We are Praying for Muslims

[GR (Guest)]

Many Christians around the world are praying for Muslims. We pray that peaceful Muslims will be spared needless retribution.

But specifically we pray for an advance of the gospel among all Muslims. We pray that they will come under the Lordship of Jesus, who himself said that "I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the Father but by me." As was witnessed by His friends and followers, he wants all to come unto him. He is a prophet, as you believe, trust on his words. He is no liar. His followers were not stupid, nor did they corrupt his words.`

We pray that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will bestoy new hearts that turn toward Him in repentance through Jesus. We pray for new hearts for those Islam persecutes in the Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and East Timor. And now America. We pray that those who are under the heal of Islam will love their persecutors in Christ and will lead them to be under his lordship in love.

The only hope for peace was born in the Middle East. Love and blessings to you all.

[concerned (Guest)]

So you want to bomb and from ashes convert Muslims? No mate you don't convince anyone. Jesus was a man not god! The simplest Muslim knows that so don't have this false hope.

concerned

[GR (Guest)]

>So you want to bomb and
>from ashes convert Muslims?

I do not wish to bomb anyone. I do not have the power to convert anyone's heart. But God does.

>No
>mate you don't convince anyone.
>Jesus was a man not
>god!

You are correct. Jesus was a man. However, Jesus was also God in the flesh. Both God and man. But I guess you knew I believed that.

>The simplest Muslim knows
>that so don't have this
>false hope.

To all simple Muslims: the people who knew Jesus saw him with their own eyes and touch and ears after Jesus was crucified. The simplest historian would verify this. These eyewitnesses died proclaiming his lordship and his grace, mercy and love. This is historically verifyable. This was the message from the very beginning. This can be cooberated apart from the New Testament Scriptures. His followers had no reason to lie. They died, showing they were sincere. There is no reasonable explanation to explain these appearances nor his death, which history amply records apart from the New Testament record. He died to provide a way of escape from the coming wrath. If God is holy, He will not let sins go unpunished. Good deeds won't outweigh your sins. Putting flowers on top of manure will not be acceptable to God. Without an atonement, God's wrath will be unmitigatingly harsh. But He loves people. And will pass over your transgressions if you turn to Him in faith. He calls on all men everywhere to turn to Him.

>>>
I have no false hope. I hope in he who died and is alive evermore. He who can change people's hearts so they do not hate their enemy. I am living proof. Muslims have killed my spiritual brothers all over the world, even in my own country. Yet will I love them and proclaim God's love and message to them. If I did not love the Muslims, I would just shut up. Which you may want :), but my conscience is bound to my Lord to love you.

[Concerned (Guest)]

(Sorry this post is long)

'GR' Perhaps it would help you in your quest, if you were to gain a better understanding of Islam. Your assertion that all Jesus' disciples considered him to be the Lord is widely held, but not entirely accurate. Their was considerable disagreement about the trinity and preaching to non-Jews, which was vehemently contested at the Council of Nicea. It was Paul, the one that opposed Jesus while he walked the Earth, who then became a key figure in the Christain movement after Jesus departed, that prevailed at Nicea over the disciples that lived with Jesus.

I'm glad that you live up to the Christian ideal of loving the sinner and hating the sin. Muslims have a simmilar belief that all of creation should be respected and cared for with love, because we are all from the same Creator, to whom we will return.

According to Islam, the simmilarities between the world's religions are not coincidence: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ismail, Jacob, Moses, David, Jesus, Muhammad (the last messenger) (Peace Be Upon Them) and many others are among prophets of God. All the Prophets were sent with the message of Islam. But, over time their message was changed and distorted. God swore to protect the words in the Quran. Though it was revealed over 1400 years ago through the prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), it has not changed.

