cartoon jihad, Muhammad "the perfect man," and where sure and certain salvation is to be found

Submitted by Lactantius Jr (United Kingdom), Dec 30, 2010 at 20:35

The Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published 12 cartoons on 30^th.September 2005, most of them depicting Muhammad the prophet of Islam, and this led some of the cartoons being published in newspapers in more than 50 other countries, leading to violence across the Muslim world, with at least 139 deaths resulting, and the setting fire of the Danish Embassies in Syria, Lebanon and Iran. Saudia Arabia, Kuwait and other Middle East countries boycotted Danish goods, with Danish exports to the Middle East slumping by 15.5%, but what triggered this explosion of violent protest and death, a full four months after the cartoons were published by Jyllands-Posten?

A group of Danish imams, the most prominent and vitreolic being Ahmed Abu Laban, were determined to "Internationalise Islamic protest," Abu Laban saying, "We want to internationalize this issue so that the Danish government would realize that the cartoons were not only insulting to Muslims in Denmark but also to Muslims worldwide,"

http://tinyurl.com/2uk2fph

The Danish imams toured the Middle East with a document of 43 pages containing 3 images which had no connection with Denmark or Jyllands-Posten, one portraying a dog sodomising a "praying" Muslim, one purporting to be Muhammad with a pig face (actually a picture of a French competitor in a pig-squealing competition in the Trie-sur-Baise's annual festival 15^th.August 2005, and one portraying Muhammad as a demonic paederast). The dossier was circulated throughout the Muslim world, to many influential Islamic and political leaders.

Some of the Jyllands-Posten cartoons were published by the Egyptian newspaper Al fagr on 17^th.October 2005 (14 Ramadan 1425AH), that's right, during Ramadan, and guess what, not a single Egyptian Muslim stormed Al fagr's offices to burn it down or murder its editor and journalists, with not a single Egyptian embassy being torched in neighbouring countries.

Al fagr's publication of the cartoons being documented at,

http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/775

http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/792

http://tinyurl.com/cj9eh

http://tinyurl.com/32pndgt

Whilst Abu Laban and his fellow imams certainly succeeded in "internationalising the issue," their lying brought no credit to Islam, and helped inflame the cartoon jihad leading to many deaths.

As for the idea taking hold over the centuries that Muhammad was a perfect man, Muhammad himself knew he wasn't a perfect man, being well aware that his human failings and sinfullness were fully intact, the Qur'an at Surah 93:7 referring to him as "wandering in error" or "erring" and painful as it may be for Muslims to acknowledge, Muhmmad was a sinner and knew he was, knowing the depth and seriousness of his sin, a man who in the night's stillness, far from the crowd and alone with the thoughts of his heart, confesses the truth he knows about himself in his heart,

"Oh Allah, I acknowledge and confess before You, all my sins, please forgive them, as no one can forgive sins except you. Forgive my mistakes, those done intentionally, or out of my ignorance, with or without seriousness. Oh Allah, forgive my sins and my ignorance, forgive my sins of the past and of the future, which I did openly or secretly. Forgive the wrong I have done, jokingly or seriously. I seek your protection from all the evil I have done. Wash away my sins, and cleanse my heart, from all the sins as a white garment is cleansed from the filth, and let there be long distance between me and my sins, as you made the East and West far from each other."

That prayer expressed a heart which understood the depth of sin in its soul. It acknowledges a nature within that is bent towards sin. And it reflects the desire to cleanse that depth of sin. We hear in that prayer, a man's struggle with sin. He asks forgiveness for his past and future sins, because he knows that as a normal man, he is going to sin. It is inevitable. He asks for forgiveness for things he has done intentionally, and unintentionally. He asks forgiveness for mistakes and sins, those done intentionally or unintentionally. He knows that the sins he committed are "evil", and confesses that to Allah. He does not make light of his sins. The sins he committed are "filth" in Allah's eyes.

That prayer was prayed by Muhammad. It is a synthesis of his personal prayers found in Sahih Bukhari Volume 8: #s 335, 379, 407, and 408, Muhammad knew clearly he was a sinner; thus he makes his confession public. Over and over again he stated he was a sinner. The Qur'an he spoke identifies him as a sinner. Surah's 40:55, 48:2, and 47:19:

"Therefore have patience; Allah's promise is surely true. Implore forgiveness for your sins, and celebrate the praise of your Lord evening and morning." Surah 40:55

"... so that Allah may forgive you your past and future sins, and perfect His goodness to you; ..." Surah 48:2

"So know (O Muhammad) that there is no Allah save Allah, and ask forgiveness for thy sin and for believing men and believing women. Allah knoweth (both) your place of turmoil and your place of rest." Surah 47:19

The Qur'anic word used in these verses for sin is "dhanb", or "thanb", depending on how one transliterates the word. It is used many times in the Quran. The Hughes Encyclopedic Dictionary of Islam defines the word as "a sin or a crime, or the charge of such".

