The following article presents 5
propositions denying the Muslim belief that Muhammad is a prophet of God. We ask
all Muslim reading this to consider these propositions prayerfully and
carefully, and see for themselves whether they are true or not.
We pray that our Lord Jesus will use
this material to bring Muslims out of darkness and into his glorious Gospel
light.
Let us begin:
PROPOSITION 1
Muhammad claims to follow in the
footsteps of the prophets:
Lo! We
inspire thee as We inspired Noah and the prophets after him, as We
inspired Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and Jesus
and Job and Jonah and Aaron and Solomon, and as We imparted unto David the
Psalms; S. 4:136 Pickthall
"The
Messenger believeth in what hath been revealed to him from his Lord, as do the
men of faith. Each one (of them) believeth in Allah, His angels, HIS BOOKS (kutubihi),
and His messengers. ‘We make no distinction (they say) between one and another
of His messengers.’ And they say: ‘We hear, and we obey: (we seek) Thy
forgiveness, our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys.’" S. 2:285
“And
afterward We inspired thee (Muhammad, saying): Follow the religion of Abraham,
as one by nature upright. He was not of the idolaters.” 16:123 Pickthall
Therefore
hold fast to that which has been revealed to you; surely you are on the right
path. And most surely it is a reminder for you and your people, and you shall
soon be questioned. And ask those of Our apostles whom We sent before you:
Did We ever appoint gods to be worshiped besides the Beneficent God? S. 43:43-45
Shakir
Muhammad is even told to follow the
previous guidance and to confirm his message with the previous scripture:
Now then,
for that (reason), call (them to the Faith), and stand steadfast as thou art
commanded, nor follow thou their vain desires; but say: "I believe in
whatever Book Allah has sent down; and I am commanded to judge justly
between you. Allah is our Lord and your Lord: for us (is the responsibility for)
our deeds, and for you for your deeds. There is no contention between us and
you. Allah will bring us together, and to Him is (our) final goal. S. 42:15
Those are
they unto whom We gave the Scripture and command and prophethood. But if these
disbelieve therein, then indeed We shall entrust it to a people who will not be
disbelievers therein. Those are they whom Allah guideth, so follow their
guidance. Say (O Muhammad, unto mankind): I ask of you no fee for it. Lo! it
is naught but a Reminder to (His) creatures. S. 6:89-90 Pickthall
And if thou
(Muhammad) art in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto thee, then
question those who read the Scripture (that was) before thee. Verily the
Truth from thy Lord hath come unto thee. So be not thou of the waverers. And be
not thou of those who deny the revelations of Allah, for then wert thou of the
losers. S. 10:94-95 Pickthall
This means that his message must be
consistent with the prophets that went before him. The Bible says that Jesus is
the seal of revelation, and that all prophets after him must come in his
authority and preach the eternal Gospel of Christ:
“Do not work
for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set
His seal.” John 6:27 NASB
"Therefore,
behold, I AM SENDING you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them
you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues,
and persecute from city to city,” Matthew 23:34
“Now the God
of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep
through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord,” Hebrews
13:20
“And I saw
another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to
those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and
people;” Revelation 14:6
“Then I fell
at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘Do not do that; I am a fellow
servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God.
For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10
Since Muhammad contradicted the message
of Christ, denying his divine sonship, his message is therefore not from the
true God:
“Who is
the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man
is the antichrist--he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the
Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.” 1 John
2:22-23 NIV
In fact, he ends up calling God a liar:
“We accept man's testimony, but God's
testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given
about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his
heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because
he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is
the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He
who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have
life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so
that you may know that you have eternal life.” 1 John 5:9-13 NIV
Since God is
not a liar, then Muhammad is not a prophet.
PROPOSITION 2
The Holy Bible says that magic and
sorcery has no affect against true believers of the true God:
“There is no sorcery against Jacob,
no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘See
what God has done!’” Numbers 23:23 NIV
“The
seventy-two returned with joy and said, ‘Lord, even the demons submit to us
in your name.’ He replied, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome
all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice
that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in
heaven.’” Luke 10:17-20 NIV
Muhammad fails this test since a Jew was
able to bewitch him! In fact, Muslims claim that Surahs 113 and 114 were
“revealed” to free Muhammad from this curse. The hadiths record:
Narrated Aisha:
Magic was worked on Allah's Apostle so that he used to think that he had sexual
relations with his wives while he actually had not (Sufyan said: That is the
hardest kind of magic as it has such an effect).
Then one day he said, "O 'Aisha do you know that Allah has instructed me
concerning the matter I asked Him about? Two men came to me and one of them sat
near my head and the other sat near my feet. The one near my head asked the
other. What is wrong with this man?' The latter replied he is under the
effect of magic. The first one asked, Who has worked magic on him?' The other
replied Labid bin Al-A'sam, a man from Bani Zuraiq who was an ally of the Jews
and was a hypocrite.' The first one asked, What material did he use)?' The
other replied, 'A comb and the hair stuck to it.' The first one asked, 'Where
(is that)?' The other replied. 'In a skin of pollen of a male date palm tree
kept under a stone in the well of Dharwan' '' So the Prophet went to that well
and took out those things and said "That was the well which was shown to me (in
a dream) Its water looked like the infusion of Henna leaves and its date-palm
trees looked like the heads of devils." The Prophet added, "Then that thing was
taken out' I said (to the Prophet ) "Why do you not treat yourself with Nashra?"
He said, "Allah has cured me; I dislike to let evil spread among my people."
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 71,
Number 660- see also number
661)
Narrated Aisha:
Once the Prophet was bewitched
so that he began to imagine that he had done a thing which in fact he had not
done. (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 53,
Number 400)
PROPOSITION 3
Muhammad is reported to have said that
his greatest miracle was the Divine Inspiration he received, i.e. the Quran:
Narrated Abu
Huraira:
The Prophet
said, "Every Prophet was given miracles because of which people believed, but
what I have been given, is Divine Inspiration which Allah has revealed to me.
So I hope that my followers will outnumber the followers of the other Prophets
on the Day of Resurrection."
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 6, Book
61, Number 504)
This means that Muhammad stands or falls
on the veracity and authenticity of the Quran. Yet the Quran is actually one of
the best evidences that Muhammad wasn’t a true prophet since it contains gross
factual errors showing that it did not originate from God. Some examples
include:
1. Night Journey
Glory to
(Allah) Who did take His Servant for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque
to the Farthest Mosque (Masjid al-Aqsa), whose precincts We did
bless,- in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: for He is the One Who
heareth and seeth (all things). S. 17:1
According to the Islamic traditions,
Muhammad went to the Mosque in Jerusalem. The following is taken from Alfred
Guillaume's The Life of Muhammad (Oxford University Press Karachi), which
is a translation of Ibn Ishaq's Sirat Rasulullah:
Ziyad b.
'Abdullah al-Bakka'i from Muhammad b. Ishaq told me the following: Then the
apostle was carried by night from the mosque at Mecca to the Masjid al-Aqsa
WHICH IS THE TEMPLE OF AELIA, when Islam had spread in Mecca among the
Quraysh and all the tribes.
… His
companion (Gabriel) went with him to see the wonders between heaven and earth,
UNTIL HE CAME TO JERUSALEM'S TEMPLE…
In his story
al-Hasan said: "The apostle and Gabriel went their way until they arrived AT
THE TEMPLE AT JERUSALEM"… (Guillaume, pp. 181, 182; bold and capital
emphasis ours)
And from Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number
0309:
It is
narrated on the authority of Anas b. Malik that the Messenger of Allah (may
peace be upon him) said: I was brought al-Buraq Who is an animal white and long,
larger than a donkey but smaller than a mule, who would place his hoof a
distance equal to the range of version. I mounted it and came to the Temple
(Bait Maqdis in Jerusalem), then tethered it to the ring used by the
prophets. I entered the mosque and prayed two rak'ahs in it, and then came
out and Gabriel brought me a vessel of wine and a vessel of milk. I chose
the milk, and Gabriel said: You have chosen the natural thing. Then he took me
to heaven…
The problem with all of this is that the
first Jerusalem Temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian armies in
587 BC. Furthermore, General Titus and his Roman soldiers leveled the Second
Temple in AD. 70, more than five centuries before this alleged night journey to
Jerusalem took place. In fact, the Temple that eventually became Masjid
al-Aqsa did not come into existence until AD. 691 when Amir Abd-ul-Malik
built it.
