 
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth By Faisal

FAISAL FAHIM

Copyright 2014 by Faisal Fahim

Smashwords Edition

This book contains 2 parts & this is a 2in1 book.So, each part will start with page number 1 .The reason is simple there are 2books inside this 1book.So you are getting double informations on the price of 1.

1st part is (Zealot:The Life and Times of Jesus and Muhammad of Nazareth and Mecca)

2nd book is or part is (The secrets of Muhammad,Bible and Quran Unleashed)

Information arranged & organized by MR.Faisal

Top 19 information you can learn in these 2IN1 books & why these are must reads for all

1. Biography of Muhammad by a non Muslim. 2. Biography of Muhammad by a Muslim. 3. What do non Muslim scholars say about Muhammad. 4. Complete valid information about Jesus. 5. Proven facts about the great Jesus. 6. A documentary book on science, Islam, Christianity & Judaism. 7. A research project on Abrahamic religions. 8. Moses, Jesus & Muhammad in Islam & Christianity. 9. Aramaic the true language of Jesus. 10. Similarities & differences of Jesus & Muhammad. 11. God definitions of various religions. 12. Women in various faiths. 13. Islam & terrorism. 14. Is evolution proven by logic & science . 15. Torah, Bible, Quran & science. 16. The similarities & the differences of world's major religions. 17. Proof that Jesus existed. 18. Proof that Muhammad existed. 19. Does God exist?

Message from the author: My intention is not to criticize any one's beliefe.According to my knowledge the information of my book is 100% accurate. I hope any person with an open mind or a truth seeker will love my book. My book is for all kinds of people & I welcome all to read my book. It's okay to agree or disagree with my book. This entire book is not totally written by me.It is based on a research project done by me.The book is as the title goes.The information is arranged & organized by me & all sources of all documents or information is mentioned inside the book.Purpose of my book is to share the knowledge which is available in many sources & I have mentioned them in the book.Hope you enjoy & share my book. "The greatest creation of god is us,the true race of us the1&only us,all of us the mankind simply1race of humanity. Love is the only antidose of hate.So,love,peace&Godbless for all.knowledge is not only power but it is indeed freedom to speak out the truth of an existence and I will share it to set it free. Thank you for reading my work.God bless planet earth & America"

Part 1

Zealot:The Life and Times of Jesus and Muhammad of Nazareth and Mecca 1

 Biography of Muhammad(pbuh) by a Non-Muslim

by Prof. K. S. Ramakrishna Rao, Head of the Dept. of Philosophy, Govt. College for Women. University of Mysore, Mandya-571401 (Karnatika, India).

Re-printed from "Islam and Modern age", Hydrabad, March 1978.

Killing innocent human is a major sin in Islam & Islam is against terrorism. Muhammad said no one has the right to burn anything only God has the right to burn someone which is in hell.

In the desert of Arabia was Mohammad born, according to Muslim historians, on April 20, 571. The name means highly praised. He is to me the greatest mind among all the sons of Arabia. He means so much more than all the poets and kings that preceded him in that impenetrable desert of red sand.

When he appeared Arabia was a desert — a nothing. Out of nothing a new world was fashioned by the mighty spirit of Mohammad — a new life, a new culture, a new civilization, a new kingdom which extended from Morocco to Indies and influenced the thought and life of three continents — Asia, Africa and Europe.

When I thought of writing on Mohammad the prophet, I was a bit hesitant because it was to write about a religion I do not profess and it is a delicate matter to do so for there are many persons professing various religions and belonging to diverse school of thought and denominations even in same religion. Though it is sometimes, claimed that religion is entirely personal yet it can not be gain-said that it has a tendency to  envelop the whole universe seen as well unseen. It somehow permeates something or other our hearts, our souls, our minds their conscious as well as subconscious and unconscious levels too. The problem assumes overwhelming importance when there is a deep conviction that our past, present and future all hang by the soft delicate, tender silked cord. If we further happen to be highly sensitive, the center of gravity is very likely to be always in a state of extreme tension. Looked at from this point of view, the less said about other religion the better. Let our religions be deeply hidden and embedded in the resistance of our innermost hearts fortified by unbroken seals on our lips.

But there is another aspect of this problem. Man lives in society. Our lives are bound with the lives of others willingly or unwillingly, directly or indirectly. We eat the food grown in the same soil, drink water,

from the same the same spring and breathe the same air. Even while staunchly holding our own views, it would be helpful, if we try to adjust ourselves to our surroundings, if we also know to some extent, how the mind our neighbor moves and what the main springs of his actions are. From this angle of vision it is highly desirable that one should try to know all religions of the world, in the proper sprit, to promote mutual understanding and better appreciation of our neighborhood, immediate and remote.

Further, our thoughts are not scattered as appear to be on the surface. They have got themselves crystallized around a few nuclei in the form of great world religions and living faiths that guide and

2 motivate the lives of millions that inhabit this earth of ours. It is our duty, in one sense if we have the ideal of ever becoming a citizen of the world before us, to make a little attempt to know the great religions and system of philosophy that have ruled mankind.

In spite of these preliminary remarks, the ground in these field of religion, where there is often a conflict between intellect and emotion is so slippery that one is constantly reminded of fools that rush in where angels fear to tread. It is also not so complex from another point of view. The subject of my writing is about the tenets of a religion which is historic and its prophet who is also a historic personality. Even a

hostile critic like Sir William Muir speaking about the holy Quran says that. "There is probably in the world no other book which has remained twelve centuries with so pure text." I may also add Prophet Mohammad is also a historic personality, every event of whose life has been most carefully recorded and even the minutest details preserved intact for the posterity. His life and works are not wrapped in mystery.

My work today is further lightened because those days are fast disappearing when Islam was highly misrepresented by some of its critics for reasons political and otherwise. Prof. Bevan writes in Cambridge Medieval History, "Those account of Mohammad and Islam which were published in Europe before the beginning of 19th century are now to be regarded as literary curiosities." My problem is to write this monograph is easier because we are now generally not fed on this kind of history and much time need be spent on pointing out our misrepresentation of Islam.

The theory of Islam and Sword for instance is not heard now frequently in any quarter worth the name. The principle of Islam that there is no compulsion in religion is well known. Gibbon, a historian of world repute says, "A pernicious tenet has been imputed to Mohammadans, the duty of extirpating all the religions by sword." This charge based on ignorance and bigotry, says the eminent historian, is refuted by Quran, by history of Musalman conquerors and by their public and legal toleration of Christian worship. The great success of Mohammad's life had been effected by sheer moral force, without a stroke of sword.

But in pure self-defense, after repeated efforts of conciliation had utterly failed, circumstances dragged him into the battlefield. But the prophet of Islam changed the whole strategy of the battlefield. The total number of casualties in all the wars that took place during his lifetime when the whole Arabian Peninsula came under his banner, does not exceed a few hundreds in all. But even on the battlefield he taught the Arab barbarians to pray, to pray not individually, but in congregation to God the Almighty. During the dust and storm of warfare whenever the time for prayer came, and it comes five times a every day, the congregation prayer had not to be postponed even on the battlefield. A party had to be engaged in bowing their heads before God while other was engaged with the enemy. After finishing the prayers, the two parties had to exchange their positions. To the Arabs, who would fight for forty years on the slight provocation that a camel belonging to the guest of one tribe had strayed into the grazing land belonging to other tribe and both sides had fought till they lost 70,000 lives in all; threatening the extinction of both the tribes to such furious Arabs, the Prophet of Islam taught self-control and discipline to the extent of

praying even on the battlefield. In an aged of barbarism, the Battlefield itself was humanized and strict instructions were issued not to cheat, not to break trust, not to mutilate, not to kill a child or woman or an old man, not to hew down date palm nor burn it, not to cut a fruit tree, not to molest any person engaged in worship. His own treatment with his bitterest enemies is the noblest example for his followers. At the conquest of Mecca, he stood at the zenith of his power. The city which had refused to listen to his mission, which had tortured him and his followers, which had driven him and his people into exile and which had unrelentingly persecuted and boycotted him even when he had taken refuge in a place more than 200 miles away, that city now lay at his feet. By the laws of war he could have justly

3 avenged all the cruelties inflicted on him and his people. But what treatment did he accord to them? Mohammad's heart flowed with affection and he declared, "This day, there is no REPROOF against you and you are all free." "This day" he proclaimed, "I trample under my feet all distinctions between man and man, all hatred between man and man."

This was one of the chief objects why he permitted war in self defense, that is to unite human beings. And when once this object was achieved, even his worst enemies were pardoned. Even those who killed his beloved uncle, Hamazah, mangled his body, ripped it open, even chewed a piece of his liver.

The principles of universal brotherhood and doctrine of the equality of mankind which he proclaimed represents one very great contribution of Mohammad to the social uplift of humanity. All great religions have preached the same doctrine but the prophet of Islam had put this theory into actual practice and its value will be fully recognized, perhaps centuries hence, when international consciousness being awakened, racial prejudices may disappear and greater brotherhood of humanity come into existence.

Miss. Sarojini Naidu speaking about this aspect of Islam says, "It was the first religion that preached and practiced democracy; for in the mosque, when the minaret is sounded and the worshipers are gathered together, the democracy of Islam is embodied five times a day when the peasant and the king kneel side by side and proclaim, God alone is great." The great poetess of India continues, "I have been struck over and over again by this indivisible unity of Islam that makes a man instinctively a brother. When you meet an Egyptian, an Algerian and Indian and a Turk in London, it matters not that Egypt is the motherland of one and India is the motherland of another."

Mahatma Gandhi, in his inimitable style, says "Some one has said that Europeans in South Africa dread the advent Islam — Islam that civilized Spain, Islam that took the torch light to Morocco and preached to the world the Gospel of brotherhood. The Europeans of South Africa dread the Advent of Islam. They may claim equality with the white races. They may well dread it, if brotherhood is a sin. If it is equality of colored races then their dread is well founded."

Every year, during the Haj, the world witnesses the wonderful spectacle of this international Exhibition of Islam in leveling all distinctions of race, color and rank. Not only the Europeans, the African, the Arabian, the Persian, the Indians, the Chinese all meet together in Medina as members of one divine family, but they are clad in one dress every person in two simple pieces of white seamless cloth, one piece round the loin the other piece over the shoulders, bare head without pomp or ceremony, repeating "Here am I O God; at thy command; thou art one and alone; Here am I." Thus there remains nothing to differentiate the high from the low and every pilgrim carries home the impression of the international significance of Islam.

In the opinion of Prof. Hurgronje "the league of nations founded by prophet of Islam put the principle of international unity of human brotherhood on such Universal foundations as to show candle to other

nations." In the words of same Professor "the fact is that no nation of the world can show a parallel to what Islam has done the realization of the idea of the League of Nations."

The prophet of Islam brought the reign of democracy in its best form. The Caliph Caliph Ali and the son in-law of the prophet, the Caliph Mansur, Abbas, the son of Caliph Mamun and many other caliphs and kings had to appear before the judge as ordinary men in Islamic courts. Even today we all know how the black Negroes were treated by the civilized white races. Consider the state of BILAL, a Negro Slave, in the days of the prophet of Islam nearly 14 centuries ago. The office of calling Muslims to prayer was

4 considered to be of status in the early days of Islam and it was offered to this Negro slave. After the conquest of Mecca, the Prophet ordered him to call for prayer and the Negro slave, with his black color and his thick lips, stood over the roof of the holy mosque at Mecca called the Ka'ba the most historic and the holiest mosque in the Islamic world, when some proud Arabs painfully cried loud, "Oh, this black Negro Slave, woe be to him. He stands on the roof of holy Ka'ba to call for prayer." At that moment, the prophet announced to the world, this verse of the holy QURAN for the first time.  
"O mankind, surely we have created you, families and tribes, so you may know one another. Surely, the most honorable of you with God is MOST RIGHTEOUS AMONG you. Surely, God is Knowing, Aware."

And these words of the holy Quran created such a mighty transformation that the Caliph of Islam, the purest of Arabs by birth, offered their daughter in marriage to this Negro Slave, and whenever, the second Caliph of Islam, known to history as Umar the great, the commander of faithful, saw this Negro slave, he immediately stood in reverence and welcomed him by "Here come our master; Here come our lord." What a tremendous change was brought by Quran in the Arabs, the proudest people at that time on the earth. This is the reason why Goethe, the greatest of German poets, speaking about the Holy Quran declared that, "This book will go on exercising through all ages a most potent influence." This is also the reason why George Bernard Shaw says, "If any religion has a chance or ruling over England, say, Europe, within the next 100 years, it is Islam".

It is this same democratic spirit of Islam that emancipated women from the bondage of man. Sir Charles Edward Archibald Hamilton says "Islam teaches the inherent sinlessness of man. It teaches that man and woman and woman have come from the same essence, posses the same soul and have been equipped with equal capabilities for intellectual, spiritual and moral attainments."

The Arabs had a very strong tradition that one who can smite with the spear and can wield the sword would inherit. But Islam came as the defender of the weaker sex and entitled women to share the inheritance of their parents. It gave women, centuries ago right of owning property, yet it was only 12 centuries later , in 1881, that England, supposed to be the cradle of democracy adopted this institution of Islam and the act was called "the married woman act", but centuries earlier, the Prophet of Islam had proclaimed that "Woman are twin halves of men. The rights of women are sacred. See that women maintained rights granted to them."

Islam is not directly concerned with political and economic systems, but indirectly and in so far as political and economic affairs influence man's conduct, it does lay down some very important principles to govern economic life. According to Prof. Massignon, it maintains the balance between exaggerated opposites and has always in view the building of character which is the basis of civilization. This is secured by its law of inheritance, by an organized system of charity known as Zakat, and by regarding as illegal all anti-social practices in the economic field like monopoly, usury, securing of predetermined unearned income and increments, cornering markets, creating monopolies, creating an artificial scarcity of any commodity in order to force the prices to rise. Gambling is illegal. Contribution to schools, to places of worship, hospitals, digging of wells, opening of orphanages are highest acts of virtue.

Orphanages have sprung for the first time, it is said, under the teaching of the prophet of Islam. The world owes its orphanages to this prophet born an orphan. "Good all this" says Carlyle about Mohammad. "The natural voice of humanity, of pity and equity, dwelling in the heart of this wild son of nature, speaks."

A historian once said a great man should be judged by three tests: Was he found to be of true metel by his contemporaries ? Was he great enough to raise above the standards of his age ? Did he leave anything as 5 permanent legacy to the world at large ? This list may be further extended but all these three tests of greatness are eminently satisfied to the highest degree in case of prophet Mohammad. Some illustrations of the last two have already been mentioned.

The first is: Was the Prophet of Islam found to be of true metel by his contemporaries?

Historical records show that all the contemporaries of Mohammad both friends foes, acknowledged the sterling qualities, the spotless honesty, the noble virtues, the absolute sincerity and every trustworthiness of the apostle of Islam in all walks of life and in every sphere of human activity. Even the Jews and those who did not believe in his message, adopted him as the arbiter in their personal disputes by virtue of his perfect impartiality. Even those who did not believe in his message were forced to say "O Mohammad, we do not call you a liar, but we deny him who has given you a book and inspired you with a message." They thought he was one possessed. They tried violence to cure him. But the best of them saw that a new light had dawned on him and they hastened him to seek the enlightenment. It is a notable feature in the history of prophet of Islam that his nearest relation, his beloved cousin and his bosom friends, who know him most intimately, were not thoroughly imbued with the truth of his mission and were convinced of the genuineness of his divine inspiration. If these men and women, noble, intelligent, educated and intimately acquainted with his private life had perceived the slightest signs of deception, fraud, earthliness, or lack of faith in him, Mohammad's moral hope of regeneration, spiritual awakening, and social reform would all have been foredoomed to a failure and whole edifice would have crumbled to pieces in a moment. On the contrary, we find that devotion of his followers was such that he was voluntarily acknowledged as dictator of their lives. They braved for him persecutions and danger; they trusted, obeyed and honored him even in the most excruciating torture and severest mental agony caused by excommunication even unto death. Would this have been so, had they noticed the slightest backsliding in their master?

Read the history of the early converts to Islam, and every heart would melt at the sight of the brutal treatment of innocent Muslim men and women.

Sumayya, an innocent women, is cruelly torn into pieces with spears. An example is made of "Yassir whose legs are tied to two camels and the beast were are driven in opposite directions", Khabbab bin Arth is made lie down on the bed of burning coal with the brutal legs of their merciless tyrant on his breast so that he may not move and this makes even the fat beneath his skin melt. "Khabban bin Adi is put to death in a cruel manner by mutilation and cutting off his flesh piece-meal." In the midst of his tortures, being asked weather he did not wish Mohammad in his place while he was in his house with his family, the sufferer cried out that he was gladly prepared to sacrifice himself his family and children and why was it that these sons and daughters of Islam not only surrendered to their prophet their allegiance but also made a gift of their hearts and souls to their master? Is not the intense faith and conviction on part of immediate followers of Mohammad, the noblest testimony to his sincerity and to his utter self-absorption in his appointed task?

And these men were not of low station or inferior mental caliber. Around him in quite early days, gathered what was best and noblest in Mecca, its flower and cream, men of position, rank, wealth and

culture, and from his own kith and kin, those who knew all about his life. All the first four Caliphs, with their towering personalities, were converts of this period.

The Encyclopedia Brittanica says that "Mohammad is the most successful of all Prophets and religious personalities".

6 But the success was not the result of mere accident. It was not a hit of fortune. It was a recognition of fact that he was found to be true metal by his contemporaries. It was the result of his admirable and all compelling personality.

The personality of Mohammad! It is most difficult to get into the truth of it. Only a glimpse of it I can catch. What a dramatic succession of picturesque scenes. There is Mohammad the Prophet, there is Mohammad the General; Mohammad the King; Mohammad the Warrior; Mohammad the Businessman; Mohammad the Preacher; Mohammad the Philosopher; Mohammad the Statesman; Mohammad the Orator; Mohammad the reformer; Mohammad the Refuge of orphans; Mohammad the Protector of slaves; Mohammad the Emancipator of women; Mohammad the Law-giver; Mohammad the Judge; Mohammad the Saint.

And in all these magnificent roles, in all these departments of human activities, he is like, a hero..

Orphanhood is extreme of helplessness and his life upon this earth began with it; Kingship is the height of the material power and it ended with it. From an orphan boy to a persecuted refugee and then to an overlord, spiritual as well as temporal, of a whole nation and Arbiter of its destinies, with all its trials and temptations, with all its vicissitudes and changes, its lights and shades, its up and downs, its terror and splendor, he has stood the fire of the world and came out unscathed to serve as a model in every face of life. His achievements are not limited to one aspect of life, but cover the whole field of human conditions.

If for instance, greatness consist in the purification of a nation, steeped in barbarism and immersed in absolute moral darkness, that dynamic personality who has transformed, refined and uplifted an entire nation, sunk low as the Arabs were, and made them the torch-bearer of civilization and learning, has every claim to greatness. If greatness lies in unifying the discordant elements of society by ties of brotherhood and charity, the prophet of the desert has got every title to this distinction. If greatness consists in reforming those warped in degrading and blind superstition and pernicious practices of every kind, the prophet of Islam has wiped out superstitions and irrational fear from the hearts of millions. If it lies in displaying high morals, Mohammad has been admitted by friend and foe as Al Amin, or the faithful. If a conqueror is a great man, here is a person who rose from helpless orphan and an humble creature to be the ruler of Arabia, the equal to Chosroes and Caesars, one who founded great empire that has survived all these 14 centuries. If the devotion that a leader commands is the criterion of greatness, the prophet's name even today exerts a magic charm over millions of souls, spread all over the world.

He had not studied philosophy in the school of Athens of Rome, Persia, India, or China. Yet, He could proclaim the highest truths of eternal value to mankind. Illiterate himself, he could yet speak with an eloquence and fervor which moved men to tears, to tears of ecstasy. Born an orphan blessed with no worldly goods, he was loved by all. He had studied at no military academy; yet he could organize his forces against tremendous odds and gained victories through the moral forces which he marshaled. Gifted men with genius for preaching are rare. Descartes included the perfect preacher among the rarest kind in the world. Hitler in his Mein Kamp has expressed a similar view. He says "A great theorist is seldom a great leader. An Agitator is more likely to posses these qualities. He will always be a great leader. For leadership means ability to move masses of men. The talents to produce ideas has nothing in common

with capacity for leadership." "But", he says, "The Union of theorists, organizer and leader in one man, is the rarest phenomenon on this earth; Therein consists greatness."

In the person of the Prophet of Islam the world has seen this rarest phenomenon walking on the earth, walking in flesh and blood.

7 And more wonderful still is what the reverend Bosworth Smith remarks, "Head of the state as well as the Church, he was Caesar and Pope in one; but, he was pope without the pope's claims, and Caesar without the legions of Caesar, without an standing army, without a bodyguard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue. If ever any man had the right to say that he ruled by a right divine It was Mohammad, for he had all the power without instruments and without its support. He cared not for dressing of power. The simplicity of his private life was in keeping with his public life."

After the fall of Mecca, more than one million square miles of land lay at his feet, Lord of Arabia, he mended his own shoes and coarse woolen garments, milked the goats, swept the hearth, kindled the fire and attended the other menial offices of the family. The entire town of Medina where he lived grew wealthy in the later days of his life. Everywhere there was gold and silver in plenty and yet in those days of prosperity many weeks would elapse without a fire being kindled in the hearth of the king of Arabia, His food being dates and water. His family would go hungry many nights successively because they could not get anything to eat in the evening. He slept on no soften bed but on a palm mat, after a long busy day to spend most of his night in prayer, often bursting with tears before his creator to grant him strength to discharge his duties. As the reports go, his voice would get choked with weeping and it would appear as if a cooking pot was on fire and boiling had commenced. On the very day of his death his only assets were few coins a part of which went to satisfy a debt and rest was given to a needy person who came to his house for charity. The clothes in which he breathed his last had many patches. The house from where light had spread to the world was in darkness because there was no oil in the lamp.

Circumstances changed, but the prophet of God did not. In victory or in defeat, in power or in adversity, in affluence or in indigence, he is the same man, disclosed the same character. Like all the ways and laws of God, Prophets of God are unchangeable.

An honest man, as the saying goes, is the noblest work of God, Mohammad was more than honest. He was human to the marrow of his bones. Human sympathy, human love was the music of his soul. To serve man, to elevate man, to purify man, to educate man, in a word to humanize man-this was the object of his mission, the be-all and end all of his life. In thought, in word, in action he had the good of humanity as his sole inspiration, his sole guiding principle.

He was most unostentatious and selfless to the core. What were the titles he assumed? Only true servant of God and His Messenger. Servant first, and then a messenger. A Messenger and prophet like many other prophets in every part of the world, some known to you, many not known you. If one does not believe in any of these truths one ceases to be a Muslim. It is an article of faith.

"Looking at the circumstances of the time and unbounded reverence of his followers" says a western writer "the most miraculous thing about Mohammad is, that he never claimed the power of working miracles." Miracles were performed but not to propagate his faith and were attributed entirely to God and his inscrutable ways. He would plainly say that he was a man like others. He had no treasures of earth or heaven. Nor did he claim to know the secrets of that lie in womb of future. All this was in an age when miracles were supposed to be ordinary occurrences, at the back and call of the commonest saint, when the whole atmosphere was surcharged with supernaturalism in Arabia and outside Arabia. He turned the attention of his followers towards the study of nature and its laws, to understand them and appreciate the Glory of God. The Quran says,

"God did not create the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in play. He did not create them all but with the truth. But most men do not know."

8 The world is not illusion, nor without purpose. It has been created with the truth. The number of verses inviting close observation of nature are several times more than those that relate to prayer, fasting, pilgrimage etc. all put together. The Muslim under its influence began to observe nature closely and this give birth to the scientific spirit of the observation and experiment which was unknown to the Greeks. While the Muslim Botanist Ibn Baitar wrote on Botany after collecting plants from all parts of the world, described by Myer in his Gesch. der Botanikaa-s, a monument of industry, while Al Byruni traveled for forty years to collect mineralogical specimens, and Muslim Astronomers made some observations extending even over twelve years. Aristotle wrote on Physics without performing a single experiment, wrote on natural history, carelessly stating without taking the trouble to ascertain the most verifiable fact that men have more teeth than animal. Galen, the greatest authority on classical anatomy informed that the lower jaw consists of two bones, a statement which is accepted unchallenged for centuries till Abdul Lateef takes the trouble to examine a human skeleton. After enumerating several such instances, Robert Priffault concludes in his well known book The making of humanity, "The debt of our science to the Arabs does not consist in starting discovers or revolutionary theories. Science owes a great more to Arabs culture; it owes is existence." The same writer says "The Greeks systematized, generalized and theorized but patient ways of investigation, the accumulation of positive knowledge, the minute methods of science, detailed and prolonged observation, experimental inquiry, were altogether alien to Greek temperament. What we call science arose in Europe as result of new methods of investigation, of the method of experiment, observation, measurement, of the development of Mathematics in form unknown to the Greeks. That spirit and these methods, concludes the same author, were introduced into the European world by Arabs."

It is the same practical character of the teaching of Prophet Mohammad that gave birth to the scientific spirit, that has also sanctified the daily labors and the so called mundane affairs. The Quran says that God has created man to worship him but the word worship has a connotation of its own. Gods worship is not confined to prayer alone, but every act that is done with the purpose of winning approval of God and is for the benefit of the humanity comes under its purview. Islam sanctifies life and all its pursuits provided they are performed with honesty, justice and pure intents. It obliterates the age-long distinction between the sacred and profane. The Quran says if you eat clean things and thank God for it, it is an act of worship. It is saying of the prophet of Islam that Morsel of food that one places in the mouth of his wife is an act of virtue to be rewarded by God. Another tradition of the Prophet says "He who is satisfying the desire of his heart will be rewarded by God provided the methods adopted are permissible." A person was listening to him exclaimed 'O Prophet of God, he is answering the calls of passions, is only satisfying the craving of his heart. Forthwith came the reply, "Had he adopted an awful method for the satisfaction of his urge, he would have been punished; then why should he not be rewarded for following the right course."

This new conception of religion that it should also devote itself to the betterment of this life rather than concern itself exclusively with super mundane affairs, has led to a new orientation of moral values. Its abiding influence on the common relations of mankind in the affairs of every day life, its deep power over the masses, its regulation of their conception of rights and duty, its suitability and adaptability to the ignorant savage and the wise philosopher are characteristic features of the teaching of the Prophet of Islam.

But it should be most carefully born in mind this stress on good actions is not the sacrifice correctness of faith. While there are various school of thought, one praising faith at the expense of deeds, another exhausting various acts to the detriment of correct belief, Islam is based on correct faith and righteous actions. Means are important as the end and ends are as important as the means. It is an organic Unity. Together they live and thrive. Separate them and both decay and die. In Islam faith can not be divorced from the action. Right knowledge should be transferred into right action to produce the right 9 results. How often the words came in Quran — Those who believe and do good thing, they alone shall enter paradise. Again and again, not less than fifty times these words are repeated as if too much stress can not be laid on them. Contemplation is encouraged but mere contemplation is not the goal. Those who believe and do nothing can not exist in Islam. These who believe and do wrong are inconceivable. Divine law is the law of effort and not of ideals. It chalks out for the men the path of eternal progress from knowledge to action and from action to satisfaction.

But what is the correct faith from which right action spontaneously proceeds resulting in complete satisfaction. Here the central doctrine of Islam is the Unity of God. There is no God but God is the pivot from which hangs the whole teaching and practice of Islam. He is unique not only as regards his divine being but also as regards his divine attributes.

As regards the attributes of God, Islam adopts here as in other things too, the law of golden mean. It avoids on the one hand, the view of God which divests the divine being of every attribute and rejects, on the other, the view which likens him to things material. The Quran says, On the one hand, there is nothing which is like him, on the other , it affirms that he is Seeing, Hearing, Knowing. He is the King who is without a stain of fault or deficiency, the mighty ship of His power floats upon the ocean of justice and equity. He is the Beneficent, the Merciful. He is the Guardian over all. Islam does not stop with this positive statement. It adds further which is its most special characteristic, the negative aspects of problem. There is also no one else who is guardian over everything. He is the meander of every breakage, and no one else is the meander of any breakage. He is the restorer of every loss and no one else is the restorer of any loss what-so-over. There is no God but one God, above any need, the maker of bodies, creator of souls, the Lord of the day of judgment, and in short, in the words of Quran, to him belong all excellent qualities.

Regarding the position of man in relation to the Universe, the Quran says:

"God has made subservient to you whatever is on the earth or in universe. You are destined to rule over the Universe."

But in relation to God, the Quran says:

"O man God has bestowed on you excellent faculties and has created life and death to put you to test in order to see whose actions are good and who has deviated from the right path."

In spite of free will which he enjoys, to some extent, every man is born under certain circumstances and continues to live under certain circumstances beyond his control. With regard to this God says, according to Islam, it is my will to create any man under condition that seem best to me. cosmic plans finite mortals can not fully comprehend. But I will certainly test you in prosperity as well in adversity, in health as well as in sickness, in heights as well as in depths. My ways of testing differ from man to man, from hour to hour. In adversity do not despair and do resort to unlawful means. It is but a passing phase. In prosperity do not forget God. God-gifts are given only as trusts. You are always on trial, every moment on test. In this sphere of life there is not to reason why, there is but to do and die. If you live in accordance with God; and if you die, die in the path of God. You may call it fatalism. but this type of fatalism is a

condition of vigorous increasing effort, keeping you ever on the alert. Do not consider this temporal life on earth as the end of human existence. There is a life after death and it is eternal. Life after death is only a connection link, a door that opens up hidden reality of life. Every action in life however insignificant, produces a lasting effect. It is correctly recorded somehow. Some of the ways of God are known to you, but many of his ways are hidden from you. What is hidden in you and from you in 10 this world will be unrolled and laid open before you in the next. the virtuous will enjoy the blessing of God which the eye has not seen, nor has the ear heard, nor has it entered into the hearts of men to conceive of they will march onward reaching higher and higher stages of evolution. Those who have wasted opportunity in this life shall under the inevitable law, which makes every man taste of what he has done, be subjugated to a course of treatment of the spiritual diseases which they have brought about with their own hands. Beware, it is terrible ordeal. Bodily pain is torture, you can bear somehow. Spiritual pain is hell, you will find it almost unbearable. Fight in this life itself the tendencies of the spirit prone to evil, tempting to lead you into iniquities ways. Reach the next stage when the self-accusing sprit in your conscience is awakened and the soul is anxious to attain moral excellence and revolt against disobedience. This will lead you to the final stage of the soul at rest, contented with God, finding its happiness and delight in him alone. The soul no more stumbles. The stage of struggle passes away. Truth is victorious and falsehood lays down its arms. All complexes will then be resolved. Your house will not be divided against itself. Your personality will get integrated round the central core of submission to the will of God and complete surrender to his divine purpose. All hidden energies will then be released. The soul then will have peace. God will then address you:

"O thou soul that art at rest, and restest fully contented with thy Lord return to thy Lord. He pleased with thee and thou pleased with him; So enter among my servants and enter into my paradise."

This is the final goal for man; to become, on the, one hand, the master of the universe and on the other, to see that his soul finds rest in his Lord, that not only his Lord will be pleased with him but that he is also pleased with his Lord. Contentment, complete contentment, satisfaction, complete satisfaction, peace, complete peace. The love of God is his food at this stage and he drinks deep at the fountain of life. Sorrow and defeat do not overwhelm him and success does not find him in vain and exulting.

The western nations are only trying to become the master of the Universe. But their souls have not found peace and rest.

Thomas Carlyle, struck by this philosophy of life writes "and then also Islam-that we must submit to God; that our whole strength lies in resigned submission to Him, whatsoever he does to us, the thing he sends to us, even if death and worse than death, shall be good, shall be best; we resign ourselves to God." The same author continues "If this be Islam, says Goethe, do we not all live in Islam?" Carlyle himself answers this question of Goethe and says "Yes, all of us that have any moral life, we all live so. This is yet the highest wisdom that heaven has revealed to our earth."

Thenceforth were your hearts hardened: They became like a rock and even worse in hardness. For among rocks there are some from which rivers gush forth; others there are which when split asunder send forth water; and others which sink for fear of Allah. And Allah is not unmindful of what ye do. 2:74 al-Baqarah Verse: 74 AL-QURAN.

Some hadiths (teachings of prophet Muhammad)( pbuh)

Aisha reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say, "Gabriel continued to advise me to treat neighbors well until I thought he would make them my heirs."

Source: Sahih Muslim 2624

11 Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Imam Muslim

Abu Musa reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "The honest Muslim trustee who carries out the orders of those who trusted him and who pays in full with a good heart to the right person is regarded as one of the two who gave charity." Source: Sahih Bukhari 1371, Sahih Muslim [...]

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "There is no justification for envy except in two cases. First, a man whom Allah has given the Quran and he recites it during the night and day, so someone says: If I were to be given like this, I would do as he is doing. And second, a man whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it in justice, so someone says: If I were to be given like this, I would do as he is doing."

Source: Sahih Bukhari 6805

Grade:  Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Bukhari

 Hadith on Zakat: The command to give 2.5% of surplus wealth as alms and charity

Abu Amina Elias | April 5, 2013

Ali ibn Abu Talib reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "If you have two hundred coins and a year has passed, then five coins is due for alms; and you will owe nothing until you own twenty coins, but when you own twenty coins and a year has passed, then half of a coin is due for alms and whatever exceeds that should be calculated likewise."

Source: Sunan Abu Dawud 1572

Grade: Hasan (fair) according to Abu Dawud (due to his silence)

Abu Dharr reported: My dear friend the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, enjoined upon me three deeds, "Listen to and obey the ruler even if a slave is appointed over you. When you make soup, put some extra water in it and look to the people in the neighboring house and give them a reasonable portion of it, and pray your prayers on time, for if you find the Imam praying then pray with him and your prayer will be safeguarded, otherwise it will be voluntary for you."

Source: Musnad Ahmad 20918

Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani

Juwairiya reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, came out from her apartment as she was performing the dawn prayer. He returned in the forenoon and found her sitting there. The Prophet said, "Are you in the same position as I left you?" She said yes. The Prophet said, "I recited four words three times after I left you. If these are to be weighed against all you have recited since the morning, these words will be heavier. They are: Glory and praise to Allah as many as the numbers of His creation, in according with His pleasure, as the weight of the Throne, and as the ink for recording His words."

12 Source: Sahih Muslim 2726

Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Imam Muslim

Ubadah ibn As-Samit reported: We pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, pledging to listen and obey in hardship and in ease, in pleasure and displeasure even if someone is wrongly favored over us, and pledging not to dispute the rule of

those in authority and that we should speak the truth wherever we are and not to fear those who blame us regarding Allah.

Source: Sahih Muslim 1709

Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Imam Muslim

Al-Qurtubi reported: Some scholars gave permission to initiate greetings of peace with the unbelievers. It was said to Sufyan bin Uyainah, "Do you give permission to greet an unbeliever with peace?" Sufyan said, "Yes, for Allah the Exalted said: Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you in religion nor expel you from your homes that you be righteous and fair to them. Verily, Allah loves those who are just." (60:8) Sufyan added, "Allah said: There has come to you the best example in Abraham, (60:4) and Abraham said to his father: Peace be upon you." (19:47)

Source: Tafseer Al-Qurtubi, verse 19:41

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud reported: He stood upon a platform and he grabbed his tongue and he said, "O tongue! Speak goodness and be rewarded, or remain silent and be safe before you are regretful." Then he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say, "Most of the sins of the children of Adam are on their tongues."

[At-Tabarani, Mu'jam Al-Kabeer, Number 10300, Sahih]

Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said three times, "May Allah have mercy on a person who spoke rightly and was rewarded, or who was silent and remained safe."

Source: Shu'b Al-Iman Al-Bayhaqi 4579

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "The basis of reasoning, after faith in Allah, is loving kindness toward the people."

Source: At-Tabarani, Al-Mu'jam Al-Awsat, Number 6067

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him not harm his neighbor. Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him honor his guest. Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him speak goodness or remain silent."

13 Source: Sahih Muslim 47

Ibn Mas'ud reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "During the night journey, I met with Abraham, Moses, and Jesus and they were discussing the matter of the Hour. Their matter was referred to Abraham, who said, "I have no knowledge about it." So the matter was referred to Moses, who said, "I have no knowledge about it." So the matter was referred to Jesus, who said, "As for the conditions of the Hour, no one knows them but Allah. My Lord the Exalted has entrusted me that the False Messiah will appear and I will have with me two rods. When he sees me, he will melt away just as lead is melted in fire.

Allah will destroy him to the point that the rock and the tree will say: O Muslims, beneath me is an unbeliever, so come slay him. Thus, Allah will destroy them and the people will return to their lands and their countries. When that happens, the nations of Gog and Magog will appear, eating and drinking everything in their lands. They will not come upon anything but that they will devour it and they will not pass by any water but that they will consume it. The people will complain to me about them, so I will supplicate to Allah and He will destroy them until their stench fills the earth. Then Allah will send rain which will wash their bodies into the sea. My Lord the Exalted has entrusted me that when all of this happens, the Hour is indeed near just as a women is ready to give birth; her family does not know when she will give birth but it could be any day or night."

[Musnad Ahmad, Number 3546, Sahih]

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "By Allah, the son of Mary will descend as a just ruler. He will abolish the cross, kill the swine, and annul the tribute, but he will leave the she-camel such that no one collects from it. He will cause rancor, hatred, and envy to disappear, and he will call people to give their wealth in charity but no one will need it."

Source: Sahih Muslim 155

Prophet said, "By Allah, you must enjoin good and forbid evil and seize the hand of the oppressor and make him follow the truth and restrict him to what is just."

Source: Sunan Abu Dawud 4336

"God is Kind and likes kindness in all things."

Reporter: Hadhrat Ayeshah (r)

Source: Bukhari/Muslim (reported in Riyadhus Saleheen,#633); Sunan Ibn Majah, #3684

The people will be resurrected  
(and judged) according to their intentions."

Reporter: Hadhrat Aishah (r)

14 Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, Book of Fasting, Chapter 6, p. 69

"The best among you are those  
who have the best manners and character.""

Reporter: Hadhrat Abdullah ibn Amr (r)

Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 8: #56b

"A person who goes in search of knowledge,  
he is in the path of God  
and he remains so till he returns."

Reporter: Hadhrat Anas (r)

Source: Sunan at-Tirmizi, Vol. 4, #2656

"Hell lies hidden behind evil  
(worldly desires) and  
paradise is screened behind hard labor."

Reporter: Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (r)

Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 8, #494

"Paradise is closer to you than your shoelace,  
and so is the (Hell) Fire."

Reporter: Hadhrat Ibn Mas'ud

Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 8, #495

"The world is prison for the believers and paradise for the disbelievers."

Reporter: Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (r)

Source: Sahih Muslim, Vol. 4, #7058

"To spend one morning or evening in the cause of God is better than the world and whatever is in the world."

Reporter: Hadhrat Anas bin Malik

Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 4, #50

15 On the authority of Abu Malik al-Harith bin Asim al-Asharee (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Purity is half of iman (faith). 'Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah)' fills the scales, and 'subhan-Allah (how far is Allah from every imperfection) and 'Al-hamdulillah (praise be to Allah)' fill that which is between heaven and earth. And the salah (prayer) is a light, and charity is a proof, and patience is illumination, and the Qur'an is a proof either for you or against you. Every person starts his day as a vendor of his soul, either freeing it or causing its ruin." It was related by Muslim.

Even Western scholars have repudiated the myth of Muslims coercing others to convert. The great historian De Lacy O'Leary wrote:  
"History makes it clear, however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims, sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myths that historians have ever repeated."[]

Even in a state of war, Islam enjoins that one deals with the enemy nobly on the battlefield. Islam has drawn a clear line of distinction between the combatants and the non-combatants of the enemy country. As far as the non-combatant population is concerned such as women, children, the old and the infirm, etc., the instructions of the Prophet are as follows: "Do not kill any old person, any child or any woman" [].

"Do not kill the monks in monasteries" or "Do not kill the people who are sitting in places of worship." []

During a war, the Prophet saw the corpse of a woman lying on the ground and observed:  
"She was not fighting. How then she came to be killed?" Thus non-combatants are guaranteed security of life even if their state is at war with an Islamic state.

 |

16 What non Muslim scholars say about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

|

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D uring the centuries of the crusades, all sorts of slanders were invented against the Prophet Muhammad (p)2. However, with the birth of the modern age, marked with religious tolerance and freedom of thought, there has been a great change in the approach of Western authors in their delineation of his life and character.

The West, however, has yet to go a step forward to

discover the greatest reality about Muhammad (p); that is his being the true and the last Prophet of God for all humanity.

Despite all its objectivity and enlightenment, there has been no sincere and objective attempt by the West to understand the Prophethood of Muhammad (p). It is so strange that very glowing tributes are paid to him for his integrity and achievement but his claim of being the Prophet of God is rejected explicitly or implicitly. It is here that a searching of the heart is required, and a review of the so-called objectivity is needed. The following glaring facts from the life of Muhammad (p) have been furnished to facilitate an unbiased, logical and objective decision regarding his Prophethood.

Up to the age of forty, Muhammad (p) was not known as a statesman, a preacher or an orator. He was never seen discussing the principles of metaphysics, ethics, law, politics, economics or sociology. No doubt he possessed an excellent character and charming manners and was known to be highly cultured. Yet there was nothing so deeply striking and so radically extraordinary in him that would make men expect something great and revolutionary from him in the future. But when he came out of the Cave of Hira, with a new message, he was completely transformed. .Is it possible for a person known to possess an upright and unblemished character, to suddenly turn an impostor. and claim to be the

Prophet of God?. It is well known that his claim invited the rage of his people, and marked the beginning of a long, arduous struggle. One might ask: .for what reason did he suffer all those hardships?His people offered to accept him as their King and to lay all the riches of the land at his feet if only he would leave the preaching of his message. But he turned down their alluring offers and continued to preach in the face of insults, social boycott and even physical assault. Furthermore, had he come with a design of rivalry with the Christians and the Jews, why should he have believed in Jesus Christ and Moses and other Prophets of God (peace be upon them), which is a basic requirement of faith without which no one could be a Muslim?

It is well known that Muhammad (p) was unlettered and had led a very uneventful life before he announced his mission to the world at the age of forty. Is it not an

17

incontrovertible proof of his Prophethood, that despite being unlettered, all of Arabia stood in awe and wonder when he began preaching his message, and was bewitched by the wonderful eloquence of his message? The whole legion of Arab poets, preachers and orators of the highest caliber failed to bring forth the equivalent of the Qur.an, which remains inimitable to this day. And above all, how could he then pronounce truths of scientific nature contained in the Qur.an that no human being could possibly have discovered at that time

Last, but not the least, why did he lead a hard life even after gaining power and authority? The words he uttered while dying were: .We the community of the Prophets are not inherited. Whatever we leave is for charity.  
As a matter of fact, Muhammad (p), is the last link of Prophets sent in different lands and times since the beginning of the human life on earth.

If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astounding results are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare any great man in modern history with Muhammad? The most famous men created arms, laws and empires only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man moved not only armies, legislations, empires, peoples and dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of the then inhabited world; and more than that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and souls... His forbearance in victory, his ambition, which was entirely devoted to one idea and in no manner striving for an empire; his endless prayers, his mystic conversations with God, his death and his triumph after death; all these attest not to an impostor but to a firm conviction which gave him the power to restore a dogma. This dogma was twofold, the unity of God and the immateriality of God; the former telling what God is, the latter telling what God is not; the one overthrowing false gods with the sword, the other starting an idea with the words.

Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas, of a cult without images; the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he?[Lamartine, Histoire de la Turquie, Paris 1854 Vol. II, pp. 276-77.]

It is not the propagation but the permanency of his religion that deserves our wonder; the same pure and perfect impression that he engraved at Mecca and Medina is preserved, after the revolutions of twelve centuries by the Indian, the African and the Turkish proselytes of the Koran... The Mahometans have uniformly withstood the temptation of reducing the object of their faith and devotion to a level with the senses and imagination of man. I believe in One God and Mahomet the Apostle of God., is the simple and invariable profession of Islam. The intellectual image of the Deity has never been degraded by any visible idol; the honors of the prophet have never transgressed the measure of human virtue; and 18 his living precepts have restrained the gratitude of his disciples within the bounds of reason and religion.[Edward Gibbon and Simon Ocklay, History of the Saracen Empire, London 1870, p. 54.]

He was Caesar and Pope in one; but he was Pope without Popes pretensions, Caesar without the legions of Caesar: without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue; if ever any man had the right to say that he ruled by the right divine, it was Mohammad, for he had all the power without its instruments and without its supports.[Bosworth Smifu, Mohammad and Mohammadanism. London 1874, p. 92.]

.It is impossible for anyone who studies the life and character of the great Prophet of Arabia, who knows how he taught and how he lived, to feel anything but reverence for that mighty Prophet, one of the great messengers of the Supreme. And although in what I put to you I shall say many things which may be familiar to many, yet I myself feel whenever I re-read them, a new way of admiration, a new sense of reverence for that mighty Arabian teacher.[Annie Besant, The Life and Teachings of Muhammad, Madras 1932, p.4]

His readiness to undergo persecutions for his beliefs, the high moral character of the men who believed in him and looked up to him as leader, and the greatness of his ultimate achievement all argue his fundamental integrity. To suppose Muhammad an impostor raises more problems than it solves. Moreover, none of the great figures of history is so poorly appreciated in the West as Muhammad.[W. Montgomery, Mohammad at Mecca, Oxford, 1953, p. 52.]

Muhammad, the inspired man who founded Islam, was born about A.D. 570 into an Arabian tribe that worshipped idols. Orphaned at birth, he was always particularly solicitous of the poor and needy, the widow and the orphan, the slave and the downtrodden. At twenty he was already a successful businessman, and soon became director of camel caravans for a wealthy widow. When he reached twenty-five his employer, recognizing his merit, proposed marriage. Even though she was fifteen years older, he married her, and as long as she lived remained a devoted husband.

Like almost every major prophet before him, Muhammad fought shy of serving as the transmitter of God.s word, sensing his own inadequacy. But the angel commanded Read.. So far as we know, Muhammad was unable to read or write, but he began to dictate those inspired words which would soon revolutionize a large segment of the earth; .There is one God.

In all things Muhammad was profoundly practical. When his beloved son Ibrahim died, an eclipse occurred, and rumors of God.s personal condolence quickly arose. Whereupon Muhammad is said to have announced, An eclipse is a phenomenon of nature. It is foolish to attribute such things to the death or birth of a human being..

At Muhammad.s own death an attempt was made to deify him, but the man who 19 was to become his administrative successor killed the hysteria with one of the noblest speeches in religious history: If there are any among you who worshipped Muhammad, he is dead. But if it is God you worshipped, He lives forever..  
[James A. Michener, Islam The Misunderstood Religion., In the Reader.s Digest (American Edition) for May 1955, pp. 68-70.]

[Source : WAMY3 Series on Islam]

1. The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History, New York: Hart Publishing Company, Inc., 1978, p. 33.  
2. (p) here stands for .peace be upon him3. World Assembly of Muslim Youth |

PROPHET MUHAMMAD (pbuh) IN THE BIBLE  
by Dr. Zakir Naik

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**Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in the Old Testament:**

The Qur'an mentions in Surah Al-Araf chapter 7 verse 157:

"Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (scriptures) in the law and the Gospel".

 | 1. MUHAMMAD (PBUH) PROPHESISED IN THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY:

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|

Almighty God speaks to Moses in Book of Deuteronomy chapter 18 verse 18:

"I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and I will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him."

The Christians say that this prophecy refers to Jesus (pbuh) because Jesus (pbuh) was like Moses (pbuh). Moses (pbuh) was a Jew, as well as Jesus (pbuh) was a Jew. Moses (pbuh) was a Prophet and Jesus (pbuh) was also a Prophet If these two are the only criteria for this prophecy to be fulfilled, then all the Prophets of the Bible who came after  
Moses (pbuh) such as Solomon, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Malachi, John the Baptist, etc. (pbut) will   
fulfill this prophecy since all were Jews as well as prophets.

However, it is Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who is like Moses (pbuh):

20

i)  |   
Both had a father and a mother, while Jesus (pbuh) was born miraculously without any male intervention.

[Mathew 1:18 and Luke 1:35 and also Al-Qur'an 3:42-47]

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ii)  |   
Both were married and had children. Jesus (pbuh) according to the Bible did not marry nor had children.

iii)  |   
Both died natural deaths. Jesus (pbuh) has been raised up alive. (4:157-158)

|

Muhammad (pbuh) is from among the brethren of Moses (pbuh). Arabs are brethren of Jews. Abraham (pbuh) had two sons: Ishmail and Isaac (pbut). The Arabs are the descendants of Ishmail (pbuh) and the Jews are the descendants of Isaac (pbuh).

Words in the mouth:

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was unlettered and whatever revelations he received

from Almighty God he repeated them verbatim.

"I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him."

[Deuteronomy 18:18]

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iv)  |   
Both besides being Prophets were also kings i.e. they could inflict capital punishment. Jesus (pbuh) said, "My kingdom is not of this world." (John 18:36).

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v)  |   
Both were accepted as Prophets by their people in their lifetime but Jesus (pbuh) was rejected by his  
people. John chapter 1 verse 11 states, "He came unto his own, but his own received him not."

iv)  | Both brought new laws and new regulations for their people. Jesus (pbuh) according to the Bible did not bring any new laws. (Mathew 5:17-18).

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21 112. Surah Al-Ikhlaas or At-Tauhid (The Purity)

1. Say (O Muhammad ( )): "He is Allah, (the) One.

2. "Allah-us-Samad (The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks).

3. "He begets not, nor was He begotten;

4. "And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him." Quran

(according to historians original bible does not exist) search in google!!!

(The punishment of raping a women in islam is death penalty)!!!

if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land - it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind.Quran.

**2.** |   
**It is Mentioned in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 18:19**

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"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not harken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him."

**3.** |   
**Muhammad (pbuh) is prophesised in the book of Isaiah:**

|

It is mentioned in the book of Isaiah chapter 29 verse 12:

"And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned."

When Archangel Gabrail commanded Muhammad (pbuh) by saying Iqra - "Read", he replied, "I am not learned".

**4.** |   
**prophet Muhammad (pbuh) mentioned by name in the old testament:**

|

22 Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is mentioned by name in the Song of Solomon chapter 5 verse 16:

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is mentioned by name in the Song of Solomon chapter 5 verse 16:

prophet Muhammad (pbuh) mentioned by name in the old testament: Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is mentioned by name in the Song of Solomon chapter 5 verse 16:"Hikko Mamittakim we kullo Muhammadim Zehdoodeh wa Zehraee Bayna Jerusalem.""His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem."In the Hebrew language im is added for respect. Similarely im is added after the name of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to make it Muhammadim. In English translation they have even translated the name of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as "altogether lovely", but in the Old Testament in Hebrew, the name of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is yet present.It's majestic plural noun like Elohim which refers to 1 God only.so Muhammadim also refers to 1 Muhammad even though im can refer also to be plural.(Edited by Faisal)

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in the New Testament:

Al-Qur'an Chapter 61 Verse 6:

"And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said, 'O Children of Israel! I am the messenger of Allah (sent) to you, confirming the Law (which came) before me and giving glad tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmed.' But when he came to them with clear signs, they said, 'This is evident sorcery!' "

All the prophecies mentioned in the Old Testament regarding Muhammad (pbuh) besides applying to the Jews also hold good for the Christians.

1.  |

John chapter 14 verse 16:

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"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever."

**2.** |   
**Gospel of John chapter 15 verse 26:**

|

"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit

of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me."

23 **3.** |   
**Gospel of John chapter 16 verse 7:**

 |   
"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not  
come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you".

"Ahmed" or "Muhammad" meaning "the one who praises" or "the praised one" is almost the translation of the  
Greek word Periclytos. In the Gospel of John 14:16, 15:26, and 16:7. The word 'Comforter' is used in the English translation for the Greek word Paracletos which means advocate or a kind friend rather than a comforter.   
Paracletos is the warped reading for Periclytos. Jesus (pbuh) actually prophesised Ahmed by name. Even the  
Greek word Paraclete refers to the Prophet (pbuh) who is a mercy for all creatures.

Some Christians say that the Comforter mentioned in these prophecies refers to the Holy Sprit. They fail to realise  
that the prophecy clearly says that only if Jesus (pbuh) departs will the Comforter come. The Bible states that the  
Holy Spirit was already present on earth before and during the time of Jesus (pbuh), in the womb of Elizabeth, and again when Jesus (pbuh) was being baptised, etc. Hence this prophecy refers to none other than Prophet   
Muhammad (pbuh).

**4.** |   
**Gospel of John chapter 16 verse 12-14:**

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"I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is   
come, he will guide you unto all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me".

The Sprit of Truth, spoken about in this prophecy referes to none other than Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

NOTE: All quotations of the Bible are taken from the King James Version.

24 | Muhammad's Prophethood: Intellectual Proofs

Table of Contents

1. The Prophet (pbuh) was unlettered. He did not know how to read or write. He lived among a people who were unlettered as well. Therefore one cannot claim that the Qur'an was authored by Muhammad (pbuh)! God, the Exalted, says:

"And you did not recite any Book before it, nor did you write one with your right hand; in that case the liars would have doubted." (29:48)

2. The Arabs were challenged to bring forth something similar to the Qur'an, and they were unable to do so! The beauty, structure and deep meanings of the Qur'an amazed the Arabs. The Qur'an is the everlasting miracle of Muhammad (pbuh). The Messenger of God (pbuh) said:

"The miracles of the Prophets (before Muhammad pbuh) were confined to their times. The miracle I have been given is the Qur'an, which is everlasting; therefore, I hope to have the most followers." (Bukhari 4598)

Even though his people were eloquent and well known for their awesome poetry, God challenged them to produce similar to the Qur'an, but they couldn't. God then challenged them to produce a chapter similar to it, and they couldn't.

God says:

"And if you are in doubt as to what We have sent down to Our slave, then produce a chapter like it, and call upon your helpers beside Allah, if you are truthful." (2:23)

God challenges mankind at large to bring forth similar to the Qur'an. God says:

"Say, 'if mankind and the Jinn gathered together to produce the like of this Qur'an, they could not produce the like thereof, even though they should help one another." (17:88) 3. The Prophet pbuh continued preaching and calling people to Islam, even though he faced many hardships and was confronted by his people, who were plotting to kill him. Yet the Prophet pbuh continued preaching, and was patient. If he was an imposter - he would stop preaching and would have feared for his life.  
W. Montgomery Watt said:

His readiness to undergo persecution for his beliefs, the high moral character of the men who believed in him and looked up to him as a leader, and the greatness of his ultimate achievement - all argue his fundamental integrity. To suppose Muhammad an impostor raises more problems that it solves. Moreover, none of the great figures of history is so poorly appreciated in the West as Muhammad.... Thus, not merely must we credit Muhammad with essential honesty and integrity of purpose, if we are

to understand him at all; if we are to correct the errors we have inherited from the past, 25 we must not forget the conclusive proof is a much stricter requirement than a show of plausibility, and in a matter such as this only to be attained with difficulty.

4. Every person loves the ornaments and beauties of this life, and would be swayed by these things. God, the Exalted, says:

"Beautified for men is the love of desired things –women and children, and stored-up heaps of gold and silver, and pastured horses and cattle and crops. That is the provision of the present life; but it is God with Whom is an excellent abode." (3:14)

Man, by his nature, is keen in acquiring ornaments and beauties of this world. People differ in the method they use to acquire these things. Some would resort to using lawful means to gain these things, while others would resort to using unlawful means to acquire these things.

If this is known (you should know that) Quraish tried to persuade the Prophet (pbuh) to stop calling people to Islam. They told him that they would make him the master of Quraish, marry him to the most beautiful women, and make him the most affluent man amongst them. He responded to these tempting offers, saying:

"By God, if they place the sun in my right hand, and the moon in my left hand to leave this matter, I would not leave it, until God makes it apparent, or I am killed calling people to it." (Ibn Hisham)

Were the Prophet (pbuh) an impostor he would have accepted this offer without hesitation.

Thomas Carlyle, said:

"They called him a prophet, you say? Why, he stood there face to face with them, here, not enshrined in any mystery, visibly clouting his own cloak, cobbling his own shoes, fighting, counseling ordering in the midst of them. They must have seen what kind of a man he was, let him be called what ye like. No emperor with his tiaras was obeyed as this man in a cloak of his own clouting. During three and twenty ears of rough, actual trial, I find something of a veritable hero necessary for that of itself."40

5. It is well known that subjects and wealth of a kingdom are subjected to the will of the king, and his service. As for Muhammad (pbuh) he knew that this life was a transitory stage. Ibraheem b. Alqamah said that Abdullah said: 'The Prophet (pbuh) lay down on a straw mat which had marked his side, so I said: 'O Messenger of God! I ransom you with my mother and father! Allow us to put bedding on this mat that you lay on, so your side would not be affected and marked.' The Prophet (pbuh) said:

"My example in this life is like a rider who took rest under the shade of a tree then continued on his journey." (Ibn Majah #4109)

An-Nu'man b. Basheer said:

"I saw your Prophet (pbuh) (during a time) when he was not able to even find low quality dates to fill his stomach." (Muslim #2977)

26 Abu Hurairah said:

"The Messenger of God (pbuh) never filled his stomach for three consecutive days until his death." (Bukhari #5059)

Even though the Arabian Peninsula was under his control, and he was the source of goodness for its people, the Prophet (pbuh) would at some times not find food to suffice him. His wife, A'ishah said that the Prophet (pbuh) bought some food from a Jew (and agreed to pay him at a later time) and he gave him his armor as collateral.' (Bukhari #2088)  
This does not mean that he could not obtain what he wanted; for the moneys and wealth would be placed in front of him in his Masjid, and he would not move from his spot, until he distributed it amongst the poor and needy. Among his Companions were those who were wealthy and affluent - they would rush to serve him and would give up the most valuable of things for him. The reason the Prophet (pbuh) renounced the riches of this world, was because he knew the reality of this life. He said:

"The likeness of this world to the Hereafter, is like a person who dipped his finger in the ocean - let him see what would return." (Muslim #2858)

Reverend Bosworth Smith said:

If ever a man ruled by a right divine, it was Muhammad, for he had all the powers without their supports. He cared not for the dressings of power. The simplicity of his private life was in keeping with his public life.41

6. Certain incidents would befall the Prophet of God (pbuh) which would need clarification, and he would not be able to do anything because he did not receive revelation regarding it. During this period (i.e. between the incident and revelation) he would be exhausted. One such incident is the incident of Ifk'42 wherein the Prophet's wife A'ishah was accused of being treacherous. The Prophet (pbuh) did not receive revelation concerning this incident for one month; during which his enemies talked ill of him, until revelation was revealed and the innocence of A'ishah was declared. Were the Prophet (pbuh) an imposter he would have resolved this incident the minute it came about. God says:

"Nor does he speak out of desire." (53:3)

7. The Prophet (pbuh) did not ask people to adulate him. On the contrary, the Prophet (pbuh) would not be pleased if a person adulated him in any way. Anas said:

"There was no individual more beloved to the Companions than the Messenger of God.' He said: 'If they saw him, they would not stand up for him, because they knew he disliked that.' " (Tirmidthi #2754)

Washington Irving, said:

"His military triumphs awakened no pride nor vain glory as they would have done had they been

27 effected by selfish purposes. In the time of his greatest power he maintained the same simplicity of manner and appearance as in the days of his adversity. So far from affecting regal state, he was displeased if, on entering a room, any unusual testimonial of respect was shown to him."

8. Some verses from the Qur'an were revealed in which the Prophet (pbuh) was blamed and admonished, due to some incident or happening; such as:

a. The words of God, the Exalted:

"O Prophet! Why do you forbid (for yourself) that which God has allowed to you, seeking to please your wives? And God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (66:1)

The Prophet (pbuh) abstained from eating honey, due to the behavior of some of his wives. God then admonished him because he forbade upon himself what God deemed lawful.

b. God, the Exalted, says:

"May God forgive you (O Muhammad). Why did you grant them leave (for remaining behind; you should have persisted as regards your order to them to proceed on Jihad) until those who told the truth were seen by you in a clear light, and you had known the liars?" (9:43)

God admonished the Prophet (pbuh) because he quickly accepted the false excuses of the hypocrites who lagged behind in the Battle of Tabook. He forgave them and accepted their excuses, without verifying them.

c. God, the Exalted, says:

"It is not for a Prophet that he should have prisoners of war (and free them with ransom) until he had made a great slaughter (among his enemies) in the land. You desire the good of this world, but God desires for you the Hereafter. And God is All-Mighty, All-Wise." (8:67)

d. God, the Exalted, says:

"Not for you (O Muhammad, but for God) is the decision; whether He turns in mercy, to (pardon) them or punishes them; verily, they are the wrong-doers." (3:128)

e. God, the Exalted, says:

"The Prophet frowned and turned away. Because there came to him the blind man. And how can you know that he might become pure from sins? Or he might receive admonition, and the admonition might profit him?" (80:1-4)

Abdullah b. Umm Maktoom, who was blind, came to the Prophet (pbuh) while he was preaching to one or some of the Quraish leaders, and the Prophet (pbuh) frowned and turned away - and God admonished him on account of that.

Therefore, were the Prophet (pbuh) an imposter, these verses would not be found in the Qur'an.

28 Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall said:

One day when the Prophet was in conversation with one of the great men of Qureysh, seeking to persuade him of the truth of Al-Islam, a blind man came and asked him a question concerning the faith. The Prophet was annoyed at the interruption, frowned and turned away from the blind man. In this Surah he is told that a man's importance is not to be judged from his appearance or worldly station.43

9. One of the sure signs of his Prophethood is found in the Chapter of Lahab (chapter 111) in the Qur'an. In it God, the Exalted, condemned Abu Lahab (the Prophet's uncle) to the torment of Hell. This chapter was revealed during the early stages of his Da'wah (call to Islam). Were the Prophet (pbuh) an imposter he would not issue a ruling like this; since his uncle might accept Islam afterwards!

Dr. Gary Miller says:

For example, the Prophet (pbuh) had an uncle by the name of Abu Lahab. This man hated Islam to such an extent that he used to follow the Prophet around in order to discredit him. If Abu Lahab saw the Prophet (pbuh) speaking to a stranger, he would wait until they parted and then would go back to the stranger and ask him, 'What did he tell you? Did he say black? Well, it's white. Did he say 'Morning?' Well, it's night.' He faithfully said the exact opposite of whatever he heard Muhammad (pbuh) say. However, about ten years before Abu Lahab died a little chapter in the Qur'an was revealed to him. It distinctly stated that he would go to the Fire (i.e. Hell). In other words, it affirmed that he would never become a Muslim and would therefore be condemned forever. For ten years all Abu Lahab had to do was say, 'I heard that it has been revealed to Muhammad that I will never change – that I will never become a Muslim and will enter the Hellfire. Well I want to become a Muslim now. How do you like that? What do you think of your divine revelation now?' But he never did that. And yet, that is exactly the kind of behavior one would have expected from him since he always sought to contradict Islam. In essence, Muhammad (pbuh) said: 'You hate me and you want to finish me? Here, say these words, and I am finished. Come on, say them!' But Abu Lahab never said them. Ten years! And in all that time he never accepted Islam or even became sympathetic to the Islamic cause. How could Muhammad possibly have known for sure that Abu Lahab would fulfill the Qur'anic revelation if he (i.e. Muhammad) was not truly the Messenger of Allah? How could he possibly have been so confident as to give someone ten years to discredit his claim of Prophethood? The only answer is that he was Allah's Messenger; for in order to put forth such a risky challenge, one has to be entirely convinced that he has a divine revelation.44

10. The Prophet (pbuh) is called: 'Ahmed' in a verse of the Qur'an instead of 'Muhammad'. God, the Exalted, says:

"And remember when Eesa, son of Maryam said: 'O Chil-dren of Israel! I am the Messenger of God unto you, con-firming the Torah which came before me, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmed. But when he came to them with clear proofs, they said: 29 'This is plain magic.' " (61:6)

Were he an imposter, the name 'Ahmed' would not have been mentioned in the Qur'an, since he was known as 'Muhammad' amongst his people.

11. The religion of Islam still exists today and is spreading all over the Globe. Thousands of people embrace Islam and prefer it over all other religions. This happens even though the callers to Islam are not financially backed as expected; and in spite of the efforts of the enemies of Islam to halt the spread of Islam. God, the Exalted, says:

"Verily, We sent down the Reminder (i.e. the Qur'an) and surely, We will guard it from corruption." (15:9)

Thomas Carlyle said:

A false man found a religion? Why, a false man cannot build a brick house! If he does not know and follow truly the proper-ties of mortar, burnt clay and what else he works in, it is no house that he makes, but a rubbish-heap. It will not stand for twelve centuries, to lodge a hundred and eighty millions; it will fall straightway. A man must conform himself to Na-ture's laws, _be_ verily in communion with Nature and the truth of things, or Nature will answer him, No, not at all! Spe-ciosities are specious--ah me!--a Cagliostro, many Cagliostros, prominent world-leaders, do prosper by their quackery, for a day. It is like a forged bank-note; they get it passed out of _their_ worthless hands: others, not they, have to smart for it. Nature bursts up in fire-flames; French Revolutions and such like, proclaiming with terrible veracity that forged notes are forged. But of a Great Man especially, of him I will venture to assert that it is incredible he should have been other than true. It seems to me the primary foundation of him, and of all that can lie in him, this.45

The Prophet pbuh preserved the Qur'an, after God had preserved it in the Books, chests of men generation after generation. In-deed memorizing and reciting it, learning and teaching it are among the things Muslims are very keen on doing, for the Prophet pbuh said:

"The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it."  
((Bukhari #4639)

Many have tried to add and omit verses from the Qur'an, but they have never been successful; for these mistakes are discov-ered almost immediately.

As for the Sunnah of the Messenger of God (pbuh) which is the second source of legislation in Islam, it has been preserved by trustworthy pious men. They spent their lives gathering these traditions, and scrutinizing them to separate the weak from the authentic; they even clarified which narrations were fabricated. Whoever looks at the books written in the science of Hadeeth will realize this, and that the narrations that are authentic are in fact authentic.

Michael Hart46 says:

Muhammad founded and promulgated one of the world's great religions47, and became an immensely effective political leader. Today, thirteen centuries after his death, his influence is still powerful and 30 pervasive.

12. Veracity and truthfulness of his principles and that they are good and suitable for every time and place. The results of the application of Islam are clear and well known, which in turn testify that it is indeed a revelation from God. Further-more, is it not possible for Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to be a Prophet, as many Prophets and Messengers were sent before him? If the answer to this query is that there is nothing that prevents this - we then ask, 'why do you reject his Prophethood, and confirm the Prophethood of the Prophets be-fore him?'

13. Man cannot bring about laws similar to the laws of Islam which deal with every aspect of life, such as transactions, marriage, social conduct, politics, acts of worship and the like. So, how can an unlettered man bring something like this? Isn't this a clear proof and sign of his Prophethood?

14. The Prophet (pbuh) did not start calling people to Islam until he turned forty years old. His youth had passed and the age in which he should have rest and spend his time leisurely, was the age in which he was commissioned as a Prophet and charged with the dissemination of Islam.

Thomas Carlyle, said:

It goes greatly against the impostor theory, the fact that he lived in this entirely unexceptionable, entirely quiet and commonplace way, till the heat of his years was done. He was forty before he talked of any mission from Heaven. All his ir-regularities, real and supposed, date from after his fiftieth year, when the good Kadijah died. All his "ambition," seem-ingly, had been, hitherto, to live an honest life; his "fame," the mere good opinion of neighbors that knew him, had been suf-ficient hitherto. Not till he was already getting old, the pruri-ent heat of his life all burnt out, and _peace_ growing to be the chief thing this world could give him, did he start on the "career of ambition;" and, belying all his past character and existence, set up as a wretched empty charlatan to acquire what he could now no longer enjoy! For my share, I have no faith whatever in that.48

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Surah 47. Muhammad(this part of the Quran was reveled when Muhammad was forced out of mecca & it was a time of war & crimes against Muslims) |

1. Those who reject Allah and hinder (men) from the Path of Allah,- their deeds will Allah render astray (from their mark).

2. But those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, and believe in the (Revelation) sent down to Muhammad - for it is the Truth from their Lord,- He will remove from them their ills and improve their condition.

3. This because those who reject Allah follow vanities, while those who believe follow the Truth from their Lord: Thus does Allah set forth for men their lessons by similitudes. 4.Therefore, when ye meet the Unbelievers (in war), smite at their necks; At length, when ye have thoroughly subdued them, bind a bond firmly (on them): thereafter (is the time

31 for) either generosity or ransom: Until the war lays down its burdens. Thus (are ye commanded): but if it had been Allah's Will, He could certainly have exacted retribution from them (Himself); but (He lets you fight) in order to test you, some with others. But those who are slain in the Way of Allah,- He will never let their deeds be lost.

5. Soon will He guide them and improve their condition,

6. And admit them to the Garden which He has announced for them.

7. O ye who believe! If ye will aid (the cause of) Allah, He will aid you, and plant your feet firmly.

8. But those who reject (Allah),- for them is destruction, and (Allah) will render their deeds astray (from their mark).

9. That is because they hate the Revelation of Allah. so He has made their deeds fruitless.

10. Do they not travel through the earth, and see what was the End of those before them (who did evil)? Allah brought utter destruction on them, and similar (fates await) those who reject Allah.

