one who was given the Bai’ah (pledge) first will remain as the Khalifah, then kill the latter (second) one.”[4]
         According to the Qur’an the Muslim is considered free of all obligations and treaties made with Mushrikun (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah).[5]  And they wonder why westerners do not trust them.  The Saudi flag, sporting its white sword on a holy field of green does not portray a very peaceful image.  I wonder what the world would think if the United States flag had an image of an atomic mushroom cloud in a field of stars and stripes.
        Many Muslim leaders still call America the “Great Satan.” Though America is not perfect, God never claimed to be an American.  The God of Islam is clearly not the God of the Christian Bible.  This war of ideology is not merely an Arab or ethnic war; many of the world’s 1.2 billion adherents are not Arabs.  This war is a spiritual and theological war.
         The Bible explains it this way, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day” (Eph. 6:12&13).
         The concept of loving and praying for your enemies in Islam is a foreign concept.  Terms such as warriors of the cross, or Christian crusades conjure up a totally different meaning to a Muslim than they do to Christians.  They do not know what it means to get on your knees and fight like a man.
          The violent fruit of Islamic society is portrayed in the words of the biblical prophet Jeremiah, where they will be “saying ‘peace peace’ but there is no peace.”
         We often hear Muslims reminiscing of the glory days of the Ottoman Empire.  What we hear little about is the ruthless slaughter by the blood-thirsty despot, Abdul-Hamid, who was labeled the Red Sultan or Abdul the Damned.  He  and his Ottoman followers endorsed the killing of over a million Armenians and the forced conversion of non-Muslims in their military.  In 1914 and 1915 the Turkish government begin demanding Armenians  to turnover their weapons, including all knives, then proclaimed a Jihad against Armenia throughout the Ottoman Empire.  Crosses were soon replaced by crescents in effort to strip Armenia of its Christian history.  This Jihad was extended to include England, France and Russia, while Turkey’s German ally aids the Ottoman Navy attacking Russian ports on the Black Sea.  In August of 1915 the New York Times reports of Turkey planning to destroy the whole Armenian nation.  All along the Germans report to the west that massacre stories were all fabricated.  In August 12, 1915, the end of Ramadan’s three day holiday of Bairam Muslims were given time off from massacring Armenians at their 36 executions centers in the area of Sivas in order to rest.  President Woodrow Wilson ordered his ambassador to Turkey, Henry Morgenthau, to write a book about these events which is titled, “A Personal Account of the Armenian Genocides.” 

Which Truth?

         It has been said that the first casualty in war is truth.  Many Christian leaders are not willing to be critical of cult religions because they are so unable to defend their own.  They often take the Pietist stand, that God does not need someone to defend Him, therefore are not willing to take a stand for truth.  They are being swept along in a sea of relativism that gives the Bible little more credibility than the Qur’an or the Book of Mormon.  Laughing at the absurdity of Islam is no substitute for reasonable argument.  While Christians have been lulled to sleep in their comfortable social settings the Muslims have been holding Dawa (Witnessing) Conferences discussing how they might win the West.  Passivity is surely not the attitude of the Biblical writers.  Six hundred years before Christ, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah, “Come now, and let us reason together” (Isa. 1:18).  God is not opposed to men using logic to think things through.  Jude wrote that we should “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3)   Peter wrote that we should be “ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence” (1 Pet. 3:15)

 Visiting Mosques in the San Diego area the December after 9/11 was quite revealing.  The Muslims were celebrating Ramadan, their month of fasting (only during daylight hours).  They were on their best behavior because we were told, they are taught that to lose their temper during the fast is to negate the effects of the fast before Allah.  Next to one of our country’s largest Islamic Centers is a Lutheran church which shares part of its parking space with the mosque.  The pastor was quite frank about the difficulty in dealing with his mainly Arab and foreign neighbors.  The wealthy Kuwaitis he claimed are the most arrogant, often trying to buy him off with hundred dollar bills in order to gain more parking space.

