Joel at Answering Islam didn't leave us hanging. Let me remind you that I am summarizing. This is his work.
How should Christians respond? (Chapter Twenty One)
So here’s the question that must be asked: If the Bible says that all of these things are going to happen, then why not simply resign ourselves to “God’s will” and simply let Islam take over our nations and get it over with? Why prolong the inevitable? These are legitimate questions. But they are based on some very false assumptions.
Joel suggests the primary weapon to use is prayer.He goes on to suggest that our fate may not be determined yet and provides an argument that some Bible verses are hyperbole. That there will be some nations who will come against the Anti-Christ.
I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it Zechariah 14:2
I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel. Joel 3:2
The beast…was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. Revelation 13:7
He ends with a quote written in an article from prominent Bible teacher Francis Frangipane:
The conflict before our generation is no less threatening than Nazism and Soviet Imperialism. Radical Islam is a demonic power that seeks world domination. We cannot lose the war against terrorism or morality. We must not open to fear or unbelief, for we were born to fight and win the battles of our times. Again the argument arises, "I was taught that life is supposed to only grow more evil until Christ returns." Yes, such a day will come, but we must not assume that it has arrived. In every age God requires we walk as overcomers. The very fact that there are nations today that are experiencing great harvests and breakthroughs reminds us there is still time for our nations. One of our readers sent us the following excerpt from Aragon, king of Gondor, in The Return of the King. The book's author, J.R.R. Tolkien, an Englishman, denies his work had anything to do with the Great War. Yet, much of his manuscript was written during the height of WWII. The book is a metaphor of all the battles that each generation must face to conquer evil…
“Hopelessly outnumbered, King Aragon sought to inspire his men against what seemed like sure defeat against the swarming hordes of their hellish enemies. Riding in front of his gathered, but rather lowly army, he shouted, ‘I see in your eyes the same fear that would break the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends, and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day. This day, we fight! …by all you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you stand with me, men of the West!’”
Joel's next suggestion is to reach out to Muslims.
Reaching Out (Chapter Twenty Two)
My family and I support a group that reaches out to Muslims with the Gospel. I sometimes find it hard even as a Christian to find the love in my heart necessary to want to continue doing this. I find myself getting angry at the destructive and Satanic forces inherent in Islam. On the other hand if THIS is where our spiritual enemy resides why not hit Him where it hurts. As far as the Christian gospel is concerned Muslims are the most unreached people's group. (EB) Here is a reminder from Joel:
“Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)
While the power and necessity of prayer is indisputable, there is also another dimension to our response that is also absolutely necessary. We must also reach out to Muslims with the consummate Christian message of good news. It is a message of freedom to those who have been held captive by the false Islamic gospel of fear. It is a message of love and acceptance to those who have never really known what it feels like to be accepted and fully loved by God. It is the message that says, God loves you this much. And here’s how He proved it forever… We must never take the gospel message for granted. We must never underestimate its power. Indeed,
It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16)
Preparing Ourselves for Martyrdom (Chapter Twenty Three)
How do we prepare ourselves for martyrdom?
1. Become acquainted with those who are suffering persecution for their faith
How do you begin to get acquainted with the persecuted Church? Firstly there are various organizations that minister directly to the persecuted Church throughout the world. Each ministry has its own special emphasis.
- Voice of the Martyrs at www.persecution.com
- Operation Nehemiah at www.operationsnehemiah.org
- The Barnabas Fund at www.barnabasfund.org
- Open Doors Ministries at www.opendoorsusa.org
2. It's not an option.
But martyrdom is not merely something for those in some far off lands to think about. Everyone who claims the name “Christian” should be preparing his or her heart for potential martyrdom. This is not an optional preparation for only those who live in third world countries or those who live at certain times in world history. Preparing for martyrdom has always been part of what it means to be a true Christian. Christianity is the only religion that has as its highest example, a man who was tortured and put to death publicly. As Christians, we are his followers.