11. That is because Allah is the Protector of those who believe, but those who reject Allah have no protector.

12. Verily Allah will admit those who believe and do righteous deeds, to Gardens beneath which rivers flow; while those who reject Allah will enjoy (this world) and eat as cattle eat; and the Fire will be their abode.

13. And how many cities, with more power than thy city which has driven thee out, have We destroyed (for their sins)? and there was none to aid them.

14. Is then one who is on a clear (Path) from his Lord, no better than one to whom the evil of his conduct seems pleasing, and such as follow their own lusts?

15. (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)?

16. And among them are men who listen to thee, but in the end, when they go out from thee, they say to those who have received Knowledge, "What is it he said just then?" Such are men whose hearts Allah has sealed, and who follow their own lusts.

17. But to those who receive Guidance, He increases the (light of) Guidance, and bestows on them their Piety and Restraint (from evil).

18. Do they then only wait for the Hour,- that it should come on them of a sudden? But already have come some tokens thereof, and when it (actually) is on them, how can they

32 benefit then by their admonition?

19. Know, therefore, that there is no god but Allah, and ask forgiveness for thy fault, and for the men and women who believe: for Allah knows how ye move about and how ye dwell in your homes.

20. Those who believe say, "Why is not a sura sent down (for us)?" But when a sura of basic or categorical meaning is revealed, and fighting is mentioned therein, thou wilt see those in whose hearts is a disease looking at thee with a look of one in swoon at the approach of death. But more fitting for them-

21. Were it to obey and say what is just, and when a matter is resolved on, it were best for them if they were true to Allah.

22. Then, is it to be expected of you, if ye were put in authority, that ye will do mischief in the land, and break your ties of kith and kin?

23. Such are the men whom Allah has cursed for He has made them deaf and blinded their sight.

24. Do they not then earnestly seek to understand the Qur'an, or are their hearts locked up by them?

25. Those who turn back as apostates after Guidance was clearly shown to them,- the Evil One has instigated them and busied them up with false hopes.

26. This, because they said to those who hate what Allah has revealed, "We will obey you in part of (this) matter"; but Allah knows their (inner) secrets.

27. But how (will it be) when the angels take their souls at death, and smite their faces and their backs?

28. This because they followed that which called forth the Wrath of Allah, and they hated Allah's good pleasure; so He made their deeds of no effect.

29. Or do those in whose hearts is a disease, think that Allah will not bring to light all their rancour?

30. Had We so wiled, We could have shown them up to thee, and thou shouldst have known them by their marks: but surely thou wilt know them by the tone of their speech! And Allah knows all that ye do.

31. And We shall try you until We test those among you who strive their utmost and persevere in patience; and We shall try your reported (mettle).

32. Those who reject Allah, hinder (men) from the Path of Allah, and resist the Messenger, after Guidance has been clearly shown to them, will not injure Allah in the least, but He will make their deeds of no effect.

33 33. O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the apostle, and make not vain your deeds!

34. Those who reject Allah, and hinder (men) from the Path of Allah, then die rejecting Allah,- Allah will not forgive them.

35. Be not weary and faint-hearted, crying for peace, when ye should be uppermost: for Allah is with you, and will never put you in loss for your (good) deeds.

36. The life of this world is but play and amusement: and if ye believe and guard against Evil, He will grant you your recompense, and will not ask you (to give up) your possessions.

37. If He were to ask you for all of them, and press you, ye would covetously withhold, and He would bring out all your ill-feeling.

38. Behold, ye are those invited to spend (of your substance) in the Way of Allah. But among you are some that are niggardly. But any who are niggardly are so at the expense of their own souls. But Allah is free of all wants, and it is ye that are needy. If ye turn back (from the Path), He will substitute in your stead another people; then they would not be like you! (Quran)

Muhammad In The Bible By Dr. Jamal Badawi

Those who follow the Apostle, the unlettered Prophet, Whom they find mentioned in their own Scriptures, in the Torah and the Gospel... (Holy Qu'ran: VII - 157; Translation: Yusif Ali)

BIBLE PROPHECIES ABOUT THE ADVENT OF MUHAMMAD

Abraham is widely regarded as the Patriarch of monotheism and the common father of the Jews, Christians and Muslims. Through His second son, Isaac, came all Israelite prophets including such towering figures as Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon and Jesus. May peace and blessings be upon them all. The advent of these great prophets was in partial fulfillment of God's promises to bless the nations of earth through the descendents of Abraham (Genesis12:2-3).Such fulfillment is wholeheartedly accepted by Muslims whose faith considers the belief in and respect of all prophets an article of faith.

BLESSINGS OF ISHMAEL AND ISAAC

Was the first born son of Abraham (Ishmael) and his descendants included in God's covenant and promise? A few verses from the Bible may help shed some light on this question;

1) Genesis 12:2-3 speaks of God's promise to Abraham and his descendants before any child was born to him.

34 2) Genesis 17:4 reiterates God's promise after the birth of Ishmael and before the birth of Isaac.

3) In Genesis, ch. 21. Isaac is specifically blessed but Ishmael was also specifically blessed and promised by God to become "a great nation" especially in Genesis 21:13, 18.

4) According to Deuteronomy 21:15-17 the traditional rights and privileges of the first born son are not to be affected by the social status of his mother (being a "free" woman such as Sarah, Isaac's mother, or a "Bondwoman" such as Hagar, Ishmael's mother). This is only consistent with the moral and humanitarian principles of all revealed faiths.

5) The full legitimacy of Ishmael as Abraham's son and "seed" and the full legitimacy of his mother, Hagar, as Abraham's wife are clearly stated in Genesis 21:13 and 16:3. After Jesus, the last Israelite messenger and prophet, it was time that God's promise to bless Ishmael and his descendants be fulfilled. Less than 600years after Jesus, came the last messenger of God, Muhammad, from the progeny of Abraham through Ishmael. God's blessing of both of the main branches of Abraham's family tree was now fullfilled. But are there additional corroborating evidence that the Bible did in fact foretell the advent of prophet Muhammad?

MUHAMMAD:  
The Prophet Like Unto Moses

Long time after Abraham, God's promise to send the long-awaited Messenger was repeated this time in Moses' words.  
In Deuteronomy 18:18, Moses spoke of the prophet to be sent by God who is:

1) From among the Israelite's "brethren", a reference to their Ishmaelite cousins as Ishmael was the other son of Abraham who was explicitly promised to become a "great nation".

2) A prophet like unto Moses. There were hardly any two prophets ,who were so much alike as Moses and Muhammad. Both were given comprehensive law code of life, both encountered their enemies and were victors in miraculous ways, both were accepted as prophets/statesmen and both migrated following conspiracies to assassinate them. Analogies between Moses and Jesus overlooks not only the above similarities but other crucial ones as well (e.g. the natural birth, family life and death of Moses and Muhammad but not of Jesus, who was regarded by His followers as the Son of God and not exclusively a messenger of God, as Moses and Muhammad were and as Muslim belief Jesus was).

THE AWAITED PROPHET WAS TO COME FROM ARABIA

Deuteronomy 33:1-2 combines references to Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. It speaks of God (i.e. God's revelation) coming from Sinai, rising from Seir (probably the village of Sa'ir near Jerusalem) and shining forth from Paran. According to Genesis 21:21, the wilderness of Paran was the place where Ishmael settled (i.e. Arabia, specifically Mecca).

35 Indeed the King James version of the Bible mentions the pilgrims passing through the valley of Ba'ca (another name of Mecca) in Psalms 84:4-6.

Isaiah 42:1-13 speaks of the beloved of God. His elect and messenger who will bring down a law to be awaited in the isles and who "shall not fail nor be discouraged till he have set judgement on earth." Verse 11, connects that awaited one with the descendants of Ke'dar. Who is Ke'dar? According to Genesis 25:13, Ke'dar was the second son of Ishmael, the ancestor of prophet Muhammad.

MUHAMMAD'S MIGRATION FROM MECCA TO MEDINA:  
PROPHECIED IN THE BIBLE?

Habakkuk 3:3 speaks of God (God's help) coming from Te'man (an Oasis North of Medina according to J. Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible), and the holy one (coming) from Paran. That holy one who under persecution migrated from Paran (Mecca) to be received enthusiastically in Medina was none but prophet Muhammad.  
Indeed the incident of the migration of the prophet and his persecuted followers is vividly described in Isaiah 21:13-17. That section foretold as well about the battle of Badr in which the few ill-armed faithful miraculously defeated the "mighty" men of Ke'dar, who sought to destroy Islam and intimidate their own folks who turned -to Islam.

THE QUR'AN (KORAN) FORETOLD IN THE BIBLE?

For twenty-three years, God's words (the Qur'an) were truely put into Muhammad's mouth. He was not the "author" of the Qur'an. The Qur'an was dictated to him by Angel Gabriel who asked Muhammad to simply repeat the words of the Qur'an as he heard them. These words were then committed to memory and to writing by those who hear them during Muhammad's life time and under his supervision.

Was it a coincidence that the prophet "like unto Moses" from the "brethren" of the Israelites (i.e. from the lshmaelites) was also described as one in whose mouth God will put his words and that he will speak in the name of God, (Deuteronomy 18:18-20). Was it also a coincidence the "Paraclete" that Jesus foretold to come after Him was described as one who "shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak (John 16:13)

Was it another coincidence that Isaiah ties between the messenger connected with Ke'dar and a new song (a scripture in a new language) to be sang unto the Lord (Isaiah 42:10-11). More explicitly, prophesies Isaiah "For with stammering lips, and another tongue, will he speak to this people" (Isaiah 28:11). This latter verse correctly describes the "stammering lips" of Prophet Muhammad reflecting the state of tension and concentration he went through at the time of revelation. Another related point is that the Qur'an was revealed in piece-meals over a span of twenty three years. It is interesting to compare this with Isaiah 28:10 whichspeaks of the same thing.

36 THAT PROPHET- PARACLETE- MUHAMMAD

Up to the time of Jesus (peace be upon him), the Israelites were still awaiting for that prophet like unto Moses prophecied in Deuteronomy 18:18. When John the Baptist came, they asked him if he was Christ and he said "no". They asked him if he was Elias and he said "no". Then, in apparent reference to Deuteronomy 18:18, they asked him "Art thou that Prophet" and he answered, "no". (John 1: 1 9-2 1).

In the Gospel according to John (Chapters 14, 15, 16) Jesus spoke of the "Paraclete" or comforter who will come after him, who will be sent by Father as another Paraclete, who will teach new things which the contemporaries of Jesus could not bear. While the Paraclete is described as the spirit of truth, (whose meaning resemble Muhammad's famous title Al-Amin, the trustworthy), he is identified in one verse as the Holy Ghost (John 14:26). Such a designation is however inconsistent with the profile of that Paraclete. In the words of the Dictionary of the Bible, (Ed. J. Mackenzie) "These items, it must be admitted do not give an entirely coherent picture."

Indeed history tells us that many early Christians understood the Paraclete to be a man and not a spirit. This might explain the followings who responded to some who claimed, without meeting the criteria stipulated by Jesus, to be the awaited "Paraciete".

It was Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who was the Paraclete, Comforter, helper, admonisher sent by God after Jesus. He testified of Jesus, taught new things which could not be borne at Jesus' time, he spoke what he heard (revelation), he dwells with the believers (through his well-preserved teachings). Such teachings will remain forever because he was the last messenger of God, the only Universal Messenger to unite the whole of humanity under God and on the path of PRESERVED truth. He told of many things to come which "came to pass" in the minutest detail meeting, the criterion given by Moses to distinguish between the true prophet and the false prophets (Deuteronomy 18:22). He did reprove the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgement (John 16:8-11)

WAS THE SHIFT OF RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP PROPHECIED?

Following the rejection of the last Israelite prophet, Jesus, it was about time that God's promise to make Ishmael a great nation be fulfilled (Genesis 21:13, 18)

In Matthew 21:19-21, Jesus spoke of the fruitless fig tree (A Biblical symbol of prophetic heritage) to be cleared after being given a last chance of three years (the duration of Jesus' ministry) to give fruit. In a later verse in the same chapter, Jesus said: "Therefore, say I unto you, The Kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruit thereof" (Matthew 21:43). That nation of Ishmael's descendants (the rejected stone in Matthew 21:42) which was victorious against all super-powers of its time as prophecied by Jesus: "And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder" (Matthew 21:44).

OUT OF CONTEXT COINCIDENCE? Is it possible that the numerous prophecies cited here are all individually and combined out of

37 context misinterpretations? Is the opposite true, that such infrequently studied verses fit together consistently and clearly point to the advent of the man who changed the course of human history, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Is it reasonable to conclude that all these prophecies, appearing in different books of the Bible and spoken by various prophets at different times were all coincidence? If this is so here is another strange "coincidence"!

One of the signs of the prophet to come from Paran (Mecca) is that he will come with "ten thousands of saints" (Deuteronomy 33:2 KJV). That was the number of faithful who accompanied Prophet Muhammad to Paran (Mecca) in his victorious, bloodless return to his birthplace to destroy the remaining symbols of idolatry in the Ka'bah.

Says God as quoted by Moses:  
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. (Deuteronomy 18:19)

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 Biography of Muhammad(PBUH) by a Muslim

by Muhammad Hamidullah (Centre Culturel Islamique, Paris, 1969)

[Taken from Introduction to Islam by Muhammad Hamidullah (Centre Culturel Islamique, Paris, 1969), with some changes to make it more readable. The changes are marked by pairs of brackets like around this paragraph. Dr. Hamidullah's present address is: 9 Beaver Court, Wilkes Barre PA, 18702, USA.]  
IN the annals of men, individuals have not been lacking who conspicuously devoted their lives to the socio-religious reform of their connected peoples. We find them in every epoch and in all lands. In India, there lived those who transmitted to the world the Vedas, and there was also the great Gautama Buddha; China had its Confucius; the Avesta was produced in Iran. Babylonia gave to the world one of the greatest reformers, the Prophet Abraham (not to speak of such of his ancestors as Enoch and Noah about whom we have very scanty information). The Jewish people may rightly be proud of a long series of reformers: Moses, Samuel, David, Solomon, and Jesus among others.

2. Two points are to note: Firstly these reformers claimed in general to be the bearers each of a Divine mission, and they left behind them sacred books incorporating codes of life for the guidance of their peoples. Secondly there followed fratricidal wars, and massacres and genocides became the order of the day, causing more or less a complete loss of these Divine messages. As to the books of Abraham, we know them only by the name; and as for the books of Moses, records tell us how they were repeatedly destroyed and only partly restored.

Concept of God

3. If one should judge from the relics of the past already brought to light of the homo sapiens, one finds that man has always been conscious of the existence of a Supreme Being, the Master 38 and Creator of all. Methods and approaches may have differed, but the people of every epoch have left proofs of their attempts to obey God. Communication with the Omnipresent yet invisible God has also been recognised as possible in connection with a small fraction of men with noble and exalted spirits. Whether this communication assumed the nature of an incarnation of the Divinity or simply resolved itself into a medium of reception of Divine messages (through inspiration or revelation), the purpose in each case was the guidance of the people. It was but natural that the interpretations and explanations of certain systems should have proved more vital and convincing than others.

3/a. Every system of metaphysical thought develops its own terminology. In the course of time terms acquire a significance hardly contained in the word and translations fall short of their purpose. Yet there is no other method to make people of one group understand the thoughts of another. Non-Muslim readers in particular are requested to bear in mind this aspect which is a real yet unavoidable handicap.

4. By the end of the 6th century, after the birth of Jesus Christ, men had already made great progress in diverse walks of life. At that time there were some religions which openly proclaimed that they were reserved for definite races and groups of men only, of course they bore no remedy for the ills of humanity at large. There were also a few which claimed universality, but declared that the salvation of man lay in the renunciation of the world. These were the religions for the elite, and catered for an extremely limited number of men. We need not speak of regions where there existed no religion at all, where atheism and materialism reigned supreme, where the thought was solely of occupying one self with one's own pleasures, without any regard or consideration for the rights of others.

Arabia

5. A perusal of the map of the major hemisphere (from the point of view of the proportion of land to sea), shows the Arabian Peninsula lying at the confluence of the three great continents of Asia, Africa and Europe. At the time in question. this extensive Arabian subcontinent composed mostly of desert areas was inhabited by people of settled habitations as well as nomads. Often it was found that members of the same tribe were divided into these two groups, and that they preserved a relationship although following different modes of life. The means of subsistence in Arabia were meagre. The desert had its handicaps, and trade caravans were features of greater importance than either agriculture or industry. This entailed much travel, and men had to proceed beyond the peninsula to Syria, Egypt, Abyssinia, Iraq, Sind, India and other lands.

6. We do not know much about the Libyanites of Central Arabia, but Yemen was rightly called Arabia Felix. Having once been the seat of the flourishing civilizations of Sheba and Ma'in even before the foundation of the city of Rome had been laid, and having later snatched from the Byzantians and Persians several provinces, greater Yemen which had passed through the hey-day of its existence, was however at this time broken up into innumerable principalities, and even occupied in part by foreign invaders. The Sassanians of Iran, who had penetrated into Yemen had already obtained possession of Eastern Arabia. There was politico-social chaos at the capital (Mada'in = Ctesiphon), and this found reflection in all her territories. Northern Arabia had

39 succumbed to Byzantine influences, and was faced with its own particular problems. Only Central Arabia remained immune from the demoralising effects of foreign occupation.

7. In this limited area of Central Arabia, the existence of the triangle of Mecca-Ta'if-Madinah seemed something providential. Mecca, desertic, deprived of water and the amenities of agriculture in physical features represented Africa and the burning Sahara. Scarcely fifty miles from there, Ta'if presented a picture of Europe and its frost. Madinah in the North was not less fertile than even the most temperate of Asiatic countries like Syria. If climate has any influence on human character, this triangle standing in the middle of the major hemisphere was, more than any other region of the earth, a miniature reproduction of the entire world. And here was born a descendant of the Babylonian Abraham, and the Egyptian Hagar, Muhammad the Prophet of Islam, a Meccan by origin and yet with stock related, both to Madinah and Ta'if.

Religion

8. From the point of view of religion, Arabia was idolatrous; only a few individuals had embraced religions like Christianity, Mazdaism, etc. The Meccans did possess the notion of the One God, but they believed also that idols had the power to intercede with Him. Curiously enough, they did not believe in the Resurrection and Afterlife. They had preserved the rite of the pilgrimage to the House of the One God, the Ka'bah, an institution set up under divine inspiration by their ancestor Abraham, yet the two thousand years that separated them from Abraham had caused to degenerate this pilgrimage into the spectacle of a commercial fair and an occasion of senseless idolatry which far from producing any good, only served to ruin their individual behaviour, both social and spiritual.

Society

9. In spite of the comparative poverty in natural resources, Mecca was the most developed of the three points of the triangle. Of the three, Mecca alone had a city-state, governed by a council of ten hereditary chiefs who enjoyed a clear division of power. (There was a minister of foreign relations, a minister guardian of the temple, a minister of oracles, a minister guardian of offerings to the temple, one to determine the torts and the damages payable, another in charge of the municipal council or parliament to enforce the decisions of the ministries. There were also ministers in charge of military affairs like custodianship of the flag, leadership of the cavalry etc.). As well reputed caravan-leaders, the Meccans were able to obtain permission from neighbouring empires like Iran, Byzantium and Abyssinia – and to enter into agreements with the tribes that lined the routes traversed by the caravans – to visit their countries and transact import and export business. They also provided escorts to foreigners when they passed through their country as well as the territory of allied tribes, in Arabia (cf. Ibn Habib, Muhabbar). Although not interested much in the preservation of ideas and records in writing, they passionately cultivated arts and letters like poetry, oratory discourses and folk tales. Women were generally well treated, they enjoyed the privilege of possessing property in their own right, they gave their consent to marriage contracts, in which they could even add the condition of reserving their right to divorce their husbands. They could remarry when widowed or divorced. 40 Burying girls alive did exist in certain classes, but that was rare.

Birth of the Prophet

10. It was in the midst of such conditions and environments that Muhammad was born in 569 after Christ. His father, 'Abdullah had died some weeks earlier, and it was his grandfather who took him in charge. According to the prevailing custom, the child was entrusted to a Bedouin foster-mother, with whom he passed several years in the desert. All biographers state that the infant prophet sucked only one breast of his foster-mother, leaving the other for the sustenance of his foster-brother. When the child was brought back home, his mother, Aminah, took him to his maternal uncles at Madinah to visit the tomb of 'Abdullah. During the return journey, he lost his mother who died a sudden death. At Mecca, another bereavement awaited him, in the death of his affectionate grandfather. Subjected to such privations, he was at the age of eight, consigned at last to the care of his uncle, Abu-Talib, a man who was generous of nature but always short of resources and hardly able to provide for his family.

11. Young Muhammad had therefore to start immediately to earn his livelihood; he served as a shepherd boy to some neighbours. At the age of ten he accompanied his uncle to Syria when he was leading a caravan there. No other travels of Abu-Talib are mentioned, but there are references to his having set up a shop in Mecca. (Ibn Qutaibah, Ma'arif). It is possible that Muhammad helped him in this enterprise also.

12. By the time he was twenty-five, Muhammad had become well known in the city for the integrity of his disposition and the honesty of his character. A rich widow, Khadijah, took him in her employ and consigned to him her goods to be taken for sale to Syria. Delighted with the unusual profits she obtained as also by the personal charms of her agent, she offered him her hand. According to divergent reports, she was either 28 or 40 years of age at that time, (medical reasons prefer the age of 28 since she gave birth to five more children). The union proved happy. Later, we see him sometimes in the fair of Hubashah (Yemen), and at least once in the country of the 'Abd al-Qais (Bahrain-Oman), as mentioned by Ibn Hanbal. There is every reason to believe that this refers to the great fair of Daba (Oman), where, according to Ibn al-Kalbi (cf. Ibn Habib, Muhabbar), the traders of China, of Hind and Sind (India, Pakistan), of Persia, of the East and the West assembled every year, travelling both by land and sea. There is also mention of a commercial partner of Muhammad at Mecca. This person, Sa'ib by name reports: "We relayed each other; if Muhammad led the caravan, he did not enter his house on his return to Mecca without clearing accounts with me; and if I led the caravan, he would on my return enquire about my welfare and speak nothing about his own capital entrusted to me."

An Order of Chivalry

13. Foreign traders often brought their goods to Mecca for sale. One day a certain Yemenite (of the tribe of Zubaid) improvised a satirical poem against some Meccans who had refused to pay him the price of what he had sold, and others who had not supported his claim or had failed to come to his help when he was victimised. Zuhair, uncle and chief of the tribe of the Prophet, felt great remorse on hearing this just satire. He called for a meeting of certain chieftains in the city, 41 and organized an order of chivalry, called Hilf al-fudul, with the aim and object of aiding the oppressed in Mecca, irrespective of their being dwellers of the city or aliens. Young Muhammad became an enthusiastic member of the organisation. Later in life he used to say: "I have participated in it, and I am not prepared to give up that privilege even against a herd of camels; if somebody should appeal to me even today, by virtue of that pledge, I shall hurry to his help."

Beginning of Religious Consciousness

14. Not much is known about the religious practices of Muhammad until he was thirty-five years old, except that he had never worshipped idols. This is substantiated by all his biographers. It may be stated that there were a few others in Mecca, who had likewise revolted against the senseless practice of paganism, although conserving their fidelity to the Ka'bah as the house dedicated to the One God by its builder Abraham.

15. About the year 605 of the Christian era, the draperies on the outer wall of the Ka'bah took fire. The building was affected and could not bear the brunt of the torrential rains that followed. The reconstruction of the Ka'bah was thereupon undertaken. Each citizen contributed according to his means; and only the gifts of honest gains were accepted. Everybody participated in the work of construction, and Muhammad's shoulders were injured in the course of transporting stones. To identify the place whence the ritual of circumambulation began, there had been set a black stone in the wall of the Ka'bah. dating probably from the time of Abraham himself. There was rivalry among the citizens for obtaining the honour of transposing this stone in its place. When there was danger of blood being shed, somebody suggested leaving the matter to Providence, and accepting the arbitration of him who should happen to arrive there first. It chanced that Muhammad just then turned up there for work as usual. He was popularly known by the appellation of al-Amin (the honest), and everyone accepted his arbitration without hesitation. Muhammad placed a sheet of cloth on the ground, put the stone on it and asked the chiefs of all the tribes in the city to lift together the cloth. Then he himself placed the stone in its proper place, in one of the angles of the building, and everybody was satisfied.

16. It is from this moment that we find Muhammad becoming more and more absorbed in spiritual meditations. Like his grandfather, he used to retire during the whole month of Ramadan to a cave in Jabal-an-Nur (mountain of light). The cave is called `Ghar-i-Hira' or the cave of research. There he prayed, meditated, and shared his meagre provisions with the travellers who happened to pass by.

Revelation

17. He was forty years old, and it was the fifth consecutive year since his annual retreats, when one night towards the end of the month of Ramadan, an angel came to visit him, and announced that God had chosen him as His messenger to all mankind. The angel taught him the mode of ablutions, the way of worshipping God and the conduct of prayer. He communicated to him the following Divine message:

42 With the name of God, the Most Merciful, the All-Merciful.

Read: with the name of thy Lord Who created,

Created man from what clings,

Read: and thy Lord is the Most Bounteous,

Who taught by the pen,

Taught man what he knew not. (Quran 96:1-5)

18. Deeply affected, he returned home and related to his wife what had happened, expressing his fears that it might have been something diabolic or the action of evil spirits. She consoled him, saying that he had always been a man of charity and generosity, helping the poor, the orphans, the widows and the needy, and assured him that God would protect him against all evil.

19. Then came a pause in revelation, extending over three years. The Prophet must have felt at first a shock, then a calm, an ardent desire, and after a period of waiting, a growing impatience or nostalgia. The news of the first vision had spread and at the pause the sceptics in the city had begun to mock at him and cut bitter jokes. They went so far as to say that God had forsaken him.

20. During the three years of waiting. the Prophet had given himself up more and more to prayers and to spiritual practices. The revelations were then resumed and God assured him that He had not at all forsaken him: on the contrary it was He Who had guided him to the right path: therefore he should take care of the orphans and the destitute, and proclaim the bounty of God on him (cf. Q. 93:3-11). This was in reality an order to preach. Another revelation directed him to warn people against evil practices, to exhort them to worship none but the One God, and to abandon everything that would displease God (Q. 74:2-7). Yet another revelation commanded him to warn his own near relatives (Q. 26:214); and: "Proclaim openly that which thou art commanded, and withdraw from the Associators (idolaters). Lo! we defend thee from the scoffers" (15:94-5). According to Ibn Ishaq, the first revelation (n. 17) had come to the Prophet during his sleep, evidently to reduce the shock. Later revelations came in full wakefulness.

The Mission

21. The Prophet began by preaching his mission secretly first among his intimate friends, then among the members of his own tribe and thereafter publicly in the city and suburbs. He insisted on the belief in One Transcendent God, in Resurrection and the Last Judgement. He invited men to charity and beneficence. He took necessary steps to preserve through writing the revelations he was receiving, and ordered his adherents also to learn them by heart. This continued all through his life, since the Quran was not revealed all at once, but in fragments as occasions arose.

22. The number of his adherents increased gradually, but with the denunciation of paganism, the 43 opposition also grew intenser on the part of those who were firmly attached to their ancestral beliefs. This opposition degenerated in the course of time into physical torture of the Prophet and of those who had embraced his religion. These were stretched on burning sands, cauterized with red hot iron and imprisoned with chains on their feet. Some of them died of the effects of torture, but none would renounce his religion. In despair, the Prophet Muhammad advised his companions to quit their native town and take refuge abroad, in Abyssinia, "where governs a just ruler, in whose realm nobody is oppressed" (Ibn Hisham). Dozens of Muslims profited by his advice, though not all. These secret flights led to further persecution of those who remained behind.

23. The Prophet Muhammad [was instructed to call this] religion "Islam," i.e. submission to the will of God. Its distinctive features are two:

A harmonius equilibrium between the temporal and the spiritual (the body and the soul), permitting a full enjoyment of all the good that God has created, (Quran 7:32), enjoining at the same time on everybody duties towards God, such as worship, fasting, charity, etc. Islam was to be the religion of the masses and not merely of the elect.

A universality of the call – all the believers becoming brothers and equals without any distinction of class or race or tongue. The only superiority which it recognizes is a personal one, based on the greater fear of God and greater piety (Quran 49:13).

Social Boycott

24. When a large number of the Meccan Muslims migrated to Abyssinia, the leaders of paganism sent an ultimatum to the tribe of the Prophet, demanding that he should be excommunicated and outlawed and delivered to the pagans for being put to death. Every member of the tribe, Muslim and non-Muslim rejected the demand. (cf. Ibn Hisham). Thereupon the city decided on a complete boycott of the tribe: Nobody was to talk to them or have commercial or matrimonial relations with them. The group of Arab tribes called Ahabish, inhabiting the suburbs, who were allies of the Meccans, also joined in the boycott, causing stark misery among the innocent victims consisting of children, men and women, the old and the sick and the feeble. Some of them succumbed yet nobody would hand over the Prophet to his persecutors. An uncle of the Prophet, Abu Lahab, however left his tribesmen and participated in the boycott along with the pagans. After three dire years, during which the victims were obliged to devour even crushed hides, four or five non-Muslims, more humane than the rest and belonging to different clans proclaimed publicly their denunciation of the unjust boycott. At the same time, the document promulgating the pact of boycott which had been hung in the temple, was found, as Muhammad had predicted, eaten by white ants, that spared nothing but the words God and Muhammad. The boycott was lifted, yet owing to the privations that were undergone the wife and Abu Talib, the chief of the tribe and uncle of the Prophet died soon after. Another uncle of the Prophet, Abu-Lahab, who was an inveterate enemy of Islam, now succeeded to the headship of the tribe. (cf. lbn Hisham, Sirah).

The Ascension

44 25. It was at thIs time that the Prophet Muhammad was granted the mi'raj (ascension): He saw in a vision that he was received on heaven by God, and was witness of the marvels of the celestial regions. Returning, he brought for his community, as a Divine gift, the [ritual prayer of Islam, the salaat], which constitutes a sort of communion between man and God. It may be recalled that in the last part of Muslim service of worship, the faithful employ as a symbol of their being in the very presence of God, not concrete objects as others do at the time of communion, but the very words of greeting exchanged between the Prophet Muhammad and God on the occasion of the former's mi'raj: "The blessed and pure greetings for God! – Peace be with thee, O Prophet, as well as the mercy and blessing of God! – Peace be with us and with all the [righteous] servants of God!" The Christian term "communion" implies participation in the Divinity. Finding it pretentious, Muslims use the term "ascension" towards God and reception in His presence, God remaining God and man remaining man and no confusion between the twain.

26. The news of this celestial meeting led to an increase in the hostility of the pagans of Mecca; and the Prophet was obliged to quit his native town in search of an asylum elsewhere. He went to his maternal uncles in Ta'if, but returned immediately to Mecca, as the wicked people of that town chased the Prophet out of their city by pelting stones on him and wounding him.

Migration to Madinah

27. The annual pilgrimage of the Ka'bah brought to Mecca people from all parts of Arabia. The Prophet Muhammad tried to persuade one tribe after another to afford him shelter and allow him to carry on his mission of reform. The contingents of fifteen tribes, whom he approached in succession, refused to do so more or less brutally, but he did not despair. Finally he met half a dozen inhabitants of Madinah who being neighbour of the Jews and the Christians, had some notion of prophets and Divine messages. They knew also that these "people of the Books" were awaiting the arrival of a prophet – a last comforter. So these Madinans decided not to lose the opportunity of obtaining an advance over others, and forthwith embraced Islam, promising further to provide additional adherents and necessary help from Madinah. The following year a dozen new Madinans took the oath of allegiance to him and requested him to provide with a missionary teacher. The work of the missionary, Mus'ab, proved very successful and he led a contingent of seventy-three new converts to Mecca, at the time of the pilgrimage. These invited the Prophet and his Meccan companions to migrate to their town, and promised to shelter the Prophet and to treat him and his companions as their own kith and kin. Secretly and in small groups, the greater part of the Muslims emigrated to Madinah. Upon this the pagans of Mecca not only confiscated the property of the evacuees, but devised a plot to assassinate the Prophet. It became now impossible for him to remain at home. It is worthy of mention, that in spite of their hostility to his mission, the pagans had unbounded confidence in his probity, so much so that many of them used to deposit their savings with him. The Prophet Muhammad now entrusted all these deposits to 'Ali, a cousin of his, with instructions to return in due course to the rightful owners. He then left the town secretly in the company of his faithful friend, Abu-Bakr. After several adventures, they succeeded in reaching Madinah in safety. This happened in 622, whence starts the Hijrah calendar.

Reorganization of the Community

45 28. For the better rehabilitation of the displaced immigrants, the Prophet created a fraternization between them and an equal number of well-to-do Madinans. The families of each pair of the contractual brothers worked together to earn their livelihood, and aided one another in the business of life.

29. Further he thought that the development of the man as a whole would be better achieved if he co-ordinated religion and politics as two constituent parts of one whole. To this end he invited the representatives of the Muslims as well as the non-Muslim inhabitants of the region: Arabs, Jews, Christians and others, and suggested the establishment of a City-State in Madinah. With their assent, he endowed the city with a written constitution – the first of its kind in the world – in which he defined the duties and rights both of the citizens and the head of the State – the Prophet Muhammad was unanimously hailed as such – and abolished the customary private justice. The administration of justice became henceforward the concern of the central organisation of the community of the citizens. The document laid down principles of defence and foreign policy: it organized a system of social insurance, called ma'aqil, in cases of too heavy obligations. It recognized that the Prophet Muhammad would have the final word in all differences, and that there was no limit to his power of legislation. It recognized also explicitly liberty of religion, particularly for the Jews, to whom the constitutional act afforded equality with Muslims in all that concerned life in this world (cf. infra n. 303).

30. Muhammad journeyed several times with a view to win the neighbouring tribes and to conclude with them treaties of alliance and mutual help. With their help, he decided to bring to bear economic pressure on the Meccan pagans, who had confiscated the property of the Muslim evacuees and also caused innumerable damage. Obstruction in the way of the Meccan caravans and their passage through the Madinan region exasperated the pagans, and a bloody struggle ensued.

31. In the concern for the material interests of the community, the spiritual aspect was never neglected. Hardly a year had passed after the migration to Madinah, when the most rigorous of spiritual disciplines, the fasting for the whole month of Ramadan every year, was imposed on every adult Muslim, man and woman.

Struggle Against Intolerance and Unbelief

32. Not content with the expulsion of the Muslim compatriots, the Meccans sent an ultimatum to the Madinans, demanding the surrender or at least the expulsion of Muhammad and his companions but evidently all such efforts proved in vain. A few months later, in the year 2 H., they sent a powerful army against the Prophet, who opposed them at Badr; and the pagans thrice as numerous as the Muslims, were routed. After a year of preparation, the Meccans again invaded Madinah to avenge the defeat of Badr. They were now four times as numerous as the Muslims. After a bloody encounter at Uhud, the enemy retired, the issue being indecisive. The mercenaries in the Meccan army did not want to take too much risk, or endanger their safety.

33. In thc meanwhile the Jewish citizens of Madinah began to foment trouble. About the time of the victory of Badr, one of their leaders, Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf, proceeded to Mecca to give

46 assurance of his alliance with the pagans, and to incite them to a war of revenge. After the battle of Uhud, the tribe of the same chieftain plotted to assassinate the Prophet by throwing on him a mill-stone from above a tower, when he had gone to visit their locality. In spite of all this, the only demand the Prophet made of the men of this tribe was to quit the Madinan region, taking with them all their properties, after selling their immovables and recovering their debts from the Muslims. The clemency thus extended had an effect contrary to what was hoped. The exiled not only contacted the Meccans, but also the tribes of the North, South and East of Madinah, mobilized military aid, and planned from Khaibar an invasion of Madinah, with forces four times more numerous than those employed at Uhud. The Muslims prepared for a siege, and dug a ditch to defend themselves against this hardest of all trials. Although the defection of the Jews still remaining inside Madinah at a later stage upset all strategy, yet with a sagacious diplomacy, the Prophet succeeded in breaking up the alliance, and the different enemy groups retired one after the other.

34. Alcoholic drinks, gambling and games of chance were at this time declared forbidden for the Muslims.

The Reconciliation

35. The Prophet tried once more to reconcile the Meccans and proceeded to Mecca. The barring of the route of their Northern caravans had ruined their economy. The Prophet promised them transit security, extradition of their fugitives and the fulfillment of every condition they desired, agreeing even to return to Madinah without accomplishing the pilgrimage of the Ka'bah. Thereupon the two contracting parties promised at Hudaibiyah in the suburbs of Mecca, not only the maintenance of peace, but also the observance of neutrality in their conflicts with third parties.

36. Profiting by the peace, the Prophet launched an intensive programme for the propagation of his religion. He addressed missionary letters to the foreign rulers of Byzantium, Iran, Abyssinia and other lands. The Byzantine autocrat priest – Dughatur of the Arabs – embraced Islam, but for this, was lynched by the Christian mob; the prefect of Ma'an (Palestine) suffered the same fate, and was decapitated and crucified by order of the emperor. A Muslim ambassador was assassinated in Syria-Palestine; and instead of punishing the culprit, the emperor Heraclius rushed with his armies to protect him against the punitive expedition sent by the Prophet (battle of Mu'tah).

37. The pagans of Mecca hoping to profit by the Muslim difficulties, violated the terms of their treaty. Upon this, the Prophet himself led an army, ten thousand strong, and surprised Mecca which he occupied in a bloodless manner. As a benevolent conqueror, he caused the vanquished people to assemble, reminded them of their ill deeds, their religious persecution, unjust confiscation of the evacuee property, ceaseless invasions and senseless hostilities for twenty years continuously. He asked them: "Now what do you expect of me?" When everybody lowered his head with shame, the Prophet proclaimed: "May God pardon you; go in peace; there shall be no responsibility on you today; you are free!" He even renounced the claim for the Muslim property confiscated by the pagans. This produced a great psychological change of hearts

47 instantaneously. When a Meccan chief advanced with a fulsome heart towards the Prophet, after hearing this general amnesty, in order to declare his acceptance of Islam, the Prophet told him: "And in my turn, I appoint you the governor of Mecca!" Without leaving a single soldier in the conquered city, the Prophet retired to Madinah. The Islamization of Mecca, which was accomplished in a few hours, was complete.

38. Immediately after the occupation of Mecca, the city of Ta'if mobilized to fight against the Prophet. With some difficulty the enemy was dispersed in the valley of Hunain, but the Muslims preferred to raise the siege of nearby Ta'if and use pacific means to break the resistance of this region. Less than a year later, a delegation from Ta'if came to Madinah offering submission. But it requested exemption from prayer, taxes and military service, and the continuance of the liberty to adultery and fornication and alcoholic drinks. It demanded even the conservation of the temple of the idol al-Lat at Ta'if. But Islam was not a materialist immoral movement; and soon the delegation itself felt ashamed of its demands regarding prayer, adultery and wine. The Prophet consented to concede exemption from payment of taxes and rendering of military service; and added: You need not demolish the temple with your own hands: we shall send agents from here to do the job, and if there should be any consequences, which you are afraid of on account of your superstitions, it will be they who would suffer. This act of the Prophet shows what concessions could be given to new converts. The conversion of the Ta'ifites was so whole hearted that in a short while, they themselves renounced the contracted exemptions, and we find the Prophet nominating a tax collector in their locality as in other Islamic regions.

39. In all these "wars," extending over a period of ten years, the non-Muslims lost on the battlefield only about 250 persons killed, and the Muslim losses were even less. With these few incisions, the whole continent of Arabia. with its million and more of square miles, was cured of the abscess of anarchy and immorality. During these ten years of disinterested struggle, all thc peoples of the Arabian Peninsula and the southern regions of Iraq and Palestine had voluntarily embraced Islam. Some Christian, Jewish and Parsi groups remained attached to their creeds, and they were granted liberty of conscience as well as judicial and juridical autonomy.

40. In the year 10 H., when the Prophet went to Mecca for Hajj (pilgrimage), he met 140,000 Muslims there, who had come from different parts of Arabia to fulfil their religious obligation. He addressed to them his celebrated sermon, in which he gave a resume of his teachings: "Belief in One God without images or symbols, equality of all the Believers without distinction of race or class, the superiority of individuals being based solely on piety; sanctity of life, property and honour; abolition of interest, and of vendettas and private justice; better treatment of women; obligatory inheritance and distribution of the property of deceased persons among near relatives of both sexes, and removal of the possibility of the cumulation of wealth in the hands of the few." The Quran and the conduct of the Prophet were to serve as the bases of law and a healthy criterion in every aspect of human life.

41. On his return to Madinah, he fell ill; and a few weeks later, when he breathed his last, he had the satisfaction that he had well accomplished the task which he had undertaken – to preach to the world the Divine message.

48 42. He bequeathed to posterity, a religion of pure monotheism; he created a well-disciplined State out of the existent chaos and gave peace in place of the war of everybody against everybody else; he established a harmonious equilibrium between the spiritual and the temporal, between the mosque and the citadel; he left a new system of law, which dispensed impartial justice, in which even the head of the State was as much a subject to it as any commoner, and in which religious tolerance was so great that non-Muslim inhabitants of Muslim countries equally enjoyed complete juridical, judicial and cultural autonomy. In the matter of the revenues of the State, the Quran fixed the principles of budgeting, and paid more thought to the poor than to anybody else. The revenues were declared to be in no wise the private property of the head of the State. Above all, the Prophet Muhammad set a noble example and fully practised all that he taught to others.

Biography of Mohammad

He was born in 570 A.D. to Amina and Abdallah, a trader in Mecca – a wealthy caravan trading community, in the renowned tribe of Quraish. He became an orphan before his birth and his mother also died when he was 6 years old. His parents did not leave him any wealth. He was taken care of by his grandfather and after his death by his paternal uncle Abu-Talib. His uncle had a large family himself and he was not wealthy. Very soon Mohammed had to support himself by tending the sheep flocks of rich Meccan families as it is reported.

As a young man he started working as a caravan trader for the wealthy Meccan widow Khadijah. His work took him to distant places in today's Palestine and Syria and possibly to the North African countries. He became known and trusted because of his attempts to resolve inter-tribal differences. In fact, he was known within his Quraish tribe as "al-Ameen", or "the trustworthy".

At the age of 25 he married Khadijah, a twice widowed lady, 15 years of his senior and they had 6 children together, 4 girls and 2 sons (who both died in infancy). He remained married to her for 25 years, in a time and place where unlimited polygamy was quite acceptable and until her death it remained an one-wife marriage.

Mohammed was of a deeply religious nature and had long detested the decadence of his society. It became his habit to meditate from time to time in the Cave of Hera near the summit of Jabal al-Nur, the "Mountain of Light" near Mecca. He was elevated to prophethood at the age of 40, on Feb.12th 610 A.D. His first revelation came while fasting and observing night vigil among the peaks of Mount Hera as angel Gabriel appeared to him.

"Recite in the name of your Lord who has created, Created man out of a germ-cell. Recite for your Lord is the Most Generous one, Who has taught by the pen, Taught man what he did not know!... " (Qur'an 36:1-5).

"O you wrapped up, Arise and deliver thy warning..."(Qur'an 74.1-10)

These are the first two oldest Verses of the Qur'an.

49 The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) returned home after his first revelation his heart trembling and said to Khadijah: "Wrap me up, wrap me up!" She wrapped him till fear had left him. He then said: "O Khadijah! What has happened to me?" – and he told her what had happened, saying "fear for myself." She replied: "It cannot be. Be happy. I swear by God that he shall never humiliate you. By Allah – you join tie of relationship, you speak the truth, you bear people's burden, you help the destitute, you entertain guests and you help against the vicissitudes which affect people."  Those words of Khadijah were a source of great comfort to him. She was the first person to convert to Islam.

"Say: I am but a man like yourselves, (but) the inspiration has come to me...." (Qur'an 18:110)

As the Prophet continued to receive revelations and attract a community of believers, he also attracted the hostility of Mecca's aristocracy, which reaped profits from the pilgrimages and trade brought by Mecca's role as a center for idol worship. His uncompromising message of monotheism brought persecution from the ruling class.

The second phase, public life began at the end of the 3rd year of his prophethood:
"And warn your nearest kinsfolk, And lower your wing (in kindness) to the believers who follow you, Then if they disobey you, say: I am free (of responsibility) of what you do". (Qur'an 26:215-216)

"Therefore, proclaim (openly) that which you are commanded, and turn away from the polytheists. Verily, we are sufficient unto you against the scoffers, who take with God another god, but they will come to know." (Qur'an 15:94-96)

Mohammad and his followers met active persecution in Mecca in the 3rd year of his prophethood and in the 5th year (615 A.D.) oppression intensified and a small group of believers migrated to Abyssinia (today's Ethiopia), a Christian community in Northern Africa. Muslims in Mecca faced boycott, hostility and oppression and struggled for almost 10 years.

On Sept. 16th 622 A.D. Prophet Mohammad and about 200 of his followers migrated to Yathreb (Mohammad was 53 ), a journey that took 12 days. That is the date of the beginning of Islamic Calendar, "Hijjrah" (migration).

Jathreb was an important Jewish farming and trading community 200 miles North of Mecca. After some traders had met Mohammad in Mecca and had become believers they invited the Prophet and his followers Jathreb. A bloody tribal rivalry going on and a truce was desperately needed. After the Prophet's arrival Jathreb was called "Medinat an-Nabi" or short "Medina" .

An Islamic model state in Medina was established in the same year ( 623 A.D.). Prophet Mohammad was disappointed by the rejection of his message by the Jews in Medina. Young Islam struggled to be accepted there and the believers were harassed and ridiculed by the hypocrites.

50 In Medina, Mohammad and his followers demonstrated the practicality of the new religion's social application by resolving bitter rivalries and tensions among the city's rival groups and clans. Seeing the virtues of Islam in action, many inhabitants of Medina became Muslims.

Through military activity and political negotiation Prophet Mohammed became the most powerful leader in Arabia. Several important battles ensued, the first and biggest one (624 A.D.) in Badr (near Medina). Muslim forces, though greatly outnumbered (more than threefold), defeated the Meccan army. In the battle of Uhud (625 A.D.) Muslims were defeated and Mohammad was also wounded.

Finally in 627 (A.D.) frustrated by the growing strength of the Muslims, the Meccans mounted an all-out siege of Medina. At the battle of "Ditch" (so named because a trench was dug out to fend off the Meccan cavalry) the Muslims successfully held out against a coalition of Meccans and mercenary Bedouins that the coalition disintegrated and the Meccans withdrew. The failure of the Meccan Quraish enhanced the Prophet's prestige and leadership among the tribes of Arabia.

 John L. Esposito, quote*: "The final phase in the struggle between Medina and Mecca highlights the method and political genius of Mohammad. He employed both military and diplomatic means, often preferring the latter. Instead of seeking to rout his Meccan opponents, Mohammad sought to gain submission to God and His messenger by incorporating them within the Islamic community-state. A truce was struck in 628 (A.D.) at Hudaybiyah to permit Muslims to make their pilgrimage to Mecca the following year. In 629 (A.D.) Mohammad established Muslim control over the Hijaz and led the pilgrimage to Mecca as had been scheduled. Then in 630 (A.D.) Mohammad accused the Quraish of breaking the treaty and the Muslims marched on Mecca, ten thousand strong. The Meccans capitulated. Eschewing vengeance and the plunder of conquest the Prophet instead accepted a settlement granting amnesty rather than wielding the sword toward his former enemies."

It was a triumphant return to Mecca on Ramadan 20th, the 8th year after Hijjrah (630 A.D.). Mecca welcomed the Muslims and it converted without violent resistance to Islam. His first act upon returning to Mecca was to cleanse the 'Kaaba' of its pagan idols, restoring it to the Abrahamic tradition of monotheism.

On his last Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) in the 10th year after Hijjrah (632 A.D.) Mohammad delivered a farewell speech to his followers.  
By that time Arabia was united under the banner of Islam after many battles in its cause. His death – a high fever had befallen him – in Medina came to his followers as a grave shock. Medina fell into despair for days. The city was consumed with sorrow and ceremony. The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) wanted to be buried very simple with no marker over his grave. He did not want people to worship his grave, that would interfere with their worship of God.

He was buried on the very spot where he died, in the house of Lady Aisha. Later a large mosque 51 was built next to it and it is today one of the three most Holy Places of Islam, with Mecca and the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Here was the secret to Islam's strength and profound influence: the unifying power of one God, merciful and compassionate, the power of one people bound by a common faith.

By 750 A.D. Islam had expanded to China, India, along the Southern shore of the Mediterranean and into Spain. By 1550 it had reached Vienna. Wars resulted expelling Muslims from Spain and Europe. Believers are currently concentrated from the West coast of Africa to the Philippines (well over 1 billion believers).

"It is one of the functions of Islamic Law to protect the privileged status of minorities, and this is why non-Muslim places of worship have flourished all over the Islamic world. History provides many examples of Muslim tolerance towards other faiths: when the Caliph Omar entered Jerusalem in the year 634 A.D., Islam granted freedom of worship to all religious communities in the city. Islamic law also permits non-Muslim minorities to set up their own courts, which implement family laws drawn up by minorities by themselves."  ** Quote

The advent of Islam brought about a social revolution in the Arabian peninsula, as the new religion fought against slavery, the mistreatment of women and other social injustices that had become an accepted way of life. The diversity found among Muslim communities in language, culture, skin color and ethnic origin is a source of pride for Muslims, who believe in the universal and timeless message of Islam.

The Prophet's personality is reported to have been very kind, calm, modest and righteous. As he grew up, in his young adult years he became known for his truthfulness, generosity and sincerity, so that he was sought after for his ability to arbitrate in disputes.... "Features handsome, middle in height, temperament likeable, long dark and curly hair, large black eyes, a man of grace, captivating at a distance." He was called "Al-Ameen", "the trustworthy". He never claimed to be something else than human, a messenger and devoted servant of God.

The hardships he endured in his early childhood, poor and orphan losing many of his closest relatives at an early age may have formed his character and prepared him to be the Messenger of God.

He was a man of peace. He never took revenge for his own personal self. For example it is reported, that the Prophet would pass by the house of a Jewish woman in Medina every day at the same time. She used to wait for him just so she could throw garbage on him. One day she was not there, so out of concern the Prophet went to ask about her. Upon seeing his thoughtfulness, she felt embarrassed and ashamed and she converted to Islam.

Prophet's wives

This topic is not a problem for the believers knowing the character of the Prophet, but something that is hard to understand for non-Muslims. Prophet Mohammad (p.b.u.h) has widely been 52 portrayed in the past by orientalists as a lustful man pursuing his lusts and sensuous pleasures, that he was not satisfied with one wife or even four, but married ten or more driven by his desires.  But all his wives were elderly ladies or widows except Lady Aisha, whom the Prophet married when she was still a young maiden and Maria (a slave girl, whom he freed and married).  If the aim had been seeking sexual pleasures, he would have done so in his youth and would have married young maidens, not aged widows.

First we must remember the life in Arabia in the pre-Islamic time. Due to the tribal wars and blood revenge there had always been a large number widows and orphans who had to be taken care of. This must have been the main reason for polygamy in those days. It was the same ancient custom that was practiced in Palestine in the centuries before Jesus (p.b.u.h.).

Most of the twelve marriages had political or social motives. As it was customary for the Arab chiefs, many were political marriages to cement alliances. European and other world rulers married for the same reason for centuries. Others were marriages to the widows of his companions who had fallen in combat and were in need of protection, since traditionally remarriage was difficult for widows.

As I already mentioned Mohammad was married for 25 years to Khadijah, a twice-widowed lady 15 years older than him. Their marriage was very happy and they had 6 children (4 girls and 2 boys) together and he remained faithful to her until her death.

After 3 years he married a young woman Aisha (p.b.u.h.), with whom he had the closest relationship. The Prophet had spent the prime of his youth with Khadijah. Once Lady Aisha asked the Prophet if Khadijah had been the only woman worthy of his love, he replied in an honest burst of emotion: "She believed in me when none else did. She embraced Islam when people disbelieved me. She helped and comforted me when there was none else to lend me a helping hand."

Aisha was the third lady to enter the house of the Holy Prophet as his wife. She was the lady, who had the second strongest influence on the Prophet's private and family life. She was the daughter of his lifelong friend and companion Abu Bakr, who succeeded him as ruler of the Islamic state. Aisha was the most intelligent and the most versed in religion among the "Mothers of the Faithful"; she was even more knowledgeable than the companions. Many of the companions of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) used to ask her questions regarding religion.

After the death of his first wife Khadijah (65 at the time, p.b.u.h.) the Prophet (at the age of 50) desperately needed a companion . Young Islam was struggling in Mecca and in the same year the Prophet lost also his beloved uncle Abu Talib, who had taken care of him as a child. A woman close to him, Khawlah Bint-Hakeem (wife of one of the Prophet's early companions) suggested Aisha, if he wishes to marry a young virgin. She was the daughter of his lifelong friend. But if he preferred a more mature woman, there was Sawdah (bint Zama'a), the widow of Al Sakran ibn Amr Al Ansari, an emigrant to Abyssinia in the early years of persecution in Mecca, who died on their way back home. Sawdah turned to the Prophet himself for shelter since her husband 53 had died in the cause of Islam. The Prophet gave her shelter and married her. She was not young (55 years old) nor pretty with a quick and loose temper as it is reported (in the Hadith's she is described to have been  "a fat huge lady" and "a tall lady"). Soon afterwards he married Lady Aisha.

Later after 5 or 6 years he married widows of his companions, also two women war captives as they were integrated in the Muslim society through legal marriages with the believers. Although the Prophet loved Aisha so much, he treated her in the same way as the rest of his wives. The Prophet referred to her as "the mother of the believers". Aisha was also a fine scholar of Arabic and good orator. When she needed to make speeches, particularly after the assassination of Uthman, the third Khalif, her speeches were of superb literary quality. She was a scholar of broad knowledge and great ability. Lady Aisha died ( p.b.u.h.) at the age of 58 without having any children.

In some sources it is asserted that Lady Aisha was a child when she married the Prophet.

At that time no official birth records existed in Mecca and they did not even have a recognized calendar. They knew that a year is composed of 12 lunar months, each lasting 29 or 30 days, and they dated matters on the basis of major events in their community. Hence, their dating was considerably lacking in accuracy.

In one Hadith (probably the only one) it is suggested that Aisha was only six or seven at the time of her marriage. It is illogical to assert that Khawlah would have suggested a child as a companion for the Prophet, Aisha must have been of marriageable age. Anyway, the marriage took place after 3 years in Medina (after it was first suggested by Khawlah and after the marriage to Sawdah).

More evidence is provided also by one of the earliest authors of Islam, Ibn Ishaq, who writes, that Aisha and her elder sister Asmaa were among the first 80 people in Mecca, who accepted the Prophets call to Islam. He adds as he mentions Aisha, that she was then a young girl. But how old can she have been then? Old enough to be mentioned among the people, who had taken an important step adopting a new religion. Maybe 10 or so? (Adil Salahi: Muhammad, Man and Prophet)

We know, that the time between the first revelation of the Prophet and the migration to Medina (where the marriage to Aisha took place) were thirteen years. So we can say that even if Aisha was only a newborn baby when she became Muslim, she must have been at least fourteen years old at the time of her marriage. The Prophets daughter Fatimah (p.b.u.them) was born when he was 35 years old, meaning that at the time of the marriage to Aisha in Medina she would have been 17 or 18 years old.

According to another account (by Ibn Hajar) his daughter Fatimah was 5 years older than Aisha, meaning that by no means she could not have been younger than 15 or 16 years old at the time of her marriage. How can we believe that the Prophet would have married a girl of 6 years of age, 54 even a girl of 9 years? The whole assertion about the Prophet marrying a six- or nine-year-old child is highly questionable.

It is amazing how the question of Aisha's age comes up so very often. However, if we regard the sources (the Hadiths) 100% reliable we should also i.e. unconditionally accept the fact that Prophet Mohammad (p.b.u.h.) did cause the moon to split into two.

If anybody of my readers have any other evidence concerning this theme I would appreciate it if you would share it with me. Knowing the circumstances and the character of the Prophet in all other aspects and that he was a father of girls himself and remembering the fact that Aisha was the daughter of his lifelong companion, it can be taken for granted (in my opinion) that she was of marriageable age . It is hard to imagine that the Prophet, who strived to be an example to his followers, would have done such a thing knowing that the believers were encouraged by the Qur'an to follow his example in all aspects. What an uproar it would have caused, in his own family and in the community! I think we would have much more evidence in the Hadith's about it.

There is no real evidence for that kind of assertion. The only evidence comes from Hadith's ( Hadith's = reports about the lifetime of the Prophet, collections dated ca. 250-300 years later). Also in Islam religious duties (like fasting, praying etc.) become obligatory only after a girl reaches puberty. Why should it be otherwise in marriage, a much graver aspect of life?

Islam introduced the right of a girl to choose her husband, a suitable husband can only be suggested by parents or guardians. Until today it was and still is common practice in Arab countries that marriage becomes a matter of discussion only after a girl reaches puberty. As far as I know in Pakistan and India child marriages were common in the past but are banned today by civil law.

Two highly reliable Hadith's (Muslim): "Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: 'A grown-up girl shall be asked permission about herself. If she is silent, it is her permission; and if she declines, there shall be no compulsion on her.' "

A report from Ibn Abbas states that: "the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: 'A previously married woman is more a guardian for herself than her guardian and a virgin should be asked permission about herself, and her permission is her silence.'"

Many Hadith's are narrated by Aisha herself about her marriage in general. In one of them she claims, that (according to the Prophet himself) she was the only virgin among the wives of the Prophet.

The only child from all his wives after his first wife Khadijah was born to a Coptic Christian servant girl Maria, whom he married as she was presented to him as a gift from an Egyptian ruler – a son who died in infancy. All other wives remained childless.

55 The fact that the Prophet did not have more children later on is an indication, that his marriages were more of a sociopolitical nature, to ensure peace between the tribes of Arabia after they were united under Islam.

"There were many war prisoners captured by the Muslims and entitled to security ad protection. They were not killed or denied any human or physical rights. On the contrary, they were helped to settle down through legal marriages to Muslims instead of being taken concubines and common mistresses. That also was another moral burden on Muslims and had to be shouldered jointly as a common responsibly. Here, again, Mohammad carried his share and took some responsibilities by marrying two of those captivities... The Prophet married some women for sociopolitical reasons. His principal concern was the future of Islam. He was most interested in strengthening the Muslims by all bonds. That is why he married the daughter (Aisha) of Abu Bakr, his first successor, and the daughter of Umar, his second successor. It was by his marriage to Juwairiyah that he gained the support for Islam of the whole clan of Bani Al-Mustalew and all their allied tribes. It was by marrying Safiyah that he neutralized a great section of the hostile Jews of Arabia. By accepting Mary the Copt from Egypt as his wife, he formed a political alliance with a king of great magnitude. It was also a gesture of friendship with a neighboring king that Mohammad married Zaynap who was presented to him by the Negus of Abyssinia (today's Ethiopia) where many early Muslims found refuge. By most of these marriages, the Prophet meant to eliminate the caste system, the racial and national vanities, and the religious prejudices... " (c. Hamouda Abdul Aati, 'Islam in Focus')

Qur'an 33:32 : "O wives of the Prophet! you are not like any other of the women; If you will be on your guard, then be not soft in (your) speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease yearn; and speak a good word."

In Islam the number of wives for the believers was reduced to four. This was an unheard progress for the rights of women after centuries of unlimited polygamy. The Qur'an does not advocate polygamy, in the contrary it says :

"... then marry such women as may seem good to you, two, three or four. If you feel that you will not act justly, then one." (Qur'an 4:3)

"You will never manage to deal equitably with women no matter how hard you try" (Qur'an 4:129).

Since equal treatment according to these two verses of the Qur'an is a practical impossibility, we understand that Islam prefers monogamy. Here, like concerning some other issues (i.e. slavery) Islam made concessions to prevailing social practices of that time.

This is a Hadith which makes us smile, and the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) appear very human to us, narrated by Lady Aisha: "Allah's messenger was fond of honey and sweet edible things and it was his habit that after finishing the 'Asr' (afternoon) prayer he would visit his wives and stay with one of them at that time. Once he went to Hafsah, the daughter of Omar and stayed with her 56 more than usual. I got jealous and asked for the reason for that. I was told that a lady in her folk had given her a skin filled with honey as a present, and that she made a syrup from it and gave it to the prophet to drink (and that was the reason for the delay). I said, 'By Allah, we will play a trick on him (to prevent him delaying so).' So I said to Sawdah bint Zam'a, 'The Prophet will approach you, and when he comes near you, say: 'Have you taken Maghafir (=a bad-smelling gum)? He will say: 'No'. Then say to him: 'Then what is this bad smell which I smell on you?' He will say to you, 'Hafsah made me drink honey syrup.' Then say:' Perhaps the bees of that honey had sucked the juice of the tree of Al-Urfut.' I shall also say the same. O you, Safiya, say the same.' Later Sawdah said: 'By Allah, as soon as he (the Prophet) stood at the door, I was about to say to him what you had ordered me to say because I was afraid of you.' So when the Prophet came near Sawdah, she said to him: 'O Allah's messenger! Have you taken Maghafir?' He sad: 'No.' She said: 'Then what is this bad smell I detect on you?' He said: 'Hafsah made me drink honey syrup.' She said: 'Perhaps its bees had sucked the juice of Al-Urfut tree.' When he came to me, I also said the same, and when he went to Safiya, she also said the same. And when the Prophet again went to Hafsah, she said: 'O Allah's messenger! Shall I give you more of that drink?' He said: 'I am not in need of it.' Sawdah said: 'By Allah we have deprived him (of it). 'I said to her: 'Keep quiet!'. "

Because this theme being such a controversial topic I include some quotes from  Ayesha's Age

"According to a narrative reported by Ahmad ibn Hanbal, after the death of Khadijah (ra), when Khaulah (ra) came to the Prophet (pbuh) advising him to marry again, the Prophet (pbuh) asked her regarding the choices she had in her mind. Khaulah said: "You can marry a virgin (bikr) or a woman who has already been married (thayyib)". When the Prophet (pbuh) asked about who the virgin was, Khaulah proposed Ayesha's (ra) name. All those who know the Arabic language, are aware that the word "bikr" in the Arabic language is not used for an immature nine year old girl. The correct word for a young playful girl, as stated earlier is "Jariyah". "Bikr" on the other hand, is used for an unmarried lady, and obviously a nine year old is not a "lady"."

"According to the generally accepted tradition, Ayesha (ra) was born about eight years before Hijrah. But according to another narrative in Bukhari (kitabu'l-tafseer) Ayesha (ra) is reported to have said that at the time Surah Al-Qamar, the 54th chapter of the Qur'an, was revealed, "I was a young girl". The 54th surah of the Qur'an was revealed nine years before Hijrah. According to this tradition, Ayesha (ra) had not only been born before the revelation of the referred surah, but was actually a young girl (jariyah), not an infant (sibyah) at that time. Obviously, if this narrative is held to be true, it is in clear contradiction with the narratives reported by Hisham ibn `urwah. I see absolutely no reason that after the comments of the experts on the narratives of Hisham ibn `urwah, why we should not accept this narrative to be more accurate."

"According to almost all the historians Asma (ra), the elder sister of Ayesha (ra) was ten years older than Ayesha (ra). It is reported in Taqri'bu'l-tehzi'b as well as Al-bidayah wa'l-nihayah that Asma (ra) died in 73 hijrah when she was 100 years old. Now, obviously if Asma (ra) was 100 years old in 73 hijrah she should have been 27 or 28 years old at the time of hijrah. If Asma (ra) was 27 or 28 years old at the time of hijrah, Ayesha (ra) should have been 17 or 18 years 57 old at that time. Thus, Ayesha (ra), if she got married in 1 AH (after hijrah) or 2 AH, was between 18 to 20 years old at the time of her marriage."

"According to a number of narratives, Ayesha (ra) accompanied the Muslims in the battle of Badr and Uhud. Furthermore, it is also reported in books of hadith and history that no one under the age of 15 years was allowed to take part in the battle of Uhud. All the boys below 15 years of age were sent back. Ayesha's (ra) participation in the battle of Badr and Uhud clearly indicate that she was not nine or ten years old at that time. After all, women used to accompany men to the battle fields to help them, not to be a burden on them."

"Tabari in his treatise on Islamic history, while mentioning Abu Bakr (ra) reports that Abu Bakr had four children and all four were born during the Jahiliyyah — the pre Islamic period. Obviously, if Ayesha (ra) was born in the period of jahiliyyah, she could not have been less than 14 years in 1 AH — the time she most likely got married."

"According to Ibn Hisham, the historian, Ayesha (ra) accepted Islam quite some time before Umar ibn Khattab (ra). This shows that Ayesha (ra) accepted Islam during the first year of Islam. While, if the narrative of Ayesha's (ra) marriage at seven years of age is held to be true, Ayesha (ra) should not have been born during the first year of Islam."

"Tabari has also reported that at the time Abu Bakr planned on migrating to Habshah (8 years before Hijrah), he went to Mut`am — with whose son Ayesha (ra) was engaged — and asked him to take Ayesha (ra) in his house as his son's wife. Mut`am refused, because Abu Bakr had embraced Islam, and subsequently his son divorced Ayesha (ra). Now, if Ayesha (ra) was only seven years old at the time of her marriage, she could not have been born at the time Abu Bakr decided on migrating to Habshah. On the basis of this report it seems only reasonable to assume that Ayesha (ra) had not only been born 8 years before hijrah, but was also a young lady, quite prepared for marriage."

"According to Ibn Hajar, Fatimah (ra) was five years older than Ayesha (ra). Fatimah (ra) is reported to have been born when the Prophet (pbuh) was 35 years old. Thus, even if this information is taken to be correct, Ayesha (ra) could by no means be less than 14 years old at the time of hijrah, and 15 or 16 years old at the time of her marriage."

"In my opinion, neither was it an Arab tradition to give away girls in marriage at an age as young as nine or ten years, nor did the Prophet (pbuh) marry Ayesha (ra) at such a young age. The people of Arabia did not object to this marriage, because it never happened in the manner it has been narrated." (c. Adil Salahi, "Muhammad, Man and Prophet")

58  
The wives of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.):

Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (p.b.u.h.), twice widowed lady, 40 years old at the time of their marriage (the Prophet was 25 years old).  
Sawdah bint Zama'a (p.b.u.h.), 55 years old (the Prophet was 50), the widow of Al Sakran ibn Amr Al Ansari  
Aisha bint Abu Bakr (p.b.u.h.), age most probably late teens/early twenties, the daughter of his devoted friend and lifelong companion Abu Bakr. She died at the age of 58 without having any children.  
Hafsah bint Omar (p.b.u.h.) a widow, whose husband Khanis ibn Huthafah was a martyr in the battle of Badr.  
Zainab bint Khuzaimah (p.b.u.h.), the widow of Obiadah ibn Al Hareth ibn Abd Al Muttalib, a martyr in the battle of Badr. She continued nursing the wounded unaffected by the martyrdom of her husband . When the Prophet heard of her patience and steadfastness and that no one supported her, he proposed to marry her. She was 60 years old and had two more years to live before she died at 62.  
Zainab bint Jahsh (p.b.u.h.), a divorced woman who had been married to Zaid ibn Haritha. The Prophet knew Zainab since his childhood; she was his cousin. She was previously married to Zaid Ibn Haritha ibn Sharaheel but their marriage did not last long. She ill-treated him as she felt socially superior to him as he had been just a slave before the Prophet adopted him and she herself was of a great ancestral line. Zaid divorced her and Prophet Mohammad married her to annul the custom of adoption, to set up the principles of Islam and to destroy the pre-Islamic practices completely. The prophet (p.b.u.h.) feared the hypocrites and the slanderers would say that Mohammad married his "son's" divorced wife. In this way the pre-Islamic custom of adoption came to an end and the Holy Qur'an supported this new divine legislation saying: "Mohammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of God, and the seal of the prophets; And God has full knowledge of all things." (Qur'an 33: 40) Al Bukhari (Hadiths) mentions that Zainap said boastfully to the other wives of the Prophet: "Your families have married you, but it is only me that God from over seven Heavens has decreed my marriage."  
Hind Al Makhzoumiah (Umm Salama), the widow of Abd Allah ibn Abdel Asad who had been one of the first people to embrace Islam. He migrated with his family to Ethiopia where Salama was born. He was a martyr in the battle of Uhud and left four helpless orphans. The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) saw no better solution than to ask her hand to support her and her children. She (p.b.u.h.) apologized to him saying: "I am an aged mother of orphans and I have much jealousy".  
Ramlah Bint Abu Sufian(Umm Habibah), the widow of the Ubaid Allah ibn Jahsh who had died in Ethiopia. Her father Abu Sufian was at that time the leader of the disbelievers and a strong enemy of the Prophet. She embraced Islam in Makkah and migrated to Ethiopia with her husband. When the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) knew of her husband's death in Ethiopia, he sent to the King of Ethiopia, Al Najashi, to marry him Umm Habibah. She was extremely pleased because if she had returned to her father in Mecca he would have forced her to forsake Islam . When she returned to Madina the Prophet married her. Later her father Abu Suffian embraced Islam and knew of her marriage to the Prophet, consented to it and boasted of the Prophet being a good

59 match to his daughter. The prophet's marriage to the daughter of Abu Suffian led to the lessening of enmity against the Muslims.  
Juwyriah bint Al Hareth, the daughter of Al Hareth, the leader of the tribe of Bani Al Mustalaqthe and the widow of Musafei ibn Dhirar, one of the strongest enemies of Islam who had been killed in the battle of Al Muraysei. She together with the whole tribe, had been taken war prisoners by the Muslims in one of the Prophet's battles. She, as the daughter of the tribe's leader came to the Prophet to ask for money to pay as a ransom to be set free. The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) offered to pay the ransom for her and marry her. The Muslims thought it was not becoming to keep the Prophet's in-laws prisoners of war, and set them all free. Seeing the Muslim's noble-mindedness, the whole tribe of Bani Al Mustalaq embraced Islam.  
Saffiah bint Huyay ibn Akhtab (p.b.u.h.). After the Battle of Khybar (a Jewish community) Saffiah, the daughter of Huyay ibn Akhtab was captivated by the Muslims after her husband had been killed. The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) gave her the choice, either to set her free and he would marry her or to set her free and she would return to her Jewish family. Seeing the Prophet's nobleness of character, decency and gentlemanliness, she chose to be set free and be his wife. Moreover, she, as well as many people with her, embraced Islam. It is narrated that when the Messenger (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told Saffiah that her father was most antagonistic among the Jews against him, she answered, "O Messenger of Allah! Allah says in His Holy Book: "... no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another.... " (Qur'an 6:164)  
Maria, a Coptic-Christian slave girl whom he manumitted and married as she was presented to him as a gift by an Egyptian ruler and who bore the Prophet the only child after his first wife Khadijah, a son Ibrahim who died in infancy.  
Maymouna bint Al Hareth (p.b.u.h.), the widow of Abi Rahan ibn Abdul Uzza. Her name had been Barrah, the Prophet named her Maymouna, she was the last of his wives. Lady Aisha said of her that she was one of those who most fear God the Almighty and of those who always join ties of relationship.

