“And they say,”None shall enter paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian.” These are their vain desires. Say:”Produce your proof if you are truthful.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 111)
Very recently my article on God is not a man was posted on brother Zami Zaatari’s site muslim-responses.com. It got the attention of the notorious Sam Shamoun who then directed Dr. James White to it. As a result of that Dr. James White of the Alpha and Omega ministries produced a 20 minutes and 45 seconds long video response to the article(or to a fraction of the article). Before you watch Dr. White’s response you should first read the article in question. Click here to read the article. The following is the video response.
Is it just mere coincidence that there are exactly three verses in the entire Old Testament or Hebrew Bible that negates God being a man and on the other end of the spectrum there is the idea that God is three persons as Trinitarians hold? I do not think it is a mere coincidence that we have it as such. I do not think that it is mere coincidence that one of the three verses expressly denies that God is both man and the son of man both of which are respectively associated with Jesus. It goes without saying that these verses strongly indicate that the Trinity and the idea that God incarnated into the man Jesus are doctrines that are antithesis to God’s nature.
The following is my responses to a recent visitor’s comment on this site who goes by the nick name Hate Muslims and Haman. His comment was posted under the Lord’s Prayer article by brother Mushafiq.
Michael Jackson who converted to Islam passed away today
Who doesn’t know Michael Jackson? His name echoes in every corner of the world. He was no doubt a colossal success(in entertainmet), but more importantly he was a human being. Let us remember that. But, even more important than that is that he was a MUSLIM! Yes, you heard me..he was MUSLIM! Let us hope and pray that he died upon the Shahadah and will be included amongst the believers. I would like to see him singing with the believers in Jannah. May Allah forgive him for his short comings and rest his soul.
Assalamu’alaikum to the believers and Pax Vobiscum to the non-believers,
Reverend Tony Costa. It is a pleasure to read your thoughts on the Bible. I hope this will be the beginning of more constructive discussions to come. Let us now examine the points that you have mentioned.
“The Hebrew word “elohim” is a third person masculine plural noun. It is grammatically always plural. It is used of the one true God Yahweh but when it is used of the true God “elohim” is generally followed by the singular verb. For instance Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God ["elohim"; plural noun] created ["bara"; singular]…”. “Elohim” is also used of false gods in the Old Testament, used of human judges and angels. The context is vital in the use of “elohim”. This noun is used of Yahweh more often than the other Hebrew words”el” and “eloah”.”
According to the Chumash (חומש) Islam is a fulfillment of God’s promise to Ishmael
by Ibn Anwar
Chumash is one of the terms used to describe the five books attributed to Moses. It is derived from the root chamesh which means five. More commonly they are known as the Torah or the Pentateuch. In this brief article we will be using the Stone’s Edition of the Chumash by Rabbi Nosson Scherman which has the main text of the five books together with selected commentaries from Rabbinic writings(in Hebrew and English) most prominent of which is Rabbi Rashi’s who is described as the “Father of Commentators” in the editor’s introduction.
Is the Qur’an truly preserved as the Muslims claim?
by Ibn Anwar
It is We Who have sent down the Reminder (Qur’an) and We Who will preserve it. (al-Qur’an 15:9)
“Allah sent down(revealed) the Reminder(Qur’an) to the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. and preserved it thoroughly. Since its first revelation until now not one letter or word has disappeared or suffered alteration.” [1]
The above sums up the general attitude of Muslims towards the Qur’an. Billions have had the belief strongly embedded in their hearts and minds that the Qur’an since the time of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. have stood against the test of time and remain perfectly preserved in its pristine beauty, eloquence and grandeur. Is this attitutde a mere hallucination of the Muslims or is it grounded in sound understanding and evidence? There are those from outside the Muslim camp who maintain that our belief is nothing but a figment of our imagination (or something to that effect). Basically, they would argue that the Qur’an hasn’t been properly preserved and have been tampered with as a result of which there are “variants” in the Qur’anic material or manuscript evidence. This article aims at answering that line of argument and perhaps help reaffirm the Muslim position. In truth the impetus for this article is a short piece that I read several hours ago. A good brother by the name Army of Jesus is Islam directed me to the article and requested that I produce refutations. I thank the brother for bringing the article to my attention and I will try to fulfill his request in due course. The article in question can be read here http://islamoscope.wordpress.com/2009/02/08/variant-readings-are-they-all-the-same/
Christian missionary: Allah is a moon god! You are worshipping a moon god! PAGANS!
