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GOD’S prophets were his witnesses to his church, each in his day, for several ages, witnesses for him and his authority, witnesses against sin and sinners, attesting the true intents of God’s providences in his dealings with his people then and the kind intentions of his grace concerning his church in the days of the Messiah, to whom all the prophets bore witness, for they all agreed in their testimony; and now we have only one witness more to call, and we have done with our evidence; and though he be the last, and in him prophecy ceased, yet the Spirit of prophecy shines as clearly, as strongly, as brightly in him as in any that went before, and his testimony challenges an equal regard.
The Jews say, Prophecy continued forty years under the second temple, and this prophet they call the seal of prophecy, because in him the series or succession of prophets broke off and came to a period. God wisely ordered it so that divine inspiration should cease for some ages before the coming of the Messiah, that that great prophet might appear the more conspicuous and distinguishable and be the more welcome.
Let us consider, I. The person of the prophet. We have only his name, Malachi, and no account of his country or parentage. Malachi signifies my angel, which has given occasion for a conjecture that this prophet was indeed an angel from heaven and not a man, as that Judges ii. 1. But there is no just ground for the conjecture. Prophets were messengers, God’s messengers; this prophet was so; his name is the very same with that which we find in the original (ch. iii. 1) for my messenger; and perhaps from that word he might (though, probably, he had another name) be called Malachi. The Chaldee paraphrase, and some of the Jews, suggest that Malachi was the same with Ezra; but that also is groundless. Ezra was a scribe, but we never read that he was a prophet. Others, yet further from probability, make him to be Mordecai. But we have reason to conclude he was a person whose proper name was that by which he is here called; the tradition of some of the ancients is that he was of the tribe of Zebulun, and that he died young.
II. The scope of the prophecy. Haggai and Zechariah were sent to reprove the people for delaying to build the temple; Malachi was sent to reprove them for the neglect of it when it was built, and for their profanation of the temple-service (for from idolatry and superstition they ran into the other extreme of impiety and irreligion), and the sins he witnesses against are the same that we find complained of in Nehemiah’s time, with whom, it is probable, he was contemporary. And now that prophecy was to cease he speaks more clearly of the Messiah, as nigh at hand, than any other of the prophets had done, and concludes with a direction to the people of God to keep in remembrance the law of Moses, while they were in expectation of the gospel of Christ. -Matthew Henry Commentary
You are a better Jew and a better Christain by turning to Islam [peace, submission to Allah].
What Do Muslims Believe about Jesus?
Muslims respect and revere Jesus (peace be upon him). They consider him one of the greatest of God’s messengers to mankind. The Quran confirms his virgin birth, and a chapter of the Quran is entitled ‘Maryam’ (Mary). The Quran describes the birth of Jesus as follows:
(Remember) when the angels said, “O Mary, God gives you good news of a word from Him (God), whose name is the Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, revered in this world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near (to God). He will speak to the people from his cradle and as a man, and he is of the righteous.” She said, “My Lord, how can I have a child when no mortal has touched me?” He said, “So (it will be). God creates what He wills. If He decrees a thing, He says to it only, ‘Be!’ and it is.” (Quran, 3:45-47)
Jesus was born miraculously by the command of God, the same command that had brought Adam into being with neither a father nor a mother. God has said:
The case of Jesus with God is like the case of Adam. He created him from dust, and then He said to him, “Be!” and he came into being. (Quran, 3:59)
During his prophetic mission, Jesus performed many miracles. God tells us that Jesus said:
“I have come to you with a sign from your Lord. I make for you the shape of a bird out of clay, I breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by God’s permission. I heal the blind from birth and the leper. And I bring the dead to life by God’s permission. And I tell you what you eat and what you store in your houses….” (Quran, 3:49)
Muslims believe that Jesus was not crucified. It was the plan of Jesus’ enemies to crucify him, but God saved him and raised him up to Him. And the likeness of Jesus was put over another man. Jesus’ enemies took this man and crucified him, thinking that he was Jesus. God has said:
…They said, “We killed the Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of God.” They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but the likeness of him was put on another man (and they killed that man)… (Quran, 4:157)
Neither Muhammad nor Jesus came to change the basic doctrine of the belief in one God, brought by earlier prophets, but rather to confirm and renew it.1
Footnotes:
(1) Muslims also believe that God revealed a holy book to Jesus called the Injeel, some parts of which may be still available in the teachings of God to Jesus in the New Testament. But this does not mean that Muslims believe in the Bible we have today because it is not the original scriptures that were revealed by God. They underwent alterations, additions, and omissions. This was also said by the Committee charged with revising The Holy Bible (Revised Standard Version). This Committee consisted of thirty-two scholars who served as members of the Committee. They secured the review and counsel of an Advisory Board of fifty representatives of the co-operating denominations. The Committee said in the Preface to The Holy Bible (Revised Standard Version), p. iv, “Sometimes it is evident that the text has suffered in transmission, but none of the versions provides a satisfactory restoration. Here we can only follow the best judgment of competent scholars as to the most probable reconstruction of the original text.” The Committee also said in the Preface, p. vii, “Notes are added which indicate significant variations, additions, or omissions in the ancient authorities (Mt 9.34; Mk 3.16; 7.4; Lk 24.32, 51, etc.).”For more in-depth articles regarding this subject, please visit the following external web pages: Confessions of the New American Bible and Bible Contradictions.
The Qur’an: A book you can believe in
In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful
The Qur’an: unique among Scriptures The Qur’an is the most often-read book in the world. Revealed by God to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the 7th century, and revered by Muslims as being God’s final Scripture and Testament, its words have been lovingly recited, memorised, and implemented by Muslims of every nationality ever since. The faithful are inspired, consoled often moved to tears by its eloquence and poetic imagery, especially when recited aloud. And yet, the Qur’an is unique in being the only Scripture that is free of scientific inaccuracies, whose historical authenticity can be verified, and whose text has been so carefully preserved that just one authorised version (in Arabic) exists. Approximately the length of the New Testament, the Qur’an is also the only holy book that can be memorised in its entirety by people of all ages and intellectual abilities – including non-Arabic speakers – which Muslims consider to be one of its miracles. We invite you to take a few minutes to learn something about a book that is the foundation of the world-view and culture of almost one-fourth of the people on this planet.
A scientific Scripture for a scientific age One of the most remarkable things about the Qur’an is that it contains many verses which accurately describe natural phenomenon in various fields such as embryology, meteorology, astronomy, geology and oceanography. Scientists have found its descriptions to be inexplicably valid for a book dating from the 6th century; in fact, many of the processes and functions mentioned in the Qur’an have been discovered only recently. This fact alone has been the cause of a number of distinguished scientists embracing Islam. It also explains why the conflicts that emerged in Europe during the Middle Ages between faith and reason, religion and science, never arose in Islam; the Qur’an repeatedly encourages people to reflect and use their intelligence, and most Muslim scientists and inventors have also been pious believers.
Some of the Qur’an’s ‘scientific’ verses include an accurate description of embryonic development during the first forty days of life; an explanation that the roots of mountains are like pegs which help to anchor and stabilise the earth’s crust; that a natural barrier exists wherever two seas meet (each maintains its own salinity, temperature and density); that waves occur in layers in the depths of the ocean; that the heavens and earth were first joined together before being split apart; and that the heavens emerged from ‘smoke’, i.e. the gases and dust that characterise nebulas as stars are forming.
The Qur’an was never meant to be a ‘science textbook’; whether highlighting the wonders of nature or the lessons of history, its verses direct us to reflect on the glory of God. However, no other ancient book or Scripture is accurate in this way. Muslims believe that this is one of the Qur’an’s proofs; one of the things that makes it a credible, ‘living revelation’ for a modern age, and allows it to reveal itself afresh with passing time.
The Qur’an and the development of knowledge The word ‘qur’an’ means ‘recitation’, and the first verse of the Qur’an to be revealed by the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad was a command to ‘Read (or recite)! In the name of your Lord…’ This directive to a man who, like most people of the time, could neither read nor write, marked the beginning of a new age in human communication, learning, and development. Whereas earlier Scriptures had been written and passed down by elite circles of priests and scribes – usually long after the death of the religion’s founder – the preservation of the Qur’an was a community effort from the beginning, and it was completed during the Prophet Muhammad’s own lifetime. The Prophet’s early followers eagerly memorised and recorded each new revelation as it was revealed; by the time he passed away, thousands had memorised the entire Qur’an by heart. Within two years after the Prophet’s death, the first caliph Abu Bakr requested the Prophet’s secretary Zayd to collect all existing copies and fragments of the Qur’an in one place, in order to compile a standard edition. This manuscript became the basis for the authorised editions that were distributed to each Muslim province during the rule of ‘Uthman, third caliph; remarkably, a few of those early manuscripts have been preserved and can still be viewed in museums today.
Following the example of the beloved Prophet, who encouraged all Muslims, male and female, to seek beneficial knowledge, mosques became centres of learning as well as prayer. The concept of universal, free basic education originated in Islam; children learned to read, write, memorise the Qur’an and do basic maths at village mosque schools; bright students were sent to cities to pursue higher education. The world’s first universities, hospitals, and postal services were established by Muslims. Early caliphs set up institutions like the ‘House of Wisdom’ in Baghdad, where scholars were paid to translate scientific, literary and religious works from every known language into Arabic. It was this open-mindedness that inspired Jews and Christians under Muslim rule in Spain to translate classical Roman and Greek texts from Arabic into European languages, sparking the European Renaissance.
A book with a message and a purpose Like all books, the Qur’an is a means to convey a message – in this case, a very special message from the Creator to all humanity. The Qur’an is an ‘owner’s manual for the human being’; whoever wonders about the purpose of life and their own existence will find it to be a guide par excellence. Building on prior revelations, this Final Testament confirms the age-old truths of previous Scriptures, but clarifies points of faith where error or confusion have crept into them over the centuries. Those who have read the Bible will find much that is familiar: descriptions of God’s handiwork; stories of the Prophets, Satan, angels and the Day of Judgement; moral and ethical guidelines; and spiritual practices like prayer and fasting. Yet the Qur’an is not just a re-hashing of old stories; its perspective is unique and fresh, and its worldview eminently suited to people of today.