All the prophets were informed that the name of the One and Only God is Allah, a word without gender or plural, just as God is One and has no gender. (The pro-noun 'He' is used to connote Allah, in English-translations because the closest approximation to an all-powerful genderless one is Stephen King’s "It", which has inappropriate negative connotations) It is interesting to note that Allah is the personal name of God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus and a sister language of Arabic. Aramaic, a predecessor and contemporary of Hebrew, was also a major contributor to Greek which in turn contributed heavily to Latin, which is why today Alleluia sounds suspiciously like Allah-leu-yah. Early Jews, Christians and Muslims used the same word for God because there is only ONE GOD. We are told in the Quran to "say 'We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you; our God and your God is One" (Quran 29:46)

In the case of Christianity, Muslims believe that some of the early followers of Jesus (peace be upon him) under the pressure of unbearable persecution, altered the True religion he preached to make it more acceptable to the Romans and pagans they preached to. Muslims do not believe that Jesus (peace be upon him) ever established a church hierarchy and that those who established it, wished to mirror the government of the Roman empire. The original Bible was the word of God, but that parts of the Bible were changed. See: http://www.angelfire.com/fl/religions/jesus.html it's a table of simmilar quotes from the Bible and Quran concerning Jesus (peace be upon him) {the selective quotes follow a theme simmilar to Unitarian interpretations of the Bible, I recognize that there are other interpretations, including the view that only those in positions of authority at the Vatican should be interpreting Biblical verses, but I offer this as one view on the matter}

Just to clarify, the most basic Muslim beliefs are: There is one all knowing, all powerful God, Allah closer to us than the beating of our own heart and with more love for us than a mother for her child. As custodians of Creation, en-trusted with free-will and the ability to reason, we are accountable for what we control, our intentions, deeds and ommissions. We must humbly seek Truth and Justice in all that we do, opposing tyranny, giving what Allah has provided for the less fortunate, because all life is sacred and all creations, deserving of mercy, kindness, generosity and understanding. We must remember that no heart with an ounce of arrogant pride will enter Paradise and that no-one is a believer until they love for their fellow humans what they love for themselves. "Let there be no compulsion in religion" (Quran 2:256), and treat all faiths with respect because they all originated with Allah. Every gender, race, and person is equal in the sight of Allah and we are distinguished only by our virtue. Humility, kindness, self-control, honesty, and patience, are repeatedly emphasized in the Quran. The prophet (peace be upon him) said: "My Sustainer has given me 8 commands: to remain conscious of God, whether in private or in public; to speak justly, whether angry or pleased; to show moderation both when poor and when rich; to reunite friendship with those who have broken off with me; to give to him who refuses me; that my silence should be occupied with thought; that my looking should be an admonition (to myself); and that I should command what is right" We must live in balance, with the realities of the present, guided by the principles of the divine, based in the Hereafter.

Allah realizes we have human frailities, that we do not always glide smoothly along the straight path, instead we often stumble and trip. Life is a struggle not towards the attainment of perfect faith, but the maintenance of perfect faith. Allah is all forgiving , all merciful. Allah runs 70 steps towards us for every step we walk towards the straight path. It's never too late to repent or atone, it's never too late to make things right if you're sincere and do not knowingly persist in sin. Simmilarly we have been told to forgive, to make 70 excuses for another before we suspect them of anything and then to forgive them.

We should follow the example of Muhammad (peace be upon him) by being more tolerant, patient and loving towards all creation. We should advise, not argue, offering counsel, not complaint, listening more and not blaming anyone(blaming is judgemental, Allah is the judge and we should not try to supercede Him, with our own judgement). For 13 years in pre-Islamic Mecca, Muhammad (peace be upon him) patiently and peacefully voiced his opposition while enduring persecution, torture, boycotts, the murder of his companions, repeated attepts on his life and non-stop public humiliation. During those 13 years Muhammad (peace be upon him) would kindly greet and give gifts to his neighbor, who everyday laid thorns in his path, threw garbage on him, poured camel dung on him while he prayed at the Kabba and insulted him loudly in public. Muhammad (peace be upon him) was known as 'Al-Amin' or the truthfull one, even among his enemies. When the Jewish tribes of Medina had a dispute, it was Muhammad (peace be upon him) that they called upon to arbitrate for them. When Muhammad (peace be upon him) tried to lead his people to safety away from the persecution in pre-Islamic Mecca, the Meccans appropriated all the Muslims' possesions and sent their army and dogs to kill them. When this did not work, the Meccans formed coalitions with neighboring cities to attack and destroy the Muslim camps. When a non-Muslim urinated in the corner of the his Mosque, Muhammad (peace be upon him) stopped his companions from treating him roughly and gently and privately explained to the errant urinator that he was in a holy place and that there were other more appropriate locations for urination. When his companions were mis-guided about sonmething or argued with him, he never raised his voice, but rather he took them aside and explained calmly the reasons for their mistake. When Muhammad (peace be upon him) conquered Mecca, the city of his birth, that had tortured him, killed his people, stolen all the Muslims' possesions and repeatedly attepted to kill him, he forgave everyone in the city, lowered the taxes due and ordered that no one was to be harmed and no loot was to be taken (he did this, at a time when it was standard practice for conquering armies to kill all those that opposed them and plunder the riches of the population)