*****************************************

 * "Islam, the straight Path", Prof. John L. Esposito

What Did Muhammad Say?

Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, taught many important principles and morals, and even set forth rules for combat setting the precedent and still exceeding the rules of war set forth by the Geneva Convention.

Consider the following:

All innocent life was sacred and as such none could be harmed, except those who were engaged against them in active combat. Saving one life was as if one had saved the entire world, while taking an innocent life was as if one had taken the lives of the entire world.

There was to be no genocide of any tribes even up until some had committed genocide against some Muslims. He offered mutual protection and forgiveness to the all even after certain ones broke their covenants with him many times. He did not allow them to be attacked until it was clearly proven they were traitors during time of war and tried to bring down the prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and the Muslims at any cost. Retaliation was only to those Jews who 60 had turned traitor and not others.

Slaves were common in those days for all nations and tribes. It was Islam that encouraged freeing of the slaves and the great reward from Allah for those who did so. Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, gave the example of this by freeing slaves and encouraging all of his followers to do the same. Examples include his own servant (who was actually considered like a son to him) Zaid ibn Al Haritha and Bilal the slave who was bought by Abu Bakr only for the purpose of freeing him.

While there were many attempts of assassination made on Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, (most famous was the night that Ali took his place in bed while he and Abu Bakr escaped to Madinah), he did not allow his companions to slaughter any of those who had been involved in these attempts. Proof for this is when they entered Makkah triumphantly and his first words were to command his followers not to harm such and such tribes and so and so families. This was one of the most famous of his acts of forgiveness and humbleness.

Military combat was forbidden for the first thirteen years of prophet hood. The desert Arabs did not need anyone to tell them how to fight or do combat. They were experts in this area and held feuds amongst tribes that lasted for decades. It was not until the proper method of warfare was instituted by Allah in the Quran, with proper rights and limitations according His Commandments, that any retaliation or combat was sanctioned. Orders from Allah made it clear who was to be attacked, how and when and to what extent fighting could take place.

Destruction of infrastructures is absolutely forbidden except when it is ordained by Allah in certain instances and then only according to His Commands.

Cursing and invoking evil actually came to the prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, from his enemies, while he would be praying for their guidance. Classic example is that of his journey to At-Taif where the leaders would not even hear him out nor offer so much as the normal courtesy called for and instead they set the children of the street against him, throwing rocks and stones at him until his body was bleeding so much, blood filled his sandals. He was offered revenge by the angel Gabriel, if he would give the command, Allah would cause the surrounding mountains to fall down upon them destroying them all. Instead of cursing them or asking for their destruction, he prayed for them to be guided to worship their Lord alone, without any partners.

Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, claimed every person who is born is born in a state of ISLAM (submission to God on His Terms in Peace), as a Muslim (MU-Islam means; "one who does ISLAM" i.e.; submits to God's Will and obeys His Commandments). He further stated, God has created each person in the image that is His according to His plan, and their spirit is His. Then as they grow older they begin to distort their faith according to the influence of the prevailing society and their own prejudices.

Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, taught his followers to believe in the God of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Solomon and Jesus, peace be upon them all, and to believe in them as true prophets, messengers and servants of Almighty Allah. He insisted on ranking all the prophets up at the highest level without any distinction between them, and ordered his followers to say the words, "peace and blessings be upon him" after mentioning their names.

He also taught the Torah (Old Testament), Zabur (Psalms) and Enjil (Gospel or New Testament) were originally from the very same source as the Quran, from Allah to the angel Gabriel. He asked the Jews to judge according to their own Book, and they tried to cover up some of it to hide the correct judgment, knowing he, peace and blessings be upon him, could not read.

61 He prophesied, predicted and foretold of events to come and they happened just as he had said they would. He mentioned so many things that people of his time could not have known, yet we have seen the evidences manifest over and over throughout the centuries in science, medicine, biology, embryology, psychology, metrology, geology and many other disciplines and even space travel and wireless communications, all of which we take for granted today. He even predicted something from the past that would come true in the future, and it has..

The Quran states pharaoh was drowned in the Red Sea while chasing after Moses and Allah said He would preserve Pharaoh as a sign for the future. Dr. Maurice Bucaille in his book, "Bible, Quran and Science" makes it clear this has happened and the very person of Pharaoh has been discovered in Egypt and is now on display for all to see.  
This event took place thousands of years before Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and it came true in the last few decades, many centuries after his death.

Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, or his followers never at any time claimed that he was a son of God or the God-incarnate or a man with divinity – but he always was and is even today considered as only a Messenger chosen by God. He insisted people praise Almighty God, alone and not to celebrate him or his companions in any way. While most people do not hesitate to raise to divinity and even make 'gods' out of other individuals whose lives and missions have been lost in legend. Historically speaking, none of these legends achieved even a fraction of what Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, accomplished.

Uniting mankind together for the purpose of worshipping the One God of Adam and all the other prophets, peace be upon them all, was his main motivating cause and his striving was for the sole purpose having everyone to understand and follow the codes of moral excellence set forth by Allah in His Revelations.

Today after a lapse of fourteen centuries, the life and teachings of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, have survived without the slightest loss, alteration or interpolation. They offer the same undying hope for treating mankind's many ills, which they did when he was alive. This is not a claim of Muhammad's, peace and blessings be upon him, followers, but the inescapable conclusion forced upon by a critical and unbiased history.

Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, claimed to be a servant, messenger and prophet of the Almighty God; the same God of Adam, Abraham, Moses, David and Solomon and of Jesus, the Christ, son of Mary (peace be upon them all). He claimed he was receiving revelation from Almighty God (Allah) through the Arch Angel Gabriel, calling it the Recitation (Quran).

He ordered people to believe in God as One, without partners, and to follow the Commandments of Almighty God to the best of their abilities.

He forbade himself and his followers from evil practices and filthy habits, showing them the proper ways to eat, drink, use the toilet and proper behavior in all relationships. This he claimed was all from Allah.

What Did He Do?

Almost everyone on the earth today is discussing Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. People want to know, "Who was he exactly?" "What did he teach?" "Why was he loved so much by some and hated so much by others?" "Did he live up to his claims?" "Was he a holy man?" "Was he a prophet of God?" "What is the truth about this man - Muhammad?"

62 How can we discover the truth and be totally honest in our judgment?

We will begin with the very simple historical evidences, facts as narrated by thousands of people, many of whom knew him personally. The following is based on books, manuscripts, texts and actual eyewitness accounts, too numerous list herein, yet all have been preserved in original form throughout the centuries by both Muslims and non-Muslims.

Muhammad ibn (son of) Abdullah ibn (son of) Abdul Mutalib, was born in the year 570 C.E. (Christian Era) in Makkah, Felix Arabia (today: Saudi Arabia) and he died in 633 C.E. in Yathrib (today: Madinah, Saudi Arabia).

A. His names: When he was born, his grandfather, Abdul Mutalib, gave him the name Muhammad. And it means "praised one" or "praising one." He was later called "As-Saddiq" (the Truthful) by all of those who knew of his truthful and honest nature. He always said only the truth. He was also called "Al-Amin" (the Trustworthy) due to his integrity and always upholding any trust given to him. When the tribes were battling against each other, both sides would entrust him with their possessions during the fighting, even if it might be against some of his own tribesmen, because they knew he would always uphold any trust given to him. All of his names indicated the very nature of a man who was praised for his honesty, integrity and trustworthiness. He was also well known for advocating the reconciliation of kinship and relationships. He ordered his followers to always honor the "ties of the wombs" (siblings and other close relatives).

This fits right in with the prophecy mentioned in the Bible in the Book of John in chapters 14 and 16, as the coming of a prophet known as the "Spirit of Truth" or "Comforter" or "Advocate."

B. Born as a descendent of Abraham, peace and blessings be upon him, through his first born son, Ishmael (Ismail in Arabic), peace and blessings be upon him, to the noble tribe of the Quraish who were the leaders of Makkah in those days. Muhammad's blood line traces directly back to Abraham, peace and blessings be upon him.

This could certainly point to fulfillment of Old Testament (Torah) prophecies in Deuteronomy (chapter 18:15) of a prophet, like unto Moses from "their brethren."

C. He kept the Commandments of Almighty God, just as his great grandfathers and prophets of old had done in the past (peace be upon them). Here is a statement from Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, while the Quran was being revealed to him by the angel Gabriel;

"Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited you from: Join not anything in worship with Him; be good and dutiful to your PARENTS; do not kill your children because of poverty - (Allah) provide sustenance for you and for them; do not come near to Al-Fawahish (shameful sins, illegal sexual intercourse, etc.) whether committed openly or secretly, and kill not anyone whom Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause. This He has commanded you that you may understand."

63 [Holy Quran 6:151]

D. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, lived in total commitment to his Belief in One God, and as such, he worshipped God alone, without any other "gods" beside Him. This is the very first commandment in the Old Testament (Exodus chapter 20 and Deuteronomy, chapter 5) and in the New Testament as well (Mark, chapter 12, verse 29).

E. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered his followers to obey Allah Almighty. He ordered following the Commandments as were revealed to him by the angel Gabriel from Almighty Allah. Read below, one of many similar statements from the Quran:

Surely, Allah Commands absolute justice and steadfast commitment to performing your duties to Almighty Allah, in total sincerity and giving help to relatives: and He forbids evil, and disobedience and all that is prohibited by Allah (such as; illegal sexual acts, disobedience of PARENTS, polytheism, to tell lies, to give false witness, to kill a life without right, etc.), and (He Forbids) any evil (i.e. all that is prohibited by God's Law, such as: polytheism of every kind, disbelief and every kind of evil deeds, etc.), and all kinds of oppression, He admonishes you, that you may take heed.

[Holy Quran 16:90]

F. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, never fell into the common practice of his tribesmen to worship statues, idols or man-made "gods." He forbid his followers to ever engage in worship outside of the One True God (Allah) of Adam, Abraham, Moses and all the prophets, peace be upon them all.

And the people of the Scripture Jews and Christians did not differed amongst themselves until after there came to them clear evidence.

And they were commanded only to worship Allah, and worship none but Him Alone (no gods beside God), and perform prayers and give charity: and that is the right religion.

[Holy Quran 98:4-5]

He despised false worship to any man-made gods or images or anything in creation as a god. He 64 hated all of the complexities and degradation to which it leads.

This is in direct obedience to the second commandment in the above mentioned verses, "Thou shalt not make any graven images."

G. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, always held the Name of God (Allah) in the highest of reverence and never took God's Name in vain or for any vainglorious purpose.

He forbid his followers for ever doing anything like this and encouraged them to use names such as "Servant of Almighty God" (Abdullah).

H. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, upheld the proper worship and ceremonies of his grandfathers, Abraham and Ishmael, peace be upon them. Here is something from the second chapter of the Quran. Read closely;

"Recall when Abraham's Lord (Allah) tested him with Commands, that he fulfilled. Allah said, "Surely, I am going to make you a leader (prophet) of mankind. (Abraham said) "And my offspring, too." (Allah) said, "My Covenant (prophethood, etc.) does not include wrong-doers (thalimun).

"And recall when (Allah) made the House (ka'bah in Bakkah, which later was called "Makkah") a place of resort for mankind and a place of safety. And it is your place of prayer, and (Allah) commanded Abraham and Ishmael to purify (God's House at Makkah) for those who are circling it, or staying there or bowing or prostrating themselves (there, in worship).

"And when Abraham said, 'My Lord, make this city (Makkah) a place of security and provide its people with fruits, for them that believe in Allah Almighty and the Last Day.' (Allah) answered, "As for him who doesn't believe, I shall leave him in contentment for a while, then I shall compel him to the torment of the Fire, and worst indeed is that destination!"

"And when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of the Sacred House (Ka'bah in Makkah), saying, 'Our Lord! Accept from us. Certainly! You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.'"

"Our Lord! And make us submissive unto You and of our offspring a nation submissive unto You, and show us our Manasik (all the ceremonies of pilgrimage - Hajj and 'Umrah, etc.), and accept our repentance. Truly, You are the One Who accepts

65 repentance, the Most Merciful.

"Our Lord! Send amongst them a Messenger of their own (and indeed Allah answered by sending Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him ), who shall recite unto them Your Verses and instruct them in the Book (this Quran) and full knowledge of (Allah's) Laws and jurisprudence, and sanctify them. Verily! You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise."

And who turns away from the religion of Abraham (Monotheism) except him who fools himself? Truly, (Allah) chose him in this world and verily, in the Hereafter he will be among the righteous.

When his Lord said to him, "Submit ("Islam" means "submission")!" He said, "I have submitted myself ("Muslim" means "one who submits") to the Lord of all that exists."

And this (submission to Allah) was ordered by Abraham upon his sons and by Jacob; saying, "O my sons! Allah has chosen for you the (true) religion; then die not except in the Faith of Submission (like those in true submission to God's Will)."

[Holy Quran 2:124-132]

I. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, performed these same ceremonies in worship to what we find the prophets doing before him, bowing to toward the ground and prostrating (falling on the face) while praying and worshipping. He would face Jerusalem for his devotionals and commanded his followers to do the same (until Allah sent down the angel Gabriel with revelation to change the direction (Qiblah) mentioned in Quran).

J. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, advocated rights for all members of the family and especially ties to the parents, both mother and father, also rights for infant girls, orphaned girls and certainly for wives, as well.

It is known from the Quran, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered his followers to be kind and respectful to their parents. They were told not to even say, "Ooh" to them while caring for them in their old age. Read from the Quran:

66 And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honor.

[Holy Quran 17:23]

K. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was the defender of the orphans and even the newborn children. He ordered the care of orphans and feeding of the poor as the means to enter Paradise and if anyone held back the rights of those who were destitute, they could forget about ever seeing Paradise. He also forbade the killing of new born girls, as was a custom of ignorance according to primitive Arab traditions. This is referred to in the Quran; when, on the Day of Judgment those who practiced the evil deed of terminating the life of their own infant daughters, will have it exposed, the Quran says:

"And when the female (infant) buried alive (as the pagan Arabs used to do) is going to be asked; about what sin could she (as an infant) have possibly committed."

[Holy Quran 81:8]

Those who spend their wealth (in Allah's Cause) by night and day, in secret and in public, they shall have their reward with their Lord. On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.

[Holy Quran 2:274]

L. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered men not to "inherit women against their will," and not to marry them accept by mutual consent and never to touch their wealth or inheritance in order to improve their own financial conditions.

O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will, and you should not treat them with harshness, that you may take away part of the Mahr you have given them, unless they commit open illegal sexual intercourse. And live with them honorably. If you dislike them, it may be that you dislike a thing and Allah brings through it a great deal of good.

[Holy Quran 4:19]

67 We also notice from this verse, He forbid the common practice of wife-beating and abuse, (his own wife said he never once hit her).

He never once engaged in sex outside of marriage, nor did he ever approve of it, even though it was very common at the time. His only relationships with women were in legitimate, contractual marriages with proper witnesses according to law. His relationship to Ayesha was only that of marriage. He did not marry her the first time her father offered her hand to him in marriage. He married her only after she reached the age of puberty and could decide for herself. Their relationship is described in every detail by Ayesha herself in the most loving and respectful manner as a match truly made in heaven. Ayesha is considered as one of the highest scholars of Islam and lived out her entire life only having been married to Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. She never desired any other man, nor did she ever utter a single negative statement against Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.

M. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered men to "provide and protect" women, whether it was their own mother, sister, wife or daughter or even those of others, whether they were Muslims or not.

"Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend (to support the women) from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient (to Allah and to their husbands), and guard in the husband's absence what Allah orders them to guard (e.g. their chastity, their husband's property, etc.).  
As to those women on whose part you see illconduct, admonish them, refuse to share their beds, startle them (set forth a clear example or parable for them, to make clear the point of what is going on before divorcing them) so if they return to proper obedience (to Allah and their husbands), do not annoy them any further. Surely, Allah is Ever Most High, Most Great."

[Holy Quran 4:34]

N. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, prohibited killing of children for fear of poverty and also forbade killing any innocent people.

Say (O Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him): "Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited you from: Join not anything in worship with Him; be good and dutiful to your parents; kill not your children because of poverty - We provide sustenance for you and for them; come not near to Al-Fawahish (shameful sins, illegal sexual intercourse, etc.) whether committed openly or secretly, and kill not anyone whom Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause (according to Law). This He has commanded you that you may understand.

[Holy Quran 6:151]

O. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, never committed adultery, and he required his 68 followers to engage only in lawful marriage relationships with women, and forbid sex outside of Almighty God's Ordinance.

Satan (the devil) threatens you with poverty and orders you to commit Fahsha (evil deeds, illegal sexual intercourse, sins etc.); whereas Allah promises you Forgiveness from Himself and Bounty, and Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower.

[Holy Quran 2:268]

Say (O Muhammad SAW): "(But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are AlFawahish (great evil sins, every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse, etc.) whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship) with Allah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allah of which you have no knowledge."

[Holy Quran 7:33]

And come not near to the unlawful sexual intercourse. Verily, it is a Fahishah [i.e. anything that transgresses its limits (a great sin)], and an evil way (that leads one to Hell unless Allah forgives him).

[Holy Quran 17:32]

The adulterer marries not but an adulteress or a Mushrikah and the adulteress none marries her except an adulterer or a Muskrik [and that means that the man who agrees to marry (have a sexual relation with) a Mushrikah (female polytheist, pagan or idolatress) or a prostitute, then surely he is either an adulterer, or a Mushrik (polytheist, pagan or idolater, etc.) And the woman who agrees to marry (have a sexual relation with) a Mushrik (polytheist, pagan or idolater) or an adulterer, then she is either a prostitute or a Mushrikah (female polytheist, pagan, or idolatress, etc.)]. Such a thing is forbidden to the believers (of Islamic Monotheism).

[Holy Quran 24:3]

69

Verily, those who like that (the crime of) illegal sexual intercourse should be propagated among those who believe, they will have a painful torment in this world and in the Hereafter. And Allah knows and you know not.

[Holy Quran 24:19]

O Prophet! When believing women come to you to give you the pledge, that they will not associate anything in worship with Allah, that they will not steal, that they will not commit illegal sexual intercourse, that they will not kill their children, that they will not utter slander, intentionally forging falsehood (i.e. by making illegal children belonging to their husbands), and that they will not disobey you in any Ma'ruf (Islamic Monotheism and all that which Islam ordains) then accept their Bai'a (pledge), and ask Allah to forgive them, Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

[Holy Quran 60:12]

People committed fornication and adultery in most places around the word in Muhammad's time, yet he never once did so, and he forbade all of his followers from this evil practice.

P. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade usury and interest on money lending, as Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, had done centuries before him. It can be easily shown how usury eats away at wealth and destroys the economic systems throughout history. Yet, just as in the teachings of the prophets of old, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, held that such practices were most evil and must be avoided in order to be at peace with the Creator (Allah).

Those who eat usury (deal in interest) will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Satan leading him to insanity. That is because they say: "Trading is only like usury," whereas Allah has permitted trading and forbidden usury. So whosoever receives an admonition from his Lord and stops eating usury shall not be punished for the past; his case is for Allah (to judge); but whoever returns to dealing in usury, such are the dwellers of the Fire - they will abide therein.

Allah will destroy Riba (usury) and will give increase for charity, alms, etc. And Allah likes not the disbelievers, sinners.

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Truly those who believe, and do deeds of righteousness, and perform Salat, and give Zakat, they will have their reward with their Lord. On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.

You who believe! Be afraid of Allah and give up what remains (due to you) from usury, if you are believers.

And if you do not do it, then take a notice of war from Allah and His Messenger but if you repent, you shall have your capital sums. Deal not unjustly, and you shall not be dealt with unjustly.

[Holy Quran 2:275-279]

Q. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, never gambled and did not allow it. Like usury, gambling takes away wealth but at an even faster pace.

"People ask you (Muhammad) about alcohol and gambling. Say, 'There is great sin in both of them and (some benefit) for humans, but the sin is greater than any benefit from them.' And they ask you what they should spend (for charity, etc.). Say, 'Whatever is above your basic needs.' So, Allah makes it clear to you His Laws in order for you to give thought."

[Holy Quran 2:219]

Gambling had not been viewed as so evil until the time of Muhammad, peace be upon. Today, it is well established the damage gambling causes to families and even mental health. The idea of getting something for nothing is not the proper way of life prescribed by the teachings of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.

R. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, never drank alcohol or strong drink, even though it was a very normal thing for people of his time and place.

71 "O you believers! Intoxicating drinks, gambling, fortune telling, etc. is the hated work of the devil. So stay away from all of that horrible stuff, that you will be successful."

"The devil only wants to create hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks, etc.) and gambling and to keep you from the remembrance of Allah and from your proper worship (prayers). So, why won't you away from them?"

[Holy Quran 5:90-91]

The Arabs, like most other cultures at his time, drank alcohol without concern for their health or for their altered behavior while intoxicated. Many of them were alcoholics.

In today's world there is little need to present long discussions on the evil and dangers of drinking alcohol. Besides causing diseases and ruining a person's health, alcohol is often attributed to be the cause of many traffic accidents resulting in property damage, injuries and deaths. The first order was for the followers of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, to leave off drinking while engaged in worship, then came stronger orders to leave drinking all together. Thus, offering a time for the early Muslims to break off from their addiction to strong drink.

S. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, did not engage in gossip or backbiting and he always turned away from hearing anything related to it.

O you who believe! If a rebellious evil person comes to you with a news, verify it, lest you harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful to what you have done.

[Holy Quran 49:6]

O you who believe! Do not allow one group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former; nor let (some) women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former, nor defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. How bad is it, to insult one's brother after having Faith? And whosoever does not repent, then such are indeed wrong-doers.

72

 O you who believe! Avoid much suspicions, indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting) . And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who accepts repentance, Most Merciful.

[Holy Quran 49:11-12]

Certainly, these teachings would be well appreciated in today's world where we find almost everyone engaging in the worst of gossiping and insulting of others, even the closest of relatives and loved ones.

T. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was most generous and encouraged others to be the same way in their dealings with others. He even asked them to forgive the debts of others with hope of receiving a better reward with their Lord (Allah).

And if the debtor is in a hard time (has no money), then grant him time till it is easy for him to repay, but if you remit it by way of charity, that is better for you if you did but know.

And be afraid of the Day when you shall be brought back to Allah. Then every person shall be paid what he earned, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly.

[Holy Quran 2:280-281]

S. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded the payment of charity to the poor and he was the defender and protector of widows, orphans and the wayfarers.

"Therefore, do not oppress the orphan, nor repulse the beggar."

[Holy Quran 93:9-10]

73 Charity is for the poor, who in Allah's Cause are restricted (from travel), and cannot move about in the land (for trade or work). The one who knows them not, thinks that they are rich because of their modesty. You may know them by their mark, they do not beg of people at all. And whatever you spend in good, surely Allah knows it well.

[Holy Quran 2:273]

U. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, taught people how to deal with the most extreme difficulties and tests that occur to us throughout our lives. He held that only through patience and a humble attitude would we find true resolution and understanding of life's complications and disappointments. He the most patient of all and was exemplary in his own humbleness. All who knew him had to admit to these virtues.

O you who believe! Seek help in patience and the prayer. Truly! Allah is with the patient ones.

[Holy Quran 2:153]

He explained this life was a test from Allah:

And certainly, Allah shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to the patient ones.

[Holy Quran 2:155]

Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: "Truly! To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return."

[Holy Quran 2:156]

V. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, fasted for days at a time to be closer to Almighty God and away from the narrowness of worldly attractions.

O you who believe! Observing the fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become pious.

74 [Holy Quran 2:183]

W. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, called for an end to racism and tribalism from the beginning to the end of his mission. He was truly the peacemaker for all times and all people.

O mankind! (Allah) has created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is that (believer) who is one of the pious. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware

[Holy Quran 49:13]

And in another verse of the Quran:

O mankind! Have piety and be most dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife (Eve), and from them both He created many men and women and fear Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allah is Ever an AllWatcher over you.

[Holy Quran 4:1]

X. Regarding keeping up good relationships and bringing people back together after a falling out, the Quran says:

And if two parties or groups among the believers fall to fighting, then make peace between them both, but if one of them rebels against the other, then fight you (all) against the one that which rebels till it complies with the Command of Allah; then if it complies, then make reconciliation between them justly, and be equitable. Verily! Allah loves those who are equitable.

The believers are nothing else than brothers to each other. So make reconciliation between your brothers, and fear Allah, that you may receive mercy.

[Holy Quran 49:9-10]

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Y. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, taught that Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, was the immaculate conception and miracle birth of Mary, and that she was the best creation of Almighty God. He insisted even to the Jews of Madinah, that Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, was the Messiah, the Christ, the one predicted to come in their Torah (Old Testament). He also taught that Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, did many miracles by the permission of Almighty God, curing the lepers, restoring sight to the blind and even bringing a dead man back to life, and he was not dead, rather Almighty God had raised him up. He also predicted Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, is going to return again in the Last Days to lead the true believers in a victory over the evil and unrighteous people, and he will destroy the Anti-Christ.

Z. Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade any killing, even when his followers were being killed, until the orders for retaliation came from Allah. Even then the limits were clearly spelled out and only those engaged in active combat against the Muslims or Islam were to be fought in combat. And even then, only according to very strict rules from Allah. fought in combat. And even then, only according to very strict rules from Allah.

What Did His Followers Say?

"His name was Muhammad" (peace and blessings be upon him)

To begin: You may be a Christian Protestant, Catholic, Jew, an atheist or an agnostic; or you may belong to any of many different religious denominations existing in today's world. You might even be a communist or believe in man's democracy as the rule on earth. Whoever you are and whatever ideological or political beliefs, social habits you may hold, there is no doubt - you should understand what others have to say about this man.

The world has had its share of great personalities. But these were one sided figures who distinguished themselves in but one or two fields, such as religious thought or military leadership. The lives and teachings of these great personalities of the earth are shrouded in the mist of time. There is so much speculation about the time and place their birth, the mode and style of their life, the nature and detail of their teachings and the degree and measure of their success or failure that is impossible for humanity to reconstruct, accurately the lives and teachings of these men and women.

But this is not the case of this man, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, who accomplished so much in such diverse fields of human thought and behavior in the fullest blaze of human history. Every detail of his private life and public utterances has been accurately documented and faithfully preserved up until our day. The authenticity of the records so preserved is vouched for not only by the faithful followers but even by his prejudiced critics.

Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was a religious teacher, a social reformer, a moral guide, an administrative colossus, a faithful friend, a wonderful companion, a devoted husband, a loving father - all in one. No other man in history ever excelled or equaled him in any of these different aspects of life - but it was only for the selfless personality of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, to achieve such incredible perfection.

He was by far, the most remarkable man that ever set foot on this earth. He preached a religion, founded a state, built a nation, laid down a moral code, initiated numerous social and political reforms, established a powerful and dynamic society to practice and represent his teachings and 76 completely revolutionized the worlds of human thought and behavior for all times to come.

Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was born in what was then known as Felix Arabia, fourteen hundred years ago. He started his mission of preaching a religion of monotheism; a Way of Life based on the surrender, submission and obedience to the Commandments of Almighty God, in sincerity and peace.

The word "Islam" in Arabic means "the submission to God, in peace."

Muhammad's (peace and blessings be upon him) mission began at the age of forty and departed from this world at the age of sixty-three. During this short period of 23 years of his prophethood, he changed the complete Arabian Peninsula from paganism and idolatry to worship of One God, from tribal quarrels and wars to national solidarity and cohesion, from drunkenness and debauchery to sobriety and piety, from lawlessness and anarchy to disciplined living, from utter bankruptcy to the highest standards of moral excellence.

Human history has never known such a complete transformation of a people or a place before or since - and IMAGINE all these unbelievable wonders in JUST OVER TWO DECADES.

Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was nothing more or less than a human being. but he was a man with a noble mission, which was to unite humanity on the worship of ONE and ONLY ONE GOD and to teach them the way to honest and upright living, based on the commands of God. He always described himself as, 'A Servant and Messenger of God' and so indeed every action of his proclaimed to be.

Today after a lapse of fourteen centuries, the life and teachings of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, have survived without the slightest loss, alteration or interpolation. They offer the same undying hope for treating mankind's many ills, which they did when he was alive. This is not a claim of Mohammed's(peace and blessings be upon him) followers, but the inescapable conclusion forced upon by a critical and unbiased history.

The least YOU can do as a thinking and concerned human being is to stop for a moment and ask your self: Could these statements sounding so extraordinary and revolutionary really be true? And supposing they really are true and you did not know this man Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, or hear about him, isn't it time you responded to this tremendous challenge and put in some effort to know him?

It will cost you nothing, but it may prove to be the beginning of a completely new era in your life.

We invite you to make a discovery of this wonderful man, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, the like of whom never walked on the face of this earth

What Do Others Say About Him?

Before We Begin our "A to Z of Muhammad" \- Let's See What 12 Famous People Have Said About Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) Throughout the Centuries...

 His complete biography has been authenticated and circulated amongst scholars around the world starting while he was still alive and continuing up until today. One of the first examples we quote from is from the Encyclopedia Britannica, as it confirms:

77 (Regarding Muhammad) "... a mass of detail in the early sources shows that he was an honest and upright man who had gained the respect and loyalty of others who were likewise honest and upright men."

[Vol. 12]

 Another impressive tribute to Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him is in the very well written work of Michael H. Hart, "The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History." He states that the most influential person in all history was Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, with Jesus second. Examine his actual words:

"My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular level."

[Michael H. Hart, THE 100: A RANKING OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS IN HISTORY, New York: Hart Publishing Company, Inc., 1978, page. 33.]

 According to the Quran, Prophet Muhammad was the most excellent example for all of humanity. Even non-Muslim historians recognize him to be one of the most successful personalities in history. Read what the Reverend R. Bosworth-Smith wrote in "Mohammed & Mohammedanism" in 1946:

"Head of the state as well as the Church, he was Caesar and Pope in one; but, he was pope without the pope's claims, and Caesar without the legions of Caesar, without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue. If ever any man had the right to say that he ruled by a Right Divine, it was Mohammad, for he had all the power without instruments and without its support. He cared not for dressing of power. The simplicity of his private life was in keeping with his public life."

 While we are reviewing statements from famous non-Muslims about Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, consider this:

"Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas, of a cult without images; the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he?"

[Lamartine, HISTOIRE DE LA TURQUIE, Paris, 1854, Vol. II, pp. 276-277.]

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 And then we read what George Bernard Shaw, a famous writer and non-Muslim says:

"He must be called the Savior of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it much needed peace and happiness."

[The Genuine Islam, Singapore, Vol. 1, No. 8, 1936]

 Then we found that K. S. Ramakrishna Rao, an Indian (Hindu) professor of Philosophy, in his booklet "Muhammad the Prophet of Islam" calls him the "perfect model for human life." Professor Ramakrishna Rao explains his point by saying:

"The personality of Muhammad, it is most difficult to get into the whole truth of it. Only a glimpse of it I can catch. What a dramatic succession of picturesque scenes. There is Muhammad the Prophet. There is Muhammad the Warrior; Muhammad the Businessman; Muhammad the Statesman; Muhammad the Orator; Muhammad the Reformer; Muhammad the Refuge of Orphans; Muhammad the Protector of Slaves; Muhammad the Emancipator of Women; Muhammad the Judge; Muhammad the Saint. All in all these magnificent roles, in all these departments of human activities, he is alike a hero."

 What should we think about our prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, when someone with the worldly status such as Mahatma Gandhi, speaking on the character of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, says in 'Young India':

"I wanted to know the best of one who holds today undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of mankind... I became more than convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for his pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle. When I closed the 2nd volume (of the Prophet's biography), I was sorry there was not more for me to read of the great life."

 English author Thomas Carlyle in his 'Heroes and Hero Worship', was simply amazed:

"How one man single handedly, could weld warring tribes and wandering Bedouins into a most powerful and civilized nation in less than two decades."

 79 And Diwan Chand Sharma wrote in "The Prophets of the East":

"Muhammad was the soul of kindness, and his influence was felt and never forgotten by those around him"

[D.C. Sharma, The Prophets of the East, Calcutta, 1935, pp. 12]

Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was nothing more or less than a human being, but he was a man with a noble mission, which was to unite humanity on the worship of ONE and ONLY ONE GOD and to teach them the way to honest and upright living based on the commands of God. He always described himself as, 'A Servant and Messenger of God' and so indeed every action of his proclaimed to be.

 Speaking on the aspect of equality before God in Islam, the famous poetess of India, Sarojini Naidu says:

"It was the first religion that preached and practiced democracy; for, in the mosque, when the call for prayer is sounded and worshippers are gathered together, the democracy of Islam is embodied five times a day when the peasant and king kneel side by side and proclaim: 'God Alone is Great'... I have been struck over and over again by this indivisible unity of Islam that makes man instinctively a brother."

[S. Naidu, Ideals of Islam, vide Speeches & Writings, Madras, 1918, p. 169]

 In the words of Professor Hurgronje:

"The league of nations founded by the prophet of Islam put the principle of international unity and human brotherhood on such universal foundations as to show candle to other nations." He continues, "the fact is that no nation of the world can show a parallel to what Islam has done towards the realization of the idea of the League of Nations."

 Edward Gibbon and Simon Ockley, on the profession of ISLAM, writes in "History of the Saracen Empires":

"I BELIEVE IN ONE GOD, AND MAHOMET, AN APOSTLE OF GOD' is the simple and invariable profession of Islam. The intellectual image of the Deity has never been degraded by any visible idol; the honor of the Prophet have never transgressed the measure of human virtues; and his living precepts have restrained the gratitude of his 80 disciples within the bounds of reason and religion."

[History of the Saracen Empires, London, 1870, p. 54]

 EWolfgang Goethe, perhaps the greatest European poet ever, wrote about Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. He said:

"He is a prophet and not a poet and therefore his Koran is to be seen as Divine Law and not as a book of a human being, made for education or entertainment."

[Noten und Abhandlungen zum Weststlichen Dvan, WA I, 7, 32]

What Do Muslims Say?

Considering the qualities and teachings of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, testified to by some many people throughout history and even testified to by Allah Himself, we conclude the following to be only a partial list of the qualities, morals and virtures of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.

A. Articulate \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, although unable to read or write throughout his entire life, was able to express himself in clear and decisive terms and in the best of classical Arabic language.

B. Brave \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was praised for his courage and bravery during and after his life by his followers and opponents alike. He has always been an inspiration to Muslims and even non-Muslims throughout the centuries.

C. Courteous \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, always put other people's feelings ahead of his own and was the most courteous of hosts and the best of guests wherever he went.

D. Dedicated \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was determined to carry out his mission and present the message with which he had been sent, to the entire world.

E. Eloquent \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, claimed he was not a poet, yet he could express himself in the most concise manner, using the least amount of words in a most classic manner. His words are still quoted by millions of Muslims and non-Muslims today everywhere.

F. Friendly \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was noted for being the most friendly and considerate of all who knew him.

81 G. Generous \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was most generous with his possessions and never wanted to keep anything if there was anyone who was in need. This was true of gold, silver, animals and even food and drink.

H. Hospitable \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was indeed, noted to be the most gracious of hosts and taught his companions and followers to be the best of hosts to all their guests as a part of their religion.

I. Intelligent \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, has been proclaimed by many commentators who have studied his life and actions, to be of the most intelligent of all men who ever lived.

J. Just \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was most fair and just in all of his dealings. Whether in business or in giving judgment in any matter, he practiced justice on all levels.

K. Kindness \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was kind and considerate to everyone he met. He tired his best to present the message of worship of the Creator instead of the creations to all he met in the kindest fashion and most considerate manner.

L. Loving \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was the most loving toward Allah and to his family members, friends, companions and even those who did not accept his message but remained peaceful to him and his followers.

M. Messenger of Mercy \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is proclaimed in the Quran by Allah, as being sent to the entire world as the "Mercy to all mankind and jinn."

N. Noble \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was the most noble and distinguished of all men. Everyone knew of his fine character and honorable background.

O. "Oneness" \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is most famous for his proclamation of the "Oneness of Allah" or monotheism (called "Tawheed" in Arabic).

P. Patient \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was the most steadfast and forbearing in all of the trials and tests he lived through.

Q. Quiet \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was often very quiet and never was heard to be boastful, loud or obnoxious on any occasion.

R. Resourceful \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was most clever and resourceful in handling even the most serious of difficulties and problems confronting him and his companions.

S. Straightforward \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was known by all to speak directly to a subject and not twist things around in his speech. He also used a minimal amount of verbiage and considered excessive talk to be vain and unproductive.

T. Tactful \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was the most delicate and tactful in his dealings with the people. He never scratched the dignity of someone, even though unbelievers often insulted him and maligned him.

U. Unmatched \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is known throughout the world today as the man who most influenced the lives of so many people during his own time and for all times to come.

82 V. Valiant \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, gave new meaning to the word valiant and he was always most honorable in all of his affairs, whether defending the rights of orphans or preserving the honor of widows or fighting for those in distress. He was not intimidated when outnumbered in battle, nor did he turn away from his duties in protecting and defending the truth and freedom.

W. Wali \- The Arabic word, "wali" (plural is owliya)is a bit difficult to bring into English without some explanation. For this reason I decided to leave it in Arabic and offer from my humble understanding one of the most important aspects of the character and personality of the prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. Some say the word means; "protectors" and others have said "darlings" or "those in whom you put full trust and confide everything" like the Catholics might do with their priests. While still others simply offered the word "friends." While discussing this subject with one of my beloved teachers, Salim Morgan, he mentioned to me the meaning might be closer to the English word, "ally." This is perhaps, a lot closer in meaning because when a person gives their pledge of allegiance to someone he or she is taking that person as a "wally" and this is called giving "bay'ah" in Arabic. Allah tells us the Quran not to take the Jews and Christians as "owliya" in place of Allah. While we understand the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) are the closest to us in faith, at the same time we are instructed here not to take anyone as our "confessor" or "intimate ally" or "one to whom we give our pledge of allegiance" in place of Allah or His messenger, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. The prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was the living example of the most trustworthy and loyal of all human beings who ever lived on this earth. Anything mentioned to him in confidence would never be divulged nor shared with others. And when he was put in place of authority or "wali" over the people, they found him to be the best of those to be trusted.

X. "X" \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, could neither read nor write, not even his own name. In today's world he would have to use an "X" to "sign" a document. He used a signet ring worn on the little finger of his right hand to seal any documents or letters sent to the leaders of other lands.

Y. Yielding \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, would yield his own desires and forego his own ideas in favor of whatever Allah directed him to do. While considering opinions from his followers, he often accepted their ideas over his own, preferring to yield in favor of others as much as possible.

Z. Zealous \- Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was the most zealous of all the prophets of Allah, in carrying out his mission of "Peace through the submission to the Will of God." He truly was the most enthusiastic in regard to delivering the message with which he had been entrusted by Allah; the message of "Laa elaha illa-allah, Muhammadar-Rasoolulah" (There is none worthy of worship, except Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah).

Alief. "AJEEB" (AMAZING) - We couldn't resist the chance for one more letter - even if it is the first letter of the Arabic alphabet ("|" alief).  
Muhammad was truly amazing in every respect. He delivered a message of a complete and total way of life, encompassing everything from the time a person wakes up until time to sleep and from the cradle to the grave. And if someone were to follow this Way of Life ("deen" in Arabic), they would achieve the greatest success here in this life and the greatest success in the Next Life as well.

Conclusion

Before concluding our review of Muhammad, A to Z, it must be mentioned, that although Muhammad is deeply loved, revered and emulated by Muslims as God's final 83 messenger, he is NOT the object of worship for Muslims.

Now it is up to you. You are a rational thinking, concerned human being. As such, you should already be asking yourself:

Could these extraordinary, revolutionary and amazing statements, all about this one man, really be true? What if this is true?

You have read what famous writers, thinkers, poets, philosophers, clergy and humanitarians have said about Muhammad. You have seen the recordings of those who knew him and knew of him and what others have said, about Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.

So, the question now is, "What do you say about Muhammad?"

You be the judge. www.guideus.tv BY YUSUF ESTEZ

What do Muslims think of Jesus?

There are many questions that come to mind when the name Jesus is mentioned. Some people say he was a prophet, others call him a god, while others say he was a very wise man. But whatever your idea is, one thing remains certain: he was not your ordinary man. So if there is something special about him, why all the confusion?

Just who was Jesus anyway?

His Origin

Jesus lived about 2,000 years ago in ancient Palestine when the Roman Empire was at its zenith. He was not conceived in the usual way, but was implanted in the womb of a young woman named Mary. God simply commanded, "Be" and he was. In this sense, he was "a word" of God and a special sign for humanity. In fact, he was the last in a long line of religious guides sent to the Jews.

Mary, The Blessed

Mary was a righteous woman. Her mother dedicated her to God's service even before she was born. As a child, she lived a life marked by health and righteousness, which others pointed to in admiration. She was raised by the wise Zechariah, who instilled in her, a beautiful sense of faith in God. When she had become a young woman, Mary sought to purify herself further before her Lord. Knowing that the hustle of life in the towns was distracting, she withdrew from her people to a sanctuary in the East. There she could meditate in seclusion and peace. Suddenly, on a day that seemed no different from the rest, an angel of God visited her, disguised in the likeness of a human. Afraid of so strange a sight, Mary prayed for protection, but the strange being reassured her and declared that he was a messenger from the Lord to announce the glad-tidings of a faultless son. Mary, astounded, asked how this was possible seeing that no man had ever touched 84 her. But the angel replied, "Your Lord says, it is easy for Me...". But when she felt the little child within her, she fled her sanctuary out of fear of what her family would do or say when they heard the news. Mary, however, was not to face hardship. When in her despair she cried out to God for oblivion, a voice soothed her and she found shade and a cool spring. Under a date-palm in the warmth of late summer, she made her dwelling and there bore the child unlike any other in human history.

Shortly thereafter, Mary returned to her community carrying the child who was to be called Messiah, Jesus, and son of Mary. When her people saw her with the baby in her arms they couldn't believe their eyes, let alone accept her word. They refused to believe when she told of an angel who came and told her she was chosen above all other women to carry this burden. They accused her of infidelity and implied that she had ruined the family name. Mary, being overwhelmed, simply motioned towards the child meekly.

The Miracles

Now the child was the product of a miracle and consequently, miraculous things began to happen. In defense of his mother and of the truth, the infant Jesus spoke saying, "I am a servant of God. He has given me Scripture and has made me a Prophet. He has blessed me wherever I may be and has made prayer and charity my duty as long as I live." This put the detractors to rest.

Throughout his youth, Jesus remained dutiful to his mother and developed quickly in intelligence, wisdom, and piety. He dumfounded the learned and was greatly admired by those around him who appreciated his talents. He claimed to be a sign of God and a Messenger to the Israelites.

His people had strayed from the spirit of truth and placed their trust in legalism, thereby burying their sense of mercy beneath dusty scrolls and rituals. Finally, when he came of age, Jesus began to travel and preach throughout the land of Palestine about a return to the truth of the old revelations and a rejection of all that man had added. In his task he was supported by the spirit of truth, the angel Gabriel.

The Gospel, His Message

He taught that love and mercy overcome hate and anger and that only a true and sincere faith in the Creator and obedience to His will can bring a person salvation in this life as well as in the next. To reinforce his message, which was called "Injeel" (Good News), God granted him the performance of miracles. He healed the sick, uplifted the distressed and revived the dead. All these things he did with the permission of God, never taking credit for them himself.

He led a simple and pious life. Soon he attracted an inner-circle of devoted followers who listened to his teachings with fervor and humility. These disciples, among them Peter, Barnabas, and John helped him carry the message of Divine Love to the people. They helped him in his mission.

85 A Test Of Wills

But no righteous man of God is without trial and tribulation. As the message of Jesus began to gain wider acceptance, a small clique of hypocrites and evil men began to plot against him. They were the priests and leaders of the Jews whose position and wealth depended upon their place as the sole interpreters of religion to the masses. They pursued him and his followers and eventually captured him. Though they abused him, he never renounced his faith in the one God. So in their anger they plotted to crucify him on a Roman cross. But Jesus slipped from their grip at the last moment, and all the while they thought they had succeeded. They were sure they had killed him but God answered Jesus' prayer and saved him from their schemes. Confusion overtook the mob and they might have killed the man who betrayed Jesus instead. In any case, Jesus escaped from their grasp. Then God removed Jesus from this world into another dimension, to a place with Him, not to return until a later time.

With their teacher gone, the devoted followers of Jesus tried to maintain the purity and simplicity of his teachings. But they were soon besieged and overtaken by a flood of Roman and Greek influences, which eventually so buried and distorted the message of Jesus that only a little of its truth now remains. Strange doctrines of Jesus being a man-god, of God dying, of saint worship and of God being made up of different parts came into vogue and were accepted by many of those who took the name "Christians" centuries after Jesus.

Conclusion

The only records that have come down to us concerning Jesus are some sketchy biographical material, poorly researched and compiled, which can in no way be representative of the full and accurate Message of Jesus, the Son of Mary. The time of the final and incorruptible Message was not yet at hand. It would be left to the last prophet of God, Muhammad (peace be upon him), to clarify the truth from man's additions and deletions.

Jesus taught the same eternal message that was taught by all the Messengers of God, from Adam, on through Noah, Abraham, Moses and ending with the mission of God's last Guidepost to humanity, Muhammad (peace be on them all), whose coming was foretold by Jesus himself.

Every nation and every people, from the Aztecs to the Greeks, have received a Prophet or a Messenger from God. Jesus was the last of a series of Messengers sent to the Israelites, but they consistently strayed from the path of surrender to God. Each of the many Messengers spoke a different language and followed varied customs. Yet the core faith taught by each was the same: surrender your imperfect and fickle will to the perfect will of the Power that is greater than you. You will then find the peace and freedom that only the Creator of all things can provide. Then you must do what is right and good to your fellow creatures. This way of life is called Islam (surrender to God and find peace).

By Yahiya Emerick

Muslims respect and venerate Jesus Christ. They consider him to be one of God's greatest

86 messengers to humankind. The Qur'an re-affirms his miraculous birth and his miraculous abilities. Furthermore, his mother Mary is regarded as one of the most pure and exalted women of all creation. As the Qur'an says:

"Behold! the angel said: 'God has chosen you and purified you and has chosen you above the women of all nations. O Mary! God gives you the good news of a word from Him, whose name shall be Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, honored in this world and the hereafter, and one of those brought near to God" (3:42).

Islam regards its teachings to be a re-affirmation and culmination of the teachings of previous monotheistic religions like Judaism and Christianity. Hence, all Muslims believe in Moses and Jesus as Prophets of God. Prophet Muhammad was commanded to recite in the Qur'an:

"Say, we believe in God and that which was revealed unto us, and that which was revealed unto Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob, and the tribes and that which was entrusted unto Moses and Jesus and the Prophets from their Lord We make no distinction between any of them and unto Him we have submitted" (3:84).

A Muslim never refers to him simply as "Jesus", but always adds the phrase "upon him be peace." The Qur'an confirms his virgin birth, and an entire surah (chapter) of the Qur'an is entitled "Mary." The Qur'an describes the Annunciation as follows:

"She said: 'O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me?' He said: 'Even so; God creates what He wills. When He decrees a thing, He says to it, "Be!" and it is.'" (Qur'an 3:42-7)

Jesus was born miraculously through the same power that had brought Adam into being without a father: "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." (Qur'an 3:59)

During his prophetic mission, Jesus performed many miracles. The Qur'an tells us that he said: "I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I make for you out of clay, as it were, a figure of a bird, and breathe into it and it becomes a bird by God's leave. And I heal the blind, and the lepers, and I raise the dead by God's leave." (Qur'an 3:49)

Neither Muhammad nor Jesus came to change the basic doctrine of the belief in One God, brought by earlier prophets, but to confirm and renew it. In the Qur'an, Jesus is reported as saying that he came: "To attest the law which was before me. And to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden to you; I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, so fear God and obey me." (Qur'an 3:50)

Source: islamicity.com/JesusInIslam/Jesus.htm

87

ISA"Jesus", the prophet of Islam

  *  Introduction

  *  MARYAM, THEMOTHER OF ^ISA(Jesus)

  *  THE BIRTH OF ^ISA(Jesus)

  *  EARLY LIFE OF PROPHET ^ISA(Jesus)

  *  THEREVELATION OF PROPHETHOOD

  *  THE INJIL(BIBLE)

  *  THEASCENSION OF PROPHET ^ISA(Jesus)

  *  PROPHET ^ISA'S(Jesus) DESCENT TO EARTH

  *  CONCLUSION

Introduction

Allah sent many messengers to the humans as a mercy from Him. Allah sent them all to teach the people what is the correct and acceptable worship of Allah\--their Creator and the Creator of everything. All the prophets of Allah, the first of whom was Adam and the last of whom is Muhammad, came with one Religion--Islam, one creed--the belief in the Oneness of Allah. They all taught that Allah is attributed with all the perfect attributes and that He does not resemble any of His creations. They taught what Allah ordered us to perform with and refrain from in this life. They taught there is the Judgment Day in which each one of us will be judged as to whether or not we fulfilled our obligations in this life. None of them taught their people what contradicts the belief in the Oneness of Allah. Each one of them ordered their followers to believe in the rest of the prophets. Imam al-Bukhariyy related that Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said:

which means:<< The prophets are like brothers from the same father with different mothers. Their Religion is one although their Shari^ah (rules of the Religion) differed. I am the most deserving of Prophet ^Isa. There was no other prophet between us.>>

Allah revealed Prophet ^Isa (Jesus) as the messenger before Prophet Muhammad. He was one of the five best messengers of Allah, called Ulul-^Azm, those with the highest status, who were the most patient. He was ^Isa, the son of Maryam, the daughter of ^Imran, from the sons of Israel. Prophet ^Isa, as all the prophets, was truthful in what he conveyed from Allah, and although today we follow the Shari^ah of Prophet Muhammad, Muslims respect, love, and believe in ^Isa and in his prophethood.

88 MARYAM, THEMOTHER OF ^ISA(Jesus)

Maryam (Mary), the mother of ^Isa, was a pious Muslim woman from the offspring of Israel during the time of Prophet Zakariyya. Prophet Zakariyya was a prophet of Allah revealed to convey to the people to follow the Shari^ah revealed to Prophet Musa. In the Qur'an there is a chapter named Maryam referring to Maryam (Mary), the mother of ^Isa. This chapter talks about Maryam: her birth, her story, and the birth of Prophet ^Isa, and other things.

Maryam's mother conceived and delivered Maryam when she was an old woman, at an age when women usually can no longer have babies. One day Maryam's mother saw a bird feeding its young and she longed for a baby herself. She made a supplication to Allah to bless her with a child and vowed that she would make him a servant for the Holy House in Jerusalem, dedicated for worship, because she thought the child would be male. Allah answered her supplication and Maryam's mother conceived and delivered a baby girl. She named her "Maryam" and asked Allah to protect her and her offspring from evil.

Since Maryam's father had died, Prophet Zakariyya (who was the husband of Maryam's sister) became Maryam's guardian. From him, Maryam learned the Religion. She grew up as a righteous, pure, and pious Muslim woman worshipping Allah and endeavoring greatly in performing obedience to Him. Before she turned fourteen (14) years old, Maryam was a waliyyah (a very pious woman with a special status). She became the best of the women in the world. It is mentioned in the Qur'an that the angels said Allah chose Maryam and preferred her to the other women of the world. (Al ^Imran, 42-43).

THE BIRTH OF ^ISA(Jesus)

Ibn Jarir and others narrated that one day Maryam ran out of water. She asked her cousin, Yusuf, the son of Ya^qub to go with her to get some. He declined, saying he had his sufficiency for that day, so Maryam went to fetch water alone. There, she found Jibril, whom Allah had sent to her in the shape of a man. Thinking he was a human who might harm her, she asked refuge with Allah from him. Jibril told her, "I am the Messenger of your Lord to you. I was sent to give you a pious child who is pure from sins." Maryam told him, "How would I have a son? I have no husband, and I am not an adulterer or a fornicator." Jibril told her, "Creating a son without a father is an easy matter to Allah. Allah will make him a sign for the people and an indication of the Power of Allah. He will send him as a mercy from Him and an endowment to the one who follows him and believes in him. Creating him is a matter Allah willed and destined, so it will not be blocked or changed."   
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Jibril blew the soul of ^Isa into Maryam and ^Isa's soul entered into her womb. Maryam became pregnant with ^Isa, peace be upon him. There is a difference of opinion as to the term of her pregnancy, some said nine months, some said eight, and some said other than that. However, when the signs of pregnancy became apparent on her, her cousin, Yusuf the Carpenter, was disturbed and did not know how to interpret that matter. If he wanted to accuse her he would remember how pious she was. If he wanted to declare her innocence, he would see the signs of pregnancy. So he decided to open the subject with her. He asked her, "Tell me, would plants grow without seeds? Would trees grow without rainfall? Would there be a child without a male?" To all these questions Maryam said "Yes." Then she asked him, "Did you not know Allah made the plants emerge without seeds the day He created them? Did you not know Allah created the trees the first time without rain? Did you not know Allah created Adamand Hawwa' (Eve) without a father or a mother?" Yusuf knew all these things and when she responded in this way, he felt assured of her innocence and that this was something special given to her by Allah.

When the signs of her pregnancy became apparent, Maryam went away from her people. The pangs of birth led her to the trunk of a dead palm tree. Out of her shyness from the people, and fearing they would accuse her of having done something ugly, she wished she was dead and not a trace of her could be found. Jibril called to her, comforting her. He told her Allah made a small river run under her from which she could drink, and should she shake the trunk of the dead palm tree next to her, it would turn green and moist dates would fall down from which she could eat and be nourished. Jibril told her when she faces her people with her son to tell anyone who questions her about him that she had made a vow not to talk to any human for that day. That day, Maryam gave birth to her son, ^Isa, peace be upon him. Forty (40) days later she carried him back to her people. They accused her of having fornicated. In response, Maryam pointed to her son, meaning to tell them to talk to him. They were angered at this and thought she was mocking them by asking them to speak with a 40-day old baby lying in a small cradle. At this, Allah made ^Isa speak. He said:

which are verses 30-33 of Surat Maryam and mean: [I am a slave of Allah. He will reveal the Book to me and make me a prophet. He blessed me wherever I am. In the rules revealed to me there will be a special attention given to Prayers and Zakat. Allah predestined that I will be kind to my mother and not a tyrant with a bad ending. Peace was on me the day I was born. Peace will be on me on the day I will die and on the day I am raised alive again.]

When Maryam's people heard that, they refrained from harming her or Prophet Zakariyya, about whom they had made ugly accusations. After Baby ^Isaspoke these words, he did not speak again 90

until he became at an age when children normally begin to speak. ^Isa's speaking from the cradle was a preparation and a sign of his creed and coming prophethood, when he would call the people to believe in Allah, the One Who does not have a partner and to believe in the message of ^Isa\--that he was the slave and messenger of Allah. The first words he spoke were, "I am a slave of Allah."

EARLY LIFE OF PROPHET ^ISA(Jesus)

Lady Maryam took ^Isato Egypt where they stayed for a period of time. Then they returned to the countries of ash-Sham\--to a city known as an-Nasirah. ^Isa, peace be upon him, studied the Torah in the schools and memorized it. He spoke Syriac, the language of the people of Palestine at that time, and the language in which the Heavenly Book, called the Injil, was revealed to him. He was a pious worshipper of Allah, following the rules of the Torah revealed to Prophet Musa.

THE REVELATION OF PROPHETHOOD

Allah sent the Revelation of Prophethood to ^Isa when he was thirty years old. Allah revealed to him new laws which abrogated some of the laws revealed to Prophet Musa. Prophet ^Isaconveyed the revelation to the people and called them to believe in his message.

Prophet ^Isa, like all the prophets of Allah, performed miracles. Allah sent all the prophets with miracles as a proof to their prophethood, so the people would witness, know about them, and believe in their prophethood. Many of Prophet ^Isa's miracles were in curing illnesses, to be a stronger proof of his truthfulness, since the people at his time were famous for being knowledgeable in the field of medicine. Prophet ^Isa cured those with seemingly incurable illnesses. Prophet ^Isa cured a man inflicted with leprosy. He put his honorable hand on the face of a man who was born blind and cured his sight. Once Prophet ^Isa supplicated to Allah to bring back to life one person who had died and was being carried to the burial place, and Allah brought this person back to life.

Prophet ^Isa had other kinds of miracles also. He formed the shape of bats from clay and then they would fly away a distance. One of the miracles of ^Isa is mentioned in the Qur'an in Surat al-Ma'idah, Verses 112-114, which tells about one time when Prophet ^Isaand the people who were with him reached to a place where there was not enough food for all the people with him. The students of ^Isaasked him to supplicate Allah for food which would come down on them from the sky. ^Isa made supplication to Allah and the angels brought down the food on a piece of material before the eyes of the people. Hundreds and hundreds of people ate from that food, and there was no sign the food had diminished in quantity. This miracle increased the belief of the believers. The 91 blasphemers however, claimed ^Isahad performer sorcery on their eyes.

After his revelation, Prophet ^Isalived on earth for about three years. He used to travel from place to place calling people to the proper worship of Allah. He was so detached from the worldly matters that he did not worry that he did not have a house to return to at night. He used to sleep wherever the night would fall on him, whether he was in an open land or in a sheltered place. He wore clothing made out of unwoven wool. He ate from the raw plants of the earth, without desiring to cook them. He did not marry or have children.

THE INJIL(BIBLE)

^Isareceived a Heavenly Book, the Injil, which contained the Shari^ah, (rules of the Religion) revealed to him. In it was the prohibition of associating partners with Allah. In it was the prohibition to consume the usurious gain (riba), pig meat, blood, and the meat of animals not slaughtered properly. It contained the order to perform the Prayer (with bowing and prostration) twice a day. It had the order to fast (but other than the month of Ramadan), and the order to perform taharah. Prophet ^Isa came with a Shari^ah that contained making permissible some of the things which had been forbidden upon the children of Israel in the Torah. Although what is called "The Bible" today contains some true stories of Prophet ^Isa, it does not contain the true Injil which was revealed to him.

THE ASCENSION OF PROPHET ^ISA(Jesus)

When Prophet ^Isawas 33 years old, the blasphemers among the offspring of Israel plotted to kill him, but Allah saved him from their harm. Ibn AbiHatim and an-Nasa'iyy narrated from the route of Ibn ^Abbas that he said:

Prophet ^Isawas in session with twelve of his elite companions in a house. He told them that among them would be who would blaspheme in the future. Then he asked them, "Who among you would want to be made to look like me, be killed in my place, and be my companion in Paradise." The youngest among them stood up and said, "Me." Prophet ^Isatold him to sit, then repeated his same question. Again, the same young man said, "Me." Again, Prophet ^Isa told him to sit, then again asked the same question. After the same young man volunteered for the third time, Prophet ^Isa received the Revelation that this young man would be the one who would be made to look like him and killed instead of him. Prophet ^Isa was raised to the sky from an opening in the ceiling of the house. When the Jews came after Prophet ^Isa, they saw that young man, whom Allah made to look like ^Isa. They took him, thinking he was Prophet ^Isa, and crucified him.

It should be noted here there are two widespread false stories about this matter. In one, it is claimed that one of ^Isa's students was paid a great sum of money to lead those Jews to

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^Isahowever Allah made him look like ^Isa, so they though he was ^Isa and they crucified him. In another, it is said that the person killed in place of ^Isa was the leader of the Jews. Both of these stories are false.

After Prophet ^Isawas raised to the sky, his nation lived following his guidance, teaching, and methodology for two hundred (200) years. However, the nation of Prophet ^Isadid not remain steadfast to Islam. Three hundred (300) years after Prophet ^Isa was raised to the sky, those who were following the ones who had perverted the teachings of Prophet ^Isabecame very numerous, and those who were truly following the Religion of Islam were few and weak. After some five hundred (500) years, none of the believing Muslims of ^Isa's nation were left. When Prophet Muhammad was revealed, he was the only Muslim worshipping only Allah from among the people of the earth.

PROPHET ^ISA'S(Jesus) DESCENT TO EARTH

Prophet ^Isa, peace be upon him, is still alive--in the second sky--worshipping Allah. He will descend to earth before the Day of Judgment and his descent will be one of the great signs of the nearing of that Day. Prophet Muhammad informed us ^Isawill descend to earth at a place on the eastern side of Damascus, with his hands on the wings of two angels. He will meet a group of Muslims getting ready to perform the Prayer, with the Mahdiyy as their Imam. The Mahdiyy will ask Prophet ^Isato lead them in that prayer, however, ^Isa will ask the Mahdiyy to stand imam for them--as a sign that Prophet ^Isawill rule with the rules revealed to Prophet Muhammad. After this one time, ^Isawill lead the people in prayers because he has a higher status than the Mahdiyy.

After he descends, Prophet ^Isawill rule the earth with the Shari^ah of Prophet Muhammad, the Shari^ah Muslims are ordered to follow until the Judgment Day. He will break the cross, kill the pig, and abolish the jizyah (compulsory payment by the People of the Book to the Muslim state), because in the rules of Prophet Muhammad the jizyah is only applicable until the descent of ^Isa. He will kill the Dajjal, an ugly, evil blasphemer who claims himself as God, and who misleads many people to blaspheme. Prophet ^Isawill perform Hajj and travel to visit the grave of the Prophet to salute him, and to greet him by saying, "As-salamu ^alaykum ya rasulAllah", as narrated by Abu Dawud at-Tayalisiyy and others.

During his time, the people of Ya'juj and Ma'juj will appear and cause great destruction to the earth and devastation to the Muslims. Prophet ^Isawill take the believers to Mount at-Tur to supplicate Allah there to relieve them from these people. Allah will answer their du^a' and destroy all the people of Ya'juj and Ma'juj. After that, Prophet ^Isawill rule the Muslims and there will be a time

93 when peace, comfort, and safety will prevail. Prophet ^Isawill live for forty (40) years on earth after he descends. He will marry and have children. Then, he will die and be buried. ^Adullah Ibn Salam said, "It is written in the original Torah that Prophet ^Isawill be buried next to Prophet Muhammad" (in the chamber of Lady ^A'ishah.)

CONCLUSION

Prophet ^Isawas a messenger of Allah revealed to convey to the people the religion of Islam and to call them to worship Allah, their Creator. Muslims believe in his prophethood and in his truthfulness in conveying that message. Prophet ^Isa is alive now, living in the second heaven, worshipping Allah. He will return to earth before the Day of Judgment and will rule the world. Peace be upon this respected, honored and beloved Messenger of Allah.

Praise be to Allah,and Allah knows best.

Verse #33 of SuratMaryam means:

[Peace was on me the day I was born. Peace will be on me on the day I will die and on the day I am raised alive again.]

Jesus existed according to historians

The question of the existence of Jesus as a historical figure is distinct from the study of the historical Jesus which goes beyond the analysis of his historicity and attempts to reconstruct portraits of his life and teachings, based on methods such as biblical criticism of gospel texts and the history of first century Judea.

Virtually all modern scholars of antiquity agree that Jesus existed, and most biblical scholars and classical historians see the theories of his non-existence as effectively refuted. In antiquity, the existence of Jesus was never denied by those who opposed Christianity. Robert E. Van Voorst states that the idea of the non-historicity of the existence of Jesus has always been controversial, and has consistently failed to convince virtually all scholars of many disciplines. There is, however, widespread disagreement among scholars on the details of the life of Jesus mentioned in the gospel narratives, and the agreement on his existence does not include agreement on his divinity.

Although a very small number of modern scholars argue that Jesus never existed, that view is a distinct minority and virtually all scholars consider theories that Jesus' existence was a Christian 94 invention as implausible. Christopher Tuckett states that the existence of Jesus and his crucifixion by Pontius Pilate seem to be part of the bedrock of historical tradition, based on the availability of non-Christian evidence. Graham Stanton states that "Today nearly all historians, whether Christians or not, accept that Jesus existed".

A number of ancient non-Christian documents, such as Jewish and Greco-Roman sources, have been used in historical analyses of the existence of Jesus. These include the works of 1st century Roman historians Josephus and Tacitus. Josephus scholar Louis H. Feldman has stated that "few have doubted the genuineness" of Josephus' reference to Jesus in  Antiquities 20, 9, 1 and it is only disputed by a small number of scholars. Bart D. Ehrman states that the existence of Jesus and his crucifixion by the Romans is attested to by a wide range of sources, including Josephus and Tacitus.

The Mishnah (c. 200)  may refer to Jesus and reflect the early Jewish traditions of portraying Jesus as a sorcerer or magician. Other possible references to Jesus and his execution may exist in the Talmud, but they also aim to discredit his actions, not deny his existence.

Scholars generally agree that Jesus was a Galilean Jew who was born between 7 and 2 BC and died 30–36 AD. However, in a review of the state of modern scholarship, Amy-Jill Levine stated: "Beyond recognizing that 'Jesus was Jewish' rarely does scholarship address what being 'Jewish' means."

Most scholars hold that Jesus lived in Galilee and Judea. The Talmud refers to "Jesus the Nazarene" several times and scholars such as Andreas Kostenberger and Robert Van Voorst hold that some of these references are to Jesus. Nazareth is not mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and the Christian gospels portray it as an insignificant village,  John 1:46/John#1:46) asking "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Craig S. Keener states that it is rarely disputed that Jesus was from Nazareth, an obscure small village not worthy of invention. Gerd Theissen concurs with that conclusion.

The languages spoken in Galilee and Judea during the first century include the Semitic Aramaic and Hebrew languages as well as Greek, with Aramaic being the predominant language. Most scholars agree that during the early part of the first century, Aramaic was the mother tongue of virtually all women in Galilee and Judea. Most scholars support the theory that Jesus spoke Aramaic and that he may have also spoken Hebrew and Greek.

Most scholars reject that there is any evidence that an adult Jesus traveled or studied outside Galilee and Judea. Robert Van Voorst states that modern scholarship has "almost unanimously agreed" that claims of the travels of Jesus to Tibet, Kashmir or India contain "nothing of value".[

A page from a 1466 copy of Antiquities of the Jews

The writings of the 1st century Romano-Jewish historian Flavius Josephus include references to 95 Jesus and the origins of Christianity. Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews, written around 93–94 AD, includes two references to Jesus in Books  18 and  20.

Of the two passages the James passage in Book 20 is used by scholars to support the existence of Jesus, the Testimonium Flavianum in Book 18 his crucifixion. Josephus' James passage not only attests to the existence of Jesus as a historical person but that some of his contemporaries considered him the Messiah.

The passage deals with the death of "James the brother of Jesus" in Jerusalem, and given that works of Josephus refer to at least twenty different people with the name Jesus), Josephus clarifies that this Jesus was the one "who was called Christ". Louis Feldman states that this passage, above others, indicates that Josephus did say something about Jesus.

Modern scholarship has almost universally acknowledged the authenticity of the reference in  Book 20, Chapter 9, 1 of the Antiquities to "the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James" and considers it as having the highest level of authenticity among the references of Josephus to Christianity.

The Testimonium Flavianum (meaning the testimony of Flavius Josephus]) is the name given to the passage found in [ Book 18, Chapter 3, 3 of the Antiquities in which Josephus describes the condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus at the hands of the Roman authorities. Scholars have differing opinions on the total or partial authenticity of the reference in  Book 18, Chapter 3, 3 of the Antiquities to the execution of Jesus by Pontius Pilate, a passage usually called the Testimonium Flavianum. The general scholarly view is that while the Testimonium Flavianum is most likely not authentic in its entirety, it is broadly agreed upon that it originally consisted of an authentic nucleus with a reference to the execution of Jesus by Pilate which was then subject to Christian interpolation. Although the exact nature and extent of the Christian redaction remains unclear there is broad consensus as to what the original text of the Testimonium by Josephus would have looked like.

The references found in Antiquities have no parallel texts in the other work by Josephus such as the Jewish War, written 20 years earlier, but some scholars have provided explanations for their absence, e.g. that the Antiquities covers a longer time period and that during the 20 year gap between the writing of the Jewish Wars (c. 70 AD) and Antiquities (after 90 AD) Christians had become more important in Rome and were hence given attention in the Antiquities.