3. God will empower the Church
Yet during the periods of the early Church and since the communist takeover of China, when martyrdom has been commonplace, the Church has thrived. Not only does the Church grow in such an atmosphere, but it is also experiences the greatest measure of power. Miracles, prophecy, angelic encounters, visions: these are the experiences that we read about as common in such an atmosphere of heavy persecution. Not surprisingly then, the Bible likewise says that in the last-days, when persecution will have peaked on a worldwide scale, the greater Church will experience that same measure of power:
In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. Acts 2:17-20
4. Overcoming by being OvercomeThe saints at the end of this age will be “conquered.” They will fall by the edge of the sword. They will be taken as captives by the armies of the Antichrist and multitudes will be martyred. The Book of Revelation says that those who come through the tribulation will be a vast multitude “that no one could count”.
Joel shares verses that define the last-days Church. It is the paradox of the cross: Like their Lord and Master, those who are defeated and overcome are the actual overcomers. While those in the army of the Antichrist will think that by defeating their detractors physically and militarily, they will be gaining the victory, they will actually be setting their own snares. Instead, in the wisdom of God, even as it was at the cross, the very ones who appear to be being humiliated, beat down and defeated are the ones who are literally crushing Satan under their feet (Romans 16:20). But how do they overcome him?
They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Revelation 12:11
The overcomers will fix their eyes on Jesus, who is not only the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2)
but also our example. Jesus set the bar. As such martyrdom for those who have chosen to become followers of Jesus fills the pages of Christianity’s history books. Every apostle, except one, is believed by Church historians to have died the death of a martyr for preaching the Christian message.
Joel provides the examples of Andrew and Stephen in the Bible, and a most recent one found in Iraq.
Kim Sun-il was an evangelical Christian who had always dreamed of being a missionary to Muslims. He had learned Arabic for this purpose and was in Iraq working as an interpreter. All the while he was sharing the gospel message with those he came in contact with. After Kim’s death, the group that claimed responsibility, Tawhid wa al-Jihad made this statement on their web-site:
We have killed an infidel who tried to propagate Christianity in Iraq… This infidel studied theology and was preparing to become a missionary in the Islamic world.So while most people probably just assumed that Kim was merely another political beheading, to those who killed him, it was because he was speaking about Jesus to the Iraqi people.I really like how he ends this describing our calling as Christians.
Then Jesus said to them all:
"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23
Isn’t that what we signed up for? A lifelong exercise of daily dying to ourselves, living for the glory of God and not our own? We cannot expect to walk according to our own ways today and yet expect to die for God tomorrow. Martyrdom is something that we need to begin living now.
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Revelation 3:21,22
15 comments:
There you go, Elmer. How about that? Ishmael was the chosen son, not Isaac. Isn't that interesting?
I've got a question for Bruce; who died on the cross?
Wait until you see the answer to that question, Elmer.
I'll give you a hint up ahead of time. According to Islam, it ain't Jesus.
Anyway, Elmer, how would you suggest we go about reaching out to Muslims? Obviously, on this site, we detail a lot of the atrocities and idiocies perpetrated by the Islamic Jihadis. Is it possible to inform the infidels, and yet, reach out at the same time?
Bruce786,
Source: http://www.answering-islam.org/Index/index.html
The Koran isn't sure who Ishmael is, how can you be.
Is Ishmael the ancestor of the Arabs?
Muslims believed that Ishmael is the ancestor of the Arabs. This, however, is not true, but wishful thinking that is refuted by Muslim traditions for two reasons:
* The Genealogy of Ishmael says other people are Arabs
In Ibn Ishaq's biography of Muhammad :
Ishmael is the son of Ibrahim (Abraham) b. Tarih (Azar) b. Nahur b. Sarugh b. Rau`u b. Falikh b. `Aybar b. Shalikh b. Arfakhshadh b. Sam (Shem) b. Nuh (Noah) (Ibn Ishaq, The Life of Muhammad, tr. Guillaume, p. 3).
Then we have another line from Noah, where we read :
`Ad b. `Aus b. Iram b. Sam b. Nuh and Thamud and Jadis the two sons of `Abir b. Iram b. Sam b. Nuh, and Tasm and `Imlaq and Umayan the sons of Lawidh b. Sam b. Nuh are all Arabs. Nabit b. Isma`il begat Yashjub and the line runs: Ta`rub-Tayrah-Bahur-Muqawwan-Udad-`Adnan. (Ibn Ishaq, The Life of Muhammad, tr. Guillaume, p. 4).