         On our tour of the Mosque we were given two English copies of the Qur’an.  The one with the militant commentary, endorsed by Sheikh ‘Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Humaid, the Chief Justice of  Saudi Arabia,[1] has such entries as,  “And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war (tanks, planes, missiles, artillery) to threaten the enemy of Allah and your enemy, and others besides whom, you may not know but whom Allah does know.  And whatever you shall spend in the Cause of Allah shall be repaid unto you, and you shall not be treated unjustly”(Sura 8:60).  A lengthy section is dedicated to explaining the need for Jihad (Holy War) to promote the message of the Prophet.
        It should not come as a surprise to see such fervor from the Saudi Muslims.  In 1744 Mohammed Al Sa’ud one of the early ancestors of the Saudi family joined with one of the strictest teachers of the Qur’an, Mohammed Al Wahhab.  Sons of these two men, following after the pattern laid down by their fathers, unleashed rigid punishment upon people (1802-1806) capturing Mecca and Medina.  They massacred the entire male population of Taif, extending the Al Sa’uds authority southward to Oman.  In 1932, six years before oil is discovered, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia becomes the twelfth largest country in the world.  More fighting happened among the Muslims when Saudi Arabia went to war against Yemen.  Religious factions demonstrated in 1948 over the introducing of new technology, namely, radio.  Later Prince Khalid ibn Musaid, King Faisal’s nephew is killed while leading a protest in 1965 over the opening of a new television station.  King Faisal is later killed in 1975 by Prince Faisal ibn Musaid, the brother of Prince Khalid ibn Musaid.  Certainly this is not one big happy family.

            One mosque, the Al-Madina Al-Munawara, east of San Diego, in El Cajon, we found to be locked up tight on Friday when it should have been bustling with worshippers.  With a little inquiry among the neighbors and past newspaper articles we revealed some fascinating information.  Since 9/11 the Kurdish Muslims had decided to abandon the building which had been purchased by a Saudi man, Al-Bayoumi, who arrived back in 1997 with a $545,000 gift.  It was reported that his gift came with strings attached however.   According to one report, the FBI claimed there was a terrorist connection and Bayoumi disappeared to England to go to school where he was arrested.  While in California, however he frequented the larger Islamic Center in San Diego.  Consequently, the normally low-key Kurdish congregation had taken to gathering somewhere else because of all the bad press and its Saudi connection.

         Funny, how so many mosques in the U. S. are built near universities to accommodate the foreign students.  If Islam has such a superior culture, why is it that they send their young people to America, Britain and other westernized countries to get educated, then have the gall to complain about western immorality and culture?  It reminds me of those who buy a house near an airport then complain about the noise.  How some Muslims, who admire the West, rationalize this apparent contradiction is by looking at the advances, such as algebra, that Islam once gave to the world.  They reason that the foundation of modern science was stolen from Islam and it is only just that they take back their heritage.