A number of variations exist between the statements by Josephus regarding the deaths of James and the New Testament accounts. Scholars generally view these variations as indications that the Josephus passages are not interpolations, for a Christian interpolator would have made them correspond to the Christian traditions, not differ from them.

Muhammad existed according to evidences:

96 The main source on Muhammad's life are Muslim sources written in Arabic, which include the Qur'an and accounts of Muhammad's life written down by later Muslims, based on oral traditions. These sources are known as sīra and hadith.

There are also non-Muslim sources written in Greek, Syriac, Armenian, and Hebrew by the Jewish and Christian communities. These non-Muslim written sources go back to about 636 AD and many of the interesting ones date to within some decades later. One, attributed to a 7th-century Armenian scholar Sebeos, states that Muhammad was a merchant and that his preaching revolved around the figure of Abraham. There are also confirmations of Muhammad's migration) from Mecca to Medina in them. However, they also contain some essential differences with regard to Muslim sources and in particular about chronology and about Muhammad's attitude towards the Jews and Palestine.

.

It is notoriously difficult to know anything for sure about the founder of a world religion. Just as one shrine after the other obliterates the contours of the localities in which he was active, so one doctrine after another reshapes him as a figure for veneration and imitation for a vast number of people in times and places that he never knew.

In the case of Mohammed, Muslim literary sources for his life only begin around 750-800 CE (common era), some four to five generations after his death, and few Islamicists (specialists in the history and study of Islam) these days assume them to be straightforward historical accounts. For all that, we probably know more about Mohammed than we do about Jesus (let alone Moses or the Buddha), and we certainly have the potential to know a great deal more.

There is no doubt that Mohammed existed, occasional attempts to deny it notwithstanding. His neighbours in Byzantine Syria got to hear of him within two years of his death at the latest; a Greek text written during the Arab invasion of Syria between 632 and 634 mentions that "a false prophet has appeared among the Saracens" and dismisses him as an impostor on the ground that prophets do not come "with sword and chariot". It thus conveys the impression that he was actually leading the invasions.

Mohammed's death is normally placed in 632, but the possibility that it should be placed two or three years later cannot be completely excluded. The Muslim calendar was instituted after Mohammed's death, with a starting-point of his emigration (hijra) to Medina (then Yathrib) ten years earlier. Some Muslims, however, seem to have correlated this point of origin with the year which came to span 624-5 in the Gregorian calendar rather than the canonical year of 622.

If such a revised date is accurate, the evidence of the Greek text would mean that Mohammed is the founder of a world religion who is attested in a contemporary source. But in any case, this source gives us pretty irrefutable evidence that he was an historical figure. Moreover, an Armenian document probably written shortly after 661 identifies him by name and gives a recognizable account of his monotheist preaching.

97 Muhammad & science:

"If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; but if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place." The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; but if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place."

(Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Also, he (peace be upon him) said: "He who runs away from the place of plague is like the one running away from fighting in the cause of Allah; and he who is patient and stays where he is, he will be rewarded with the reward of a martyr." (Reported by Ahmad.)

The Scientific Fact:

Modern science now understands the ways in which microorganisms multiply and the diseases they cause. Scientists affirm that healthy people who have no symptoms in the place of plague are already carrying the microbe and so they represent a real threat because they may transfer the plague to another place if they move to it.

Thus, this system of quarantine, in which all the people of the city that suffers from plague are prevented from leaving, and visitors are also prevented from entering, has now been established worldwide. In the 15th century, plague hit Europe causing the death of a quarter of its citizens. At that time, plagues and contagious diseases were much less in the Muslim world.

Facets of Scientific Inimitability:

At the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) as well as before and after his time until Pasteur managed to discover the existence of microbes, people used to think that diseases were caused by devils, demons, and stars. That is they were not related to cleanliness or certain behaviors; thus, they resorted to sorcery and magic as a remedy.  
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In such an environment, the Prophet (peace be upon him) established the system of quarantine which is considered the basis of modern preventative medicine after the discovery of the microbes that cause diseases and plagues. The Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered his Companions: "If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; but if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place." In order to make sure that his order would be carried out properly, he (peace be upon him) established a wall around the area of the plague and promised those who are patient and stay in the area of the plague with the reward of the martyrs, and those who run away from it were promised doom and perdition. Thus, he (peace be upon him) said: "He who runs away from the place of the plague is like the one running away from fighting in the cause of Allah and he who forbears it and stays where he is, he will be rewarded with the reward of a martyr."

If a healthy person was asked two hundred years ago to stay with the sick people in a plague area, he would have considered this some kind of nonsense and in response to his desire to live he would have run away to another place. Only Muslims did not run away and leave at the time of plague in compliance with the order of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Non-Muslims mocked them for this act until it was later discovered that those who appear to be healthy with no symptoms, are the germ carriers who might transfer the plague to another place if they moved to it. They would move freely and mingle with healthy people, so they might cause them to catch the disease.

Who told the Prophet (peace be upon him) this fact? Could a human being know something like this fourteen centuries ago, or is it revelation from the All-Knowing, the Almighty Allah. Allah, the Almighty, says:

[And say, O Muhammad, to these polytheists and pagans, 'All the praises and thanks be to Allah. He will show you His signs and you shall recognize them. And your Lord is not unaware of what you do.'] (An-Naml: 93)

99 Sunnah & Science

By: admin

Abu Mas'ud (A.S.) narrated that Allah's Messenger said:

"The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of someone's death but they are two signs amongst the signs of Allah. Whenever you see these eclipses invoke Allah, pray, exclaim, (Allah is Most Great) and give charity."

'A'ishah (A.S.) narrated that, "There was a solar eclipse during the life-time of Allah's Messenger (PBUH). The Prophet (PBUH) led the people in prayer, and stood up and performed a lengthy recital during the prayer. Then bowed for a long while (made a long Ruku). He stood up again and performed another long recital of the Qur'an, but this time the period of standing (Qiyam) was shorter than the first one. He bowed again for a long time but shorter than the first one (Ruku), then he prostrated and prolonged the prostration. He did the same in the second Rak'ah as he did in the first and then finished the prayer. By then the sun (eclipse) had cleared. He delivered the Khutbah (sermon) and after praising and glorifying Allah, he said:

"The sun and the moon are two signs from amongst Allah's signs and they do not eclipse because of the death or life of anyone. Therefore, whenever you see an eclipse, remember Allah and say Takbir (exclaim, Allah is Most Great), pray and give Sadaqah (charity)."

Explanation of the Hadith

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, which causes a total or partial solar eclipse. A total eclipse takes place in a limited zone on that part of the earth directly facing the sun, at which the sunlight dims to resemble bright moonlight within a few minutes. To the north and south of this band or zone, a partial eclipse takes place. The part of the sun , which eclipses keep getting smaller as we get away from the total eclipse band towards the direction of the two poles .

100 The Prophet (PBUH) says in this Hadith:

"The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of the death or life (i.e. the birth) of someone but they are two signs amongst the signs of Allah."

This means that they are two cosmic phenomena, which frequently occur, regardless of the death or life (i.e. birth) of anyone, contrary to what some people used to claim in the Arab Peninsula and other parts of the world. They used to relate the occurrence of these cosmic phenomena to the birth or death of a great person. The Prophet (PBUH) in this Hadith totally denies all of these superstitions, and assures that they are cosmic phenomena, which recur frequently.

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Islam deals with ECLIPSE as cosmic phenomena

Science has proven that the moon is followed by a conical shadow, called the umbra, as it blocks the sunrays. In its movement around the earth, the moon's conical shadow passes along with it. At the time of conjunction, which occurs once every lunar month, the moon 101 falls exactly in the middle between the sun and the earth, thus blocking its light totally or partially. Nevertheless, in most of the lunar months, the moon's shadow does not reach the earth, while passing between it and the sun and in such case the sunlight is not blocked. Hence, no eclipse takes place. That is why total solar eclipses are very rare. Sometimes during a solar eclipse the moon falls in the middle between the earth and the sun, and the visible sun narrows to a thin crescent, and the corona appears. At the moment before totality, brilliant points of light, called Baily's beads, flash out.

When the total eclipse takes place, the sky becomes completely dark and the stars become visible in the middle of the day. So in a few minutes, broad daylight turns into what looks like the night, which causes a feeling of panic and depression, not only for human beings, but for all creatures. Birds shelter in their nests, and animals hide in their dens, or get into a state of cautious stillness.

As for the lunar eclipse, it takes place when the earth, being between the sun and the moon, casts a long, conical shadow, called the umbra, with an area of partial shadow called the penumbra around it. This is a phenomenon, which can be observed from all parts of the earth. In most months, the moon passes above or under the umbra, the conical shadow of the earth, and does not enter it. Thus, the lunar eclipse does not take place. During the solar eclipse, the solar energy that reaches the earth decreases and hence the temperature of the earth drops. However, during the lunar eclipse, the solar energy, which reaches the earth increases, causing the temperature of the earth to relatively increase for a few minutes. Since these phenomena are very accurately calculated, the earth is exposed to extreme dangers that only Allah knows how grave they are. That is why the Prophet (PBUH) asked Muslims to invoke Allah, the Almighty, praise Him, exclaim, "Allah is Most Great", and glorify Him. Moreover, the Prophet asked Muslims to pray and pay charity, praying that Allah will protect the earth and its inhabitants from these dangers.

This is the reason why the Prophet (PBUH) said in other narrations of the same Hadith: "Rush to prayer" and in another narration he said:

"These signs sent by Allah do not occur because of the life or death of somebody, but Allah 102 frightens His worshippers with them. So when you see anything thereof, rush to invoke Allah, pray to Him and ask for His forgiveness."

One cannot help wondering how the Prophet (PBUH) could attain such accurate scientific facts, more than fourteen hundred years ago, at a time when people were up to their ears in superstitions and myths. It really is an explicit proof of the Prophet's Divine Message.

Sunnah & Science

By: Dr. Zaghloul El-Naggar

 The Sun: Never Cease nor Disappear

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I bn 'Abbas (R.A.) narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) was asked:

"Where does the sun set, and where does it rise from? The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) answered, "It is going in a (nonstop) regular motion; it does not cease or disappear. It sets in one place and rises in another, and sets in another place and rises elsewhere and so on. So, some people would say the sun has set and others would say it has just risen (at the same moment)."

Explanation of the Hadith

This hadith refers to the fact that there is a continuous alternate sunrise and sunset on earth. This could only take place if the earth is spherical or spheroid, and is, at the same 103 time, continuously rotating round its axis facing the sun. This motion pattern leads to the continuous alternation of day and night on its surface, until life on earth comes to an end, i.e. until the Day of Resurrection.

One of the most prominent phenomena linked to this spherical shape of the earth, is that there are different places of sunrise and sunset for different zones of the globe. Each of the sun, the moon and other celestial bodies, sets somewhere in the globe and rises in another. They are all rotating, regularly, in fixed orbits, which they never leave or depart from. Truly, Allah says:

(...They all float, each in an orbit.) (Surat Ya-Sin: 40).

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) talked about all these cosmic facts in such accurate scientific style at a period of time when people thought that the earth was flat and stationary. This is definitely one of the signs, which testifies to the truthfulness of the message of Muhammad (PBUH). For sure, no one in the Arabian Peninsula at the time of revelation, and for centuries to follow realized the fact that the earth is spherical and that it rotates around its axis facing the sun. Needless to say that at that time, no one was able to perceive the real or the apparent motion of the moon, the sun and other celestial bodies, as Arabia was but a simple and primitive environment.

The Glorious Qur'an refers to the spherical shape of the earth and its axial rotating, and to its revolving in its orbit around the sun. The Qur'an refers to these issues in many verses but in a subtle implicit way which may not astound the Bedouins in the desert of the Arabian Peninsula at the time of revelation, but still keeps the scientific fact in context.

104

Sun does not cease or disappear

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Among these verses are the following:

Allah the Almighty says:

(He has created the heavens and the earth with truth. He makes the night to go in the day and makes the day to go in the night. And He has subjected the sun and the moon. Each running (on a fixed course) for an appointed term. Verily, He is the All-Mighty, the oft-Forgiving.) (Surat Az-Zumar (The Groups):5)

1. The Glorious Qur'an also confirms in more than one verse that the earth is "spread out" without ending at an edge. This could only be possible if the earth is spherical or spheroid, as the spherical shape is the only shape, which could endlessly be spread out or extended. For example, Allah the Almighty says:

(And it is He Who spread out the earth, and placed therein firm mountains and rivers...) (Surat Ar-Ra'd (The Thunder): 3)

105 2. The same fact is also assured when the Qur'an refers to the East and the West in different forms. First in the singular, then in the dual form by indicating that there are "Two Easts and Two Wests", and in the plural form by referring to "Easts and Wests". This also emphasizes the fact that the earth is spherical and that it rotates round its axis while facing the sun. These verses also emphasize the fact that the Earth is tilted on its axis and that it does not orbit the sun in a perfect circle.

3. The fact that the earth is spherical in shape is also emphasized by the verses referring to the alternation of night and day. The Glorious Qur'an indicates how Allah makes the 'Night overlap (Kawwar) the Day and the Day overlap the Night' (Surat Az-Zumar: 5). Among the verses that indicate the spherical shape of the earth is the one referring to the passing away of the mountains in the same way the clouds do:

(And you will see the mountains and think them solid, but they shall pass away as the passing away of the clouds...) (Surat An-Naml (The Ants):88)

All of the above facts mentioned in the Qur'an have urged Muslims, at the time of the Abbasid Caliph al-Ma'mun, to measure the circumference of the earth very accurately. Their motive was the firm belief that the earth is spherical and that it rotates around its axis facing the sun. Moreover, the Muslim scholar and scientist "al-Bayyruni" divided the earth into lines of longitude and latitude, in his book:" Tahdid Nihayat al-Amakin li Tas-hih Masafat al-Masakin," which he wrote in 416 A.H (about 1040 A.C.).

The source of all this knowledge is the illuminating signs that are mentioned in the Qur'an and Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH), and each of them testifies to the truthfulness and the Divine nature of the Message of the last of the Prophets and Messengers. This accurate scientific knowledge could not be obtained except for a Divine Revelation.

Sunnah & Science

106 By: Dr. Zaghloul El-Naggar

 The Moon Cleft Asunder

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Anas ibn Malik (A.S.) narrated that the people of Makkah asked the Prophet (PBUH) to show them a miracle , so he showed them the splitting of the moon , into two distinct parts , that they even saw the mountain of Hira' between them.

Explanation of the Hadith

This incident was narrated by a number of the companions of the Prophet (PBUH), among them were: 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, 'Abdullah ibn Abbas and others. The Indian and Chinese calendars have recorded the incident of the splitting of the moon.

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Artistic impression of moon splitting by Prophet Muhammad (SAAS)

107 A few years ago while I was giving a lecture at the Faculty of Medicine at Cardiff University, in Wales, a Muslim asked me a question about the verses at the beginning of Surat al-Qamar (the moon), about the splitting of the moon, and whether it is considered as one of the scientific signs which are mentioned in the Qur'an and whether there is any scientific evidence discovered to explain this incident.

My answer was that this incident is considered one of the most tangible miracles, which took place to support the Prophet (PBUH) when he was challenged by the polytheists and disbelievers of Quraish, showing them this miracle to prove that he is a Messenger of Allah. Anyway, miracles take place as unusual incidents that break all regular laws of nature. Therefore, conventional science is unable to explain how miracles take place, and if they were not mentioned in the Qur'an and in the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH), we would not have been obliged to believe in them. Therefore, we believe that the incident of the splitting of the moon took place exactly as the words of Allah Glorified be Who says:

﴾ The Hour has drawn near , and the moon has been cleft asunder . And if they see a sign, they turn away, and say: (This is continuous magic). They belied (this Qur'an), and followed their own lusts. And every matter will be settled [according to the kind of deeds (for the doer of good deeds, his deeds will take him to Paradise, and similarly evil deeds will take their doers to Hell)]. And indeed there has come to them news (in this Qur'an) wherein there is (enough warning) to check (them from evil), Perfect wisdom (this Qur'an), but (the preaching of) warners benefit them not. ﴿ (Surat Al-Qamar (The Moon): 1-5)

When I finished my speech, a British man from the audience named Dawud Musa Pidcock, leader of the British Muslim Party, asked to add something to my answer. He said: "It is these verses, at the beginning of surat al-Qamar that made me embrace Islam in the late seventies." This occurred while he was doing extensive research in comparative religion, and one of the Muslims gave him a copy of translation of the meanings of the Qur'an. When he opened this copy for the first 108 time, he came across Surat al-Qamar, and he read the verses at the beginning of the surah, and could not believe that the moon had split into two distinct parts and they were rejoined, so he closed the copy of the translation and kept it aside.

In 1978 Mr. Pidcock was destined by Allah's Will to watch a program about space journeys, in which the well-known British announcer Jamed Burke, received three of the American space scientists. During the debate, the announcer kept criticizing the immoderate spending by NASA (millions of Dollars) on space projects, while there are millions of people on earth suffering from starvation, diseases and ignorance. The answer of the space experts came to assert that it was these journeys that made it feasible to develop important technology applied in medical diagnosis and treatment, industry, agriculture, and many other fields. During this debate, they referred to the first time that a human being landed on the surface of the moon, and how this trip cost more than $100 million dollars. The scientists went on to say that this journey proved a scientific fact, that if they had spent several times as much as they did to convince people with it, no body would have believed them. This fact was that the moon had been split a long time ago and rejoined, and there is a lot of concrete evidence on the surface of the moon to prove this.

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This oblique view of the Moon's surface was photographed by the Apollo 10 astronauts in May of 1969. Center point coordinates are located at 13 degrees, 3 minutes east longitude and 7 degrees, 1 minute north latitude. One of the Apollo 10 astronauts attached a 250mm lens and aimed a handheld 70mm camera at the surface from lunar orbit for a series of pictures in this area.

Mr. Pidcock went on to say : " When I heard this , I jumped off my chair , and said this is a miracle which took place fourteen hundred years ago to support

110 Muhammad , and the Qur'an narrates it in such a detailed way . After this long period and during the age of science and technology, Allah employs people (non-Muslims) who spent all this money for nothing but to prove that this miracle had actually happened. Then, I said to myself, this must be the true religion, and I went back to the translation of the meanings of the Qur'an, reading it eagerly. It was these verses at the opening of surat al-Qamar that lie behind my reversion to Islam."

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(The Hour has drawn near , and the moon has been cleft asunder) 111

(surat Al-Qamar (The Moon): 1-2)

This happens at a time when some Muslims claim that the splitting of the moon has not yet taken place, and that it is one of the signs of the Hereafter as the opening of the surah says: ﴾ The Hour has drawn near. ﴿ They are oblivious to the fact that the Prophet (PBUH) said in a hadith narrated by Imam Muslim , on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa'd that Sahl said : "I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say :

"I and the Last Hour are (close to each other) like this (and he pointed by joining his forefinger, (one) next to the thumb and the middle finger (together)."

Those who deny the incident of the splitting of the moon, use incorrect evidence to support their opinion as they use the verse in surat al-Isra:

﴾And nothing stops Us from sending the evidences (proofs , signs) but that the people of old denied them. ﴿

(Surat Al-Isrâ' (The Journey by Night): 59)

This verse is not used in the right context since many perceptible signs and miracles took place during the noble life of the Prophet (PBUH).

Peace and blessings of Allah be upon the seal of Prophets (PBUH) , for whom Allah made the moon split into two parts , twice , as an honor for him and to raise his rank and support his message (among his people) , and left for us a concrete evidence to prove that this splitting did actually take place .

Sunnah & Science

By: Dr. Zaghloul El-Naggar

### Grave of Muhammad

Muhammad is buried in the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi ("Mosque of the Prophet") in the city of Medina in Saudi Arabia. It should be noted that while non-Muslims regard Muhammad as the founder of Islam, Muslims see him as the final prophet of a pre-existing religion.[1]

Muhammad's grave lies within the confines of what used to be his wife Aisha's and his house. During his lifetime it adjoined the mosque, which was expanded during the reign of Caliph al-Walid I to include his tomb.[2] Muhammad is buried next to the first two caliphs, Abu Bakr and Umar. Umar was gifted a spot next to Muhammad by his wife Aisha, which she had intended for herself.

Muhammad's grave itself cannot be seen as the area is cordoned off by a gold mesh and black curtains. As per Islamic tradition, the grave itself is not embellished or decorated and is two cubits high. The grave is marked by an austere green dome above it, built by the Ottoman Turks, and was earlier white in colour. This dome has become universally emblematic of both Muhammad himself, as well as the city of Medina.

Muhammad's grave is an important reason for the particularly high sanctity of the mosque.

MUHAMMAD'S CHARACTER AND HIGH MORALITY PROVE HIS PROPHETHOOD

Muhammad was the humblest at the zenith of his achievements

If a man's world-admired accomplishments or the wealth and fame he has gained do not change him, if he can remain as humble as he was at the beginning of his career, this shows that person's strength of character, morality and virtue. Despite his unparalleled achievements, which force even his enemies to place him at the top of the greatest men of human history, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was poorer and more humble when he entered Makka victoriously than he was at the beginning of his mission.

Those who saw the Messenger would say: 'One with such a face cannot lie.'

One's face reveals one's inner world and character. Those who saw the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, could not help but admire his appearance and, if they were unprejudiced, acknowledge his truthfulness. For example, 'Adbullah ibn Salam, the most renowned Jewish scholar of the time, believed in him at his first sight of him, saying: 'One with such a face cannot lie.'

If a fire-fly claimed that it is the sun, its lie could last only until the sun rises. Turkish people say that a liar's candle only burns till bedtime, meaning that a lie has only a very short life. So, a deceitful one pretending Prophethood will soon be discovered and no one will accept him as a true Prophet.

113 Muhammad's utmost conviction of his cause, together with his sincerity and solemnity prove his Prophethood

Even an insignificant man of small standing, in a small group in a disputed matter of little importance, cannot tell a small but shameful lie openly and comfortably without displaying such anxiety and uneasiness as will make his enemies aware of his deception. Since the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, challenged everybody to come until the Last Day and uttered many important speeches in a large community concerning a great cause, with great ease and freedom, without hesitation or anxiety, with pure sincerity and great solemnity, and in an intense and elevated manner that provoked his enemies, it means that he was certainly a Prophet speaking whatever God revealed to him.

Despite being unlettered, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, spoke on every issue and has not been contradicted ever since.

It is impossible for an unlettered one to speak on a matter requiring expert knowledge, especially before those with specialized knowledge of that matter. However, despite being unlettered, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, spoke on every issue from theology and metaphysics to medicine, history, physics and biology and has not been contradicted ever since. Besides, when he was raised up as a Prophet, the arts of literature, eloquence and oratory were at their peak and the Qur'an he received from God challenged all of its opponents to bring the like of a single chapter of its but no one has ever been able to do that. This, again, clearly shows that Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is a Prophet of God.

Muhammad had to confront all kinds of hardships and persecutions after Prophethood and spent for his cause whatever he had.

For the sake of a deception no one risks his life, wealth and reputation and bears great hardships and persecutions unless he has great aspirations to more wealth and great worldly positions. Before claiming Prophethood, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was well off and had a respected place among his community. However, he had to confront all kinds of hardships and persecutions after Prophethood and spent for his cause whatever he had. His enemies slandered him, mocked him, beat him, expelled him from his homeland and waged war on him. He bore all such cruel treatments and hostilities without complaint and asked God Almighty for the forgiveness of even his enemies. The only cause he pursued was to see everybody believing in and worshipping the One God exclusively and thereby prosperous in both worlds and saved from the torments of Hell.

Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, practiced with utmost sincerity and honesty what he communicated to others.

History has witnessed many leading persons who, since they themselves did not practice what they preached or propagated, did not have a large devoted following. Their ideas did not have an enduring effect on people and the systems they established did not last long. However, the Prophet Muhammad, 114

upon him be peace and blessings, practiced with utmost sincerity and honesty what he communicated to others and was always the first and foremost in obedience to the religion he brought, in worship to the Creator and in avoidance of the religious prohibitions. This shows his full conviction of his cause and that he is a Messenger of God, Who sent him to humanity to guide them to the True Path.

For what reason other than conveying God's Message to people must he have endured all kinds of hardships and persecutions, such as sleeping on earth, suffering hunger for several consecutive days, spending a considerable part of his life on battlefields and military campaigns, being expelled from his homeland, becoming subject to mockeries and insults, etc?

Man acquires an established character until he is thirty and especially after thirty a man's character does not change. Particularly, it is very difficult for one to change his temper and disposition after he is forty. If-God forbid such a thought!- there had been any imperfection and blemish in the character of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, it would certainly have appeared before his Prophethood. Therefore, no one with a bit of intelligence and fairness, unless he is prejudiced, can accept that one who was never heard tell a lie and witnessed deceive until one was forty, would appear as the worst, meanest trickster of human history after forty.

A lying, deceitful one cannot have a large, dedicated following who are ready to sacrifice themselves for him. Despite being among the five greatest Prophets, Moses and Jesus did not have followers as devoted as Muhammad's Companions.

A lying, deceitful one cannot have a large, dedicated following who are ready to sacrifice themselves for him. Despite being among the five greatest Prophets, Moses and Jesus did not have followers as devoted as Muhammad's Companions. The followers of Moses, upon him be peace, betrayed him when he left them for forty days to receive the Torah on Mount Sinai, and began to worship a golden calf which Samiri made for them. Even after so many years of intellectual and spiritual training in the desert, except for two God-fearing men, they did not obey his order to fight against the Amalekites, the people of Goliath. As for Jesus, upon him be peace, one of his most devoted twelve followers betrayed him and attempted to submit him to his enemies. But the followers of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, known as the Companions, were so devoted to him that they sacrificed for him their lives and properties and their families and tribes. Although brought up among a primitive people and in a climate of ignorance, devoid of any positive notions of social life and administration, without a Scripture and immersed in the darkness of the uncivilized era after the Prophets, in a very short period, they became in the footsteps of their exalted leader, the Prophet Muhammad, the masters, guides and just rulers of the most civilized and socially and politically advanced peoples and states, and ruled the world from east to west in a world-admired fashion.

Also, innumerable exacting and profound scholars and world-famous scientists and pure, spiritual masters were brought up among the succeeding generations following the Companions. The civilization they established was the most magnificent one history has ever known. Is it conceivable, then, that all 115 those most shining stars of human history followed a lying, deceitful one? God forbid such a thought!

The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was the most famous of humanity for high moral conduct and virtue.

The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was the most famous of humanity for high moral conduct and virtue. He appeared in the heart of a desert which was almost the most uncivilized part of the then inhabited world and where people were immersed in the worst kinds of immorality. Then, who do you think brought him up as the most virtuous one with the highest morality and best conduct? He had lost his father while he was yet in the womb of his mother. When his mother died, he was only six years old. It was impossible for his grandfather and uncle to bring him up as the most virtuous of all times, as they themselves did not have all of the good moral qualities Muhammad had and in the same degree as he had. His teacher was God, as he himself said: My Lord educated me and taught me good manners, and how well he educated me and how beautifully He taught me good manners!

No one in human history has ever been able to combine in himself all of the virtues and good qualities as perfectly as the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings.

Human history has seen many virtuous persons. However, no one has ever been able to combine in himself all of the virtues and good qualities as perfectly as the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. There have been many generous people but they have not been able to show enough courage when and where necessary. Likewise, there have been many courageous people, who have not been able to be lenient and generous at the same degree. But the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, combined in his person all the virtues and laudable qualities at the highest level.

Virtue and good morality also require balance. For example, if generosity exceeds its limits, it changes into extravagance. Similarly, if thrift cannot be kept within moderate limits, it changes into miserliness. Courage is usually confused with rashness and dialectics or demagogy is sometimes taken for being intelligent. In addition, virtue also requires knowing how to act in certain conditions. For instance, the self-respect which a weak man should wear before a powerful one becomes, if the powerful one assumes it, self-conceit. The humility which a powerful man should wear before a weak one becomes, if assumed by a weak man, self-abasement. Forbearance and sacrifice (of one's rights) on one's own account is good and a virtue; but when done on behalf of others, it is bad and a treason. An individual may bear patiently with whatever is done to him personally; but it is impermissible for him to, on behalf of the nation, bear patiently what is being done to the nation. Whereas pride and indignation on behalf of the nation are commendable, on one's own behalf they are not.

The Prophet Muhammad was perfectly balanced in his virtues and good moral qualities.

The Prophet Muhammad was perfectly balanced in his virtues and good moral qualities. He was perfectly courageous where to show courage was necessary, while he was perfectly mild, forgiving and 116 humble among people. He was perfectly dignified but also very gracious. There was no one more generous than him but he was also thrifty and condemned extravagance. In short, all virtues and good qualities existed in him in a well-balanced combination.

Prophet Muhammad had all of the essential attributes pertaining to Prophets

According to theologians, there are six essentials of Prophethood common to all of the Prophets. They are truthfulness, trustworthiness, communication of God's commands, intelligence, infallibility and being free from all kinds of bodily and mental defects. History is a witness that the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, had all of these six essential attributes in a most perfect fashion.

Muhammad's achievements are unparalleled in history

A man encounters in his life many situations where he must make decisions with no delay and hesitation. Many decisions made in such situations may cause him great difficulties. The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, made so great achievements in so short a time as 23 years that they are unparalleled in human history. He never faltered and all of his decisions proved to be true.

More than that, whatever he did and whatever he said did not concern only his own time but he addressed all times and places and all peoples and levels throughout the world to come until the Last Day. As none of his sayings have not been contradicted so far, no one has ever been able to criticize him for any of his actions, sayings and decisions. Is it possible for one who is not a Prophet taught by God, the All-Knowing, to have such intelligence, foresight, sagacity, insight, sound reasoning and prudence?

---

 | HIS ACHIEVEMENTS PROVE MUHAMMAD'S PROPHETHOOD

Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was peerless in educating people

A man, whoever he is and whatever he does, may regard his own occupation as more important, more necessary, more beneficial to social life and more difficult than others. However, although every occupation has some difficulty of its own and is of some degree of use for social life, educating people must be much more difficult than others and more necessary for a healthy social life.

To bring up distinguished persons require distinguished educators. Only an educator who has established his aim in educating people and practices what he will teach and advise to his students, only one who knows the character, potentialities, desires, and ambitions of his students with the shortcomings and strong and weak spots and the level of learning and understanding of each, can be successful in educating people. Of course, this is not all that a good, successful educator must have. Furthermore, he must know how to treat his students in all circumstances, how to approach their problems and how to purify them of bad qualities and morals and, in place of them, inculcate laudable and good ones.

117 A man may have strong belief in what he must believe but he may not be practicing his belief in his daily life. He may have some good moral qualities but they might have not been an ingrained part of his character. Moreover, he may have certain weak spots such as taking bribery and insensitivity to making use of common property or hoarding up wealth. Therefore, if an educator can change his students completely and, purifying them of all bad habits and morals and all bad qualities which have long been ingrained in them and, in their place, establishing laudable ones, can form a community which will be a good example for future generations in all fields of life and good moral qualities, if an educator can transform the 'rock, copper, iron and coal' in his hand into 'silver, gold, brilliant and diamond', without doubt, you will conclude that that educator is an extraordinary one. What the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, achieved in educating people within so short a time as 23 years is much more than what that educator does.

Prophet Muhammad was matchless in knowing people each with his character

It is another important dimension of a good education is not to resort to force. Penal sanctions, coercion and military and police forces can have some effect on directing people but only to a slight degree and for a short time only. Therefore, convincing people of the truth of what we teach to them and making it approved by them wholeheartedly is of vital importance in a good education.

No one in world history has so far been able to know man with all the dimensions of his character as well as the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, and there has never appeared a second one next to him who has made pitiless, crude, war-mongering, ignorant and unyielding individuals into a community which sets a perfect example for all the future generations in all aspects of life and good moral qualities.

Prophet Muhammad guided people in every aspect of life

No one can guide people in every field of life. It is very difficult for one, however able and clever, to be both an able statesman and commander and a brilliant scientist and successful educator at the same time. However, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was the most perfect spiritual and intellectual master, the most able statesman and commander, the most efficient educator, and the greatest scholar history has ever seen.

Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is the foremost in practicing all the forms of worship prescribed by his religion and the most God-fearing of people.

The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is the foremost in practicing all the forms of worship prescribed by his religion and the most God-fearing of people. He observed the duties of worship with the utmost care and attention down to their minutest details even in most perilous circumstances of his life which passed in constant struggle and activity. He never imitated anyone in his worship and combined in a perfect fashion the 118 beginning and the end of spiritual evolution.

He is also unparalleled in prayer and gnosis, for in his supplications and prayers he describes his Lord with such a degree of gnosis that all the gnostics and saints since his time have never been able, although those coming after have made use of the heritage of the preceding ones, to attain a similar degree of gnosis and description of God.

Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, was absolutely convinced of the truth of his message

He had in his faith so extraordinary a strength, so wonderful a certainty, so miraculous an evolution, and such elevated and world-enlightening conviction that none of the prevailing ideas and beliefs of that time, and none of the philosophies of the sages and teachings of the spiritual leaders, although they were all opposed and even hostile to him, was ever able to cause in him any doubt, hesitation or anxiety concerning his certainty, conviction, and assurance. Moreover, all saintly men of all times, his Companions primarily included, have all benefited from his faith which they admit to be of the highest degree. This fact proves that his faith too is matchless.

All the sacred attributes, miracles and functions that indicate the truthfulness and Messengership of the Prophets, peace be upon them all, were all to be found in Muhammad in the utmost degree.

Just as the consensus of the Prophets is a very strong proof of the existence and Oneness of God, soo, too, it is a firm testimony to the truthfulness and Messengership of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. For history confirms that all the sacred attributes, miracles and functions that indicate the truthfulness and Messengership of the Prophets, peace be upon them all, were all to be found in Muhammad in the utmost degree. The Prophets verbally predicted his coming, that is, they gave the good tidings of him in the Torah, the Gospels, the Psalms, and other Scriptures which are called 'Pages' in the Qur'an; likewise through their missions and miracles they affirmed and 'sealed' the mission of Muhammad, who is the foremost and most perfect in Prophethood.

Thousands of saints unanimously bear witness to the truthfulness and Messengership of Muhammad

Also, having attained the truth and perfection, and the rank of working wonders, and gained insight into the reality of things, and spiritual discovery through following the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, in all his deeds and principles, thousands of saints unanimously bear witness not only to the Oneness of God but also to the truthfulness and Messengership of that being, upon him be peace and blessings. It is as bright a proof as the sun for the truthfulness of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, that, those saints believe in and affirm all of the truths that being proclaimed through the light of faith to 119 the degree of either certainty coming from knowledge or certainty by sight, or of certainty by experience.

Thousands of exacting scholars of purity, meticulous scholars of truthfulness and believing sages have reached the highest station of learning through the teaching contained in the sacred truths brought by the Prophet Muhammad

Again, thousands of exacting scholars of purity, meticulous scholars of truthfulness and believing sages, who have reached the highest station of learning through the teaching contained in the sacred truths brought by the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, despite his being unlettered, the sublime sciences to which he gave birth, and the Divine knowledge he discovered, not only prove unanimously with their strongest proofs and affirm the Oneness of God, the foundation of his mission, but also bear unanimous witness to the truthfulness of that greatest teacher and supreme master, and to the veracity of his words.

First and foremost of all, the family and the Companions of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, who with their insight, wisdom and spiritual accomplishments, are the most renowned, the most respected, the most celebrated, the most pious, the most keen-sighted of mankind after the Prophets, after having examined and scrutinized all the thoughts and states of that being, whether hidden or open, with the utmost attention and exactitude, unanimously concluded that he was the most truthful, the most elevated, and the most honest being in the world.

In his preaching of the message and calling people to the truth, Muhammad displayed extraordinary steadfastness, firmness and courage

In his preaching of the message and in his calling people to the truth, he displayed such steadfastness, firmness and courage that, in spite of the antagonism of big powers and great religions, and of his own people and tribe, even of his uncle, he never showed even the slightest trace of hesitation, anxiety or fear, and he successfully challenged the world, and, as a result, made Islam superior to all other religions and systems. This proves that there is not and cannot be anyone like him also in his preaching of and calling to the message of Truth.

Muhammad solved social, political and economic problems so easily and established such perfect rules in all these fields that they left permanent and unerasable imprints on all centuries and in the corners of the world.

Let us go to the Arabian peninsula in the Time of Happiness. That unlettered man who had not attended any military academy, nor a school for civil servants or a school of law, nor a school of sciences, presented such a religion and law that they contain all the principles to secure happiness in both worlds. His speech is so effective and penetrating that human beings in all times listen to him and his voice is echoed in every century. He solves all social, political 120 and economic problems so easily and establishes such perfect rules in all these fields that they leave permanent and unerasable imprints on all centuries and in the corners of the world. He spends a considerable part of his life on battlefields and proves to be the most able commander of all times. He also shows himself as the best of husbands, the most eminent, yet most compassionate of fathers and the most amiable and loyal of friends. He does all this in so short a time as 23 years.

Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is also beyond all compare in knowing his people and educating them to mould their characters in the crucible of his message

A leader must know his people very well in order to educate them and urge them to the realization of a cause. Alexis Carrel, a great French scientist and philosopher of this century, still describes man as unknown. Man is the most complex and intricate of creatures. However, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is also beyond all compare in knowing his people and educating them to mould their characters in the crucible of his message. He knew everyone to whom he would convey his message with all the details of his character, with his abilities, shortcomings, feelings, disposition and level of understanding. Besides, he also knew very well how to act in certain conditions and was able to give the best decision in all crises. To every position he appointed the one most qualified for and deserving of it and did not have to change the appointment later. He succeeded in bringing the most refined, well-mannered and civilized society out of an extremely backward, uncivilized and rough people.

Muhammad equipped and adorned the desperate, wild and unyielding peoples of the seventh-century Arabian peninsula with all the praiseworthy virtues, and made them teachers of all the world and masters, especially, to the civilized nations

Consider how, eradicating their evil and savage customs and immoral qualities to which they were so fanatically attached, he equipped and adorned the desperate, wild and unyielding peoples of the seventh-century Arabian peninsula with all the praiseworthy virtues, and made them teachers of all the world and masters, especially, to the civilized nations. His was not an outward domination; rather, he conquered their minds, spirits, hearts, and souls. He became the beloved of hearts, the teacher of minds, the trainer of souls, and the ruler of spirits.

Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, removed numerous ingrained habits from large obsessed communities with a little effort over a very short period of time, and in their place implanted and inculcated exalted qualities in such a way that they became inherent in their being.

You know that despite all the advanced techniques and methods, modern communities are unable to remove permanently so small a vice as cigarette smoking. However, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, removed numerous ingrained habits from 121 large obsessed communities with a little effort over a very short period of time, and in their place implanted and inculcated exalted qualities in such a way that they became inherent in their being. To those who refuse to see the testimony of the blessed age of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, we present as a challenge any part of today's civilized world. Let them go there with hundreds of philosophers, sociologists, psychologists and pedagogues and educators, and strive for a hundred years, I wonder whether they will be able to achieve in that period a hundredth part of what the Prophet Muhammad achieved in a year.

When the Prophet began preaching his Message, he had to face severe opposition, but he confronted all the opposition with a smile on his lips.

When the Prophet began preaching his Message, he had to face severe opposition, but he confronted all the opposition with a smile on his lips. Once, the leaders of the Quraysh warned Abu Talib, the Prophet's uncle, to persuade his nephew to abandon preaching his mission. The Prophet answered:

O uncle! Should they place the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left, so as to make me renounce this mission, I shall not do so. I will never give it up; either it will please God to make it triumph or I shall perish it the attempt.

The faith, perseverance and resolution, with which Prophet Muhammad carried his mission to ultimate success, is an eloquent proof of the supreme truth of his cause

On another occasion, a deputation of the leading Quraysh called on him and offered him all the worldly glory they could imagine in return for his abandoning his mission. They said:

\- If you want to possess wealth, we will amass for you as much as you wish; if you aspire to win honor and power, we are prepared to swear allegiance to you as our overlord and king; if you have a fancy for beauty, you shall have the hand of the most beautiful maiden of your own choice.

The terms were extremely tempting for any ordinary mortal, but they had no significance in the eyes of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings. He responded:

\- I want neither wealth nor power. God has commissioned me as a warner to humanity. I deliver His Message to you. Should you accept it, you shall have felicity in this life and eternal bliss in the life Hereafter. Should you reject the Word of God, surely God will decide between you and me.

The faith, perseverance and resolution, with which he carried his mission to ultimate success, is an eloquent proof of the supreme truth of his cause. Had there been the slightest doubt or uncertainty in his heart, he would never have been able to brave the storm that continued in 122 all its fury for twenty-one long years.

None of the world leaders have been able to bring about among the members of their followers so strong a unity of belief, thought and ideal as that which the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, realized among the desert men of the seventh-century Arabia

Great leaders have appeared on the horizon of humanity. They have changed the course of history through either the states or empires they have established or the revolutions they have made. Nevertheless, almost none of them have been able to bring about among the members of their followers so strong a unity of belief, thought and ideal as that which the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, realized among the desert men of the seventh-century Arabia. Although Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, had never given any indication of political interest or activity for full forty years until Prophethood, he appeared all of a sudden on the stage of the world as such a great political reformer and statesman that, without the aid of press or of any modern tele-communicative means, he brought together the scattered inhabitants of a desert of twelve hundred thousand square miles-a people who were warlike, ignorant, unruly, uncultured, and plunged in tribal warfare-under one banner, one law, one religion, one culture, one civilization and one form of government.

Prophet Muhammad conquered minds and hearts and promised his followers nothing other than God's approval and Paradise

A leader must know men very well in order to urge them to the realization of a cause. In order to gain a following, most leaders make alluring promises to people, like power, wealth, position or a bright future. However, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, made no such promises to his followers. Nor did he resort to any force to realize his aim. He conquered minds and hearts and promised his followers only God's good pleasure and Paradise. His followers sacrificed themselves in his way willingly and preferred to live a poor life in return for gaining God's good pleasure and Paradise. Especially his own family lived as the poorest of his community. He always sought to prepare them, as well as his Companions, for the eternal peace and permanent bliss while himself setting for them a good example of that peace and bliss. His daughter Fatima, the most beloved to him among his family, once came to him with a necklace around her neck or a bracelet around her wrist. The Prophet said to her:

\- Do you want people-inhabitants of the earth and the inhabitants of heavens-to say that the daughter of the Prophet is wearing a chain from Hell?

These words were enough for Fatima, for they were coming from the mouth of one whose throne was established in people's hearts and who had conquered their minds. Fatima

123 narrates the rest of the story as follows:

\- I immediately sold the necklace, bought a slave and emancipated him, and then went to the Messenger of God. When I told him what I had done, he rejoiced. He opened his hands and thanked God, saying: _All thanks to God, Who protected (my daughter) Fatima from Hell_.

Despite all the most pitiless cruelties, Prophet Muhammad used to pray: 'O God! Forgive them and guide them to truth, for they do not know. ' Through his limitless love, compassion, forgiveness and tolerance, he made extremely cruel, war-mongering people into the best community in human history.

Supposing you are a teacher at a school or a director in an institution. In order to bring up your students or the people under your command according to the ideal you pursue, you are determined to bear all hardships that may appear before you. Now, if they spit in your face when they are passing by you, if they put an animal abdomen over your head while you are in prostration before God, if they sometimes slap you in face, if they sometimes throw stones at you and scatter thorny plants along the roads you pass, if they ambush you in corners with daggers in their hands, if they mock you in front of others, if they slander your wife, if they kill your relatives and cut their bodies into pieces, if they attack you many times and injure you, and if they expel you from your native land, still can you bear all such cruelties and continue your way without the least hesitation? More than that, can you forgive them, pity them and pray to God for them, saying: _O God! Forgive them and guide them to truth, for they do not know_. If you are taken to a Paradise-like place and left free to choose between living there and going back to serve your cause amid hardships, do you choose to go back among the people to continue your mission?

Is it not the worst form of 'blindness' and ignorance to reject the Prophethood of that pride of humanity who, through his limitless love, compassion, forgiveness and tolerance, made extremely cruel, war-mongering people into the best community in human history?

In human history there has been no one as much loved as his followers from the first day up to now love the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings.

The Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, sent a group of envoys to the Adal and al-Qarah tribes to teach them Islam. However, a group from the Hudhayl tribe attacked the envoys half-way and, killing some of them, submitted the remaining three to the Quraysh. Zayd ibn Dasina was among the envoys. Before the Qurayshi polytheists executed Zayd, Abu Sufyan, who had not yet embraced Islam, said to him:

\- I adjure you by God, Zayd, don't you wish that Muhammad was with us now in your place so that we might cut off his head, and that you were with your family?

\- 'By God', said Zayd, 'let alone wishing that Muhammad were here in my place so that I were 124 with my family, I do not wish that even a thorn should hurt his feet in Madina.'

Abu Sufyan had to remark: 'I swear by God that I have never seen a man who was so loved as Muhammad's Companions loved him.'

In human history there has been no one as much loved, as his followers from the first day up to now love the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings.

Prophet Muhammad answered all of the questions asked him without faltering and he has not been contradicted ever since

The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, had to answer innumerable questions put to him by both the desert men of Arabia and the Jews and Christians of his time, concerning not only religion but also many other subjects such as history, metaphysics, astronomy, medicine and so on. He answered all of them without faltering and he has not been contradicted ever since.

Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, brought into history such a law, a religion, a way of life, a code of worship, a way of prayer, a message, and faith that the like of them has never existed, nor will or could exist.

The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, brought into history such a law, a religion, a way of life, a code of worship, a way of prayer, a message, and faith that the like of them has never existed, nor will or could exist. For the law brought by that unlettered being is matchless in that it has administered one fifth of mankind for fourteen centuries, in a just and precise manner through its rules and injunctions. The religion of Islam, which originated in the Qur'an he received from God and his own sayings, precepts and example, is also peerless, for in each century it has been for hundreds of millions of people a guide and a competent authority or source for whatever matter is referred to it. It has also trained their minds, illumined and purified their hearts, trained and refined their souls, and perfected their spirits.

After the Companions, hundreds of thousands of saints and purified, meticulous scholars, thousands of scientists, and hundreds of thousands of literary geniuses, commanders and statesmen have been brought up in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad

After the Companions, who gave the lead to all mankind in all fields of life including the scientific, political, social, administrative and economic, hundreds of thousands of saints and purified, meticulous scholars such as Abu Hanifa, Shafi'i, Bayazid al-Bistami, 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, Imam Ghazali, Imam Rabbani, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi and many others, and thousands of scientists like al-Biruni, al-Zahrawi, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Ibn Haytham and others, and hundreds of thousands of literary geniuses, commanders and statesmen, and other stars of mankind, have all followed in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace 125 and blessings. Besides those persons, many intellectuals and statesmen of the West such as Lamartine, William Muir, Edward Gibbon, John Davenport, L. A. Sedillot, Goethe, P. Bayle, Stanley Lane-Poole, A. J. Arberry, Thomas Carlyle, Rosenthal, Elisee Reclus, Andrew Miller, Bismarck, Leopold Weis, Marmaduke Pickthall, Martin Lings and Roger Garaudy have had to confess his greatness, even that he is the greatest of mankind, and some of them have embraced Islam. This is another proof of his Prophethood. |

### Twelve Proofs that Muhammad is a True Prophet  
By Shaykh `Abdul Rahman `Abdul Khaliq

My brothers and sisters everywhere! With this essay, I am not singling out the adherents of Islam - to which I ascribe - but rather I am writing this essay to every man and woman throughout the whole world.

I ask Allah that He facilitates tat this essay reaches every ear, falls under the sight of every eye, and is understood by every heart...

Muhammad the son of `Abdullah is Allah's Prophet and the Final Messenger Sent by Allah to the Inhabitants of Earth.

My brothers and sisters everywhere! You should know that the Messenger, Muhammad the son of `Abdullah (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) is Allah's Messenger in reality and truth. The evidences that show his veracity are abundant. None but an infidel, who out of arrogance alone, could deny these signs.

Among these proofs:

1. Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) was raised illiterate, unable to read or write, and remained like that till his death. Among all his people, he was known as being truthful and trustworthy. Before receiving revelation, he had no prior knowledge of Religion or any previously sent Message. He remained like that for his first forty years. Revelation then came to Muhammad with the Koran that we now have between our hands. This Koran mentioned most of the accounts found in the previous scriptures, telling us about these events in the greatest detail as if he witnessed them. These accounts came precisely as they were found in the Torah sent down to Moses and in the Gospel sent down to Jesus. Neither the Jews or Christians were able to belie him regarding anything that he said.

2. Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) also foretold of everything that would occur to him and his community after him, pertaining to victory, the removal of the tyrannical kingdoms of Chosroes [the royal title for the Zoroastrian kings of Persia] and Caesar, and the establishment of the 126 religion of Islam throughout the earth. These events occurred exactly as Muhammad foretold, as if he was reading the future from an open book.

3. Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) also brought an Arabic Koran that is the peak of eloquence and clarity. The Koran challenged those eloquent and fluent Arabs of his time, who initially belied him, to bring forth a single chapter like the Koran. The eloquent Arabs of his day were unable to contest this Koran.

Indeed, till our day, none has ever dared to claim that he has been able to compose words that equal-or even approach-the order, grace, beauty, and splendor of this Glorious Koran.

4. The life history of this Noble Prophet was a perfect example of being upright, merciful, compassionate, truthful, brave, generous, distant from all evil character, and ascetic in all worldly matters, while striving solely for the reward of the Hereafter. Moreover, in all his actions and dealings, he was ever mindful and fearful of Allah.

5. Allah instilled great love for Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) in the hearts of all who believed in and met him. This love reached such a degree that any of his companions would willingly sacrifice his (or her) self, mother or father for him.

Till today, those who believe in Muhammad honor and love him. Anyone of those who believe in him would ransom his own family and wealth to see him, even if but once.

6. All of history has not preserved the biography of any person in the manner it has preserved the life of Muhammad, who is the most influential human in history.

Nor has the entire earth known of anyone whom every morning and evening, and many times thereafter throughout the day, is thought of by those who believe in him. Upon remembering Muhammad, the believers in him will greet him and ask Allah to bless him. They do such with full hearts and true love for him.

7. Nor has there every been a man on earth whom is still followed in all his doings by those who believe in him.

Those who believe in Muhammad, sleep in the manner he slept; purify themselves (through ablution and ritual washing) in the manner he purified himself; and adhere to his practice in the way they eat, drink, and clothe themselves.

Indeed in all aspects of their lives, the believers in Muhammad adhere to the teachings he spread among them and the path that he traveled upon during his life.

During every generation, from his day till our time, the believers in this Noble Prophet have fully adhered to his teachings. With some, this has reached the degree that they desire to follow and adhere to the Prophet's way in his personal matters regarding which Allah has not sought of them to adhere to in worship. For example, some will only eat those specific foods or only wear those specific garments 127 that the Messenger liked.

Let alone all that, all those who believe in Muhammad repeat those praises of Allah, special prayers, and invocations that he would say during each of his actions during day and night, like: what he would say when he greeted people, upon entering and leaving the house, entering and leaving the mosque, entering and leaving the bathroom, going to sleep and awaking from sleep, observing the new crescent, observing the new fruit on trees, eating, drinking, dressing, riding, traveling and returning from travel, etc.

Let alone all that, all those who believe in Muhammad fully perform-even to the minute detail-every act of worship-like prayer, fasting, charity, and pilgrimage-as this Noble Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) taught and as he himself performed.

All of this allows those who believe in him, to live their lives in all aspects with this Noble Messenger as their example, as if he was standing before them, for them to follow in all their doings.

8. There has never been nor will there ever be a man anywhere upon this earth who has received such love, respect, honor, and obedience in all matters-small and large alike-as has this Noble Prophet.

9. Since his day, in every region of the earth and during every period, this Noble Prophet has been followed by individuals from all races, colors and peoples. Many of those who followed him were previously Christians, Jews, pagans, idolaters, or without any religion. Among those who chose to follow him, were those who were known for their sound judgment, wisdom, reflection, and foresight. They chose to follow this Noble Prophet after they witnessed the signs of his truthfulness and the evidences of his miracles. They did not choose to follow Muhammad out of compulsion or coercion or because they had adopted the ways of their fathers and mothers.

Indeed many of the followers of this Prophet (may Allah's blessings peace be upon him), chose to follow him during the time when Islam was weak, when there were few Muslims, and when there was severe persecution of his followers on earth. Most people who have followed this Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) have done so not to acquire some material benefits. Indeed many of his followers have suffered the greatest forms of harm and persecution as a result of following this Prophet. Despite all this harm and persecution, this did not turn them back from his religion.

My brethren! All of this clearly indicates to anyone possessing any sense, that this Prophet was truly and really Allah's messenger and that he was not just a man who claimed prophethood or spoke about Allah without knowledge.

10. With all this, Muhammad came with a great religion in its credal and legal make-up.

Muhammad described Allah with qualities of complete perfection, and at the same time in a manner that is free of ascribing to Him any imperfection. Neither the philosophers or the wise could ever describe Allah like such. Indeed it is impossible to imagine that any human mind could conceive of an existing being that possesses such complete ability, knowledge, and greatness; Who has subdued the 128 creation; Who has encompassed everything in the universe, small or large; and Who possesses such perfect mercy.

Nor is it in the ability of any human being to place a perfect law based upon justice, equality, mercy and objectivity for all human activity on earth like the laws that Muhammad brought for all spheres of human activity - like buying and selling, marriage and divorce, renting, testimony, custody, and all other contracts that are necessary to uphold life and civilization on earth.

11. It is impossible that any person conceive wisdom,, morals, good manners, nobleness of characters as what this honorable Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) brought.

In a full and complete manner, Muhammad spread a teaching regarding character and manners toward one' parents, relatives, fiends, family, humanity, animals, plants and inanimate objects. It is impossible for the human mind alone to grasp all of that teaching or come with a similar teaching.

All of that unequivocally indicates that this Messenger did not bring an) of this religion from his own accord, but that it was rather a teaching and inspiration that he received from the One Who created the earth and the high heavens above and created this universe in its miraculous architecture and perfection.

12. The legal and credal make-up of the religion that the Messenger, Muhammad, (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) brought resembles the engineering of the heavens and the earth. All of that indicates that He who created the heavens and the earth is the One Who sent down this great law and upright religion.

The degree of inimitability of the Divine law that was sent down upon Muhammad is to the same degree of inimitability of the Divine creation of the heavens and earth. For just as humanity cannot create this universe, in the same manner humanity cannot bring forth a law like Allah's law that He sent down upon His servant and messenger Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him).

# Conclusion:

Many people knew him since he was born but he wasn't too famous yet. And his famous two nick names before becoming a prophet is "Al-sadek (the honest) , and Al-Amien (the trust)".  
His house is still there in Saudi Arabia& his Grave in Saudi Arabia. No doubt he existed  
for someone to leave huge remarks like these he is for sure existed. For those who read the Quran in its original language know that this book is a miracle and it's not a human language. Many nations during Muhammad time have heard of Him, and heard of his prophecy message. He was sending letters and 129

messengers to many countries/trips calling them toward Islam. Some of his letters still exists. Physical evidence that I can think of his existence is his beard hair in turkey. Also he has a grave. There are plenty of historical records that indicate the prophet was a real person.In fact one of their sects only recognizes his descendants as persons of religious authority. Remember this is an illiterate man. And one of the proofs is that the moon was cut in half and science approves this. The people who didn't believe in Muhammad asked him to give them a miracle and they will believe and they asked him to cut the moon in the half and Muhammad asked god to do what they want and god did it but some people still didn't believe that he was a prophet of God but instead called him a magician. So, yes Muhammad did exist & he performed miracles with the help of God just like Jesus . And there are many evidences that not only prove Muhammad existed but also prove he was a prophet of God . So,Moses,Jesus & Muhammad were all prophets of 1God.

Part 2

Information arranged & organized by Mr.Faisal

"The mystery of God's evidence they don't want you to know of" is available on amazon,barnes&noble and www.createspace.com/4030107

"THE FORGOTTEN PROOF OF HEAVEN AND GOD IS FOR REAL" is available on www.createspace.com/4310613 & www.amazon.com

"The Qu'ran The Final Evidence They Don't Want You To Know"

This book is available on www.createspace.com/4318275 , & www.amazon.com

"DID MUHAMMAD AND JESUS EXIST" is available on www.amazon.com & www.createspace.com

Introduction of the author MR.FAISAL:

Can we discover God? What does science prove? Why we were never told the facts of science & world religions? These are some questions & thoughts the author had couple of years ago. So, he began his search.During his research he looked through many different kinds of books, scriptures, Torah, Bible, Quran, biological & scientific books, world religions, history, online searches, similarities & differences of various faiths & many more informations. In his search for revealing God's true religion he organized many informations & created this book.It's book of comparative religions + religion & science.

(UNLEASHING THE DISCOVERY OF GOD!!!)

Top 10 Informations you can learn in this book & why it's a must read book of knowledge for all:1.God definitions of various religions.2.What does Islam say about terrorism? 3.women in various religions.4.Is evolution proven by logic & science? 5.what does science say of Quran,Bible & Torah 6.The similarities & differences of world's major religions.7.Discoveries of scientific miracles in a scripture.8.Both science with religion & science vs religion.9.Moses, Jesus & Mohammad in Islam & Christianity.10. A documentary book on Islam,Christianity,Judaism & science.

A RESEARCH PROJECT & A DOCUMENTARY BOOK ON SCIENCE & WORLD RELIGIONS & COMPARATIVE INTERFAITH DISCUSSIONS

Message from the author: My intention is not to criticize any one's beliefe.It's okay to agree or disagree with my book.This entire book is not totally written by me.It is based on a research project done by me.The book is as the title goes.The information is arranged & organized by me & all sources of all documents or information is mentioned inside the book.Purpose of my book is to share the knowledge which is available in many sources & I have mentioned them in the book.Hope you enjoy & share my book. "The greatest creation of god is us.The true race of us the1&only us,all of us the mankind simply1race of humanity. Love is the only antidose of hate.so,love,peace&Godbless for all.knowledge is not only power but it is indeed freedom to speak out the truth of an existence and I will share it to set it free. Thank you for reading my work.God bless planet earth & America"

Information arranged & organized by Mr.Faisal

This book is available on www.createspace.com , & www.amazon.com

Allah (swt) Says : "Invite to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Revelation and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided."[Quran 16:125]  
Allah also says '''Who is better in speech than one who calls to Allah, works righteousness, and says: I am of those who bow in submission?" (Quran 41:33)  
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:"If Allah guides a person through you, it is better for you than all that is on the earth." (Bukhari No. 2783 & Muslim No. 2406).Convey (my teachings) to the people even if it were a single sentence" (Sahih Bukhari, Vol.4, Hadith 667) "Therefore listen not to the Unbelievers, but strive against them with the utmost strenuousness, with the (Qur'an)". 25.52 Quran Yet do they worship, besides Allah, things that can neither profit them nor harm them: and the disbeliever is a helper (of Evil), against his own Lord! 25.55 Quran And I have sent you only as a giver of good news and as a warner. 25.56 Say: "No reward do I ask of you for it but this: that each one who will may take a (straight) Path to his Allah." 25.57 Al-Quran "Verily, those who conceal the clear proofs, evidences and the guidance, which We have sent down, after We have made it clear for the people in the Book, they are the ones cursed by Allah and cursed by the cursers."(Quran, al-Baqarah: 159) Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: "For Allah to guide one man through you is better for you than all that the sun has shined over".  
The Prophet (PBUH) has said: "Whoever guides [another] to a good deed will get a reward similar to the one who performs it."   
[Saheeh Muslim]

THE QURAN PROVES WATER CAME FROM ROCKS FROM THE SPACE (by FAISAL)Scientists don't know for sure. Perhaps the most popular theory says that, shortly after the Earth formed, millions of asteroids and comets, saturated in water, slammed into the planet, releasing their payloads to form Earth's oceans . Scientists are working hard to understand more about what our planet was like billions of years ago, and each new piece of information moves us closer to understanding how Earth's oceans, lakes and rivers came to exist.But the quran already has the answer because the quran is more superior than science & it's the only 100% true book of God's words. Thenceforth were your hearts hardened: They became like a rock and even worse in hardness. For among rocks there are some from which rivers gush forth; others there are which when split asunder send forth water; and others which sink for fear of Allah. And Allah is not unmindful of what ye do. 2:74 al-Baqarah Verse: 74 AL-QURAN.

On the authority of Abu Malik al-Harith bin Asim al-Asharee (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Purity is half of iman (faith). 'Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah)' fills the scales, and 'subhan-Allah (how far is Allah from every imperfection) and 'Al-hamdulillah (praise be to Allah)' fill that which is between heaven and earth. And the salah (prayer) is a light, and charity is a proof, and patience is illumination, and the Qur'an is a proof either for you or against you. Every person starts his day as a vendor of his soul, either freeing it or causing its ruin." It was related by Muslim.

### This is a all in 1 Rough,Peacefull,Honest & Open Minded book on 1 God,Sciense,Islam,Christianity & Judaism.

The secrets of Muhammad,Bible and Quran Unleashed

Introduction of the book:

Allah has promised to keep The Quran same until the Day of Judgment & challenged humans to create another accurate book like Quran & said if you can't, surrender to your lord (the only way of peace& heaven). Quran is word of god & it has the information of past, present& future. God reveled to Prophet Muhammad whatever god wanted to & kept some information only to god by reveling some & not reveling some. But still Quran is 1 great source of information from God.

**Do Muslims worship the Mecca?** No Muslims bow towards the direction of mecca & worship only 1 God Allah. While praying in a mosque if Muslims will not have a direction they will end up praying facing or towards each other .The Quran & Prophet Muhammad taught us to bow towards the direction of mecca while we only pray & worship Allah. And it's also important for the unity of Muslims.

Jesus preached in Aramaic, and parts of the Old Testament and much of the rabbinical literature were written in that language. "El-law" or "El-lawh" in Aramaic means "GOD", while "Eloi" in Aramaic means "My GOD" as Jesus used the word "Eloi" when he was put on

the cross and said "My GOD My GOD why have you forsaken me? (Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachtani?)....(Mark 15:34)"

In Arabic, "GOD" means "Allah", and "My GOD" means "Ilahi" or "Elahi" which is derived from the word "Allah".1. "elahh" is the way the word "hhla" (spelled from right to left as it is Aramaic) is pronounced.

2. The words "Elahh", "hhla (read from right to left)" and "Allah" all have the "h" letter and pronunciation in them.

3- "Allah" in Arabic is pronounced as "Al-lawh" or "Al-lah" depending on the sentence that it is p18 used in. In Arabic, the sound of the word "Allah" could be thicker (Allawh) or thinner (Allah) depending on the sentence.

4- The Aramaic word "hhla (read from right to left)", which is transliterated as "elahh" which means "GOD" is pronounced as "El-aw" as show above.

5- The Aramaic word "hla (read from right to left)", which is transliterated as "elah" which means "oak"

is pronounced as "Ay-law" also as shown above.

P2 6- "Allah" in Arabic is pronounced as "Al-lawh" or "Al-lah" depending on the sentence that it is used in. In Arabic, the sound of the word "Allah" could be thicker (Allawh) or thinner (Allah) depending on the sentence.

7- The Hebew word "Elohim" is the plural of "Elowah", which is derived from the Aramaic word "Alaha", or "Elahh"; the same as the Arabic word "Allah" or "Allawh" in pronunciation.

If we pronounce the words "Allah" in Arabic and "Elahh (pronounced as 'El-aw')" in Aramaic, then we would hear almost the same exact word.

1-In the case of "Aalah" or "Aaloh" Aramaic slang pronounciation, it is almost the same as the "Allah" or "Allawh" Arabic slang pronounciation.

2- In the case of "Aalahaa" or "Aalohaa" Aramaic slang pronounciation, it is also almost the same as the "Allaha" or "Allawha" in the Arabic slang pronounciation. "Allah" would be pronounced as "Allaha" or "Allaha" in Arabic if it's used in the middle of the sentence. It can also be pronounced as "Allahi" or "Allahu" or "Allaho" depending on the grammar of the sentence.

3- The Hebew word "Elohim" is the plural of "Elowah", which is derived from the Aramaic word "Alaha", or "Elahh"; the same as the Arabic word "Allah" or "Allawh" in pronunciation.

"Son of God" means "Servant of God" in Hebrew. Bible agrees with Islam, not with pagan trinity: The sections of this article are: 1-Comparison between Hebrew and Arabic.2-  "Son of God" is the same as "Servant of God" in Hebrew! 3- Articles with detailed proofs about "Son of God" means "Servant of God" in Hebrew. 4- Conclusion.

1- Comparison between Hebrew and Arabic:In this article, I will prove that the Bible's "Son of GOD" translation is wrong, because it literally means "Servant of GOD" as Islam clearly defines it. I have shown sample evidence from Hebrew below. The following definitions were taken from: http://www.thebabycorner.com/pregnancy/babynames/find.php?sex=boy&begin=a | Word | Hebrew or Arabic | English Translation

---|---|---

Abbott | Hebrew | Father

Abb | Arabic | Father

Abel | Hebrew | Breath or Son of

Abd | Arabic | Servant of or Slave of

Important Note: Since "Abd" means "Servant of" in Arabic, and "Abel" means "Breath of" in Hebrew, then this means "Abel" in Hebrew could also mean "Servant of" or "Creation of", since it literally also means "Breath of".

The following Hebrew words and their definitions were taken from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_of_God

Important Note: Since "Beni" in Arabic means "People of", then this means that "Benie" in Hebrew also means "People of" or "Group of", or "Belongings of", which was falsely translated as "Sons of"

Word | Hebrew or Arabic | English Translation

---|---|---

Ben | Hebrew | Son of

Bin | Arabic | Son of (as in Osama bin Laden)

Benie Elohim | Hebrew | Sons of GOD

Beni | Arabic | People of (as in Bani Israel, People of Israel)

Page3

throughout the entire Bible!

"In the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha

This literature contain a few passages in which the title "son of God" is given to the Messiah (see Enoch, cv. 2; IV Esdras vii. 28-29; xiii. 32, 37, 52; xiv. 9); but the title belongs also to any one whose piety has placed him in a filial relation to God (see Wisdom ii. 13, 16, 18; v. 5, where "the sons of God" are identical with "the saints"; comp. Ecclus. [Sirach] iv. 10).

In Judaism, it is through such personal relations that the individual becomes conscious of God's fatherhood, and gradually in Hellenistic and rabbinical literature "sonship to God" was ascribed first to every Israelite and then to every member of the human race (Abot iii. 15, v. 20; Ber. v. 1; see Abba). In one midrash, the Torah is said to be God's "daughter" (Leviticus Rabbah xx.)"

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_of_God)Important Note: "filial relation to God" means that a person or creation has a special place in GOD Almighty's Sight. Also, "sons of God" being identical with "the saints" means that the term "son of God" is not an accurate one in the sense of being physically or biologically "part of GOD" or "Son of GOD" respectively as the trinitarian Christians falsely claim.Also, "In one midrash, the Torah is said to be God's "daughter'", further proves my point that "Son of GOD" today in the English bibles don't mean more than a "Creation of GOD" or "Servant of GOD"; perhaps a very dear or special servant of GOD Almighty, as the Torah was also called "daughter of GOD".

2- "Son of God" is the same as "Servant of God" in Hebrew!"In modern English usage, the Son of God is almost always a reference to Jesus Christ, whom Christianity holds to be the son of the Christian God, eternally begotten of God the Father and coeternal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Human or part-human offspring of deities are very common in other religions and mythologies, however. For example in the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest recorded legends of humanity, Gilgamesh claimed to be of both human and divine descent. Another well-known son of a god and a human is Hercules.

A great many pantheons also included genealogies in which various gods were descended from other gods, and so the term "son of god" may be applied to many actual deities as well."(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_of_God)Important Note: So as we can see, the "Son of GOD" theory originally comes from pagan Greek origins. And since most of the Bible's New Testament was written in Greek, then it had been without a doubt negatively influenced by such pagan theology, where Jesus being called "Son of GOD" is literally interpreted today as "part of GOD" or the "Creator of the Universe".

P4 "In the Hebrew Bible Israel is both a man (Jacob, the son of Isaac) and the nation that descended from him. Because of the shared name and organic identity, God speaks to the nation as though he were a single person. Israel is, in fact, God's son (Exod 4:22 — beni vechori yisrael; Deut 14:1 — banim atem l'Adonai; Jer 31:9 — ki hayiti le'yisrael le'av; Hosea 11:1 — mimitzrayim qarati livni). Israel's Father nurtures him to grow up and become a worshiping servant (Exod 4:23 — "Let my son go that he may serve me")."(http://www.hebrew-streams.org/works/hebrew/eved-adonai.html)

Important Note: Here we see when Israel became GOD Almighty's "son", he reached the point of being GOD Almighty's "servant". This means that "son of GOD" is nothing but a "Servant of GOD" as clearly defined in Islam. It doesn't at all mean that the individual is part of GOD Almighty, or he is GOD the

Father Himself.

This is further proven in this quote:

"The Inner Son Rescues His People  
Read together, these texts make clear that the Plan (etzah) is set in God's mind. He will use the anointed one — and his circle of faithful-to-God disciples — as his agent for bringing rebellious Israel back to his sonship calling.

YHVH formed me from the womb to be His Servant,  
to bring Jacob back to him,  
in order that Israel might be gathered to Him.