In other words, Ishmael's great-great-great-great...-great uncles were already the Arabs.
* Arabic is not Ishmael's mother tongue, but learnt from other people.
From the above quoted tradition in Sahih Bukhari 4.583, we learnt that Ishmael learnt Arabic from the tribe of (or a family from) Jurhum who settled in Mecca (highlighted in Tradition 2 above). Since Arabic is not Ishmael's mother tongue, and that Arabic as a language existed before he knew them, Ishmael cannot be the ancestor of Arabs.
This means that the notion that Ishmael is the progenitor of the Arabs is erroneous. At most, Ishmael can only be called an Arabicized immigrant. That also means that not all modern day Arabs are descendents of Abraham.
Further details can be found in the article Ishmael is not the Father of Muhammad.
Was Ishmael the Sacrifice?
The Qur'an does not explicitly state which son of Abraham was supposed to be sacrificed in the famous episode of Abraham sacrificing his son. Today most Muslims, whether Sunnis or Shi`ites, believe that it was Ishmael, in contrast to the Biblical record that it was Isaac. However, many early Muslim commentators believed and stated clearly that the child of sacrifice is Isaac. They base their conclusions on many hadith from the companions of Muhammad themselves.
There is, however, one tradition that seemingly was given primacy over all others to come to the current Muslim conviction: "Umar b. Abd-Al-Aizi asked a Jew converted to Islam about the difference of opinion and he answered: ``The 'dhabhi' is Ismail; the Jews know this also, but they are jealous of you, they say it was Issac.''" (Shorter Encyclopaedia of Islam, p.175)
This hadith is obviously incorrect, since none of the Jewish sources - Bible, Talmud or Targums - mention any other sacrifice except Isaac, which is evidenced by the Dead Sea Scrolls as well. It is significant also that the Muslims were not able to verify this through the Torah available at that time.
This view is also not supported by the Qur'an by considering the passages Surah 37:99-107, Surah 51:24-25,28-30 and Surah 37:109-113. See the article, The Child of Sacrifice for more in-depth discussion.
On the other hand, Al-Thalibi expressively states that the Ashab (companions) and Tabiun (successors of the companions), from Umar b. Al-Khattab to Kab Al-Ahbar, believe that the person sacrificed was Isaac (Shorter Encyclopaedia of Islam, p.175). The two commentators al-Kamalan say that Ibn `Umar, Ibn Abbas, Hasan, Abdullah ibn Ahmad say that it was Isaac (see Hughes' Dictionary of Islam, p. 219).
Thus, it is clear that even early Muslims of high authorithy were not agreed on who was actually sacrificed. The further away from the earliest days, the more it became the common view that it was Ishmael.
However, both of the above quoted two traditions from Sahih Bukhari are giving the story of Abraham and Ishmael, spanning the time Ishmael and his mother are sent away while Ishmael is still an infant who is suckled until he has become a grown man, and been married (twice). Only after all this, Abraham personally meets Ishmael again and builds the Kaaba together with him. No mention at all is made of the sacrifice. This omission would be inexplicable if the child of sacrifice had been Ishmael. This is strong evidence that Muhammad (and Ibn Abbas) did not associate Ishmael with the sacrifice of Abraham's son, but Isaac. On the other hand, Tabari also relates a direct statement by Muhammad that the child of sacrifice is Isaac.*
Contrary to usual Muslim beliefs, Khalifites believe that God never ordered Abraham to kill his son. They argue that it was only a dream, but that Abraham thought that he should carry it out.*
Muslims often point to Genesis 22:1-2 where God called Abraham to sacrifice his only son as evidence that Ishmael must be the son to be sacrificed, not Isaac. Sura 21:76 provides an interesting angle to look at this.