BLACK ISLAM

         Another version of Islam, the American Black Muslim variety, which can be traced back to Detroit in the early 1930’s, is presented through the leadership of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, son of Elijah Muhammad who died in 1975.  In the beginning it was a stretch to call Elijah’s religion Islam, but it has evolved over time.  Deen is the leader of the Muslim of American Society, a ministry largely to blacks.  Many converts to this movement have come through outreach to blacks in prison, promoting a separate “black” culture.  Of non-immigrant Muslims in America about 85 percent are black.  In Deen’s newspaper Muslim Journal sent out to mosques and others on his mailing list, there was much talk of interfaith unity and pictures of him meeting with big names such as liberal Christian leader Dr. Schuller, and Louis Farrakhan who, in the past has praised Hitler, and remarked  that Judaism is a “gutter religion.”  Much of this public show is part of Warith’s effort to move toward mainline Islam and tone down the past anti-white rhetoric about “blue-eyed devils.”  His paper is a polite mixed bag of peace messages in one breath and anti Christian and Jewish messages in another.  Quoting verses from the Qur’an which have historically been pointed at Trinitarian Christians the Imam’s paper reads, “’Say, Oh people of the Book [Bible]!  Come to common terms as between us and you: that we worship none but G-d, that we associate no partner with Him, that we erect not from among ourselves lords and patrons other than G-d.  If then they turn back, say ye ‘bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims (bowing to G-d’s Will).’  Civilized nations should want that their religions be also civilized.  False worship is the worst form of oppression.”  The implication is, that to worship Christ, who they view as merely a man, is adding Gods to the Godhead, is uncivilized and the worst form of oppression.  In the fashion of the Mormons and other cults, the newspaper quotes the Bible when it serves the Muslim prejudice and disregards Biblical authority when they are challenged by it.  In other words, when in doubt, disregard.
         Many in the black community are still having a hard time letting go of history.  One black man we interviewed in one mosque had a difficult time talking about his religion of Islam without bringing up the history of slavery in America.  He was rather shocked when I pointed out to him that Muslims in many countries have taken part in the slave trade.  As a matter of fact Saudi Arabia, the home of Mecca, continued slavery as a common practice until it was abolished in 1962.  The Islamic Republic of Mauritania in western Africa continued it as a legal tradition until 1980.  Islam found that capturing young slaves from foreign countries (some such countries have come to be known as Slavic countries) provided them good young men that could be educated, trained, or brainwashed, for the sake of manning their army.  These men, having no emotional ties to wives and family, in the interest of self preservation, would give their loyalty to their commanders thus to the Islamic cause of jihad.  Slavery is not merely a sin of white Christian culture.  Temptation to capitalize on the benefits of cheap labor is as broad as humanity itself.  Even certain American Indian tribes were known to capture members of other clans.  Human nature is not necessarily dictated by the color of our skin.
          A version of the Qur’an translated by Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall is commonly distributed in mosques around America.  Judgment day is portrayed in the following verses.  “On the day when (some faces will be whitened and (some) faces will be blackened; and as for those whose faces have been blackened, it will be said unto them: Disbelieve ye after your (profession of) belief?  Then taste the punishment for that ye disbelieved.  As for those whose faces have been whitened, lo! in the mercy of Allah they dwell for ever” (Surah 3:106 & 107).  The Interpretation of the Noble Qur’an endorsed by the Saudi Chief Justice might be a difficult pill for American blacks to swallow if they read it objectively.  Its describes judgment day in ethnic terms as well.  “So on that Day no question will be asked of man or jinni as to his sin [because they have already been known from their faces either white (dwellers of Paradise — true believers of Islamic Monotheism) or black (dwellers of Hell — polytheists, disbelievers, criminals)].  The Mujrimun (polytheists, criminals, sinners) will be known by their marks (black faces), and they will be seized by their forelocks and their feet.”[2]
