"Who will you follow?"

Submitted by Lactantius Jr. (United Kingdom), May 4, 2007 at 08:18

To Bob

I write as a deeply committed follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, He is my paradigm, my exemplar, my teacher, and I quote His teaching, which provides a sharp contrast with Muhammad's words to "one of his underlings."

"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Matthew 5:27-28

Thus, Muhammad and his teachings come under the condemnation of the plain commandments of God's true Word, and had Muhammad instructed his followers to discipline their thought life, and not to lust after other women in the first place, things might have been very different, but as it is, both Allah and his messenger, viewed women as little more than chattel which could be used, abused, raped and sold by Muslim men, and in my previous postings, have quoted URL's which fully document the massive difference between Christian and Islamic teaching about the sexual mistreatment of women.

You refer to Muhammad's "evangelization by the sword," something that many present-day Muslims seek to deny, and they succeed in fooling those who know nothing about the reality of how early Islam spread, which, in a nutshell, is that shortly after Muhammad's death in AD 632, the warriors of Islam struck out with enormous energy and violence against the Christians. They were extremely successful. Palestine, Syria, and Egypt—once the most populous Christian areas in the world, quickly succumbed. By the eighth century AD, Muslim armies had conquered all of Christian North Africa and Spain. In the eleventh century, the Seljuk Turks conquered Asia Minor (modern Turkey), which had been Christian since the time of St. Paul. The old Roman Empire, known to modern historians as the Byzantine Empire, was reduced to little more than Greece. In desperation, the emperor in Constantinople sent word to the Christians of Western Europe asking them to aid their brothers and sisters in the East.

That is what gave birth to the Christian counter Crusades. They were not the brainchild of an ambitious pope or rapacious knights, but a response to more than four centuries of violent conquests, in which Muslims had already captured two-thirds of the old Christian world. At some point, Christianity as a faith and a culture had to defend itself, or be subsumed by Islam. The Christian counter Crusades were that defence, and it is a plain fact of recorded history, that the Christian counter-Crusades began, at the very end of the 11^th.century in AD 1095, more than 450 years after the death of Muhammad, and following 450 years of violent jihad .

Not all Muslims seek to deny that early Islam spread by the sword, and a refreshing change from the usual mendacity and duplicity, is the article by Abu Haithem Al-Hijazee titled

"Was Islam Really Spread By The Sword?" at:-

http://www.jihadunspun.com/intheatre_internal.php?article=107152&list=/home.php

in which Al-Hijazee says with refreshing honesty, "Was Islam spread by the sword? The quick answer to this question is a resounding yes, and in this article, we hope to set the record straight, using the evidence from the Qur'an and the Sunnah, the practice of the Guided Caliphs and the consensus of the righteous scholars of the Ummah, inshaAllah. While the evidences in this article are by no means exhaustive, inshaAllah they will be adequate to lay this matter to rest."

In saying, "Mohammed was not all bad, he vigorously opposed the pagan Arab tradition of murdering unwanted female infants," you prompt me to go to the very heart of Muhammad's problem, and of our problem. He was, and we are, sinners who need a Saviour, and His Name is Jesus Christ, and whilst there is no evidence that Muhammad ever heard the Gospel, I have, and will continue to preach the Gospel of Grace, leaving those who read my postings, without excuse.

Believing the Bible to be all-sufficient in matters of belief, doctrine and conduct, I quote it extensively, and the Scriptures I quote can be read online, using the online Bible resource at http://www.biblegateway.com/

The Bible says that "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."Romans 3:23

and that "The wages of sin are death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23

referring to Jesus Christ as "The Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world." John 1:29

saying of Him, "This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.' " 1 Timothy 1:15

and saying, "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

The Bible thus clearly describes our massive problem, and God's solution to it, in and through the Lord Jesus Christ, Who didn't say, "Follow this set of rules," or "Follow this religion," saying instead, "Follow Me."

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.' " John 8:12

and what of Muhammad, what did he say? who did he say we should follow?

Here is what the Qur'an says about Muhammad:-

"Ye have indeed in the Apostle of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for any one whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the Praise of Allah."

Surah 33:21 (Abdullah Yusuf Ali)

"And verily, you (O Muhammad SAW) are on an exalted standard of character."

Surah 68:4 (Hilali-Khan)

And here is what Muhammad says about Muhammad, speaking the following words during his last sermon on 7^th.March 632AD in Mecca:-

"I am leaving you with the Book of Allah (the QUR'AN), and my SUNNAH (the life style and the behavioural mode of the Prophet), if you follow them you will never go astray."

Does the Qur'an give any help in deciding who is the best role-model? Yes it does, presenting the Lord Jesus Christ as absolutely pure and spotless, but presenting Muhammad as a spotted 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 47:19The 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 Bob? 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.

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 to Muhammad in the verses quoted. 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.

Compare and contrast Him with the man who in the night's stillness, far from the crowd and alone with the thoughts of his heart, prays confessing the truth he knows within his soul:

"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'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".

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.

Thus the Bible and the Qur'an agree that the Lord Jesus Christ was without sin, and I have quoted the numerous Biblical proofs of the sinlessness of Jesus Christ.

Muhammad the spotted sinner freely admits he didn't know what Allah would do with him, and I quote several different English renderings of Surah 46:9 to prove the point:-

"Say: ‘I am no bringer of new-fangled doctrine among the apostles, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I follow but that which is revealed to me by inspiration; I am but a Warner open and clear.'"

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"Say (O Muhammad SAW):‘I am not a new thing among the Messengers (of Allah) (i.e. I am not the first Messenger) nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I only follow that which is revealed to me, and I am but a plain warner.'"

Hilali-Khan

"Say, ‘I am not different from other messengers. I have no idea what will happen to me or to you. I only follow what is revealed to me. I am no more than a profound warner.'"

Khalifa

Qul ma kuntu bidAAan mina alrrusuli wama adree ma yufAAalu bee wala bikum in attabiAAu illa ma yooha ilayya wama ana illa natheerun mubeenun

transliterated Arabic

Sahi Bukhari recording Muhammad's words as follows:-

"The prophet said, ‘By Allah, even though I am the Apostle of Allah, yet I do not know what Allah will do to me.'"

Sahi Bukhari volume 5 No 266.

Who will you follow, the Lord Jesus Christ, the spotless, sinless Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world, and Who is "able to save to the uttermost (and from the guttermost!!) all those who come to God through Him." Hebrews 7:25 or Muhammad, the spotted sinner, who didn't know what Allah would do with him?

No ifs, no buts, no maybes, no if I'm good enough or if do enough good works, just take the Lord Jesus at His Word.

Halleluia, what a Saviour!!

With kind regards and best wishes

Lactantius Jr.

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".