Lactantius Jr

Submitted by Sohail (United Kingdom), Dec 29, 2006 at 18:01

"He it is Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad) with guidance and the religion of truth (Islamic monotheism) to make it victorious over all (other) religions even though the Mushrikûn (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah and His Messenger Muhammad) hate (it)." Surah 61:9

"He it is Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad) with guidance and the religion of truth (Islam), that He may make it (Islam) superior to all religions. And All-Sufficient is Allah as a Witness." Surah 48:28

"It is He Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad) with guidance and the religion of truth, to make it superior over all religions, though the Mushrikûn (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) hate (it)." Surah 9:33

Did Muhammad make it victorious over all the Christians in the world; did he make it victorious over all the pagans and Jews in the world? No! He only made it victorious over the Pagans, Christians and Jews in Arabia.

"Fight [q-t-l] against those who (1) believe not in Allah, (2) nor in the Last Day, (3) nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad), (4) and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth (i.e. Islam) among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued." Surah 9:29 (Hilali and Khan, parenthetical notes are theirs)

This infamous verse uses the verb qatala in its imperative form. The basic meaning of the root q-t-l signifies fighting, killing, warring and slaughtering, so Muhammad endorses violence. This verse also outlines four conditions for fighting, but carefully note the fourth one. Muslims are commanded to fight against the Jews and Christians who do not acknowledge "the religion of truth," Islam. The Christians and Jews must submit after battle, or avoid battle by paying a special "protection" tax for the "privilege" of living under Islam,

In a nutshell, the teaching of the Qur'an is this: if you are a Jew or a Christian you are allowed to remain in your religion, but you must submit to the rule of Islam and you must pay with humiliation an exorbitant tax called Jizya to Muslims. This limited allowance to practice a religion besides Islam does not apply to everyone--only Jews and Christians. All others must become Muslims or be killed.

If you were to read verse 9:28 you would get a better understanding of it:

O ye who believe! Truly the Pagans are unclean; so let them not, after this year of theirs, approach the Sacred Mosque. And if ye fear poverty, soon will Allah enrich you, if He wills, out of His bounty, for Allah is All-knowing, All-wise. Noble Quran 9:28

See those verses were send in a specific time and place.

You say "The Qu'ran states that any man of any religion may attain salvation, if his heart is pure" which sounds just fine and dandy, but the only assurance or guarantee a Muslim can have of being admitted to al-Jannah (Islamic ‘heaven'), is by killing and being killed in Allah's service, that is by becoming a shahid ("martyr"),

with Surahs 61:10-12, 4:74, and 9:111 guaranteeing shahids entry to al-janna in an economic bargain. Indeed, these three references explicitly use words that connote buying and selling and signing a contract of sale, and the currency behind the deals is death by "martyrdom." Horrid isn't it?

Let's see what Allah means by fighting in his cause:

Let those fight in the cause of Allah Who sell the life of this world for the hereafter. To him who fighteth in the cause of Allah,- whether he is slain or gets victory - Soon shall We give him a reward of great (value). And why should ye not fight in the cause of Allah and of those who, being weak, are ill-treated (and oppressed)?- Men, women, and children, whose cry is: "Our Lord! Rescue us from this town, whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from thee one who will protect; and raise for us from thee one who will help!" 4:74-75

Allah only says to fight in his cause when people are being oppressed not to spread Islam. You can't force people to believe:

If it had been thy Lord's will, they would all have believed,- all who are on earth! wilt thou then compel mankind, against their will, to believe! No soul can believe, except by the will of Allah, and He will place doubt (or obscurity) on those who will not understand. Noble Quran 10:99-100

You say:-"The lookalike that was cruxified (sic) shall attain the ultimate salvation, according to Islamic theology." Please explain this, and source your explanation.

Truth matters doesn't it? and it matters absolutely. The following quotations from Bible and Qur'an being mutually exclusive.

"And they crucified Him, and parted His garments, casting lots; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet"

Matthew 27:35

"They killed him not, nor crucified him"

Surah 4:157

"This is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased"

Matthew 3:17, 17:5

"No son did Allah beget"

Surah 23:91

Doesn't the Gospel of Peter say that it looked like Jesus was crucified?