To give one example, according to the Qur’an, God held Adam and Eve jointly responsible for tasting the forbidden fruit; no special curse was laid on Eve for leading Adam astray, and no ‘original sin’ came into being, to be inherited for all time by innocent children. Adam and Eve simply sought His forgiveness and were forgiven, and Adam (peace be upon him) is respected in Islam as the first Prophet.
There are other important distinctions between the Qur’an and the Bible; the Qur’an asserts that much of the original books of the Bible and other Scriptures have been lost or corrupted over time (whether through warfare, political intrigue, religious schisms or other reasons). One only has to consider the number of different versions of the Bible in use today, the lack of ‘first’ originals, and the late discovery of long-lost Scriptures like the Dead Sea Scrolls to realise that this viewpoint is an objective one. The Qur’an rejects the concept of salvation or special privilege based on ethnicity; God does not discriminate on the basis of race or colour. It also denies the need for the sacrifice of innocent life – animal or human – in order for people to attain salvation. It states that Jesus (peace be upon him) was not crucified as claimed, but that God saved him from his enemies, as one would expect of God’s honoured and beloved Messenger; his life was meant to be an inspiring example. Spiritual salvation is to be achieved solely through humble repentance, coupled by an attempt to make amends for one’s sins, and a sincere intention not to repeat one’s mistakes in the future. There is no official priesthood in Islam, and the Imam is no more than a knowledgeable prayer-leader and brother in faith; one’s sins need only be confessed directly to the Creator.
The Qur’an’s main message is to call people to turn to the Source of all being and the Giver of life, and to serve Him with a pure heart, free of idolatry or superstition. In Islam, ‘One God’ means just that: there is no concept of trinity, or anything else to complicate one’s understanding. Like the single nucleus of a cell or an atom, He Alone is the ‘control centre’ behind it all; anything else would lead to chaos and confusion. God is Unique and without partner; He was not born and did not give birth; He is All-Compassionate and Merciful, Almighty and Just, and the only One we need turn to for guidance and help. Anything that we allow to come between ourselves and our Creator – even our own egos – is an idol. Wealth, fame, physical attraction and all the pleasures of this world will someday fade, and we will not be able to take them with us when we die. Only our faith and good deeds will remain, to light our graves and be a beacon for us on the Day of Judgement.
Although no translation of the Qur’an can faithfully capture its Arabic meaning (and all Muslims are encouraged to learn Arabic), the following excerpt illustrates these points beautifully:
‘Recite to them the story of Abraham, When he asked his father and his people, ‘What do you worship?’ ‘We worship idols,’ they replied, ‘and we are ever devoted to them.’ He said, ‘Do they hear you when you cry? Or do they benefit or harm you in any way?’ They said, ‘No, but this is what we found our forefathers doing.’ He said, ‘Do you see, then, what you and your forefathers have been worshipping? Truly, they are all my enemies, except the Lord of the Worlds, Who created me, and Who guides me, And Who feeds me and gives me to drink, And when I am ill, He heals me, And Who will cause me to die, and give me life again; And Who, I ardently hope, will forgive me my sins on the Day of Judgement. O Lord, grant me wisdom, and unite me with the righteous, And grant that I may be remembered well in future generations, And make me one of the inheritors of the Garden of Delight; And forgive my father, for he is one of those who is lost; And do not disgrace me on the Day when all will be resurrected, The Day that wealth and children will not avail anyone, Except one who brings to God a clean heart.’ (The Qur’an, Chapter of ‘The Poets’, 26:69–89)
——————————————- Interested in learning more? For reliable information on the Qur’an, Islam and Muslims, contact: WAMY EUROPE: 46 Goodge Street, London W1T 4LU, UK E-mail: wamy@wamy.co.uk, Tel: +44 (0) 20 7636 7010, Fax: +44 (0) 20 7636 7080 More Literature about Islam in other Languages is available in our website: http://www.wamy.co.uk
Allah, the unique name of God
The word Allah, according to several Arabic lexicons, means “the Being Who comprises all the attributes of perfection”, i.e. the Being Who is perfect in every way (in His knowledge, power etc.), and possesses the best and the noblest qualities imaginable in the highest degree. This meaning is supported by the Holy Quran when it says:
“His are the best (or most beautiful) names.” (17:110; 20:8; and 7:180)
Contrary to popular belief, the word Allah is NOT a contraction of al-ilah (al meaning ‘the’, and ilah meaning ‘god’).
Had it been so, then the expression ya Allah (‘O Allah!’) would have been ungrammatical, because according to the Arabic language when you address someone by the vocative form ya followed by a title, the al (‘the’) must be dropped from the title. For example, you cannot say ya ar-rabb but must say ya rabb (for ‘O Lord’). So if the word Allah was al-ilah (‘the God’), we would not be able to say: ya Allah, which we do.
Lane’s Arabic-English Lexicon (which is based on classical Arabic dictionaries), says under the word Allah, while citing many linguistical authorities:
“Allah … is a proper name applied to the Being Who exists necessarily, by Himself, comprising all the attributes of perfection, a proper name denoting the true god … the al being inseparable from it, not derived…”
Allah is thus a proper name, not derived from anything, and the Al is inseparable from it. The word al-ilah (the god) is a different word.
The word Allah is unique among the names of God in all the languages of mankind, in that it was never applied to any being other than God. The pre-Islamic Arabs used it to refer to the Supreme Being, and never applied it to any of the other things they worshipped. Other names of God used by mankind, such as “lord”, “god”, “khuda”, etc. have all also been used for beings other than God. They have meanings which refer to some particular attribute of God, but “Allah” is the name which refers to the Being Himself as His personal name.
The Holy Quran itself refers to the uniqueness of the name Allah when it says:
“Do you know anyone who can be named along with Him?” (19:65)
Arabic is the only language, and Islam is the only religion, that has given the personal name of God (as distinct from attributive names such as lord, god, the most high, etc.) There are clear prophecies in previous scriptures (the Bible, the Vedas etc.) about the man who will come and give the name of God, which in previous religions was regarded as a secret.
David prophesied:
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Psalms 118:26).
This is also repeated in the Gospels (Matt. 21:9, etc.), and was fulfilled by the Holy Prophet Muhammad whose first revelation was “Read in the name of thy Lord” (the Quran, 96:1).
Zechariah prophesied:
“And the Lord shall be king over all the earth, in that day there shall be one Lord, and his name one.” (Zech. 14:9)
All Muslims, anywhere on the earth, speaking totally different languages, recognise the name “Allah”, thus fulfilling this prophecy, “his name one”. (All Christians, to take an example, do not recognise a single name of God, and therefore do not fulfil this prophecy.)
Isaiah prophesied:
“And in that day shall you say, Praise the Lord, call upon His name.” (Isaiah 12:4)
So Muslims say repeatedly exactly this: al-hamdu li-llah, and call upon His name Allah.
An objection answered.
The following objection has been raised regarding the name Allah:
Al -’The’, lah – ‘God’. It means the God. It was one of the gods worshipped by the Arabs. His female equivalent was Allat, al- ‘the’, Lat ‘goddess’. Muhammed’s followers did not like the concept of worshipping a female diety.
Answer.
“Allah” was NOT “one of the gods” of the pre-Islamic Arabs, but was recognised by them as the supreme, abstract God. There was no idol which they called “Allah”. The Quran quotes the idol-worshippers as presenting the argument that:
“We worship them (i.e. the idols) only so that they may bring us nearer to Allah.” (39:3)
Obviously then, “Allah” was not just one of the gods.
It is also entirely wrong to say that Al-Lat was a feminine form of Allah. Besides Allah, the different tribes of the Arabs believed in their tribal gods. “Al-Lat” was the tribal god of the Thaqeef tribe who lived in the city of Taif (where there was a shrine with an idol of Lat). The Quraish worshipped Uzza as their tribal god, and similarly with other tribes.
So it is simply incorrect to say that the Arabs regarded Lat as being a female equivalent of “Allah”. “Allah” was, as said above, regarded by them as their supreme God. Lat, Manat etc. were believed in as tribal gods.
Moreover, Lat, Manat and Uzza were believed by them to be daughters of Allah, as the Quran says:
“Have you then considered Lat and Uzza, and the third, Manat? Are the males for you and for Him the females” (53:19-21).
The Quran is here pointing out the contradiction in their beliefs, that they ascribed daughters to Allah, but preferred to have sons themselves! So Lat being believed as a daughter of Allah, could not possibly be regarded by them as the female equivalent of Allah.
In Lane’s Arabic-English Lexicon the words ilah (god) and Allah occur under the root A-L-H, but the word Al-lat is given under an entirely different root L-T. Therefore, “Al-lat” is not the feminine form of the word Allah (for in that case it would occur under the same root as for “Allah”), but is derived from a completely different root with a totally different meaning.
The root from which al-lat comes means (among other things) “to moisten”. Lane quotes several reports on how the idol came to be so called. It is named after a man called Al-Lat. Sometime before Islam, there was a man who used to give pilgrims a barley meal (known as saweek), moistened with either water or clarified butter. He thus became known as Al-lat. After he died, the rock where he was buried came to be worshipped and was known by his name. And thus there came to be the idol named Al-lat.
Why Muslims Believe that Islam is the truth
Many Christians & Jews don’t know that Muslims believe in their prophets and holy books. Muslims believe that the Bible and the Torah were changed by people for their personal benefits. This is why God sent Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, not with a new religion, but to correct the people who had gone astray, those who were worshipping idols and being misguided by their forefathers. Islam is the last message to the world and God wants the miracle of Islam to be witnessed by the people from Prophet Muhammad’s, peace be upon him, time till the day of Judgment. The miracle is the Qu’ran, Muslims holy book.