The fundamental message of Islam was one of pursuing knowledge. It was Jahiliya or Ignorance that Islam saught to end. The pursuit of knowledge is a never ending journey and life long learning is a responsibility upon every Muslim. It's not a coincidence that the first word revealed to the prophet Muhammad ( peace be upon him ) was "read". Ilm or knowledge is praised in over 300 verses in the Quran and is the second most common word in the Quran, after Allah. The prophet ( peace be upon him) said "Seeking knowledge is a (religious) duty on every Muslim" and advised his companions to seek knowldege wherever it may be. We are called upon to seek truth even if we have to travel to the farthest reaches of the Earth. Never stop learning, thinking, questioning. Every experience, good or bad, has a purpose. Every person has something to teach. Knoweldege doesn't just come from books, it comes from experience and perhaps most importantly, it comes from respecting the experience of others. Islam is an Arabic word, whose roots Silm and Salam, mean peace, purity, acceptance and commitment. Islam was not named after a person, group or place. Islam was named for an idea, the idea that Mankind through understanding their position in the grand scheme of things, may find Peace with themselves, their Creator, other people and the environment. Knowledge is not about filling an empty bucket, it's about lighting a fire, that burns with the Truth of an idea who's time has come, who's flame brings every soul from darkness into light, clarity and Truth.

Ideas are precious. An idea is the only lever which moves the world -Arthur F. Corey

One's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions -Oliver Wedell Holmes

I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason and intellect has intended us to forgo their use -Galileo Galilei

Islam specifically asks that we NOT have blind faith, but rather use our God given gifts of reason and free-will to study all of creation, understand its glory and realize that it was not an accident. We feel that by profoundly understanding any given discipline one could see the vast interconnectedness of our reality. This holistic, gestalt approach to knowledge is diametrically opposed to the Western model of 'seperate spheres' utilizing superficial analysis, symbolized by the laundry list approach to teaching and testing in the US. This philosophy has contributed to many enviornmental and societal problems seen in the West.

The Quran states: "We shall show them our signs on the horizons and within themselves until it is clear to them that it is the Truth...." The signs of Allah are all around us. Think about it. If the Earth was 1% closer to the sun, we’d all be burnt to a crisp and if we were 1% farther we’d be freeze-dried. Our bodies are so carefully caliberated that in every second, with every heartbeat and every breath, all the systems of our anatomy work together to keep us alive. Everything in this world is in balance, everything exists in a perfectly delicate harmony. It is this harmony and balance that we are called upon to emulate in our own lives. Islam has always been about moderation, balance, and taking the middle road. This idea has been expressed by many non-Muslims, as well. The 18th century English poet William Blake sought to show his audience the hand of the divine in the world around them, "To see the World in a grain of sand, And Heaven in a wild flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand, And Eternity in an hour..."