Islam gives massive and eloquent testimony to the whole Bible, Old and New Testaments, as the unaltered, unalterable word of Allah, saying it is his unchanged, unchangeable word, the Qur'an saying the words of Allah are unalterable:-

"there is none that can alter the words and decrees of Allah" Surah 6:34

and:-

"----------none can change his words-----------" Surah 18:27

see also:- Surah's 6:115, 10:64 and 50:29

The Qur'an repeatedly says that it confirms the previous Scriptures, for example Surah 3:3 says that Allah:-

"-----------sent down to thee (step by step), in truth, the Book, confirming what went before it; and He sent down the Torah and the Gospels."

Typical of every mention of the Torah and Gospels Sameer, there is no word about textual corruption. Surah's 2:97, 2:285; 3:3,7,23,48,65,84,93,184,199; 4:44,47,51,136,162-164 5:15,46,68-69; 6:91&92,154; 10:37; 11:17; 16:43; 17:2; 20:133; 21:7; 23:49; 26:196; 32:23; 35:31; 41:45; 46:10-12; 54:43; 57:25&27; and 87:18-19 all confirm, rather than repudiate or "complete" the Torah and Gospels, with the texts often being referred to as "inspired."

The Noble Quran came to confirm Truth that exists in the Manuscripts in the different canons and to filter out Truth from falsehood in them. Allah Almighty never claimed that the bible is fully and 100% Divine. Islam is a witness on the Bible. It filters out the truth from falsehood and corruption in the Bible. The Noble Quran only recognizes the Bible as a HISTORY BOOK with errors and man's alteration in it. Anything that agrees 100% with Islam is valid, and anything else that has even the slightest disagreement with Islam is discarded:

"Those who follow the apostle, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (scriptures),- in the law and the Gospel;- for he commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil; he allows them as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure); He releases them from their heavy burdens and from the yokes that are upon them. So it is those who believe in him, honour him, help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him,- it is they who will prosper. (The Noble Quran, 7:157)"

"It is He Who sent down to thee (step by step), in truth, the Book, confirming what went before it; and He sent down the Law (of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus) before this, as a guide to mankind, and He sent down the criterion (of judgment be tween right and wrong). (The Noble Quran, 3:3)"

"To thee We sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it, and guarding it in safety: so judge between them by what God hath revealed, and follow not their vain desires, diverging from the Truth that hath come to thee. To each among you have we prescribed a law and an open way. If God had so willed, He would have made you a single people, but (His plan is) to test you in what He hath given you: so strive as in a race in all virtues. The goal of you all is to God; it is He that will show you the truth of the matters in which ye dispute; (The Noble Quran, 5:48)"

"That which We have revealed to thee of the Book is the Truth,- confirming what was (revealed) before it: for God is assuredly- with respect to His Servants - well acquainted and Fully Observant. (The Noble Quran, 35:31)"

That is why we Muslims believe in only the parts of the Bible that agree with the Noble Quran. The parts that contradict the Noble Quran are not the Truth:

"That they rejected Faith; That they uttered against Mary A grave false charge; That they said (in boast): 'We killed Christ Jesus The son of Mary, The Messenger of Allah.' But they killed him not, Nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjunction to follow, for of a surety they killed him not. Nay, Allah raised him up Unto Himself; and Allah Is Exalted in Power, Wise. And there is none of the people of the book (Jews and Christians) But must believe in him (Jesus) Before his death; And on the Day of Judgment He (Jesus) will be a witness Against them. (The Noble Quran, 4:156-159)"

"Know they not Allah Knoweth what they conceal and what they reveal? And there are among them illiterates, who know not the Book (i.e., the Bible), but (see therein their own) desires, and they do nothing but conjecture. Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, and then say: 'This is from Allah,' To traffic with it for a miserable price! Woe to them for what their hands do write, and for the gain they make thereby. (The Noble Quran, 2:77-78)"

"O Apostle! let not those grieve thee, who race each other into unbelief: (whether it be) among those who say "We believe" with their lips but whose hearts have no faith; or it be among the Jews,- men who will listen to any lie,- will listen even to others who have never so much as come to thee. They change the words from their (right) times and places: they say, 'If ye are given this, take it, but if not, beware!' If any one's trial is intended by God, thou hast no authority in the least for him against God. For such - it is not God's will to purify their hearts. For them there is disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter a heavy punishment. (The Noble Quran, 5:41)"

Sohail

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