2. Number of earths
"It is Allah
Who has created seven heavens, and earths as many…" S. 65:12, F. Malik's
translation
Narrated
Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Al-Harith:
from Abu
Salama bin 'Abdur-Rahman who had a dispute with some people on a piece of land,
and so he went to 'Aisha and told her about it. She said, "O Abu Salama, avoid
the land, for Allah's Apostle said, ‘Any person who takes even a span of land
unjustly, his neck shall be encircled with it down seven earths.’" (Sahih
Al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 54, Number 417; see also Numbers 418, 420; Volume 3,
Book 43, Numbers 632-634)
Narrated Abu Hurayrah:
While Allah's Prophet (peace be
upon him) and his companions were sitting clouds came over them and Allah's
Prophet (peace be upon him) asked, "Do you know what these are?" On
their replying that Allah and His Messenger knew best, he said, "These are the
clouds (anan), these are the water-carriers of the Earth, which Allah drives to
people who do not thank Him or call upon him." He then asked, "Do you know what
is above you?" On their replying that Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon
him) knew best, he said, "It is the firmament, a ceiling which is guarded and
waves which are kept back." He then asked, "Do you know what is between you and
it?" On their replying that Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) knew
best, he said, "Between you and it are five hundred years." He then asked, "Do
you knew what is above that?" On their replying that Allah and His Messenger
(peace be upon him) best he said, "Two heavens with a distance of five hundred
years between them." He went on speaking like that till he counted seven
heavens, the distance between each pair being like between Heaven and Earth. He
then asked, "Do you know what is above that?" On their replying that Allah and
His Messenger (peace be upon him) knew best, he said, "Above that is the Throne,
and the distance between it and the (seventh) heaven is the same as that between
each pair of heavens." He then asked, "Do you know what is below you?" On
their replying that Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) knew best, he
said, "It is the earth." He then asked, "Do you know what is under that?" On
their replying that Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) knew best, he
said, "Under it there is another Earth with a journey of five hundred years
between them," and so on till he had counted seven earths with a journey
of five hundred years between each pair. He then said, "By Him in Whose hand
Muhammad's soul is, if you were to drop a rope to the lowest earth it would
not pass out of Allah's knowledge." He then recited, "He is the First and
the Last, the Outward and the Inward, and He is omniscient." (Tirmidhi commented
that Allah's Messenger's recitation of the verse indicates that it would go down
within Allah's knowledge, power and authority, for Allah's knowledge, power and
authority are everywhere, while He is on the Throne, as He described Himself in
His Book.)
Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it.
(Al-Tirmidhi, Number 1513- taken from the ALIM CD-ROM Version)
Al-Tabari
According to Muhammad b. Sahl b.
'Askar-Isma'il b. 'Abd al-Karim-Wahb, mentioning some of his majesty (as being
described as follows): The heavens and the earth and the oceans are in the
haykal, and the haykal is in the Footstool. God's feet are upon the
Footstool. He carries the Footstool. It became like a sandal on His feet. When
Wahb was asked: What is the haykal? He replied: Something on the heavens'
extremities that surrounds the earth and the oceans like ropes that are used to
fasten a tent. And when Wahb was asked how earths are (constituted), he replied:
They are seven earths that are FLAT and islands. Between each two earths,
there is an ocean. All that is surrounded by the (surrounding) ocean, and the
haykal is behind the ocean. (History of Al-Tabari-General Introduction
and From the Creation to the Flood, Volume 1, trans. Franz Rosenthal [State
University of New York Press, Albany 1989], pp. 207-208)
Ibn Kathir
<and of the earth the like
thereof.> means, He
created seven earths. In the Two Sahihs, there is a Hadith that
states…
In the beginning of my book,
Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah, I mentioned the various narrations for this
Hadith when I narrated the story of the creation of the earth. All the
thanks and praise is due to Allah.
Those who explained this Hadith
to mean the seven continents have brought an implausible explanation that
contradicts the letter of the Qur’an and the Hadith without having proof.
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) Volume 10 (Surat At-Tagabun to the end of the
Qur’an), abridged by a group of scholars under the supervision of Shaykh
Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri [Darussalam Publishers & Distributors, Riyadh,
Houston, New York, London, Lahore; first edition, September 2000], pp. 55-56;
bold emphasis ours)
3. The orbit of the sun
“And the sun runneth on unto a
resting-place for him. That is the measuring of the Mighty, the Wise.” S. 36:38
Pickthall
Narrated Abu
Dharr:
The Prophet
asked me at sunset, "Do you know where the sun goes (at the time of sunset)?" I
replied, "Allah and His Apostle know better." He said, "It goes (i.e. travels)
till it prostrates Itself underneath the Throne and takes the permission to rise
again, and it is permitted and then (a time will come when) it will be about to
prostrate itself but its prostration will not be accepted, and it will ask
permission to go on its course but it will not be permitted, but it will be
ordered to return whence it has come and so it will rise in the west. And
that is the interpretation of the Statement of Allah: ‘And the sun Runs its
fixed course for a term (decreed). That is The Decree of (Allah) The Exalted in
Might, The All-Knowing.’" (36.38) (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 4,
Book 54, Number 421)
4. The function of shooting stars
Quran claims that one of the purposes of
the stars is to be hurled at satans or jinns:
And We have
(from of old), adorned the lowest heaven with lamps, and We have made such
(lamps as) missiles to drive away Satans ... S. 67:5
We have
indeed decked the lower heaven with beauty (in) the stars, (for beauty) and
for guard against all obstinate rebellious Satans. (So) they should not
strain their ears in the direction of the Exalted Assembly but be cast away from
every side. S. 37:6-8 (see also 15:16-18, 55:33-35)
Abu Qatada states,
"The
creation of these stars is for three purposes, i.e. as decoration of the
(nearest) heaven, as missiles to hit the devils, and as signs to
guide travelers. So, if anybody tries to find a different interpretation, he is
mistaken and just wastes his efforts, and troubles himself with what is beyond
his limited knowledge." (Dr. Muhammad Taq-I-ud-Din Al-Hillai, Ph.D. [Berlin] Dr.
Muhammad Muhsin Khan, Interpretation of the Meaning of the Noble Quran,
pp. 214, 394-395)
It is quite possible that Muhammad
believed that Satan was a material being since he also believed that Satan
urinated on/in people:
Narrated 'Abdullah:
A person was mentioned before the
Prophet (p.b.u.h) and he was told that he had kept on sleeping till morning and
had not got up for the prayer. The Prophet said, "Satan urinated in his ears.”(Sahih
Al-Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 21, Number 245- see also Volume 4, Book 54, Number
492)
'Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) reported that
a mention was made of a man who slept the whole night till morning. He (the Holy
Prophet) remarked: That is a man in whose ears (or in whose ear) the devil
urinated. (Sahih Muslim, Book 004,
Number 1700)
5. Which Came First: Heaven or
Earth?
The Quran claims that the earth and
its provisions were created before the heavens:
It
is He Who hath created for you all things that are on earth; THEN (thumma)
He turned to the heavens, and made them into seven firmaments; and of all
things He hath perfect knowledge. S. 2:29
Say: Is it that ye deny Him Who
created the earth in two Days? And do ye join equals with Him? He is the Lord of
(all) the Worlds. He set on the (earth), mountains standing firm, high above it,
and bestowed blessings on the earth, and measure therein its sustenance, in four
Days, alike for (all) who ask. THEN (thumma) He turned to the sky, and
it had been (as) smoke: He said to it and to the earth: "Come ye together,
willingly or unwillingly." They said: "We do come (together), in willing
obedience." So He completed them as seven firmaments in two Days, and He
assigned to each heaven its duty and command. And We adorned the lower heaven
with lights, and (provided it) with guard. Such is the Decree of (Him) the
Exalted in Might, Full of Knowledge. S. 41:9-12
Traditions attributed to Muhammad
and his first followers claim that the Arabic word thumma meant a
sequential act, that the heavens came after the earth:
"Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (mpbuh) took hold of my hands and
said: Allah the Exalted and Glorious, created the clay on Saturday and He
created the mountains on Sunday and He created the trees on Monday and He
created the things entailing labour on Tuesday and created light on Wednesday
and He caused animals to spread on Thursday and created Adam (pbuh) after
'Asr on Friday; the last creation at the last hour of the hours of Friday,
ie. Between afternoon and night." (Sahih Muslim, Book 039, Number 6707)
This Hadith places the creation
of light on Wednesday, after the creation of the earth and its provisions. Light
presumably refers to the sun. If so, this would be in clear contradiction with
modern scientific theories on the origin of the universe which places the
creation of the sun before vegetation.