Muslims believe in an all-powerfull, all-knowing Lord that has no partners, no son (Jesus and Ezra (peace be upon them) were prophets), or other family relations. Muslims believe the Creator is not like any of creation and that we are not able to imagine the True form of our Lord. Muslims do not believe in 'original sin' or a 'chosen people' favored from birth or that anyone can "die for our sins". Muslims believe that "two wrongs don't make a right" and that the Lord would not require the torture and blood sacrifice of our spiritual leader by those that oppose our philosophy, in exchange for forgiveness. We believe that everyone is held individually responsible for their own intentions and that no one can intercede on their behalf. (no priest, bishop, Pope or anyone else can allow special dispensations) Forgiveness should be sought from those who were wronged and directly from the Creator.

Since this 'Attack on America' began many have expressed strongly Anti-Islamic positions, but not shared the reasoning behind their convictions. Explaining the reasons for our firm beliefs, helps others to relate to our understanding of events. Many have been deeply moved by the tragedies that occured this week and it is understandable that in the height of our emotional suffering we may say things that others may not completely understand. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and especially those who have been hurt by recent incidents have a justifiable need to express their anger. Perhaps through clarifying our views we can come towards a national consensus to repel these attacks through a show of national and maybe international unity.

I feel it would be wrong for me to ask others to clarify their views, without doing so myself.

When I learned of the events that had occurred I experienced a rush of emotions. I felt pain, sadness and anger when I viewed the horrible images of death and destruction that crazed individuals brought to innocent Americans, disrupting our daily lives and robbing us of our sense of security. It is apparent by the timing and nature of the attack that the perpetrators intended to maximize civilian fatalities. Some of my friends are missing. This tragedy has made its mark on my life. The change in the New York City skyline is the smallest effect this terrorism has had upon American lives. I encourage everyone to generously donate their time, wealth and blood to help the victims of this tragedy. This attack is a threat to the freedom and security of everyone in the world. The hate that would lead any group to plan, support or defend such actions must be swiftly extinguished. Our hearts are broken, but our will is stronger than before with a renewed sense of purpose and unified resolve.

Wheather we use covert or open military force, we must be careful not to play into the hands of these monsters. From the world-wide expressions of condemnation, condolence and support, it is clear that this terrorist action is deplored by over 99% of the world's population. The vast majority of the world's countries have pledged to support the US in finding those responsible. If we fall into the trap of scapegoating ethnic or religious groups, we risk alienating our supporters, sending them into the eager hands of the terrorists. Currently Turkey, the Arab states, the newly independant states of the former Soviet Union with Muslim majorities, Pakistan as well as the 57 countries of the OIC (Organization of Islamic Countries) have pledged their support to the US in destroying those responsible for this tragedy. Muslims world wide have sent out condolences expressing their deep sorrow for the victims of this cowardly terrorist attack. The governments of all majority Muslim nations have condemned the tragedy that has befallen the US and American Muslim Groups have issued a joint statement of condemnation, "American Muslims utterly condemn what are apparently vicious and cowardly acts of terrorism against innocent civilians. We join with all Americans in calling for the swift apprehension and punishment of the perpetrators. No Political cause could ever be assisted by such immoral acts" There is no cause that justifies this type of an immoral and inhumane act that has affected so many innocent American lives and we support all efforts of the investigation in order to track down the people responsible for this tragic act of terrorism.

If we send our forces to carpet bomb areas, we will kill mainly the civilians that are least prepared to deal with military attacks, while the well trained terrorists will be able to escape un-harmed. We must find all those responsible, isolate them (without harming civilians) and verify their destruction, without turning them into martyrs. If we take a "kill them all, big and small" stance, then the Muslim majority states will believe the extremists' arguments that the West does not care about civilians outside its borders and feel pressured to join with the terrorists in opposing the unfair slaughter of their civilians. We would have no moral hi-ground: they killed our innocent civilians by the thousands, so we kill other innocent civillians, in response.

It is important to remember the foundations upon which America was founded. It is our principles of Justice and Freedom that seperate us from the terrorists that attack us. There are Irish-Americans, Italian-Americans, Japanese-Americans, Arab-Americans, African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Jewish-Americans, Catholic-Americans and Muslim-Americans, but they are all Americans. America is a land built and populated by immigrants. All Americans were at one point immigrants that came to this land seeking freedom and opportunity. They paid America the highest compliment that any one could give: they in essence say through their actions that they believe so strongly in the principles of America that they would like to leave the land of their birth and start over spending the rest of their lives in America. As Americans they stand together for the same values: that every person regardless of their faith or ethnicity has the same rights, freedoms and opportunities.