         It was interesting to see how various ethnic Muslim communities came together after 9/11 to celebrate Ramadan and other festivals when they have never gotten along in the past.  Traditional Islam is cautious of some of the western versions of Islam, and at the same time some poor western Muslim communities are leery of being manipulated by rich Arab money.
          History has shown that the poor are often eager to accept any new leader if it softens their load.  Liberal Christians and Jews have often found employment in the construction of mosques in the same way many Christians have found themselves working on the construction of modern Mormon churches and Temples, jobs attained through the union hall.  Inviting the devil in is one way to keep the heating bill down.  In the eighth century when Spain was invaded by the Moors those who caved in to the pressure and endorsed the Muslim faith were called “renegado,” or renegades.  Many stood their ground however such as the priest Perfectus who was sentenced to death and decapitated by the Muslims for publicly stating Mohammed was “the servant of Satan.”  From the scaffold he cursed the prophet as “an imposter, an adulterer, and a child of hell.”  His death inflamed a zeal among both faiths.  Many Christian martyrs followed.  The Zealots were led by the monk Eulogius who was martyred himself a few years later.
         Much of what fueled the Spanish Inquisition of 1478-1492, was the suspicion of those who held views such as the “renegades” which would appear to side with which ever side was in control.  Given the history of Muslim invaders (1480) who had slaughtered about 10,000 people of Otranto, sawing bishop Stefano Pendinelli in half while yet alive, and in front of their wives and families whacked off the heads of 800 who would not convert to Islam (on what is now called the “Hill of the Martyrs“), the Spanish government was not about to allow anyone, Christian or Jew, to live within its borders which may have sided with the enemy in the past.  So, either convert to their Catholic version of Christianity, or get out.  Therefore Spain was purged of non-desirables which they felt a threat to the throne.  Either you are with us, or you are against us.  Italy’s cathedral of Otranto displays many of the skulls of these martyrs in huge glass cases as a constant reminder of the past.   The fall of Constantinople in 1453 to Muslim invasion, and the ordeal at Otranto quickly brought about following crusades.
         Many American converts to Islam hate their own country, which they feel for one reason or another, has failed them.  Islam targets these disgruntled citizens much like any religious cult that targets those who have fallen through the cracks of traditional Christian denominations.  By taking advantage of naive unguarded minds they make them feel accepted and feed their questions with answers that tickle both their ears and their egos with the idea they can be a part of creating an Islamic utopian paradise here on earth.
        The late Malcolm X, an early convert to the Nation of Islam, had a falling out with Elijah Mohammad in 1963 and left the movement.  He had started out in the same anti-white spirit of most Black Nationalist leaders but changed his tune after a trip to Mecca where he saw both whites and blacks rallying together around the sacred rock.  Though he is dead, he lives on as a poster-boy for the glories of Islam since he changed his name to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz and began preaching a more unifying message of Islam’s one God and the oneness of man.  One tract published by the Islamic Circle of North America tells Malcolm’s conversion story and claims Islam is the solution to all racism.  It includes a conversion stamp of approval from the oldest and most prestigious Islamic University, Al-zhar in Jeddah, and a commission for such believers to propagate the “True Religion in order that it may prevail over all other religions.”