It is too small a thing that you should be  
my Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob,  
and to restore the preserved ones [netzurim] of Israel . . . (Isa 49:5, 6)

It's worth noting that the apostles Paul and Barnabas quoted this passage in reference to themselves, as being members of the Messiah's Remnant Israel (Acts 13:46-48; cf. Luke 2:32).

Thus, within the writings of Isaiah we observe the tensions, paradoxes, and hopes for fixing what is broken — both within God's servant people and in the creation as a whole. To accomplish this there are two who serve the Lord, two with the title "Eved." "

(http://www.hebrew-streams.org/works/hebrew/eved-adonai.html)

Important Note: Again, we see that the Son of GOD's main responsibility is to Serve GOD Almighty and to Worship Him alone. So a Son of GOD is basically a Servant of GOD. Also, Jesus being called "Son of GOD" is also no different. Him being the "Son of GOD" means he is a Servant of GOD Almighty, or Abdallah, since "Abd" means "Servant of" and "Allah" means "GOD" or "The Supreme GOD Almighty above all gods".

3- Articles with detailed proofs about "Son of God" means "Servant of God":

Below are a list of articles that clearly prove from Hebrew resources that "Son of God" also means "Servant of God".

Article #1:

p5 .(Emphasis below is mine) Is Jesus "God's Son" or "God's Servant?" Do you see a difference between these two Bible versions?

King James Version  
Acts 3:25 - Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with

our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

Acts 3:26 - Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. | New King James Version  
Acts 3:25 - You are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

Acts 3:26 - To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning every one of you away from his iniquities.

---|---

In the KJV, we find that Jesus is God's Son. In the NKJV, we find that He is God's servant. These are clearly not the same! The Greek word found in the text here is "pais". It can be used in Greek for either "son" or "servant." So which one is correct here? The solution is simple: look at the context in which it is used. In English, we have many words that can have more than one meaning. If a translator, going from English to another language, came across the word "bear," he would have a choice of meanings. But it wouldn't take rocket science to figure out which one to use. If the passage described a man with a heavy burden, the translator would understand that the man is going to "bear," or "carry" the burden. If, on the other hand, the passage described a hairy beast climbing a tree, the translator would understand the correct meaning here applies to a forest-dwelling animal that will eat nearly anything it finds. It's not really very hard.

Now look at the Bible passage above. What is being discussed?

  * "children of the prophets"

  * "covenant which God made with our fathers"

  * "in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed."

It's clear, isn't it? The passage is talking about "children," and "fathers" and "seed." The word "pais" means "son." But the New King James translators chose "servant." Why? They were not alone. The New World Translation, created by the Jehovah's Witnesses who deny the deity of Jesus, translated this word "servant" also. So do the NIV, ASV, NASB and other modern Bible translations. Could it be that these modern translators disagree that "pais" can be translated "son?" No, the NKJV committee translates this very word as "boy," "child" or "son" in Matthew 2:16; 17:18; 21:15; Luke 2:43; 9:42; and John 4:51. Yet they refused to translate the word as "son" in this powerful sermon where Peter presents Jesus as Messiah and Son of God. One has to ask, why were these translators so determined to deny the deity of Jesus in this passage? Is this a Bible you can trust with your eternal destiny?

Article #2

P6 1.2.3.15 Jesus is God's servant All of mankind are the servants of God. If a man were to own another man then that man would be his servant. Obviously this servant would be held in a lower regard than this man's own children (or himself).

We do not usually find people telling their sons (or themselves): "come here my servant," or "Go over there my servant." Let us compare this with what God has to say about Jesus (pbuh):

  1. Matthew 12:18: "Behold my servant, whom I have chosen."

  2. Acts 3:13(RSV): "The God of Abraham, and of Isaac,.... hath glorified his servant Jesus."

  3. Acts 4:27(RSV): "For of a truth against thy holy servant Jesus, whom thou hast anointed...."

The Actual Greek word used is "pias" or "paida" which mean; "servant, child, son, manservant." Some translations of the Bible, such as the popular King James Version, have translated this word as "Son" when it is attributed to Jesus (pbuh) and "servant" for most everyone else, while more recent translations of the Bible such as the Revised Standard Version (RSV) now honestly translate it as "servant." As we shall see in later chapters, the RSV was compiled by thirty two Biblical scholars of the highest eminence, backed by 50 cooperating Christian denominations from the "most" ancient Biblical manuscripts available to them today. Chances are that no matter what your church or denomination you are able to name, that church took part in the correction of the King James Version of the Bible which resulted in the RSV.

The exact same word "pias" is attributed to Jacob(Israel) in Luke 1:54 and translated as "servant":

"He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;." It is also applied to King David in Luke 1:69, and once again, it is translated as "servant":

"....the house of his servant David;" (also see Acts 4:25).

However, when it is applied to Jesus (e.g. Acts 3:13, Acts 4:27), NOW it is translated as "Son." (notice that it is not only translated as "son" but as "Son".) Why the double standard? Why the dishonest translation techniques?"And verily, among them is a party who twist their tongues with the Scripture that you might think that it is from the Scripture but it is not from the Scripture; and they say, 'It is from Allah' but it is not from Allah; and they speak a lie against Allah while [well] they know it!" The noble Qur'an, A'al-Umran(3):78

"The Messiah will never scorn to be a servant of Allah, nor will the favored angels. Whosoever scorns His service and is proud, all such will He assemble unto Him; Then as for those who believed and did good works, unto them will he pay their wages in full and shall increase them from His bounty. [But] as for those who were scornful and proud, He shall punish hem with a painful torment, nor will they find for themselves other than Allah any ally or champion" The noble Qur'an, Al-Nissa(4):172-174

4- Conclusion:As we've seen above, in Hebrew, "Son of God" can also be translated as "Servant of God", which literally means "Abdallah" in Arabic. Abd = Servant, and allah = Allah, or the Supreme GOD Almighty that is above all gods. So, Jesus being called "Son of God" does not mean anything about him being part of GOD or GOD Almighty Himself. It simply means "Servant of God" since Jesus existed among Jews and preached the Gospel to them.Allah Almighty said: "And they say: "(God) Most Gracious has begotten offspring." Glory to Him! they are (but) servants raised to honour. (The Noble Quran, 21:26)" page7 God definition By Faisal: God does not born or die. Who has no beginning or end. Does not need to become human, animal or insect to understand his creation. He is the creator who knows what he has created. He is the most wise. So, he knows everything. He feeds everyone, but he doesn't need to eat or sleep or use toilet. True God is the creator who is not part of the creation. So, he has no father, mother, wife or children. He's above all & unique. There's none like him & he's only one, who has no partner & no gender. So, he's the creator of all creation & not part of his or any creation. That is the definition of one true God in Islam which is Allah. Allah has created the humans in a pair of male& female to worship him & in different colors, languages, countries to respect & recognize each other.Tv,watch,computer,phone everything has a purpose. Purpose of us is not just only to eat,poo,have sex&sleep .purpose of life is to obey & worship the creator because humans are the most superior of creation & our purpose is to serve god by praising & praying.No1 is superior whether you are black or white,arab or non arab,male or female .For god everyone is equel.Islam is the only religion that is against racism. Allah is the most just & God judges you by your heart only not by your looks. Islam is an accurate, just & peaceful religion of 1 god creator lord Allah.

In Quran, It says "If you kill one human being it's as

If you have killed the entire of humanity. And if you

save one human being. It's as you saved the entire

of humanity". So, for killing you go to hell, for saving you go to heaven. There was no suicide bombers in the time of prophet Mohammad. Islam believes God created the first humans were Adam & eve without any father & mother. The devil made them eat a fruit that was told by God to not to eat.

And they got poo, but, they were not allowed to poo in heaven. You can eat everything in heaven & you wont get poo & it's a unholy thing you get it when you eat foods on earth & the 1forbidden fruit that was in heaven. So, as punishment God sent them to earth. Adam&Eve were married &having sex for married couples is not sin in islam. All humans are children of Adam & eve. In

Islam from Adam to Moses, to Jesus to Mohammad

God sent all of them as messengers prophets & humans to

spread the true religion. Because God created Adam

& Eve without any father & mother. It means true

creator can create everything in any way he wants

to, for example If he says something to happen It'll

just happen. The same way he made Adam & Eve

without being their father & mother plus also having

no father & mother. He has the wisdom & power of

over everything. Similarity of creating Adam a

slight differently he created prophet Jesus as one of the

mightiest messengers of God with having just

mother without any father. Because God can do

anything God can create humans without father &

mother as well as having a mother but no father.

That's the true miracle & it can only be done by one

true creator. And that's the believe of Islam that the

p8 true God is Allah who has no partner, no parents, no

children, no wife, doesn't born or die, has no image

because there's none like him, does not eat but feeds

everyone & does not sleep. In Islam the name of prophet

Jesus is Isa. And Jesus/Isa did everything with the

power of Allah (God). God gave him the power to

do it. Who created Jesus as a messenger of God.

Similarly he created Adam, Moses, Abraham, Noah,

Isa as Jesus, Mohammad as messengers of peace &

Islam towards humanity. And God can't be part of

creation. If it's part of creation then it's not the

creator or God or Allah. Even in Bible it says Jesus

put his head on the floor as Muslims put their head

on the floor for praying. 80% of Quran matches with

Science & other 20% of Quran the Science does not

have the answers because they haven't discovered

or improved that much. For example Quran talks

about heaven, hell, & there are aliens. Science has

no answer for everything but Quran has all the

answers since last 1400 years even when Science

had no answers. In the Bible it talks about Prophet

Noah & the story goes something like this that the

Prophet received a message from God that there

would be a flood all over the world. So, he built a big

boat & he took some people & a pair of every

animals. According to Science there was not a flood

which happened all over the world but it happened

in a particular part of earth. Quran also tells it

happened in a particular part of the world. Quran

also talks about humans are partly formed from

father & partly formed from mother. And today

Science agrees with it. So, if some one reads Quran

& do a scientific research it'll help to understand

what the truth is & what is fiction. Bible says, the

world is flat & circle. Scientifically it's not true. A

coin is also flat & circle. Quran tells the original

shape of earth. Science can't prove any error in

Quran but tells errors on Bible. Don't believe it! Do

your own research & believe what's logical. Don't

ask people but do your own research so, you can

believe in true God the creator of all creation but not

a creation. Islam also teaches black cumin cures so

many diseases without any side effects. The ultimate

goal of saitan (Devil) is to take humans towards hell

& shirk. Shirk means to associate or include

someone with God. True God has no partner, can't

compare him with any creation because he has

p9 created the creation, how can he be part of what he

created? Remember true religion should have all the

answers Of humanity & should not have any

missing links. Islam believes Quran is 100% words

of one creator God Allah. People might think there

are 2 types of Muslims Shia & Sunni. But they both

have same book Quran. And in Quran there is no

Sunni or Shia. Islam is one religion & Quran is the

only one book Of God in Islam. The followers of

Islam & Quran are called Muslims. No Muslim is a

Muslim unless he beliefs Adam, Moses, Abraham,

Jesus, Noah, Mohammad were all messengers of

one God Allah. No Muslim is a good Muslim unless

he's a good human being. Islam teaches to live

peacefully with people of every religion, race, color,

language & nationalities. So we should understand,

respect& live peacefully with each other. In the last

100 years to now Islam is the fastest growing

religion in the world. That's why some governments

& Medias create lies & misconceptions about Islam.

Remember, true religion is the one that answers all

the questions of humanity. Science can't prove any

error in Quran. And true book of God can't have any

errors. Muslims believe Torah & Bible were books

of God but they have been changed by humans. So,

Quran is the last & final book of God. Quran is only

one book but you can find it in all languages. Any

one who believes in God should do research on

Science, Quran & Bible. Fact is stranger then

fiction. The book of God should have all the

answers for humanity with no errors & word of God

can't have errors!

Question: Does Quran mention that Prophet Muhammad is the last prophet? Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but [he is] the messenger of God and seal(last,finish,end,final) of the prophets and God has the knowledge of everything. (Quran 33:40)

Jesus in islam & quran

"And mention in the Book (the Quran), Mary, when she withdrew in seclusion from her family to a place facing east. She placed a screen

P10 (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her a spirit from Us, (the angel Gabriel), and he appeared before her in the form of a man in all respects. She said: 'Verily, I seek refuge with the Most Gracious (God) from you, if you do fear God.' (The angel) said: 'I am only a messenger from your Lord, (to announce) to you the gift of a righteous son.' She said: 'How can I have a son, when no man hath touched me, nor am I unchaste?' He said: 'So (it will be), your Lord said That is easy for Me (God): And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a mercy from Us (God), and it is a matter (already) decreed (by God).'" (Quran 19:16-21)

"Indeed, the likeness of Jesus with God is as the likeness of Adam. He created him of dust, then He said to him: 'Be!' and he was.'" (Quran 3:59)

Muslims, like Christians believe that Jesus performed miracles. These miracles were performed by the will and permission of God, Who has power and control over all things.

"Then will God say: 'O Jesus the son of Mary! Recount My favor to you and to your mother. Behold! I strengthened you with the Holy Spirit (the angel Gabriel) so that you did speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. Behold! I taught you the Book and Wisdom, the Torah and the Gospel. And behold: you make out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My leave, and you breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by My leave, and you heal those born blind, and the lepers by My leave. And behold! You bring forth the dead by My leave. And behold! I did restrain the Children of Israel from (violence to you) when you did show them the Clear Signs, and the unbelievers among them said: 'This is nothing but evident magic.'" (Quran 5:110)

God sent all prophets with miracles specific to the nation to whom they were sent to prove the veracity of their message. These miracles were not performed of their own accord; rather, they were only manifest in their hands by God's will. The miracles performed by Jesus were no different. The Jews

were well advanced in the field of medicine, and the miracles which Jesus brought were of this nature, proving the truth of His message and in order to convince the Jews.

"They have certainly disbelieved who say, 'God is the Messiah, the son of Mary' while the Messiah has said, 'O Children of Israel, worship God, my Lord and your Lord...'" (Quran 5:72)

God says about the belief that Jesus is part of a "Trinity":

"They have certainly disbelieved who say, 'God is the third of three.' (Rather) there is none worthy of worship except One (God). And if they do not desist from what they are saying, there will surely afflict the disbelievers among them a painful punishment. So will they not repent to God and seek His forgiveness? And God is Forgiving and Merciful. The Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary, was no more than a Messenger before whom many Messengers have passed away; and his mother adhered wholly to truthfulness, and they both ate food (as other mortals do). See how We make Our signs clear to them; and see where they are turning away!" (Quran 5:73-75)

And also:

P11 "O People of the Book (Jews and Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, and attribute to God nothing except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was only a Messenger of God, and His command that He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in God and in His Messengers, and do not say: 'God is a Trinity.' Give up this assertion; it would be better for you. For God is indeed (the only) One God. Far be it from His glory that He should have a son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and in the earth. And God is sufficient for a guardian." (Quran 4:171)

God deems this belief as an enormity against His Essence:

"And they say: 'The Most Merciful (God) has taken (for Himself) a son.' Assuredly you utter a hideous thing, whereby almost the heavens are torn, and the earth is split asunder and the mountains fall in ruins; That they ascribe unto the Most Merciful a son, when it is not suitable for (the Majesty of) the Most Merciful that He should take a son. There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most Merciful as a slave." (Quran 19:88-93)

On the Day of Judgment, Jesus again will free himself from this false attribution. God gives us a glimpse of what he will say when he is asked about why people

worshipped him:

"And (beware the Day) when God will say, "O Jesus, Son of Mary, did you say to the people, 'Take me and my mother as deities besides God?'" He will say, 'Exalted are You! It was not for me to say that to which I have no right. If I had said it, You would have known it. You know what is within myself, and I do not know what is within Yourself. Indeed, it is You who is Knower of the unseen. I said not to them except what you commanded me – to worship God, my Lord and your Lord...'" (Quran 5:116-117)

"I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:1-3)

Ascribing a son to God is in clear opposition to that principle for which He created the Creation and sent prophets. God says in the Quran:

"And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me." (Quran 51:56)

He also said:

"And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, (saying), 'Worship God and avoid all false objects of worship...'" (Quran 16:36)

"And (remember) when Jesus, son of Mary, said: 'O Children of Israel, I am the Messenger of God sent to you, confirming the Torah (which came) before me...'" (Quran 61:6)

Matthew 5:17-18, Jesus stated:

"Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the (way of) the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them."

P12 another prophet to come after him. God says:

"And when Jesus, son of Mary, said: 'O Children of Israel! Indeed I am the messenger of God unto you, confirming that which was (revealed) before me in the Torah, and bringing good tidings of a messenger who will come after me, whose name is the Praised One.'" (Quran 61:6)

John 14:16-17:"And I will give you another Counselor to be with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth."

It was told by jesus so its none other then prophet Mohammad

Crucifixion

"...They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but (another) was made to resemble him to them..." (Quran 4:157)

"God lifted him up to His presence. God is Almighty, All-Wise."

(Quran 4:158) "No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another." (Quran 39:7)

"There is not one of the People of the Scripture but will believe in him (Jesus) before his death, and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them." (Quran 4: 159)

SURAT AL IKHLAS (MAKKAH)

1) Say he is Allah one & only

(2) Allah, the eternal, absolute

3) He begets not, nor is he begotten

(4) And there is none like unto him (Al-Quran)

Some References :

1) www.peacetv.tv 7)www.guideus.tv 8) www.whyislam.org

2) www.islamtomorrow.com

3) www.irf.net

4) Search in Google for free Quran.

5)www.irfny.com

6)Read sura Maryam in Quran

PROPHET MUHAMMAD (pbuh) IN THE BIBLE  
by Dr. Zakir Naik

---

**Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in the Old Testament:**

The Qur'an mentions in Surah Al-Araf chapter 7 verse 157:

"Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their 13 own (scriptures) in the law and the Gospel".

 | 1. MUHAMMAD (PBUH) PROPHESISED IN THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY:

---|---

|

Almighty God speaks to Moses in Book of Deuteronomy chapter 18 verse 18:

"I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and I will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him."

The Christians say that this prophecy refers to Jesus (pbuh) because Jesus (pbuh) was like Moses (pbuh). Moses (pbuh) was a Jew, as well as Jesus (pbuh) was a Jew. Moses (pbuh) was a Prophet and Jesus (pbuh) was also a Prophet If these two are the only criteria for this prophecy to be fulfilled, then all the Prophets of the Bible who came after  
Moses (pbuh) such as Solomon, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Malachi, John the Baptist, etc. (pbut) will   
fulfill this prophecy since all were Jews as well as prophets.

However, it is Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who is like Moses (pbuh):

i)  |   
Both had a father and a mother, while Jesus (pbuh) was born miraculously without any male intervention.

[Mathew 1:18 and Luke 1:35 and also Al-Qur'an 3:42-47]

---|---

ii)  |   
Both were married and had children. Jesus (pbuh) according to the Bible did not marry nor had children.

iii)  |   
Both died natural deaths. Jesus (pbuh) has been raised up alive. (4:157-158)

 |   
Muhammad (pbuh) is from among the brethren of Moses (pbuh). Arabs are brethren of Jews. Abraham (pbuh) had two sons: Ishmail and Isaac (pbut). The Arabs are the descendants of Ishmail (pbuh) and the Jews are the descendants of Isaac (pbuh).

Words in the mouth:

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was unlettered and whatever revelations he received

14 from Almighty God he repeated them verbatim.

"I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him."

[Deuteronomy 18:18]

---|---

iv)  |   
Both besides being Prophets were also kings i.e. they could inflict capital punishment. Jesus (pbuh) said, "My kingdom is not of this world." (John 18:36).

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v)  |   
Both were accepted as Prophets by their people in their lifetime but Jesus (pbuh) was rejected by his  
people. John chapter 1 verse 11 states, "He came unto his own, but his own received him not."

iv)  | Both brought new laws and new regulations for their people. Jesus (pbuh) according to the Bible did not bring any new laws. (Mathew 5:17-18).

---|---

112. Surah Al-Ikhlaas or At-Tauhid (The Purity)

1. Say (O Muhammad ( )): "He is Allah, (the) One.

2. "Allah-us-Samad (The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks).

3. "He begets not, nor was He begotten;

4. "And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him." Quran

(according to historians original bible does not exist) search in google!!!

(The punishment of raping a women in islam is death penalty)!!!

if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land - it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind.Quran.

**2.** | 15  
 **It is Mentioned in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 18:19**

---|---

|

"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not harken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him."

**3.** |   
**Muhammad (pbuh) is prophesised in the book of Isaiah:**

|

It is mentioned in the book of Isaiah chapter 29 verse 12:

"And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned."

When Archangel Gabrail commanded Muhammad (pbuh) by saying Iqra - "Read", he replied, "I am not learned".

**4.** |   
**prophet Muhammad (pbuh) mentioned by name in the old testament:**

|

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is mentioned by name in the Song of Solomon chapter 5 verse 16:

prophet Muhammad (pbuh) mentioned by name in the old testament: Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is mentioned by name in the Song of Solomon chapter 5 verse 16:"Hikko Mamittakim we kullo Muhammadim Zehdoodeh wa Zehraee Bayna Jerusalem.""His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem."In the Hebrew language im is added for respect. Similarely im is added after the name of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to make it Muhammadim. In English translation they have even translated the name of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as "altogether lovely", but in the Old Testament in Hebrew, the name of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is yet present.It's majestic plural noun like Elohim which refers to 1 God only.so Muhammadim also refers to 1 Muhammad even though im can refer also to be plural.(Edited by Faisal)

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in the New Testament:

Al-Qur'an Chapter 61 Verse 6:

"And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said, 'O Children of Israel! I am the messenger of Allah (sent) to you, confirming the Law (which came) before me and giving glad tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmed.' But when he came to them with clear signs, they said, 'This is evident sorcery!' "

All the prophecies mentioned in the Old Testament regarding Muhammad (pbuh) besides applying to the Jews also hold good for the Christians.

16

1.  |

John chapter 14 verse 16:

---|---

|

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever."

**2.** |   
**Gospel of John chapter 15 verse 26:**

|

"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit

of truth, which   
proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me."

**3.** |   
**Gospel of John chapter 16 verse 7:**

|

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not  
come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you".

"Ahmed" or "Muhammad" meaning "the one who praises" or "the praised one" is almost the translation of the  
Greek word Periclytos. In the Gospel of John 14:16, 15:26, and 16:7. The word 'Comforter' is used in the English translation for the Greek word Paracletos which means advocate or a kind friend rather than a comforter.   
Paracletos is the warped reading for Periclytos. Jesus (pbuh) actually prophesised Ahmed by name. Even the  
Greek word Paraclete refers to the Prophet (pbuh) who is a mercy for all creatures.

Some Christians say that the Comforter mentioned in these prophecies refers to the Holy Sprit. They fail to realise  
that the prophecy clearly says that only if Jesus (pbuh) departs will the Comforter come. The Bible states that the  
Holy Spirit was already present on earth before and during the time of Jesus (pbuh), in the womb of Elizabeth, and again when Jesus (pbuh) was being baptised, etc. Hence this prophecy refers to none other than Prophet   
Muhammad (pbuh).

**4.** |   
**Gospel of John chapter 16 verse 12-14:**

|

"I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you unto all truth: for he shall not speak page17 of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me".

The Sprit of Truth, spoken about in this prophecy referes to none other than Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

NOTE: All quotations of the Bible are taken from the King James Version.

 The Quran and Modern Science

On Faith, The Holy Quran | by Dr. Maurice Bucaille (Edited by Dr. A. A. Bilal Philips)

EDITOR'S FOREWORD

This booklet by Dr. Maurice Bucaille has been in circulation for the past nineteen years and has been a very effective tool in presenting Islam to non-Muslims as well as introducing Muslims to aspects of the scientific miracle of the Qur'an. It is based on a transcription of a lecture given by Dr. Bucaille in French. In this reprint, I decided to improve its presentation by simplifying the language and editing the text from an oral format to a pamphlet format. There were also passing references made by the author to material in his book, The Bible, the Qur'an and Science, which needed explanation. I took the liberty of including explanatory portions from his book where more detail was necessary. A few footnotes were also added for clarity and a hadeeth which the author mentioned was replaced due to its inauthenticity. There were also some corrections made to the historical material on the compilation of the Qur'an.

It is my hope that these slight improvements will make this excellent work even more effective in presenting the final revelation of God to mankind.

Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips

Director/Islamic Information Center Dubai

U.A.E.

May, 1995
I NTRODUCTION

On the 9th of November, 1976, an unusual lecture was given at the French Academy of Medicine. Its title was "Physiological and Embryological data in the Qur'an". I presented the study based on the existence of certain statements concerning physiology and reproduction in the Qur'an. My reason for presenting this lecture was because it is impossible to explain how a text produced in the seventh century could have contained ideas that have only been discovered in modern times.

18 For the first time, I spoke to members of a learned  medical society on subjects whose basic concepts they all knew well, but I could, just as easily, have pointed out statements of a scientific nature contained in the Qur'an and other subjects to specialists from other disciplines. Astronomers, zoologists, geologists and specialists in the history of the earth would all have been struck, just as forcibly as medical doctors, by the presence in the Qur'an of highly accurate reflections on natural phenomena. These reflections are particularly astonishing when we consider the history of science, and can only lead us to the conclusion that they are a challenge to human explanation.

There is no human work in existence that contains statements as far beyond the level of knowledge of its time as the Qur'an. Scientific opinions comparable to those in the Qur'an are the result of modern knowledge. In the commentaries to translations of the Qur'an that have appeared in European languages, I have only been able to find scattered and vague references to them. Nor do commentators writing in Arabic provide a complete study of the aspects of the Qur'an that deal with scientific matters. This is why the idea of a comprehensive study of the problem appealed to me. In addition to this, a comparative study of similar data contained in the Bible (Old Testament and Gospels) seemed desirable. Thus, a research project was developed from the comparison of certain passages in the Holy Scriptures of each monotheistic religion with modern scientific knowledge. The project resulted in the publication of a book entitled, The Bible, the Qur'an and Science. The first French edition appeared in May 1976. English and Arabic editions have since been published.

RELIGION AND SCIENCE

There is, perhaps, no better illustration of the close links between Islam and science than the Prophet Muhammad's often-quoted statements:

"Seeking knowledge is compulsory on every Muslim."

"wisdom is the lost property of the believer."

"whoever follows a path seeking knowledge, Allah will make his path to paradise easy."

These statements and many others are veritable invitations to humanity to enrich their knowledge from all sources. It comes as no surprise, therefore, to learn that in Islam religion and science have always been considered as twin sisters and that today, at a time when science has taken such great strides, they still continue to be associated. Nor is it a surprise to learn that certain scientific data are used for the better understanding of the Qur'anic text. What is more, in a century where, for many people, scientific truth has dealt a deathblow to religious belief, it is precisely the discoveries of science that, in an objective examination of the Islamic scripture, have highlighted the supernatural nature of revelation and the authenticity of the religion which it taught.

When all is said and done, scientific knowledge seems, in spite of what many people may say or think, to be highly conducive to reflection on the existence of God. Once we begin to ask ourselves, in an unbiased or unprejudiced way, about the metaphysical lessons to be derived

from some of today's knowledge, (for example our evolving knowledge of the smallest components of matter or the questions surrounding the origin of life within inanimate matter), we indeed discover many reasons for thinking about God. When we think about the remarkable organization presiding over the birth and maintenance of life, it becomes clear that the likelihood of it being the result of chance lessens quite considerably.

19 As our knowledge of science in the various fields expands, certain concepts must seem increasingly unacceptable. For example, the idea enthusiastically expressed by the recent French winner of the Nobel prize for medicine, that living matter was self-created from simple chemical elements due to chance circumstances. Then from this point it is claimed that living organisms evolved, leading to the remarkably complex being called man. To me, it would seem that the scientific advancements made in understand the fantastic complexity of higher beings provides stronger arguments in favor of the opposite theory: that the existence of an extraordinarily

methodical organization presiding over the remarkable arrangement of the phenomena of life necessitates the existence of a Creator.

In many parts of the Book, the Qur'an, encourages this kind of general reflection but also contains infinitely more precise data which are directly related to facts discovered by modern science. It is precisely this data which exercise a magnetic attraction for today's scientists.

The Qur'an and Science

For many centuries, humankind was unable to study certain data contained in the verses of the Qur'an because they did not possess sufficient scientific means. It is only today that numerous verses of the Qur'an dealing with natural phenomena have become comprehensible. A reading of old commentaries on the Qur'an, however knowledgeable their authors may have been in their day, bears solemn witness to a total inability to grasp the depth of meaning in such verses. I could even go so far as to say that, in the 20th century, with its compartmentalization of ever-increasing knowledge, it is still not easy for the average scientist to understand everything he reads in the Qur'an on such subjects, without having recourse to specialized research. This means that to understand all such verses of the Qur'an, one is nowadays required to have an absolutely encyclopedic knowledge embracing many scientific disciplines.

I should like to stress, that I use the word science to mean knowledge which has been soundly established. It does not include the theories which, for a time, help to explain a phenomenon or a series of phenomena, only to be abandoned later on in favor of other explanations. These newer explanations have become more plausible thanks to scientific progress. I only intend to deal with comparisons between statements in the Qur'an and scientific knowledge which are not likely to be subject to further discussion. Wherever I introduce scientific facts which are not yet 100% established, I will make it quite clear.

There are also some very rare examples of statements in the Qur'an which have not, as yet, been confirmed by modern science. I shall refer to these by pointing out that all the evidence available today leads scientists to regard them as being highly probable. An example of this is the

statement in the Qur'an that life has an aquatic origin ( "And I created every living thing out of water" Qur'an, 21:30 ).

These scientific considerations should not, however, make us forget that the Qur'an remains a religious book par excellence and that it cannot be expected to have a scientific purpose per se. In the Qur'an, whenever humans are invited to reflect upon the wonders of creation and the numerous natural phenomena, they can easily see that the obvious intention is to stress Divine Omnipotence. The fact that, in these reflections, we can find allusions to data connected with scientific knowledge is surely another of God's gifts whose value must shine out in an age where scientifically based atheism seeks to gain control of society at the expense of the belief in God. But the Qur'an does not need unusual characteristics like this to make its supernatural nature felt. Scientific statements such as these are only one specific aspect of the Islamic revelation which the Bible does not share.

20 Throughout my research I have constantly tried to remain totally objective. I believe I have succeeded in approaching the study of the Qur'an with the same objectivity that a doctor has when opening a file on a patient. In other words, only by carefully analyzing all the symptoms can one arrive at an accurate diagnosis. I must admit that it was certainly not faith in Islam that first guided my steps, but simply a desire to search for the truth. This is how I see it today. It was mainly the facts which, by the time I had finished my study, led me to see the Qur'an as the divinely-revealed text it really is.

AUTHENTICITY OF QUR'AN

Before getting to the essence of the subject, there is a very important point which must be considered: the authenticity of the Qur'anic text.

It is known that the text of the Qur'an was both recited from memory, during the time it was revealed, by the Prophet and the believers who surrounded him, and written down by designated scribes among his followers. This process lasted for roughly twenty-three years during which many unofficial copies were made. An official copy was made within one year after the Prophet's death at the instruction of Caliph Abu Bakr.

Here we must note a highly important point. The present text of the Qur'an benefited in its original preparation from the advantage of having its authenticity cross-checked by the text recited from memory as well as the unofficial written texts. The memorized text was of paramount importance at a time when not everyone could read and write, but everybody could memorize. Moreover, the need for a written record was included in the text of the Qur'an itself. The first five verses of chapter al-'Alaq, which happen to constitute the first revelation made to the Prophet (S), express this quite clearly:

"Read: In the name of your Lord who created. Who created man from a clinging entity. Read! Your Lord is the most Noble, Who taught by the pen. Who taught man what he did not know." Qur'an, 96:1-5

These are surely words in "praise of the pen as a means of human knowledge", to use Professor Hamidullah's expression.

Then came the Caliphate of 'Uthman (which lasted from the twelfth to the twenty-fourth year following Muhammad's death). Within the first two years of Caliph 'Uthman's rule, seven official copies were reproduced from the official text and distributed throughout a large area of the world which had already come under Islamic rule. All unofficial copies existing at that time were destroyed and all future copies were made from the official seven copies.

In my book, The Bible, the Qur'an and Science, I have quoted passages from the Qur'an which came from the period prior to the Hijrah (the Prophet's emigration from Makkah to Madeenah in the year 622) and which allude to the writing of the Qur'an before the Prophet's departure from Makkah.

There were, moreover, many witnesses to the immediate transcription of the Qur'anic revelation.

Professor Jacques Berque has told me of the great importance he attaches to it in comparison p23 with the long gap separating the writing down of the Judeo-Christian revelation from the facts and events which it relates. Let us not forget that today we also have a number of manuscripts of the first written versions of the Qur'an which were from a time period very close to the time of revelation.

21 I shall also mention another fact of great importance. We shall examine statements in the Qur'an which today appear to merely record scientific truth, but of which men in former times were only able to grasp the apparent meaning. In some cases, these statements were totally incomprehensible. It is impossible to imagine that, if there were any alterations to the texts, these obscure passages scattered throughout the text of the Qur'an, were all able to escape human manipulation. The slightest alteration to the text would have automatically destroyed the remarkable coherence which is characteristic to them. Change in any text would have prevented us from establishing their total conformity with modern knowledge. The presence of these statements spread throughout the Qur'an looks (to the impartial observer ) like an obvious hallmark of its authenticity.

The Qur'an is a revelation made known to humans in the course of twenty-three years. It spanned two periods of almost equal length on either side of the Hijrah. In view of this, it was natural for reflections having a scientific aspect to be scattered throughout the Book. In a study, such as the one we have made, we had to regroup the verses according to subject matter, collecting them chapter by chapter.

How should they be classified? I could not find any indications in the Qur'an suggesting any particular classification, so I decided present them according to my own personal one.

It would seem to me, that the first subject to deal with is Creation. Here it is possible to compare the verses referring to this topic with the general ideas prevalent today on the formation of the Universe. Next, I divided up verses under the following general headings: Astronomy, the Earth, the Animal and Vegetable Kingdoms, Humans, and Human Reproduction in particular. Furthermore, I thought it useful to make a comparison between Qur'anic and Biblical narrations on the same topics from the point of view of modern knowledge. This has been done in the cases of Creation, the Flood and the Exodus. The reason that these topics were chosen is that knowledge acquired today can be used in the interpretation of the texts.

CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE

From an examination of creation as described in the Qur'an, an extremely important general concept emerges: The Qur'anic narration is quite different from the Biblical narration. This idea contradicts the parallels which are often wrongly drawn by Western authors to emphasize the resemblance between the two texts. To stress only the similarities, while silently ignoring the obvious dissimilarities, is to distort reality. There is, perhaps, a reason for this.

  * When talking about creation, there is a strong tendency in the West to claim that Muhammad copied the general outlines mentioned in the Qur'an from the Bible.

  * Certainly it is possible to compare the six days of creation as described in the Bible, plus an extra day for rest on God's Sabbath, with this verse from chapter al-A'raaf.

"Your Lord is God who created the heavens and the earth in six days." Qur'an, 7:54

However, it must be pointed out that modern commentators stress the interpretation of the Arabic word ayyaam, (one translation of which is 'days'), as meaning 'long periods' or 'ages' rather than periods of twenty-four hours.

22 What appears to be of fundamental importance to me is that, in contrast to the narration contained in the Bible, the Qur'an does not lay down a sequence for creation of the earth and heavens. It refers both to the heavens before the earth and the earth before the heavens, when it talks of creation in general, as in this verse of chapter Taa Haa:

"(God) who created the earth and heavens above." Qur'an, 20:4

In fact, the notion derived from the Qur'an is one of a parallelism in the celestial and terrestrial evolutions. There are also basic pieces of information concerning the existence of an initial gaseous mass ( dukhaan ) which are unique to the Qur'an. As well as descriptions of the elements which, although at first were fused together ( ratq ), they subsequently became separated (fatq). These ideas are expressed in chapters Fussilat and al-Anbiyaa:

"God then rose turning towards the heaven when it was smoke" Qur'an, 41:11

"Do the disbelievers not see that the heavens and the earth were joined together, then I split them apart?" Qur'an, 21:30

According to modern science, the separation process resulted in the formation of multiple worlds, a concept which appears dozens of times in the Qur'an. For example, look at the first chapter of the Qur'an, al-Faatihah:( "Praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds." Qur'an, 1:1 ). These Qur'anic references are a11 in perfect agreement with modern ideas on the existence of primary nebula (galactic dust), followed by the separation of the elements which resulted in the formation of galaxies and then stars from which the planets were born. Reference is also made in the Qur'an to an intermediary creation between the heavens and the earth, as seen in chapter al-Furqaan:

"God is the one who created the heavens, the earth and what is between them..." Qur'an, 25:59

It would seem that this intermediary creation corresponds to the modern discovery of bridges of matter which are present outside organized astronomical systems.

This brief survey of Qur'anic references to creation clearly shows us how modern scientific data and statements in the Qur'an consistently agree on a large number of points. In contrast, the successive phases of creation mentioned in the Biblical text are totally unacceptable. For

example, in Genesis 1:9-19 the creation of the earth (on the 3rd day) is placed before that of the heavens (on the 4th day). It is a well known fact that our planet came from its own star, the sun. In such circumstances, how could anyone claim that Muhammad, the supposed author of the Qur'an, drew his inspiration from the Bible. Such a claim would mean that, of his own accord, he corrected the Biblical text to arrive at the correct concept concerning the formation of the Universe. Yet the correct concept was reached by scientists many centuries after his death.

ASTRONOMY

Whenever I describe to Westerners the details the Qur'an contains on certain points of astronomy, it is common for someone to reply that there is nothing unusual in this since the Arabs made important discoveries in the field of astronomy long before the Europeans. But, this is a mistaken idea resulting from an ignorance of history. In the first place, science developed in the Arab World at a considerable time after the Qur'anic revelation had occurred. Secondly, the scientific knowledge prevalent at the highpoint of Islamic civilization would have made it impossible for any human being to have written page23 statements on the heavens comparable to those in the Qur'an. The material on this subject is so vast that I can only provide a brief outline of it here.

The Sun and Moon.

Whereas the Bible talks of the sun and the moon as two lights differing only in size, the Qur'an distinguishes between them by the use of different terms: light (noor) for the moon, and lamp (siraaj) for the sun.

"Did you see how Allah created seven heavens, one above the other, and made in them the moon a light and the sun a lamp?" Qur'an, 78:12-13

The moon is an inert body which reflects light, whereas the sun is a celestial body in a state of permanent combustion producing both light and heat.

Stars and Planets

The word 'star' (najm) in the Qur'an ( 86:3 ) is accompanied by the adjective thaaqib which indicates that it burns and consumes itself as it pierces through the shadows of the night. It was much later discovered that stars are heavenly bodies producing their own light like the sun.

In the Qur'an, a different word, kawkab, is used to refer to the planets which are celestial bodies that reflect light and do not produce their own light like the sun.

"We have adorned the lowest heaven with ornaments, the planets." Qur'an, 37:6

Orbits Today, the laws governing the celestial systems are well known. Galaxies are balanced by the position of stars and planets in well-defined orbits, as well as the interplay of gravitational forces produced by their masses and the speed of their movements. But is this not what the Qur'an describes in terms which have only become comprehensible in modern times. In chapter al-Ambiyaa we find:

"(God is) the one who created the night, the day, the sun and the moon. Each one is traveling in an orbit with its own motion." Qur'an,21:33

The Arabic word which expresses this movement is the verb yasbahoon which implies the idea of motion produced by a moving body, whether it is the movement of one's legs running on the ground, or the action of swimming in water. In the case of a celestial body, one is forced to translate it, according to its original meaning, as 'to travel with its own motion.'

In my book, The Bible, The Qur'an and Science, I have given the precise scientific data corresponding to the motion of celestial bodies. They are well known for the moon, but less widely known for the sun.

The Day and Night

The Qur'anic description of the sequence of day and night would, in itself, be rather commonplace were it not for the fact that it is expressed in terms that are today highly appropriate. The Qur'an uses the verb kawwara in chapter az-Zumar to describe the way the night 'winds' or 'coils' itself around the day and the day around the night.

24 "He coils the night upon the day and the day upon the night." Qur'an, 39:5

The original meaning of the verb kis to coil a turban around the head. This is a totally valid comparison; yet at the time the Qur'an was revealed, the astronomical data necessary to make this comparison were unknown. It is not until man landed on the moon and observed the earth spinning on its axis, that the dark half of the globe appeared to wind itself around the light and the light half appeared to wind itself around the dark.

The Solar Apex

The notion of a settled place for the sun is vividly described in chapter Yaa Seen of the Qur'an:

"The sun runs its coarse to a settled place That is the decree of the Almighty, the All Knowing." Qur'an, 36:38

"Settled place" is the translation of the word mustaqarr which indicates an exact appointed place and time. Modern astronomy confirms that the solar system is indeed moving in space at a rate of 12 miles per second towards a point situated in the constellation of Hercules ( alpha lyrae ) whose exact location has been precisely calculated. Astronomers have even give it a name, the solar apex. Expansion of the UniverseChapter ath-Thaariyaat of the Qur'an also seems to allude to one of the most imposing discoveries of modern science, the expansion of the Universe.

"I built the heaven with power and it is I, who am expanding it." Qur'an,51:47

The expansion of the universe was first suggested by the general theory of relativity and is supported by the calculations of astrophysics. The regular movement of the galactic light towards the red section of the spectrum is explained by the distancing of one galaxy from another. Thus, the size of the universe appears to be progressively increasing.

Conquest of Space

Among the achievements of modern science is the "conquest" of space which has resulted in mans journey to the moon. The prediction of this event surely springs to mind when we read the chapter ar-Rahmaan in the Qur'an:

"O assembly of Jinns and men, if you can penetrate the regions of the heavens and the earth, then penetrate them! You will not penetrate them except with authority."

Qur'an,55:33

Authority to travel in space can only come from the Creator of the laws which govern movement and space. The whole of this Qur'anic chapter invites humankind to recognize God's beneficence.

GEOLOGY

Let us now return to earth to discover some of the many amazing statements contained in Qur'anic reflections about our own planet. They deal, not only with the physical phenomena observed here on earth, but also with details concerning the living organisms that inhabit it .

25 As in the case of everything we have discussed so far, we shall see that the Qur'an also expresses concepts in the field of geology that were way ahead of those current at the time of its revelation.

At this point, we must ask ourselves the following question: How could an uneducated man in the middle of the desert accurately tackle so many and such varied subjects at a time when mythology and superstition reigned supreme? How could he so skillfully avoid every belief that was proven to be totally inaccurate many centuries later?

Water Cycle

The verses dealing with the earthly systems are a case in point. I have quoted a large number of them in my book, The Bible, The Qur'an and Science, and have paid special attention to those that deal with the water cycle in nature. This is a topic which is well known today. Consequently, 28 the verses in the Qur'an that refer to the water cycle seem to express ideas that are now totally self-evident. But if we consider the ideas prevalent at that time, they appear to be based more on myth and philosophical speculation than on observed fact, even though useful practical knowledge on soil irrigation was current at that period.

Let us examine, for example, the following verse in chapter az-Zumar:

"Have you not seen that Allah sent rain down from the sky and caused it to penetrate the ground and come forth as springs, then He caused crops of different colors to grow..." Qur'an,39:21

Such notions seem quite natural to us today, but we should not forget that, not so long ago, they were not prevalent. It was not until the sixteenth century, with Bernard Palissy, that we gained the first coherent description of the water cycle. Prior to this, people believed that the waters of the oceans, under the effect of winds, were thrust towards the interior of the continents. They then returned to the oceans via the great abyss, which, since Plato's time was called the Tartarus .In the seventeenth century, great thinkers such as Descartes still believed in this myth. Even in the nineteenth century there were still those who believed in Aristotle's theory that water was condensed in cool mountain caverns and formed underground lakes that fed springs. Today, we know that it is the infiltration of rain water into the ground that is responsible for this. If one compares the facts of modern hydrology with the data found in numerous verses of the Qur'an on this subject, one cannot fail to notice the remarkable degree of agreement between the two.

Mountains

In geology, modern science has recently discovered the phenomenon of folding which formed the mountain ranges. The earth's crust is like a solid shell, while the deeper layers are hot and fluid, and thus inhospitable to any form of life. It has also been discovered that the stability of mountains is linked to the phenomenon of folding. The process of mountain formation by folding drove the earth's crust down into the lower layers and provided foundations for the mountains.

Let us now compare modern ideas with one verse among many in the Qur'an that deals with this subject. It is taken from chapter an-Naba':

"Have We not made the earth an expanse and the mountains stakes?"

Qur'an, 78:6-7

26 Stakes ( awtaad ), which are driven into the ground like those used to anchor a tent, are the deep foundations of geological folds.

Here, as in the case of all the other topics presented, the objective observer cannot fail to notice the absence of any contradiction to modern knowledge.

BIOLOGYMore than anything else, I was struck by statements in the Qur'an dealing with living things, both in the animal and vegetable kingdoms, especially with regard to reproduction. We should really devote much more time to this subject, but, due to the limited scope of this presentation, I can only give a few examples.

I must once again stress the fact that it is only in modern times that scientific progress has made the hidden meaning of some Qur'anic verses comprehensible to us. Numerous translations and commentaries on the Qur'an have been made by learned men who had no access to modern scientific knowledge. It is for this reason that scientists find some of their interpretations unacceptable.

There are also other verses whose obvious meanings are easily understood, but which conceal

scientific meanings which are startling, to say the least. This is the case of a verse in chapter al-Ambiyaa, a part of which has already been quoted:

"Do the unbelievers not realize that the heavens and the earth were joined together,

then I clove them asunder and I made every living thing out of water. Will they still not believe?" Qur'an, 21:30

This is a dramatic affirmation of the modern idea that the origin of life is aquatic.

Botany

Progress in botany at the time of Muhammad (S) was not advanced enough in any country for scientists to know that plants have both male and female parts. Nevertheless, we may read the following in the chapter Taa Haa:

"(God is the One who) sent down rain from the sky and with it brought forth a variety of plants in pairs." Qur'an, 20:53

Today we know that fruit comes from plants that have sexual characteristics even when they come from unfertilized flowers, like bananas. In the chapter ar-Ra'd we read the following:

"... and of all fruits (God) placed (on the earth) two pairs." Qur'an, 13:3

Physiology

In the field of physiology, there is one verse which appears extremely significant to me. One thousand years before the discovery of the blood circulatory system, and roughly thirteen centuries before it was determined that the internal organs were nourished by the process of digestive , a verse in the Qur'an described the source of the constituents of milk, in conformity with scientific facts.

27 To understand this verse, it must first be known that chemical reactions occur between food and enzymes in the mouth, the stomach and the intestines releasing nutrients in molecular form which are then absorbed into the circulatory system through countless microscopic projections of the intestinal wall called villi. Blood in the circulatory system then transports the nutrients to all the organs of the body, among which are the milk-producing mammary glands.

This biological process must be basically understood, if we are to understand a verse in the Qur'an which has for many centuries given rise to commentaries that were totally incomprehensible.

Today it is not difficult to see why! This verse is taken from the chapter an-Nahl:

"Verily, in cattle there is a lesson for yon. I give you drink from their insides, coming from a conjunction between the digested contents ( of the intestines ) and the blood, milk pure and pleasant for those who drink it." Qur'an, 16:66

The constituents of milk are secreted by the mammary glands which are nourished by the product of food digestion brought to them by the bloodstream. The initial event which sets the whole process in motion is the conjunction of the contents of the intestine and blood at the level of the intestinal wall itself.

This very precise concept is the result of the discoveries made in the chemistry and physiology of the digestive system over one thousand years after the time of Prophet Muhammad (S).

EMBRYOLOGY

There are a multitude of statements in the Qur'an on the subject of human reproduction which constitute a challenge to the embryologist seeking a human explanation for them. It was only after the birth of the basic sciences which contributed to our knowledge of biology and the invention of the microscope, that humans were able to understand the depth of those Qur'anic statements. It was impossible for a human being living in the early seventh century to have accurately expressed such ideas. There is nothing to indicate that people in the Middle-East and Arabia knew anything more about this subject than people living in Europe or anywhere else. Today, there are many Muslims, possessing a thorough knowledge of the Qur'an and natural sciences, who have recognized the amazing similarity between the verses of the Qur'an dealing with reproduction and modern scientific knowledge.

I shall always remember the comment of an eighteen-year-old Muslim, brought up in Saudi Arabia, commenting on a reference to human reproduction as described in the Qur'an. He pointed to the Qur'an and said, "This book provides us with all the essential information on the subject. When I was at school, my teachers used the Qur'an to explain how children were born. Your books on sex-education are a bit late on the scene!"

If I were to spend as long on all the details of reproduction contained in the Qur'an, as the subject merits, this pamphlet would become a book. The detailed linguistic and scientific explanations I have given in The Bible, The Qur'an and Science are sufficient for the person who does not speak Arabic nor know much about embryology to be able to understand the meaning of such verses in the light of modern science in more depth.

It is especially in the field of embryology that a comparison between the beliefs present at the time of the Qur'an's revelation and modern scientific data, leaves us amazed at the degree of agreement between the Qur'an's statements and modern scientific knowledge. Not to mention the total absence of any reference in the Qur'an to the mistaken ideas that were prevalent around the world at the time.

28 Fertilization

Let us now isolate, from all these verses, precise ideas concerning the complexity of the semen and the fact that an infinitely small quantity is required to ensure fertilization. In chapter al-Insaan the Qur'an states:

"Verily, I created humankind from a small quantity of mingled fluids." Qur'an, 76:2

The Arabic word nutfah has been translated as "small quantity". It comes from the verb meaning 'to dribble, to trickle' and is used to describe what remains in the bottom of a bucket which has been emptied. The verse correctly implies that fertilization is performed by only a very small volume of liquid.

On the other hand, mingled fluids ( amshaaj ) has been understood by early commentators to refer to the mixture of male and female discharges. Modern authors have corrected this view and note that the sperm is made up of various components.

When the Qur'an talks of a fertilizing fluid composed of different components, it also informs us that human progeny will be formed from something extracted from this liquid. This is the meaning of the following verse in chapter as-Sajdah:

"Then He made [ man's ] offspring from the essence of a despised fluid."  
Qur'an, 32:8

The Arabic word translated by the term 'essence' is sulaalah which means 'something extracted, the best part of a thing'. In whatever way it is translated, it refers to part of a whole. Under normal conditions, only one single cell, spermatozoon, out of over 50 million ejaculated by a man during sexual intercourse will actually penetrate the ovule.

Implantation

Once the egg has been fertilized in the fallopian tube, it descends to lodge itself inside the uterus. This process is called the 'implantation of the egg'. Implantation is a result of the development of villosities, which, like roots in the soil, draw nourishment from the wall of the uterus and make the egg literally cling to the womb. The process of implantation is appropriately described in several verses by the word 'alaq, which is also the title of the chapter in which one of the verses appears:

"God fashioned humans from a clinging entity." Qur'an, 96:2

I do not think there is any reasonable translation of the word 'alaq other than to use it in its original sense. It is a mistake to speak of a 'blood clot' here, which is the term Professor Hamidullah uses in his translation. It is a derivative meaning which is not as appropriate in this context.

Embryo

The evolution of the embryo inside the maternal uterus is only briefly described, but the description is accurate, because the simple words referring to it correspond exactly to fundamental stages in its growth. This is what we read in a verse from the chapter al-Mu'minoon:

29 "I fashioned the clinging entity into a chewed lump of flesh and I fashioned the chewed flesh into bones and I clothed the bones with intact flesh." Qur'an, 23:14

The term 'chewed flesh' (mudghah) corresponds exactly to the appearance of the embryo at a certain stage in its development.

It is known that the bones develop inside this mass and that they are then covered with muscle. This is the meaning of the term 'intact flesh' (lahm).

The embryo passes through a stage where some parts are in proportion and others out of proportion with what is later to become the individual. This is the obvious meaning of a verse in the chapter al-Hajj, which reads as follows:

"I fashioned (humans) a clinging entity, then into a lump of flesh in proportion and out of proportion." Qur'an, 22:5.

Next, we have a reference to the appearance of the senses and internal organs in the chapter as-Sajdah:

"... and (God) gave you ears, eyes and hearts." Qur'an, 32:9

Nothing here contradicts today's data and, furthermore, none of the mistaken ideas of the time have crept into the Qur'an. Throughout the Middle Ages there were a variety of beliefs about human development based on myths and speculations which continued for several centuries after the period. The most fundamental stage in the history of embryology came in 1651 with Harvey's statement that "all life initially comes from an egg". At that time, when science had benefited greatly from the invention of the microscope, people were still arguing about the respective roles of the egg and spermatozoon. Buffon, the great naturalist, was one of those in favor of the egg theory.Bonnet, on the other hand, supported the theory of 'the ovaries of Eve', which stated that Eve, the mother of the human race, was-supposed to have had inside her the seeds of all human beings packed together one inside the other.

BIBLE,QUR'AN AND SCIENCE

We have now come to the last subject I would like to present in this short pamphlet: it is the

comparison between modern knowledge and passages in the Qur'an that are also referred to in the Bible.

Creation

We have already come across some of the contradictions between scripture and science regarding the creation of the universe. When dealing with that topic, I stressed the perfect agreement between modern knowledge and verses in the Qur'an, and pointed out that the Biblical narration contained statements that were scientifically unacceptable. This is hardly surprising if we are aware that the narration of the creation contained in the Bible was the work of priests living in the sixth century BC, hence the term 'sacerdotal' ( priestly ) narration is officially used to refer to it. The narration seems to have been conceived as the theme of a sermon designed to exhort people to observe the Sabbath. The narration was constructed with a definite end in view, and as Father de Vaux (a former head of the Biblical School of Jerusalem) has noted, this end was essentially legalist in character.

30 The Bible also contains a much shorter and older narration of Creation, the so-called 'Yahvist' version, which approaches the subject from a completely different angle. They are both taken from Genesis, the first book of the Pentateuch or Torah. Moses is supposed to have been its author, but the text we have today has undergone many changes.

The sacerdotal narration of Genesis is famous for its whimsical genealogies, that go back to Adam, and which nobody takes very seriously. Nevertheless, such Gospel authors as Matthew and Luke have reproduced them, more or less word-for-word, in their genealogies of Jesus. Matthew goes back as far as Abraham, and Luke to Adam. These writings are scientifically unacceptable, because they set a date for the age of the world and the time humans appeared on Earth, which most definitely contradicts what modern science has firmly established. The Qur'an, on the other hand, is completely free of dates of this kind.

Earlier on, we noted how perfectly the Qur'an agrees with modern ideas on the formation of the Universe. On the other hand, the Biblical narration of primordial waters is hardly, nor is the creation of light on the first day before the creation of the stars which produce this light; the existence of an evening and a morning before the creation of the earth; the creation of the earth on the third day before that of the sun on the fourth; the appearance of beasts of the earth on the sixth day after the appearance of the birds of the air on the fifth day, although the former came first. All these statements are the result of beliefs prevalent at the time this text was written and do not have any other meaning.

Age of the Earth As for the Biblical genealogies which form the basis of the Jewish calendar and assert that today the world is 5738 years old, these are hardly admissible either. Our solar system may well be four and a quarter billion years old, and the appearance of human beings on earth, as we know him today, may be estimated in tens of thousands of years, if not more. It is absolutely essential, therefore, to note that the Qur'an does not contain any such indications as to the age of the world, and that these are specific to the Biblical text.

The Flood

There is a second highly significant subject of comparison between the Bible and the Qur'an; descriptions of the deluge. In actual fact, the Biblical narration is a fusion of two descriptions in which events are related differently. The Bible speaks of a universal flood and places it roughly 300 years before Abraham.

According to what we know of Abraham, this would imply a universal cataclysm around the twenty-first or twenty-second century BC This story would be untenable, in view of presently available historical data. How can we accept the idea that, in the twenty-first or twenty-second century BC, all civilization was wiped off the face of the earth by a universal cataclysm, when we know that this period corresponds, for example, to the one preceding the Middle Kingdom in Egypt, at roughly the date of the first Intermediary period before the eleventh dynasty? It is historically unacceptable to maintain that, at this time, humanity was totally wiped out. None of the preceding statements is acceptable according to modern knowledge. From this point of view, we can measure the enormous gap separating the Bible from the Qur'an.

In contrast to the Bible, the narration contained in the Qur'an deals with a cataclysm that is limited to Noah's people. They were punished for their sins, as were other ungodly peoples. The Qur'an does not fix the cataclysm in time. There are absolutely no historical or archaeological objections to the narration in the Qur'an.

The Pharaoh

31 A third point of comparison, which is extremely significant, is the story of Moses, and especially the Exodus from Egypt of the Hebrews. Here I can only give a highly compressed account of a study on this subject that appears in my book. I have noted the points where the Biblical and Qur'anic narrations agree and disagree, and I have found points where the two texts complement each other in a very useful way.

Among the many hypotheses, concerning the historical time-frame occupied by the Exodus in the history of the pharaohs, I have concluded that the most likely is the theory which makes Merneptah, Ramesses II's successor, the pharaoh of the Exodus. The comparison of the data contained in the Scriptures with archeological evidence strongly supports this hypothesis. I am pleased to be able to say that the Biblical narration contributes weighty evidence leading us to situate Moses in the history of the pharaohs. Moses was probably born during the reign of Ramesses II. Biblical data. are therefore of considerable historical value in the story of Moses. A medical study of the mummy of Merneptah has yielded further useful information on the p35 possible causes of this pharaoh's death. The fact that we possess the mummy of this pharaoh is one of paramount importance. The Bible records that pharaoh was engulfed in the sea, but does not give any details as to what subsequently became of his corpse. The Qur'an, in chapter Yoonus, notes that the body of the pharaoh would be saved from the waters:

"Today I will save your dead body so that you may be a sign for those who come after you." Qur'an, 10:92

A medical examination of this mummy, has, shown that the body could not have stayed in the water for long, because it does not show signs of deterioration due to prolonged submersion. Here again, the comparison between the narration in the Qur'an and the data provided by modern knowledge does not give rise to the slightest objection from a scientific point of view.

Such points of agreement are characteristic of the Qur'anic revelation. But, are we throwing the Judeo-Christian revelation into discredit and depriving it of all its intrinsic value by stressing the faults as seen from a scientific point of view? I think not because the criticism is not aimed at the text as a whole, but only at certain passages. There are parts of the Bible which have an undoubted historical value. I have shown that in my book, The Bible, The Qur'an and Science, where I discuss passages which enable us to locate Moses in time.

The main causes which brought about such differences as arise from the comparison between the Holy Scriptures and modern knowledge is known to modern scholars. The Old Testament constitutes a collection of literary works produced in the course of roughly nine centuries and which has undergone many alterations. The part played by men in the actual composition of the texts of the Bible is quite considerable.

The Qur'anic revelation, on the other hand, has a history which is radically different. As we have already seen, from the moment it was first commto humans, it was learnt by heart and written down during Muhammad's own lifetime. It is thanks to this fact that the Qur'an does not pose any problem of authenticity.

A totally objective examination of the Qur'an, in the light of modern knowledge, leads us to recognize the agreement between the two, as has already been noted on repeated occasions throughout this presentation.

It makes us deem it quite unthinkable for a man of Muhammad's time to have been the author of such statements, on account of the state of knowledge in his day. Such considerations are part of what gives the

32 Qur'anic revelation its unique place among religious and non-religious texts, and forces the impartial scientist to admit his inability to provide an explanation based solely upon materialistic reasoning.Such facts as I have had the pleasure of exposing to you here, appear to represent a genuine challenge to human explanation leaving only one alternative: the Qur'an is undoubtedly a revelation from God.

killing innocent human is a major sin in Islam & Islam is against terrorism.prophet Muhammad said no one has the right to burn anything only god has the right to burn someone which is in hell. love peace for all. may god bless &save us all. The basic belief of Islam:There is no god but allah. adam,abraham,moses,jesus& Mohammad were all messangers of one creater god allah.allah is uncomparable With no beganing& end.so allah is forever.he is 1 with no partner& no image & no gender.

 | What non Muslim scholars say about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) | |

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D uring the centuries of the crusades, all sorts of slanders were invented against the Prophet Muhammad (p)2. However, with the birth of the modern age, marked with religious tolerance and freedom of thought, there has been a great change in the approach of Western authors in their delineation of his life and character.

The West, however, has yet to go a step forward to

discover the greatest reality about Muhammad (p); that is his being the true and the last Prophet of God for all humanity.

Despite all its objectivity and enlightenment, there has been no sincere and objective attempt by the West to understand the Prophethood of Muhammad (p). It is so strange that very glowing tributes are paid to him for his integrity and achievement but his claim of being the Prophet of God is rejected explicitly or implicitly. It is here that a searching of the heart is required, and a review of the so-called objectivity is needed. The following glaring facts from the life of Muhammad (p) have been furnished to facilitate an unbiased, logical and objective decision regarding his Prophethood.

Up to the age of forty, Muhammad (p) was not known as a statesman, a preacher or an orator. He was never seen discussing the principles of metaphysics, ethics, law, politics, economics or sociology. No doubt he possessed an excellent character and charming manners and was known to be highly cultured. Yet there was nothing so deeply striking and so radically extraordinary in him that would make men expect something great and revolutionary from him in the future. But when he came out of the Cave of Hira, with a new message, he was completely transformed. .Is it possible for a person known to possess an upright and unblemished character, to suddenly turn an impostor. and claim to be the

33 Prophet of God?. It is well known that his claim invited the rage of his people, and marked the beginning of a long, arduous struggle. One might ask: .for what reason did he suffer all those hardships?His people offered to accept him as their King and to lay all the riches of the land at his feet if only he would leave the preaching of his message. But he turned down their alluring offers and continued to preach in the face of insults, social boycott and even physical assault. Furthermore, had he come with a design of rivalry with the Christians and the Jews, why should he have believed in Jesus Christ and Moses and other Prophets of God (peace be upon them), which is a basic requirement of faith without which no one could be a Muslim?

It is well known that Muhammad (p) was unlettered and had led a very uneventful life before he announced his mission to the world at the age of forty. Is it not an incontrovertible proof of his Prophethood, that despite being unlettered, all of Arabia stood in awe and wonder when he began preaching his message, and was bewitched by the wonderful eloquence of his message? The whole legion of Arab poets, preachers and orators of the highest caliber failed to bring forth the equivalent of the Qur.an, which remains inimitable to this day. And above all, how could he then pronounce truths of scientific nature contained in the Qur.an that no human being could possibly have discovered at that time

Last, but not the least, why did he lead a hard life even after gaining power and authority? The words he uttered while dying were: .We the community of the Prophets are not inherited. Whatever we leave is for charity.  
As a matter of fact, Muhammad (p), is the last link of Prophets sent in different lands and times since the beginning of the human life on earth.

If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astounding results are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare any great man in modern history with Muhammad? The most famous men created arms, laws and empires only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man moved not only armies, legislations, empires, peoples and dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of the then inhabited world; and more than that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and souls... His forbearance in victory, his ambition, which was entirely devoted to one idea and in no manner striving for an empire; his endless prayers, his mystic conversations with God, his death and his triumph after death; all these attest not to an impostor but to a firm conviction which gave him the power to restore a dogma. This dogma was twofold, the unity of God and the immateriality of God; the former telling what God is, the latter telling what God is not; the one overthrowing false gods with the sword, the other starting an idea with the words.

Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas, of a cult without images; the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man 34 greater than he?[Lamartine, Histoire de la Turquie, Paris 1854 Vol. II, pp. 276-77.]

It is not the propagation but the permanency of his religion that deserves our wonder; the same pure and perfect impression that he engraved at Mecca and Medina is preserved, after the revolutions of twelve centuries by the Indian, the African and the Turkish proselytes of the Koran... The Mahometans have uniformly withstood the temptation of reducing the object of their faith and devotion to a level with the senses and imagination of man. I believe in One God and Mahomet the Apostle of God., is the simple and invariable profession of Islam. The intellectual image of the Deity has never been degraded by any visible idol; the honors of the prophet have never transgressed the measure of human virtue; and his living precepts have restrained the gratitude of his disciples within the bounds of reason and religion.[Edward Gibbon and Simon Ocklay, History of the Saracen Empire, London 1870, p. 54.]

He was Caesar and Pope in one; but he was Pope without Popes pretensions, Caesar without the legions of Caesar: without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue; if ever any man had the right to say that he ruled by the right divine, it was Mohammad, for he had all the power without its instruments and without its supports.[Bosworth Smifu, Mohammad and Mohammadanism. London 1874, p. 92.]

.It is impossible for anyone who studies the life and character of the great Prophet of Arabia, who knows how he taught and how he lived, to feel anything but reverence for that mighty Prophet, one of the great messengers of the Supreme. And although in what I put to you I shall say many things which may be familiar to many, yet I myself feel whenever I re-read them, a new way of admiration, a new sense of reverence for that mighty Arabian teacher.[Annie Besant, The Life and Teachings of Muhammad, Madras 1932, p.4]

His readiness to undergo persecutions for his beliefs, the high moral character of the men who believed in him and looked up to him as leader, and the greatness of his ultimate achievement all argue his fundamental integrity. To suppose Muhammad an impostor raises more problems than it solves. Moreover, none of the great figures of history is so poorly appreciated in the West as Muhammad.[W. Montgomery, Mohammad at Mecca, Oxford, 1953, p. 52.]

Muhammad, the inspired man who founded Islam, was born about A.D. 570 into an Arabian tribe that worshipped idols. Orphaned at birth, he was always particularly solicitous of the poor and needy, the widow and the orphan, the slave and the downtrodden. At twenty he was already a successful businessman, and soon became director of camel caravans for a wealthy widow. When he reached twenty-five his employer, recognizing his merit, proposed marriage. Even though she was fifteen years older, he married her, and as long as she lived remained a devoted husband.

35 Like almost every major prophet before him, Muhammad fought shy of serving as the transmitter of God.s word, sensing his own inadequacy. But the angel commanded Read.. So far as we know, Muhammad was unable to read or write, but he began to dictate those inspired words which would soon revolutionize a large segment of the earth; .There is one God.

In all things Muhammad was profoundly practical. When his beloved son Ibrahim died, an eclipse occurred, and rumors of God.s personal condolence quickly arose. Whereupon Muhammad is said to have announced, An eclipse is a phenomenon of nature. It is foolish to attribute such things to the death or birth of a human being..

At Muhammad.s own death an attempt was made to deify him, but the man who was to become his administrative successor killed the hysteria with one of the noblest speeches in religious history: If there are any among you who worshipped Muhammad, he is dead. But if it is God you worshipped, He lives forever..  
[James A. Michener, Islam The Misunderstood Religion., In the Reader.s Digest (American Edition) for May 1955, pp. 68-70.]

[Source : WAMY3 Series on Islam]

1. The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History, New York: Hart Publishing Company, Inc., 1978, p. 33.  
2. (p) here stands for .peace be upon him3. World Assembly of Muslim Youth

Was prophet Jesus punished for other peoples sins:No,it was his enemy whose look was turned into the look & face of jesus.jesus was taken alive to heaven by God.jesus will come back and will die on this earth as a human & messenger of allah.from Adam to Moses to Jesus to Mohammad god sent all of them as messengers & they were all muslims.God is the most just .He never does unjust.Every one will be punished for their own sins.God will never punish Jesus or anyone for the sins of others because that's unjust & common sence.God is the most merciful he will forgive whoever he wishes to. But the sinner will have to ask for forgiveness ,beg for it & promise god to not to repeat it again & god will forgive. Pray to god:god you love forgiveness,you are the forgiver I'm a sinner so please forgive me. people judge people .Allah judges you by your heart. (Surah Al-Fatiha (The Opening) al Quran)In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds,The Beneficent, the Merciful.Owner of the Day of Judgment,Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) we ask for help.Guide us on the 36 straight path,  
The path of those whom Thou hast favored;Not (the path) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray.  
(1 : 1-7)

 |

What does Islam say about Terrorism?

|

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O ne of the distinctive characteristics of the times we live in is the overwhelming presence of violence in our societies.  
Whether it is a bomb going off in a market place, or the hijacking of an aircraft where innocent people are held at ransom to achieve political ends, we live in an age, where the manipulation and loss of innocent lives has become commonplace.  
Such is the all-pervasive nature of indiscriminate violence, that "terrorism" is considered as one of the prime threats to peace and security in our societies.

The word terrorism came into wide usage only a few decades ago. One of the unfortunate results of this new terminology is that it limits the definition of terrorism to that perpetrated by small groups or individuals. Terrorism, in fact, spans the entire world, and manifests itself in various forms. Its perpetrators do not fit any stereotype. Those who hold human lives cheap, and have the power to expend human lives, appear at different levels in our societies. The frustrated employee who kills his colleagues in cold-blood or the oppressed citizen of an occupied land who vents his anger by blowing up a school bus are terrorists who provoke our anger and revulsion. Ironically however, the politician who uses age-old ethnic animosities between peoples to consolidate his position, the head of state who orders "carpet bombing" of entire cities, the exalted councils that choke millions of civilians to death by wielding the insidious weapon of sanctions, are rarely punished for their crimes against humanity.  
It is this narrow definition of terrorism that implicates only individuals and groups, that has caused Muslims to be associated with acts of destruction and terror in the popular media. Often, the religion of Islam is held responsible for the acts of a

37 fringe minority among Muslims.  
Could it be possible that Islam, whose light ended the Dark Ages in Europe, now propound the advent of an age of terror? Could a faith that has over 1.2 billion followers the world over, and over 7 million in America, actually advocate the killing and maiming of innocent people? Could Islam, whose name itself stands for "peace" and "submission to God", encourage its adherents to work for death and destruction?