The following traditions are
taken from The History of al-Tabari, Volume 1 - General Introduction and from
the Creation to the Flood (trans. Franz Rosenthal, State University of New
York Press, Albany 1989), pp. 187-193. All bold and capital emphasis ours:
"We
have stated before that time is but hours of night and day and that the hours
are but traversal by the sun and the moon of the degrees of the sphere. Now
then, this being so, there is (also) a sound tradition from the Messenger of God
told us by Hannad b. al-Sari, who also said that he read all of the hadith (to
Abu Bakr)- Abu Bakr b. 'Ayyash- Abu Sa'd al-Baqqal- 'Ikrimah- IBN ABBAS:
The Jews came to the Prophet and asked him about the creation of the heavens and
the earth. He said: God created the earth on Sunday and Monday. He
created the mountains and the uses they possess on Tuesday. On Wednesday, He
created trees, water, cities and the cultivated barren land. These are four
(days). He continued (citing the Qur'an): ‘Say: Do you really not believe in the
One Who created the earth in two days, and set up others like Him? That is the
Lord of the worlds. He made it firmly anchored (mountains) above it and blessed
it and decreed that it contain the amount of food it provides, (all) in four
days, equally for those asking’- for those who ask. On Thursday, He created
heaven. On Friday, He created the stars, the sun, the moon, and the angels,
until three hours remained. In the first of these three hours He created the
terms (of human life), who would live and who would die. In the second, He cast
harm upon everything that is useful for mankind. And in the third, (He created)
Adam and had him dwell in Paradise. He commanded Iblis to prostrate himself
before Adam, and He drove Adam out of Paradise at the end of the hour. When the
Jews asked: What then, Muhammad? He said: ‘Then He sat straight upon the
Throne.’ The Jews said: You are right, if you had finished, they said, with:
Then He rested. Whereupon the Prophet got very angry, and it was revealed: ‘We
have created the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six days, and
fatigue did not touch Us. Thus be patient with what you say.’"
And:
"According to al-Muthanna- al-Hajjaj- Hammad- 'Ata' b. al-Sa'ib- 'Ikrimah: The
Jews asked the Prophet: What about Sunday? The Messenger of God replied: On
it, God created the earth and spread it out. They asked about Monday, and he
replied: On it, He created Adam. They asked about Tuesday, and he replied: On
it, He created the mountains, water, and so on. They asked about Wednesday, and
he replied: Food. They asked about Thursday, and he replied: He created the
heavens. They asked about Friday, and he replied: God created night and day.
Then, when they asked about Saturday and mentioned God's rest(ing on it), he
exclaimed: God be praised! God then revealed: ‘We have created the heavens and
the earth and what is between them in six days, and fatigue did not touch Us.’"
Yet, the following Surah
contradicts the above statements and states that the earth’s provisions, such as
water, were created ONLY after the heavens:
“Are ye the harder to create, or is the heaven that He built? He raised the
height thereof and ordered it; And He made dark the night thereof, and He
brought forth the morn thereof. AND AFTER THAT (bad'a) He spread the
earth, And produced therefrom the water thereof and the pasture thereof,
And He made fast the hills, A provision for you and for your cattle.” S.
79:27-33
Al-Tabari writes in regards to
the word ba’da:
Someone might say: You realize that a number of interpreters have considered
God's word: "And it was the earth that He spread out thereafter," to mean:
"He spread out simultaneously" (attributing to the preposition ba'da
"after" the meaning of ma'a "together [simultaneous] with"). Now,
what is your evidence for the soundness of your statement that we have here the
meaning of "after", the opposite of "before"? The reply would be: The meaning
of "after" generally known in Arabic speech, as we have said, is that of the
opposite of "before," and not "simultaneous with." Now, word meanings considered
applicable are those that are preponderant and generally known among speakers
(of a language), and no others are. (Ibid., p. 216)
Even the late Muslim translator
Abdullah Yusuf Ali, while translating ba'da as "moreover" in S. 79:30,
candidly admits:
Moreover: or, more literally, AFTER THAT.
See n. 4475 to xli. 11. (Ali, footnote 5937)
PROPOSITION 4
The Bible warns:
“‘But a prophet who presumes to speak
in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in
the name of other gods, must be put to death.’ You may say to yourselves, ‘How
can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?’ If what a prophet
proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a
message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not
be afraid of him.” Deuteronomy 18:20-22
Muhammad made false predictions:
“The Roman
Empire has been defeated - in a land close by: But they, (even) after (this)
defeat of theirs, will soon be victorious - within a few years.” S.
30:2-4
The Arabic word for “few years” is
Bida’. This word is found in S. 12:46. Here are the comments of Muslim
exegete Ibn Kathir’s regarding the meaning of Bida' in S. 12:46:
<But
Shaytan made him forget to mention it to his master.>
that it
refers to the man who was saved. As was said by Mujahid, Muhammad bin Ishaq and
several others. As for ‘a few years’, or, Bida' in Arabic, IT MEANS
THREE TO NINE, according to Mujahid and Qatadah. Wahb bin Munabbih said,
"Ayub suffered from the illness for seven years, Yusuf remained in prison for
seven years and Bukhtanassar (Nebuchadnezzar - Chaldean king of Babylon) was
tormented for seven years." (Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) Volume 5, Surah Hud
to Surat Al-Isra', Verse 38, abridged by a group of scholars under the
supervision of Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri [Darussalam Publishers &
Distributors, Riyadh, Houston, New York, Lahore; First Edition: July 2000], pp.
170-171; bold and capital emphasis ours)
Several problems immediately arise from
a plain reading of the text. This alleged prophecy is a great example of how
incoherent, incomplete and unintelligible the Quran truly is. The prophecy
states that the Romans have been defeated in a land close by. Yet, we are
not told who defeated them, when were they defeated, and where
were they defeated. Is the phrase a "land close by" directed towards the Muslims
or the Romans? If one claims that it refers to the Muslims then this still
leaves us with the problem of identifying the precise location of the land. A
land close to the Muslims can be a reference to Medina (provided that this was
"revealed" during the time the Muslims were still in Mecca), Mecca, Syria,
Turkey, Lebanon, Jerusalem, Persia etc. If it is referring to the Romans
themselves, then the land close by can refer to a land near either Turkey
(Constantinople) or Rome. How does anyone know for certain?
Second, who defeated the Romans and how
does one know for certain? Third, when was this "prophecy" given? Is it
Pre-Hijrah or post-Hijrah? Since the prophecy states that the Romans would be
victorious within a few years, knowing the precise date of this alleged prophecy
is an essential and integral part of verifying whether it came to pass or not.
According to Muslim scholarship this
passage was supposedly “sent down” approximately around 615 AD and refers to the
defeat of the Romans at the hands of the Persians. When we consult the
encyclopedias and other sources we discover that the Roman victory didn’t occur
until 13 years later, not the 3-9 years stipulated by the Quran. Under
Heraclius, Encyclopedia Britannica writes:
In 614
the Persians conquered Syria and Palestine, taking Jerusalem
and what was believed to be Christ's Cross, and in 619 occupied Egypt and Libya
...
In 622, clad
as a penitent and bearing a sacred image of the Virgin, he left Constantinople,
as prayers rose from its many sanctuaries for victory over the Persian
Zoroastrians, the recovery of the Cross, and the reconquest of Jerusalem…
The next two
years he devoted to campaigns in Armenia, the manpower of which was vital to the
empire, and to a devastating invasion of Persia. In 625 Heraclius retired to
Anatolia. He had encamped on the west bank of the Sarus River when the Persian
forces appeared on the opposite bank. Many of his men rushed impetuously across
the bridge and were ambushed and annihilated by the enemy.
Emerging
from his tent, Heraclius saw the triumphant Persians crossing the bridge. The
fate of the Empire hung in the balance. Seizing his sword, he ran to the bridge
and struck down the Persian leader. His soldiers closed rank behind him and beat
back the foe.
In 626
the Persians advanced to the Bosporus, hoping to join the Avars in an assault on
the land walls of Constantinople. But the Romans sank the primitive Avar fleet
that was to transport Persian units across Bosporus and repelled the unsupported
Avar assault. Heraclius again invaded Persia and in December 627, after a
march across the Armenian highlands into the Tigris plain, met the Persians
near the ruins of Nineveh. There, astride his renowned war-horse, he
killed three Persian generals in single combat, charged into enemy ranks at the
head of his troops, killed the Persian commander, and scattered the Persian host.
A month
later, Heraclius entered Dastagird with its stupendous treasure. Khosrow was
overthrown by his son, with whom Heraclius made peace, DEMANDING ONLY THE
RETURN OF THE CROSS, the captives, AND CONQUERED ROMAN TERRITORY. Returning
to Constantinople in triumph, he was hailed as a Moses, an Alexander, a Scipio.