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

THE PROPAGANDA MACHINE

         Some of the material published by Muslims for the sake of evangelizing and tearing down the Christian faith clearly shows how little most of them know about the Bible.

          Among the popular tracts distributed to mosques from the Institute of Islamic Information & Education in Chicago there was one entitled Who invented the Trinity, in which apostle Paul is credited as being the true founder of Christianity.  The “Great Commission” of Matthew 28:19, a common verse cited in favor of the Trinity, is claimed to be an addition to the original text.  It is suggested that the Unitarian rejection of the Trinity is a more proper view of God, yet fails to mention that the Unitarians also believe in reincarnation which the Muslims abhor.  Rejecting this text is also a clear indication of the doctrine of baptism which Islam rejects.
          Another entitled Is Jesus Really God? quotes many Bible versions showing the humanity of Christ while rejecting the ones that portray His Deity.  Like with the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jesus is claimed to be merely a created being.  The crucifixion is rejected with a verse from the Qur’an, “And for their unbelief, and their uttering against Mary a mighty calumny, and for their saying, ‘We slew the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the Messenger of God’...yet they did not slay him, neither crucified him, only a likeness of that was shown to them.  Those who are at variance concerning him surely are in doubt regarding him, they have no knowledge of him, except the following of surmise; and they did not slay him of certainty...no indeed; God raised him up to Him; God is Almighty, All-Wise.  There is not one of the people of the Book but will assuredly believe in him before his death, and on the Resurrection Day he will be a witness against them (Qur’an 4:156-159).
        The tract entitled Mary and her son Jesus is quite revealing.  Many good things are said of Mary (Al-Imran and Marium in Arabic), her virginity is acknowledged, but when Jesus is born we see a rather strange happening in Sura 19:29-33.  Jesus, a mere infant, carries on a conversation with the people as though he is simply another adult.  There is no mention of Joseph, the husband of Mary in the Qur’an.
         A Muslim ministry based out of Annandale, Virginia which distributes a glossy publication by Transcom International called Discover Islam claims, “Rights and responsibilities of both sexes are equitable and balanced in their totality.”  It claims that anything to the contrary is due to cultural practices in countries that are not authentic to Islamic teaching.  The same publication states that the Qur’an does not blame women for violating the “forbidden tree,” an obvious shot at the Garden of Eden story in the Bible.  One must remember that Adam partook of the tree as well and both were equally driven from the garden.  Though apostle Paul does refer to the woman as the weaker vessel, both are in need of redemption.
         One popular book published and distributed free by the Al-Haramain Foundation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is A Brief Illustrated Guide to Understanding Islam.  It is a glossy full color book with a cover showing an open Qur’an flying in orbit around the earth and landing like a meteor at Mecca.  It takes vague references from the Quran, and some out of context verses from the Bible, and builds a “scientific” case for the Qur’an’s reliability.  It reminds me of the method the Christian Science cult uses to bolster their religion, or the way the Mormons twist both history and archaeology to “prove” their book.   This book from the Al-Haramain Foundation, unlike most other Muslim promo pieces, even boasts of miracles performed by Mohammed, yet with no references from the Qur’an.  It makes a spin on history and downplays their violent past.  It makes claims that no one can prove or disprove, and others that are bold face lies.  One such claim is that Jesus used the word Allah for God.  Any good concordance of the Bible will show that the Hebrew/Aramaic language at the time of Christ used several words for God, none of which were Allah.  Elohim is the most common, next is Yaweh (Jehovah).  El is another, which can be seen tacked on the end of many Jewish words such as Israel, Gabriel, Michael, etc.  We obtained a copy in Washington D.C. at an event in October of 2002 called the first annual Muslim American Heritage Day.  It was held at Freedom Plaza near the White House on the same Sunday that firefighters from all over the nation had gathered a block away on Pennsylvania Avenue to mourn and raise funds for their fallen comrades.  Amidst this tense scene the Muslims had set up a stage and numerous booths, book tables and ethnic displays.  Numerous Arabs were wearing their tradition red and white checkered head covering (shumagh) held on with a double black cord (agal) that rests on top.  It was warm so many wore the traditional thobe, a white ankle-length garment with long sleeves.  Others from Morocco wore the traditional red Fez cap which became a replacement to the turban in Turkey in 1826 by Ottoman leader Mahmad II.  The Fez was originally a symbol of an Islamic school in the city of Fez.  A hat with a brim has been often considered anti-Muslim because of it being an obstacle to prostration in prayer.  The Fez was banned in Turkey by Ataturk in 1925.  American Nobles of the Masonic Mystic Shrine wear fezzes in parades and special events showing the link to Islam in their religious beliefs.  These Masons are known at times to place a Qur’an on their altar as well as a Bible, not willing to acknowledge the contradiction.
