reply to Ifrahim on Right Faith-Right Destination

Submitted by Keith Williams (United States), Feb 15, 2009 at 17:48

Hi Ifrahim,

I had a friend of mine who told me that if you are not a southern Baptist and don't believe in the King James version of the Bible that you are going to hell. I asked him what about the other Bibles and he said they are all false. I asked him what about the Jewish Bible and the writings that came before the King James Bible and what the King James Bible got it sources and he said they were all false. I asked him about the billions of people in the world as well as all those who came before there was a southern Baptist and the King James Bible even existed and he said they were all damned. Well, I gave up after that. Some people are too unreasonable to reason with and I found it was a waste of his and my time so I left him alone. I am glad that you are not like that. I have Jewish and Christian friends whom I talk amicably with about everything to include religion. We have our theological differences of which we agree to leave for God to judge. I gave that story because it is similar to our debate here. I am trying to show you that none of our religions has a monopoly on God. None. We have to resist the urge to be dogmatic about our own faith being true and all the rest are false. I pray that we can learn how to build the bridges to one another in order to love and respect each other and live with one another.

I hope that saying that Allah and YHWH are the same does not offend you. It is offensive to Muslims when you say the name that we use for God is a Pagan name. How would you feel if I said that the name you use for God is a pagan name because it was used by the pagans in europe long before they became Christians? I would not do such a thing but I just want you to realize that before you criticise others to look at your own words for signs of hypocrisy. By the way, the name Allah is not of pagan origin. In the King James Version of the Scofield study bible version 1909 it notes under Genesis 1:1, it states the following:

"Elohim, (sometimes El or Elah), English form "God," the first of the three primary names of Diety, is a uni-plural noun formed from El – strength; or the strong one, and Alah, to swear, to bind oneself by an oath, so implying faithfulness…"

Also please read what Elohim definition ("The same divine name is found in Arabic (ilah) and in Aramaic (elah).") is for yourself in the Jewish Encyclopedia. Here is a link my friend. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=52&letter=N&search=YHWH#164

Elohim is the first name of God to appear the Bible, in the first few words of Genesis;

"In the beginning God [Elohim] created the Heavens and the Earth" Genesis (1:1)

Also you said, "Mr. Williams, you have quoted the KNOWN names of the Creator from all the sources EXCEPT Quran. Does Quran mentions YHWH or YAHWEH or I AM."

I think you misunderstood my comments. Actually, I gave you several names (al-salaam, al ahad, al jabber, al quddus, al rahman, and al rahim) of the Creator from the Quran. This was my exact quotes:

>>for example in the Qur'an/TaNaKh(Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim)/English Bible we find the words describing God as: al-salaam/ El shalom (the God of peace), al ahad / El echad (the one God), al jabbar / El Gibbor (the mighty God). Al-Quddūs / El Hakkadosh. (Sometimes transliterated Hakadosh). (The Holy God) (Isa. 5:16). Kaddosh means sacred, holy, set apart, utterly unique and one of a kind, Al-rahman/El Rachum (the most compassionate God), al rahim / El malei Rachamim (the most merciful God) etc...<<

I gave you the names from the Quran with the equivalent names from the Jewish and Christian Bibles to show that we are talking about the same God in name and characteristics.

As for the YHWH being in the Quran. It is in the Quran. Y H W H means, "He who is self-existing, self-sufficient', or, more concretely,'He who lives'" the abstract conception of pure existence being foreign to Hebrew thought. There is no doubt that the idea of life was intimately connected with the name Yhwh from early times. He is the living God, as contrasted with the lifeless gods of the heathen, and He is the source and author of life." http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=52&letter=N&search=YHWH#164 The essence of Y H W H permeates throughout the Quran especially in some verses in Quran like Q2:255 Ayat-ul-Qursi (The Verse of the Throne).

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

Ayat al-Kursi

Allahu la ilaha illa huwa Al -Hayyul-Qayyum
La ta'khudhuhu sinatun wa la nawm
lahu ma fi as-samawati wa ma fil-'ard
Man dhal-ladhi yashfa'u 'indahu illa bi-idhnihi
Ya'lamu ma bayna aydihim wa ma khalfahum
wa la yuhituna bi shai'in min 'ilmihi illa bima sha'a
Wasi'a kursiyuhus-samawati wal ard
wa la ya'uduhu hifdhuhuma wa Hu wal 'Aliyul-Adheem

Allah! There is no god but He - the Living, The Self-subsisting, Eternal.
No slumber can seize Him Nor Sleep.
His are all things In the heavens and on earth.
Who is there can intercede In His presence except As he permitteth?
He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures As) Before or After or Behind them.
Nor shall they compass Aught of his knowledge Except as He willeth.
His throne doth extend Over the heavens And on earth, and He feeleth No fatigue in guarding And preserving them, For He is the Most High. The Supreme (in glory). Al-Baqarah 2: 255

The believer who recites it following an obligatory salah is under the Care and Protection of Allah until the commencement of the next prayer. "Al-Hayyul-Qayyum" – The Living, Self-Subsisting is the essence of who Allah is and permeates throughout the Quran. I think this verse sums up the essence of what Y H W H means, "He who is self-existing, self-sufficient', or, more concretely,'He who lives'". http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=52&letter=N&search=YHWH#164

As for the rituals in Islam, they were originally the rituals dedicated to the one God but as time went by people fell into idolatry and were performing the sacred worship rituals for idols. Muhammad (PBUH) cleansed the house of God in Makka and rededicated the rituals to the one God, Allah. One should not criticize another without first looking at your own rituals and ceremonies. For example, lets look to the europeans, Greeks, Romans, etc... during their conversion to Christianity they kept the same rituals they were doing before but also of note discarded some from the old testament that were foreign to them and hard for them do grasp or do. This is fine but to criticise another faith on that point would be hypocritical. For example, Jesus and his 12 were Jews and performed the Jewish worship and rituals but the Christians of today do not based on Paul who was not a disciple of Jesus. I pray that people would not be hypocritical of Islam. I accept and respect your faith and rituals except the Trinitarian theology and rituals.

Finally, for your last comment about other names used for God from Hindu you wrote: " (now you have included Bhagvan, Krishna also in contradiction to waht your Quran says about them).." I disagree with you because in Qur'an all people who believe in God, his prophets, angels, messengers, and do what is good and believe in the last day will enter paradise. In the Quran all of mankind has received divine revelations through their prophets. Since all mankind have different languages then the names of God will be different in every language.

Say: "Call upon Allah, or call upon Rahman: by whatever name ye call upon Him, (it is well): for to Him belong the Most beautiful names. Neither speak thy Prayer aloud, nor speak it in a low tone, but seek a middle course between." – [Quran 17:110]

Thanks again for responding and I am glad to learn from you and I hope I have given some wisdom as well.

peace

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