Many Christians & Jews don’t know that Muslims believe in their prophets and holy books. Muslims believe that the Bible and the Torah were changed by people for their personal benefits. This is why God sent Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, not with a new religion, but to correct the people who had gone astray, those who were worshipping idols and being misguided by their forefathers. Islam is the last message to the world and God wants the miracle of Islam to be witnessed by the people from Prophet Muhammad’s, peace be upon him, time till the day of Judgment. The miracle is the Qu’ran, Muslims holy book.
• Why is the Qur’an a miracle ? 1- The Qu’ran is an untouchable book : After 1400 years, from the begining of Prophet Muhammad’s, peace be upon him, message, the Qu’ran has not changed in any way, even as a matter of one charachter. Prooving this is very easy, since you can compare all the versions of the Qu’ran everywhere in the world and you will find them all the same. God ensured that this book would be saved from any changes attempted by human beings. God said in the Qur’an : ” We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption)” 2- The Qu’ran contains many scientific facts that have been discovered recently using computer systems and microscopes. Many scientists have attended conferences dealing with this subject and have themselves accepted Islam. These same scientists have said that it is not possible that Muhammad, peace be upon him, an illiterate man, who lived 1400 years ago, could have discovered such things on his own. God said in the Qur’an : “Soon will We show them Our Signs in the (furthest) 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” ( Quran 41:53 )For more information about this topic please visit : http://www.it-is-truth.org 3- The Qu’ran, which is in Arabic, was revealed to the people of the Arabian Gulf who invented the Arabic language. Through Muhammad, peace be upon him, Allah challenged the people who claimed that a human wrote it to emulate such a book. No one from the time of the Prophet till now could write a book that contained the many scientific facts, miracles and similar effects on people that the Qu’ran did and still does today. 4- The Qu’ran had not one Arabic grammar mistake, which was recognized by the disbelievers at the time of the Prophet, who were the founders of the Arabic language. These are a few examples of why Muslims believe in the Qur’an. Here are some verses from God to Muslims encouraging them to invite the People of the Book ( Jews and Christians to Islam ): God said : {Say: “O People of the Book! Why reject ye the Signs of Allah, when Allah is Himself witness to all ye do?} (Quran 3:98) God tell Muslims to say : {..’We believe in that which had been revealed to us and revealed to you, and our God and your God is One, and unto Him we surrender} (Quran 29:46) If you have any questions or would like to know more about the Qu’ran and Islam please contact me at : webmaster@islamway.com
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WHAT DO CHRISTIANS BELIEVE?
Seven Things About God
1. We believe there is Only One Unique God. It is written: (Deuteronomy 6:4) Hear, O Israel; The LORD our God [is] one LORD.
2. God is Creator of everything, this vast universe. All was created by His Word. He spoke it into being. It is written: (Genesis 1:3) And God said… and it was so. His Word is powerful.
3. How can we created beings know anything about God? How can we puny creatures know anything about His thoughts?
We can – but only because God Himself has chosen to reveal something about Himself to us. He is the God of Revelation. It is written: (Deuteronomy 29:29) The secret things belong to the LORD our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
What has God revealed about Himself to us?
4. He is Holy – pure – absolutely no evil can exist in or with Him. He has nothing to do with any sin, or wrong thinking, or evil. It is written: (Habakkuk 3:11) Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong.
5. He is Just – which means that all wrongdoing will be punished. Sometimes people are confused on this point. Justice is not the same as mercy. Justice means if you break the law, you pay the penalty.
God does not compromise His nature of Holiness. He punishes all wrong doing.
It is not as if God puts all our good deeds on one side of a scale, and all our bad deeds on the other side to see which is heavier. To use an example: If I were to murder your brother, would a judge be just who said, “It’s OK. We can let him be free. He has done mostly good during his life.” God does not close His eyes to wrong. He does not tolerate it.
But doesn’t God know that we are all dust? That we are prone to make mistakes? There is no perfect man or woman. Yes, He knows. But does this mean that our mistakes don’t matter to God? God is holy and just, so they matter greatly. If we understand this, then we realize that we are in a very bad situation.
If we are honest – which of us has never had a selfish or wrong thought? or never lied? Who can say that they have a pure heart before a Holy God?
And even if we were able to live without making mistakes now – what about the past? Does God have a poor memory? Does doing good erase doing wrong? No.
Each of us deserves God’s judgment and Hellfire. It’s not just a matter of saying a prayer, “I am sorry. I will try to do better next time.” There would be no justice in that.
An example: If I drive through a red light and an officer stops me, is it any good saying, “But officer, I have been going through green lights the rest of my life!” If this argument wouldn’t work with an officer, how much less with a Holy and Just God! It is written: (Romans 6:23) The payment of wrongdoing is death.
Fortunately for each one of us, this is not the end of the story.
6. God is Almighty – God can do anything He wants to. It is written: (Jeremiah 32:17) Ah Lord GOD! You have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm, nothing is too hard for you.
There are no limits – no bounds to His power.
God is consistent. God is not contradictory – He doesn’t contradict His holiness or justice. He does not violate His law.
Let me ask a question: “How do you get to know someone?” You might be able to tell something about others from the way they look. But you can’t know what they think, what’s in their heart. We need to hear a person’s words. Their words tell what is inside their heart, what they are thinking in their mind.
If I want to communicate my wishes to you, there are several ways of doing it. I might send you a letter, writing down my thoughts. You could read it. But you might have questions, or not understand something. A better way is to send my letter with a good friend, someone who knows me well. My friend would be able to explain something of what I am saying. Better yet, I telephone you, and you can talk with me directly. But best of all, I come to you in person, and we meet face to face.
God’s Word spoke the universe into being. His Word is powerful beyond our comprehension. He wants us to know Him. God gave His written Word in the law. He sent the prophets to explain and clarify His Word. It is written: (Hebrews 1:1) In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways.
God is so powerful that nothing is impossible – if God wants to, His WORD can actually come to us, face to face. His Word can become a man.
7. God is LOVE – God loves us and wants us to know Him – so His Word became a man.
It is written: (John 1:1,14) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God … The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the Glory of the One and Only.
Jesus is the Word of God. The pure and Holy Word of God.
Remember Abraham and his son? (Genesis 22:1-14) Abraham wanted to obey and submit to God. He took his son to sacrifice him, and on the way his son asked, “The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the Lamb for the offering.” Abraham laid his son on the altar for sacrifice and was about to slay him when God called to him, “Abraham! Do not lay a hand on the boy!” And Abraham looked up and saw a ram God momentously provided, caught by its horns, and sacrificed it instead. His son was ransomed.
The Bible calls Jesus the Lamb of God (John 1:29) when the prophet John declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” He ransomed us. In love, God’s Word took the judgment we deserved upon Himself.
But He didn’t stay dead – He could not – He rose victorious – and conquered death.
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Oct 17, 2008 - 10:10:39You are a better Jew and a better Christain by turning to Islam [peace, submission to Allah].
What Do Muslims Believe about Jesus?
Muslims respect and revere Jesus (peace be upon him). They consider him one of the greatest of God’s messengers to mankind. The Quran confirms his virgin birth, and a chapter of the Quran is entitled ‘Maryam’ (Mary). The Quran describes the birth of Jesus as follows:
(Remember) when the angels said, “O Mary, God gives you good news of a word from Him (God), whose name is the Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, revered in this world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near (to God). He will speak to the people from his cradle and as a man, and he is of the righteous.” She said, “My Lord, how can I have a child when no mortal has touched me?” He said, “So (it will be). God creates what He wills. If He decrees a thing, He says to it only, ‘Be!’ and it is.” (Quran, 3:45-47)
Jesus was born miraculously by the command of God, the same command that had brought Adam into being with neither a father nor a mother. God has said:
The case of Jesus with God is like the case of Adam. He created him from dust, and then He said to him, “Be!” and he came into being. (Quran, 3:59)
During his prophetic mission, Jesus performed many miracles. God tells us that Jesus said:
“I have come to you with a sign from your Lord. I make for you the shape of a bird out of clay, I breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by God’s permission. I heal the blind from birth and the leper. And I bring the dead to life by God’s permission. And I tell you what you eat and what you store in your houses….” (Quran, 3:49)
Muslims believe that Jesus was not crucified. It was the plan of Jesus’ enemies to crucify him, but God saved him and raised him up to Him. And the likeness of Jesus was put over another man. Jesus’ enemies took this man and crucified him, thinking that he was Jesus. God has said:
…They said, “We killed the Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of God.” They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but the likeness of him was put on another man (and they killed that man)… (Quran, 4:157)
Neither Muhammad nor Jesus came to change the basic doctrine of the belief in one God, brought by earlier prophets, but rather to confirm and renew it.1
Footnotes:
(1) Muslims also believe that God revealed a holy book to Jesus called the Injeel, some parts of which may be still available in the teachings of God to Jesus in the New Testament. But this does not mean that Muslims believe in the Bible we have today because it is not the original scriptures that were revealed by God. They underwent alterations, additions, and omissions. This was also said by the Committee charged with revising The Holy Bible (Revised Standard Version). This Committee consisted of thirty-two scholars who served as members of the Committee. They secured the review and counsel of an Advisory Board of fifty representatives of the co-operating denominations. The Committee said in the Preface to The Holy Bible (Revised Standard Version), p. iv, “Sometimes it is evident that the text has suffered in transmission, but none of the versions provides a satisfactory restoration. Here we can only follow the best judgment of competent scholars as to the most probable reconstruction of the original text.” The Committee also said in the Preface, p. vii, “Notes are added which indicate significant variations, additions, or omissions in the ancient authorities (Mt 9.34; Mk 3.16; 7.4; Lk 24.32, 51, etc.).”For more in-depth articles regarding this subject, please visit the following external web pages: Confessions of the New American Bible and Bible Contradictions.