For too long, have we relied on stereotypical images in the news media and in Hollywood films, for answers to these pertinent questions. It is time now to look at the sources of Islam, and its history, to determine whether Islam does indeed advocate violence.

Sanctity of human life

The Glorious Qur'an says:  
"...take not life, which God hath made sacred, except by way of justice and law: thus doth He command you, that ye may learn wisdom." [Al-Qur'an 6:151]

Islam considers all life forms as sacred. However, the sanctity of human life is accorded a special place. The first and the foremost basic right of a human being is the right to live. The Glorious Qur'an says:  
"...if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people." [Al-Qur'an 5:32]

Such is the value of a single human life, that the Qur'an equates the taking of even one human life unjustly, with killing all of humanity. Thus, the Qur'an prohibits homicide in clear terms. The taking of a criminal's life by the state in order to administer justice is required to uphold the rule of law, and the peace and security of the society. Only a proper and competent court can decide whether an individual has forfeited his right to life by disregarding the right to life and peace of other human beings.

Ethics of WAR  
Even in a state of war, Islam enjoins that one deals with the enemy nobly on the battlefield. Islam has drawn a clear line of distinction between the combatants and the non-combatants of the enemy country. As far as the non-combatant population is concerned such as women, children, the old and the infirm, etc., the instructions of the Prophet are as follows: "Do not kill any old person, any child or any woman" [].

"Do not kill the monks in monasteries" or "Do not kill the people who are sitting in places of worship." []

During a war, the Prophet saw the corpse of a woman lying on the ground and

38 observed:  
"She was not fighting. How then she came to be killed?" Thus non-combatants are guaranteed security of life even if their state is at war with an Islamic state.

Jihad

JIHAD While Islam in general is misunderstood in the western world, perhaps no other Islamic term evokes such strong reactions as the word 'jihad'. The term 'jihad' has been much abused, to conjure up bizarre images of violent Muslims, forcing people to submit at the point of the sword. This myth was perpetuated throughout the centuries of mistrust during and after the Crusades. Unfortunately, it survives to this day.

The word Jihad comes from the root word jahada, which means to struggle. So jihad is literally an act of struggling, and this struggle can have various forms. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) referred to the struggle against the insidious suggestions of one's own soul as a form of jihad. Thus the inner struggle of being a person of virtue and submission to God in all aspects of life, is part of the essence of Islam.

Jihad also refers to struggle against injustice. Islam, like many other religions, allows for armed self-defense, or retribution against tyranny, exploitation, and oppression. The Glorious Qur'an says:  
"And why should ye not fight in the cause of God and of those who, being weak, are ill-treated (and oppressed)? - Men, women, and children, whose cry is: "Our Lord! Rescue us from this town, whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from thee one who will protect; and raise for us from thee one who will help!" [Al-Qur'an 4:75]

Thus Islam enjoins upon its believers to strive utmost, in purifying themselves, as well as in establishing peace and justice in the society. A Muslim can never be at rest while there is injustice and oppression around her. Martin Luther King Jr., quite aptly said:  
"We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people."

Islam enjoins upon all Muslims to work actively to maintain the balance in which God created everything. However, regardless of how legitimate the cause may be, the Glorious Qur'an categorically denounces the killing of innocent people. Terrorizing the civilian population, whether by small groups or by states, can never be termed as jihad and can never be reconciled with the teachings of Islam.

History of Tolerance

Even Western scholars have repudiated the myth of Muslims coercing others to convert. The great historian De Lacy O'Leary wrote:  
"History makes it clear, however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims, sweeping

39

through the world and forcing Islam at the point of sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myths that historians have ever repeated."[]

Muslims ruled Spain for roughly 800 years. During this time, and up until they were finally forced out, the non-Muslims there were alive and flourishing. Additionally, Christian and Jewish minorities have survived in the Muslim lands of the Middle East for centuries. Countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan all have significant Christian and/or Jewish populations. This is not surprising to a Muslim, for his faith prohibits him from forcing others to see his point of view. The Glorious Qur'an says:  
"Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in God hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And God heareth and knoweth all things." [Al-Qur'an 2:256]

Islam- The Great Unifier   
Far from being a militant dogma, Islam is a way of life that transcends race and ethnicity. The Glorious Qur'an repeatedly reminds us of our common origin:  
"O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)." [Al-Qur'an 49:13]

Thus, it is the universality of its teachings that makes Islam the fastest growing religion in the world. In a world full of conflicts and deep schisms between human beings, a world that is threatened with terrorism, perpetrated by individuals and states, Islam is a beacon of light that offers hope for the future.

1 Narrated in the collection of traditions of Abu Dawud,  
2. Narrated in the Musnad of Imam Ibn Hanbal,  
3. Islam At Crossroads, London, 1923, pg. 8

Also visit <http://www.islamtomorrow.com/women/rights.asp>

womens rights in islam check that website out its awsome

www.whyislam.org

 Women in Islam

877-WHY-ISLAM Brochure

Oppressed, inferior, and unequal – for many people, these are the first words that come to mind when thinking about women in Islam. These stereotypes confuse Islam with cultural practices and fail to

40 recognize that Islam has empowered women with the most progressive rights since the 7th century. In Islam, women are not inferior or unequal to men. This brochure presents the actual teachings of Islam regarding the rights, roles, and responsibilities of women, with a special focus on gender equality in Islam.

At a time when female children were buried alive inArabiaand women were considered transferable property, Islam honored women in society by elevating them and protecting them with unprecedented rights. Islam gave women the right to education, to marry someone of their choice, to retain their identity after marriage, to divorce, to work, to own and sell property, to seek protection by the law, to vote, and to participate in civic and political engagement.

In 610 C.E., God began to reveal the message of Islam to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him (pbuh), inMecca. Muhammad (pbuh) called people towards the belief in one God and encouraged them to be just and merciful to one another. In reforming the pagan Arab society, he particularly transformed their mindset regarding the treatment of women. Islam abolished the practice of killing female children and raised the stature of women in society to one of dignity, esteem, and privilege.

God devotes an entire chapter of the Quran, the holy book of Islam, to women. In addition, God directly addresses women repeatedly throughout the Quran. Islam proclaims that all human beings, men and women, are born in a pure state. The goal of every Muslim is to preserve this purity by shunning evil tendencies and beautifying their inner being with virtuous traits.

Islam further confirms that both men and women are equal in the sight of God. In the Quran, God declares, "...Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you..." (49:13) At another place in the Quran, God clearly states that all humans are equal: "To whoever, male or female, does good deeds and has faith, We shall give a good life and reward them according to the best of their actions." (16:97)

While Islam clearly establishes that men and women are equal, it does recognize that they are not identical. God created men and women with unique physiological and psychological attributes. In Islam, these differences are embraced as vital components to a healthy family and community structure with each individual contributing their own distinctive talents to society.

Hence, God's rules apply to both genders, but in diverse ways. For example, God commanded women to cover certain parts of their body, including their hair, to preserve their modesty. Men are also required to cover parts of their body out of modesty, but not in the same way as women. Therefore, God commanded both men and women to be modest; yet, the manner in which they observe it is different.

Similarly, the rights, roles, and responsibilities of women are evenly balanced with those of men but are not necessarily the same. As Islam has granted individual identities to men and women, a constant comparison between the two is futile. Each plays a unique role to mutually uphold social morality and societal balance.

The following overview details a wide range of women's rights in Islam. It addresses some common misconceptions and provides insight into the diverse roles and responsibilities women fulfill in society. It must also be mentioned here that Muslims are not always representative of Islam and may follow their cultural influences or personal interests. In so doing, they not only disenfranchise women, they also go against the clear guidelines laid out in Islam regarding the treatment of women. Therefore, their practices go against the liberties and entitlements which Islam empowers women with, as shown below.

41

Education

Back in the 7th century, Muhammad (pbuh) declared that the pursuit of knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim – male and female. This declaration was very clear and was largely implemented by Muslims throughout history. One of the most influential scholars of Islam was Muhammad's wife, Aisha. After his death, men and women would travel to learn from her because she was considered a great scholar of Islam. The recognition of female scholarship and women's participation in academia has been encouraged and practiced throughout the majority of Islamic history. For instance, al-Qarawiyin Mosque and University, the oldest running university, was funded by a woman, Fatima al-Fihri, inMorocco in 859 C.E.

Motherhood

In Islam, God clearly gives mothers a high status and elevates their position in the family. In the Quran, God mentions all the sacrifices mothers make in bearing children to remind people to treat their mothers with love, respect, and care. Emphasizing the importance of mothers, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, "Heaven lies under the feet of your mother."

On another occasion, a man repeatedly asked Muhammad (pbuh), "Who amongst the people is the most worthy of my good companionship?" Each time, the Prophet (pbuh) replied, "Your mother." When the man asked for the fourth time, he replied, "Your father."

Politics and Social Services

Among the early Muslims, women were active participants in the cohesive functioning of the society. Women expressed their opinions freely and their advice was actively sought. Women nursed the wounded during battles, and some even participated on the battlefield. Women traded openly in the marketplace, so much so that the second caliph, Umar, appointed a woman, Shaffa bint Abdullah, as the supervisor of the bazaar.

In Islamic history, women participated in government, public affairs, lawmaking, scholarship, and teaching. To continue to uphold this tradition, women are encouraged to actively participate in improving, serving, and leading the different aspects of the community.

Inheritance

Before Islam, women all across the globe were deprived of inheritance and were themselves considered property to be inherited by men. Islam gave women the right to own property and inherit from relatives, which was a revolutionary concept in the seventh century.

Whether a woman is a wife, mother, sister, or daughter, she receives a certain share of her deceased relative's property. This share depends on her degree of relationship to the deceased and the number of heirs. While many societies around the world denied women inheritance, Islam assured women this right, illustrating the universal justice of Islam's divine law.

Financial Responsibilities

42 In Islam, women are not obligated to earn or spend any money on housing, food, or general expenses. If a woman is married, her husband must fully support her financially and if she's not married, that responsibility belongs to her closest male relative (father, brother, uncle, etc).

She also has the right to work and spend the money she earns as she wishes. She has no obligation to share her money with her husband or any other family members, although she may choose to do so out of good will. For instance, Khadija, the wife of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), was one of the most successful businesswomen ofMecca, and she freely spent from her wealth to support her husband and the cause of Islam.

At the time of marriage, a woman is entitled to a financial gift (dowry) from her husband.

This dowry is legally owned by her and cannot be used by anyone else. In the case of divorce, she has the right to keep whatever she owned before the divorce and anything she personally earned after marriage. The former husband has no right whatsoever to any of her belongings. This ensures a woman's financial security and independence, allowing her to support herself in the case of divorce.

Marriage

A woman has the right to accept or reject marriage proposals and her approval is required to complete the marriage contract. She cannot be forced to marry someone against her will and if this occurs for cultural reasons, it is in direct opposition of Islam. By the same principle, women also have the right to seek divorce if they are dissatisfied with their marriage.

In Islam, marriage is based on mutual peace, love, and compassion. God says about Himself, "And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy..." (Quran 30:21) Muhammad (pbuh) embodied the best character and is a role model for all Muslims. His example of being helpful around the household and treating his family with compassion and love is a tradition that Muslims strive to implement in their daily lives. Muhammad (pbuh) treated his wives with the utmost respect and honor and was never abusive towards them. One of his traditions clearly states, "The best of you are those who are best to their wives."

Dignity and Protection from Harm

Any form of emotional, physical, or psychological abuse is prohibited in Islam and the improper treatment of women is no exception to this rule. Indeed, there is no teaching in Islam, when studied in its complete context, which condones any kind of domestic violence. Islam clearly disallows any form of oppression or abuse, according to Dr. Zainab Alwani, a leading female Muslim scholar. It cannot be stated enough times that anyone who exercises unjust authority in the name of Islam is actually doing so to uphold their own cultural influences or personal interests. All of God's creation is dignified and protected under Islamic law.

Modesty

In an environment which constantly emphasizes the physical form through various media, women are constantly faced with an unattainable standard of beauty. Although Muslim women are falsely classified as oppressed based on their modest dress, they are in fact liberated from such objectification by the society around them. This modest appearance, which includes veiling, highlights a woman's personality and character instead of her physical figure and promotes a deeper appreciation for who she is as a

43 person. In this regard, Muslim women identify with Mary, the mother of Jesus (pbuh), who is known for her piety and modesty.

***

In conclusion, Islam has an extensive tradition of protecting the civil liberties of women based on the guidelines set forth by God and His Prophet. Women are empowered with many rights and protections under Islamic law and are honored with a dignified stature in society.

**Quran is not a copy** of anything & there is no evidence to say such. Statements in Quran are against torah & bible.Torah & bible has so many errors. & according to science 80%of Quran matches with science &other 20%of Quran science doesn't have answers maybe it will take couple of hundred years to find out for sciense. Acording to historians original bible doesn't exist anymore. According to Islam torah&bible were books of Allah but humans have destroyed their originality. So Quran is the last &final word of god Allah &Muhammad is the last&final messenger of Allah. Quran is not copy of anything and its 100% word of god in Islam. According to science torah &bibles statements have errors &Qurans statements are accurate &word of god is accurate.

Question: why women can't have 4 husbands?

Answer: If a man has 4 wives &they have a child there would be 1father&that's the husband only. If a woman has 4 husbands &she gives birth it would be confusing to know who is father out of 4.But now with DNA test you can find out. And suddenly all 4 wives want to be a mom. They can go to 1 husband make love, wait couple of more months &finally give birth of their childs.In the same time 4 husbands want to have their own baby with 1 wife & only she can give birth the husbands can't give birth &they don't want their baby in a test tube or other women to give birth except their own married wife. Now they will either kill each other to have 1 to make love with his wife or divorce her or leave her forever or even worst rape & kill her simply creating the most dangerous situation. A man is allowed to marry up to 4 only not 5 or 6.First the rule is to marry only 1 & then if he can do justice&treat all 4 100% equally and of course take her all responsibility meaning can effort her 100% only then he can marry upto 4.Prophet Muhammad said the best of man is the 1 who is the best to his wife. A man asked the prophet who should I do the most favor to 1st he replied your mother the man asked 2nd he replied your mother man asked 3rd he replied your mother, man asked for 4th time he replied your father. The mother has 3times more right then the father. He also said the heaven is in beneath the foot of your mother. A wife's heaven is beneath the foot of her husband. In Quran it says men are like the clothes to their wives &wives are like the clothes to their husbands. It means they are both equal to Allah god even their physical shapes & purpose are different. & clothes were very important things in that time &still are. It's a grace a mercy & a blessing of god Allah that women can give birth and be a mother which man can never do or earn that right & respect &position of a woman in Islam. But in Christianity and Judaism giving birth and having the monthly period or menses was seen as a punishment &a curse from god. In the past they even dared to ask if a woman had a soul? Again the maximum wives a man can have are 4 not anymore. The bible has no restrictions on how many wives or husbands can a person have it's the

44

church's decision to have 1husband&1wife.In Islam a woman can have only 1 husband. For more information search in Google by your own self &believe in the evidence from god the holy Quran which provides peace &protection for humanity. May Allah guide&protect all.No hate only love peace&godbless for all.

1) www.answering-christianity.com

2)www.islamtomorrow.com 3)http://www.irf.net/irf/comparativereligion/index.htm

3)www.irfny.com 4)www.peacetv.tv 5)www.whyislam.org

Mistakes in the Torah proved by the discoveries of

modern science

The Torah has many verses, which contradict modern scientific facts.

These contradictions indicate that the Torah is not the word of Allah

(S.W.) who is far from errors and ignorance of science facts that man

discovered later. Allah (S.W.), the Omniscient, would not tell in his

book except the truth. He has a complete perfect knowledge of every

thing in the universe.

\- The Torah mentions the story of the creation in Genesis, where it

talks about the creation of the universe in six earthly days consisting

of mornings and evenings.

According to the biblical order, on the first day, He created the earth,

the light, the darkness, and the water. On the second day, He created

the sky when He put a firmament between water and water, and on

the third day, the water gathered under the firmament, the land

appeared and the herbs and grass grew.

On the fourth day, He created the sun, the moon, and the stars that

above the firmament (the sky), and on the fifth day, He created the

marine animals and the birds. On the sixth day, He created Adam

and the wild animals, and finished the creation on that day. (See

Genesis 1: 1 - 31)

Scientists note that the order and the directing of the story of the

beginning of the universe are rejected by modern science that Allah

(S.W.) gave to humanity. If these books were from Allah (S.W.), they

would not contain these continuous errors.

Genesis talks about six earthly days consisting of days and nights

(And there was evening and there was morning), and the

seventh day was the Sabbath, on which the Creator rested (God

Almighty is far above that). It is well known scientifically that the

creation of the universal happened during periods of millions of years.

Allah (S.W.) is right when He mentions in the Holy Quran the

difference between His days and human days. "Verily, a Day in the

45 sight of thy Lord is like a thousand years of your reckoning."

(Holy Quran, Surah 22, Al-Hajj – 47)

Scientists say that the Earth's surface took millions of years to cool

down and became suitable for living. Genesis says that the water

appeared on earth on its first day, then the appearance of the plants

on its third, and the animals on the fourth and the fifth days.

The biblical order of the appearance of the creations contradicts the

findings of geologic history. The presence of water on the face of the

earth on the first day contradicts the scientific theory that the earth

and the universe were gas at the beginning of creation. In addition,

the plants cannot appear before the existence of the sun, and the

marine animals and birds were not before wild animals.

Scientifically, saying that the creation of the earth was before the

creation of the sun and the stars (on the fourth day) is wrong.

Moreover, the appearance of the night and the day for three days,

without the sun is surprising!

In addition, saying that the appearance of plants was three days

before man is wrong. Scientific discoveries tell us that the presence

of vegetations was millions of years before the presence of man. The

majority of the objections about this story of creation are in father

Devoux's criticism of Genesis.

\- Among the scientific observations on the Torah, is that it speaks at

length about the age of the founding fathers from Adam to Abraham.

It makes the birth of Abraham in the twentieth century from the

beginning of human existence on earth, specifically in the year1948

of the creation of the universe and the appearance of man on earth.

There is no historical accurate information about the period between

Abraham and Jesus, but historians estimated it to be eighteen

centuries, depending on the biblical sources. Therefore, the

appearance of Christ was thirty-eight centuries after the creation of

Adam.

1 - The Torah, the Gospel, and the Quran and Science, Maurice Bocaille , pp 44 – 51, A study on the Torah

and the Gospel, Kamel Saafan, pp179, Readings in the Holy Bible, Abderrahim Mohamad, Vol.2, pp 182 -

183

According to the Hebrew date, the year (2000) is equal to the year

5761 of the creation of the universe; therefore, the biblical information

makes human life on earth no more than six thousand years.

This contradicts the scientific data, which consider the biblical

Informations are full of errors or written by men not God.

Science has proved the

existence of civilizations five thousand years before the birth of

Jesus.

Archaeologists believe that there was a bloody war between the north

and the south of Egypt in 4042 BCE, and won by the people of the

Egyptian Delta. However, their victory was not decisive, as the

Egyptian civilization recorded history started with the first family,

which ruled Egypt between 3400 to 3200 BCE, and there is much that

that had not been recorded.

Archaeologists also found human-made things that belong to more

46 than five thousand years BCE, and the mission of Cairo University

found traces of humans in the Fayoum region belong to tens of

thousands of earlier years.

Encyclopedia Britannica states that the human traces in Palestine

belong to two hundred thousand years. Donald Jean said in 1979,

"The human presence on earth was four million years ago".

Allah (S.W.) is right when He affirms in the Holy Quran that humanity

started long centuries ago. "(Pharaoh) said: "What then is the

condition of previous generations?" He replied: "The knowledge

of that is with my Lord, duly recorded: my Lord never errs, nor

forgets." (Holy Quran, Surah 20, Ta Ha – 51 - 52) "As also 'Ad and

Thamud, and the Companions of the Rass, and many a

generation between them." (Holy Quran, Surah 25, Al Furqan – 38)

"Has not the story reached you, (O people!), of those who (went)

before you of the people of Noah, and 'Ad, and Thamud? - And

of those who (came) after them? None knows them but Allah."

(Holy Quran, Surah 14, Ibrahim – 38)

2 - The Torah, the Gospel, and the Quran and Science, Maurice Bocaille , pp 20, A study on the Torah and

the Gospel, Kamel Saafan, pp179

\- In addition, there are many things the Torah mentions that are

contrary to the scientifically well established facts. It mentions that the

rabbit is one of the ruminant animals! It says, "Nevertheless these

ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that

have the hoof cloven: the camel, and the hare, and the

coney; because they chew the cud but part not the hoof,

they are unclean unto you" (Deuteronomy 14: 7)

\- It also mentions that the serpent was punished by eating or licking

the soil, (See Genesis 3:14), as in the Book of Micah. "They shall

lick the dust like a serpent; like crawling things of the

earth" (Micah 7: 17) All types of snakes that scientifically classified

eat insects and reptiles and others, they never eat or lick soil.

\- Leviticus speaks of legendary birds that have four legs - some leap,

and some walk -, which do not exist except in legendary fiction. It

says, "All winged creeping things that go upon all fours are

an abomination unto you. Yet these may ye eat of all

winged creeping things that go upon all fours, which have

legs above their feet, wherewith to leap upon the earth.

Even these of them ye may eat... But all winged creeping

things, which have four feet, are an abomination unto

you." (Leviticus 11: 20-23) No archaeological reports or other

information states that something like this was on the face of earth

one day.

\- Among the scientific errors also is what the Book of Genesis

mentions (30: 37-43). It claims that Jacob's sheep produced, and the

color of the production was different from the color of the parents. He

prepared some rods of fresh poplar and almond and pealed white

streaks on them. Seeing these peeled rods, the sheep craved, and

brought forth ring streaked, speckled, and spotted sheep. If this was

true, the sheep's production in spring would be green, but this

47 mistake is man made errors & is contrary to what scientists

know about genes and genetic codes.so, it can't be word of the lord.

\- The Book of Genesis mentions the strangest birth story, namely the

story of Tamar, the adulterous, delivering the twins from Judas, her

father-in-law and the father of her husbands. "And it came to pass

in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her

womb. And it came to pass, when she travailed, that one

put out a hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his

hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.

And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that,

behold, his brother came out: and she said, Wherefore hast

thou made a breach for thyself? Therefore his name was

called Perez. And afterward came out his brother, that had

the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called

Zerah" (Genesis 38: 27-30) The first-born put his hand out of his

mother's womb, which is unusual during the birth process. However,

the baby wanted to affirm his right of being the first-born child, and

the midwife understood him, and bound upon his hand a scarlet

thread.

Then a stranger thing, which medical theories cannot explain,

happened. The first-born gave a space so his twin brother so he

could come out into the world, and then he (whom his hand had a

scarlet thread) followed him. This story cannot be accepted

scientifically, and append it to the stories of the elderly better than

append it to Allah's (S.W.) word and revelation.

\- The Book of Job gives a strange vision of the creation of the fetus. It

is poured in a template as pouring milk, then clots in the middle of this

template, as the clotting milk transformed into cheese. This has

nothing to do whatsoever with what scientists know about the stages

of the creation of the fetus.

Addressing Allah (S.W.), the Book of Job says, "Remember, I

beseech thee, that thou hast fashioned me as clay; And wilt

thou bring me into dust again? Hast thou not poured me

out as milk, And curdled me like cheese? Thou hast clothed

me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones

and sinews." (Job 10: 9 -11)

\- The Torah claims that the earth has pillars, has corners, and it is

flat, approving the scientific mainstream during the time of the writing.

It says, "The sun also arises, and the sun goes down, and

haste to its place where it arises." (Ecclesiastes 1: 5) The writer

did not know neither that the earth is spherical, nor that it spins on its

axis to create the sunrise and sunset.

The author of that verse was not Allah (S.W.) the Omniscient, who

says, "He created the heavens and the earth in true

(proportions): He makes the Night overlap the Day, and the Day

overlap the Night: He has subjected the sun and the moon (to

His law)" (Holy Quran, Surah 39, Az-Zumar – 5)

Describing Allah (S.W.), the Torah says that He is "That shaketh

the earth out of its place, And the pillars thereof tremble".

(Job 9: 6) The holy books' writers confirmed this misconception. They

claimed that Allah (S.W.) said to Job, "Where were you when I

48 put the earth on its base? Say, if you have knowledge. By

whom were its measures fixed? Say, if you have wisdom;

or by whom was the line stretched out over it? On what

were its pillars based, or who laid its corner-stone" (Job 38:

4-6), and the Book of Samuel says. "For the pillars of the earth

are Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them." (1Samuel

2: 8).

The New Testament confirms this naive and wrong perception of the

earth; it is flat, with pillars, and with four corners, in some verses,

which I will mention them in their place of this series.

Ecclesiastes speaks about the water cycle on earth and why the sea

would not be full, although much water is poured into it from rivers. It

mentions that the seawater goes back again to the springs of the

rivers, so the sea would not be full. It says, "All the rivers run

into the sea, yet the sea doth not overflow: unto the place

from whence the rivers come, they return, to flow again ".

(Ecclesiastes 1: 7)

Finally, the Torah ratifies that humans have the ability of bringing the

souls of the dead, and tells that this actually happened. The sorcerer

was able to bring Prophet Samuel's spirit to King Saul, and explained

the talk between them. (See1Samuel 28: 3-20) This is close to

witchcraft and myth more than anything else.

These errors and others testify that this book is not the word of Allah

(S.W.), if it is from Allah (S.W.) it would not contain these errors,

which today's young students know, let alone the scientists. The word

of Allah (S.W.) does not err, nor teach people lies or error.

Surah 19 - Maryam MARY

019.001 Kaf, Ha, Ya, 'Ain, Sad. 019.002 (This is) a recital of the Mercy of thy Lord to His servant Zakariya. 019.003 Behold! he cried to his Lord in secret, 019.004 Praying: "O my Lord! infirm indeed are my bones, and the hair of my head doth glisten with grey: but never am I unblest, O my Lord, in my prayer to Thee! 019.005 "Now I fear (what) my relatives (and colleagues) (will do) after me: but my wife is barren: so give me an heir as from Thyself,-

019.006 "(One that) will (truly) represent me, and represent the posterity of Jacob; and make him, O my Lord! one with whom Thou art well-pleased!" 019.007 (His prayer was answered): "O Zakariya! We give thee good news of a son: His name shall be Yahya: on none by that name have We conferred distinction before." 019.008 He said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son, when my wife is barren and I have grown quite decrepit from old age?" 019.009 He said: "So (it will be) thy Lord saith, 'that is easy for Me: I did indeed create thee before, when thou hadst been nothing!'" 019.010 (Zakariya) said: "O my Lord! give me a Sign." "Thy Sign," was the answer, "Shall be that thou shalt speak to no man for three nights, although thou art not dumb." 019.011 So Zakariya came out to his people from his chamber: He told them by signs to celebrate God's praises in the 49 morning and in the evening. 019.012 (To his son came the command): "O Yahya! take hold of the Book with might": and We gave him Wisdom even as a youth, 019.013 And pity (for all creatures) as from Us, and purity: He was devout, 019.014 And kind to his parents, and he was not overbearing or rebellious. 019.015 So Peace on him the day he was born, the day that he dies, and the day that he will be raised up to life (again)! 019.016 Relate in the Book (the story of) Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place in the East. 019.017 She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects. 019.018 She said: "I seek refuge from thee to (God) Most Gracious: (come not near) if thou dost fear God." 019.019 He said: "Nay, I am only a messenger from thy Lord, (to announce) to thee the gift of a holy son. 019.020 She said: "How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste?" 019.021 He said: "So (it will be): Thy Lord saith, 'that is easy for Me: and (We wish) to appoint him as a Sign unto men and a Mercy from Us':It is a matter (so) decreed." 019.022 So she conceived him, and she retired with him to a remote place. 019.023 And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree: She cried (in her anguish): "Ah! would that I had died before this! would that I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight!" 019.024 But (a voice) cried to her from beneath the (palm-tree): "Grieve not! for thy Lord hath provided a rivulet beneath thee; 019.025 "And shake towards thyself the trunk of the palm-tree: It will let fall fresh ripe dates upon thee. 019.026 "So eat and drink and cool (thine) eye. And if thou dost see any man, say, 'I have vowed a fast to (God) Most Gracious, and this day will I enter into not talk with any human being'" 019.027 At length she brought the (babe) to her people, carrying him (in her arms). They said: "O Mary! truly an amazing thing hast thou brought! 019.028 "O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a man of evil, nor thy mother a woman unchaste!" 019.029 But she pointed to the babe. They said: "How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?" 019.030 He said: "I am indeed a servant of God: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet; 019.031 "And He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, and hath enjoined on me Prayer and Charity as long as I live; 019.032 "(He) hath made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable; 019.033 "So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)"! 019.034 Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary: (it is) a statement of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute. 019.035 It is not befitting to (the majesty of) God that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! when He determines a matter, He only says to it, "Be", and it is. 019.036 Verily God is my Lord and your Lord: Him therefore serve ye: this is a Way that is straight. 019.037 But the sects differ among themselves: and woe to the unbelievers because of the (coming) Judgment of a Momentous Day! 019.038 How plainly will they see and hear, the Day that they will appear before Us! but the unjust today are in error manifest! 019.039 But warn them of the Day of Distress, when the matter will be determined: for (behold,) they are negligent and they do not believe! 019.040 It is We Who will inherit the earth, and all beings thereon: to Us 50 will they all be returned. 019.041 (Also) mention in the Book (the story of) Abraham: He was a man of Truth, a prophet. 019.042 Behold, he said to his father: "O my father! why worship that which heareth not and seeth not, and can profit thee nothing? 019.043 "O my father! to me hath come knowledge which hath not reached thee: so follow me: I will guide thee to a way that is even and straight. 019.044 "O my father! serve not Satan: for Satan is a rebel against (God) Most Gracious. 019.045 "O my father! I fear lest a Penalty afflict thee from (God) Most Gracious, so that thou become to Satan a friend." 019.046 (The father) replied: "Dost thou hate my gods, O Abraham? If thou forbear not, I will indeed stone thee: Now get away from me for a good long while!" 019.047 Abraham said: "Peace be on thee: I will pray to my Lord for thy forgiveness: for He is to me Most Gracious. 019.048 "And I will turn away from you (all) and from those whom ye invoke besides God: I will call on my Lord: perhaps, by my prayer to my Lord, I shall be not unblest." 019.049 When he had turned away from them and from those whom they worshipped besides God, We bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob, and each one of them We made a prophet. 019.050 And We bestowed of Our Mercy on them, and We granted them lofty honour on the tongue of truth. 019.051 Also mention in the Book (the story of) Moses: for he was specially chosen, and he was a messenger (and) a prophet. 019.052 And we called him from the right side of Mount (Sinai), and made him draw near to Us, for mystic (converse). 019.053 And, out of Our Mercy, We gave him his brother Aaron, (also) a prophet. 019.054 Also mention in the Book (the story of) Isma'il: He was (strictly) true to what he promised, and he was a messenger (and) a prophet. 019.055 He used to enjoin on his people Prayer and Charity, and he was most acceptable in the sight of his Lord. 019.056 Also mention in the Book the case of Idris: He was a man of truth (and sincerity), (and) a prophet: 019.057 And We raised him to a lofty station. 019.058 Those were some of the prophets on whom God did bestow His Grace,- of the posterity of Adam, and of those who We carried (in the Ark) with Noah, and of the posterity of Abraham and Israel of those whom We guided and chose. Whenever the Signs of (God) Most Gracious were rehearsed to them, they would fall down in prostrate adoration and in tears. 019.059 But after them there followed a posterity who missed prayers and followed after lusts soon, then, will they face Destruction,- 019.060 Except those who repent and believe, and work righteousness: for these will enter the Garden and will not be wronged in the least,- 019.061 Gardens of Eternity, those which (God) Most Gracious has promised to His servants in the Unseen: for His promise must (necessarily) come to pass. 019.062 They will not there hear any vain discourse, but only salutations of Peace: And they will have therein their sustenance, morning and evening. 019.063 Such is the Garden which We give as an inheritance to those of Our servants who guard against Evil. 019.064 (The angels say:) "We descend not but by command of thy Lord: to Him belongeth what is before us and what is behind us, and what is between: and thy Lord never doth forget,- 019.065 "Lord of the heavens and of the earth, and of all that is between them; so worship Him, and be constant and patient in His worship:

51 knowest thou of any who is worthy of the same Name as He?" 019.066 Man says: "What! When I am dead, shall I then be raised up alive?" 019.067 But does not man call to mind that We created him before out of nothing? 019.068 So, by thy Lord, without doubt, We shall gather them together, and (also) the Evil Ones (with them); then shall We bring them forth on their knees round about Hell; 019.069 Then shall We certainly drag out from every sect all those who were worst in obstinate rebellion against (God) Most Gracious. 019.070 And certainly We know best those who are most worthy of being burned therein. 019.071 Not one of you but will pass over it: this is, with thy Lord, a Decree which must be accomplished. 019.072 But We shall save those who guarded against evil, and We shall leave the wrong-doers therein, (humbled) to their knees. 019.073 When Our Clear Signs are rehearsed to them, the Unbelievers say to those who believe, "Which of the two sides is best in point of position? Which makes the best show in council?" 019.074 But how many (countless) generations before them have we destroyed, who were even better in equipment and in glitter to the eye? 019.075 Say: "If any men go astray, (God) Most Gracious extends (the rope) to them, until, when they see the warning of God (being fulfilled) - either in punishment or in (the approach of) the Hour,- they will at length realise who is worst in position, and (who) weaker in forces! 019.076 "And God doth advance in guidance those who seek guidance: and the things that endure, Good Deeds, are best in the sight of thy Lord, as rewards, and best in respect of (their) eventual return." 019.077 Hast thou then seen the (sort of) man who rejects Our Signs, yet says: "I shall certainly be given wealth and children?" 019.078 Has he penetrated to the Unseen, or has he taken a contract with (God) Most Gracious? 019.079 Nay! We shall record what he says, and We shall add and add to his punishment. 019.080 To Us shall return all that he talks of and he shall appear before Us bare and alone. 019.081 And they have taken (for worship) gods other than God, to give them power and glory! 019.082 Instead, they shall reject their worship, and become adversaries against them. 019.083 Seest thou not that We have set the Evil Ones on against the unbelievers, to incite them with fury? 019.084 So make no haste against them, for We but count out to them a (limited) number (of days). 019.085 The day We shall gather the righteous to (God) Most Gracious, like a band presented before a king for honours, 019.086 And We shall drive the sinners to Hell, like thirsty cattle driven down to water,- 019.087 None shall have the power of intercession, but such a one as has received permission (or promise) from (God) Most Gracious. 019.088 They say: "(God) Most Gracious has begotten a son!" 019.089 Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous! 019.090 As if the skies are ready to burst, the earth to split asunder, and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin. 019.091 That they should invoke a son for (God) Most Gracious. 019.092 For it is not consonant with the majesty of (God) Most Gracious that He should beget a son. 019.093 Not one of the beings in the heavens and the earth but must come to (God) Most Gracious as a servant. 019.094 He does take an account of them (all), and hath numbered them (all) exactly. 019.095 And everyone of them will come to 52 Him singly on the Day of Judgment. 019.096 On those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, will (God) Most Gracious bestow love. 019.097 So have We made the (Qur'an) easy in thine own tongue, that with it thou mayest give Glad Tidings to the righteous, and warnings to people given to contention. 019.098 But how many (countless) generations before them have We destroyed? Canst thou find a single one of them (now) or hear (so much as) a whisper of them?Al-Quran

Unleashing the Treasures of Islam

(Please review these questions, it might sound offensive but it's a way to reveal the truth if you really believe in God read the Quran and bible and ask these questions to the church, priests & your self so you can find out what is truth about God & what are against the truth from God.Dont get emotional or angry but think with cool brain what is really real & the only truth of God. Dare to explore, dare to ask & dare to know. God is truth & truth is above all.Faisal)

  By Abdalla S. Alothman

101 Proofs that the Quran is Not Copied from the Bible

53 In the Name of Allah,  
the Most Compassionate,  
the Ever Merciful

{Do they not then think deeply in the Qur'ân, or are their hearts locked up (from understanding it)?} [Quran 47:24]

{Nay, We fling (send down) the truth (this Qur'ân) against the falsehood (disbelief), so it destroys it, and behold, it (falsehood) is vanished. And woe to you for that (lie) which you ascribe (to Us)}. [Quran 21:18]

Time and time again, we Muslims have to endure accusations that our Qur'an is copied from the  Bible. Below are 101 proofs that makes it impossible for the Qur'an to be copied from the Bible.

1 - Who was created first, Adam or Satan? The Quran says Satan, the Bible doesn't say anything.

2 - Who was created first, Adam or the Angles? The Quran says the Angels, the Bible doesn't say anything.

3 - Why doesn't the Bible mention that Noah had two wives, one was disobedient, and she died. And another which was saved.

4 - Why does the Bible say that Noah's ark is in Ararat but it was discovered in Al-Judyy, as the Quran says so?

5 - Why does the Bible say that God afflicted women for Eve's sin, and the Quran doesn't tell us such thing.

6 - Where does the Bible tell us about the story of Aad and Thamood ? The town of Thamoud has been discovered in Saudi Arabia–it's located in a place called Mada-in Saleh. And recently, the town of Aad has been discovered with the help of NASA's satellites. Check the link : <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ubar/>

7 - Where does the Bible mention Prophet Saleh ?

8 - Where does the Bible mention Prophet Huud ?

9 - Where does the Bible mention Prophet Shu'ayb ?

54 10 - Where does the Bible refer to Al-Khidr ?

11 - Where does the Bible mention Luqmaan ?

12 - Why doesn't the Bible mention the story of the Cow that happened between Moses and the Jews.

13 - Where do you find in the Quran any reference to Hosea, Malachi, Micha, Jude, Nahum, Nehemiah, Obadaiah, Esther, Joel, Ruth, etc ?

14 - Why doesn't the Bible mention the story of Thul-Qarnayn.

15 - Why doesn't the Bible mention the story of the People of the Cave?.

16 - Why doesn't the Bible mention the story of Antioch in Surat Yasin?.

17 - Why does the Bible say that Jesus was crucified, and the Quran says that he was saved?

18 - Why does the Bible say that Abraham sacrificed his only begotten son, Isaac, and forgets that he had another son called Ishamael, who is older than Isaac?.

19 - Regarding the dream Joseph had in Genesis 37, why is it fulfilled in the Quran and not fulfilled in the Bible? Could it be because that Joseph's mother died before Joseph had his dream? Bad prophecy.

20 - Why is it that the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit had sex with Mary, and the Quran tells us that the Angel who visited Mary told her that she will bear a son, and he is ONLY informing her of what God has decreed?

21 - Why is it that the Bible tells us that Moses was adopted by Pharaoh's daughter, and the Quran tells us it was Pharaoh's wife?.

22 – Why is it that the Quran tells us that Lut was a pious prophet, and the Bible tells us that he had sex with his daughters?

23 - Why is it that the Quran tells us in Sura 19 and 20 that Moses was a special chosen prophet who was raised under God's supervision, and the Bible tells us that he died because he didn't disobeyed God?

24 - Why is it that the Bible says that it is written with the false pen of the scribe in Jeremiah 8:8, and the Quran tells us that it has no discrepancies?

55 25 - Why is it that the Bible tells us that Pharaoh did not drown, and the Quran tells us that he drowned, but Allah left his body as a sign to mankind. When they dissected Pharaoh's body, they found out that his body had too much salt inside it. You say the Quran is copied from the Bible? I say you are ignorant! Read the Quran 10:92.

26 – Why does the Bible tells us in Genesis that God had to take a walk to find Adam, and the Quran tells us that God's knowledge doesn't require that He walks?

27 - Why is it that the Quran tells us that Jesus spoke in the cradle, but the Bible knows nothing about the childhood of Jesus?

28 - Why is it that the Quran tells us that Jesus made miracles by giving life to statues made from clay?

29 - The Quran tells us that Aaron is innocent; he did not make the golden calf, but a man called Al-Samirri (A person who organizes songs and joy) made it, while the Bible tells us that Aaron made the Golden calf.

30 - why is it that the Quranic Laws state that the thief's hands should be chopped, and the laws of Moses say something else?

31 – Why does the Quran say lash the fornicators 100 times, and the Bible says stone them.

32 - Why does the Quran orders us to fast in Ramadhan and the Bible doesn't.

33 - Why does the Quran tells us that the inheritance share of the man is as twice as much as the woman, and the Bible has no such law?

34 - Why does the Quran tells us not to transgress in wars, and the Bible teaches us to kill every living thing including plants (Joshua 6).

35 - The Bible teaches us to kill unbelievers, and leave to ourselves YOUNG virgins who never knew a man (Numbers 31). Why isn't such thing present in the Quran?

36 - The Quran tells us to free slaves to enter heaven in Surat Al-Balad. Why doesn't the Bible say such thing?

37 - Why is Satan called a FALLEN ANGEL in the Bible, and not in the Quran?

38 – Why does the Quran tells us there are Jinn (Some are good and others are bad), but the Bible doesn't mention Jinn?

56 39 – Why is it that the Quran tells us to perform Hajj to Makkah, and the Bible doesn't tell us such thing?

40 – Why does the Quran tells us that Abraham and Ishmael built the Kaaba, while the Bible says no such thing?

41 - Why is it that the Bible condemns David as a murderer, and the Quran tells us that he was a pious sinless prophet?

42 - Why doesn't the Bible tell us the story of Solomon and Balqees?

43 - Why doesn't the Bible tell us that Solomon had Jinns who worked for him, and the Quran says so?

44 - Why is it that the Quran tells us that Solomon had soldiers from the Jinn and the Bible doesn't say so?

45 - Why is it that the Quran tells us that Solomon understood the speech of the birds and the Bible doesn't say so?

46 – Why is it that the Quran tells us that Solomon understood the speech of the ants and the Bible doesn't say so?

47 - Why is it that the Quran tells us that ONLY female bees get the honey, and the Bible doesn't say so?

48 – Why is it that the Quran tells us that the Quran mentions different levels in Paradise, and the Bible doesn't say so?

49 - Why is it that the Quran tells us that there is a tree in hell called Zaqquum, and the Bible doesn't say so?

50 - The Quran mentions Thal-Kifl as one of the prophets. Can you find his name in the Bible?

51 - Why is it that the Quran was finalized and approved by Prophet Mohammad (s), and the Bible was never approved by any prophet?

52 – Why didn't Mohammad make the Quran in chronological order just like the Bible? Why doesn't the Quran include the boring genealogies that are all over the Bible?

53 - Why is it that the Quran mentions Ishmael as an honorable prophet, and the Bible refers to him as the son of the slave woman (Galatians 4)?

57 54 - Why doesn't the Quran mention the story of the people of Tyre, while the Bible does?

55 - Why doesn't the Quran mentions the story of David and how he killed one of his enemies to marry his wife as the Bible did in I Samuel 25?

56 - Why is it that the Bible does not mention the story of David and Solomon with the sheep, and the Quran does?

57 - Why does the Bible mention Abraham's father by name, and the Quran mentions him by his nick?

58 - Why doesn't the Bible mention the story when Abraham was put into a fire by his people and the Quran does?

59 - Why doesn't the Quran mention the interesting events that happened to Abraham in Egypt? (See BONUS #15 for one amazing example.)

60 - Why is it that the Bible tells us that John's mother was the daughter of Aaron, and the Quran doesn't say so?

61 - Why doesn't the Bible mention the story of how Mary was raised, and the Quran does?

62 - Why doesn't the Quran and the Bible have the same story about the birth of Jesus? The Quran says that he was born under the remnants of a palm tree, but the Bible says he was born in a stable.

63 - According to the Bible, who are the Sabians?

64 – Where does the Bible mention the Magians?

65 - In Genesis, the Bible tells us that Jacob had a fight with God, and the Quran tells us in Surat Al-Baqara that whoever takes the Angels as enemies, he becomes an enemy of God. Why do we see this contradiction? Moreover, why didn't Mohammad (s) tell us that Jacob wrestled with God?

66 - Why is it that the Quran tells us in Surat Taaha that the staff of Moses became a REAL snake, and the Bible tells us that it only appeared to be a snake?

67 - Why is it that Moses was the one who threw his staff during the contest with the magicians, and the Bible tells us that Aaron is the one who threw it?

58 68 - The story of Moses and the bronze snake in Numbers 21 is pretty interesting. Why is it mentioned in the Bible and not in the Quran?

69 - The Quran tells us to follow a certain procedure to cleanse ourselves before prayers in 4:43. Why doesn't the Bible give us the same instructions?

70 - The Quran tells us that Earth is round, but the Bible tells us that the Earth is flat. Why?

71 – The Quran tells us about Haroot and Maroot in Surat Al-Baqara. Who are those characters according to the Bible?

72 – Why is the story of Gog and Magog different in the Quran and the Bible?

73 - The Bible tells us that Prophet Elijah was raised to God. Why doesn't the Quran say the same thing?

74 - The Bible tells us that Solomon had many wives. Why doesn't the Quran say the same thing?

75 – The Bible tells us that God RESTED after he created the world. The Quran says that nothing makes God tired. Why?

76 - The Quran details embryology, why doesn't the Bible?

77 - The Quran mentions the names of the Gods during Noah's time in Surat Nuuh, why aren't those names present in the Bible?

78 - The Bible tells us that the whole Earth was flooded, why doesn't the Quran say the same thing?

79 – The Quran tells us that hell has 7 doors in Surat Al-Hijr (Ch. 15), why doesn't the Bible mention such thing?

80 - Why does the Quran say that Lot's wife was a bad woman, but God punishes Lot's wife in the Bible just for accidentally turning back to see what was happening in Sodom?

81 - Why does the Bible accuse Noah for getting drunk in Genesis 9, and the Quran frees him from such accusation?

82 - Anyone who curses his mother shall be put to death, according to Leviticus 20, why don't we find such a law in the Quran?

59 83 - Why is it that apostates are killed according to the Bible, and not killed according to the Quran? See <http://www.systemoflife.com/answering-islamophobes/abul-kasem/235-refuting-muhammad-said-death-converting-to-other-religion>

84 – Why is it that tattoos are forbidden in the Bible (Leviticus 19), and no tattoos are mentioned in the Quran?

85 – The Quran instructs us to treat those who are born from an illegal sexual intercourse as Brothers. But the Bible tells us in Leviticus 23 that they should NOT even enter the assembly of the Lord. Why didn't Mohammad (s) copy this beautiful law?

86 – The Bible tells us in Deuteronomy 25, that if two men were beating up each other, and the wife of one of them interfered, she should have her hand chopped off. Why didn't Mohammad (s) copy this beautiful law?

87 - Why does the Bible encourage Bribery in Proverbs 17, and the Quran never encourages such thing?

88 – Why does the Bible say that wisdom is a source of sorrow in Ecclesiastes 1:18, and the Quran calls wisdom a gift in 2:269?

89 - Why does God in the Quran tells us to avoid bloodshed, and the Bible God curses the sword which doesn't do bloodshed (Jeremiah 48)?

90 - When God told Zachariah that he will have a son, Zachariah asked for a sign, and God gave him a sign in Sura 19. Does the Bible mention that sign? The Bible says that he could not speak, but it's detailed to us in the Sunnah that he was able to speak when he was praying. But, when it came to communicating with others, he did so by signs. Further more, the Bible says that Zakariyya was not able to speak because he was punished by Gabriel because he did not believe the angel, while the Quran tells us that it was a sign given to him–he asked God for a sign, and God gave him a sign, not a punishment.

91 - The Bible God in Leviticus 21 tells us that hunchbacks, dwarfs, cripples, blind people, people who are deformed or disfigured, or have damaged testicles–all those people cannot become priests. The Quran tells us that there is no difference between a man and another except in piety. Why didn't Mohammad (s) copy this BEAUTIFUL law from the Bible?

92 - Why does the Bible God in Leviticus 21 forbid priests from marrying divorced women, and the Quran doesn't say such thing?

60 93 - Why is it that the Bible tells the people to call a person who doesn't listen to his father or mother "stubborn and a drunkard"? The Quran does not tell us that we should call a person who is disobedient to his parents as a drunkard. Furthermore, the Biblical law is that this person should be stoned to death, but the Quran approves no such thing. Why?

94 - The Quran tells us that we are not above the Law. We must adhere to the Laws of God. But the Bible God tells the Christians in Galatians 2 that they are under no LAW!! In other words, God made all these laws, so that Christians can see them and smile. Why didn't Mohammad tell his people that the Quranic laws are only for non-Muslims?

95 - The Bible God tells us that He will let us see the sex organs of the Jews, but the Quran mentions no such thing. Mohammad (s) had serious problems with the Jews, so why didn't he make fun of them with something similar with what we read in Nahum 3?

96 - In Romans 6, the Bible tells us that Jesus will never die again. But The Quran tells us that he will die and he will be raised at Judgment day. Why didn't Mohammad copy from Romans 6?

97 - The Bible teaches Christians to drink wine, the Quran forbids Muslims drinking. Why?

98 - 1 Corinthians 6 tells us that our bodies are members of Christ. The Quran tells us that our bodies belong to Allah, Christ has nothing to do with our bodies. Why didn't Mohammad (s) copy that from the Bible?

99 - In Ezekiel 20, the Bible God tells us that he wanted to decimate all the Israelites, but He didn't do so because it would hurt his reputation. In the Quran God tells us that He does indeed take away all the people if they were wrongful (Like the people of Noah, Sodom, Aad, and Thamood) if He wills.

100 - The Bible God has a beautiful punishment in Malachi 2. He threatens an Israelite that He would fill his face with feces!! In the Quran, God never says such things.

101 - The Bible says that the Original Sin was committed by Adam and Eve when they ate from the forbidden tree. The Quran tells us that the Original Sin was Satan's arrogance when he didn't obey God, when God ordered him to do So.

BONUS:

61 1 - The Quran tells us about an argument in 2:258 about Abraham and the King. Does the Bible have this story?

2 – The Quran handles divorce with care. A divorced woman stays in her house; a man should provide for her; a man should not return his wife to give her a hard time, etc. Does the Bible have the same laws regarding divorce as the Quran?

3 - The Quran tells us that Sins are not inherited. But, the Bible tells us that sins are inherited.

4 – The Quran tells us that God forgave Adam's sin after he ate from the forbidden tree. Does the Bible say that?

5 - The Quran tells us in Sura 36, that the sun and the moon are independent from one another. Does the Bible say such thing?

6 - In 25:53 and 55:19-20 the Quran tells us about how salty and pure water bodies mix. Does the Bible say such thing?

7 - In Islam we believe that there are signs to Judgment Day. Most of these signs are mentioned in the Sunnah, however, one interesting sign is a Beast/animal that would appear to the people and inform them of their status. We find this beast mentioned in the Quran in 27:82. Does the Bible say such thing?

8 - The Quran tells us that man and women are created from ONE  SOUL. Does the Bible say that man and women are created from one soul? No, the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 11:7 that man is the image and glory of God, while women are the glory of man.

9 - The Bible contains lots of contradictions. Why don't we find those contradictions copied in the Quran? For a list of few of the contradictions in the Bible see: <http://www.bibleislam.com/bible_contradictions.php>

10 - The Quran says that one of Noah's sons was not saved from the flood because he was an unbeliever (Sura 11). Does the Bible say such thing?

11 - The Quran (10:90) tells us that Pharaoh tried to seek forgiveness from God. Does the Bible say the same thing?

12 - Ishmael, the son of Abraham, is considered a Prophet and a Messenger in the Quran. Does the Bible say that "Ishmael is a prophet"?

62 13 – We read in Surat Al-Nahl in the Quran, that the honey bee produces honey with different hues which is healthy and beneficial for mankind. Just recently, Apitherapy came up with a fantastic cure for arthritist and other chronic diseases–this therapy is called bee sting therapy, where the bee stings the patient and the venom would cure the pain. In addition, the Quran also says that the female bee is responsible for building the hive and collecting the honey. All that is proved by science today. I wonder which book of the Bible says such thing! Search the web for "Bee Sting Therapy" or "Apitherapy" to find out more.

14 - In the 16th verse of Surat Al-'Alaq, we read: {A lying sinful forelock!} Psychologists and neurologists have confirmed that it is in this area of the brain where morals and behavior are processed. Therefore, when someone decides to lie, this decision comes from that front part of the brain, and the Quran refers to that specific part when it refers to lying. Now, I wonder from which Bible passage did Mohammad (s) copy that from.

15 - In the book of Genesis we read the story about what happened to Abraham when he went to Egypt. The Bible tells us that he sold his honor by allowing his wife to become Pharaoh's concubine, so that he could be treated well instead of being killed. Now there is nowhere in the Quran where such accusation is attributed to Prophet Abraham. I wonder why didn't Prophet Mohammad (s) copy such thing from the Bible.

Walhamdulilahi Rabbil Alameen

http://www.islamictreasure.com/

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 | Surah 75 - Al Qiyamah THE RESURRECTION

075.001 I do call to witness the Resurrection Day;

Pg63 075.002 And I do call to witness the self-reproaching spirit: (Eschew Evil).

075.003 Does man think that We cannot assemble his bones?

075.004 Nay, We are able to put together in perfect order the very tips of his fingers.

075.005 But man wishes to do wrong (even) in the time in front of him.

075.006 He questions: "When is the Day of Resurrection?"

075.007 At length, when the sight is dazed,

075.008 And the moon is buried in darkness.

075.009 And the sun and moon are joined together,-

075.010 That Day will Man say: "Where is the refuge?"

075.011 By no means! No place of safety!

075.012 Before thy Lord (alone), that Day will be the place of rest.

075.013 That Day will Man be told (all) that he put forward, and all that he put back.

075.014 Nay, man will be evidence against himself,

075.015 Even though he were to put up his excuses.

075.016 Move not thy tongue concerning the (Qur'an) to make haste therewith.

075.017 It is for Us to collect it and to promulgate it:

075.018 But when We have promulgated it, follow thou its recital (as promulgated):

075.019 Nay more, it is for Us to explain it (and page64 make it clear):

075.020 Nay, (ye men!) but ye love the fleeting life,

075.021 And leave alone the Hereafter.

075.022 Some faces, that Day, will beam (in brightness and beauty);-

075.023 Looking towards their Lord;

075.024 And some faces, that Day, will be sad and dismal,

075.025 In the thought that some back-breaking calamity was about to be inflicted on them;

075.026 Yea, when (the soul) reaches to the collar-bone (in its exit),

075.027 And there will be a cry, "Who is a magician (to restore him)?"

075.028 And he will conclude that it was (the Time) of Parting;

075.029 And one leg will be joined with another:

075.030 That Day the Drive will be (all) to thy Lord!

075.031 So he gave nothing in charity, nor did he pray!-

075.032 But on the contrary, he rejected Truth and turned away!

075.033 Then did he stalk to his family in full conceit!

075.034 Woe to thee, (O men!), yea, woe!

075.035 Again, Woe to thee, (O men!), yea, woe!

075.036 Does man think that he will be left uncontrolled, (without purpose)?

075.037 Was he not a drop of sperm emitted

Pg65 (in lowly form)?

075.038 Then did he become a clinging clot; then did (God) make and fashion (him) in due proportion.

075.039 And of him He made two sexes, male and female.

075.040 Has not He, (the same), the power to give life to the dead?

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112. Surah Al-Ikhlaas or At-Tauhid (The Purity)

1. Say (O Muhammad : "He is Allah, (the) One.

2. "Allah-us-Samad (The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks).

3. "He begets not, nor was He begotten;

4. "And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him." Al-Quran

66

God does not born or die he is forever. Jesus, Moses, Mohammad & all other people of

Bible, Quran &Torah were great messengers prophets of god not sons of god they were

created by 1 true god, creator, Allah. So any creation can't be the 1 creator Allah. So

they were messengers, prophets of god. How can creator be part of what he has created

Himself!!!So he is not part of any creation again he is not a creation & has no partners

no father ,mother, daughter ,son, brother, sister ,wife & no gender simply unique beyond

comparable & 1 & 1 only. From Adam to Jesus god sent his messages

for every generation or period of time but it was always destroyed by mankind & the

devils conspiracy to take mankind towards hell. Because all previous books were massed

up by humans Allah sent his last messenger not son or god, but messenger Mohammad & sent him

Quran & it's messages to guide humans towards Allah & heaven. Allah has promised to

Keep Quran same until the Day of Judgment & challenged humans to create another

accurate book like Quran & said if you can't then surrender to your lord (the only way of peace&heaven).Majority of things science has discovered until now 80% of Quran had all those undiscovered answers from the last 1400years when science didn't have any answers. The other 20% answer was & is in Quran. Maybe it will take science another 1400years to find it. All 100% answers are

in Quran. Science can't prove a single verse of Quran wrong. If you do a research on Quran, bible

and science you will find facts. Facts are stranger than fiction. In the bible it says Jesus bowed his

head on floor just like Muslims bow their head on floor while praying .You should do research

on bible, Quran &science if you believe in god so you can find facts on Islam. If I teach a parrot a

message & send it to someone & parrot tells the message to that person and leaves & that

person starts saying that parrot is my son that would make no sense, because that was my

messenger not son. Jesus was taken up alive &after that people started calling him son of god. He came

to establish Islam & was a messenger of 1 god. Christianity started after Jesus was gone, Jesus will

67 comeback & die as a human& Muslim. Quran is the only accurate 100% words of god &word of god can't have errors then it would not be word of god & according to science bibles & Torahs has many errors but they can't prove a verse in Quran wrong. Muslims believe there is no god but Allah & Prophet Mohammad is the last & final prophet & messenger of Allah.

Killing innocent human **is a major sin in Islam & Islam is against terrorism. prophet Muhammad said no one has the right to burn anything only god has the right to burn someone which is in hell. Love peace for all. May god bless &save us all.**

 Biography of Muhammad(pbuh) by a Non-Muslim

 Muhammad |

by Prof. K. S. Ramakrishna Rao, Head of the Dept. of Philosophy, Govt. College for Women. University of Mysore, Mandya-571401 (Karnatika, India).

Re-printed from "Islam and Modern age", Hydrabad, March 1978.

In the desert of Arabia was Mohammad born, according to Muslim historians, on April 20, 571. The name means highly praised. He is to me the greatest mind among all the sons of Arabia. He means so much more than all the poets and kings that preceded him in that impenetrable desert of red sand.

When he appeared Arabia was a desert — a nothing. Out of nothing a new world was fashioned by the mighty spirit of Mohammad — a new life, a new culture, a new civilization, a new kingdom which extended from Morocco to Indies and influenced the thought and life of three continents — Asia, Africa and Europe.

When I thought of writing on Mohammad the prophet, I was a bit hesitant because it was to write about a religion I do not profess and it is a delicate matter to do so for there are many persons professing various religions and belonging to diverse school of thought and denominations even in same religion. Though it is sometimes, claimed that religion is entirely personal yet it can not be gain-said that it has a tendency to  envelop the whole universe seen as well unseen. It somehow permeates something or other our hearts, our souls, our minds their conscious as well as subconscious and unconscious levels too. The problem assumes overwhelming importance when there is a deep conviction that our past, present and future all hang by the soft delicate, tender silked cord. If we further happen to be highly sensitive, the center of gravity is very likely to be always in a state of extreme tension. Looked at from this point of view, the less said about other religion the better. Let our religions be deeply hidden and embedded in the resistance of our innermost hearts fortified by unbroken seals on our lips.

But there is another aspect of this problem. Man lives in society. Our lives are bound with the lives of others willingly or unwillingly, directly or indirectly. We eat the food grown in the same soil, drink water,

68 from the same the same spring and breathe the same air. Even while staunchly holding our own views, it would be helpful, if we try to adjust ourselves to our surroundings, if we also know to some extent, how the mind our neighbor moves and what the main springs of his actions are. From this angle of vision it is highly desirable that one should try to know all religions of the world, in the proper sprit, to promote mutual understanding and better appreciation of our neighborhood, immediate and remote.

Further, our thoughts are not scattered as appear to be on the surface. They have got themselves crystallized around a few nuclei in the form of great world religions and living faiths that guide and motivate the lives of millions that inhabit this earth of ours. It is our duty, in one sense if we have the ideal of ever becoming a citizen of the world before us, to make a little attempt to know the great religions and system of philosophy that have ruled mankind.

In spite of these preliminary remarks, the ground in these field of religion, where there is often a conflict between intellect and emotion is so slippery that one is constantly reminded of fools that rush in where angels fear to tread. It is also not so complex from another point of view. The subject of my writing is about the tenets of a religion which is historic and its prophet who is also a historic personality. Even a

hostile critic like Sir William Muir speaking about the holy Quran says that. "There is probably in the world no other book which has remained twelve centuries with so pure text." I may also add Prophet Mohammad is also a historic personality, every event of whose life has been most carefully recorded and even the minutest details preserved intact for the posterity. His life and works are not wrapped in mystery.

My work today is further lightened because those days are fast disappearing when Islam was highly misrepresented by some of its critics for reasons political and otherwise. Prof. Bevan writes in Cambridge Medieval History, "Those account of Mohammad and Islam which were published in Europe before the beginning of 19th century are now to be regarded as literary curiosities." My problem is to write this monograph is easier because we are now generally not fed on this kind of history and much time need be spent on pointing out our misrepresentation of Islam.

The theory of Islam and Sword for instance is not heard now frequently in any quarter worth the name. The principle of Islam that there is no compulsion in religion is well known. Gibbon, a historian of world repute says, "A pernicious tenet has been imputed to Mohammadans, the duty of extirpating all the religions by sword." This charge based on ignorance and bigotry, says the eminent historian, is refuted by Quran, by history of Musalman conquerors and by their public and legal toleration of Christian worship. The great success of Mohammad's life had been effected by sheer moral force, without a stroke of sword.

But in pure self-defense, after repeated efforts of conciliation had utterly failed, circumstances dragged him into the battlefield. But the prophet of Islam changed the whole strategy of the battlefield. The total number of casualties in all the wars that took place during his lifetime when the whole Arabian Peninsula came under his banner, does not exceed a few hundreds in all. But even on the battlefield he taught the Arab barbarians to pray, to pray not individually, but in congregation to God the Almighty. During the dust and storm of warfare whenever the time for prayer came, and it comes five times a every day, the congregation prayer had not to be postponed even on the battlefield. A party had to be engaged in bowing their heads before God while other was engaged with the enemy. After finishing the prayers, the two parties had to exchange their positions. To the Arabs, who would fight for forty years on the slight provocation that a camel belonging to the guest of one tribe had strayed into the grazing land belonging to other tribe and both sides had fought till they lost 70,000 lives in all; threatening the extinction of both the tribes to such furious Arabs, the Prophet of Islam taught self-control and discipline to the extent of

69 praying even on the battlefield. In an aged of barbarism, the Battlefield itself was humanized and strict instructions were issued not to cheat, not to break trust, not to mutilate, not to kill a child or woman or an old man, not to hew down date palm nor burn it, not to cut a fruit tree, not to molest any person engaged in worship. His own treatment with his bitterest enemies is the noblest example for his followers. At the conquest of Mecca, he stood at the zenith of his power. The city which had refused to listen to his mission, which had tortured him and his followers, which had driven him and his people into exile and which had unrelentingly persecuted and boycotted him even when he had taken refuge in a place more than 200 miles away, that city now lay at his feet. By the laws of war he could have justly avenged all the cruelties inflicted on him and his people. But what treatment did he accord to them? Mohammad's heart flowed with affection and he declared, "This day, there is no REPROOF against you and you are all free." "This day" he proclaimed, "I trample under my feet all distinctions between man and man, all hatred between man and man."

This was one of the chief objects why he permitted war in self defense, that is to unite human beings. And when once this object was achieved, even his worst enemies were pardoned. Even those who killed his beloved uncle, Hamazah, mangled his body, ripped it open, even chewed a piece of his liver.

The principles of universal brotherhood and doctrine of the equality of mankind which he proclaimed represents one very great contribution of Mohammad to the social uplift of humanity. All great religions have preached the same doctrine but the prophet of Islam had put this theory into actual practice and its value will be fully recognized, perhaps centuries hence, when international consciousness being awakened, racial prejudices may disappear and greater brotherhood of humanity come into existence.

Miss. Sarojini Naidu speaking about this aspect of Islam says, "It was the first religion that preached and practiced democracy; for in the mosque, when the minaret is sounded and the worshipers are gathered together, the democracy of Islam is embodied five times a day when the peasant and the king kneel side by side and proclaim, God alone is great." The great poetess of India continues, "I have been struck over and over again by this indivisible unity of Islam that makes a man instinctively a brother. When you meet an Egyptian, an Algerian and Indian and a Turk in London, it matters not that Egypt is the motherland of one and India is the motherland of another."

Mahatma Gandhi, in his inimitable style, says "Some one has said that Europeans in South Africa dread the advent Islam — Islam that civilized Spain, Islam that took the torch light to Morocco and preached to the world the Gospel of brotherhood. The Europeans of South Africa dread the Advent of Islam. They may claim equality with the white races. They may well dread it, if brotherhood is a sin. If it is equality of colored races then their dread is well founded."

Every year, during the Haj, the world witnesses the wonderful spectacle of this international Exhibition of Islam in leveling all distinctions of race, color and rank. Not only the Europeans, the African, the Arabian, the Persian, the Indians, the Chinese all meet together in Medina as members of one divine family, but they are clad in one dress every person in two simple pieces of white seamless cloth, one piece round the loin the other piece over the shoulders, bare head without pomp or ceremony, repeating "Here am I O God; at thy command; thou art one and alone; Here am I." Thus there remains nothing to differentiate the high from the low and every pilgrim carries home the impression of the international significance of Islam.

In the opinion of Prof. Hurgronje "the league of nations founded by prophet of Islam put the principle of international unity of human brotherhood on such Universal foundations as to show candle to other

70 nations." In the words of same Professor "the fact is that no nation of the world can show a parallel to what Islam has done the realization of the idea of the League of Nations."

The prophet of Islam brought the reign of democracy in its best form. The Caliph Caliph Ali and the son in-law of the prophet, the Caliph Mansur, Abbas, the son of Caliph Mamun and many other caliphs and kings had to appear before the judge as ordinary men in Islamic courts. Even today we all know how the black Negroes were treated by the civilized white races. Consider the state of BILAL, a Negro Slave, in the days of the prophet of Islam nearly 14 centuries ago. The office of calling Muslims to prayer was considered to be of status in the early days of Islam and it was offered to this Negro slave. After the conquest of Mecca, the Prophet ordered him to call for prayer and the Negro slave, with his black color and his thick lips, stood over the roof of the holy mosque at Mecca called the Ka'ba the most historic and the holiest mosque in the Islamic world, when some proud Arabs painfully cried loud, "Oh, this black Negro Slave, woe be to him. He stands on the roof of holy Ka'ba to call for prayer." At that moment, the prophet announced to the world, this verse of the holy QURAN for the first time.  
"O mankind, surely we have created you, families and tribes, so you may know one another. Surely, the most honorable of you with God is MOST RIGHTEOUS AMONG you. Surely, God is Knowing, Aware."

And these words of the holy Quran created such a mighty transformation that the Caliph of Islam, the purest of Arabs by birth, offered their daughter in marriage to this Negro Slave, and whenever, the second Caliph of Islam, known to history as Umar the great, the commander of faithful, saw this Negro slave, he immediately stood in reverence and welcomed him by "Here come our master; Here come our lord." What a tremendous change was brought by Quran in the Arabs, the proudest people at that time on the earth. This is the reason why Goethe, the greatest of German poets, speaking about the Holy Quran declared that, "This book will go on exercising through all ages a most potent influence." This is also the reason why George Bernard Shaw says, "If any religion has a chance or ruling over England, say, Europe, within the next 100 years, it is Islam".

It is this same democratic spirit of Islam that emancipated women from the bondage of man. Sir Charles Edward Archibald Hamilton says "Islam teaches the inherent sinlessness of man. It teaches that man and woman and woman have come from the same essence, posses the same soul and have been equipped with equal capabilities for intellectual, spiritual and moral attainments."

The Arabs had a very strong tradition that one who can smite with the spear and can wield the sword would inherit. But Islam came as the defender of the weaker sex and entitled women to share the inheritance of their parents. It gave women, centuries ago right of owning property, yet it was only 12 centuries later , in 1881, that England, supposed to be the cradle of democracy adopted this institution of Islam and the act was called "the married woman act", but centuries earlier, the Prophet of Islam had proclaimed that "Woman are twin halves of men. The rights of women are sacred. See that women maintained rights granted to them."

Islam is not directly concerned with political and economic systems, but indirectly and in so far as political and economic affairs influence man's conduct, it does lay down some very important principles to govern economic life. According to Prof. Massignon, it maintains the balance between exaggerated opposites and has always in view the building of character which is the basis of civilization. This is secured by its law of inheritance, by an organized system of charity known as Zakat, and by regarding as illegal all anti-social practices in the economic field like monopoly, usury, securing of predetermined unearned income and increments, cornering markets, creating monopolies, creating an artificial scarcity of any commodity in order to force the prices to rise. Gambling is illegal. Contribution to schools, to places of worship, hospitals, digging of wells, opening of orphanages are highest acts of virtue.

71 Orphanages have sprung for the first time, it is said, under the teaching of the prophet of Islam. The world owes its orphanages to this prophet born an orphan. "Good all this" says Carlyle about Mohammad. "The natural voice of humanity, of pity and equity, dwelling in the heart of this wild son of nature, speaks."

A historian once said a great man should be judged by three tests: Was he found to be of true metel by his contemporaries ? Was he great enough to raise above the standards of his age ? Did he leave anything as permanent legacy to the world at large ? This list may be further extended but all these three tests of greatness are eminently satisfied to the highest degree in case of prophet Mohammad. Some illustrations of the last two have already been mentioned.