IN 630 HE PERSONALLY RESTORED THE CROSS TO THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE
IN JERUSALEM. (bold and capital emphasis mine)
A. Yusuf Ali in an appendix to his
English translation, states:
16. In these
desperate circumstances Heraclius conceived a brilliant plan. He knew that the
Persians were weak in sea power. He used his sea power to attack them in the
rear. In 622 (the year of the Hijra) he transported his army by sea through the
AEgean Sea to the bay just south of the Taurus Mountains. He fought a
decisive battle with the Persians at Issus, in the same plain in which Alexander
the Great had defeated the Persians of his day in his famous march to Syria and
Egypt. The Persians were taken by surprise and routed. BUT THEY HAD STILL A
LARGE FORCE IN ASIA MINOR, which they could have brought into play against
the Romans if Heraclius had not made ANOTHER and equally unexpected dash by sea
from the north. He returned to Constantinople by sea, made a treaty with the
Avars, and with this help kept the Persians at bay round the capital. Then he
led THREE CAMPAIGNS, IN 623, 624 AND 625, along the southern shore of the
Black Sea and took the Persians again in the rear in the region round
Trebizond and Kars. Through Armenia he penetrated into Persia and got into
Mesopotamia. He was now in a position to strike AT THE VERY HEART OF THE
PERSIAN EMPIRE. A DECISIVE BATTLE WAS FOUGHT ON THE TIGRIS NEAR THE CITY OF
MOSUL IN DECEMBER 627. Before this battle, however, he had taken care to get
the alliance of the Turks and with their help to relieve Constantinople IN
626 against the Persians and the treacherous Avars who had then joined the
Persians.
17.
Heraclius CELEBRATED HIS TRIUMPH IN CONSTANTINOPLE IN MARCH 628. PEACE WAS THEN
MADE BETWEEN THE TWO EMPIRES ON THE BASIS OF THE STATUS QUO ANTE.
Heraclius, in pursuance of a vow he had made, went south in the autumn to Emessa
(Hims) and from there marched on foot to Jerusalem TO CELEBRATE HIS
VICTORIES, AND RESTORE TO ITS PLACE THE HOLY CROSS WHICH HAD BEEN CARRIED AWAY
BY THE PERSIANS AND WAS RETURNED TO THE EMPEROR AS A CONDITION OF PEACE.
Heraclius's [sic] route was strewn with costly carpets, AND HE THOUGHT
THAT THE FINAL DELIVERANCE HAD COME FOR HIS PEOPLE AND HIS EMPIRE… (Ali,
appendix X, pp. 1073-1074; bold and capital emphasis ours)
Ali's claim leaves us with a time period
after 628 AD for the Roman victory.
PROPOSITION 5
Muhammad condoned and or committed
atrocious sins such as:
1. Lying and murdering
According to Muhammad, Allah is the best
conniver and is also a deceiver:
The
Hypocrites - they seek to deceive Allah but it is Allah Who DECEIVES them.
When they stand up to prayer, they stand without earnestness, to be seen of men,
but little do they hold Allah in remembrance; S. 4:142
And (the
unbelievers) schemed and planned, and Allah schemed also, and the best
of schemers is Allah. S. 3:54
Remember how
the unbelievers schemed against thee, to keep thee in bonds, or to slay thee, or
get thee out (of thy home). They scheme and plot, but the best of schemers is
Allah. S. 8:30
The term for scheme in Arabic is
makara and denotes one who is a deceiver, a conniver, a schemer. It is
always used in a negative sense. Allah is thus seen as the best of deceivers,
the premiere schemer and conniving one.
Muslim theologians themselves admit to
the negative connotation of the Arabic term. For example Dr. Mahmoud M. Ayoub in
his book, The Quran and Its Interpreters, Volume II, The House of
Imran, brings up the question of,
"how the
word makr (scheming or plotting), which implies deceitfulness or
dishonesty, could be attributed to God." (Ibid. [1992 State University
of New York Press, Albany], p. 165)
After listing several Muslim sources he
quotes ar-Razi as arguing that "scheming (makr) is actually an act of
deception aiming at causing evil. It is not possible to attribute
deception to God. Thus the word is one of the muttashabihat [multivalent
words of the Quran]." (Ibid., p. 166; all bold italic emphasis ours)
Allah even deceived Muslims:
“When Allah
showed them unto thee (O Muhammad) in thy dream as few in number, and if He
had shown them to thee as many, ye (Muslims) would have faltered and would have
quarrelled over the affair. But Allah saved (you). Lo! He knoweth what is in
the breasts (of men). And when He made you (Muslims), when ye met (them), see
them with your eyes as few, and lessened you in their eyes, (it was)
that Allah might conclude a thing that must be done. Unto Allah all things are
brought back.” S. 8:43-44
Allah had to show the opposing fighting
forces as few to Muhammad and his companions since if they saw them as they
actually were, the Muslims would have been afraid to fight. Allah had to use
deception in order to encourage the Muslims to fight in his cause.
This is perhaps why Muhammad permitted
Muslims to use deception in order to kill Muhammad’s enemies:
KAB B. AL-ASHRAF
"Narrated
Jabir Abdullah: "Allah's messenger said "Who is willing to kill Ka'b bin
Al-Ashraf who has hurt Allah and His apostle?" Thereupon Maslama got up saying,
"O Allah's messenger! Would you like that I kill him?" The prophet said, "Yes".
Maslama said, "Then allow me to say a (false) thing (i.e. to deceive Ka'b).
The prophet said, "You may say it."
Maslama went to Ka'b and said, "That man (i.e. Muhammad) demands Sadaqa
(i.e. Zakat) [taxes] from us, and he has troubled us, and I have come to borrow
something from you." On that, Ka'b said, "By Allah, you will get tired of him!"
Maslama said, "Now as we have followed him, we do not want to leave him unless
and until we see how his end is going to be. Now we want you to lend us a camel
load or two of food." Ka'b said, "Yes, but you should mortgage something to me."
Maslama and his companion said, What do you want?" Ka'b replied, "Mortgage your
women to me." They said, "How can we mortgage our women to you and you are the
most handsome of the Arabs?" Ka'b said, "Then mortgage your sons to me." They
said, "How can we mortgage our sons to you? Later they would be abused by the
people's saying that so and so has been mortgaged for a camel load of food. That
would cause us great disgrace, but we will mortgage our arms to you."
Maslama and his companion promised Ka'b that Maslama would return to him. He
came to Ka'b at night along with Ka'b's foster brother, Abu Naila. Ka'b invited
them to come into his fort and then he went down to them. His wife asked him,
"Where are you going at this time?" Ka'b replied, None but Maslama and my
(foster) brother Abu Naila have come." His wife said, "I hear a voice as if
blood is dropping from him." Ka'b said, "They are none by my brother Maslama and
my foster brother Abu Naila. A generous man should respond to a call at night
even if invited to be killed.
Maslama went with two men. So Maslama went in together with two men, and said to
them, "When Ka'b comes, I will touch his hair and smell it, and when you see
that I have got hold of his head, strike him. I will let you smell his head."
Ka'b bin Al-Ashraf came down to them wrapped in his clothes, and diffusing
perfume. Maslama said, "I have never smelt a better scent than this." Ka'b
replied, "I have got the best Arab women who know how to use the high class of
perfume." Maslama requested Ka'b "Will you allow me to smell your head?" Ka'b
said "yes." Maslama smelt it and made his companions smell it as well. Then he
requested Ka'b again, "Will you let me (smell your head)?" Ka'b said "Yes".
When Maslama got a strong hold of him, he said (to his companions) "Get at him!"
So they killed him and went to the prophet and informed him.” (Sahih
Al-Bukhari, Volume 5, Number 369)
ABU AFAK
"Then
occurred the "sariyyah" [raid] of Salim Ibn Umayr al-Amri against Abu Afak,
the Jew, in [the month of] Shawwal in the beginning of the twentieth month
from the hijrah [immigration from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD], of the Apostle of
Allah. Abu Afak, was from Banu Amr Ibn Awf, and was an old man who had
attained the age of one hundred and twenty years. He was a Jew, and used to
instigate the people against the Apostle of Allah, and composed (satirical)
verses [about Muhammad].
Salim Ibn
Umayr who was one of the great weepers and who had participated in Badr, said,
"I take a vow that I shall either kill Abu Afak or die before him. He waited for
an opportunity until a hot night came, and Abu Afak slept in an open place.
Salim Ibn Umayr knew it, so he placed the sword on his liver and pressed it
till it reached his bed. The enemy of Allah screamed and the people who were his
followers, rushed to him, took him to his house and interred him. (Ibn S’ad,
Kitab Al Tabaqat Al Kabir [Book Of The Major Classes], English
translation by S. Moinul Haq, M.A., PH.D assisted by H.K. Ghazanfar M.A. [Kitab
Bhavan Exporters & Importers, 1784 Kalan Mahal, Daryaganj, New Delhi- 110 002
India], Volume 2, p. 32)
ASMA B. MARWAN
SARIYYAH OF
UMAYR IBN ADI"
Then
(occurred) the sariyyah of Umayr ibn adi Ibn Kharashah al-Khatmi against Asma
Bint Marwan, of Banu Umayyah Ibn Zayd, when five nights had remained from the
month of Ramadan, in the beginning of the nineteenth month from the hijrah of
the apostle of Allah. Asma was the wife of Yazid Ibn Zayd Ibn Hisn al-Khatmi.