The Qur’an: A book you can believe in
In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful
The Qur’an: unique among Scriptures The Qur’an is the most often-read book in the world. Revealed by God to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the 7th century, and revered by Muslims as being God’s final Scripture and Testament, its words have been lovingly recited, memorised, and implemented by Muslims of every nationality ever since. The faithful are inspired, consoled often moved to tears by its eloquence and poetic imagery, especially when recited aloud. And yet, the Qur’an is unique in being the only Scripture that is free of scientific inaccuracies, whose historical authenticity can be verified, and whose text has been so carefully preserved that just one authorised version (in Arabic) exists. Approximately the length of the New Testament, the Qur’an is also the only holy book that can be memorised in its entirety by people of all ages and intellectual abilities – including non-Arabic speakers – which Muslims consider to be one of its miracles. We invite you to take a few minutes to learn something about a book that is the foundation of the world-view and culture of almost one-fourth of the people on this planet.
A scientific Scripture for a scientific age One of the most remarkable things about the Qur’an is that it contains many verses which accurately describe natural phenomenon in various fields such as embryology, meteorology, astronomy, geology and oceanography. Scientists have found its descriptions to be inexplicably valid for a book dating from the 6th century; in fact, many of the processes and functions mentioned in the Qur’an have been discovered only recently. This fact alone has been the cause of a number of distinguished scientists embracing Islam. It also explains why the conflicts that emerged in Europe during the Middle Ages between faith and reason, religion and science, never arose in Islam; the Qur’an repeatedly encourages people to reflect and use their intelligence, and most Muslim scientists and inventors have also been pious believers.
Some of the Qur’an’s ‘scientific’ verses include an accurate description of embryonic development during the first forty days of life; an explanation that the roots of mountains are like pegs which help to anchor and stabilise the earth’s crust; that a natural barrier exists wherever two seas meet (each maintains its own salinity, temperature and density); that waves occur in layers in the depths of the ocean; that the heavens and earth were first joined together before being split apart; and that the heavens emerged from ‘smoke’, i.e. the gases and dust that characterise nebulas as stars are forming.
The Qur’an was never meant to be a ‘science textbook’; whether highlighting the wonders of nature or the lessons of history, its verses direct us to reflect on the glory of God. However, no other ancient book or Scripture is accurate in this way. Muslims believe that this is one of the Qur’an’s proofs; one of the things that makes it a credible, ‘living revelation’ for a modern age, and allows it to reveal itself afresh with passing time.
The Qur’an and the development of knowledge The word ‘qur’an’ means ‘recitation’, and the first verse of the Qur’an to be revealed by the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad was a command to ‘Read (or recite)! In the name of your Lord…’ This directive to a man who, like most people of the time, could neither read nor write, marked the beginning of a new age in human communication, learning, and development. Whereas earlier Scriptures had been written and passed down by elite circles of priests and scribes – usually long after the death of the religion’s founder – the preservation of the Qur’an was a community effort from the beginning, and it was completed during the Prophet Muhammad’s own lifetime. The Prophet’s early followers eagerly memorised and recorded each new revelation as it was revealed; by the time he passed away, thousands had memorised the entire Qur’an by heart. Within two years after the Prophet’s death, the first caliph Abu Bakr requested the Prophet’s secretary Zayd to collect all existing copies and fragments of the Qur’an in one place, in order to compile a standard edition. This manuscript became the basis for the authorised editions that were distributed to each Muslim province during the rule of ‘Uthman, third caliph; remarkably, a few of those early manuscripts have been preserved and can still be viewed in museums today.
Following the example of the beloved Prophet, who encouraged all Muslims, male and female, to seek beneficial knowledge, mosques became centres of learning as well as prayer. The concept of universal, free basic education originated in Islam; children learned to read, write, memorise the Qur’an and do basic maths at village mosque schools; bright students were sent to cities to pursue higher education. The world’s first universities, hospitals, and postal services were established by Muslims. Early caliphs set up institutions like the ‘House of Wisdom’ in Baghdad, where scholars were paid to translate scientific, literary and religious works from every known language into Arabic. It was this open-mindedness that inspired Jews and Christians under Muslim rule in Spain to translate classical Roman and Greek texts from Arabic into European languages, sparking the European Renaissance.
A book with a message and a purpose Like all books, the Qur’an is a means to convey a message – in this case, a very special message from the Creator to all humanity. The Qur’an is an ‘owner’s manual for the human being’; whoever wonders about the purpose of life and their own existence will find it to be a guide par excellence. Building on prior revelations, this Final Testament confirms the age-old truths of previous Scriptures, but clarifies points of faith where error or confusion have crept into them over the centuries. Those who have read the Bible will find much that is familiar: descriptions of God’s handiwork; stories of the Prophets, Satan, angels and the Day of Judgement; moral and ethical guidelines; and spiritual practices like prayer and fasting. Yet the Qur’an is not just a re-hashing of old stories; its perspective is unique and fresh, and its worldview eminently suited to people of today.
To give one example, according to the Qur’an, God held Adam and Eve jointly responsible for tasting the forbidden fruit; no special curse was laid on Eve for leading Adam astray, and no ‘original sin’ came into being, to be inherited for all time by innocent children. Adam and Eve simply sought His forgiveness and were forgiven, and Adam (peace be upon him) is respected in Islam as the first Prophet.
There are other important distinctions between the Qur’an and the Bible; the Qur’an asserts that much of the original books of the Bible and other Scriptures have been lost or corrupted over time (whether through warfare, political intrigue, religious schisms or other reasons). One only has to consider the number of different versions of the Bible in use today, the lack of ‘first’ originals, and the late discovery of long-lost Scriptures like the Dead Sea Scrolls to realise that this viewpoint is an objective one. The Qur’an rejects the concept of salvation or special privilege based on ethnicity; God does not discriminate on the basis of race or colour. It also denies the need for the sacrifice of innocent life – animal or human – in order for people to attain salvation. It states that Jesus (peace be upon him) was not crucified as claimed, but that God saved him from his enemies, as one would expect of God’s honoured and beloved Messenger; his life was meant to be an inspiring example. Spiritual salvation is to be achieved solely through humble repentance, coupled by an attempt to make amends for one’s sins, and a sincere intention not to repeat one’s mistakes in the future. There is no official priesthood in Islam, and the Imam is no more than a knowledgeable prayer-leader and brother in faith; one’s sins need only be confessed directly to the Creator.
The Qur’an’s main message is to call people to turn to the Source of all being and the Giver of life, and to serve Him with a pure heart, free of idolatry or superstition. In Islam, ‘One God’ means just that: there is no concept of trinity, or anything else to complicate one’s understanding. Like the single nucleus of a cell or an atom, He Alone is the ‘control centre’ behind it all; anything else would lead to chaos and confusion. God is Unique and without partner; He was not born and did not give birth; He is All-Compassionate and Merciful, Almighty and Just, and the only One we need turn to for guidance and help. Anything that we allow to come between ourselves and our Creator – even our own egos – is an idol. Wealth, fame, physical attraction and all the pleasures of this world will someday fade, and we will not be able to take them with us when we die. Only our faith and good deeds will remain, to light our graves and be a beacon for us on the Day of Judgement.
Although no translation of the Qur’an can faithfully capture its Arabic meaning (and all Muslims are encouraged to learn Arabic), the following excerpt illustrates these points beautifully:
‘Recite to them the story of Abraham, When he asked his father and his people, ‘What do you worship?’ ‘We worship idols,’ they replied, ‘and we are ever devoted to them.’ He said, ‘Do they hear you when you cry? Or do they benefit or harm you in any way?’ They said, ‘No, but this is what we found our forefathers doing.’ He said, ‘Do you see, then, what you and your forefathers have been worshipping? Truly, they are all my enemies, except the Lord of the Worlds, Who created me, and Who guides me, And Who feeds me and gives me to drink, And when I am ill, He heals me, And Who will cause me to die, and give me life again; And Who, I ardently hope, will forgive me my sins on the Day of Judgement. O Lord, grant me wisdom, and unite me with the righteous, And grant that I may be remembered well in future generations, And make me one of the inheritors of the Garden of Delight; And forgive my father, for he is one of those who is lost; And do not disgrace me on the Day when all will be resurrected, The Day that wealth and children will not avail anyone, Except one who brings to God a clean heart.’ (The Qur’an, Chapter of ‘The Poets’, 26:69–89)
——————————————- Interested in learning more? For reliable information on the Qur’an, Islam and Muslims, contact: WAMY EUROPE: 46 Goodge Street, London W1T 4LU, UK E-mail: wamy@wamy.co.uk, Tel: +44 (0) 20 7636 7010, Fax: +44 (0) 20 7636 7080 More Literature about Islam in other Languages is available in our website: http://www.wamy.co.uk
Allah, the unique name of God
The word Allah, according to several Arabic lexicons, means “the Being Who comprises all the attributes of perfection”, i.e. the Being Who is perfect in every way (in His knowledge, power etc.), and possesses the best and the noblest qualities imaginable in the highest degree. This meaning is supported by the Holy Quran when it says:
“His are the best (or most beautiful) names.” (17:110; 20:8; and 7:180)
Contrary to popular belief, the word Allah is NOT a contraction of al-ilah (al meaning ‘the’, and ilah meaning ‘god’).
Had it been so, then the expression ya Allah (‘O Allah!’) would have been ungrammatical, because according to the Arabic language when you address someone by the vocative form ya followed by a title, the al (‘the’) must be dropped from the title. For example, you cannot say ya ar-rabb but must say ya rabb (for ‘O Lord’). So if the word Allah was al-ilah (‘the God’), we would not be able to say: ya Allah, which we do.
Lane’s Arabic-English Lexicon (which is based on classical Arabic dictionaries), says under the word Allah, while citing many linguistical authorities:
“Allah … is a proper name applied to the Being Who exists necessarily, by Himself, comprising all the attributes of perfection, a proper name denoting the true god … the al being inseparable from it, not derived…”
Allah is thus a proper name, not derived from anything, and the Al is inseparable from it. The word al-ilah (the god) is a different word.
The word Allah is unique among the names of God in all the languages of mankind, in that it was never applied to any being other than God. The pre-Islamic Arabs used it to refer to the Supreme Being, and never applied it to any of the other things they worshipped. Other names of God used by mankind, such as “lord”, “god”, “khuda”, etc. have all also been used for beings other than God. They have meanings which refer to some particular attribute of God, but “Allah” is the name which refers to the Being Himself as His personal name.