Hughes says:
The author of the Shi`ah work, the Hayatu 'l-Qulub (Merrick's ed. p. 28) says: "On a certain occasion when this illustrous father (Abraham) was performing the rites of the pilgrimage at the Mecca, Abraham said to his beloved child, `I dreamed that I must sacrifice you; now consider what is to be done with reference to such an admonition.' Ishmael replied, `Do as you shall be commanded by God. Verify your dream. You will find me endure patiently.' But when Abraham was about to sacrifice Ishmael, the Most High God made a black and white sheep his substitute, a sheep which had been pasturing forty years in Paradise, and was created by the direct power of God for this event. Now every sheep offered on Mount Mina, until the Day of Judgment is a substitute, or a commemoration of the substitute for Ishmael." (Hughes' Dictionary of Islam, p. 219).
In contrast to the Bible which said that the sacrifice is at Mount Moriah, Muslims say that it is at Mount Mina near Mecca.
Sir William Muir says (Life of Mahomet, new ed. p. xvii): "By a summary adjustment, the story of Palestine became the story of the Hejaz. The precints of the Ka`aba were hallowed as the icons of Hagar's distress, and the sacred well Zamzwm as the source of her relief. The pilgrims hasted to and fro between Safa and Marwa in memory of her hurried steps in search of water. It was Abraham and Ishmael who built the (Meccan) temple, place it the black stone, and established for all mankind the pilgrimage to Arafat. In imitation of him it was that stones were flung by pilgrims at Satan; and sacrifices were offered at Mina in remembrance of the vicarious sacrifice of Abraham instead of his son. And this, although the indigenous rites may have been little if at all altered, by the adoption of the Abrahamic legends, they come to be viewed in a totally different light, and to be connected in the Arab imagination with something of the sanctity of Abraham, the Friend of God. The gulf between the gross idolatry of Arabia and the pure theism of the Jews was bridged over. Upon this common ground Mahomet took his stand, and proclaimed to his people a new and spiritual system, in ascents to which all Arabia could respond. The rites of the Kaaba were retained, but stripped of him of every idolatrous tendency; and they still hang a strange unmeaning shroud, around the living theism of Islam. (Hughes' Dictionary of Islam, pp. 219-220).
jaco,
I have asked myself this question before "How do we reach out to Muslims?" There is a great resource here.
http://www.newlifeministries-nlm.org/online/muslims.htm
This includes apologetics and ways to reach them. I suppose it really comes down to how do you share the Gospel with anyone. My personal philosophy is that a changed life (like that of the disciples) is one of the greatest ways. Most people do not want to be thumped on the head with the Bible. They do not want you to tell them how Jesus can change their life (although there still is a place for this), they would rather see the difference in your life. It also depends on the generation you are talking to. GenX, post modern...relationships are important...takes time..Baby boomers and older...apologetics can be a powerful tool because now you are talking about logic and reason.
and really..boil it down to the same question Jesus asked Peter, "Who do you say that I am?" Everyone has to ask themselves this question. Jesus lived that is an historic fact. Jesus died, everyone does. So let's discuss what happened while He lived and let's discuss how he died. When I became a Christian it was because I studied these two issues. I could only come to one conclusion based on the facts that I learned. Josh Mcdowell's well researched material was invaluable and still is to me.
What do you think?
Peaceful world, run by Muslims? Isn't this an oxymoron Bruce.
Elmer's Brother,
Yes, a changed life is great, if a person is dealing with someone directly. I was asking how we could reach out via this site, or is this site only for Infidels, and to anger the occasional Bruce.
I mean, we're hardly making a friend of Bruce here.
By the way, in case you don't know, since Bruce didn't say when he dropped back in, Muslims don't believe Jesus died on the cross. Instead they believe Judas died on the cross.
I find it fascinating that Islam has twisted the two central sacrifice stories in the Bible; Isaac and Jesus.
Who is it that twists truth into ugly little knots like that? What's that guys name?
I don't know if this is appropriate here, but Dr. Anis Shorrosh does outreach of an evangelical Christian nature.
Well there are plenty of websites that can offer answers, but on the whole I don't know that you can reach out to Muslims without establishing that personal relationship. That was my point on my last comment.
Hope I'm not being redundant here...
Bruce 786: The COVENANT with Abraham and his DESCENDANTS is central to islam/chritianity/judaism.