          Muslims are not only learning to use public transportation such as airplanes to target non-Muslim interests but they are also learning to use the American media and government funds as part of their propaganda machine.  Printed material has its limitations.  The problem with printed literature is that those who are literate might also have the intellectual ability to see through the smoke screen in order to sort through the deception.  Where it would take a reader many hours of deep concentration to wade through a critical history of Islam and its theology, the television screen can seduce the masses in a few short hours while they sit in their livingroom in the comfort of their easy chair.  With visual media one can portray history is such beautiful glowing scenes that the critical thinking of the naive non-Muslim viewer is neutralized.  A few months after the Muslim American Heritage event the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) ran a two-hour documentary on prime time TV entitled “Muhammed: Legacy of a Prophet.”  Produced by the Unity Productions Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) company whose “mission is balanced, fair and accurate journalistic material” in the spirit of tolerance.  It consisted of a positive spin on Mohammed’s life partially funded by the Sabadia Family Foundation, El-Hibri Foundation, The Qureishi Family Trust, Arabian Bulk Trading, Ltd., and more than 4,000 individual donors.  A little surfing on the Internet revealed some very interesting facts.  The program was connected to The Islam Project, an interfaith multicultural organization made up of many Muslim ministries and other ecumenically pluralistic groups.  Michael Wolfe, co-producer, is a well-known Muslim.  He and Alexander Kronemer founded the Unity Productions Foundation.
          Daniel Pipes, university lecturer and writer for the New York Post, came under intense criticism by the Muslims when he pointed out the deceptive evangelistic nature of the program which was also partially funded by the American taxpayers.
         In the program emotional ploys were used such as an interview with a Muslim firefighter from New York who claimed that true Muslims would never do something such as those who flew the commercial airliners into the Twin Towers.  Others praised the prophet, next to Moses, as the perfect example of humanity.  There were few critical words spoken against the prophet or the history of the religion.  It was not so much what the documentary did show, as what it did not show, that was the problem.  Getting the opinion of American Muslims on what Islam teaches is like asking a Unitarian about what their fellow Christians believe.  You get nothing but a politically correct relativistic spin.
          A video entitled Islam: A Closer Look is now found in many public libraries in America thanks to the slick evangelistic efforts of Taibah International.   It is distributed by a Muslim media outreach based out of Falls Church, Virginia.  It is a usual Muslim spin on world history, science and religion geared for a naïve unread person who believes anything that shows up on a television screen.
          Saudi Arabia finds itself in a precarious situation in its new interest to bring in tourist dollars.  In year 2001 the Saudi Aramco World magazine published a number of articles dealing with the dilemma.  The only tourism that feeds the economy of the “forbidden cities” of Mecca and Medina are Muslims.  In effort to reap some fruit from the pockets of non-Muslim world travelers the Saudi’s formed an organization from scratch in year 2000 called the Supreme Commission for Tourism.  In the past the French have been the largest market because of the large number of Muslims there.  To attract non-Muslims they have promoted specialized markets for mountain-bikers and those who dive among the coral reefs in the Red Sea.  It will be interesting to see how the rigid religious crowd take to having non-believers trampling the country-side.
         The Jesus of the Qur’an is quite obviously a different character than the Jesus of the Bible.  Of the many Muslims that I have interviewed and corresponded with through e-mail there is one common scenario.  When they find that I am a Christian they are nearly always quick to tell me they believe in Jesus and want to talk about everything we have in common.  As long as I do not cite the Bible or define our terms things go rather smoothly.  As soon as one quotes from the Bible or makes reference to the deity of Christ, the Son of God, our relationship quickly spirals into the abyss.  “We believe Jesus is a prophet, nothing more,” they usually respond.  If one believes in Jesus as only a prophet should he not be willing to follow His teaching.  The answer is categorically no.  Those who are defenders of Islam are not willing to follow the teaching of Jesus the prophet, nor Jesus the Son of God.  The main reason is that they would have to look into the biblical record of His life and existence which immediately flies in the face of Mohammed and his Qur’an.
         The Bible warns us that false Christs, false prophets and false gospels were coming.[3]  We have an abundance to choose from, from the Arabian Desert to the American West.  If there were no other reason to believe in the Bible, the mere fact that all other religions go to such extremes to discredit it without coming to the same conclusions should say something.  One would think that if all the criticism is correct, the critics should be able to rally around the standard of their criticism.  They should all end up with one common religion.  That of course is not the case.  The spirit of Islam can be summed up in the words of Jesus when he was describing the nature of the religious crowd of his day, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies.”[4]