The Holy Quran itself refers to the uniqueness of the name Allah when it says:
“Do you know anyone who can be named along with Him?” (19:65)
Arabic is the only language, and Islam is the only religion, that has given the personal name of God (as distinct from attributive names such as lord, god, the most high, etc.) There are clear prophecies in previous scriptures (the Bible, the Vedas etc.) about the man who will come and give the name of God, which in previous religions was regarded as a secret.
David prophesied:
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Psalms 118:26).
This is also repeated in the Gospels (Matt. 21:9, etc.), and was fulfilled by the Holy Prophet Muhammad whose first revelation was “Read in the name of thy Lord” (the Quran, 96:1).
Zechariah prophesied:
“And the Lord shall be king over all the earth, in that day there shall be one Lord, and his name one.” (Zech. 14:9)
All Muslims, anywhere on the earth, speaking totally different languages, recognise the name “Allah”, thus fulfilling this prophecy, “his name one”. (All Christians, to take an example, do not recognise a single name of God, and therefore do not fulfil this prophecy.)
Isaiah prophesied:
“And in that day shall you say, Praise the Lord, call upon His name.” (Isaiah 12:4)
So Muslims say repeatedly exactly this: al-hamdu li-llah, and call upon His name Allah.
An objection answered.
The following objection has been raised regarding the name Allah:
Al -’The’, lah – ‘God’. It means the God. It was one of the gods worshipped by the Arabs. His female equivalent was Allat, al- ‘the’, Lat ‘goddess’. Muhammed’s followers did not like the concept of worshipping a female diety.
Answer.
“Allah” was NOT “one of the gods” of the pre-Islamic Arabs, but was recognised by them as the supreme, abstract God. There was no idol which they called “Allah”. The Quran quotes the idol-worshippers as presenting the argument that:
“We worship them (i.e. the idols) only so that they may bring us nearer to Allah.” (39:3)
Obviously then, “Allah” was not just one of the gods.
It is also entirely wrong to say that Al-Lat was a feminine form of Allah. Besides Allah, the different tribes of the Arabs believed in their tribal gods. “Al-Lat” was the tribal god of the Thaqeef tribe who lived in the city of Taif (where there was a shrine with an idol of Lat). The Quraish worshipped Uzza as their tribal god, and similarly with other tribes.
So it is simply incorrect to say that the Arabs regarded Lat as being a female equivalent of “Allah”. “Allah” was, as said above, regarded by them as their supreme God. Lat, Manat etc. were believed in as tribal gods.
Moreover, Lat, Manat and Uzza were believed by them to be daughters of Allah, as the Quran says:
“Have you then considered Lat and Uzza, and the third, Manat? Are the males for you and for Him the females” (53:19-21).
The Quran is here pointing out the contradiction in their beliefs, that they ascribed daughters to Allah, but preferred to have sons themselves! So Lat being believed as a daughter of Allah, could not possibly be regarded by them as the female equivalent of Allah.
In Lane’s Arabic-English Lexicon the words ilah (god) and Allah occur under the root A-L-H, but the word Al-lat is given under an entirely different root L-T. Therefore, “Al-lat” is not the feminine form of the word Allah (for in that case it would occur under the same root as for “Allah”), but is derived from a completely different root with a totally different meaning.
The root from which al-lat comes means (among other things) “to moisten”. Lane quotes several reports on how the idol came to be so called. It is named after a man called Al-Lat. Sometime before Islam, there was a man who used to give pilgrims a barley meal (known as saweek), moistened with either water or clarified butter. He thus became known as Al-lat. After he died, the rock where he was buried came to be worshipped and was known by his name. And thus there came to be the idol named Al-lat.
Why Muslims Believe that Islam is the truth
Many Christians & Jews don’t know that Muslims believe in their prophets and holy books. Muslims believe that the Bible and the Torah were changed by people for their personal benefits. This is why God sent Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, not with a new religion, but to correct the people who had gone astray, those who were worshipping idols and being misguided by their forefathers. Islam is the last message to the world and God wants the miracle of Islam to be witnessed by the people from Prophet Muhammad’s, peace be upon him, time till the day of Judgment. The miracle is the Qu’ran, Muslims holy book.
Many Christians & Jews don’t know that Muslims believe in their prophets and holy books. Muslims believe that the Bible and the Torah were changed by people for their personal benefits. This is why God sent Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, not with a new religion, but to correct the people who had gone astray, those who were worshipping idols and being misguided by their forefathers. Islam is the last message to the world and God wants the miracle of Islam to be witnessed by the people from Prophet Muhammad’s, peace be upon him, time till the day of Judgment. The miracle is the Qu’ran, Muslims holy book.
• Why is the Qur’an a miracle ? 1- The Qu’ran is an untouchable book : After 1400 years, from the begining of Prophet Muhammad’s, peace be upon him, message, the Qu’ran has not changed in any way, even as a matter of one charachter. Prooving this is very easy, since you can compare all the versions of the Qu’ran everywhere in the world and you will find them all the same. God ensured that this book would be saved from any changes attempted by human beings. God said in the Qur’an : ” We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption)” 2- The Qu’ran contains many scientific facts that have been discovered recently using computer systems and microscopes. Many scientists have attended conferences dealing with this subject and have themselves accepted Islam. These same scientists have said that it is not possible that Muhammad, peace be upon him, an illiterate man, who lived 1400 years ago, could have discovered such things on his own. God said in the Qur’an : “Soon will We show them Our Signs in the (furthest) 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” ( Quran 41:53 )For more information about this topic please visit : http://www.it-is-truth.org 3- The Qu’ran, which is in Arabic, was revealed to the people of the Arabian Gulf who invented the Arabic language. Through Muhammad, peace be upon him, Allah challenged the people who claimed that a human wrote it to emulate such a book. No one from the time of the Prophet till now could write a book that contained the many scientific facts, miracles and similar effects on people that the Qu’ran did and still does today. 4- The Qu’ran had not one Arabic grammar mistake, which was recognized by the disbelievers at the time of the Prophet, who were the founders of the Arabic language. These are a few examples of why Muslims believe in the Qur’an. Here are some verses from God to Muslims encouraging them to invite the People of the Book ( Jews and Christians to Islam ): God said : {Say: “O People of the Book! Why reject ye the Signs of Allah, when Allah is Himself witness to all ye do?} (Quran 3:98) God tell Muslims to say : {..’We believe in that which had been revealed to us and revealed to you, and our God and your God is One, and unto Him we surrender} (Quran 29:46) If you have any questions or would like to know more about the Qu’ran and Islam please contact me at : webmaster@islamway.com
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WHAT DO CHRISTIANS BELIEVE?
Seven Things About God
1. We believe there is Only One Unique God. It is written: (Deuteronomy 6:4) Hear, O Israel; The LORD our God [is] one LORD.
2. God is Creator of everything, this vast universe. All was created by His Word. He spoke it into being. It is written: (Genesis 1:3) And God said… and it was so. His Word is powerful.
3. How can we created beings know anything about God? How can we puny creatures know anything about His thoughts?
We can – but only because God Himself has chosen to reveal something about Himself to us. He is the God of Revelation. It is written: (Deuteronomy 29:29) The secret things belong to the LORD our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
What has God revealed about Himself to us?
4. He is Holy – pure – absolutely no evil can exist in or with Him. He has nothing to do with any sin, or wrong thinking, or evil. It is written: (Habakkuk 3:11) Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong.
5. He is Just – which means that all wrongdoing will be punished. Sometimes people are confused on this point. Justice is not the same as mercy. Justice means if you break the law, you pay the penalty.
God does not compromise His nature of Holiness. He punishes all wrong doing.
It is not as if God puts all our good deeds on one side of a scale, and all our bad deeds on the other side to see which is heavier. To use an example: If I were to murder your brother, would a judge be just who said, “It’s OK. We can let him be free. He has done mostly good during his life.” God does not close His eyes to wrong. He does not tolerate it.
But doesn’t God know that we are all dust? That we are prone to make mistakes? There is no perfect man or woman. Yes, He knows. But does this mean that our mistakes don’t matter to God? God is holy and just, so they matter greatly. If we understand this, then we realize that we are in a very bad situation.
If we are honest – which of us has never had a selfish or wrong thought? or never lied? Who can say that they have a pure heart before a Holy God?
And even if we were able to live without making mistakes now – what about the past? Does God have a poor memory? Does doing good erase doing wrong? No.
Each of us deserves God’s judgment and Hellfire. It’s not just a matter of saying a prayer, “I am sorry. I will try to do better next time.” There would be no justice in that.
An example: If I drive through a red light and an officer stops me, is it any good saying, “But officer, I have been going through green lights the rest of my life!” If this argument wouldn’t work with an officer, how much less with a Holy and Just God! It is written: (Romans 6:23) The payment of wrongdoing is death.
Fortunately for each one of us, this is not the end of the story.
6. God is Almighty – God can do anything He wants to. It is written: (Jeremiah 32:17) Ah Lord GOD! You have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm, nothing is too hard for you.
There are no limits – no bounds to His power.
God is consistent. God is not contradictory – He doesn’t contradict His holiness or justice. He does not violate His law.
Let me ask a question: “How do you get to know someone?” You might be able to tell something about others from the way they look. But you can’t know what they think, what’s in their heart. We need to hear a person’s words. Their words tell what is inside their heart, what they are thinking in their mind.
If I want to communicate my wishes to you, there are several ways of doing it. I might send you a letter, writing down my thoughts. You could read it. But you might have questions, or not understand something. A better way is to send my letter with a good friend, someone who knows me well. My friend would be able to explain something of what I am saying. Better yet, I telephone you, and you can talk with me directly. But best of all, I come to you in person, and we meet face to face.
God’s Word spoke the universe into being. His Word is powerful beyond our comprehension. He wants us to know Him. God gave His written Word in the law. He sent the prophets to explain and clarify His Word. It is written: (Hebrews 1:1) In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways.