Genesis 21:12-13 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in they sight because of the lad [Ishmael], and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee [Sarah insisted that Hagar and Ishmael be expelled and sent out into the desert], hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called [clearly a reference to Isaace as the patriarch of the Israelites and, for Christians, a reference to the lineage of Jesus]. And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.
Doesn't this passage indicate that the covenant clearly established with the descendants of Isaac?
The Quran mentions that it was Ishmael that was sacrificed hence the reference in genesis 22:2 your only son can only mean someone has substituted Ishmael names for Isaac!!
[9-19] This story of Hagar's expulsion, in the Elohist source, is in general a duplicate of the one from the Yahwist source in Genesis 16:5-14; but the two stories differ greatly in detail.
14 Placing the child on her back: the phrase is translated from an emended form of the Hebrew text. In the current faulty Hebrew text, Abraham put the bread and the waterskin on Hagar's back, while her son apparently walked beside her.
14 This reading seems to be a scribal attempt at harmonizing the present passage with the data of the Priestly source, in which Ishmael would have been at least fourteen years old when Isaac was born. Compare Genesis 16:16 with Genesis 21:5; see Genesis 17:25.
14 But in the present Elohist story Ishmael is obviously a little boy, not much older than Isaac; compare Genesis 15:18.
The Quran itself testifies to the purity and authenticity of the Holy Bible and never once claims that so-called "scribes" had corrupted the text of scripture.
There is not a single shred of evidence for assertions that Jewish scribes corrupted the text. Furthermore, it is not simply the Jewish text that affirms that Isaac was the one commanded to be sacrificed, but the inspired Christian text as well:
"By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son…" Hebrews 11:17
"Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?" James 2:21
Hence, Christians believe the inspired text of scripture affirms the identity of the child of sacrifice as Isaac, not Ishmael. Keeping in mind that the Quran never mentions the name of the child and that the Quran also affirms the authority of the Holy Bible.
http://www.forananswer.org/Top_JW/Keay.Col1_15.htm
It might be true that some scholars have tried to disprove Ishmael's legitimacy by claiming that he was not a legitimate son of Abraham, yet this is not the view of all Christians (or Jews for that matter). The basis in which Ishmael is rejected from the covenant God made with Abraham is due primarily to the biblical witness that God specifically omitted Ishmael from the covenant blessings. This will be made evident below.
This is illustrated in Esau and Jacob. God simply had other plans.
In a basic sense the word “firstborn” is related to two concepts: birth order and birth right. When “firstborn” is related to birth order it refers to the oldest child in a family, the first child born, either male (Gen. 22:21; 1 Chron. 2:25) or female (Gen. 19:31,33,34,37; 29:26; 1 Sam. 14:49). Additionally the word is also used in contexts involving the birth order of animals (Ex. 11:5; 12:29; Lev. 27:26; Num. 18:15-17) and with the first produce of the harvest (translated “firstfruits” or “firstripe” or “earliest fruit” Lev. 2:14; 23:7; Isa. 28:4; Jer. 24:2). When “firstborn” is related to birth right it refers to the child who is the principal heir to the family estate (Gen. 25:32,34; 27:36; Deut. 21:17). This heir must be a male and is usually, though not necessarily, the first in birth order. The “firstborn” as it relates to birth right may not have been first in birth order if he had an older sister or if the birth right was transferred to him. It was believed that the first male born possessed the father’s strength and virility to a greater degree than all subsequent children (Gen. 49:3; Deut. 21:17; Pss. 78:51; 105:36); therefore, he should be the heir, for he could best fulfill the responsibilities of the father when the father grew old and weak. If this first born son proved himself incapable of fulfilling the responsibilities of the heir, the birth right, and therefore the title “firstborn”, could be transferred to another son of the father’s choosing (Gen. 49:1-4; 1 Chron. 5:1-2; 1 Chron. 26:10).
"arithmetic"
Yes Dr. Anis Shorrosh does have share some ideas for witnessing to Muslims.