UPON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY. . .

The root of the great conflict in Israel, or more specifically, Jerusalem, is it ethnic or religious?  Jews (sons of Isaac) verses Arabs (sons of Ishmael)?  Judaism/Christianity verses Islam?  Is it merely a greed for land?

One place to start in understanding the conflict is in some prophetic verses out of the Old Testament’s book of Zechariah written around 520 B.C.  “Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah.  And it will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured.  And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.”[5]  These verses have been an ongoing fulfillment of reality for centuries in the world of politics.  Kings and governors the world over have tossed this hot potato back and forth, yet it never seems to cool off.  Israel has historically been judged by foreign nations every time they lowered the divine standard of their religion.  It is recorded in their scriptures yet many rabbis refuse to acknowledge it.  Knowing both the scripture and this history Jesus wept over Jerusalem and foretold of judgments yet to come, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace!  But now they have been hidden from your eyes.  For the days shall come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank before you, and surround you, and hem you in on every side, and will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”[6]

      To many, Judaism has become nothing more than an ethnic political movement they call Zionism.  To those who study scripture, Israel is a picture of God’s prophetic time clock.  Jesus said that the Jews would fall by the edge of the sword, and would be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem would be trampled under foot by Gentiles (non-Jews) until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.[7]  After the Roman invasion in 70 A.D., further fulfillment of this prophecy has been carried out through the Muslims who built their third most holy mosque, the Dome of the Rock, over the foundation of the ancient Jewish temple site, making that small piece of real estate in Jerusalem the most explosive powder keg in the world.  Some in the West naively think that the debate is all about oil.  Oil was not even discovered in Saudi Arabia until 1938 at Dammam.  While oil plays a part in our modern economy since the development of the internal combustion engine, this issue dates back to the time when the tar pits of the middle east were nothing more than a blight on the desert landscape which fed the fires of Zoroastrian and other pagan religious festivals.
         While Muslims throw rocks down on the Jews praying at the western wall of the temple mount, the Jews secretly plan the rebuilding of the ancient temple.  Meanwhile, Muslims talk of construction of a larger mosque on the same site.  Can any sane person not believe that without Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, there will continue to be wars and rumors of wars as He predicted?

Some quotes are taken from  J.M. Rodwell’s English version of the Qur’an in somewhat archaic 1861 English.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

A Short History of Africa, by Roland Oliver and J.D. Fage, Pelican Books  6^th edition 1988

A Survey of Arab History, Bernard G. Weiss & Arnold H. Green, The American University of Cairo Press,      3rd printing 1990

Countries and their Cultures (4 volumes) Melvin and Carol R. Ember, Editors, Macmillan Reference USA    2001

Encarta(R) 97 Encyclopedia

From Babel to Dragomans, Interpreting the Middle East,  by Bernard Lewis, Oxford University Press 2004

In the Shadow of the Prophet, by Milton Viorst,  Anchor Books 1998

Islam: A Primer, by John Sabini, Middle East Editorial Associates Washington D.C., 1990

Leaving Islam, Ibn Warraq, Prometheus Books 2003

Militant Islam Reaches America, by Daniel Pipes, W. W. Norton & Company, 2002

PRINCESS: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia, by Jean P. Sasson, Avon Books 1992

Sharing Your Faith With a Muslim, by Abdiyah Akbar Abdul-Hagg, Bethany House Publishers 1980

The Arabic Alphabet, by Nicholas Awde & Putros Samano, Carol Publishing Group, 1990

The Age of Faith (Vol. IV of The Story of Civilization), by Will Durant, Simon and Schuster 1950

THE HOLY LAND: Yesterday and Today , Lithographs by David Roberts, VMB Publishers 2004

The Islamic Threat, Myth or Reality, by John L. Esposito, Oxford University Press 1999

The Middle East, by Bernard Lewis, Touchstone 1995

The Politically Incorrect Guide to ISLAM (and the crusades) by Robert Spencer , Regnery Publishing 2005

The New Encyclopedia of Islam, by Cyril Glasse, AltaMira Press revised edition 2001

The Sikhs, by Patwant Singh, Doubleday 1999

The World’s Writing Systems, by Peter T. Daniels & William Bright, Oxford University Press 1996

The Coming Last Days Temple, by Randall Price, Harvest House 1999

Warriors of the Prophet, by Mark Huband, Westview Press 1999

WEBSITES:

www.alharamain.org

www.al-islam.org

www.al-shia.com

www.answering-islam.org

www.bayynat.org

www.danielpipes.com

www.discoverislam.com

www.ic-el.org

www.icna.org

www.info@islam-day.org

www.islam-day.org
www.hinduunity.org
www.hizbollah.org
www.irna.com
www.Khilafah.com
www.messageonline.org
www.MeccaCentric.com
www.moqawama.org
www.nzmuslim.net
www.shia.org
www.WhyIslam.org
www.wamyusa.org
www.masnet.org

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[1] INTERPRETATION OF THE MEANING OF THE NOBLE QURAN IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, by Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali & Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan, Darussalam Pub. & Dist. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

[2] Surah 55:39, 41

[3] Matthew 24:11, 24, Galatians 1:8&9

[4] John 8:44

[5] Zechariah 12:2&3

[6] Luke 19:41-44

[7] Luke 21:24

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[1] Sura 9:29

[2] Surah 4:89

[3] Azzam studied Sharia at Damascus University and joined Afghan Jihad efforts for a time.  In 1989 he and two of his sons were killed in a bomb blast, giving him a new status as martyr author.