Clearly, the Quran identifies Muhammad as a sinner. It is definitely applied to Muhammad. "Dhanb" is translated as sin, crime, & fault. How does Allah deal with people who have committed dhanb? Allah - Obliterates them, Destroyed them, puts them in hellfire, gives them a grievous penalty, calls them to account, hits them with a violent tornado, hits them with a mighty blast, has the earth swallow them up, drowns them in water, punishes them and puts them in the agony of fire.

Allah does all this to people who commit "dhanb". Does this sound like something Allah passes over as a minor "stumbling", "mistake", or "act of forgetfulness"?

Of course not! It sounds like Allah is severely punishing people for their "dhanb". It sounds like Allah is really serious about it.
Don't you agree ? And remember, Muhammad committed "dhanb". Muhammad was told to ask forgiveness for his "dhanb". And Muhammad taught in the Qur'an that forgiveness of "dhanb" was required to get into Paradise. Otherwise, a person with unforgiven "dhanb" ends up in hell.

Compare and contrast Muhammad the spotted sinner, with the spotless Lord Jesus Christ, Who was without sin of any kind. It is a simple matter to prove from the Qur'an and the Bible, that the Lord Jesus Christ was absolutely without sin through out His life. When the angel appeared to Mary, the Qur'an says that he told her "I am only a messenger of thy Lord that I may bestow on thee a faultless son" Surah 19.19 The Arabic word for "faultless", zakiyya, implies that he was totally without sin.

In the Bible there are numerous proofs of the sinlessness of Jesus Christ. Passages proving the point are,

"For our sake he made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5. 21

"This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet He did not sin." Hebrews 4:15

"You know that He appeared to take away sins, and in in Him there is no sin." 1 John 3:5

"He committed no sin, no guile was found on His lips." 1 Peter 2:22

The Lord Jesus Christ was never commanded to pray for forgiveness because He was faultless. We also never find Him, praying for any faults, wrongs and sins such as the Qur'an attributes in the verses quoted to Muhammad. He never wronged His soul, nor was He blameworthy. Instead the Qur'an emphasizes that he was entirely without sin and was faultless. We can therefore conclude by saying that the Qur'an teaches that of all men, the Lord Jesus Christ alone was sinless. Why should this be?

The Bible teaches that "the wages of sin is death.............." Romans 6:23 but the Lord Jesus Christ, being completely sinless, although dying on the Cross, didn't stay dead, absolutely fittingly for a sinless Saviour "Who came into the world to save sinners" 1 Timothy 1:15 He "has done death to death," being resurrected to eternal life, because the grave couldn't hold Him, and death couldn't handle Him.

The Bible and the Qur'an both agree, that only Jesus was absolutely sinless, making Him unique amongst men, and uniquely qualified to be the sinners all-sufficient Saviour.

Here is what the New Testament says about human beings' massive problem with sin, and tells us the only way out of it:-

"For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard." Romans 3:23

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."Romans 6:23

"If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness."1 John 1:8-9

We're all in the same sinking boat Muhammad was in, we're sinners and we need a Saviour, and His Name is Jesus Christ, who is:-

"Able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through Him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf." Hebrews 7:25

We're not worth it, we don't deserve it, and we can't earn it, as the Bible says, it's a free gift from the God Who loves us so much, He sent our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to pay the price to put us right with God, for anyone who will accept the gift, do we want it ? because:-

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."Acts 4:12

He's our only hope, a sure and certain hope, just take God at His Word, that:-

"Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved." Acts 2:21

These are all plain, plain words, do we want this sure and certain hope of Salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ? what's holding us back from the God Who says:-

"At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you. Indeed, the 'right time' is now. Today is the day of salvation."2 Corinthians 6:2

Please take the hand of the God Who "doesn't want anyone to perish" 2 Peter 3:9 and secure your eternal destiny right now.

With kind regards and very best wishes

Lactantius Jr.

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