by Ibn Anwar
I have met at least ten Christian missionaries who have brandished an accusing fingure saying that Allah the God that Muslims believe in is really a moon god. This idea or let’s call what it really is, a myth was postulated by a certain Robert Morey who’s arguments have been clinically or rather scholarly dissected at http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Sources/Allah/moongod.html . The expose’ was authored by MSM Saifullah, Mohd Elfie Nieshaem Juferi and Abdullah David. I think they have done an excellent job at presenting a sound rebuttal from an archeological standpoint bringing much clarity to the controversy. In this brief article of mine we shall not be going through the arguments proposed by Robert Morey and his cohorts. Rather we shall have a look at what the primary source of Islam says concerning the matter. Let the Qur’an speak for itself and we shall see whether the Muslims are worshipping a moon god or not.
Assalamu’alaikum. Yesterday, I decided to make a new youtube channel that will insha’Allah act as a platform to defend the noble path of Ahl Sunnah Wal Jama’ah.
The Lord hardens the heart and misguides and misleads as He wishes
by Ibn Anwar
Many a time Christian missionaries accuse Muslims of believing in a God that misguides and misleads men as He wishes. They will then cite certain verses from the Qur’an that at a glance do seem to convey what they’re claiming such as the following verse,
“And We never sent a messenger save with the language of his folk, that he might make (the message) clear for them. Then Allah sendeth whom He will astray, and guideth whom He will. He is the Mighty, the Wise.”(14:4)
In this exposition we shall witness an account from the lips of Jesus himself that clearly discards his alleged crucifixion. We will prove from Jesus’ own words that he could not have possibly suffered at the hands of his enemies. Let us begin with the proof text for our premise namely Luke 13:33.
The context of Luke 13:33 starts at verse 31. It says that the Pharisees came to Jesus and warns him of an impending threat from Herod who supposedly wants him dead. In response to this warning Jesus responds,
Is Isaiah 53 a prophecy concerning Jesus and his alleged crucifixion?
Crucifixion Series(Part 1)
by Ibn Anwar
Isaiah 53 is considered almost universally by Christians as a prophecy concerning the crucifixion of Jesus. They base their claim on verses applied to Jesus in the New Testament such as Matthew 8:17 that are taken from Isaiah 53. In this article we shall explore the chapter as analytically as possible and see whether the Christian claim has weight or not.
Millons of Christians like the Pentecostals believe that those empowered by the Holy Spirit are able to perform certain kinds of feats that may be deemed beyond that which is normal. Some of these things include speaking in tongues and performing miracles. The following are among some of the verses used by them to base their belief,
“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;”(Mark 16:17)
Many Christians believe that Luke who is supposed to be the author of both the Gospel According to Luke and Acts met Paul and travelled together with him. For example, A.T. Robertson says that Luke was a “constant companion of Paul from Philippi on the return to Jerusalem on the 3rd tour till the 2 years in Rome at the close of the Acts”. One of the most common proof texts used in this regard is Colossians 4:14. It mentions a certaing “beloved physician”. Firstly, was there only one physician in the entire geography? Their argument would make sense provided Luke were the only physician in his time. But was he? Surely there must have been other physicians as well. Further more, most scholars today question the attribution of Colossians to Paul. In fact, they now conclude that the epistle was not written by Paul. The issue whether it is Paul’s or not is hotly debated. Some scholars argue that it was written by Paul, but alongside other hands. Others say that it is the product of the Pauline school tradition. Which is it? The reason for all these divergent angles is because there is no solid evidence to substantiate its real origin. In other words, it is doubtful.
“Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say,”Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.”(1 Corinthians 12:3, NIV)
The above is from Paul of Tarsus saying that only those who have the Holy Spirit will be able to say,”Jesus is Lord”. The Greek word which is translated as “by” in the verse is “εν”(en) which is a preposition. It is the same word found in John 1:1,”en arche…” which is often rendered as “In the beginning”. It is then safe to say that in 1 Corinthians 12:3 the word “by” may also be rendered as “in”. The idea is that the ones who are in/by the Holy Spirit are the only ones who can say Jesus is Lord. With that said, let us proceed to the story of Paul’s journey to Damascus.
The Lord’s Prayer, also known as the Our Father or Pater noster, is probably the best-known prayer in Christianity. On Easter Sunday 2007 it was estimated that 2 billion Catholic, Protestant and Eastern Orthodox Christians read, recited, or sang the short prayer in hundreds of languages in houses of worship of all shapes and sizes. Yet, Christians do not understand the essence of this prayer as understanding it would result in a severe blow to the very root of Christianity. Christianity does not lay much emphasis on the forgiveness of God. They believe that since “the wages of sin is death” (often quoted out of context) therefore, God had to incarnate in this world and die for our sins, so that we could be reconciled with God. However, this concept of atonement is contrary to the teachings of Jesus (pbuh) himself.
It is often claimed by Christian missionaries that the Old Testament is completely preserved with little or no error at all. This is supposedly proven by the discovery of the so called Dead Sea Scrolls. However, within the texts of the old Testament themselves we find mention of books that are now all but lost. Could they have once been considered inspired, but no longer survive?
1. The Book of the Wars of the Lord(Sepher Milkhamot Adonai)
“Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the LORD, “Waheb in Suphah, And the wadis of the Arnon,” (Numbers 21:14)
There are quite a number of verses and passages throughout the New Testament that teach and propagate the absolute Oneness of God the Creator and Jesus’ subservience to Him as a servant and worshipper. We will not be scrutinising all those verses here. What we will do is focus on just one passage which to my understanding as I will prove in due course succinctly refutes the Trinity and shows Jesus’ admission to absolute numerical monotheism. Before we proceed it is noteworthy that Muslim apologists in general like to quote Mark 12:29 in particular whenever arguing for Jesus’ monotheistic belief, but, they almost never discuss the immediate verses that follow that would indeed strengthen their case further as we shall see. Let us begin by reading the text.
What does it mean to say that Jesus is the “Son of God”?
by Ibn Anwar
As John F. O’Grady in The Four Gospels and the Jesus Tradition observes Christians would think that when the title Son of God is applied to Jesus it connotes divinity. [1] That is to say Jesus is God because he is called the Son of God. The Catholic Encyclopedia claims under Son of God that when the title is used in the New Testament for Jesus it is applied “for expressing His Divinity”. These cannot be farther from the truth. In this article we shall see that Son of God is actually a title given to those who have a special, meritorious or superior connection/relationship to God as opposed to any other Tom, Dick or Harry. Nevertheless, many(not all) Christians might think that Son of God is a special and exclusive title designated to Jesus. They would be horribly wrong. Indeed, if it was used only for Jesus then the claim that it imparts the idea of divinity would hold some strength. Unfortunately, anyone who is familiar with the Bible(s) will know that it is one of the most common titles used. If Son of God truly connotes divinity then dozens of people in the Bible(s) would be Gods since they are called son/s of God.