[4] From footnotes of Surah 8:73, pg. 229 The Noble Qur’an, pub. Darussalam, Riyadh, 23rd Edition, 1998

[5] Surah 9:1

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[1] INTERPRETATION OF THE MEANING OF THE NOBLE QURAN IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, by Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali & Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan, Darussalam Pub. & Dist. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

[2] pg. 842

[3] Surah 5:32

[4] Surah 55:15

[5] Another name for Mohammed meaning, “One who praises Allah”

[6] John 16:

[7] John 16:14

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[1] Deuteronomy 18:15

[2] Acts 3:22, 7:37

[3] The Darussalam Publishers version of the Quran adds modern weapons of war (tanks, planes, missiles, artillery)

[4] Surah 3:118

[5] Surah 9:73, 123

[6] Surah 2:106

[7] Surah 16:101

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[1] The Institute of Islamic Information and Education, Chicago, Illinois

[2] Deuteronomy 17:17

[3] 1 Timothy 3:2

[4] Romans 3:23, Galatians 3:28

[5] Surah 4:34

[6] Surah 33:36-38

[7] Surah 53:18-21

[8] Surah 40:78, 10:47

[9] The proclamation Sh’ma meaning “to hear” is a regular affirmation in Jewish ritual

[10] Halapak, summer 2002 catalog for Muslim shoppers

[11] Sura 7:54, 32:4

[12] “The Siege of Mecca” by Yaroslav Trofimov details this embarrassing two week event which the Saudis have gone to great lengths to cover up.

[13] Polytheists, pagans and disbelievers in the Oneness of All and His Messenger Muhammad.

[14] Matt. 26:52

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[1] Acts 15:39

[2] 2 Peter 3:15&16

[3] Surah 6:115

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[1] Judges 8:21-26

[2] Surah 3:41

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[1] Jami as-Sahih of Muhammad Ibn Isma’il al-Bukhar

[2] Sahih of Abu-l-Husayn Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj

[3] Hadith al-Bukhari

[4] Islam at a Glance, WAMY Series on Islam no. 1,  P.O. Box 8096 Falls Church, VA 22041-8096

[5] Psalm 51:5

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[1] A shortened version of Yahweh or Jehovah is Yah or Jah as seen in the “hallelu-Yah”

[2] John 5:39

[3] Acts 17:23

[4] Acts 14:14&15

[5] Genesis 1:27

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[1] 1 Cor. 15:6

[2] Hebrews 13:8

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[1] Muslims usually add this phrase when refering to prophets including Mohammed

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[1] Some sharifs who claimed to trace their genealogy back to Mohammed have worn green turbans.

[2] 1 Kings 18:28

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[1] Allah comes from the moon-god, a common pre-Islamic deity of the Middle East (Moon-god Allah in the Archeology of the Middle East by Dr. Robert A. Morey)

[2] Introduction to the Qur’an, Translation by Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall, 1st English Edition 2000, Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an, Inc.(Sura 22:5, 23:14)

[3] Surah 34:14-17

[4] Hejirah, or flight, marks the beginning of the Muslim era, which is designated Anno Hegira, A.H. in the Muslim dating system.

[5] Biblical Archaeology Review, Jan/Feb 1996, The Ark of the Covenant, pg. 52, by Leen Ritmeyer

[6] Surah 34:43

[7] Surah 8:1,2,17, 67&69

[8] Surah 33:26&27

[9] Sura 2:96, 7:166

[10] This treaty has become a reason to further question the prophets character, as one who makes treaties with his enemies when he is weak and breaking them when he becomes strong

[11] Surah 3:96&97

[12] Surah 3:103