Again I think it comes back to the question "Who do you say that Jesus is?" I know Islam's view of who Jesus is, is much different than the Christian view. I don't know that you want to turn this into a Christian/Muslim apologetic discussion site when there are plenty of others on both sides out there.
Am I done with my understanding of Islam as it relates to Christianity? No.
Jesus said, "They will know you are my disciples by the love you have one for another." Do I love Muslims. Yes.
Do I love their behavior. NO!
The fruits of the Spirit in Galatians come to mind.
EB,
I have great respect for Dr. Shorrosh. He came to my area last May, but I missed the presentations because I was laid up after a car accident. However, I talked to someone who heard him speak--very powerful! The work of the Holy Spirit always is powerful.
Some friends of mine work in Christian missions in North Africa. They tell me that learning of Jesus' love and forgiveness is very effective in the outreach. Also, the new believers are amazed at the free offer of salvation.
It is quite a contrast. Frankly after being both a skeptic and a Christian I cannot find a thing that is attractive about Islam. The God of the Holy Bible is often described using the word love etc. Yet out of the 99 or so different words used to describe Allah love is not one of those words. "merciful" maybe but to whom? Personally I choose the God of Life.
I did fail to mention that a lot of things that are related to us in the Old Testament are "types" or "pictures" of the Messiah. This story of Abraham and Isaac is one such story where we see the sacrifice of Jesus pictured. This to me adds credibility to not only the Judeo-Christian view that this was indeed Isaac but also to the Biblical view of Christ. He did fulfill some 300+ prophecies of the Old Testament.
EB,
As I understand it, Muslims do not interpret anything in the Koran as "a type." Literal meaning seems to be the interpretation.
My DEAREST FRIEND and SEEKER of TRUTH BRUCE:
Which Quran am I supposed to follow:
The Qur'an gives authority to the Bible, assuming its authenticity at least up to the seventh-ninth Centuries. Consider the following Suras:
Sura Baqara 2:136 points out that there is no difference between the scriptures which preceded and those of the Qur'an, saying, "...the revelation given to us...and Jesus...we make no difference between one and another of them." Sura Al-I-Imran 3:2-3 continues, "Allah...He sent down the Law (of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus)...as a guide to mankind." Sura Nisaa 4:136 carries this farther by admonishing the Muslims to, "...Believe...and the scripture which He sent before him." In Sura Ma-ida 5:47,49,50,52 we find a direct call to Christians to believe in their scriptures: "...We sent Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come before him. We sent him the Gospel... Let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah hath revealed therein, if any do fail to judge by the light of what Allah hath revealed, they are (no better than) those who rebel..." Again, in Sura Ma-ida 5:68 we find a similar call: "People of the Book!...Stand fast by the law, the Gospel, and all revelation that hath come to you from YOUR LORD. It is the revelation that has come to thee from THY LORD."
Finally, in Sura Ankabut 29:46 Muslims are asked not to question the authority of the scriptures of the Christians, saying, "And dispute ye not with the people of the book but say: We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and that which came down to you."
If there is anything in these Suras which is clear, it is that the Qur'an emphatically endorses the Torah and the Gospel as authentic and authoritative revelations from God. This coincides with what Christians believe, as well.
Some questions about the Koran:
1. What was man created from, blood, clay, dust, or nothing?
1. "Created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood," (96:2).
2. "We created man from sounding clay, from mud moulded into shape, (15:26).
3. "The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: "Be". And he was," (3:59).
4. "But does not man call to mind that We created him before out of nothing?" (19:67, Yusuf Ali). Also, 52:35).
5. "He has created man from a sperm-drop; and behold this same (man) becomes an open disputer! (16:4).
2. Is there or is there not compulsion in religion according to the Qur'an?
1. "Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things," (2:256).
2. "And an announcement from Allah and His Messenger, to the people (assembled) on the day of the Great Pilgrimage,- that Allah and His Messenger dissolve (treaty) obligations with the Pagans. If then, ye repent, it were best for you; but if ye turn away, know ye that ye cannot frustrate Allah. And proclaim a grievous penalty to those who reject Faith," (9:3).
3. "But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practice regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful," (9:5).
4. Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued," (9:29).