The first is: Was the Prophet of Islam found to be of true metel by his contemporaries?

Historical records show that all the contemporaries of Mohammad both friends foes, acknowledged the sterling qualities, the spotless honesty, the noble virtues, the absolute sincerity and every trustworthiness of the apostle of Islam in all walks of life and in every sphere of human activity. Even the Jews and those who did not believe in his message, adopted him as the arbiter in their personal disputes by virtue of his perfect impartiality. Even those who did not believe in his message were forced to say "O Mohammad, we do not call you a liar, but we deny him who has given you a book and inspired you with a message." They thought he was one possessed. They tried violence to cure him. But the best of them saw that a new light had dawned on him and they hastened him to seek the enlightenment. It is a notable feature in the history of prophet of Islam that his nearest relation, his beloved cousin and his bosom friends, who know him most intimately, were not thoroughly imbued with the truth of his mission and were convinced of the genuineness of his divine inspiration. If these men and women, noble, intelligent, educated and intimately acquainted with his private life had perceived the slightest signs of deception, fraud, earthliness, or lack of faith in him, Mohammad's moral hope of regeneration, spiritual awakening, and social reform would all have been foredoomed to a failure and whole edifice would have crumbled to pieces in a moment. On the contrary, we find that devotion of his followers was such that he was voluntarily acknowledged as dictator of their lives. They braved for him persecutions and danger; they trusted, obeyed and honored him even in the most excruciating torture and severest mental agony caused by excommunication even unto death. Would this have been so, had they noticed the slightest backsliding in their master?

Read the history of the early converts to Islam, and every heart would melt at the sight of the brutal treatment of innocent Muslim men and women.

Sumayya, an innocent women, is cruelly torn into pieces with spears. An example is made of "Yassir whose legs are tied to two camels and the beast were are driven in opposite directions", Khabbab bin Arth is made lie down on the bed of burning coal with the brutal legs of their merciless tyrant on his breast so that he may not move and this makes even the fat beneath his skin melt. "Khabban bin Adi is put to death in a cruel manner by mutilation and cutting off his flesh piece-meal." In the midst of his tortures, being asked weather he did not wish Mohammad in his place while he was in his house with his family, the sufferer cried out that he was gladly prepared to sacrifice himself his family and children and why was it that these sons and daughters of Islam not only surrendered to their prophet their allegiance but also made a gift of their hearts and souls to their master? Is not the intense faith and conviction on part of immediate followers of Mohammad, the noblest testimony to his sincerity and to his utter self-absorption in his appointed task?

And these men were not of low station or inferior mental caliber. Around him in quite early days, gathered what was best and noblest in Mecca, its flower and cream, men of position, rank, wealth and

72 culture, and from his own kith and kin, those who knew all about his life. All the first four Caliphs, with their towering personalities, were converts of this period.

The Encyclopedia Brittanica says that "Mohammad is the most successful of all Prophets and religious personalities".

But the success was not the result of mere accident. It was not a hit of fortune. It was a recognition of fact that he was found to be true metal by his contemporaries. It was the result of his admirable and all compelling personality.

The personality of Mohammad! It is most difficult to get into the truth of it. Only a glimpse of it I can catch. What a dramatic succession of picturesque scenes. There is Mohammad the Prophet, there is Mohammad the General; Mohammad the King; Mohammad the Warrior; Mohammad the Businessman; Mohammad the Preacher; Mohammad the Philosopher; Mohammad the Statesman; Mohammad the Orator; Mohammad the reformer; Mohammad the Refuge of orphans; Mohammad the Protector of slaves; Mohammad the Emancipator of women; Mohammad the Law-giver; Mohammad the Judge; Mohammad the Saint.

And in all these magnificent roles, in all these departments of human activities, he is like, a hero..

Orphanhood is extreme of helplessness and his life upon this earth began with it; Kingship is the height of the material power and it ended with it. From an orphan boy to a persecuted refugee and then to an overlord, spiritual as well as temporal, of a whole nation and Arbiter of its destinies, with all its trials and temptations, with all its vicissitudes and changes, its lights and shades, its up and downs, its terror and splendor, he has stood the fire of the world and came out unscathed to serve as a model in every face of life. His achievements are not limited to one aspect of life, but cover the whole field of human conditions.

If for instance, greatness consist in the purification of a nation, steeped in barbarism and immersed in absolute moral darkness, that dynamic personality who has transformed, refined and uplifted an entire nation, sunk low as the Arabs were, and made them the torch-bearer of civilization and learning, has every claim to greatness. If greatness lies in unifying the discordant elements of society by ties of brotherhood and charity, the prophet of the desert has got every title to this distinction. If greatness consists in reforming those warped in degrading and blind superstition and pernicious practices of every kind, the prophet of Islam has wiped out superstitions and irrational fear from the hearts of millions. If it lies in displaying high morals, Mohammad has been admitted by friend and foe as Al Amin, or the faithful. If a conqueror is a great man, here is a person who rose from helpless orphan and an humble creature to be the ruler of Arabia, the equal to Chosroes and Caesars, one who founded great empire that has survived all these 14 centuries. If the devotion that a leader commands is the criterion of greatness, the prophet's name even today exerts a magic charm over millions of souls, spread all over the world.

He had not studied philosophy in the school of Athens of Rome, Persia, India, or China. Yet, He could proclaim the highest truths of eternal value to mankind. Illiterate himself, he could yet speak with an eloquence and fervor which moved men to tears, to tears of ecstasy. Born an orphan blessed with no worldly goods, he was loved by all. He had studied at no military academy; yet he could organize his forces against tremendous odds and gained victories through the moral forces which he marshaled. Gifted men with genius for preaching are rare. Descartes included the perfect preacher among the rarest kind in the world. Hitler in his Mein Kamp has expressed a similar view. He says "A great theorist is seldom a great leader. An Agitator is more likely to posses these qualities. He will always be a great leader. For leadership means ability to move masses of men. The talents to produce ideas has nothing in common

73 with capacity for leadership." "But", he says, "The Union of theorists, organizer and leader in one man, is the rarest phenomenon on this earth; Therein consists greatness."

In the person of the Prophet of Islam the world has seen this rarest phenomenon walking on the earth, walking in flesh and blood.

And more wonderful still is what the reverend Bosworth Smith remarks, "Head of the state as well as the Church, he was Caesar and Pope in one; but, he was pope without the pope's claims, and Caesar without the legions of Caesar, without an standing army, without a bodyguard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue. If ever any man had the right to say that he ruled by a right divine It was Mohammad, for he had all the power without instruments and without its support. He cared not for dressing of power. The simplicity of his private life was in keeping with his public life."

After the fall of Mecca, more than one million square miles of land lay at his feet, Lord of Arabia, he mended his own shoes and coarse woolen garments, milked the goats, swept the hearth, kindled the fire and attended the other menial offices of the family. The entire town of Medina where he lived grew wealthy in the later days of his life. Everywhere there was gold and silver in plenty and yet in those days of prosperity many weeks would elapse without a fire being kindled in the hearth of the king of Arabia, His food being dates and water. His family would go hungry many nights successively because they could not get anything to eat in the evening. He slept on no soften bed but on a palm mat, after a long busy day to spend most of his night in prayer, often bursting with tears before his creator to grant him strength to discharge his duties. As the reports go, his voice would get choked with weeping and it would appear as if a cooking pot was on fire and boiling had commenced. On the very day of his death his only assets were few coins a part of which went to satisfy a debt and rest was given to a needy person who came to his house for charity. The clothes in which he breathed his last had many patches. The house from where light had spread to the world was in darkness because there was no oil in the lamp.

Circumstances changed, but the prophet of God did not. In victory or in defeat, in power or in adversity, in affluence or in indigence, he is the same man, disclosed the same character. Like all the ways and laws of God, Prophets of God are unchangeable.

An honest man, as the saying goes, is the noblest work of God, Mohammad was more than honest. He was human to the marrow of his bones. Human sympathy, human love was the music of his soul. To serve man, to elevate man, to purify man, to educate man, in a word to humanize man-this was the object of his mission, the be-all and end all of his life. In thought, in word, in action he had the good of humanity as his sole inspiration, his sole guiding principle.

He was most unostentatious and selfless to the core. What were the titles he assumed? Only true servant of God and His Messenger. Servant first, and then a messenger. A Messenger and prophet like many other prophets in every part of the world, some known to you, many not known you. If one does not believe in any of these truths one ceases to be a Muslim. It is an article of faith.

"Looking at the circumstances of the time and unbounded reverence of his followers" says a western writer "the most miraculous thing about Mohammad is, that he never claimed the power of working miracles." Miracles were performed but not to propagate his faith and were attributed entirely to God and his inscrutable ways. He would plainly say that he was a man like others. He had no treasures of earth or heaven. Nor did he claim to know the secrets of that lie in womb of future. All this was in an age when miracles were supposed to be ordinary occurrences, at the back and call of the commonest saint, when the whole atmosphere was surcharged with supernaturalism in Arabia and outside Arabia.

74 He turned the attention of his followers towards the study of nature and its laws, to understand them and appreciate the Glory of God. The Quran says,

"God did not create the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in play. He did not create them all but with the truth. But most men do not know."

The world is not illusion, nor without purpose. It has been created with the truth. The number of verses inviting close observation of nature are several times more than those that relate to prayer, fasting, pilgrimage etc. all put together. The Muslim under its influence began to observe nature closely and this give birth to the scientific spirit of the observation and experiment which was unknown to the Greeks. While the Muslim Botanist Ibn Baitar wrote on Botany after collecting plants from all parts of the world, described by Myer in his Gesch. der Botanikaa-s, a monument of industry, while Al Byruni traveled for forty years to collect mineralogical specimens, and Muslim Astronomers made some observations extending even over twelve years. Aristotle wrote on Physics without performing a single experiment, wrote on natural history, carelessly stating without taking the trouble to ascertain the most verifiable fact that men have more teeth than animal. Galen, the greatest authority on classical anatomy informed that the lower jaw consists of two bones, a statement which is accepted unchallenged for centuries till Abdul Lateef takes the trouble to examine a human skeleton. After enumerating several such instances, Robert Priffault concludes in his well known book The making of humanity, "The debt of our science to the Arabs does not consist in starting discovers or revolutionary theories. Science owes a great more to Arabs culture; it owes is existence." The same writer says "The Greeks systematized, generalized and theorized but patient ways of investigation, the accumulation of positive knowledge, the minute methods of science, detailed and prolonged observation, experimental inquiry, were altogether alien to Greek temperament. What we call science arose in Europe as result of new methods of investigation, of the method of experiment, observation, measurement, of the development of Mathematics in form unknown to the Greeks. That spirit and these methods, concludes the same author, were introduced into the European world by Arabs."

It is the same practical character of the teaching of Prophet Mohammad that gave birth to the scientific spirit, that has also sanctified the daily labors and the so called mundane affairs. The Quran says that God has created man to worship him but the word worship has a connotation of its own. Gods worship is not confined to prayer alone, but every act that is done with the purpose of winning approval of God and is for the benefit of the humanity comes under its purview. Islam sanctifies life and all its pursuits provided they are performed with honesty, justice and pure intents. It obliterates the age-long distinction between the sacred and profane. The Quran says if you eat clean things and thank God for it, it is an act of worship. It is saying of the prophet of Islam that Morsel of food that one places in the mouth of his wife is an act of virtue to be rewarded by God. Another tradition of the Prophet says "He who is satisfying the desire of his heart will be rewarded by God provided the methods adopted are permissible." A person was listening to him exclaimed 'O Prophet of God, he is answering the calls of passions, is only satisfying the craving of his heart. Forthwith came the reply, "Had he adopted an awful method for the satisfaction of his urge, he would have been punished; then why should he not be rewarded for following the right course."

This new conception of religion that it should also devote itself to the betterment of this life rather than concern itself exclusively with super mundane affairs, has led to a new orientation of moral values. Its abiding influence on the common relations of mankind in the affairs of every day life, its deep power over the masses, its regulation of their conception of rights and duty, its suitability and adaptability to the ignorant savage and the wise philosopher are characteristic features of the teaching of the Prophet of Islam.

75 But it should be most carefully born in mind this stress on good actions is not the sacrifice correctness of faith. While there are various school of thought, one praising faith at the expense of deeds, another exhausting various acts to the detriment of correct belief, Islam is based on correct faith and righteous actions. Means are important as the end and ends are as important as the means. It is an organic Unity. Together they live and thrive. Separate them and both decay and die. In Islam faith can not be divorced from the action. Right knowledge should be transferred into right action to produce the right results. How often the words came in Quran — Those who believe and do good thing, they alone shall enter paradise. Again and again, not less than fifty times these words are repeated as if too much stress can not be laid on them. Contemplation is encouraged but mere contemplation is not the goal. Those who believe and do nothing can not exist in Islam. These who believe and do wrong are inconceivable. Divine law is the law of effort and not of ideals. It chalks out for the men the path of eternal progress from knowledge to action and from action to satisfaction.

But what is the correct faith from which right action spontaneously proceeds resulting in complete satisfaction. Here the central doctrine of Islam is the Unity of God. There is no God but God is the pivot from which hangs the whole teaching and practice of Islam. He is unique not only as regards his divine being but also as regards his divine attributes.

As regards the attributes of God, Islam adopts here as in other things too, the law of golden mean. It avoids on the one hand, the view of God which divests the divine being of every attribute and rejects, on the other, the view which likens him to things material. The Quran says, On the one hand, there is nothing which is like him, on the other , it affirms that he is Seeing, Hearing, Knowing. He is the King who is without a stain of fault or deficiency, the mighty ship of His power floats upon the ocean of justice and equity. He is the Beneficent, the Merciful. He is the Guardian over all. Islam does not stop with this positive statement. It adds further which is its most special characteristic, the negative aspects of problem. There is also no one else who is guardian over everything. He is the meander of every breakage, and no one else is the meander of any breakage. He is the restorer of every loss and no one else is the restorer of any loss what-so-over. There is no God but one God, above any need, the maker of bodies, creator of souls, the Lord of the day of judgment, and in short, in the words of Quran, to him belong all excellent qualities.

Regarding the position of man in relation to the Universe, the Quran says:

"God has made subservient to you whatever is on the earth or in universe. You are destined to rule over the Universe."

But in relation to God, the Quran says:

"O man God has bestowed on you excellent faculties and has created life and death to put you to test in order to see whose actions are good and who has deviated from the right path."

In spite of free will which he enjoys, to some extent, every man is born under certain circumstances and continues to live under certain circumstances beyond his control. With regard to this God says, according to Islam, it is my will to create any man under condition that seem best to me. cosmic plans finite mortals can not fully comprehend. But I will certainly test you in prosperity as well in adversity, in health as well as in sickness, in heights as well as in depths. My ways of testing differ from man to man, from hour to hour. In adversity do not despair and do resort to unlawful means. It is but a passing phase. In prosperity do not forget God. God-gifts are given only as trusts. You are always on trial, every moment on test. In this sphere of life there is not to reason why, there is but to do and die. If you live in accordance with God; and if you die, die in the path of God. You may call it fatalism. but this type of fatalism is a

76 condition of vigorous increasing effort, keeping you ever on the alert. Do not consider this temporal life on earth as the end of human existence. There is a life after death and it is eternal. Life after death is only a connection link, a door that opens up hidden reality of life. Every action in life however insignificant, produces a lasting effect. It is correctly recorded somehow. Some of the ways of God are known to you, but many of his ways are hidden from you. What is hidden in you and from you in this world will be unrolled and laid open before you in the next. the virtuous will enjoy the blessing of God which the eye has not seen, nor has the ear heard, nor has it entered into the hearts of men to conceive of they will march onward reaching higher and higher stages of evolution. Those who have wasted opportunity in this life shall under the inevitable law, which makes every man taste of what he has done, be subjugated to a course of treatment of the spiritual diseases which they have brought about with their own hands. Beware, it is terrible ordeal. Bodily pain is torture, you can bear somehow. Spiritual pain is hell, you will find it almost unbearable. Fight in this life itself the tendencies of the spirit prone to evil, tempting to lead you into iniquities ways. Reach the next stage when the self-accusing sprit in your conscience is awakened and the soul is anxious to attain moral excellence and revolt against disobedience. This will lead you to the final stage of the soul at rest, contented with God, finding its happiness and delight in him alone. The soul no more stumbles. The stage of struggle passes away. Truth is victorious and falsehood lays down its arms. All complexes will then be resolved. Your house will not be divided against itself. Your personality will get integrated round the central core of submission to the will of God and complete surrender to his divine purpose. All hidden energies will then be released. The soul then will have peace. God will then address you:

"O thou soul that art at rest, and restest fully contented with thy Lord return to thy Lord. He pleased with thee and thou pleased with him; So enter among my servants and enter into my paradise."

This is the final goal for man; to become, on the, one hand, the master of the universe and on the other, to see that his soul finds rest in his Lord, that not only his Lord will be pleased with him but that he is also pleased with his Lord. Contentment, complete contentment, satisfaction, complete satisfaction, peace, complete peace. The love of God is his food at this stage and he drinks deep at the fountain of life. Sorrow and defeat do not overwhelm him and success does not find him in vain and exulting.

The western nations are only trying to become the master of the Universe. But their souls have not found peace and rest.

Thomas Carlyle, struck by this philosophy of life writes "and then also Islam-that we must submit to God; that our whole strength lies in resigned submission to Him, whatsoever he does to us, the thing he sends to us, even if death and worse than death, shall be good, shall be best; we resign ourselves to God." The same author continues "If this be Islam, says Goethe, do we not all live in Islam?" Carlyle himself answers this question of Goethe and says "Yes, all of us that have any moral life, we all live so. This is yet the highest wisdom that heaven has revealed to our earth."

Evolution in the Holy Quran: It is mentioned in the quran 1400 years ago even before scientists found the genetic similarities of monkeys ,apes & humans. what scientists have found is true but their opinion of the theory of evolution is wrong. Quran is word of god & it has the information of past,present& future.God reveled to prophet Muhammad whatever god wanted to & kept some information only to god by reveling some & not reveling some.But still quran is 1 great source of information from God. Because of their constant defiance and blasphemy of GOD Almighty's Divine and Holy Words, 77 some bad Jews were transformed into swines and apes during Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) times:but not the good one's & definitely not all jews okay.  
"Say: "Shall I point out to you something much worse than this, (as judged) by the treatment it received from God? those who incurred the curse of God and His wrath, those of whom some He transformed into apes and swine, those who worshipped evil;- these are (many times) worse in rank, and far more astray from the even path!" (The Noble Quran, 5:60)" First 2 of the 10 Commandments  
I am the Lord thy God,Thou shalt have no other gods before me.  
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images.

SURAT AL IKHLAS (MAKKAH)

1) Say he is Allah one & only

(2) Allah, the eternal, absolute

3) He begets not, nor is he begotten

(4) And there is none like unto him (Al-Quran) **The original quran is 100% accurate in the Arabic language & its 1 only.But in English there are couple of translations of the same 1 arabic quran.so if some 1 wants to understand the quran properly he should read it in couple of translations of the same 1 arabic quran & learn some Arabic to understand the quran more accurately.**

Quran is not a copy of anything & there is no evidence to say such.statements in quran are against torah&bible.torah & bible has so many errors. & acording to sciense 80%of quran matches with sciense&other 20%of quran sciense doesn't have answers maybe it will take couple of hundred years to find out for sciense.acording to historians original bible doesn't exist anymore. Acording to islam torah&bible were books of allah but humans have destroyed their originality. so quran is the last &final word of god allah &Muhammad is the last&final messanger of allah. Quran is not copy of anything and its 100% word of god in islam. According to sciense torah &bibles statements have errors &Qurans statements are accurate &word of god is accurate.

Reasons why you should not blame religion for the acts of some people Can u blame Christianity for the acts of crusades, holocaust,& because some priests rapes children inside the churches or because some Christian leaders dropped a nuclear bomb on japan. Or they did these horrible acts like these: George W. Bush Jr. - Christian, Turned Iraq war into a religious war by saying "god told him to invade Iraq", increase taxes on the middle class and poor, cut taxes for the rich.

Nazism – Christians Adolph Hitler - Christian/Catholic Newt Gingrich – Christian Inquisitions - Christian Ugandan Christians Salem Witch burnings – Christian Waco Texas – Christian Jones Town - ChristianSan Diego Heaven's Gate – Christian Serbians – Christian Skin Heads – Christians IRA ( Irish Republican Army ) – Christian Iron Guard – Christian Westboro Baptist church – ChristiansChristian Tsarist Russia – Christian The Crusades - Christian & Catholic The Troubles - Catholic & Christian The Holocaust - Catholic & Christian The Book burnings - Catholic & Christian The heretic burnings – Christian Backing of the institution of slavery!!!!----

The answer is No no no and noooooo okay!!! its not the fault of Christianity but rather these are the faults of some bad people who did bad things & its as simple as that okay.Remember the good the bad the ugly exists in every thing or kind of people.Similarly blaming the religion islam for the acts of some few muslims who are evil terrorists is also wrong.Yes there are some bad bad bad people among muslims but again good people do good things & bad people do bad things.Im not denying or defending them because there are evil &good people among all religions & even atheists . It's as simple as that. 99% of muslims are not terrorists.&the bad muslims Or terrorists do not represent the true islam period. suppose some 1 has a very good expensive car or maybe it's the best car in the world.Now the owner starts driving the car 78 he starts drinking & he hits women children & starts killing innocent people.Now is this is a fault of the car? No of course not it's the fault of the driver.over here im representing the driver as a bad muslim or u can say a terrorist & its not the cars fault that the driver misused it so here the expensive good car is islam.my point is don't blame Islam or Christianity or any other religion for the acts of some evil people. Remember the good the bad the ugly exists in every thing or kind of people.Islam is 1 of the most beautiful religion in the world but unfortunately its blamed for the actions of few evil terrorists.& also be aware that there are many rumors, lies & false information & accusations that exists in the western world & some European countries against islam & prophet mohammad.unfortunately some people believe in these false lies which has been spread by crusades, some media, some parts of governments & some bad rich anti Islam politicians to create misconceptions against islam & prophet mohammad only to stop spreading the truth about islam.

Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas, of a cult without images; the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he?[Lamartine, Histoire de la Turquie, Paris 1854 Vol. II, pp. 276-77.]He was Caesar and Pope in one; but he was Pope without Popes pretensions, Caesar without the legions of Caesar: without a standing army, without a bodyguard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue; if ever any man had the right to say that he ruled by the right divine, it was Mohammad, for he had all the power without its instruments and without its supports.[Bosworth Smifu, Mohammad and Mohammadanism. London 1874, p. 92.] At Muhammad.s own death an attempt was made to deify him, but the man who was to become his administrative successor killed the hysteria with one of the noblest speeches in religious history: If there are any among you who worshipped Muhammad, he is dead. But if it is God you worshipped, He lives forever.[James A. Michener, Islam The Misunderstood Religion] And for atheists in the history the world wars didn't cause by religion.And good people do good things & bad people do bad things.The good the bad the ugly is part of human nature.

 The Piercing Star and Black holes

Top of Form

 Bottom of Form

The holy Quran is word of god. The Almighty revealed it to his final prophet to humanity. When prophets were inviting their people to the truth,

God endowed them with miracles to convince their people. Moses was given a miracle that excelled magic and dazzled magicians in ancient Egypt. Jesus was given a miracle that excelled medicine and he could cure people from incurable diseases. The only people who could see these miracles are the ones who were there. Because the prophet Muhammad was the final prophet his miracle had to be continuous and immortal, this immortal miracle is the holy Quran itself.

79 At the age of revealing the holy Quran Arabs were excelled in poetry and prose, so the holy Quran challenged them by its eloquence. Now miracles of the holy Quran appeared in the scientific signs mentioned in a lot of verses, these verses indicate to scientific facts which have been discovered since only few decades, So humanity must know that the holy Quran is the word of Allah.One of the scientific signs mentioned in the holy Quran is the piercing star. (1) The Almighty says in the beginning of surat Al-Tarek: (By the heaven and the Tarik (The Knocker) * Ah, what will tell thee what the Tarik (The knocker) is! * The piercing Star!) (Quran 86:1-3)These verses speak about a star which has two significant features. The first one is that it is a piercing star the other is that it knocks something hard enough to make sound. Allah (SWT) in these verses coupled His oath by heaven regarding its greatness with the piercing star which means that there is a relationship between both. The question now is How do these verses indicate to black holes? Black holes are the most violent and mysterious phenomenon in the sky. Black holes are the evolutionary endpoints of stars at least 10 to 15 times as massive as the Sun. If a star that massive or larger undergoes a supernova explosion, it may leave behind a fairly massive burned out stellar remnant. With no outward forces to oppose gravitational forces, the remnant will collapse in on itself. The star eventually collapses to the point of zero volume and infinite density, creating what is known as a "singularity ". As the gravitational field is so powerful that nothing, including light, can escape its pull, the black hole has a one-way surface, called the event horizon, into which objects can fall, but out of which nothing can come out. At this we have to clarify very important point – which causes confusion to a lot of people- that we must distinguish between the event horizon of the black hole at which any matter or light can not escape and the point at which the matter of the exploded star is collapsed. If the sun become a black hole it will have an event horizon with radius about 3 km but all its matter will be condensed in a point at the center of the black hole.(General relativity describes a black hole as a region of empty space with a point like singularity at the center and an event horizon at the outer edge). (2)

 The piercing star describes the matter of star condensed in singularity and the hole of empty space caused by this condensed matter.

The verse indicates to the black hole The verse describes this phenomenon as the piercing star and this is more accurate description because the matter of the collapsed star which is condensed in singularity is the reason of forming the black hole. So the star itself still there condensed causing the existence of this empty space called black hole. When you describe this phenomenon as a black hole you actually are describing only the empty space but if

80 you describe it the piercing star, then you are describing the matter of star condensed in singularity and the hole of empty space caused by this matter.

Types of black holes There are two main types of black holes the first one is the stellar black holes and the second is actually the biggest and greatest phenomenon in the sky, it is the supermassive black holes. This confirms to us why the oath of the piercing star in the holy Quran is great enough to be coupled with the oath of heaven regarding its greatness.

The properties of supermassive black holes The most significant feature of the supermassive black hole is its mass which exceed all limits of imagination if you know that the mass of stellar black holes can reach 30 times solar mass, the mass of a supermassive black hole can reach ten billion times solar mass. It is formed also as result of collapse of the matter of supermassive star at the beginning of formation of galaxies, so the piercing star which is condensed in a tiny volume causing this supermassive black hole is considered to be the most massive star in the universe. (3)

The story begins with Quasars It has got along time for scientists to discover the supermassive black holes and the beginning was the discovery of quasars. The QUASi-stellAR radio source (quasar) is a powerfully energetic and distant active galactic nucleus. The most luminous quasars radiate at a rate that can exceed the output of average galaxies, equivalent to one trillion (1012) suns. Scientist for along time have wondered how does a quasar produce such tremendous luminosity despite its distance from us which reaches billions of light years and the answer came from the most violent thing in sky it is the supermassive black hole. The huge luminosity of quasars results from the accretion discs of central supermassive black holes, which can convert on the order of 10% of the mass of an object into energy as compared to 0.7% for the p-p chain nuclear fusion process that dominates the energy production in sun-like stars. (4)

  The huge luminosity of quasars results from the accretion discs of central supermassive black holes

The cosmic knocks resulted from supermassive black holes The mentioned verses (By the heaven and the Tarik (The Knocker) * Ah, what will tell thee what the Tarik (The knocker) is! * The piercing Star!) (Quran 86:1-3) stated that the piercing star which we explained its relation to supermassive black hole has another significant feature as the verses called it Al-Tarik (The knocker) so how does the piercing star and the resulted supermassive black hole knock?Part of the matter of accretion disk rotating supermassive black hole which is 81 about to fall in the supermassive black hole is re-emitted as Relativistic jets which are extremely powerful twin jets of plasma being shot along the axis of spin of the accretion disk having a velocity approaching the speed of light. This jet knocks hardly and strongly any thing in its way and for long distances.And due to the movement of this plasma jet it knocks the interstellar and the intergalactic medium producing real sound waves.

 A real jet of plasma produced by a supermassive black hole in the galaxy (M87) recorded by Hubel space telescope. It knocks every thing in its way for a distance (5000 light years).

In Sept. 9, 2003: Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have found, for the first time, sound waves from a supermassive black hole. This supermassive black hole resides in the Perseus cluster of galaxies located 250 million light years from Earth. The "note" is the deepest ever detected from any object in our Universe. (5)

 Real sound waves resulted from jets knocking the intergalactic medium.Now imagine how great the miracle in the verses is. The piercing star and the resulted supermassive black hole knocks the intergalactic medium with relativistic jets and as result of this knocking real sound is produced.(By the heaven and the Tarik (The Knocker) * Ah, what will tell thee what the Tarik (The knocker) is! * The piercing Star!) (Quran 86:1-3) The piercing star and heaven Allah (SWT) in these verses coupled His oath by heaven regarding its greatness with the piercing star which means that there is a fundamental relationship between this type of stars and all what we see in the sky from stars and galaxies.

82 The piercing star is in the core of all galaxies Quasar and related supermassive black holes have been associated to a type of galaxies called active galaxies, but the other type of galaxies called inactive galaxies which includes our galaxy the Milky way are thought for a long time to have no supermassive black holes in their cores, but from about two decades scientists have found a method to determine the existence of supermassive black hole by determining the velocities of stars close to the galactic nuclei and they were surprised when they found a supermassive black hole in all galaxies. What remained is to know is there a supermassive black hole in our galaxy the Milky way or not. In 2003 American astrophysicist Andrea Ghez and its teamwork (UCLA) and by using high spatial resolution imaging techniques have confirmed the existence of a supermassive black hole in our own galaxy. (6)The image is now complete each galaxy has its own supermassive black hole, but why there are active galaxies and inactive ones. The answer of this question related to the development of galaxies.

There is a supermassive black hole in each galaxy Supermassive black hole and the birth of galaxies Scientists have found a relationship between the velocity of stars at the edges of galaxies and the mass of the supermassive black holes in the core of these galaxies and because the distance between them are very large so this relation formed in a pervious time, the time of galaxy birth as it thought that the galaxies are formed when a huge cloud of gas is collapsed at its core forming supermassive black hole which start to feed on the neighboring gas forming a quasar. This quasar triggers the formation of new stars in the entire galaxy so a new active galaxy is formed, but with time the gas start to get far from the supermassive black hole so it has nothing to feed on and the active galaxy converts to inactive one.

So science today makes a relation between the piercing star and all what wee see in the sky from stars and galaxies. For this reason Allah (SWT) in these verses coupled His oath by heaven regarding its greatness with the piercing star which means that there is a fundamental relationship between this type of stars and all what we see in the sky from stars and galaxies.(By the heaven and the Tarik (The Knocker) * Ah, what will tell thee what the Tarik (The knocker) is! * The piercing Star!) (Quran 86:1-3)

References

83 (1) Dr. Zagloul El-Naggar 2001. Al-Ahram 12, 14 (6, 20 /8 /2001). (2) http://www.physics.hku.hk/~nature/CD/regular_e/lectures/chap17.html (3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermassive_black_hole (4)  http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/active_galaxies.html (5)  http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/09sep_blackholesounds.htm (6) http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~ghezgroup/gc/index.shtml

Universe By: Chem. Gamal Abdel-Nasser

THE 7 EARTHS

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The Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad is the second revealed source of Islam. Like the Quran, it contains scientific information unavailable 1400 years ago. From these miracles is the "seven" earths, mentioned by the Prophet in several of his sayings. From them are the following two:Hadith 1 It was narrated on the authority of Abu Salamah that a dispute arose between him and some other people (about a piece of land). When he told Aisha (the Prophet's wife) about it, she said, 'O Abu Salamah! Avoid taking the land unjustly, for the Prophet said:"Whoever usurps even one span of land of somebody, its depth through the seven earths will be collared to his neck." (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, 'Book of Oppression.')

Hadith 2 Salim narrated on the authority of his father that the Prophet said:"Whoever takes a piece of land of others unjustly, he will sink down the seven earths on the Day of Resurrection." (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, 'Book of Oppression.')The aforementioned hadith prohibits oppression in general, especially the taking of a piece of land belonging to others unjustly. What might the seven earths refer to?Studies in geology have proven that the earth is composed of seven zones, identified from the inner to the outer layers as follows: (1) The Solid Inner Core of Earth: 1.7% of the Earth's mass; depth of 5,150 - 6,370 kilometers (3,219 - 3,981 miles) The inner core is solid and unattached to the mantle, suspended in the molten outer core. It is believed to have solidified as a result of pressure-freezing which occurs to most liquids when temperature decreases or pressure increases.

84 (2) The Liquid Outer core: 30.8% of Earth's mass; depth of 2,890 - 5,150 kilometers (1,806 - 3,219 miles)

The outer core is a hot, electrically conducting liquid within which convective motion occurs. This conductive layer combines with Earth's rotation to create a dynamo effect that maintains a system of electrical currents known as the Earth's magnetic field. It is also responsible for the subtle jerking of Earth's rotation. This layer is not as dense as pure molten iron, which indicates the presence of lighter elements. Scientists suspect that about 10% of the layer is composed of sulfur and/or oxygen because these elements are abundant in the cosmos and dissolve readily in molten iron.

(3) The "D" Layer: 3% of Earth's mass; depth of 2,700 - 2,890 kilometers (1,688 - 1,806 miles) This layer is 200 to 300 kilometers (125 to 188 miles) thick and represents about 4% of the mantle-crust mass. Although it is often identified as part of the lower mantle, seismic discontinuities suggest the "D" layer might differ chemically from the lower mantle lying above it. Scientists theorize that the material either dissolved in the core, or was able to sink through the mantle but not into the core because of its density.

(4) Lower Mantle: 49.2% of Earth's mass; depth of 650 - 2,890 kilometers (406 -1,806 miles)

The lower mantle contains 72.9% of the mantle-crust mass and is probably composed mainly of silicon, magnesium, and oxygen. It probably also contains some iron, calcium, and aluminum. Scientists make these deductions by assuming the Earth has a similar abundance and proportion of cosmic elements as found in the Sun and primitive meteorites.

(5) Middle Mantle (Transition region): 7.5% of Earth's mass; depth of 400 - 650 kilometers (250-406 miles)

The transition region or mesosphere (for middle mantle), sometimes called the fertile layer, contains 11.1% of the mantle-crust mass and is the source of basaltic magmas. It also contains calcium, aluminum, and garnet, which is a complex aluminum-bearing silicate mineral. This layer is dense when cold because of the garnet. It is buoyant when hot because these minerals melt easily to form basalt which can then rise through the upper layers as magma.

(6) Upper Mantle: 10.3% of Earth's mass; depth of 10 - 400 kilometers (6 - 250 miles)

The upper mantle contains 15.3% of the mantle-crust mass. Fragments have been excavated for our observation by eroded mountain belts and volcanic eruptions. Olivine (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 and pyroxene (Mg,Fe)SiO3 have been the primary minerals found in this way. These and other minerals are refractory and crystalline at high temperatures; therefore, most settle out of rising magma, either forming new material or never leaving the mantle. Part of the upper mantle called the asthenosphere might be partially molten.

85 (7) Lithosphere Oceanic crust: 0.099% of Earth's mass; depth of 0-10 kilometers (0 - 6 miles) The rigid, outermost layer of the Earth comprising the crust and upper mantle is called the lithosphere. The oceanic crust contains 0.147% of the mantle-crust mass. The majority of the Earth's crust was made through volcanic activity. The oceanic ridge system, a 40,000-kilometer (25,000 mile) network of volcanoes, generates new oceanic crust at the rate of 17 km3 per year, covering the ocean floor with basalt. Hawaii and Iceland are two examples of the accumulation of basalt piles.

The continental crust contains 0.554% of the mantle-crust mass. This is the outer part of the Earth composed essentially of crystalline rocks. These are low-density buoyant minerals dominated mostly by quartz (SiO2) and feldspars (metal-poor silicates). The crust (both oceanic and continental) is the surface of the Earth; as such, it is the coldest part of our planet. Because cold rocks deform slowly, we refer to this rigid outer shell as the lithosphere (the rocky or strong layer).

Conclusion

The layers of the earth coincide with the above mentioned hadith of the Prophet. The miracle is in two matters:

(1) The expression of the hadith, 'He will sink down the seven earths on the Day of Resurrection,' indicates the stratification of these "earths" around one center.

(2) The accuracy with which the Prophet of Islam referred to the seven inner layers of earth. The only way for a desert dweller to have known these facts 1400 years ago is through revelation from God.

86 References Beatty, J. K. and A. Chaikin, eds. The New Solar System. Massachusetts: Sky Publishing, 3rd Edition, 1990.Press, Frank and Raymond Siever. Earth. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company, 1986.Seeds, Michael A. Horizons. Belmont, California: Wadsworth, 1995.El-Najjar, Zaghloul. Treasures In The Sunnah: A Scientific Approach: Cairo, Al-Falah Foundation, 2004.Sunnah & Science By: admin

Some hadiths (teachings of prophet Muhammad)( pbuh) Aisha reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say, "Gabriel continued to advise me to treat neighbors well until I thought he would make them my heirs."Source: Sahih Muslim 2624 Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Imam Muslim

Abu Musa reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "The honest Muslim trustee who carries out the orders of those who trusted him and who pays in full with a good heart to the right person is regarded as one of the two who gave charity." Source: Sahih Bukhari 1371, Sahih Muslim ...] Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "There is no justification for envy except in two cases. First, a man whom Allah has given the Quran and he recites it during the night and day, so someone says: If I were to be given like this, I would do as he is doing. And second, a man whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it in justice, so someone says: If I were to be given like this, I would do as he is doing." Source: Sahih Bukhari 6805 Grade: [ Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Bukhari

 Hadith on Zakat: The command to give 2.5% of surplus wealth as alms and charity

Abu Amina Elias | April 5, 2013 Ali ibn Abu Talib reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "If you have two hundred coins and a year has passed, then five coins is due for alms; and you will owe nothing until you own twenty coins, but when you own twenty coins and a year has passed, then half of a coin is due for alms and whatever exceeds that should be calculated likewise."Source: Sunan Abu Dawud 1572Grade: Hasan (fair) according to Abu Dawud (due to his silence) Abu Dharr reported: My dear friend the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, enjoined upon me three deeds, "Listen to and obey the ruler even if a slave is appointed over you. When you make soup, put some extra water in it and look to the people in the neighboring house and give them a reasonable portion of it, and pray your prayers on time, for if you find the Imam praying then pray with him and your prayer will be safeguarded, otherwise it will be voluntary for you."Source: Musnad Ahmad 20918 Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani

Juwairiya reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, came out from her apartment as she was performing the dawn prayer. He returned in the forenoon and found her sitting there. The Prophet said, "Are you in the same position as I left you?" She said yes. The Prophet said, "I recited four words three times after I left you. If these are to be weighed against all you have recited since the morning, these words will be heavier. They are: Glory and praise to Allah as many as the numbers of His creation, in according with His pleasure, as the weight of the Throne, and as the ink for recording His words."Source: Sahih Muslim 2726 Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Imam Muslim

Ubadah ibn As-Samit reported: We pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, pledging to listen and obey in hardship and in ease, in pleasure and displeasure even if someone is wrongly favored over us, and pledging not to dispute the rule of

87 those in authority and that we should speak the truth wherever we are and not to fear those who blame us regarding Allah.Source: Sahih Muslim 1709 Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Imam Muslim

Al-Qurtubi reported: Some scholars gave permission to initiate greetings of peace with the unbelievers. It was said to Sufyan bin Uyainah, "Do you give permission to greet an unbeliever with peace?" Sufyan said, "Yes, for Allah the Exalted said: Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you in religion nor expel you from your homes that you be righteous and fair to them. Verily, Allah loves those who are just." (60:8) Sufyan added, "Allah said: There has come to you the best example in Abraham, (60:4) and Abraham said to his father: Peace be upon you." (19:47)Source: Tafseer Al-Qurtubi, verse 19:41

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud reported: He stood upon a platform and he grabbed his tongue and he said, "O tongue! Speak goodness and be rewarded, or remain silent and be safe before you are regretful." Then he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say, "Most of the sins of the children of Adam are on their tongues."[At-Tabarani, Mu'jam Al-Kabeer, Number 10300, Sahih]

Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said three times, "May Allah have mercy on a person who spoke rightly and was rewarded, or who was silent and remained safe."Source: Shu'b Al-Iman Al-Bayhaqi 4579

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "The basis of reasoning, after faith in Allah, is loving kindness toward the people."Source: At-Tabarani, Al-Mu'jam Al-Awsat, Number 6067

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him not harm his neighbor. Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him honor his guest. Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him speak goodness or remain silent."Source: Sahih Muslim 47

Ibn Mas'ud reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "During the night journey, I met with Abraham, Moses, and Jesus and they were discussing the matter of the Hour. Their matter was referred to Abraham, who said, "I have no knowledge about it." So the matter was referred to Moses, who said, "I have no knowledge about it." So the matter was referred to Jesus, who said, "As for the conditions of the Hour, no one knows them but Allah. My Lord the Exalted has entrusted me that the False Messiah will appear and I will have with me two rods. When he sees me, he will melt away just as lead is melted in fire. Allah will destroy him to the point that the rock and the tree will say: O Muslims, beneath me is an unbeliever, so come slay him. Thus, Allah will destroy them and the people will return to their lands and their countries. When that happens, the nations of Gog and Magog will appear, eating and drinking everything in their lands. They will not come upon anything but that they will devour it and they will not pass by any water but that they will consume it. The people will complain to me about them, so I will supplicate to Allah and He will destroy them until their stench fills the earth. Then Allah will send rain which will wash their bodies into the sea. My Lord the Exalted has entrusted me that when all of this happens, the Hour is indeed near just as a women is ready to give birth; her family does not know when she will give birth but it could be any day or night."[Musnad Ahmad, Number 3546, Sahih]

88 Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "By Allah, the son of Mary will descend as a just ruler. He will abolish the cross, kill the swine, and annul the tribute, but he will leave the she-camel such that no one collects from it. He will cause rancor, hatred, and envy to disappear, and he will call people to give their wealth in charity but no one will need it."Source: Sahih Muslim 155

Prophet said, "By Allah, you must enjoin good and forbid evil and seize the hand of the oppressor and make him follow the truth and restrict him to what is just."Source: Sunan Abu Dawud 4336

"God is Kind and likes kindness in all things."Reporter: Hadhrat Ayeshah (r) Source: Bukhari/Muslim (reported in Riyadhus Saleheen,#633); Sunan Ibn Majah, #3684 The people will be resurrected  
(and judged) according to their intentions."Reporter: Hadhrat Aishah (r) Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, Book of Fasting, Chapter 6, p. 69

"The best among you are those  
who have the best manners and character.""Reporter: Hadhrat Abdullah ibn Amr (r) Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 8: #56b

"A person who goes in search of knowledge, he is in the path of God and he remains so till he returns."Reporter: Hadhrat Anas (r) Source: Sunan at-Tirmizi, Vol. 4, #2656

"Hell lies hidden behind evil (worldly desires) and paradise is screened behind hard labor."Reporter: Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (r) Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 8, #494

"Paradise is closer to you than your shoelace, and so is the (Hell) Fire."Reporter: Hadhrat Ibn Mas'ud Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 8, #495

"The world is prison for the believers and paradise for the disbelievers."Reporter: Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (r) Source: Sahih Muslim, Vol. 4, #7058

"To spend one morning or evening in the cause of God is better than the world and whatever is in the world."Reporter: Hadhrat Anas bin Malik Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 4, #50

PROVING THE EXISTENCE OF ALLAH (SWT) TO AN ATHEIST

by Dr. Zakir Naik

89

CONGRATULATING AN ATHEIST

Normally, when I meet an atheist, the first thing I like to do is to congratulate him and say, " My special congratulations to you", because most of the people who believe in God are doing blind belief - he is a Christian, because his father is a Christian; he is a Hindu, because his father is a Hindu; the majority of the people in the world are blindly following the religion of their fathers. An atheist, on the other hand, even though he may belong to a religious family, uses his intellect to deny the existence of God; what ever concept or qualities of God he may have learnt in his religion may not seem to be logical to him.

My Muslim brothers may question me, "Zakir, why are you congratulating an atheist?" The reason that I am congratulating an atheist is because he agrees with the first part of the Shahada i.e. the Islamic Creed, 'La ilaaha' - meaning 'there is no God'. |

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So half my job is already done; now the only part left is 'il lallah' i.e. 'BUT ALLAH' which I shall do Insha Allah. With others (who are not atheists) I have to first remove from their minds the wrong concept of God they may have and then put the correct concept of one true God.

LOGICAL CONCEPT OF GOD

My first question to the atheist will be: "What is the definition of God?" For a person to say there is no God, he should know what is the meaning of God. If I hold a book and say that 'this is a pen', for the opposite person to say, 'it is not a pen', he should know what is the definition of a pen, even if he does not know nor is able to recognise or identify the object I am holding in my hand. For him to say this is not a pen, he should at least know what a pen means. Similarly for an atheist to say 'there is no God', he should at least know the concept of God. His concept of God would be derived from the surroundings in which he lives. The god that a large number of people worship has got human qualities - therefore he does not believe in such a god. Similarly a Muslim too does not and should not believe in such false gods.

If a non-Muslim believes that Islam is a merciless religion with something to do with terrorism; a religion which does not give rights to women; a religion which contradicts science; in his limited sense that non-Muslim is correct to reject such Islam. The problem is he has a wrong picture of Islam. Even I reject such a false picture of Islam, but at the same time, it becomes my duty as a Muslim to present the correct picture of Islam to that non-Muslim i.e. Islam is a merciful religion, it gives equal rights to the women, it is not incompatible with logic, reason and science; if I present the correct facts about Islam, that non-Muslim may Inshallah accept Islam.  
Similarly the atheist rejects the false gods and the duty of every Muslim is to present the correct concept of God which he shall Insha Allah not refuse.

(You may refer to my article, 'Concept of God in Islam', for more details)

QUR'AN AND MODERN SCIENCE   
90  
The methods of proving the existence of God with usage of the material provided in the 'Concept of God in Islam' to an atheist may satisfy some but not all.

Many atheists demand a scientific proof for the existence of God. I agree that today is the age of science and technology. Let us use scientific knowledge to kill two birds with one stone, i.e. to prove the existence of God and simultaneously prove that the Qur'an is a revelation of God.

If a new object or a machine, which no one in the world has ever seen or heard of before, is shown to an atheist or any person and then a question is asked, " Who is the first person who will be able to provide details of the mechanism of this unknown object? After little bit of thinking, he will reply, 'the creator of that object.' Some may say 'the producer' while others may say 'the manufacturer.' What ever answer the person gives, keep it in your mind, the answer will always be either the creator, the producer, the manufacturer or some what of the same meaning, i.e. the person who has made it or created it. Don't grapple with words, whatever answer he gives, the meaning will be same, therefore accept it.

SCIENTIFIC FACTS MENTIONED IN THE QUR'AN: for details on this subject please refer to my book, 'THE QUR'AN AND MODERN SCIENCE – COMPATIBLE OR INCOMPATIBLE?

THEORY OF PROBABILITY

In mathematics there is a theory known as 'Theory of Probability'. If you have two options, out of which one is right, and one is wrong, the chances that you will chose the right one is half, i.e. one out of the two will be correct. You have 50% chances of being correct. Similarly if you toss a coin the chances that your guess will be correct is 50% (1 out of 2) i.e. 1/2. If you toss a coin the second time, the chances that you will be correct in the second toss is again 50% i.e. half. But the chances that you will be correct in both the tosses is half multiplied by half (1/2 x 1/2) which is equal to 1/4 i.e. 50% of 50% which is equal to 25%. If you toss a coin the third time, chances that you will be correct all three times is (1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2) that is 1/8 or 50% of 50% of 50% that is 12½%.

A dice has got six sides. If you throw a dice and guess any number between 1 to 6, the chances that your guess will be correct is 1/6. If you throw the dice the second time, the chances that your guess will be correct in both the throws is (1/6 x 1/6) which is equal to 1/36. If you throw the dice the third time, the chances that all your three guesses are correct is (1/6 x 1/6 x 1/6) is equal to 1/216 that is less than 0.5 %.

Let us apply this theory of probability to the Qur'an, and assume that a person has guessed all the information that is mentioned in the Qur'an which was unknown at that time. Let us discuss the probability of all the guesses being simultaneously correct.

At the time when the Qur'an was revealed, people thought the world was flat, there are several other options for the shape of the earth. It could be triangular, it could be quadrangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal, spherical, etc. Lets assume there are about 30 different options for the shape of the earth. The Qur'an rightly says it is spherical, if it was a guess the chances of the guess being correct is 1/30.

91 The light of the moon can be its own light or a reflected light. The Qur'an rightly says it is a reflected light. If it is a guess, the chances that it will be correct is 1/2 and the probability that both the guesses i.e the earth is spherical and the light of the moon is reflected light is 1/30 x 1/2 = 1/60.

Further, the Qur'an also mentions every living thing is made of water. Every living thing can be made up of either wood, stone, copper, aluminum, steel, silver, gold, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, oil, water, cement, concrete, etc. The options are say about 10,000. The Qur'an rightly says that everything is made up of water. If it is a guess, the chances that it will be correct is 1/10,000 and the probability of all the three guesses i.e. the earth is spherical, light of moon is reflected light and everything is created from water being correct is 1/30 x 1/2 x 1/10,000 = 1/60,000 which is equal to about .0017%.

The Qur'an speaks about hundreds of things that were not known to men at the time of its revelation. Only in three options the result is .0017%. I leave it upto you, to work out the probability if all the hundreds of the unknown facts were guesses, the chances of all of them being correct guesses simultaneously and there being not a single wrong guess. It is beyond human capacity to make all correct guesses without a single mistake, which itself is sufficient to prove to a logical person that the origin of the Qur'an is Divine.

CREATOR IS THE AUTHOR OF THE QUR'AN

The only logical answer to the question as to who could have mentioned all these scientific facts 1400 years ago before they were discovered, is exactly the same answer initially given by the atheist or any person, to the question who will be the first person who will be able to tell the mechanism of the unknown object. It is the 'CREATOR', the producer, the Manufacturer of the whole universe and its contents. In the English language He is 'God', or more appropriate in the Arabic language, 'ALLAH'.

QUR'AN IS A BOOK OF SIGNS AND NOT SCIENCE

Let me remind you that the Qur'an is not a book of Science, 'S-C-I-E-N-C-E' but a book of Signs 'S-I-G-N-S' i.e. a book of ayaats. The Qur'an contains more than 6,000 ayaats, i.e. 'signs', out of which more than a thousand speak about Science. I am not trying to prove that the Qur'an is the word of God using scientific knowledge as a yard stick because any yardstick is supposed to be more superior than what is being checked or verified. For us Muslims the Qur'an is the Furqan i.e. criteria to judge right from wrong and the ultimate yardstick which is more superior to scientific knowledge.

But for an educated man who is an atheist, scientific knowledge is the ultimate test which he believes in. We do know that science many a times takes 'U' turns, therefore I have restricted the examples only to

scientific facts which have sufficient proof and evidence and not scientific theories based on assumptions. Using the ultimate yardstick of the atheist, I am trying to prove to him that the Qur'an is the word of God and it contains the scientific knowledge which is his yardstick which was discovered recently, while the Qur'an was revealed 1400 year ago. At the end of the discussion, we both come to the same conclusion that God though superior to science, is not incompatible with it.

SCIENCE IS ELIMINATING MODELS OF GOD BUT NOT GOD

92 Francis Bacon, the famous philosopher, has rightly said that a little knowledge of science makes man an atheist, but an in-depth study of science makes him a believer in God. Scientists today are eliminating models of God, but they are not eliminating God. If you translate this into Arabic, it is La illaha illal la, There is no god, (god with a small 'g' that is fake god) but God (with a capital 'G').

Surah Fussilat:

"Soon We will show them our signs in the (farthest) regions (of the earth), and in their own souls, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth. Is it not enough that thy Lord doth witness all things?"

[Al-Quran 41:53]

Apostates: Should they be killed or saved? 1- Who are the Apostates in Islam? Apostates or Renegades are those who decide to leave the religion of Islam. There is a widely prevailing misconception about this issue. It is generally thought that the Holy Quran (The Muslims Holy Scripture) provides the death sentence for those who desert the religion of Islam. There is not the least ground for such a supposition. The Holy Quran speaks repeatedly of people going back to unbelief after believing, but never once does it say that they should be killed or punished. Although the Holy Quran does provide the death sentence for some situations such as putting a murderer to death, but it never provided death sentence or ordered the death of those who leave Islam. Let us look at Noble Verse 2:217 "They ask thee (Mohammed) Concerning fighting In the Prohibited Month. Say: Fighting therein Is a grave (offence); but graver is it In the sight of Allah to prevent access to the path of Allah, to deny Him, to prevent access to the sacred Mosque, and drive out its members. Tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter. Nor will they cease fighting you until they turn you back from your faith if they can. And if any of you turn back from their faith (Islam) and die in unbelief, their works will bear no fruit in this life and in the hereafter; they will be companions of the fire and will abide therein." Here in this Holy Verse we see that Allah Almighty talks about those who leave Islam, and promises them punishment in the day of judgment. Allah Almighty doesn't order the death of those people. Let also look at Noble Verse 5:54 "O ye who believe! If any from among you turn back from his faith, soon will Allah produce a people whom He (Allah) will love as they will love Him lowly with the believers, Mighty against the rejecters, fighting in the way of Allah, and never afraid of the reproachers of such as find fault. That is the Grace of Allah which He will bestow on whom He (Allah) pleaseth. And Allah encompasseth all, and He knoweth all things." Here in this Holy Verse we see again Allah Almighty strengthening the faith of the Muslims in Islam by assuring them that whenever they see Muslims leaving Islam they will also see those who join Islam with strong faith and love to Allah Almighty. "As most men are

rebellious." (5:49), it is inevitable that there should be apostates even from such a religion of reason and common-sense as Islam. In Verse 5:54 above there is a warning to the Muslims that 93 they should not repeat the history of the Jews, and become so self-satisfied or arrogant as to depart from the spirit of Allah's teaching. If they do, the loss will be their own. Allah's bounty is not confined to one group or section of humanity. He can always raise up people who will follow the true spirit of Islam. That spirit is defined in two ways:

  1. They will love Allah Almighty and Allah Almighty will love them. 2- Amongst the Brethren, their attitude will be that of humility, but to wrongdoers they will offer no compromises, and they will always strive and fight for the truth and right. They will know no fear, either physical, or that more insidious form. They are too great in mind to be haunted by any such thought. Let us look at Noble Verse 5:55 "(O Muslims) Your (real) friends are (No less than) Allah, His Messenger, and the (Fellowship Of) Believers, those who establish regular prayers and regular charity, and they bow down humbly (in worship)." Here we see

Allah Almighty telling Muslims after he warned them from apostates in (5:54) that their real friends are: Allah Almighty, Prophet Mohammed peace be upon him, and the good Muslims who keep up with their prayers and charity, and who humbly worship their God. Let us look at Noble Verse 3:90 "But those who reject faith after they accepted it, and then go on adding to their defiance of faith never will their repentance be accepted; for they are those who have (of set purpose) gone astray." Here in this holy verse we see Allah Almighty rejecting the faith of those who keep coming back and forth to Islam. In order for a human being to accept Islam as his religion, he must be certain about it first. Allah Almighty's path is wide open, and his mercy is greater than this universe. This Holy Verse also does not order the death of those who leave Islam. The path to Allah Almighty is always open and Allah Almighty will be your friend as in verse (5:55) above, and he will forgive your sins for you once you repent as in the following verse: "Except for those that repent (Even) after that, And make amends; for Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful." (3:89).

2- The absolute freedom of religion in Islam: Some group of Muslims believe in killing apostates because they follow a Hadith (Saying) from Prophet Mohammed peace be upon him regarding the apostates. While Islam was weak and still growing among Jews, Christians and Pagans, Muslims did not have the full and complete religion that they needed. Some Jews and Christians wanted to take advantage of such situation to destroy Islam. They had a plan to adopt Islam first and then desert it, thus creating the impression that Islam was not a religion worth adopting. Let us look at Noble Verse 3:72 "A section of the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) say: Believe in the morning what is revealed to the believers (Muslims), but reject it at the end of the day; perchance they may (themselves) turn back (from Islam)." To protect Islam from such Satanic attempts done by a group of the people of the book (Jews and Christians), Prophet Mohammed peace be upon him ordered the death of those who enter Islam and leave it. This temporary law that was put by our Prophet had stopped the hypocrites from the People of the Book who carried so much hatred toward Islam to enter Islam and desert it afterwards. Allah Almighty ordered the Muslims to kill the pagans who fought against the Muslims. The

94 following Noble Verse talks about all of the enemies who fought the Muslims long and bloody battles: Let us look at Noble Verse 2:191 "And slay them wherever ye catch them, and turn them out from where they have Turned you out; for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter; but fight them not at the Sacred Mosque, unless they (first) fight you there; but if they fight you, slay them. Such is the reward of those who suppress faith." The killing of the pagans who fought the Muslims during the time when Islam was not yet complete was essential.

Important Note: Noble Verse 2:191 above is not dedicated to the apostates as some Muslims use it to prove that the Noble Quran orders the killing of apostates. In fact, it doesn't even mention the apostates. It talks in general about slaying the pagans who declare wars on the Muslims. The pagans would obviously include the apostates who deserted Islam, but the Noble Verse certainly doesn't DIRECTLY order the killing of anyone who deserts Islam. Allah Almighty promised that He will protect the Noble Quran from any corruption:

"We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly Guard it (from corruption). (The Noble Quran, 15:9)" "Nay, this is a Glorious Quran, (inscribed) in a Tablet Preserved! (The Noble Quran, 85:21-22)"

Let us look at Noble Verse 5:3 ".....This day those who reject faith given up all hope of your religion: Yet fear them not But fear Me (Allah). This day have I (Allah) perfected your religion for you, completed my favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your (complete) religion....". So long as Islam was not organized, with its own community and its own laws, the unbelievers and the Hypocrites from the People of the Book and the Pagan Arabs had hoped to wean the believers from the new teaching. Now that hope is gone forever with the complete organization of Islam. Let us look at Noble Verses 15:2-3 "Again and again will those who disbelieve, wish that they had bowed (to God's will) in Islam.  Leave them alone, to enjoy (the good things of this life) and to please themselves: let (false) hope amuse them: soon will knowledge (undeceive them)."Let us look at Noble Verses 10:99-100 "If it had been thy Lord's will, they would all have believed, all who are on earth! wilt thou then compel mankind, against their will, to believe! No soul can believe, except by the will of God, and He will place doubt (or obscurity) on those who will not understand."Let us look at Noble Verse 18:29 "Say, 'The truth is from your Lord': Let him who will believe, and let him who will, reject (it): for the wrong doers We have prepared a Fire whose (smoke and flames), like the walls and roof of a tent, will hem them in: if they implore relief they will be granted water like melted brass, that will scald their faces, how dreadful the drink! How uncomfortable a couch to recline on!"

Let us look at Noble Verse 27:92 "And to rehearse the Qur'an: and if any accept guidance, they do it for the good of their own souls, and if any stray, say: 'I am only a Warner.'" Let us look at Noble Verse 10:99 "If it had been thy Lord's will, they would all have believed,- all who are on earth! wilt thou then compel mankind, against their will, to believe!" Allah Almighty doesn't like us to compel people into belief. "No soul can believe, except by the will of God, and He will place doubt (or obscurity) on those who will not understand. (The Noble Quran, 10:100)" Allah Almighty helps those whom He likes to be guided to His Straight Path. If anyone doesn't believe, or reverts back from Islam, it is then his loss and it is the Will of Allah Almighty. "Say: 'Behold all that is in the heavens and on earth'; but neither Signs nor Warners 95 profit those who believe not. Do they then expect (any thing) but (what happened in) the days of the men who passed away before them? Say: 'Wait ye then: for I, too, will wait with you.' (The Noble Quran, 10:101-102)" Notice how Allah Almighty orders us to say "Wait" to those who reject Islam. This clearly says that we can't force anyone into Islam, or punish anyone for leaving Islam.

Let us look at Noble Verse 10:108 "Say: 'O ye men! Now Truth hath reached you from your Lord! those who receive guidance, do so for the good of their own souls; those who stray, do so to their own loss: and I am not (set) over you to arrange your affairs.'" Whoever believes benefits his soul and whoever doesn't, harms it, and Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him is not in charge of people to arrange their affairs. Only Allah Almighty is."Say: 'Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger: but if ye turn away, he is only responsible for the duty placed on him and ye for that placed on you. If ye obey him, ye shall be on right guidance.  The Messenger's duty is only to preach the clear (Message). (The Noble Quran, 24:54)" Prophet Muhammad's duty was only to preach.

"Those who pervert the Truth in Our Signs are not hidden from Us. Which is better? he that is cast into the Fire, or he that comes safe through, on the Day of Judgement?  Do what ye will: Verily He seeth (clearly) all that ye do. (The Noble Quran, 41:40)" Here we clearly see Allah Almighty giving a freedom of choice for people to choose or refuse Islam.

"And those who take as protectors others besides Him - Allah doth watch over them; and thou art not the disposer of their affairs. (The Noble Quran, 42:6)" Again, Allah Almighty here told Prophet Muhammad that he has no authority over those who reject Islam.

"It is true thou wilt not be able to guide every one whom thou lovest; but Allah Guides those whom He will and He Knows those who receive guidance. (The Noble Quran, 28:56)" Again, no authority to Prophet Muhammad over those who accept or reject Islam.

Let us look at Noble Verse 2:256 "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 handhold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things." The Holy Quran prohibits Muslims to force any person into Islam. Muslims must not let people resent Islam and Muslims. They must leave people decide for themselves because the "Truth stands out clear from error" (2:256).

Compulsion is incompatible with religion: Because (1) religion depends upon faith and will, and these would be meaningless by force; (2) Truth and Error have been so clearly shown up by the mercy of Allah Almighty that there should be no doubt in the minds of any persons of good will as to the fundamentals of faith; (3) Allah Almighty's protection is continuous, and His Plan is always to lead us from the depths of darkness into the clearest light. The following was sent to me from "Vipor Poison"; may Allah Almighty always be pleased with him: "I found another verse in the Quran that dealt with apostates. Noble Verse 4:137 "Those who believe, then reject faith, then believe (again) and (again) reject faith, and go on increasing in unbelief,- Allah will not forgive them nor guide them nor guide them on the way."Notice that the 96 Quran says those who reject faith and then BELIEVE and again DISBELIEVE. if a Muslim rejects faith and is then killed for doing so how will he live to again BELIEVE and then DISBELIEVE. The atmosphere of this verse is that of free will and freedom of choice to everyone. If Allah wanted he would have said something about the punishment, if there was any, of those who reject Islam after accepting it. but Allah takes this to be clearly a private matter between them and Allah. I found many verses in the Quran that teach us NO PUNISHMENT for an apostate BUT I found no verse that says the contrary.Here is another verse about the freedom of expression in the Quran. many translators translate this wrongly and kill the meaning of the word making it a bogus and strange statement. Noble Verse 39:18 "Those who listen to the word, then follow the best of it; those are they whom Allah has guided, and those it is who are the men of understanding."The Quran tells the Muslims to listen to every thing and follow only the best of what is said. it does not tell them to kill people if they say something that is not according to the cultural norm."

The following two sets of Noble Verses were sent to me by brother Rached Blili; may Allah Almighty always be pleased with him.Let us look at Noble Verses 109:1-6 "Say : O ye that reject Faith! I worship not that which ye worship, Nor will ye worship that which I worship. And I will not worship that which ye have been wont to worship, Nor will ye worship that which I worship.  To you be your Way, and to me mine."Let us look at Noble Verse 42:15 "Now then, for that (reason), call (them to the Faith), and stand steadfast as thou art commanded, nor follow thou their vain desires; but say: 'I believe in the Book which God has sent down; and I am commanded to judge justly between you. God is our Lord and your Lord: for us (is the responsibility for) our deeds, and for you for your deeds. There is no contention between us and you. God will bring us together, and to Him is (our) Final Goal.'" The Noble Quran in all of the above Noble Verses is crystal clear about providing freedom of religion and choice to all people, Muslims and non-Muslims.

3- So how come Muslim Fundamentalists execute those who desert Islam then?

The interpretation of those who prohibit women from education, even though Islam clearly allows education for women, and prohibit them also from driving, and oppress men by forcing them to grow beards, even though beards are NOT mandatory in Islam, doesn't mean much to me.As we've seen above, it is quite clear, and beyond any questioning that Allah Almighty prohibited compulsion in religion and allowed the absolute freedom of religion to everyone. When Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him executed apostates, he did it because Muslims were at war time and because Islam was still partial, and Muslims needed protection from the hypocrites of the Jews and Christians who purposely entered Islam and deserted it later to create confusion among the Muslims as shown below in the Noble Verse.

The Sayings of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, regarding killing the renegades came when Islam was partial and the Muslims were dealing with wars all the time. So if the person wasn't with the Muslims, then he was certainly with his people, the pagans and the other non-Muslims, and he would've then had to join the evil forces to fight the Muslims. So the case back then was different than today.

97 I have no sympathy for those hypocrites of the Jews and Christians who got executed: "A section of the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) say: Believe in the morning what is revealed to the believers (Muslims), but reject it at the end of the day; perchance they may (themselves) turn back (from Islam). (The Noble Quran, 3:72)" 4- My rebuttal about the historical Muslims' battles with the Apostates:

According to the Islamic history, when Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him died, some of the Muslims had deserted Islam for several reasons. The biggest of those reasons was that they opposed paying the Zakah (2.5% of annual income of Islamic taxes for the poor). Keep in mind that Allah Almighty constantly Warning the Prophet and the Muslims from the hypocrites (false believers). The Arabs before Islam were used to exploiting each others. The strong ate the poor, and high interest rates were enforced on loans given to the poor to ultimately force them to sell of their cattle, sons, daughters and/or wives as slaves.

After the death of our Prophet, some of the rich hypocrites decided to join with the Pagan Arab tribes to fight the Muslims and end Islam. The leader of the apostates/renegades was Musylama Al-Kath-thab or Musylama the liar in English, started his army of infidels in what we call today the country of Oman, which is more than 1,000 miles away from Mecca and Medina where the Muslims resided.

After Musylama became strong and popular and was able to gather a big amount of pagans and hypocrites to form an army, he led them to march to Mecca and Medina to fight the Muslims. When his army finally reached the mountains near Mecca, the Muslims had fought them several battles until he ultimately was killed and his army was soundly defeated.

The objection that I have with some Muslims is for the following reasons: 1- It was the renegades or apostates that declared the war on the Muslims. The Muslims did not start the war. 2- We can't use the story of Musylama Al-Kath-thab to prove that it is ok today to kill any person who deserts Islam. Musylama was not a peaceful renegade. He wanted to destroy the Muslims through war. He had to be fought and killed. We can't use him as a standard and kill all renegades, especially those in the West for instance, who might embrace Islam and then desert it later due to the overwhelming anti-Islamic media and lies. 3- As I proved in this article, Allah Almighty in the Noble Quran talked about the apostates several times, and not a single command exists in the Noble Quran that orders the killing of any of them. 4- The Sayings of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, regarding killing the renegades came when Islam was partial and the Muslims were dealing with wars all the time. As I said above, if the person wasn't with the Muslims, then he was certainly with his people, the pagans and the other non-Muslims, and he would've then had to join the evil forces to fight the Muslims. So the case back then was different than today. 5- Today, if a week-hearted and easily persuaded person for instance decides to embrace Islam and then gets easily persuaded to leave Islam, and then gets easily persuaded to embrace Islam again, and then gets easily persuaded to leave it and so on, then how is it right for us to apply the things that were applied to the hypocrites and Musylama Al-Kath-thab during and after our Prophet's time to this innocent individual? 6- We must never forget Allah Almighty's Command 98 that honors the freedom of religion and choice in Islam in Noble Verse 2:256 and the others as shown in this article. 7- Some Muslims claim that the Caliphs did not apply Noble Verse 2:256 and others to the renegades, because the Caliphs knew that these Noble Verses are not applicable to them. My response to this is that we:

  1. Don't know if the Caliphs had any choice to apply them back in the hostile environment that they existed in back then.

  2. The Caliphs are not the measuring stick that the Muslims today have to follow, especially after knowing that the Caliphs themselves did things different from each others several times before on very major Islamic issues: [] [].

5- Does Islam really mean to force someone to Islam or else kill him?Please visit Does Islam really mean to force someone to Islam or else kill him? 6- Renowned Muslim scholars agreeing with not all apostates to be killed:There are too orthodox scholars who agree with you, i don't mean just some scholars, but famous renowned orhodox scholars , like Ibn tamiyya and the maliki scholar Abul Walid al-Baji support our stance on apostacy, therefor your article is and stance is also a right orthodox view, where no one has the right to criticize you, since renowned scholars confirmed our stance. Check the article below, let me know what you think of it, and if you would add it to the article.  
Volume 4, Book 52, Number 260:  
Narrated Ikrima:  
Ali burnt some people and this news reached Ibn 'Abbas, who said, "Had I been in his place I would not have burnt them, as the Prophet said, 'Don't punish (anybody) with Allah's Punishment.' No doubt, I would have killed them, for the Prophet said, 'If somebody (a Muslim) discards his religion, kill him.' "

Many prominent scholars throughout the centuries have held the view that apostasy is not a hadd (singular for hudud = capital) offence. This view is founded on the fact that the Qur'an is completely silent on the death penalty for apostasy. In fact, freedom of religion is a fundamental tenet of Islam. In Surah al-Baqarah, 2:256, Allah explicitly states: "Let there be no compulsion in religion". This Medinan verse was revealed when some Companions asked the Prophet for permission to compel their relatives to profess Islam. It has been widely interpreted to mean that no one can be compelled to embrace Islam because religion depends upon faith and will, and this would be meaningless if induced by force. Islam itself means submission to the will of God; and the willing submission of the self to faith and  
belief must be attained through conviction and reason, not through coercion and duress.