God is so powerful that nothing is impossible – if God wants to, His WORD can actually come to us, face to face. His Word can become a man.
7. God is LOVE – God loves us and wants us to know Him – so His Word became a man.
It is written: (John 1:1,14) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God … The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the Glory of the One and Only.
Jesus is the Word of God. The pure and Holy Word of God.
Remember Abraham and his son? (Genesis 22:1-14) Abraham wanted to obey and submit to God. He took his son to sacrifice him, and on the way his son asked, “The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the Lamb for the offering.” Abraham laid his son on the altar for sacrifice and was about to slay him when God called to him, “Abraham! Do not lay a hand on the boy!” And Abraham looked up and saw a ram God momentously provided, caught by its horns, and sacrificed it instead. His son was ransomed.
The Bible calls Jesus the Lamb of God (John 1:29) when the prophet John declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” He ransomed us. In love, God’s Word took the judgment we deserved upon Himself.
But He didn’t stay dead – He could not – He rose victorious – and conquered death.
How can we know God?
How can we know God? It isn’t easy – it takes humility.
It takes humility to recognize that we are dust, that we have unclean hearts, and our deeds deserve Hell.
It takes humility to receive what God has done: He washes us clean, makes us pure, and gives His Spirit to help us live lives of obedience.
There is great joy and freedom in knowing God – the One and Only God, the Creator, the One who Reveals Himself, who is Holy, Just, Almighty, and Loving.
He calls us not to be servants, but His children. Jesus says (John 15:15) I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead I have called you friends.
It is written: (John 1:12) To all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God.
What is Islam?
The third, great Abrahamic religionThe name Islam, comes from an Arabic root word meaning “peace” and “submission.” Some who describe Islam therefore emphsize that this is a religion of peace, whereas others place the emphasis upon submission or obedience to the will of God. In either case most Muslims believe that one can find peace only by submitting to God (Allah). The same Arabic root word is used in the greeting “Salaam alaykum,” (“Peace be with you”).
Islam is a major world religion, with over 1.2 billion followers worldwide (1/5 of the world population); it ranks second only to Christianity. Islam is considered one of the “Abrahamic” religions, being derived from the tradition of Abraham, the Hebrew Bible patriarch. Although usually associated with the Arabs of the Middle East, less than 10% of Muslims are Arab. Muslim majorities are found throughout the Middle East, North Africa, East Asia and the Pacific Islands. There are more Muslims in Indonesia than any other country, while Pakistan and India rank second and third in the number of Muslim citizens, with well over 100,000,000 in each. It is difficult to determine how many Muslims there are in the US; some put the figure as high as six million, others place the figure closer to two million. Still, given demographic trends, it is probable that Islam will soon be, if it is not already, the second largest religion in the US.
Largest Muslim Populations in the World
Rank
Country
Muslim Population
1
Indonesia
182,570,000
2
Pakistan
134,480,000
3
India
121,000,000
4
Bangladesh
114,080,000
5
Turkey
65,510,000
6
Iran
62,430,000
7
Egypt
58,630,000
8
Nigeria
53,000,000
9
Algeria
30,530,000
10
Morocco
28,780,000
For our map showing the geopraphical distribution of Muslims
Who is the Muslim God, Allah?”Allah” is the proper name for God But Allah is also referred to as: the Creator, the Sustainer, the Merciful, the Compassionate, the Judge, the Governor, the Eternal, etc. Like Jews and Christians, Muslims believe that God is without beginning, without end, and alone sees and knows all things. Allah is transcendent, yet close to humanity. “…He knows what enters within the earth and what comes forth out of it, what comes down from heaven and what mounts up to it. And He is with you wheresoever you may be. And Allah sees well all that you do” (Qur’an 57:4). Also, like Christians and Jews, Muslims believe that God is all powerful and is alone worthy of worship and adoration. “There is no god but He, the Creator of all things; then worship Him, and He has power to dispose of all affairs. No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision; He is the Sublime, Well-Aware” (Qur’an 6:102-103).
Muslims have difficulty with the Christian notion of the Trinity and especially the notion that Christ is “the only begotten Son of God.” In this sense Islam may be closer to Judaism in its affirmation of the unity and singularity of God. “Say: He is Allah, the One; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute. He begets not, nor is He begotten, and there is none like unto Him” (Qur’an 112:1-4). For Muslims, any worship or prayer directed at saints, prophets, other human beings is considered idolatry. Likewise, Muslims take the Hebrew Bible’s prohibition of idols literally. This extends even to art. In most Muslim cultures, artists are prohibited from painting images of God or of Mohammed.
This sacred text of Muslims is the Quran. We invite you to explore the entire English translation here.In the Muslim tradition, the naming of children is important and conveys strong meaning. To find the meaning of various, popular Muslim baby names check out our list.
Holidays of Islam — Complete holiday calendar for 2007 – 2010
Books About Islam now available from major publishers
Islam in the News — the latest headlines and newstories. Our newsfeed is updated daily.
Now let’s consider some definitions of Islam found in leading reference texts:
Islam (ĭsläm’, ĭs’läm) , [Arab.,=submission to God], world religion founded by the Prophet Muhammad. Founded in the 7th cent., Islam is the youngest of the three monotheistic world religions (with Judaism and Christianity). An adherent to Islam is a Muslim [Arab.,=one who submits].
Islamic Beliefs
At the core of Islam is the Qur’an, believed to be the final revelation by a transcendent Allah [Arab.,=the God] to Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam; since the Divine Word was revealed in Arabic, this language is used in Islamic religious practice worldwide. Muslims believe in final reward and punishment, and the unity of the umma, the “nation” of Islam. Muslims submit to Allah through arkan ad-din, the five basic requirements or “pillars”: shahadah, the affirmation that “there is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God”; salah, the five daily ritual prayers (see liturgy, Islamic); zakat, the giving of alms, also known as a religious tax; Sawm, the dawn-to-sunset fast during the lunar month of Ramadan; and hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. The importance of the hajj can hardly be overestimated: this great annual pilgrimage unites Islam and its believers from around the world.
The ethos of Islam is in its attitude toward Allah: to His will Muslims submit; Him they praise and glorify; and in Him alone they hope. … Islam views the Message of Muhammad as the continuation and the fulfillment of a lineage of Prophecy that includes figures from the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament, notably Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus. Islamic law reserves a communal entity status for the ahl al-kitab, People of the Book, i.e., those with revealed religions, including Jews and Christians.
Other Islamic obligations include the duty to “commend good and reprimand evil,” injunctions against usury and gambling, and prohibitions of alcohol and pork. Meat is permitted if the animal was ritually slaughtered; it is then called halal. Jihad, the exertion of efforts for the cause of God, is a duty satisfied at the communal and the individual level. At the individual level, it denotes the personal struggle to be righteous and follow the path ordained by God. Communally, it involves both encouraging what is good and correcting what is not and waging war against enemies of Islam
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
The religion of allegiance to God and to his prophet Muhammad, the religion (din) which God always intended for his creation, but which is derived in its present form from the prophetic ministry of Muhammad (c.570-632 CE) and from the revelation mediated through him, the Qur’an. The verbal noun islam appears eight times in the Qur’an: derived from the same Semitic root as Heb. shalom (peace), it means ‘entering into a condition of peace and security with God through allegiance or surrender to him’.
When Muhammad died, no exact provision had been made for any successor to lead the new community. Those who looked for the most effective leader chose Abu Bakr, known as caliph. Those who looked for the closest relative of Muhammad support ‘Ali. The party (shi’a) of ‘Ali broke away from those who claimed to be following the custom (sunna) of the prophet, thereby creating the divide between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims which persists to this day.
Muslim life and belief are derived directly from the Qur’an, but since the Qur’an does not deal with every issue or question which a Muslim might wish to ask, authoritative guidance is derive also from the traditions (hadith) concerning the words, deeds and silences of Muhammad and his companions.
The spread of Islam was extremely rapid. Within a hundred years of the death of Muhammad, it had reached the Atlantic in one direction and the borders of China in the other. At one stage (fom the 9th to the 13th centuries CE) the Muslim delight in creation led it into a passionate commitment to knowledge (‘ilm), which in turn led Muslims into spectacular achievements in philosophy (falsafa) and the natural sciences.
From John Bowker, ed., The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2000). Text © Oxford University Press.
Paintings and other Images of the ProphetA discussion of the controversy surrounding the publication of sartical cartoons depicting Muhammed.
Why interfaith understanding, dialogue and cooperation are importantThe Top Dozen Religions of the WorldWhat are the largest religions of the world? What are their membership statistics, relative size, locations, rankings? Find out now simply by looking at out chart and map.
Can Christians Alone Be Saved?”I am the way, the truth and the light, no one comes to the Father but by me,” said Jesus. Does this mean that only Christians can be saved?
What is Islam?
The third, great Abrahamic religionThe name Islam, comes from an Arabic root word meaning “peace” and “submission.” Some who describe Islam therefore emphsize that this is a religion of peace, whereas others place the emphasis upon submission or obedience to the will of God. In either case most Muslims believe that one can find peace only by submitting to God (Allah). The same Arabic root word is used in the greeting “Salaam alaykum,” (“Peace be with you”).
Islam is a major world religion, with over 1.2 billion followers worldwide (1/5 of the world population); it ranks second only to Christianity. Islam is considered one of the “Abrahamic” religions, being derived from the tradition of Abraham, the Hebrew Bible patriarch. Although usually associated with the Arabs of the Middle East, less than 10% of Muslims are Arab. Muslim majorities are found throughout the Middle East, North Africa, East Asia and the Pacific Islands. There are more Muslims in Indonesia than any other country, while Pakistan and India rank second and third in the number of Muslim citizens, with well over 100,000,000 in each. It is difficult to determine how many Muslims there are in the US; some put the figure as high as six million, others place the figure closer to two million. Still, given demographic trends, it is probable that Islam will soon be, if it is not already, the second largest religion in the US.