3. The first Muslim was Muhammad? Abraham? Jacob? Moses?
1. "And I [Muhammad] am commanded to be the first of those who bow to Allah in Islam," (39:12).
2. "When Moses came to the place appointed by Us, and his Lord addressed him, He said: "O my Lord! show (Thyself) to me, that I may look upon thee." Allah said: "By no means canst thou see Me (direct); But look upon the mount; if it abide in its place, then shalt thou see Me." When his Lord manifested His glory on the Mount, He made it as dust. And Moses fell down in a swoon. When he recovered his senses he said: "Glory be to Thee! to Thee I turn in repentance, and I am the first to believe." (7:143).
3. "And this was the legacy that Abraham left to his sons, and so did Jacob; "Oh my sons! Allah hath chosen the Faith for you; then die not except in the Faith of Islam," (2:132).
4. Does Allah forgive or not forgive those who worship false gods?
1. Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth; to set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin Most heinous indeed," (4:48). Also 4:116
2. The people of the Book ask thee to cause a book to descend to them from heaven: Indeed they asked Moses for an even greater (miracle), for they said: "Show us Allah in public," but they were dazed for their presumption, with thunder and lightning. Yet they worshipped the calf even after clear signs had come to them; even so we forgave them; and gave Moses manifest proofs of authority," (4:153).
5. Are Allah's decrees changed or not?
1. "Rejected were the messengers before thee: with patience and constancy they bore their rejection and their wrongs, until Our aid did reach them: there is none that can alter the words (and decrees) of Allah. Already hast thou received some account of those messengers," (6:34).
2. "The word of thy Lord doth find its fulfillment in truth and in justice: None can change His words: for He is the one who heareth and knoweth all, (6:115).
3. None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but We substitute something better or similar: Knowest thou not that Allah Hath power over all things?" (2:106).
4. When We substitute one revelation for another,- and Allah knows best what He reveals (in stages),- they say, "Thou art but a forger": but most of them understand not," (16:101).
6. Was Pharaoh killed or not killed by drowning?
1. "We took the Children of Israel across the sea: Pharaoh and his hosts followed them in insolence and spite. At length, when overwhelmed with the flood, he said: "I believe that there is no god except Him Whom the Children of Israel believe in: I am of those who submit (to Allah in Islam). (It was said to him): "Ah now!- But a little while before, wast thou in rebellion!- and thou didst mischief (and violence)! This day shall We save thee in the body, that thou mayest be a sign to those who come after thee! but verily, many among mankind are heedless of Our Signs!" (10:90-92).
2. Moses said, "Thou knowest well that these things have been sent down by none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth as eye-opening evidence: and I consider thee indeed, O Pharaoh, to be one doomed to destruction!" So he resolved to remove them from the face of the earth: but We did drown him and all who were with him," (17:102-103).
7. Is wine consumption good or bad?
1. O ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination,- of Satan's handwork: eschew such (abomination), that ye may prosper," (5:90).
2. (Here is) a Parable of the Garden which the righteous are promised: in it are rivers of water incorruptible; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine, a joy to those who drink; and rivers of honey pure and clear. In it there are for them all kinds of fruits; and Grace from their Lord. (Can those in such Bliss) be compared to such as shall dwell for ever in the Fire, and be given, to drink, boiling water, so that it cuts up their bowels (to pieces)?" (47:15).
3. Truly the Righteous will be in Bliss: On Thrones (of Dignity) will they command a sight (of all things): Thou wilt recognize in their faces the beaming brightness of Bliss. Their thirst will be slaked with Pure Wine sealed," (83:22-25).
For more on the authenticity and supposed Biblical contradictions go here:
http://debate.org.uk/topics/apolog/contrads.htm
I also invite you to go here and look at reasons why the Koran may have some problems with textual integrity.
http://www.answering-islam.org/Quran/index.html
When Paul was on the road to Damascus he saw a light and heard a voice. Did those who were with him hear the voice (Acts 9:7), or did they not (Acts 22:9)?
This is a misunderstanding of the Greek usage:
Although the same Greek word is used in both accounts (akouo), it has two distinct meanings: to perceive sound and to understand. Therefore, the explanation is clear: they heard something but did not understand what it was saying. Paul, on the other hand, heard and understood. There is no contradiction.