Islam began by inviting and persuading people to embrace it on the merit of its rationality and truth. In Surah Yunus, 10:99, a verse revealed in Mecca at the advent of Islam, Allah says: "Had your Lord willed, everyone on earth would have believed. Do you then force people to become believers?" This and verse 2:256, together with the norm of Shari'a which affirms freedom of religion, have led many Muslim countries today to include in its Constitution an article on freedom of religion as a fundamental right. In his book, The Punishment for Apostasy in Islam, the former Chief Justice of Pakistan, SA Rahman, noted that even though the subject of apostasy occurred no less than 20 times in the Qur'an, the Holy Book remained silent on death as a punishment. Surah An-Nisa', 4:137-138, state that "Verily, those who believe, then disbelieve, 99 then believe again, then disbelieve, and then increase in their disbelief - Allah will never forgive them nor guide them to the path. Give to the hypocrites the tidings that there is for them a painful torment." If indeed it was Allah's intention to impose the death penalty for apostasy, then such occasion of repeated apostasy could have provoked such a punishment. But neither the first instance of apostasy, nor repeated apostasy brought about capital punishment.

Those who advocate the death penalty for apostasy based their reasoning on a hadith which proclaims, "kill whoever changes his religion". But this hadith is open to varying interpretations on several grounds.

First, this hadith is considered a weak hadith with just a single isnad (this means there is only one chain of transmission or narration) and thus according to the rules of Islamic jurisprudence, it is not enough to validate the death penalty.

Second, this hadith is also considered a general ('amm) hadith in that it is in need of specification (takhsis); for it would otherwise convey a meaning that is not within its purpose. The obvious reading of the hadith would, for example, make liable the death punishment on a Hindu or Christian who converts to Islam. This is obviously not the intention of the hadith. According to the rules of Islamic jurisprudence, when a text is interpreted once, it becomes open to further interpretation and specification. Therefore, many scholars interpret this hadith to apply only to cases of high treason (hirabah), which means declaring war against Islam, the Prophet, or God or the legitimate leadership of the ummah.

Third, and most importantly, there is no evidence to show that Prophet Muhammad saw or his Companions ever compelled anyone to embrace Islam, nor did they sentence anyone to death solely for renunciation of the faith.

Based on these three reasons and the Qur'anic principle of freedom of religion, prominent ulama (scholars) from the seventh to the twentieth centuries have come out with the position that there can be no death penalty for apostasy. According to Professor Hashim Kamali in his award-winning book, Freedom of Expression in Islam, two leading jurists of the generation succeeding the Companions, Ibrahim al-Naka'I and Sufyan al-Thawri, both held that the apostate should be re-invited to Islam, but should never be condemned to death. The renowned Hanafi jurist, Shams al-Din al-Sarakhsi wrote that even though renunciation of faith is the greatest of offences, it is a matter between man and his Creator, and its punishment is postponed to the Day of Judgement. The Maliki jurist Abul Walid al-Baji and the renowned Hanbali jurist Ibn Taymiyyah have both held that apostasy is a sin which carries no hadd punishment.In modern times, the celebrated Sheikh of al-Azhar University, the late Mahmud Shaltut who was esteemed for his vast knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence and Qur'anic interpretation, wrote that many ulama are in agreement that hudud cannot be established by a solitary hadith and that unbelief by itself does not call for the death penalty. The current Sheikh of al-Azhar, who was Egypt's former Grand Mufti, Dr Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, also declared that apostasy is not a capital crime.Many scholars, including Ibn Taymiyyah, Shaltut and Tantawi, said that the death penalty was not meant to apply to a simple change of faith, but to hirabah, that is, when apostasy is accompanied by rebellion against the community and its legitimate leadership. 7- Conclusion: As we clearly see from the Noble Verses above, apostates are no longer to be

100 killed in Islam. I am not here promoting apostates, but there is no reason to kill someone who doesn't deserve to be killed. Certainly if the apostate is hostile toward the Muslims and joins the enemy in a war against them, or tries to corrupt the Muslims in the Muslim lands by trying to convert them to his/her new deviant religion, then the matter becomes different. But if a Westerner today for instance embraces Islam for a while and then changes his position due to the overwhelming false anti-Islamic media, then certainly killing that person would be a grave sin and a big mistake. www.answering-christianity.com

EVOLUTION AN UNPROVEN THEORY :Is there a guarantee that there is 100% evidence of it? no as simple as that.Their stories of evidences Based on bone similarities has no evidence how truthful they are because its mostly based on opinions.Fruits &vegetables have vitamins on them does it mean we came from them?Dogs have calcium in their bones.we have vitamins & calcium in our body ,so does it mean we came from them. God created the entire world matchable,livable,sutable for all humans & creatures.And he made us with similarities.All humans & animals breath from air,drink water.all living things,even trees have water in them like all humans.If god wants to create a cockroach a tree a bird a fish with human blood in them of course he can he is the creater.Its a miracle of god that we have similarities with monkies.It just proves god created the entire world with similarities with us.It does not prove we came from any animal or monkey.

THE QUR'AAN AND MODERN SCIENCE COMPATIBLE OR INCOMPATIBLE?

By Dr. ZAKIR NAIK ISLAMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

INTRODUCTION

Ever since the dawn of human life on this planet, Man has always sought

to understand Nature, his own place in the scheme of Creation and the

purpose of Life itself. In this quest for Truth, spanning many centuries

and diverse civilizations, organized religion has shaped human life and

determined to a large extent, the course of history. While some religions have

been based on books, claimed by their adherents to be divinely inspired,

others have relied solely on human experience.

Al-Qur'aan, the main source of the Islamic faith, is a book believed by

Muslims, to be of completely Divine origin. Muslims also believe that it

contains guidance for all mankind. Since the message of the Qur'aan is

believed to be for all times, it should be relevant to every age. Does the

Qur'aan pass this test? In this booklet, I intend to give an objective analysis of

the Muslim belief regarding the Divine origin of the Qur'aan, in the light of

established scientific discoveries.

There was a time, in the history of world civilization, when 'miracles', or

what was perceived to be a miracle, took precedence over human reason and

logic. But how do we define the term 'miracle'? A miracle is anything that

takes place out of the normal course of life and for which humankind has no

explanation. However, we must be careful before we accept something as a

miracle. An article in 'The Times of India' Mumbai, in 1993 reported that 'a

saint' by the name 'Baba Pilot' claimed to have stayed continuously

submerged under water in a tank for three consecutive days and nights.

However, when reporters wanted to examine the base of the tank of water

101 where he claimed to have performed this 'miraculous' feat, he refused to let

them do so. He argued by asking as to how one could examine the womb of a

mother that gives birth to a child. The 'Baba' was hiding something. It was a

gimmick simply to gain publicity. Surely, no modern man with even the

slightest inkling towards rational thinking would accept such a 'miracle'. If

such false miracles are the tests of divinity, then we would have to accept Mr.

P. C. Sorcar, the world famous magician known for his ingenious magical

tricks and illusions, as the best God-man.

A book, claiming Divine origin, is in effect, claiming to be a miracle. Such a

claim should be easily verifiable in any age, according to the standards of that

age. Muslims believe, that the Qur'aan is the last and final revelation of God,

the miracle of miracles revealed as a mercy to mankind. Let us therefore

investigate the veracity of this belief.

I would like to thank Brother Musaddique Thange for his editorial assistance.

May Allah (swt) reward him for his efforts, Aameen

The Qur'aan and Modern Science: Compatible or Incompatible?

THE CHALLENGE OF THE QUR'AAN

Literature and poetry have been instruments of human expression and

creativity, in all cultures. The world also witnessed an age when literature and

poetry occupied pride of position, similar to that now enjoyed by science and

technology.Muslims as well as non-Muslims agree that Al-Qur'aan is Arabic literature

par excellence - that it is the best Arabic literature on the face of the earth.

The Qur'aan, challenges mankind in the following verses:

"And if ye are in doubt As to what We have revealed From time to time

to Our Servant, then produce a Soorah Like thereunto; And call your

witnesses or helpers (If there are any) besides Allah, If your (doubts) are

true. But if ye cannot –And of a surety you cannot. hen fear the Fire

Whose fuel is Men and Stones – Which is prepared for those Who reject

Faith." [Al-Qur'aan 2:23-24] 1

The same notation is followed throughout the book. References and

translation of the Qur'aan are from the translation of the Qur'aan by Abdullah

Yusuf Ali, new revised edition, 1989, published by Amana Corporation,

Maryland, USA.The challenge of the Qur'aan, is to produce a single Soorah (chapter) like the

Soorahs it contains. The same challenge is repeated in the Qur'aan several

times. The challenge to produce a Soorah, which, in beauty, eloquence, depth

and meaning is at least somewhat similar to a Qur'aanic Soorah remains

unmet to this day. A modern rational man, however, would never accept a

religious scripture, which says, in the best possible poetic language, that the

world is flat. This is because we live in an age, where human reason, logic

and science are given primacy. Not many would accept the Qur'aan's

extraordinarily beautiful language, as proof of its Divine origin. Any scripture

1 Al-Qur'an 2:23-24 indicates Soorah or Chapter No. 2 and Ayaat or Verses 23 and 24.

The Qur'aan and Modern Science: Compatible or Incompatible?

claiming to be a divine revelation must also be acceptable on the strength of

its own reason and logic.

According to the famous physicist and Nobel Prize winner, Albert Einstein,

"Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind." Let us

therefore study the Qur'aan, and analyze whether The Qur'aan and Modern

Science are compatible or incompatible?

102 The Qur'aan is not a book of science but a book of 'signs', i.e. ayats. There

are more than six thousand 'signs' in the Qur'aan of which more than a

thousand deal with science. We all know that many a times Science takes a

'U-turn'. In this book I have considered only established scientific facts and

not mere hypotheses and theories that are based on assumptions and are not

backed by proof.

I. ASTRONOMY

CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE: 'THE BIG BANG'

The creation of the universe is explained by astrophysicists in a widely

accepted phenomenon, popularly known as the 'Big Bang'. It is supported by

observational and experimental data gathered by astronomers and

astrophysicists for decades. According to the 'Big Bang', the whole universe

was initially one big mass (Primary Nebula). Then there was a 'Big Bang'

(Secondary Separation) which resulted in the formation of Galaxies. These

then divided to form stars, planets, the sun, the moon, etc. The origin of the

universe was unique and the probability of it occurring by 'chance' is zero.

The Qur'aan contains the following verse, regarding the origin of the

universe: "Do not the Unbelievers see That the heavens and the earth

Were joined together (as one Unit of Creation), before We clove them

asunder?" [Al-Qur'aan 21:30]

The striking congruence between the Qur'aanic verse and the 'Big Bang' is

inescapable! How could a book, which first appeared in the deserts of Arabia

1400 years ago, contain this profound scientific truth?

THERE WAS AN INITIAL GASEOUS MASS BEFORE THE

CREATION OF GALAXIES

Scientists say that before the galaxies in the universe were formed, celestial

matter was initially in the form of gaseous matter. In short, huge gaseous

matter or clouds were present before the formation of the galaxies. To

describe initial celestial matter, the word 'smoke' is more appropriate than

gas. The following Qur'aanic verse refers to this state of the universe by the

word dhukhan which means smoke.

"Moreover, He Comprehended In His design the sky, And it had been

(as) smoke: He said to it And to the earth: 'Come ye together, Willingly

The Qur'aan and Modern Science: Compatible or Incompatible?

or unwillingly.' They said: 'We do come (Together), in willing

obedience.'" [Al-Qur'aan 41:11]

Again, this fact is a corollary to the 'Big Bang' and was not known to the

Arabs during the time of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). What then, could have

been the source of this knowledge?

THE SPHERICAL SHAPE OF THE EARTH

In early times, people believed that the earth is flat. For centuries, men were

afraid to venture out too far, lest they should fall off the edge. Sir Francis

Drake was the first person who proved that the earth is spherical when he

sailed around it in 1597. Consider the following Qur'aanic verse regarding

the alternation of day and night: "Seest thou not that Allah merges Night

into Day And He merges Day into Night?" [Al-Qur'aan 31:29]

Merging here means that the night slowly and gradually changes to day and

vice versa. This phenomenon can only take place if the earth is spherical. If

103 the earth was flat, there would have been a sudden change from night to day

and from day to night.

The following verse also alludes to the spherical shape of the earth: "He

created the heavens And the earth In true (proportions): He makes the

Night Overlap the Day, and the Day Overlap the Night." [Al-Qur'aan

39:5]

The Arabic word used here is Kawwara meaning 'to overlap' or 'to coil'– the

way a turban is wound around the head. The overlapping or coiling of the day

and night can only take place if the earth is spherical.

The earth is not exactly round like a ball, but geo-spherical i.e. it is flattened

at the poles. The following verse contains a description of the earth's shape:

The Qur'aan and Modern Science: Compatible or Incompatible?

"And the earth, moreover, Hath He made egg shaped." 2 [Al-Qur'aan

79:30]

The Arabic word for egg here is dahaha, which means an ostrich-egg. The

shape of an ostrich-egg resembles the geo-spherical shape of the earth. Thus

the Qur'aan correctly describes the shape of the earth, though the prevalent

notion when the Qur'aan was revealed was that the earth is flat.

THE LIGHT OF THE MOON IS REFLECTED LIGHT

It was believed by earlier civilizations that the moon emanates its own light.

Science now tells us that the light of the moon is reflected light. However this

fact was mentioned in the Qur'aan 1,400 years ago in the following verse:.

"Blessed is He Who made Constellations in the skies, And placed therein

a Lamp And a Moon giving light." [Al-Qur'aan 25:61]

The Arabic word for the sun in the Qur'aan, is shams. It is referred to as

siraaj, which means a 'torch' or as wahhaaj which means 'a blazing lamp' or

as diya which means 'shining glory'. All three descriptions are appropriate to

the sun, since it generates intense heat and light by its internal combustion.

The Arabic word for the moon is qamar and it is described in the Qur'aan as

muneer, which is a body that gives nur i.e. light. Again, the Qur'aanic

description matches perfectly with the true nature of the moon, which does

not give off light itself and is an inert body that reflects the light of the sun.

Not once in the Qur'aan, is the moon mentioned as siraaj, wahhaaj or diya or

the sun as nur or muneer. This implies that the Qur'aan recognizes the

difference between the nature of sunlight and moonlight.

2 The Arabic word dahaha has been translated by A. Yusuf Ali as "vast

expanse", which also is correct. The word dahaha also means an ostrich-egg.

The Qur'aan and Modern Science: Compatible or Incompatible?

Consider the following verses related to the nature of light from the sun and

the moon: "It is He who made the sun To be a shining glory And the

moon to be a light (Of beauty)." [Al-Qur'aan 10:5]

"See ye not How Allah has created The seven heavens One above

another, "And made the moon A light in their midst, and made the sun

As a (Glorious) Lamp?" [Al-Qur'aan 71:15-16]

THE SUN ROTATES

For a long time European philosophers and scientists believed that the earth

stood still in the centre of the universe and every other body including the sun

moved around it. In the West, this geocentric concept of the universe was

prevalent right from the time of Ptolemy in the second century B.C. In 1512,

104 Nicholas Copernicus put forward his Heliocentric Theory of Planetary

Motion, which asserted that the sun is motionless at the centre of the solar

system with the planets revolving around it.

In 1609, the German scientist Yohannus Keppler published the 'Astronomia

Nova'. In this he concluded that not only do the planets move in elliptical

orbits around the sun, they also rotate upon their axes at irregular speeds.

With this knowledge it became possible for European scientists to explain

correctly many of the mechanisms of the solar system including the sequence

of night and day.

After these discoveries, it was thought that the Sun was stationary and did not

rotate about its axis like the Earth. I remember having studied this fallacy

from Geography books during my school days. Consider the following

Qur'aanic verse: "It is He Who created The Night and the Day, And the

sun and the moon: All (the celestial bodies) Swim along, each in its

Rounded course." [Al-Qur'aan 21:33]

The Arabic word used in the above verse is yasbahûn . The word yasbahûn is

derived from the word sabaha. It carries with it the idea of motion that comes

The Qur'aan and Modern Science: Compatible or Incompatible?

from any moving body. If you use the word for a man on the ground, it would

not mean that he is rolling but would mean he is walking or running. If you

use the word for a man in water it would not mean that he is floating but

would mean that he is swimming.

Similarly, if you use the word yasbah for a celestial body such as the sun it

would not mean that it is only flying through space but would mean that it is

also rotating as it goes through space. Most of the school textbooks have

incorporated the fact that the sun rotates about its axis. The rotation of the sun

about its own axis can be proved with the help of an equipment that projects

the image of the sun on the table top so that one can examine the image of the

sun without being blinded. It is noticed that the sun has spots which complete

a circular motion once every 25 days i.e. the sun takes approximately 25 days

to rotate around its axis.

In fact, the sun travels through space at roughly 150 miles per second, and

takes about 200 million years to complete one revolution around the center of

our Milky Way Galaxy.

"It is not permitted To the Sun to catch up The Moon, nor can The Night

outstrip the Day: Each (just) swims along In (its own) orbit (According to

Law)." [Al-Qur'aan 36:40]

This verse mentions an essential fact discovered by modern astronomy, i.e.

the existence of the individual orbits of the Sun and the Moon, and their

journey through space with their own motion. The 'fixed place' towards,

which the sun travels, carrying with it the solar system, has been located

exactly by modern astronomy. It has been given a name, the Solar Apex. The

solar system is indeed moving in space towards a point situated in the

constellation of Hercules (alpha Layer) whose exact location is firmly

established.

The moon rotates around its axis in the same duration that it takes to revolve

around the earth. It takes approximately 29½ days to complete one rotation.

One cannot help but be amazed at the scientific accuracy of the Qur'aanic

105 The Qur'aan and Modern Science: Compatible or Incompatible?

verses. Should we not ponder over the question: "What was the source of

knowledge contained in the Qur'aan?"

THE SUN WILL EXTINGUISH AFTER A CERTAIN PERIOD

The light of the sun is due to a chemical process on its surface that has been

taking place continuously for the past five billion years. It will come to an end

at some point of time in the future when the sun will be totally extinguished

leading to extinction of all life on earth. Regarding the impermanence of the

sun's existence the Qur'aan says: "And the Sun Runs its course For a

period determined For it; that is The decree of (Him) The exalted in

Might, The All-Knowing." [Al-Qur'aan 36:38] 3

The Arabic word used here is mustaqarr, which means a place or time that is

determined. Thus the Qur'aan says that the sun runs towards a determined

place, and will do so only up to a pre-determined period of time – meaning

that it will end or extinguish.

THE PRESENCE OF INTERSTELLAR MATTER

Space outside organized astronomical systems was earlier assumed to be a

vacuum . Astrophysicists later discovered the presence of bridges of matter in

this interstellar space. These bridges of matter are called plasma, and consist

of completely ionized gas containing equal number of free electrons and

positive ions. Plasma is sometimes called the fourth state of matter (besides

the three known states viz. solid, liquid and gas). The Qur'aan mentions the

presence of this interstellar material in the following verse: "He Who created

the heavens And the earth and all That is between." [Al-Qur'aan 25:59]

It would be ridiculous, for anybody to even suggest that the presence of

interstellar galactic material was known 1400 years ago.

3 A similar message is conveyed in the Qur'an in 13:2, 35:13, 39:5 and 39:21.

The Qur'aan and Modern Science: Compatible or Incompatible?

THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE

In 1925, an American astronomer by the name of Edwin Hubble, provided

observational evidence that all galaxies are receding from one another, which

implies that the universe is expanding. The expansion of the universe is now

an established scientific fact. This is what Al-Qur'aan says regarding the

nature of the universe: "With the power and skill Did We construct The

Firmament: For it is We Who create The vastness of Space." [Al-Qur'aan

51:47]

The Arabic word mûsi'ûn is correctly translated as 'expanding it', and it

refers to the creation of the expanding vastness of the universe. Stephen

Hawking, in his book, 'A Brief History of Time', says, "The discovery that

the universe is expanding was one of the great intellectual revolutions of the

20th century."

The Qur'aan mentioned the expansion of the universe, before man even learnt

to build a telescope! Some may say that the presence of astronomical facts in

the Qur'aan is not surprising since the Arabs were advanced in the field of

astronomy. They are correct in acknowledging the advancement of the Arabs

in the field of astronomy. However they fail to realize that the Qur'aan was

revealed centuries before the Arabs excelled in astronomy. Moreover many of

the scientific facts mentioned above regarding astronomy, such as the origin

106 of the universe with a Big Bang, were not known to the Arabs even at the

peak of their scientific advancement. The scientific facts mentioned in the

Qur'aan are therefore not due to the Arabs' advancement in astronomy.

Indeed, the reverse is true. The Arabs advanced in astronomy, because

astronomy occupies a place in the Qur'aan.

II. PHYSICS

THE EXISTENCE OF SUBATOMIC PARTICLES

In ancient times a well-known theory by the name of 'Theory of Atomism'

was widely accepted. This theory was originally proposed by the Greeks, in

particular by a man called Democritus, who lived about 23 centuries ago.

Democritus and the people that came after him, assumed that the smallest unit

of matter was the atom. The Arabs used to believe the same. The Arabic word

dharrah most commonly meant an atom. In recent times modern science has

discovered that it is possible to split even an atom. That the atom can be split

further is a development of the 20th century. Fourteen centuries ago this

concept would have appeared unusual even to an Arab. For him the dharrah

was the limit beyond which one could not go. The following Qur'aanic verse

however, refuses to acknowledge this limit: "The Unbelievers say, 'Never to

us will come The Hour': say, 'Nay! But most surely, By my Lord, it will

come Upon you – by Him Who knows the unseen – From Whom is not

hidden The least little atom In the Heavens or on earth: Nor is there

anything less Than that, or greater, but Is in the Record Perspicuous.'"

[Al-Qur'aan 34:3] 4

This verse refers to the Omniscience of God, His knowledge of all things,

hidden or apparent. It then goes further and says that God is aware of

everything, including what is smaller or bigger than the atom. Thus the verse

clearly shows that it is possible for something smaller than the atom to exist, a

fact discovered only recently by modern science.

4 A similar message is conveyed in the Qur'an in 10:61.

The Qur'aan and Modern Science: Compatible or Incompatible?

III. GEOGRAPHY

THE WATER CYCLE

In 1580, Bernard Palissy was the first man to describe the present day concept

of 'water cycle'. He described how water evaporates from the oceans and

cools to form clouds. The clouds move inland where they rise, condense and

fall as rain. This water gathers as lakes and streams and flows back to the

ocean in a continuous cycle. In the 7th century B.C., Thales of Miletus

believed that surface spray of the oceans was picked up by the wind and

carried inland to fall as rain. In earlier times people did not know the source

of underground water. They thought the water of the oceans, under the effect

of winds, was thrust towards the interior of the continents. They also believed

that the water returned by a secret passage, or the Great Abyss. This passage

is connected to the oceans and has been called the 'Tartarus', since Plato's

time. Even Descartes, a great thinker of the eighteenth century, subscribed to

this view. Till the nineteenth century, Aristotle's theory was prevalent.

According to this theory, water was condensed in cool mountain caverns and

formed underground lakes that fed springs. Today, we know that the

107 rainwater that seeps into the cracks of the ground is responsible for this.

The water cycle is described by the Qur'aan in the following verses: "Seest

thou not that Allah Sends down rain from The sky, and leads it Through

springs in the earth? Then He causes to grow, Therewith, produce of

various Colours." [Al-Qur'aan 39:21]

"He sends down rain From the sky And with it gives life to The earth

after it is dead: Verily in that are Signs For those who are wise." [Al-

Qur'aan 30:24]

"And We send down water From the sky according to (Due) measure,

and We cause it To soak in the soil; And We certainly are able To drain

it off (with ease)." [Al-Qur'aan 23:18]

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No other text dating back 1400 years ago gives such an accurate description

of the water cycle.

WINDS IMPREGNATE THE CLOUDS

"And We send the fecundating winds, Then cause the rain to descend

From the sky, therewith providing You with water (in abundance)." [Al-

Qur'aan 15:22]

The Arabic word used here is lawâqih, which is the plural of laqih from

laqaha, which means to impregnate or fecundate. In this context, impregnate

means that the wind pushes the clouds together increasing the condensation

that causes lightning and thus rain. A similar description is found in the

Qur'aan: "It is Allah Who sends The Winds, and they raise The Clouds:

then does He Spread them in the sky As He wills, and break them Into

fragments, until thou seest Raindrops issue from the midst Thereof: then

when He has Made them reach such Of His servants as He wills, Behold,

they do rejoice!" [Al-Qur'aan 30:48]

The Qur'aanic descriptions are absolutely accurate and agree perfectly with

modern data on hydrology. The water cycle is described in several verses of

the Glorious Qur'aan, including 3:9, 7:57, 13:17, 25:48- 49, 36:34, 50:9-11,

56:68-70, 67:30 and 86:11.

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IV. GEOLOGY

MOUNTAINS ARE LIKE PEGS (STAKES)

In Geology, the phenomenon of 'folding' is a recently discovered fact.

Folding is responsible for the formation of mountain ranges. The earth's

crust, on which we live, is like a solid shell, while the deeper layers are hot

and fluid, and thus inhospitable to any form of life. It is also known that the

stability of the mountains is linked to the phenomenon of folding, for it was

the folds that were to provide foundations for the reliefs that constitute the

mountains. Geologists tell us that the radius of the Earth is about 3,750 miles

and the crust on which we live is very thin, ranging between 1 to 30 miles.

Since the crust is thin, it has a high possibility of shaking. Mountains act like

stakes or tent pegs that hold the earth's crust and give it stability. The Qur'aan

contains exactly such a description in the following verse: "Have We not

made The earth as a wide Expanse, And the mountains as pegs?" [Al-

Qur'aan 78:6-7]

108 The word awtad means stakes or pegs (like those used to anchor a tent); they

are the deep foundations of geological folds. A book named 'Earth' is

considered as a basic reference textbook on geology in many universities

around the world. One of the authors of this book is Frank Press, who was the

President of the Academy of Sciences in the USA for 12 years and was the

Science Advisor to former US President Jimmy Carter. In this book he

illustrates the mountain in a wedge-shape and the mountain itself as a small

part of the whole, whose root is deeply entrenched in the ground.5 According

to Dr. Press, the mountains play an important role in stabilizing the crust of

the earth.

The Qur'aan clearly mentions the function of the mountains in preventing the

earth from shaking: "And We have set on the earth Mountains standing

firm, Lest it should shake with them." [Al-Qur'aan 21:31]

5 Earth, Press and Siever, p. 435. Also see Earth Science, Tarbuck and Lutgens,p. 157.

The Qur'aanic descriptions are in perfect agreement with modern geological

data.MOUNTAINS FIRMLY FIXED

The surface of the earth is broken into many rigid plates that are about 100

km in thickness. These plates float on a partially molten region called

aesthenosphere. Mountain formations occur at the boundary of the plates. The

earth's crust is 5 km thick below oceans, about 35 km thick below flat

continental surfaces and almost 80 km thick below great mountain ranges.

These are the strong foundations on which mountains stand. The Qur'aan also

speaks about the strong mountain foundations in the following verse: "And

the mountains Hath He firmly fixed." [Al-Qur'aan 79:32] 6
6 A similar message is contained in the Qur'an in 88:19, 31:10 and 16:15

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V. OCEANOLOGY

BARRIER BETWEEN SWEET AND SALT WATERS

Consider the following Qur'aanic verses: "He has let free the two bodies Of

flowing water, Meeting together: Between them is a Barrier Which they

do not transgress." [Al-Qur'aan 55:19-20]

In the Arabic text the word barzakh means a barrier or a partition. This barrier

is not a physical partition. The Arabic word maraja literally means 'they both

meet and mix with each other'. Early commentators of the Qur'aan were

unable to explain the two opposite meanings for the two bodies of water, i.e.

they meet and mix, and at the same time, there is a barrier between them.

Modern Science has discovered that in the places where two different seas

meet, there is a barrier between them. This barrier divides the two seas so that

each sea has its own temperature, salinity and density. 7 Oceanologists are

now in a better position to explain this verse. There is slanted unseen water

barrier between the two seas through which water from one sea passes to the

other.But when the water from one sea enters the other sea, it loses its distinctive

characteristic and becomes homogenized with the other water. In a way this

barrier serves as a transitional homogenizing area for the two waters. This

scientific phenomenon mentioned in the Qur'aan was also confirmed by Dr.

William Hay who is a well-known marine scientist and Professor of

Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado, U.S.A. The Qur'aan

109 mentions this phenomenon also in the following verse: "And made a

separating bar between the two bodies Of flowing water?" [Al-Qur'aan

27:61]

This phenomenon occurs in several places, including the divider between the

Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean at Gibralter. But when the Qur'aan

speaks about the divider between fresh and salt water, it mentions the

7 Principles of Oceanography, Davis, pp. 92-93.

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existence of "a forbidding partition" with the barrier. "It is He Who has Let

free the two bodies Of flowing water: One palatable and sweet, And the

other salty and bitter; Yet has He Made a barrier between them, And a

partition that is forbidden To be passed." [Al-Qur'aan 25:53]

Modern science has discovered that in estuaries, where fresh (sweet) and saltwater

meet, the situation is somewhat different from that found in places

where two seas meet. It has been discovered that what distinguishes fresh

water from salt water in estuaries is a "pycnocline zone with a marked density

discontinuity separating the two layers." 8 This partition (zone of separation)

has salinity different from both the fresh water and the salt water. 9

This phenomenon occurs in several places, including Egypt, where the river

Nile flows into the Mediterranean Sea.

DARKNESS IN THE DEPTHS OF THE OCEAN

Prof. Durga Rao is an expert in the field of Marine Geology and was a

professor at King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah. He was asked to

comment on the following verse: "Or (the Unbelievers' state) Is like the

depths of darkness In a vast deep ocean, Overwhelmed with billow

Topped by billow, Topped by (dark) clouds: Depths of darkness, one

Above another: if a man Stretches out his hand, He can hardly see it! For

any to whom Allah Giveth not light, there is no light!" [Al-Qur'aan 24:40]

Prof. Rao said that scientists have only now been able to confirm, with the

help of modern equipment that there is darkness in the depths of the ocean.

Humans are unable to dive unaided underwater for more than 20 to 30 meters,

and cannot survive in the deep oceanic regions at a depth of more than 200

meters. This verse does not refer to all seas because not every sea can be

8 Oceanography, Gross, p. 242. Also see Introductory Oceanography, Thurman,

pp. 300-301.

9 Oceanography, Gross, p. 244 and Introductory Oceanography, Thurman, pp.

300-301.

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described as having accumulated darkness layered one over another. It refers

especially to a deep sea or deep ocean, as the Qur'aan says, "darkness in a

vast deep ocean". This layered darkness in a deep ocean is the result of two

causes:A light ray is composed of seven colours. These seven colours are Violet,

Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red (VIBGYOR). The light ray

undergoes refraction when it hits water. The upper 10 to 15 metres of

water absorb the red colour. Therefore if a diver is 25 metres under water and

gets wounded, he would not be able to see the red colour of his blood,

because the red colour does not reach this depth. Similarly orange rays are

110 absorbed at 30 to 50 metres, yellow at 50 to 100 metres, green at 100 to 200

metres, and finally, blue beyond 200 metres and violet and indigo above 200

metres. Due to successive disappearance of colour, one layer after another,

the ocean progressively becomes darker, i.e. darkness takes place in layers of

light. Below a depth of 1000 meters there is complete darkness. 10

. The sun's rays are absorbed by clouds, which in turn scatter light rays

thus causing a layer of darkness under the clouds. This is the first layer

of darkness. When light rays reach the surface of the ocean they are

reflected by the wave surface giving it a shiny appearance. Therefore it is the

waves which reflect light and cause darkness. The unreflected light penetrates

into the depths of the ocean. Therefore the ocean has two parts. The surface

characterized by light and warmth and the depth characterized by darkness.

The surface is further separated from the deep part of the ocean by waves.

The internal waves cover the deep waters of seas and oceans because the deep

waters have a higher density than the waters above them. The darkness begins

below the internal waves. Even the fish in the depths of the ocean cannot see;

their only source of light is from their own bodies.

The Qur'aan rightly mentions: "Darkness in a vast deep ocean

overwhelmed with waves topped by waves".

10 Oceans, Elder and Pernetta, p. 27.

In other words, above these waves there are more types of waves, i.e. those

found on the surface of the ocean. The Qur'aanic verse continues, "topped by

(dark) clouds; depths of darkness, one above another."

These clouds as explained are barriers one over the other that further cause

darkness by absorption of colours at different levels.

Prof. Durga Rao concluded by saying, "1400 years ago a normal human being

could not explain this phenomenon in so much detail. Thus the information

must have come from a supernatural

source".

VI. BIOLOGY

EVERY LIVING THING IS MADE OF WATER

Consider the following Qur'aanic verse: "Do not the Unbelievers see that

the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one Unit of Creation),

before We clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing.

Will they not then believe?" [Al-Qur'aan 21:30]

Only after advances have been made in science, do we now know that

cytoplasm, the basic substance of the cell is made up of 80% water. Modern

research has also revealed that most organisms consist of 50% to 90% water

and that every living entity requires water for its existence. Was it possible 14

centuries ago for any human-being to guess that every living being was made

of water? Moreover would such a guess be conceivable by a human being in

the deserts of Arabia where there has always been scarcity of water? The

following verse refers to the creation of animals from water: "And Allah has

created Every animal from water." [Al-Qur'aan 24:45]

The following verse refers to the creation of human beings from water: "It is

He Who has Created man from water: Then has He established

Relationships of lineage And marriage: for thy Lord Has power (over all

things)." [Al-Qur'aan 25:54]

111

VII. BOTANY

PLANTS CREATED IN PAIRS, MALE AND FEMALE

Previously humans did not know that plants too have male and female gender

distinctions. Botany states that every plant has a male and female gender.

Even the plants that are unisexual have distinct elements of both male and

female. "'And has sent Down water from the sky.' With it have We

produced Diverse pairs of plants Each separate from the others." [Al-

Qur'aan 20:53]

FRUITS CREATED IN PAIRS, MALE AND FEMALE

"And fruit Of every kind He made In pairs, two and two." [Al-Qur'aan

13:3]

Fruit is the end product of reproduction of the superior plants. The stage

preceding fruit is the flower, which has male and female organs (stamens and

ovules). Once pollen has been carried to the flower, they bear fruit, which in

turn matures and frees its seed. All fruits therefore imply the existence of

male and female organs; a fact that is mentioned in the Qur'aan.

In certain species, fruit can come from non-fertilized flowers (parthenocarpic

fruit) e.g. bananas, certain types of pineapple, fig, orange, vine, etc. They also

have definite sexual characteristics.

EVERYTHING MADE IN PAIRS

"And of everything We have created pairs." [Al-Qur'aan 51:49]

This refers to things other than humans, animals, plants and fruits. It may also

be referring to a phenomenon like electricity in which the atoms consist of

negatively – and positively – charged electrons and protons.

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"Glory to Allah, Who created In pairs all things that The earth produces,

as well as Their own (human) kind And (other) things of which They

have no knowledge." [Al-Qur'aan 36:36]

The Qur'aan here says that everything is created in pairs, including things that

the humans do not know at present and may discover later.

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VIII. ZOOLOGY

ANIMALS AND BIRDS LIVE IN COMMUNITIES

"There is not an animal (That lives) on the earth, Nor a being that flies

On its wings, but (forms Part of) communities like you." [Al-Qur'aan

6:38]

Research has shown that animals and birds live in communities, i.e. they

organize, and live and work together.

THE FLIGHT OF BIRDS

Regarding the flight of birds the Qur'aan says: "Do they not look at The

birds, held poised In the midst of (the air And) the sky? Nothing Holds

them up but (the power Of) Allah. Verily in this Are Signs for those who

believe." [Al-Qur'aan 16:79]

112 A similar message is repeated in the Qur'aan in the verse: "Do they not

observe The birds above them, Spreading their wings And folding them

in? None can uphold them Except (Allah) Most Gracious: Truly it is He

That watches over all things." [Al-Qur'aan 67:19]

The Arabic word amsaka literally means, 'to put one's hand on, seize, hold,

hold someone back,' which expresses the idea that Allah holds the bird up in

His power. These verses stress the extremely close dependence of the birds'

behaviour on Divine order. Modern scientific data has shown the degree of

perfection attained by certain species of birds with regard to the programming

of their movements. It is only the existence of a migratory programme in the

genetic code of the birds that can explain the long and complicated journey

that very young birds, without any prior experience and without any guide,

are able to accomplish. They are also able to return to the departure point on a

definite date.

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Prof. Hamburger in his book 'Power and Fragility' gives the example of

'mutton-bird' that lives in the Pacific with its journey of over 15,000 miles in

the shape of figure '8'. It makes this journey over a period of 6 months and

comes back to its departure point with a maximum delay of one week. The

highly complicated instructions for such a journey have to be contained in the

birds' nervous cells. They are definitely programmed. Should we not reflect

on the identity of this 'Programmer'?

THE BEE

"And thy Lord taught the Bee To build its cells in hills, On trees, and in

(men's) habitations; Then to eat of all The produce (of the earth), And

find with skill the spacious Paths of its Lord." [Al-Qur'aan 16:68-69]

Von-Frisch received the Nobel Prize in 1973 for his research on the

behaviour and communication of the bees. The bee, after discovering any new

garden or flower, goes back and tells its fellow bees the exact direction and

map to get there, which is known as 'bee dance'. The meanings of this

insect's movements that are intended to transmit information between worker

bees have been discovered scientifically using photography and other

methods. The Qur'aan mentions in the above verse how the bee finds with

skill the spacious paths of its Lord.

The worker bee or the soldier bee is a female bee. In Soorah Al-Nahl chapter

no. 16, verses 68 and 69 the gender used for the bee is the female gender

(fa'slukî and kulî), indicating that the bee that leaves its home for gathering

food is a female bee. In other words the soldier or worker bee is a female bee.

In fact, in Shakespeare's play, "Henry the Fourth", some of the characters

speak about bees and mention that the bees are soldiers and that they have a

king. That is what people thought in Shakespearean times. They thought that

the worker bees are male bees and they go home and are answerable to a king

bee. This, however, is not true. The worker bees are females and they do not

report to a king bee but to a queen bee. But it took modern investigations in

the last 300 years to discover this.

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SPIDER'S WEB / HOME IS FRAGILE

The Qur'aan mentions in Soorah Al-'Ankabût, "The parable of those who

Take protectors other than Allah Is that of the Spider, Who builds (to

itself) A house; but truly The flimsiest of houses Is the Spider's house – If

they but knew." [Al-Qur'aan 29:41]

Besides giving the physical description of the spider's web as being very

flimsy, delicate and weak, the Qur'aan also stresses on the flimsiness of the

relationship in the spider's house, where the female spider many a times kills

its mate, the male spider.

LIFESTYLE AND COMMUNICATION OF ANTS

Consider the following Qur'aanic verse: "And before Solomon were

marshaled His hosts – of Jinns and men And birds, and they were all

Kept in order and ranks. "At length, when they came To a (lowly) valley

of ants, One of the ants said: 'O ye ants, get into Your habitations, lest

Solomon And his hosts crush you (Under foot) without knowing it.'" [Al-

Qur'aan 27:17-18]

In the past, some people would have probably mocked at the Qur'aan, taking

it to be a fairy tale book in which ants talk to each other and communicate

sophisticated messages. In recent times, research has shown us several facts

about the lifestyle of ants, which were not known earlier to humankind.

Research has shown that the animals or insects whose lifestyle is closest in

resemblance to the lifestyle of human beings are the ants. This can be seen

from the following findings regarding ants:

(a) The ants bury their dead in a manner similar to the humans.

(b) They have a sophisticated system of division of labour, whereby they

have managers, supervisors, foremen, workers, etc.

(c) Once in a while they meet among themselves to have a 'chat'.

(d) They have an advanced method of communication among themselves.

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(e) They hold regular markets wherein they exchange goods.

(f) They store grains for long periods in winter and if the grain begins to

bud, they cut the roots, as if they understand that if they leave it to

grow, it will rot. If the grains stored by them get wet due to rains, they

take these grains out into the sunlight to dry, and once these are dry,

they take them back inside as though they know that humidity will

cause development of root systems and thereafter rotting of the grain.

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IX. MEDICINE

HONEY HAS HEALING PROPERTIES

The bee assimilates juices of various kinds of flowers and fruit and forms

within its body the honey, which it stores in its cells of wax. Only a couple of

centuries ago man came to know that honey comes from the belly of the bee.

This fact was mentioned in the Qur'aan 1,400 years ago in the following

verse: "There issues From within their bodies A drink of varying colours,

114 Wherein is healing for men." [Al-Qur'aan 16:69]

We are now aware that honey has a healing property and also a mild

antiseptic property. The Russians used honey to cover their wounds in World

War II. The wound would retain moisture and would leave very little scar

tissue. Due to the density of honey, no fungus or bacteria would grow in the

wound. A person suffering from an allergy of a particular plant may be given

honey from that plant so that the person develops resistance to that allergy.

Honey is rich in fructose and vitamin K. Thus the knowledge contained in the

Qur'aan regarding honey, its origin and properties, was far ahead of the time

it was revealed.

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X. PHYSIOLOGY

BLOOD CIRCULATION AND THE PRODUCTION OF MILK

The Qur'aan was revealed 600 years before the Muslim scientist Ibn Nafees

described the circulation of the blood and 1,000 years before William Harwey

brought this understanding to the Western world. Roughly thirteen centuries

before it was known what happens in the intestines to ensure that organs are

nourished by the process of digestive absorption, a verse in the Qur'aan

described the source of the constituents of milk, in conformity with these

notions.To understand the Qur'aanic verse concerning the above concepts, it is

important to know that chemical reactions occur in the intestines and that,

from there, substances extracted from food pass into the blood stream via a

complex system; sometimes by way of the liver, depending on their chemical

nature. The blood transports them to all the organs of the body, among which

are the milk-producing mammary glands.

In simple terms, certain substances from the contents of the intestines enter

into the vessels of the intestinal wall itself, and these substances are

transported by the blood stream to the various organs.

This concept must be fully appreciated if we wish to understand the following

verse in the Qur'aan: "And verily in cattle there is A lesson for you. We

give you to drink Of what is inside their bodies, Coming from a

conjunction Between the contents of the Intestine and the blood, A milk

pure and pleasant for Those who drink it." [Al-Qur'aan 16:66] 11

"And in cattle (too) ye Have an instructive example: From within their

bodies We produce (milk) for you To drink; there are, in them, (Besides),

11 Translation of this Qur'anic verse is from the book "The Bible, the Qur'an and

Science" by Dr. Maurice Bucaille.

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numerous (other) Benefits for you; And of their (meat) ye eat." [Al-

Qur'aan 23:21]

The Qur'aanic description of the production of milk in cattle is strikingly

similar to what modern physiology has discovered.

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XI. EMBRYOLOGY

115 MAN IS CREATED FROM ALAQ

A LEECH-LIKE SUBSTANCE

A few years ago a group of Arabs collected all information concerning

embryology from the Qur'aan, and followed the instruction of the Qur'aan:

"If ye realise this not, ask Of those who possess the Message." [Al-

Qur'aan 16:43 & 21:7]

All the information from the Qur'aan so gathered, was translated into English

and presented to Prof. (Dr.) Keith Moore, who was the Professor of

Embryology and Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at the University

of Toronto, in Canada. At present he is one of the highest authorities in the

field of Embryology. He was asked to give his opinion regarding the

information present in the Qur'aan concerning the field of embryology. After

carefully examining the translation of the Qur'aanic verses presented to him,

Dr. Moore said that most of the information concerning embryology

mentioned in the Qur'aan is in perfect conformity with modern discoveries in

the field of embryology and does not conflict with them in any way. He added

that there were however a few verses, on whose scientific accuracy he could

not comment. He could not say whether the statements were true or false,

since he himself was not aware of the information contained therein.

There was also no mention of this information in modern writings and studies

on embryology. One such verse is: "Proclaim! (or Read!) In the name Of

thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created – Created man, out of A (mere)

clot Of congealed blood." [Al-Qur'aan 96:1-2]

The word alaq besides meaning a congealed clot of blood also means

something that clings, a leech-like substance. Dr. Keith Moore had no

knowledge whether an embryo in the initial stages appears like a leech. To

check this out he studied the initial stage of the embryo under a very powerful

microscope in his laboratory and compared what he observed with a diagram

of a leech and he was astonished at the striking resemblance between the two!

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In the same manner, he acquired more information on embryology that was

hitherto not known to him, from the Qur'aan. Dr. Keith Moore answered

about eighty questions dealing with embryological data mentioned in the

Qur'aan and Hadith. Noting that the information contained in the Qur'aan and

Hadith was in full agreement with the latest discoveries in the field of

embryology, Prof. Moore said, "If I was asked these questions thirty years

ago, I would not have been able to answer half of them for lack of scientific

information"

Dr. Keith Moore had earlier authored the book, 'The Developing Human'.

After acquiring new knowledge from the Qur'aan, he wrote, in 1982, the 3rd

edition of the same book, 'The Developing Human'. The book was the

recipient of an award for the best medical book written by a single author.

This book has been translated into several major languages of the world and

is used as a textbook of embryology in the first year of medical studies.

In 1981, during the Seventh Medical Conference in Dammam, Saudi Arabia,

Dr. Moore said, "It has been a great pleasure for me to help clarify statements

in the Qur'aan about human development. It is clear to me that these

116 statements must have come to Muhammad from God or Allah, because

almost all of this knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later.

This proves to me that Muhammad must have been a messenger of God or

Allah." 12

Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson, Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and

Gynaecology, at the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, U.S.A.,

proclaims: "...these Hadiths, sayings of Muhammad (pbuh) could not have

been obtained on the basis of the scientific knowledge that was available at

the time of the writer (7th century). It follows that not only is there no conflict

between genetics and religion (Islam) but in fact religion (Islam) may guide

science by adding revelation to some of the traditional scientific

approaches... there exist statements in the Qur'aan shown centuries later to

12 The reference for this statment is the video tape titled 'This is the Truth'. For a

copy of this video tape contact the Islamic Research Foundation.

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be valid which support knowledge in the Qur'aan having been derived from God."

MAN CREATED FROM A DROP EMITTED FROM BETWEEN

THE BACK BONE AND THE RIBS

"Now let man but think From what he is created! He is created from A

drop emitted – Proceeding from between The back bone and the ribs."

[Al-Qur'aan 86:5-7]

In embryonic stages, the reproductive organs of the male and female, i.e. the

testicles and the ovaries, begin their development near the kidney between the

spinal column and the eleventh and twelfth ribs. Later they descend; the

female gonads (ovaries) stop in the pelvis while the male gonads (testicles)

continue their descent before birth to reach the scrotum through the inguinal

canal. Even in the adult after the descent of the reproductive organ, these

organs receive their nerve supply and blood supply from the Abdominal

Aorta, which is in the area between the backbone (spinal column) and the

ribs. Even the lymphatic drainage and the venous return goes to the same

area.

HUMAN BEINGS CREATED FROM NUTFAH

(Minute Quantity of Liquid)

The Glorious Qur'aan mentions no less than eleven times that the human

being is created from nutfah, which means a minute quantity of liquid or a

trickle of liquid which remains after emptying a cup. This is mentioned in

several verses of the Qur'aan including 22:5 and 23:13. 13

Science has confirmed in recent times that only one out of an average of three

million sperms is required for fertilising the ovum. This means that only a

13 The same is also mentioned in the Qur'an in 16:4, 18:37, 35:11, 36:77, 40:67,

53:46, 75:37, 76:2 and 80:19.

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1/three millionth part or 0.00003% of the quantity of sperms that are emitted

is required for fertilisation.

HUMAN BEINGS CREATED FROM SULALAH

117 (Quintessence of liquid)

"And made his progeny From a quintessence Of the nature of A fluid

despised." [Al-Qur'aan 32:8]

The Arabic word sulâlah means quintessence or the best part of a whole. We

have come to know now that only one single spermatozoon that penetrates the

ovum is required for fertilization, out of the several millions produced by

man. That one spermatozoon out of several millions, is referred to in the

Qur'aan as sulâlah. Sulâlah also means gentle extraction from a fluid. The

fluid refers to both male and female germinal fluids containing gametes. Both

ovum and sperm are gently extracted from their environments in the process

of fertilization.

MAN CREATED FROM NUTFATUN AMSHAAJ

(Mingled liquids)

Consider the following Qur'aanic verse: "Verily We created Man from a

drop Of mingled sperm." [Al-Qur'aan 76:2]

The Arabic word nutfatin amshaajin means mingled liquids. According to

some commentators of the Qur'aan, mingled liquids refers to the male or

female agents or liquids. After mixture of male and female gamete, the zygote

still remains nutfah. Mingled liquids can also refer to spermatic fluid that is

formed of various secretions that come from various glands.

Therefore nutfatin amsaj, i.e. a minute quantity of mingled fluids refers to the

male and female gametes (germinal fluids or cells) and part of the

surrounding fluids.

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SEX DETERMINATION

The sex of a fetus is determined by the nature of the sperm and not the ovum.

The sex of the child, whether female or male, depends on whether the 23rd

pair of chromosomes is XX or XY respectively. Primarily sex determination

occurs at fertilization and depends upon the type of sex chromosome in the

sperm that fertilizes an ovum. If it is an 'X' bearing sperm that fertilizes the

ovum, the fetus is a female and if it is a 'Y' bearing sperm then the fetus is a

male. "That He did create In pairs – male and female, From a seed when

lodged (In its place)." [Al-Qur'aan 53:45-46]

The Arabic word nutfah means a minute quantity of liquid and tumnâ means

ejaculated or planted. Therefore nutfah specifically refers to sperm because it

is ejaculated. The Qur'aan says: "Was he not a drop of sperm emitted (In

lowly form)? "Then did he become A clinging clot; Then did (Allah)

make And fashion (him) In due proportion. "And of him He made Two

sexes, male And female." [Al-Qur'aan 75:37-39]

Here again it is mentioned that a small quantity (drop) of sperm (indicated by

the word nutfatan min maniyyin) which comes from the man is responsible

for the sex of the fetus.

Mothers-in-law in the Indian subcontinent, by and large prefer having male

grandchildren and often blame their daughters-in-law if the child is not of the

desired sex. If only they knew that the determining factor is the nature of the

male sperm and not the female ovum! If they were to blame anybody, they

118 should blame their sons and not their daughters-in-law since both the Qur'aan

and Science hold that it is the male fluid that is responsible for the sex of the child!

FOETUS PROTECTED BY THREE VEILS OF DARKNESS

"He makes you, In the wombs of your mothers, In stages, one after

another, In three veils of darkness." [Al-Qur'aan 39:6]

According to Prof. Keith Moore these three veils of darkness in the Qur'aan

refer to:

(i) anterior abdominal wall of the mother

(ii) the uterine wall

(iii) the amnio-chorionic membrane.

EMBRYONIC STAGES

"Man We did create From a quintessence (of clay); Then We placed him

As (a drop of) sperm In a place of rest, firmly fixed; Then We made the

sperm Into a clot of congealed blood; Then of that clot We made A

(foetus) lump; then We Made out of that lump Bones and clothed the

bones With flesh; then We developed Out of it another creature. So

blessed be Allah, The Best to create!" [Al-Qur'aan 23:12-14]

In this verse Allah states that man is created from a small quantity of liquid

which is placed in a place of rest, firmly fixed (well established or lodged) for

which the Arabic word qarârin makîn is used.

The uterus is well protected from the posterior by the spinal column

supported firmly by the back muscles. The embryo is further protected by the

amniotic sac containing the amniotic fluid. Thus the foetus has a well

protected dwelling place. This small quantity of fluid is made into alaqah,

meaning something which clings. It also means a leech-like substance. Both

descriptions are scientifically acceptable as in the very early stages the foetus

clings to the wall and also appears to resemble the leech in shape. It also

behaves like a

leech (blood sucker) and acquires its blood supply from the mother through

the placenta. The third meaning of the word alaqah is a blood clot. During

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this alaqah stage, which spans the third and fourth week of pregnancy, the

blood clots within closed vessels. Hence the embryo acquires the appearance

of a blood clot in addition to acquiring the appearance of a leech. In 1677,

Hamm and Leeuwenhoek were the first scientists to observe human sperm

cells (spermatozoa) using a microscope. They thought that a sperm cell

contained a miniature human being which grew in the uterus to form a

newborn. This was known as the perforation theory. When scientists

discovered that the ovum was bigger than the sperm, it was thought by De

Graf and others that the foetus existed in a miniature form in the ovum. Later,

in the 18th century Maupertuis propagated the theory of biparental

inheritance. The alaqah is transformed into mudghah which means

'something that is chewed (having teeth marks)' and also something that is

tacky and small which can be put in the mouth like gum. Both these

explanations are scientifically correct. Prof. Keith Moore took a piece of

plaster seal and made it into the size and shape of the early stage of foetus and

chewed it between the teeth to make it into a 'Mudgha'. He compared this

119 with the photographs of the early stage of foetus. The teeth marks resembled

the 'somites' which is the early formation of the spinal column.

This mudghah is transformed into bones (izâm). The bones are clothed with

intact flesh or muscles (lahm). Then Allah makes it into another creature.

Prof. Marshall Johnson is one of the leading scientists in US, and is the head

of the Department of Anatomy and Director of the Daniel Institute at the

Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia in US. He was asked to

comment on the verses of the Qur'aan dealing with embryology. He said that

the verses of the Qur'aan describing the embryological stages cannot be a

coincidence. He said it was probable that Muhammad (pbuh) had a powerful

microscope. On being reminded that the Qur'aan was revealed 1400 years

ago, and microscopes were invented centuries after the time of Prophet

Muhammad (pbuh), Prof. Johnson laughed and admitted that the first

microscope invented could not magnify more than 10 times and could not

show a clear picture. Later he said: "I see nothing here in conflict with the

concept that Divine intervention was involved when Muhammad (pbuh)

recited the Qur'aan."

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According to Dr. Keith Moore, the modern classification of embryonic

development stages which is adopted throughout the world, is not easily

comprehensible, since it identifies stages on a numerical basis i.e. stage I,

stage II, etc. The divisions revealed in the Qur'aan are based on distinct and

easily identifiable forms or shapes, which the embryo passes through. These

are based on different phases of prenatal development and provide elegant

scientific descriptions that are comprehensible and practical.

Similar embryological stages of human development have been described in

the following verses: "Was he not a drop Of sperm emitted (In lowly

form)? Then did he become a clinging clot; Then did (Allah) make and

fashion (him) In due proportion. And of him He made Two sexes, male

and female." [Al-Qur'aan 75:37-39]

"Him Who created thee, fashioned thee in due proportion, And gave thee

a just bias; In whatever Form He wills, Does He put thee together." [Al-

Qur'aan 82:7-8]

EMBRYO PARTLY FORMED AND PARTLY UNFORMED

At the mugdhah stage, if an incision is made in the embryo and the internal

organ is dissected, it will be seen that most of them are formed while the

others are not yet completely formed.

According to Prof. Johnson, if we describe the embryo as a complete creation,

then we are only describing that part which is already created. If we describe

it as an incomplete creation, then we are only describing that part which is not

yet created. So, is it a complete creation or an incomplete creation? There is

no better description of this stage of embryogenesis than the Qur'aanic

description, "partly formed and partly unformed", as in the following verse:

"We created you Out of dust, then out of Sperm, then out of a leech-like

Clot, then out of a morsel Of flesh, partly formed And partly unformed."

[Al-Qur'aan 22:5]

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120 Scientifically we know that at this early stage of development there are some

cells which are differentiated and there are some cells that are

undifferentiated – some organs are formed and yet others unformed.

SENSE OF HEARING AND SIGHT

The first sense to develop in a developing human embryo is hearing. The

foetus can hear sounds after the 24th week. Subsequently, the sense of sight is

developed and by the 28th week, the retina becomes sensitive to light.

Consider the following Qur'aanic verses related to the development of the

senses in the embryo: "And He gave You (the faculties of) hearing and

sight and feeling (And understanding)." [Al-Qur'aan 32:9]

"Verily We created Man from a drop Of mingled sperm, In order to try

him: So We gave him (the gifts), Of Hearing and Sight." [Al-Qur'aan

76:2]

"It is He Who has created For you (the faculties of) Hearing, sight,

feeling And understanding: little thanks It is ye give!" [Al-Qur'aan 23:78]

In all these verses the sense of hearing is mentioned before that of sight. Thus

the Qur'aanic description matches with the discoveries in modern

embryology.

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XII. GENERAL SCIENCE

FINGERPRINTS

"Does man think that We Cannot assemble his bones? Nay, We are able

to put Together in perfect order The very tips of his fingers." [Al-Qur'aan

75:3-4]

Unbelievers argue regarding resurrection taking place after bones of dead

people have disintegrated in the earth and how each individual would be

identified on the Day of Judgement. Almighty Allah answers that He can not

only assemble our bones but can also reconstruct perfectly our very

fingertips.

Why does the Qur'aan, while speaking about determination of the identity of

the individual, speak specifically about fingertips? In 1880, fingerprinting

became the scientific method of identification, after research done by Sir

Francis Golt. No two persons in the world can ever have exactly the same

fingerprint pattern. That is the reason why police forces worldwide use

fingerprints to identify the criminal. 1400 years ago, who could have known

the uniqueness of each human's fingerprint? Surely it could have been none

other than the Creator Himself!

PAIN RECEPTORS PRESENT IN THE SKIN

It was thought that the sense of feeling and pain was only dependent on the

brain. Recent discoveries prove that there are pain receptors present in the

skin without which a person would not be able to feel pain. When a doctor

examines a patient suffering from burn injuries, he verifies the degree of

burns by a pinprick. If the patient feels pain, the doctor is happy, because it

indicates that the burns are superficial and the pain receptors are intact. On

the other hand if the patient does not feel any pain, it indicates that it is a deep

burn and the pain receptors have been destroyed. The Qur'aan gives an

121 indication of the existence of pain receptors in the following verse: "Those

who reject Our signs, We shall soon Cast into the Fire; As often as their

skins Are roasted through, We shall change them For fresh skins, That

they may taste The Penalty: for Allah Is Exalted in Power, Wise." [Al-

Qur'aan 4:56]

Prof. Tagatat Tejasen, Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at Chiang

Mai University in Thailand, has spent a great amount of time on research of

pain receptors. Initially he could not believe that the Qur'aan mentioned this

scientific fact 1,400 years ago. He later verified the translation of this

particular Qur'aanic verse. Prof. Tejasen was so impressed by the scientific

accuracy of the Qur'aanic verse, that at the 8th Saudi Medical Conference

held in Riyadh on the Scientific Signs of Qur'aan and Sunnah he proclaimed

in public: "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad (pbuh) is His

Messenger."

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CONCLUSION

To attribute the presence of scientific facts in the Qur'aan to coincidence

would be against common sense and a true scientific approach. The Qur'aan

invites all humans to reflect on the Creation of this universe in the verse:

"Behold! In the creation Of the heavens and the earth, And the

alternation Of Night and Day – There are indeed Signs For men of

understanding." [Al-Qur'aan 3:190]

The scientific evidences of the Qur'aan clearly prove its Divine Origin. No

human could have produced a book, fourteen hundred years ago, that would

contain profound scientific facts, to be discovered by humankind centuries

later. The Qur'aan, however, is not a book of Science but a book of 'Signs'.

These signs invite Man to realize the purpose of his existence on earth, and to

live in harmony with Nature. The Qur'aan is truly a message from Allah, the

Creator and Sustainer of the universe. It contains the same message of the

Oneness of God, that was preached by all prophets, right from Adam, Moses,

Jesus to Muhammad (peace be upon them).

Several detailed tomes have been written on the subject of Qur'aan and

modern science and further research in this field is on. Inshallah, this research

will help mankind to come closer to the Word of the Almighty. This booklet

contains only a few of the scientific facts present in the Qur'aan. I cannot

claim to have done full justice to the subject. Prof.

Tejasen accepted Islam on the strength of just one scientific 'sign' mentioned

in the Qu'ran. Some people may require ten signs while some may require

hundred signs to be convinced about the Divine Origin of the Qur'aan. Some

would be unwilling to accept the Truth even after being shown a thousand

signs. The Qur'aan condemns such a closed mentality in the verse: "Deaf,

dumb and blind, They will not return (To the path)." [Al-Qur'aan 2:18]

The Qur'aan contains a complete code of life for the individual and society.

Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), the Qur'aanic way of life is far superior to

the 'isms' that modern man has invented out of sheer ignorance. Who can

give better guidance than the Creator Himself?

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122 I pray that this humble effort is accepted by Allah, to whom I pray for mercy

and guidance (Aameen).

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Did Islam Exist Before Muhammad (Peace & Blessings Be Upon Him)?

God does not born or die he is forever. Jesus, Moses, Mohammad & all other people of

Bible, Quran &Torah were great messengers prophets of god not sons of god they were

created by 1 true god, creator, Allah. So any creation can't be the 1 creator Allah. So

they were messengers, prophets of god. How can creator be part of what he has created

Himself!!!So he is not part of any creation again he is not a creation & has no partners

no father ,mother, daughter ,son, brother, sister ,wife & no gender simply unique beyond

comparable & 1 & 1 only. From Adam to Jesus god sent his messages

for every generation or period of time but it was always destroyed by mankind & the

devils conspiracy to take mankind towards hell. Because all previous books were massed

up by humans Allah sent his last messenger not son or god, but messenger Mohammad & sent him

Quran & it's messages to guide humans towards Allah & heaven. Allah has promised to

Keep Quran same until the Day of Judgment & challenged humans to create another

accurate book like Quran & said if you can't then surrender to your lord (the only way of peace&heaven).Majority of things science has discovered until now 80% of Quran had all those undiscovered answers from the last 1400years when science didn't have any answers. The other 20% answer was & is in Quran. Maybe it will take science another 1400years to find it. All 100% answers are

in Quran. Science can't prove a single verse of Quran wrong. If you do a research on Quran, bible

and science you will find facts. Facts are stranger than fiction. In the bible it says Jesus bowed his

head on floor just like Muslims bow their head on floor while praying .You should do research

on bible, Quran &science if you believe in god so you can find facts on Islam. If I teach a parrot a

message & send it to someone & parrot tells the message to that person and leaves & that

person starts saying that parrot is my son that would make no sense, because that was my

123 messenger not son. Jesus was taken up alive &after that people started calling him son of god. He came

to establish Islam & was a messenger of 1 god. Christianity started after Jesus was gone, Jesus will comeback & die as a human& Muslim. Quran is the only accurate 100% words of god &word of god can't have errors then it would not be word of god & according to science bibles & Torahs has many errors but they can't prove a verse in Quran wrong. Muslims believe there is no god but Allah & Prophet Mohammad is the last & final prophet & messenger of Allah.

God forbids you not, with regards to those who fight you not for

(your) faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly

and justly with them; for God loveth those who are just

(Qur'an, 60:8)

Adam, Abraham ,Noah, Moses ,Jesus , Muhammad were all messengers & prophets of 1 God Allah so Islam is the 1st religion & it's the last religion because God is Allah & God is forever so is God's religion which is only Islam & it is also forever. Finally Islam always existed even before Adam, Abraham ,Noah, Moses ,Jesus & Muhammad because it's the only true religion from God Allah.

Conclusion of the entire book

He said: "I am indeed a servant of God: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet; 019.031 "And He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, and hath enjoined on me Prayer and Charity as long as I live; 019.032 "(He) hath made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable; 019.033 "So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)"! 019.034 Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary: (it is) a statement of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute. 019.035 It is not befitting to (the majesty of) God that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! when He determines a matter, He only says to it,"Be",and it is. Al-Quran.

## Some references of the information of this book:

1)www.answering-christianity.com 2)www.islamtomorrow.com 3)http://www.irf.net/irf/comparativereligion/index.htm4) www.peacetv.tv 5)www.whyislam.org 6)www.guideus.tv 7)www.irf.net 8) www.quranandscience.com

Information arranged & organized by Mr.Faisal

124

"The Qu'ran The Final Evidence They Don't Want You To Know"

This book is available on www.createspace.com/4318275 , & www.amazon.com

This book is an updated version of my previous book named "The mystery of God's evidence they don't want you to know of" But this book has much more information than my former book.So, I have given this book a new name.But the former book is also available on amazon,barnes&noble and www.createspace.com/4030107

More books by Mr.Faisal "THE FORGOTTEN PROOF OF HEAVEN AND GOD IS FOR REAL" is available on www.createspace.com/4310613 & www.amazon.com

"DID MUHAMMAD AND JESUS EXIST"is available on www.amazon.com & www.createspace.com

# 1

# Final Conclusion of both books (Part1+Part2):

### There is no God but Allah & Adam, Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad were all messengers & prophets of 1 God. The Quran is the final testament book of God's words only. The Quran proves God exists .Jesus was born without a father. There is no doubt in the evidences of history that Muhammad & Jesus existed & they were prophets of 1 true God Allah.

### 21. Had We sent down this Qur'an on a mountain, verily, thou wouldst have seen it humble itself and cleave asunder for fear of Allah. Such are the similitudes which We propound to men, that they may reflect.

### 22. Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god;- Who knows (all things) both secret and open; He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

### 23 .Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god;- the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace (and Perfection), the Guardian of Faith, the Preserver of Safety, the Exalted in Might, the Irresistible, the Supreme: Glory to Allah! (High is He) above the partners they attribute to Him.

### 24 .He is Allah, the Creator, the Evolver, the Bestower of Forms (or Colours). To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names: whatever is in the

### 2

heavens and on earth, doth declare His Praises and Glory: and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise. {Al-Hashr- Al Quran}

### 1. Praise be to Allah, to Whom belong all things in the heavens and on earth: to Him be Praise in the Hereafter: and He is Full of Wisdom, acquainted with all things.

### 2. He knows all that goes into the earth, and all that comes out thereof; all that comes down from the sky and all that ascends thereto and He is the Most Merciful, the Oft-Forgiving.

### 3 .The Unbelievers say, "Never to us will come the Hour": Say, "Nay! but most surely, by my Lord, it will come upon you;- by Him Who knows the unseen,- from Whom is not hidden the least little atom in the heavens or on earth: Nor is there anything less than that, or greater, but is in the Record Perspicuous:

### 4 .That He may reward those who believe and work deeds of righteousness: for such is Forgiveness and a Sustenance Most Generous."

### 5 .But those who strive against Our Signs, to frustrate them,- for such will be a Penalty,- a Punishment most humiliating.

3 6 .And those to whom knowledge has come see that the (Revelation) sent down to thee from thy Lord - that is the Truth, and that it guides to the Path of the Exalted (in might), Worthy of all praise. (Saba 34 Al-Quran)

Surah 3. The Family Of 'Imran, The House Of 'Imran(Quran)

1. A. L. M.

2. Allah. There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-Subsisting, Eternal.

3. It is He Who sent down to thee (step by step), in truth, the Book, confirming what went before it; and He sent down the Law (of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus) before this, as a guide to mankind, and He sent down the criterion (of judgment between right and wrong).

4. Then those who reject Faith in the Signs of Allah will suffer the severest penalty, and Allah is Exalted in Might, Lord of Retribution.

5. From Allah, verily nothing is hidden on earth or in the heavens.

6. He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as He pleases. There is no god but He, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.

7. He it is Who has sent down to thee the Book: In it are verses basic or fundamental (of established meaning); they are the foundation of the Book: others are allegorical. But those in whose hearts is perversity follow the part thereof that is allegorical, seeking discord, and searching for its hidden meanings, but no one knows its hidden meanings except Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: "We believe in the Book; the whole of it is from our Lord:" and none will grasp the Message except men of understanding.

8. "Our Lord!" (they say), "Let not our hearts deviate now after Thou hast guided us, but grant us mercy from Thine own Presence; for Thou art the Grantor of bounties without measure.

9. "Our Lord! Thou art He that will gather mankind Together against a day about which there is no doubt; for Allah never fails in His promise."

10. Those who reject Faith,- neither their possessions nor their (numerous) progeny will avail them aught against Allah. They are themselves but fuel for the Fire.

4 {Surah Baqarah Quran}

284. To Allah belongeth all that is in the heavens and on earth. Whether ye show what is in your minds or conceal it, Allah Calleth you to account for it. He forgiveth whom He pleaseth, and punisheth whom He pleaseth, for Allah hath power over all things.

285. The Messenger believeth in what hath been revealed to him from his Lord, as do the men of faith. Each one (of them) believeth in Allah, His angels, His books, and His apostles. "We make no distinction (they say) between one and another of His apostles." And they say: "We hear, and we obey: (We seek) Thy forgiveness, our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys."

286. On no soul doth Allah Place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns. (Pray:) "Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget or fall into error; our Lord! Lay not on us a burden Like that which Thou didst lay on those before us; Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Blot out our sins, and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. Thou art our Protector; Help us against those who stand against faith."

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INFORMATION ARRANGED AND ORGANIZED BY:

{FAISAL}{FAHIM}