She used to revile Islam, offend the prophet and instigate the (people) against
him. She composed verses. Umayr Ibn Adi came to her in the night and entered her
house. Her children were sleeping around her. There was one whom she was
suckling. He searched her with his hand because he was blind, and separated
the child from her. He thrust his sword in her chest till it pierced up to
her back. Then he offered the morning prayers with the prophet at al-Medina.
The apostle of Allah said to him: "Have you slain the daughter of Marwan?" He
said: "Yes. Is there something more for me to do?" He [Muhammad] said: "No. Two
goats will butt together about her.” This was the word that was first heard from
the apostle of Allah. The apostle of Allah called him Umayr, "basir" (the
seeing). (Ibn Sa’d’s Kitab Al-Tabaqat Al-Kabir, Volume 2, p. 31)
The following traditions record Muhammad
as permitting lying in other situations as well:
Narrated Um Kulthum
bint Uqba:
That she heard
Allah's Apostle saying, "He who makes peace between the people by inventing good
information or saying good things, is not a liar." (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 3,
Book 49, Number 857)
Humaid b. 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Auf reported that his mother Umm Kulthum daughter
of 'Uqba b. Abu Mu'ait, and she was one amongst the first emigrants who pledged
allegiance to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him), as saying that she heard
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: A liar is not one who tries
to bring reconciliation amongst people and speaks good (in order to avert
dispute), or he conveys good. Ibn Shihab said he did not hear that exemption was
granted in anything what the people speak as lie but in three cases: in
battle, for bringing reconciliation amongst persons and the narration of the
words of the husband to his wife, and the narration of the words of a wife to
her husband (in a twisted form in order to bring reconciliation between them).
(Sahih Muslim, Book 032, Number 6303)
Narrated Umm Kulthum
bint Uqbah al-Umawiyyah:
The Prophet
(peace_be_upon_him) said: He who forged in order to put things right between two
persons did not lie. The version by Ahmad ibn Muhammad and Musaddad has: The
liar is not the one who puts things right between people, saying what is good
and increasing good.
(Sunan
Abu Dawud, Book 41, Number 4902)
The Lord Jesus warns against such
people:
“You belong to your father, the
devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from
the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he
lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
John 8:44
And:
“But the cowardly, the unbelieving,
the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts,
the idolaters AND ALL LIARS-their place will be in the fiery lake of
burning sulfur. This is the second death.” Revelation 21:8
2. Legal Prostitution called Muta’
One shameful aspect of Islam is the
practice of temporary marriages called mut'a. This practice granted
Muhammad's followers the privilege of gratifying their carnal desires with women
for a temporary time period at a very cheap price:
Abdullah (b.
Mas'ud) reported: We were on an expedition with Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) and we had no women with us. We said: Should we not have ourselves
castrated? He (the Holy Prophet) forbade us to do so He then granted us
permission that we should contract temporary marriage for a stipulated period
giving her a garment, and 'Abdullah then recited this verse: 'Those who
believe do not make unlawful the good things which Allah has made lawful for
you, and do not transgress. Allah does not like trangressers" (al-Qur'an, v.
87). (Sahih Muslim Book 008, Number 3243)
Rabi' b.
Sabra reported that his father went on an expedition with Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) during the Victory of Mecca, and we stayed there for fifteen
days (i. e. for thirteen full days and a day and a night), and Allah's Messenger
(may peace be upon him) permitted us to contract temporary marriage with women.
So I and another person of my tribe went out, and I was more handsome than
he, whereas he was almost ugly. Each one of us had a cloak, My cloak was
worn out, whereas the cloak of my cousin was quite new. As we reached the lower
or the upper side of Mecca, we came across a young woman like a young smart
long-necked she-camel. We said: Is it possible that one of us may contract
temporary marriage with you? She said: What will you give me as a dower?
Each one of us spread his cloak. She began to cast a glance on both the persons.
My companion also looked at her when she was casting a glance at her side and he
said: This cloak of his is worn out, whereas my cloak is quite new. She,
however, said twice or thrice: There is no harm in (accepting) this cloak (the
old one). So I contracted temporary marriage with her, and I did not come out
(of this) until Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) declared it forbidden.
(Sahih Muslim, Book 008, Number 3253)
God’s pure word says:
“Do not degrade your daughter by
making her a prostitute, or the land will turn to prostitution and be filled
with wickedness.” Leviticus 19:29
“You must not bring the earnings of a
female prostitute or of a male prostitute into the house of the LORD your God to
pay any vow, because the LORD your God detests them both.” Deuteronomy 23:18
3. Abuse of Slave Girls
God told Israel that if they found an
attractive girl amongst the captives they could marry her, but they could not
sell or abuse her:
“When you go to war against your
enemies and the LORD your God delivers them into your hands and you take
captives, if you notice among the captives a beautiful woman and are attracted
to her, you may take her AS YOUR WIFE. Bring her into your home and have
her shave her head, trim her nails and put aside the clothes she was wearing
when captured. After she has lived in your house and mourned her father and
mother for a full month, then you may go to her and be her husband and she
shall be your wife. If you are not pleased with her, let her go wherever
she wishes. You must not sell her or treat her as a slave, since you have
dishonored her.” Deuteronomy 21:10-14
An Israelite
could not touch a captive he found attractive for 30 days, which allowed for the
captive to mourn the loss of her family and country. The intention of this law
was to protect her against any rude passion on the part of the man (i.e., rape).
It also gave her time to blend in with the Israelites and to develop affection
for the man. Hence, the law served as a mercy from God to protect her against
rape. It clearly highlights God’s great compassionate for non-Israelite women
taken in war. Gentile women were not necessarily given covenant protection as
Israelite women were given. And yet God gives these captive Gentile women
protection and insures that they were not regarded as mere slaves, or as
contraband from the battle. God in his love gave them the full status of wives,
just like Israelite women!
M.G. Kline, considered one of the
leading Old Testament theologians of the last century, wrote regarding on
Deuteronomy 21:10-14:
This first
of three stipulations concerned with the authority of the head of the household
(cf. vv. 15-21) deals with the limits of the husband's authority over his wife.
The case of a captive woman (vv. 10,11; cf. 20:14; contrast 7:3) is used as a
case in point for establishing the rights of the wife, perhaps because the
principle would obviously apply, a fortiori in the case of an Israelite wife. On
the purificatory acts of verses 12b, 13a, which signified removal from
captive-slave status, compare Lev. 14:8; Num. 8:7.
On the
month's mourning, see Num 20:29 and Deut 34:8. This period would provide for the
achieving of inward composure for beginning a new life, as well as for an
appropriate expression of filial piety. 14. Thou shalt not sell her. A wife
might not be reduced to slave status, not even the wife who had been raised from
slave status… then thou shalt let her go whither she will. The severance of the
marriage relationship is mention here only incidentally to the statement of the
main principle that a man's authority did not extend to the right of reducing
his wife to a slave. This dissolution of the marriage would have to be
accomplished according to the laws of divorce in the theocracy (cf. Deut.
24:1-4). Not the divorce was mandatory, but the granting of freedom in case the
man should determine to divorce his wife according to the permission granted by
Moses because of the hardness of their hearts (cf. Matt 19:8). (Wycliff Bible
Commentary [Oliphants Ltd.: London, 1963), p. 184)
The late chief rabbi of the British
Empire, Chief Rabbi J. H. Hertz said:
“A female
war-captive was not to be made a concubine till after an interval of a month.
The bitter moments of the captive's first grief had to be respected. She must
not subsequently be sold or treated as a slave. 12. bring her home. This law
inculcates thoughtfulness and forbearance under circumstances in which the
warrior, elated by victory, might deem himself at liberty to act as he pleased
(Driver). ‘After the countless rapes of conquered women with which recent
history has made us so painfully familiar, it is like hearing soft music to read
of the warrior's duty to the enemy woman, of the necessary marriage with its set
ritual and its due delay. And the Legislator proceeds to trace the course of the
husband's duty in the event of the conquered alien woman failing to bring him
the expected delight. ‘Then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou
shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not deal with her as a slave,
because thou hast humbled her'" (Zangwill)… 13. she shall be thy wife. And enjoy
the full rights and duties of a Jewish wife; Exodus xxi, 10.14. no delight in
her, i.e. no longer any delight in her. The Rabbis deemed such a marriage a
concession to human weakness, as a preventive against worse manifestations of
the unbridled passions of man...humbled her. Dishonored her.” (Pentateuch &
Haftorahs, edited by Dr. J H Hertz [The Soncino Press Limited: London,
1960], p. 840)
Muhammad, on
the other hand, permitted Muslims to sleep with slave girls without having to
marry them first:
And all married women (are forbidden
unto you) save those (captives) whom your right hands possess. It is a
decree of Allah for you. Lawful unto you are all beyond those mentioned, so that
ye seek them with your wealth in honest wedlock, not debauchery. And those of
whom ye seek content (by marrying them), give unto them their portions as a
duty. And there is no sin for you in what ye do by mutual agreement after the
duty (hath been done). Lo! Allah is ever Knower, Wise. S. 4:24 Pickthall
Who abstain from sex, Except with
those joined to them in the marriage bond, or (the captives) whom their right
hands possess, - for (in their case) they are free from blame, S. 23:5-6 Y.