Largest Muslim Populations in the World
Rank
Country
Muslim Population
1
Indonesia
182,570,000
2
Pakistan
134,480,000
3
India
121,000,000
4
Bangladesh
114,080,000
5
Turkey
65,510,000
6
Iran
62,430,000
7
Egypt
58,630,000
8
Nigeria
53,000,000
9
Algeria
30,530,000
10
Morocco
28,780,000
For our map showing the geopraphical distribution of Muslims
Who is the Muslim God, Allah?”Allah” is the proper name for God But Allah is also referred to as: the Creator, the Sustainer, the Merciful, the Compassionate, the Judge, the Governor, the Eternal, etc. Like Jews and Christians, Muslims believe that God is without beginning, without end, and alone sees and knows all things. Allah is transcendent, yet close to humanity. “…He knows what enters within the earth and what comes forth out of it, what comes down from heaven and what mounts up to it. And He is with you wheresoever you may be. And Allah sees well all that you do” (Qur’an 57:4). Also, like Christians and Jews, Muslims believe that God is all powerful and is alone worthy of worship and adoration. “There is no god but He, the Creator of all things; then worship Him, and He has power to dispose of all affairs. No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision; He is the Sublime, Well-Aware” (Qur’an 6:102-103).
Muslims have difficulty with the Christian notion of the Trinity and especially the notion that Christ is “the only begotten Son of God.” In this sense Islam may be closer to Judaism in its affirmation of the unity and singularity of God. “Say: He is Allah, the One; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute. He begets not, nor is He begotten, and there is none like unto Him” (Qur’an 112:1-4). For Muslims, any worship or prayer directed at saints, prophets, other human beings is considered idolatry. Likewise, Muslims take the Hebrew Bible’s prohibition of idols literally. This extends even to art. In most Muslim cultures, artists are prohibited from painting images of God or of Mohammed.
This sacred text of Muslims is the Quran. We invite you to explore the entire English translation here.In the Muslim tradition, the naming of children is important and conveys strong meaning. To find the meaning of various, popular Muslim baby names check out our list.
Holidays of Islam — Complete holiday calendar for 2007 – 2010
Books About Islam now available from major publishers
Islam in the News — the latest headlines and newstories. Our newsfeed is updated daily.
Now let’s consider some definitions of Islam found in leading reference texts:
Islam (ĭsläm’, ĭs’läm) , [Arab.,=submission to God], world religion founded by the Prophet Muhammad. Founded in the 7th cent., Islam is the youngest of the three monotheistic world religions (with Judaism and Christianity). An adherent to Islam is a Muslim [Arab.,=one who submits].
Islamic Beliefs
At the core of Islam is the Qur’an, believed to be the final revelation by a transcendent Allah [Arab.,=the God] to Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam; since the Divine Word was revealed in Arabic, this language is used in Islamic religious practice worldwide. Muslims believe in final reward and punishment, and the unity of the umma, the “nation” of Islam. Muslims submit to Allah through arkan ad-din, the five basic requirements or “pillars”: shahadah, the affirmation that “there is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God”; salah, the five daily ritual prayers (see liturgy, Islamic); zakat, the giving of alms, also known as a religious tax; Sawm, the dawn-to-sunset fast during the lunar month of Ramadan; and hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. The importance of the hajj can hardly be overestimated: this great annual pilgrimage unites Islam and its believers from around the world.
The ethos of Islam is in its attitude toward Allah: to His will Muslims submit; Him they praise and glorify; and in Him alone they hope. … Islam views the Message of Muhammad as the continuation and the fulfillment of a lineage of Prophecy that includes figures from the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament, notably Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus. Islamic law reserves a communal entity status for the ahl al-kitab, People of the Book, i.e., those with revealed religions, including Jews and Christians.
Other Islamic obligations include the duty to “commend good and reprimand evil,” injunctions against usury and gambling, and prohibitions of alcohol and pork. Meat is permitted if the animal was ritually slaughtered; it is then called halal. Jihad, the exertion of efforts for the cause of God, is a duty satisfied at the communal and the individual level. At the individual level, it denotes the personal struggle to be righteous and follow the path ordained by God. Communally, it involves both encouraging what is good and correcting what is not and waging war against enemies of Islam
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
The religion of allegiance to God and to his prophet Muhammad, the religion (din) which God always intended for his creation, but which is derived in its present form from the prophetic ministry of Muhammad (c.570-632 CE) and from the revelation mediated through him, the Qur’an. The verbal noun islam appears eight times in the Qur’an: derived from the same Semitic root as Heb. shalom (peace), it means ‘entering into a condition of peace and security with God through allegiance or surrender to him’.
When Muhammad died, no exact provision had been made for any successor to lead the new community. Those who looked for the most effective leader chose Abu Bakr, known as caliph. Those who looked for the closest relative of Muhammad support ‘Ali. The party (shi’a) of ‘Ali broke away from those who claimed to be following the custom (sunna) of the prophet, thereby creating the divide between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims which persists to this day.
Muslim life and belief are derived directly from the Qur’an, but since the Qur’an does not deal with every issue or question which a Muslim might wish to ask, authoritative guidance is derive also from the traditions (hadith) concerning the words, deeds and silences of Muhammad and his companions.
The spread of Islam was extremely rapid. Within a hundred years of the death of Muhammad, it had reached the Atlantic in one direction and the borders of China in the other. At one stage (fom the 9th to the 13th centuries CE) the Muslim delight in creation led it into a passionate commitment to knowledge (‘ilm), which in turn led Muslims into spectacular achievements in philosophy (falsafa) and the natural sciences.
From John Bowker, ed., The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2000). Text © Oxford University Press.
Paintings and other Images of the ProphetA discussion of the controversy surrounding the publication of sartical cartoons depicting Muhammed.
Why interfaith understanding, dialogue and cooperation are importantThe Top Dozen Religions of the WorldWhat are the largest religions of the world? What are their membership statistics, relative size, locations, rankings? Find out now simply by looking at out chart and map.
Can Christians Alone Be Saved?”I am the way, the truth and the light, no one comes to the Father but by me,” said Jesus. Does this mean that only Christians can be saved?
Yes just not the same God that Christians believe in.
His name is Allah. MMMMMMMMMM…
I believe that Muslim’s believe in the same God but Jesus was a prophet And not the Son of God and that the prophet Muhammud recieved the Book of the Qur’an by taking information from the ArchAngel Gabriel
Islam means “To enter into Peace”
Muslims believe in the same real God Almighty which Jesus and other prophets before him believed.
a. Elohim El, Elah, AlahIn the Bible, God is very often referred to as ‘Elohim’ in the Hebrew language. The ‘im’ in the ending is a plural of honour and God is referred to as ‘El’ or ‘Elah’ in the English Bible with commentary, edited by reverend C. I. Scofield. ‘Elah’ is alternatively spelled as ‘Alah’. The difference in spelling is only of a single ‘L’. Muslims spell Allah as ‘Allah’ while the Reverend has spelled it as Alah and they pronounce it as ‘Elah’. Muslims pronounce it as Allah. Hebrew and Arabic are sister languages therefore we say it should be pronounced as ‘Allah’ and not as ‘Elah’. When I was in school, I was taught ‘D, O’ is do, ‘T, O’ is to. What is ‘G, O’ It is ‘go’ and not ‘gu’. ‘N, U, T’ is nut, ‘C, U, T’ cut; ‘B, U, T’ is but, what is ‘P, U, T’? Not ‘pat’ but it is ‘put’. If you ask “Why?” The answer is “It is their language”. If I have to pass I have to say ‘P, U, T’ is ‘put’ and not ‘pat’. Similarly the right pronunciation for A, L, L, A, H, is Allah.
b. Jesus (pbuh) cried out Allah Allah when he was put on the crossIt is mentioned in the New Testament in the Gospel of Mathew, chapter 27 verse 46 as well as Gospel of Mark, chapter 15 verse 34 when Jesus (pbuh) was put on the cross.
Jesus cried with a loud voice saying “E’-Li, E’-Li la’-ma sa-bach’-tha-ni?” that is to say, ‘My God, My God why hast Thou Forsaken Me?’ Does this sound like Jehovah! Jehovah! why has thou forsaken me? Does it sound like Abba Abba? The answer is ‘No’. Hebrew and Arabic are sister languages and if you translate “E’-Li, E’-Li la’-ma sa-bach’-tha-ni” into Arabic it is ‘Allah Allah lama tarak tani’ does it sound similar?
This statement of Jesus (pbuh), “E’-Li, E’-Li la’-ma sa-bach’-tha-ni” is preserved in its original Hebrew in each and every of its translation which is available in more than 2000 different languages of the world and in each and every of them, “Allah” is present.
2. “Allah” in SikhismOne of the names by which Gurunanak Sahib referred to God is “Allah”.
3a. “Allah” in Rigveda Book 2 Hymn I verse IIEven in the Rigveda which is the most sacred scripture of the Hindus, one of the attributes given to God Almighty in Book no 2 Hymn no I verse II, is ‘Ila’ which if pronounced properly is the same as Allah.
3b. Allo Upanishad:Amongst the various Upanishads one of the Upanishad is named as ‘Allo’ Upanishad in which God is referred to as “Allah” several times.