When Paul saw the light and fell to the ground, did his traveling companions fall (Acts 26:14) or did they not fall (Acts 9:7) to the ground?
There are two possible explanations of this point. The word rendered 'stood' also means to be fixed, to be rooted to the spot. This is something that can be experienced whether standing up or lying down.
An alternative explanation is this: Acts 26:14 states that the initial falling to the ground occurred when the light flashed around, before the voice was heard. Acts 9:7 says that the men 'stood speechless' after the voice had spoken. There would be ample time for them to stand up whilst the voice was speaking to Saul, especially as it had no significance or meaning to them. Saul, on the other hand, understood the voice and was no doubt transfixed with fear as he suddenly realized that for so long he had been persecuting and killing those who were following God. He had in effect been working against the God whom he thought he was serving. This terrible realization evidently kept him on the ground longer than his companions.
Did the voice tell Paul what he was to do on the spot (Acts 26:16-18), or was he commanded to go to Damascus to be told what to do (Acts 9:7; 22:10)?
Paul was told his duties in Damascus as can be seen from Acts 9 and 22. However in Acts 26 the context is different. In this chapter Paul doesn't worry about the chronological or geographical order of events because he is talking to people who have already heard his story.
In Acts 9:1-31 Luke, the author of Acts, narrates the conversion of Saul.
In Acts 22:1-21 Luke narrates Paul speaking to Jews, who knew who Paul was and had actually caused him to be arrested and kept in the Roman Army barracks in Jerusalem. He speaks to the Jews from the steps of the barracks and starts off by giving his credentials as a Jew, before launching into a detailed account of his meeting with the Lord Jesus Christ and his conversion.
In Acts 26:2-23 Luke, however, narrates the speech given by Paul, (who was imprisoned for at least two years after his arrest in Jerusalem and his speech in Acts 22,). This was given to the Roman Governor Festus and King Herod Agrippa, both of whom were already familiar with the case. (Read the preceding Chapters). Therefore they did not require a full blown explanation of Paul's case, but a summary. Which is exactly what Paul gives them. This is further highlighted by Paul reminding them of his Jewish credentials in one part of a sentence, "I lived as a Pharisee," as opposed to two sentences in Acts 22:3. Paul also later in the Chapter is aware that King Agrippa is aware of the things that have happened in verses 25-27.
The Christian view of Jesus and the Islamic view of Jesus are VERY different. A lot of people would say Jesus was a good man or a great prophet is hard to deny. So again we come back to this question of who Jesus is.
http://www.answering-islam.org/Who/index.html
If He were just claiming to be a man why would the Pharisee want to stone Him after he said, "I and the Father are One" if He was not alluding to His divinity.
It became the excuse the Pharisees and Saducees used to kill Him, that He was claiming to be God.
For example, in the Gospel according to John, (speaking of eternal life) Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies." (John 11:25). He makes the offer of eternal life conditional on faith in his own person. This would be blasphemous for anybody other than God. This is an incredible claim. Does he give any evidence for his authority to make such claims? The record gives many details of what happened at this particular day, but at the end we read, "When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, `Lazarus, come out!' The dead mean came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around
his face. Jesus said to them, `Take off the grave clothes and let him go.'" (John 11:43-44).
In fact, near the end of his Gospel account, the apostle John wrote, "And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:30,31).
Not too mention the prophecies from the Old Testament that He fulfilled.
I could answer your other questions point by point but I simply do not have the time, but here are a list of sites that may help you.
http://www.answering-islam.org/
http://www.cdu.jesusanswers.com/islam.html
http://www.bible.ca/islam/islam-koran-bible.htm
http://craom.net/
In the Bible God says that if you seek Him you will find Him, if you knock He will open the door, if you ask it will be given to you. I pray that God will open your eyes to the truth of who the real Jesus is.
I don't know where you think this conversation is going but if you think that I have not looked at Islam thoroughly enough to come to a conclusion you would be wrong. Do I need to tell you my answer?
Post a Comment