Ali
O Prophet! Lo! We have made lawful
unto thee thy wives unto whom thou hast paid their dowries, and those whom
thy right hand possesseth of those whom Allah hath given thee as spoils of war,
and the daughters of thine uncle on the father's side and the daughters of thine
aunts on the father's side, and the daughters of thine uncle on the mother's
side and the daughters of thine aunts on the mother's side who emigrated with
thee, and a believing woman if she give herself unto the Prophet and the Prophet
desire to ask her in marriage - a privilege for thee only, not for the (rest of)
believers - We are Aware of that which We enjoined upon them concerning their
wives and those whom their right hands possess - that thou mayst be free from
blame, for Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful. S. 33:50 Pickthall
Not so those devoted to Prayer;-
Those who remain steadfast to their prayer; And those in whose wealth is a
recognised right. For the (needy) who asks and him who is prevented (for some
reason from asking); And those who hold to the truth of the Day of Judgment; And
those who fear the displeasure of their Lord, -For their Lord's displeasure is
the opposite of Peace and Tranquillity;- And those who guard their chastity,
Except with their wives and the (captives) whom their right hands possess,
- for (then) they are not to be blamed, S. 70:22-30 Y. Ali
The ahadith
records some of the shameful things which the Muslims did to their captive and
slave women:
Abu
Sirma said to Abu Sa'id al Khadri (Allah he pleased with him): O Abu Sa'id, did
you hear Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) mentioning al-'azl? He said:
Yes, and added: We went out with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) on
the expedition to the Bi'l-Mustaliq and took captive some excellent Arab
women; and we desired them, for we were suffering from the absence of our wives,
(but at the same time) we also desired ransom for them. So we decided to
have sexual intercourse with them but by observing 'azl (Withdrawing the male
sexual organ before emission of semen to avoid conception). But we said: We
are doing an act whereas Allah's Messenger is amongst us; why not ask him? So we
asked Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), and he said: It does not matter
if you do not do it, for every soul that is to be born up to the Day of
Resurrection will be born. (Sahih Muslim
Book 008, Number 3371)
Jabir (Allah be pleased with him) reported that a man came to Allah's Messenger
(may peace be upon him) and said: I have a slave-girl who is our servant and she
carries water for us and I have intercourse with her, but I do not want her
to conceive. He said: Practice 'azl, if you so like, but what is decreed for
her will come to her. The person stayed back (for some time) and then came and
said: The girl has become pregnant, whereupon he said: I told you what was
decreed for her would come to her. (Sahih
Muslim, Book 008, Number 3383)
Abu
Said al-Khudri said: The apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) sent a
military expedition to Awtas on the occasion of the battle of Hunain. They met
their enemy and fought with them. They defeated them and took them captives.
Some of the Companions of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) were
reluctant to have intercourse with the female captives in the presence of their
husbands who were unbelievers. So Allah, the Exalted, sent down the Quranic
verse, ‘And all married women (are forbidden) unto your save those (captives)
whom your right hand possesses’. That is to say, they are lawful for them when
they complete their waiting period. (Sunan of Abu Dawud, Volume 2, Number 2150)
Shockingly, this traditions claims that Allah gave the Muslims the right to not
only sleep with the captives without having to marry them, but to do it with
their husbands present! In the words of Ibn Kathir, taken from his commentary on
S. 4:24:
<except those whom your right hands possess>
except those women whom you acquire through war, for you are allowed such women
after making sure they are not pregnant.
Imam
Ahmad recorded that Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri said, “We captured some women from the
area of Awtas who were already married, and we disliked having sexual
relations with them because they already had husbands. So, we asked the
Prophet about this matter, and this Ayah was revealed…
<Also
(forbidden are) women already married, except those whom your right hands
possess>.
Consequently, we had sexual relations with these women.”
This is the wording collected by AT-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa’i, Ibn Jarir and Muslim in
his Sahih. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) Volume 2, Parts 3, 4 & 5
(Surat Al-Baqarah, Verse 253, to Surat An-Nisa, Verse 147), abridged by a
group of scholars under the supervision of Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri
[Darussalam Publishers & Distributors, Riyadh, Houston, New York, Lahore; First
edition, March 2000], p. 422; bold emphasis ours)
4. An abomination to Yahweh
God’s true word says:
“If
a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something
indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her
and sends her from his house, and if after she leaves his house she becomes the
wife of another man, and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a
certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he
dies, then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her
again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the
LORD. Do not bring sin upon the land the LORD your God is giving you as an
inheritance.” Deuteronomy 24:1-4
Muhammad, on the other hand,
commands:
“A
divorce is only permissible twice: after that, the parties should either hold
together on equitable terms, or separate with kindness. It is not lawful for
you, (men), to take back any of your gifts (from your wives), except when both
parties fear that they would be unable to keep the limits ordained by Allah. If
ye (judges) do indeed fear that they would be unable to keep the limits ordained
by Allah, there is no blame on either of them if she give something for her
freedom. These are the limits ordained by Allah. So do not transgress them if
any do transgress the limits ordained by Allah, such persons wrong (themselves
as well as others). So if a husband divorces his wife (irrevocably), he cannot,
after that, remarry her until after she has married another husband and he
has divorced her. In that case there is no blame on either of them if they
re-unite, provided they feel that they can keep the limits ordained by Allah.
Such are the limits ordained by Allah, which He makes plain to those who
understand.” S. 2:229-230
What Yahweh calls an abomination,
Muhammad calls permissible!
5. Muhammad and Wives
Muhammad wanted to divorce one of his
wives because she had gotten too old. The Quran alludes to this incident:
And
if a woman fears ill usage or desertion on the part of her husband, there is no
blame on them, if they effect a reconciliation between them, and reconciliation
is better, and avarice has been made to be present in the (people's) minds; and
if you do good (to others) and guard (against evil), then surely Allah is aware
of what you do. S. 4:128
Ibn Kathir states:
Making peace
is better than separation. An example of such peace can be felt in the story
of Sawdah bint Zam'ah who WHEN SHE BECAME AGED, THE PROPHET WANTED TO DIVORCE
HER, but she made peace with him by offering the night he used to spend with her
to A'isha so that he would keep her. The Prophet accepted such terms and
kept her.
Abu Dawud
At-Tayalisi recorded that Ibn ‘Abbas said, "Sawdah feared that the Messenger of
Allah might divorce her and she said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! Do not divorce me;
give my day to 'A'ishah.’ And he did…
In the Two
Sahihs, it is recorded that 'A'ishah said that when Sawdah bint Zam'ah
BECAME OLD, she forfeited her day to 'A'ishah and the Prophet used to spend
Sawdah's night with 'A'ishah ...
<And
making peace is better>. IT REFERS TO THE WIFE
RELINQUISHING SOME OF HER MARITAL RIGHTS and his acceptance of the offer. Such
compromise is better than total divorce, as the Prophet did when retained Sawdah
bint Zam'ah. By doing so, the Prophet set an example for his Ummah to follow as
it is a lawful act ... (the preceding citation taken and adapted from
Tafsir Ibn Kathir - Abridged, Volume 2, Parts 3, 4 & 5, Surat Al-Baqarah, Verse
253, to Surat An-Nisa, Verse 147 [Darussalam Publishers & Distributors,
Riyadh, Houston, New York, Lahore; first edition March 2000], pp. 599-601, and
Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Part 5, Sura An-Nisa, ayat 24-147, abridged by Sheikh
Muhammad Nasib Ar-Rafa’i [Al-Firdous Ltd., London, 2000 first edition], pp.