True and Perfect God, to believe in Whom is essential for every person, is the Lord of all the worlds
The Promised Messiah 1835-1908 says:Impossible as it is, yet by way of argument let us assume that Jesus (peace be upon him) did claim to be God. In that case, for him to confine his beneficence to such a small circle as the House of Israel does not behove the magnanimity of God. Had he been God, was he God only for the House of Israel to the exclusion of all other nations? He is known to have suggested that he had no concern for those who did not belong to the House of Israel.In short, the Jews and the Christians do believe that all Prophets and Messengers have been appearing from among them, and that Divine scriptures were revealed to them alone. Thereafter, according to the beliefs of the Christians, the institution of revelation and communion with God ended with Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) as though a seal had been set on the institution of revelation from God.Unfortunately the Hindus of the Arya sect also entertain a similar belief. Like the Jews and Christians, who restrict the institution of Prophethood and Divine revelation exclusively to their people and deny the honour of Divine revelation to others, the Aryas also, unfortunately for the human race, have adopted the same doctrine. They too believe that the blessing of Divine communication was never bestowed to any people outside the domain of the Aryan race. Again it is India alone which, according to them, is exclusively blessed by God for the selection of the four ‘Rishis’ from its soil; it is Sanskrit alone, the language of the Vedas, which has always been the medium of instruction chosen by God. One can safely conclude from this, that both these nations do not consider God to be the Lord [Provident] of all the worlds. Notwithstanding this, He is still proclaimed to be Lord of the Universe and not that of the Israelites or the Aryans alone. Moreover this strange behaviour of God, as presented by them, draws an image of God which is so partial that He appears unmindful of the rest of His creation. Thus, it is for the refutation of such erroneous views, that God commences the Holy Qur’an with the verse: The Holy Quran : Chapter 1: Al-Fatihah [1:2] All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, God also made it clear in several places in the Holy Qur’an that His Messengers have been appearing in different lands all over the world. In fact He did not neglect any people or any country. The Holy Qur’an explains through various examples that just as God has been looking after the physical development of the people of every country, in accordance with their requirements, so has He blessed every country and every people with spiritual upbringing. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:The Holy Quran : Chapter 35: Al-Fatir[35:25] Verily, We have sent thee with the Truth, as a bearer of glad tidings and as a Warner; and there is no people to whom a Warner has not been sent.Meaning that there is no people to whom a Warner has not been sent.Therefore there is no question that the True and Perfect God, to believe in Whom is essential for every person, is the Lord of all the worlds. Furthermore, His providence is not confined to any particular people, age or country. In fact, He is the Lord of all peoples, the Lord of time and space, and He is the Sovereign of all the countries. He alone is the 5. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.Fountainhead of all beneficence and the Source of every physical and spiritual strength. All that exists is sustained by Him. He is the Support for every creature.It is the universal beneficence of God which encompasses all peoples, all countries and all ages. It so happened lest anyone should have cause to complain that: ‘God has bestowed His favour upon such and such people, but not upon us.’ Or that: ‘So and so received the Book in order to be guided while we did not.’ Or that: ‘In such and such an age, He revealed Himself through His revelations, communications and miracles but in our time He remained hidden.’ Thus, by demonstrating His universal beneficence, He left no justification for such possible accusations. He displayed His virtues boundlessly so that no people remain bereft of physical and spiritual bounties from Him. He also did not treat any age as doomed.So, when such are the attributes of our Lord, it is but befitting for us to acquire them ourselves. So, O compatriots!This short epistle entitled A Message of Peace is being presented to you with all due respects and with a sincere heartfelt prayer that Almighty God may Himself inspire you and fill your hearts with trust in my sincerity, lest you misread this friendly gesture and consider it to be an attempt to gain some ulterior motive. Dear Countrymen! The matter of the Hereafter is very often obscured to ordinary people. Its secrets are known only to a few of the enlightened, who embrace a kind of death [for the sake of their Lord] before they actually die. The goodness of this world, on the other hand, is easily recognized by any man with vision and wisdom.http://www.alislam.org/library/books/Message-of-Peace.pdfI am an Ahmadi peaceful Muslim Jesus (Isa) A.S. in Islam, and his Second Coming
“);}//–>
by Mufti A.H. Elias
I. Jesus (A.S.) In Islam
Muslims do believe that Isa (A.S.) was sent down as a Prophet of Allah (God), but he (Jesus) is not God or Lord, nor the son of God. Muslims do not believe that Isa (A.S.), also known as Jesus by Christians and others, is dead or was ever crucified. We believe that he was raised to heaven and is there, and will descend at the appointed time, end all wars, and bring peace to the world. Like Jesus (A.S.), Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is also a Prophet and Messenger. Muhammed (P.B.U.H.) is the last Prophet, though, and there is none after him. Hence, Islam is the last religion, complete, with the Holy Qur’an as the unchanged and perfect word of God for over 1400 years, as God promised to preserve it till the last day for all of humankind, unlike sacred texts of other religions which have mulitple versions and are “revised” periodically. God, or Allah in Arabic, is Divine and Supreme Being and Creator.
What the Holy Qur’an says about Jesus:
They slew him not, nor did they crucify him but it was made dubious to them. (Holy Qur’an, Surah Nisaa, Verse 157)
Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) himself told of the coming of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). In the Bible, Jesus (A.S.) says,
If you love me, Keep my commandments. And I will pray to the Father and He shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you forever. (Bible, John 14-15/16) 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, and he also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning. (Bible, John 15-26/27) I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now. How be it when he, the spirit of Truth will come, he will guide you into all truth, for he shall speak not of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that he shall speak, and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and he shall show it unto you. (Bible, John 16-12/14)
Ulema (learned scholars in Islam) have said that the person who is described by Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) to come after him – in the above verse – does not comply with any other person but Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).
In this case, the “comforter” he mentions is none other than Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and his laws and way of life (Shariah) and Book (Holy Qur’an) are those that Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) asks his followers to abide by.
The “person” whom Jesus (A.S.) prophecised will come after him, is called Pargaleeta in the Bible . This word was deleted by interpreters and translators and changed at times to “Spirit of Truth” and at other times, to “comforter” and sometimes “Holy Spirit.” The original Greek and its meaning is “one whom people praise exceedingly.” The sense of the word, then, is applicable to the word Muhammad in Arabic, since Muhammad means “the praised one.”
Jesus (A.S.) also says in the Bible,
… and a little while and you shall not see me; and again a little while, you shall see me because I go to the Father.(Bible, John 16:16)
… and the Holy Qur’an says,
And surely they slew him not. But Allah (God) raised him unto Himself. (Holy Qur’an, Surah Nisaa, Verse 157-158)
As such, Muslims believe that Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) was raised to heaven. According to Hadith, he is on the second heaven. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam=Peace be upon him) mentioned, “During the Meraj (Ascension), I met Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) on the second heaven. I found him of medium stature, reddish white. His body was so clean and clear, that it appeared as though he had just performed ghusal (ablution, cleansing of the entire body) and come.” In another Hadith, Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) mentioned to the Jews that, ” Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) is not dead, he will most surely return to you before Qiyamat (the Day of Judgement).”
May Allah Guide all people to the Truth. Aameen.
(For more information about Jesus A.S. in Islam, Click Here)
II. Hadhrat Isa’s (A.S.) Descension The Physical Features of Hadhrat Isa (A.S.)
He will resemble the famous Sahabi (A.S.) Hadhrat Urwa bin Masoodi (R.A.). He will be of average height and red and white in colour. His hair spread to the shoulders, straight, neat and shining as after a bath. On bending his head, it will seem as if pearls are falling. He will have an armour on his body. He will be wearing two pieces of cloth light yellow in color.
His Descension
He will descend on a Jamaat (group) that will be righteous at the time and comprising of 800 men and 400 women. The people will be preparing for war at the time against Dajjal (the anti-Christ). It will be time for Fajr prayers, and Imam Mahdi will be the Amir (leader). From the darkness of the dawn, a sound will suddenly be heard that “one who listens to your pleas has come” — the righteous people will look everywhere and their eyes will fall on Isa (A.S.). Briefly, at the time of Fajr, Isa (A.S.) will descend. When descending, Isa (A.S.)’s hands will be on the shoulders of two angels (according to another source (Kab Abrar), a cloud will carry him). On their insistence Hadhrat Isa will introduce himself. He will inquire about their enthusiasm and thoughts on Jihad against Dajjal. Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) will descend on the eastern side near the Minaret in Damascus (or in Baitul-Muqaddus by Imam Mahdi). At the time Imam Mahdi will have proceeded forward to lead the Fajr Salaat. The Iqamat of the Salaat would have been said (already recited) and Imam Mahdi will call Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) for Imamat (to lead the prayer), but he (Hadhrat Isa (A.S.)) will instead tell Imam Mahdi to lead the prayer since the Iqamat of that Salaat has already been said for him. Thus Imam Mahdi will lead the prayer, and Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) will follow him. After the ruku, he will make this statement: “Allah has killed Dajjal and the Muslims have appeared.”
The Killing of Dajjal (anti-Christ) and the Victory of the Muslims
After the completion of Fajr Salaat (congregational dawn prayers), Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) will open the door behind him where Dajjal accompanied by 70,000 Yahudis (Jews) will be. He will indicate with his hand to move away between him (Hadhrat Isa (A.S.)) and Dajjal. Dajjal will then see Hadhrat Isa (A.S.). At that time every Kafir on whom the breath of Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) will reach, will die. His breath will reach up to the distance of his eyesight. The Muslims will then come down from the mountains and break loose on the army of Dajjal. There will be war, Dajjal will retreat, and Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) will pursue Dajjal. Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) will have two flexible swords and one shield with him and with these he will kill Dajjal at the Gate of Hudd. He willl show the Muslims the blood of Dajjal which will get on his shield. Eventually the Yahudis will be selected and killed. The swine will be killed and the cross broken. People will revert to Islam. Wars will end, and people will return to their respective countries. One Jamaat (group) of Muslims will remain in his service and companionship.
Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) will go to Fajr Rawha and perform Haj or Umrah (or both) from there. He will also go to the grave of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) and present his greetings and Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) will reply. People will live comfortable lives. The wall of Yajooj and Majooj (Gog and Magog) will then break.
III. The Blessings of Hadhrat Isa (Jesus) (A.S.)
1 Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) will descend and stay on earth. 2 His descension will be in the last era of the Ummat. 3 He will be a just ruler and a fair judge. 4 His ummat will be the Khalifa (deputies) of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam). 5 He will act himself and instruct others on the Qur’an and Hadith (Shariat/Tradition of Islam). 6 He will lead people in Salaat (Prayer). 7 He will stay on earth for a period of 40 years after descending. The will be the best era of the Ummat after the first era of Islam. 8 Allah will protect his companions from Jahannam. 9 Those who will save the Deen of Islam by associating themselves with Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) will be amongst the most loved by Allah Ta’ala. 10 During this period all other reli