Many avid Christians both professional and lay would have it that the books of the Bible and the four canonical Gospels namely, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are totally infallible and inerrant containing no errors or mistakes of any kind. This is quite a natural position to take for those fundamentalists who believe in Christianity as the truth and the only avenue that offers the way to salvation. They may naturally feel that questioning the validity of the texts that make up the primary sources of their religion undermines the credibility of the message found therein. Nevertheless, there are conservative, honest and candid Christian scholars who have meticulously studied the 5000 or so manuscripts that support the New Testament who are ready and willing to concede that it is beyond the realm of foolhardiness to claim that the books of the New Testament have never been changed. Indeed, to make such a claim is to commit intellectual suicide in the world of academia. In this article we shall explore the degree of reliability of the four canonical Gospels with respect to their authorship by looking at testimonies of the scholars on Christianity.
Christian missionaries often peddle the idea that the Gospels were written by eyewitnesses to Jesus’ ministry. Is there any truth to this claim? Let us see what the Christian scholars(and ex-Christians like Prof. Bart D. Ehrman who nevertheless remain experts in the field of textual criticism) have to say about this subject.
What’s the Oldest Surviving Text of the New Testament?
by Ibn Anwar
I recall numerous instances of facing Christian detractors who would attempt to undermine Islam by questioning the validity of the primary sources that support it. Specifically, they would question the Hadith. Their main assertion would be that the Hadith is unreliable since it was compiled 200 years after the fact(in reference to Sahih Bukhari). Though this is absolutely false I do not wish to delve into it here. In this article we shall discuss the Christian source material instead. As it happens, the Christians do not have any record or documents that date to the first century CE in support of their New Testament. Most of the documents that make up the New Testament are traced back to either the mid second century or later(many are later) e.g. Chester Beaty Papyrus 1(P45)[3rd Century], Chester Beaty Papyrus II(P46)[A.D.200], Chester Beaty Papyrus III(late 3rd century), Bodmer Papyrus II(P66)[A.D.200] and Bodmer Papyrus XIV-XV(P75)[early 3rd century). In fact, modern scholarship realise that the works attributed to Matthew, Mark, Luke etc. are in reality anonymous(Click here for further details). We have absolutely no idea who wrote them! One of the reasons for this absolute ambiguity and vagueness is due to the fact that NONE of the originals(if there were even any)survives. Scholars say that what they have now are copies of copies of copies of copies of copies made from purported originals. In reality this is nothing more than guess work. We have no idea if there were even originals to begin with since they do not exist anymore to substantiate the so called copies and there is absolutely no chain of transmission whatsoever so as to substantiate the authority of those who transmitted the words and messages down to the copyists(whoever they were). As mentioned, the books themselves are totally anonymous. Professor Bart D. Ehrman, the foremost textual critic notes,
The recording is of the most recent formal debate I had on Paltalk with a Christian. The topic was on the Trinity, did Jesus teach it? Insha’Allah, I will add a commentary on the debate when I can. The time allocated was very restricted, thus many of the points raised by the opponent could not be addressed during the debate. However, I did manage to deal with most of them during the Q & A session. Unfortunately, it was not recorded. So, insha’Allah I shall endeavour to respond to the unaddressed claims in the upcoming commentary. In the meantime I hope you will enjoy the debate.
Matthew 28:19 is not original and is an interpolation according to Biblical scholars
by Ibn Anwar
I’m sure many of you have come across avid Trinitarians who use this verse time and again to prove the Trinity. However, even if one were to accept the verse as true and authentic for the sake of argumet it does not in any way prove the Trinity doctrine. Mr. James Patrick Holding from tektonics.org in his response to Pastor A. Ploughman(who wrote on the issue)admits:
Christians would have it that their liege lord Paul of Tarsus was ever inspired and received direct revelation from Jesus Christ himself. This concept stems from the following verses(and many others):
“For I make known to you, brethren, as touching the Gospel which was preached by me, that it is not after man. For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but through revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 1:11-12)
“If any man thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things which I write unto you, that they are the commandment of the Lord.”(1 Corinthians 14:37)
And of course, the famous 2 Timothy 3:16:
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”
Ibn Anwar
ibnsaad