193-194; bold emphasis ours)
Muhammad caused a split in the marriage
of his adopted son, and then proceeded to marry his ex-wife:
"It is not
for a believer, man or woman, when Allâh and His Messenger have decreed a matter
that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys
Allâh and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed in a plain error. And (remember)
when you said to him (Zaid bin Hârithah radhiallahu'anhu the freedslave of the
Prophet SAW) on whom Allâh has bestowed Grace (by guiding him to Islâm) and you
(O Muhammad SAW too) have done favour (by manumitting him) "Keep your wife to
yourself, and fear Allâh." But you did hide in yourself (i.e. what Allâh has
already made known to you that He will give her to you in marriage) that which
Allâh will make manifest, you did fear the people (i.e., Muhammad SAW married
the divorced wife of his manumitted slave) whereas Allâh had a better right that
you should fear Him. So when Zaid had accomplished his desire from her (i.e.
divorced her), We gave her to you in marriage, so that (in future) there may
be no difficulty to the believers in respect of (the marriage of) the wives of
their adopted sons when the latter have no desire to keep them (i.e. they have
divorced them). And Allâh's Command must be fulfilled. There is no blame
on the Prophet (SAW) in that which Allâh has made legal for him. That has
been Allâh's Way with those who have passed away of (the Prophets of) old. And
the Command of Allâh is a decree determined." S. 33:36-38 Hillali-Khan
The traditions state:
Muhammad Ibn
Yahya Ibn Hayyan narrated, "The Messenger of God came to Zaid Ibn Haritha's
house seeking him. Perhaps the Messenger of God missed him at that time, that is
why he said, 'Where is Zaid?' He went to his house seeking him and, when he did
not find him, Zainab Bint Jahsh stood up to [meet] him in a house dress,
but the Messenger of God turned away from her. She said, 'He is not here,
Messenger of God, so please come in; my father and mother are your ransom.' The
Messenger of God refused to come in. Zainab had hurried to dress herself when
she heard that the Messenger of God was at her door, so she leapt in a hurry,
and the Messenger of God liked her when she did that. He went away
muttering something that was hardly understandable but for this sentence: 'Praise
be to God who disposes the hearts.' When Zaid came back home, she told him
that the Messenger of God came. Zaid asked, 'You asked him to come in, didn't
you?' She replied, 'I bade him to, but he refused.' He said, 'Have you heard
[him say] anything?' She answered, 'When he had turned away, I heard him say
something that I could hardly understand. I heard him say, "Praise be to God who
disposes the hearts." ' Zaid went out to the Messenger of God and said, 'O
Messenger of God, I learned that you came to my house. Did you come in? O
Messenger of God, my father and mother are your ransom. Perhaps you liked
Zainab. I can leave her.' The Messenger of God said, 'Hold on to your wife.'
Zaid said, 'O Messenger of God, I will leave her.' The Messenger of God
said, 'Keep your wife.' So when Zaid left her, she finished her legal period
after she had isolated herself from Zaid. While the Messenger of God was sitting
and talking with `A´isha, he was taken in a trance, and when it lifted, he
smiled and said, 'Who will go to Zainab to tell her that God wedded her to me
from heaven?' The Messenger of God recited, 'Thus you told someone whom God
had favoured and whom you yourself have favoured: "Hold on to your wife." '
`A´isha said, 'I heard much about her beauty and, moreover, about how God
wedded her from heaven, and I said, "For sure she will boast over this with us."
' Salama, the slave of the Messenger of God, hurried to tell her about that. She
gave her some silver jewelry that she was wearing." (Ibn Sa`d, al-Tabaqat
al-Kubra 9 vols. [Beirut: Dar Sader, n.d. `Iyad, al-Qadi. al-Shifa fi sifat
al-Mustafa. Beirut, 1980], vol. 8, pp. 101-102; Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari,
Jami`al-bayan `an ta´wil al-Qur´an [Annals of al-Tabari], Edited by Mahmud
Muhammad Shakir. 30 vols [Cairo, 1968], vol. 2, p. 452ff.)
And:
"He had
occasion to visit the house of Zaid, and upon seeing Zainab's unveiled face, had
exclaimed, as a Moslem would say at the present day when admiring a beautiful
picture or statue, Praise be to God, the ruler of hearts! The words, uttered in
natural admiration, were often repeated by Zainab to her husband to show how
even the Prophet praised her beauty, and naturally added to his displeasure.
(Syed Ameer Ali, The Spirit of Islam [Chatto and Windus. London, England.
1974 (1890)], p. 235)
When Muhammad’s wives became jealous
over his preferential treatment of his youngest wife Aisha, he said:
Narrated
'Urwa from 'Aisha:
The wives of Allah's Apostle were in two groups. One group consisted of
'Aisha, Hafsa, Safiyya and Sauda; and the other group consisted of Um Salama and
the other wives of Allah's Apostle. The Muslims knew that Allah's Apostle
loved 'Aisha, so if any of them had a gift and wished to give to Allah's
Apostle, he would delay it, till Allah's Apostle had come to 'Aisha's home and
then he would send his gift to Allah's Apostle in her home. The group of Um
Salama discussed the matter together and decided that Um Salama should request
Allah's Apostle to tell the people to send their gifts to him in whatever wife's
house he was. Um Salama told Allah's Apostle of what they had said, but he did
not reply. Then they (those wives) asked Um Salama about it. She said, "He did
not say anything to me." They asked her to talk to him again. She talked to him
again when she met him on her day, but he gave no reply. When they asked her,
she replied that he had given no reply. They said to her, "Talk to him till he
gives you a reply." When it was her turn, she talked to him again. He then said
to her, "Do not hurt me regarding Aisha, AS THE DIVINE INSPIRATIONS DO NOT
COME TO ME ON ANY OF THE BEDS EXCEPT THAT OF AISHA." On that Um Salama said,
"I repent to Allah for hurting you." Then the group of Um Salama called Fatima,
the daughter of Allah's Apostle and sent her to Allah's Apostle to say to him,
"Your wives request to treat them and the daughter of Abu Bakr on equal
terms." Then Fatima conveyed the message to him. The Prophet said, "O my
daughter! Don't you love whom I love?" She replied in the affirmative and
returned and told them of the situation. They requested her to go to him again
but she refused. They then sent Zainab bint Jahsh who went to him and used
harsh words saying, "Your wives request you to treat them and the daughter of
Ibn Abu Quhafa on equal terms." On that she raised her voice and abused 'Aisha
to her face so much so that Allah's Apostle looked at 'Aisha to see whether she
would retort. 'Aisha started replying to Zainab till she silenced her. The
Prophet then looked at 'Aisha and said, "She is really the daughter of Abu
Bakr." (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 47, Number 755)
The following hadith is rather
interesting:
Narrated
Aisha:
I used to look down upon those ladies who had given themselves to Allah's
Apostle and I used to say, "Can a lady give herself (to a man)?" But when Allah
revealed: "You (O Muhammad) can postpone (the turn of) whom you will of them
(your wives), and you may receive any of them whom you will; and there is no
blame on you if you invite one whose turn you have set aside (temporarily)."
(33.51) I said (to the Prophet), "I feel that your Lord hastens in fulfilling
your wishes and desires." (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60,
Number 311)
Jesus warns:
“It has been said, ‘Anyone who
divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that
anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to
become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits
adultery.” Matthew 5:31-32
6. Sex In Paradise
The Quran claims that men will have sex
in Paradise:
As to the
Righteous, they will be in Gardens, and in Happiness,- Enjoying the (Bliss)
which their Lord hath bestowed on them, and their Lord shall deliver them from
the Chastisement of the Fire. (To them will be said:) "Eat and drink ye, with
profit and health, because of your (good) deeds." They will recline (with
ease) upon couches arranged in ranks; and WE SHALL WED THEM TO MAIDENS, with
beautiful big and lustrous eyes. And those who believe and whose seeds
follow them in Faith,- to them shall We join their families: nor shall We
deprive them (of the fruit) of aught of their works: (Yet) is each individual in
pledge for his deeds. And We shall bestow on them, of fruit and meat, anything
they shall desire. They shall there exchange, one with another, a cup free of
frivolity, free of sin, Round about them will serve, (devoted) to them: youths
(handsome) as Pearls well-guarded. S. 52:17-24
"And those
Foremost (in Faith) will be Foremost (in the Hereafter). These will be those
Nearest to Allah. In Gardens of Bliss: A number of people from those of old, And
a few from those of later times. (They will be) on couches encrusted (with gold
and precious stones), Reclining on them, facing each other. Round about them
will (serve) youths of perpetual (freshness), With goblets, (shining)
beakers, and cups (filled) out of clear-flowing fountains: No after-ache will
they receive therefrom, nor will they suffer intoxication: And with fruits, any
that they may select: And the flesh of fowls, any that they may desire. And
(there will be) Companions with beautiful, big, and lustrous eyes,- Like unto
Pearls well-guarded. A Reward for the deeds of their past (life). Not
frivolity will they hear therein, nor any mischief,- Only the saying, "Peace!
Peace". The Companions of the Right Hand,- What will be the Companions of the
Right Hand? (They will be) among Lote-trees without thorns, Among Talh trees
with flowers (or fruits) piled one above another,- In shade long-extended, By
water flowing constantly, And fruit in abundance. Whose season is not limited,
nor (supply) forbidden, And on couches raised high. We have created them of
special creation. And made them virgin - pure (and undefiled), - Full of love
(for their mates), equal in age,- For the Companions of the Right Hand. A
(goodly) number from those of old, And a (goodly) number from those of later
times. S. 56:10-40
Here are Ibn Kathir's comments on S.
56:35-37:
Abu Dawud
At-Tayalisi recorded that Anas said that the Messenger of Allah said,
<In
Paradise, the believer will be given such and such strength for women.>
Anas said,
"I asked, 'O Allah's Messenger! Will one be able to do that? He said,
<He will
be given the strength OF A HUNDRED (MEN)> At-Tirmidhi also recorded
it and said, "Sahih Gharib." Abu Al-Qasim At-Tabarani recorded that Abu
Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah was asked, "O Allah's Messenger! Will
we have sexual intercourse with our wives in Paradise?" He said,
<The man
will be able to have sexual intercourse WITH A HUNDRED VIRGINS IN ONE DAY.>
Al-Hafiz Abu
'Abdullah Al-Maqisi said, "In my view, the Hadith meets the criteria
of the Sahih, and Allah knows best." (Tafsir Ibn Kathir -
Abridged, Volume 9, Surat Al-Jathiyah to the end of Surat Al-Munafiqun, pp.
429-430; bold and capital emphasis ours)
The Quran also specifies what these
maidens's body parts are like:
"Surely for
the godfearing awaits a place of security, gardens and vineyards, and maidens
of SWELLING BREASTS (kawa'ib), like of age, and a cup overflowing."
S. 78:33 Arberry (see also Dawood, Rodwell)
Ibn Kathir gives a more fully detailed
description of what these breasts look like:
<And
vineyards, and Kawa'ib Atrab,> meaning, wide-eyed maidens WITH FULLY
DEVELOPED BREASTS. Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid and others have said,
<Kawa'ib>
"This means ROUND BREASTS. They meant by this THAT THE BREASTS OF THESE GIRLS
WILL BE FULLY ROUNDED AND NOT SAGGING, because they will be virgins, equal
in age..." (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Abridged, Volume 10, Surat At-Tagabun to the
end of the Qur'an, pp. 333-334; bold and capital emphasis ours)
The Quran continues:
And round
about them will (serve) youths of perpetual (freshness):
If thou seest them, thou wouldst think them scattered Pearls. S. 76:19
The hadiths confirm that these
descriptions of eating, drinking and having maidens for pleasure are not
symbolic or allegorical, but literal acts:
Muhammad
reported that some (persons) stated with a sense of pride and some discussed
whether there would be more men in Paradise or more women. It was upon this
that Abu Huraira reported that Abu'l Qasim (the Holy Prophet) (may peace be upon
him) said: The (members) of the first group to get into Paradise would have
their faces as bright as full moon during the night, and the next to this group
would have their faces as bright as the shining stars in the sky, and every
person would have two wives and the marrow of their shanks would glimmer beneath
the flesh and there would be none without a wife in Paradise. (Sahih
Al-Bukhari, Book 040, Number 6793)
Narrated on
the authority of Abu Huraira through another chain of transmitters that Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) said:
The (members
of the) first group which would get into Paradise will have their faces as
bright as stars in the sky. They would neither pass water, nor void excrement,
nor will they suffer from catarrh, nor will they spit, and their combs would be
made of gold, and their sweat will be musk, the fuel of their brazier will be
aloes, and their wives will be large-eyed maidens and their form would
be alike as one single person after the form of their father (Adam) sixty cubits
tall. (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Book 40 Number 6795)
Hammam b.
Munabbih reported: These are some of the ahadith which Abu Huraira reported from
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and one is this that he is reported to
have said: The (members of the) first group that would be admitted to Paradise
would have their faces as bright as full moon during the night. They would
neither spit nor suffer catarrh, nor void excrement. They would have their
utensils and their combs made of gold and silver and the fuel of their braziers
would be aloes and their sweat would be musk and every one of them would have
two spouses (so beautiful) that the marrow of their shanks would be visible
through the flesh. There would be no dissension amongst them and no enmity
in their hearts. Their hearts would be like one heart, glorifying Allah morning
and evening. (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Book 040, Number 6797)
Jabir
reported: I heard Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying that the
inmates of Paradise would eat and drink but would neither spit, nor pass
water, nor void excrement, nor suffer catarrah. It was said: Then, what
would happen with food? Thereupon he said: They would belch and sweat (and it
would be over with their food), and their sweat would be that of musk and
they would glorify and praise Allah as easily as you breathe. (Sahih Al-Bukhari,
Book 040, Number 6798)
Commenting
on the reason for Egyptian professor and columnist, Farag Foda's assassination,
New York Times columnist Judith Miller writes:
"About two weeks before his murder,
he mocked what passed for intellectual discourse among Islamists by citing a
recent sermon by Egypt's most popular preacher, Abdel Hamid Kishk, a blind
sheikh who constantly attacked both the government and its official religious
establishment. Kishk had been telling his audience that Muslims who entered
paradise would enjoy ETERNAL ERECTIONS and the company of young boys draped in
earrings and necklaces. Some of the ulema, the religious scholars at al-Azhar,
the government's seat of Islamic learning had disagreed. Yes, they said, men
in paradise would have erections, BUT MERELY PROTRACTED, NOT PERPETUAL.
Other experts disputed the possibility of pederasty in paradise. 'Is this what
concerns Muslims at the end of the 20th century?' Foda asked in a column in
October magazine. 'The world around us is busy with the conquest of space,
genetic engineering and the wonders of the computer,' while Muslim scholars, he
wrote 'in sadness and pain,' were worried about sex in paradise. In a column
published just before he was killed, Foda reported that the Tunisian government
had videotaped militant Islamic leaders on their prayer rugs, unwilling to await
paradise, making love to beautiful women here on earth. Meanwhile, Egyptian
militants in Assyut were ordering believers not to eat eggplants and squash
because of their resemblance to sexual organs. 'The Group of Darkness are
obsessed with sex,' he wrote." (Miller, God Has Ninety-Nine Names [A
Touchstone Book, published by Simon & Schuster, 1997], pp. 26-27; bold emphasis
ours)
The most disgusting and disturbing part
about all this is that Muhammad claimed that Mary, the mother of our risen Lord,
would be one of his wives in Paradise. Ibn Kathir which writes:
"The
Messenger of God... said, 'God MARRIED ME IN PARADISE TO MARY THE DAUGHTER OF
'IMRAN and to the wife of Pharaoh and the sister of Moses.' (Tabarani)" (Ibn
Kathir, Qisas al-Anbiya [Cairo: Dar al-Kutub, 1968/1388], p. 381- as
cited in Aliah Schleifer's Mary The Blessed Virgin of Islam [Fons Vitae;
ISBN: 1887752021; July 1, 1998], p. 64; bold and capital emphasis ours)
What does God’s true Word say?
"Jesus
replied, 'The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who
are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from
the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer
die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are
children of the resurrection." Luke 20:34-36
"For the
kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness,
peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." Romans 14:17
PROPOSITION 6
Muhammad was uncertain of his own
salvation:
Say:
"I am no bringer of new-fangled doctrine among the messengers, NOR DO I KNOW
WHAT WILL BE DONE WITH ME OR WITH YOU. I follow but that which is revealed
to me by 58inspiration; I am but a Warner open and clear." S. 46:9
Narrated 'Um al-'Ala:
An
Ansari woman who gave the pledge of allegiance to the Prophet that the Ansar
drew lots concerning the dwelling of the Emigrants. 'Uthman bin Maz'un was
decided to dwell with them (i.e. Um al-'Ala's family), 'Uthman fell ill and I
nursed him till he died, and we covered him with his clothes. Then the Prophet
came to us and I (addressing the dead body) said, "O Abu As-Sa'ib, may Allah's
Mercy be on you! I bear witness that Allah has honored you." On that the Prophet
said, "How do you know that Allah has honored him?" I replied, "I do not know.
May my father and my mother be sacrificed for you, O Allah's Apostle! But who
else is worthy of it (if not 'Uthman)?" He said, "As to him, by Allah, death has
overtaken him, and I hope the best for him. By Allah, though I am the Apostle
of Allah, yet I do not know what Allah will do to me," By Allah, I will
never assert the piety of anyone after him. That made me sad, and when I slept I
saw in a dream a flowing stream for 'Uthman bin Maz'un. I went to Allah's
Apostle and told him of it. He remarked, "That symbolizes his (good) deeds." (Sahih
Al-Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 58, Number 266)
Contrast this with the assurance that
the Lord Jesus gives to his true followers:
“I give them
eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my
hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can
snatch them out of my Father's hand.” John 10:28-29
“Jesus said
to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live,
even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you
believe this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she told him, ‘I believe that you are the Christ,
the Son of God, who was to come into the world.’” John 11:25-27
“Jesus did
many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not
recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his
name.” John 20:30-31
These propositions conclusively
demonstrate that Muhammad is not a true prophet of God, and that the Quran that
he passed on as revelation cannot be from God.
Amen. Come Lord Jesus, come. You are
indeed the risen One and are alive forever and ever. We love you immortal Lord
of glory.