There were over 1,000 Muslims employed at the World Trade center and hundreds of them are missing. Muslims have lost families, neighbors and friends. Muslims have felt the pain, anguish and loss that have entered the lives of all Americans, of all faiths. These Muslims are also Americans, they love their country, most struggled for years to come to the land of freedom and they detest those that have attacked it. Many of the volunteering rescuers and relief workers are Muslim. Muslim groups are organizing fundraisers, blood-drives and scheduling volunteers to assist the victims.

These extremists are not following the principles of Islam. I've heard reports that the suspected Hijackers were known to drink heavily in stripper bars. Islam forbids drinking and scantily clad women, yet these hijackers are supposedly religious.

Islam holds all Life sacred and only allows killing as a means of defense for society, "whosoever kills a human for other than manslaughter or corruption in the Earth, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind, and whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind" (Quran 5:32) Christains and Jews are respected and honored in the Quran as "people of the book", and Muslims are encouraged to befriend them "you will find the nearest in love to the believing Muslims those who say: 'We are Christians' " (Quran 5:82); "And of the people of Moses there is a community who lead with truth and establish justice therewith" (Quran 7:159) The Quran recognizes all Mankind as a single family distinguished only by virtue, "O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another (not despise eachother) and verily, the best among you is the most righteous" (Quran 49:13)

Islam does not fight other religions, believing that all should be free to choose in a free and open marketplace of ideas: "There is no compulsion in religion, the Truth stands clear from falsehood" (Quran 2:256) "To you your religion, and to me my religion" (Quran 109:6). The Quran tells Muslims that all faiths worship the same Lord, "say 'We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you; our God and your God is One" (Quran 29:46) No individual or group can claim monopoly of God's mercy or deny it to others, "those who are Jews and Christians, and Sabians, whoever believes in God and the Last Day and do righteous good deeds shall have their reward with their Lord" (Quran 2:62) Throughout the Muslim world, churches, synagogues and missionary schools were built within Muslim neighborhoods. These places were protected by Muslims even during the contemporary crises in the Middle East.

Christians and Jews lived peacefully with Muslims for centuries in the Middle East and other Asian and African countries. The Muslims are and have been entrusted, with the key to the Oldest Church in Jerusalem for well over 1000 years. In 1492, the Jews were expelled from Spain as a result of the victory of Ferdinand and Isabella over the Muslims. Contrary to previous promises, it was made illegal for Muslims and Jews to practice their religion. Then they were condemned to death or expulsion if they did not convert to Catholicism. Many Jews chose to go to Turkey, then the seat of the Islamic Caliphate and were generously received, the Sultan mocked Ferdinand and Isabella's expulsion of the Jews by saying, "They impoverished their kingdom and enriched mine."

If there is no struggle there is no progress -Frederick Douglass

The fear of death keeps us from living, not from dying -Paul C. Roud, "Making Miracles"

The term "holy war" was coined in Europe during the Crusades, meaning the war against Muslims. Jihad is derived from the Arabic word 'Jahada', which means 'to be diligent' or 'to make an effort'. The English word closest in meaning to Jihad is struggle. There are two types of Jihad. One is the outer struggle to end tyranny and the other is the inward struggle to stay at peace and resist temptation.

What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us -Ralph Waldo Emerson

He who gains a victory over other men is strong, but he who gains a victory over himself is all-powerful -Lao-tze

Thus Jihad is the struggle for freedom from oppression in the enviornment around us and within ourselves. In the outer Jihad, to end tyrany, Muslims are to defend themselves, their treaties and the defenseless: "Permission (to fight) is given to those... who are driven out from their homes without a just cause only because they say: Our lord is Allah..." (Quran 22:39,40) "Those with whom thou makest an agreement, then they break their agreement every time, and they keep not their duty. And if they break their oaths after their agreements and revile your religion, then fight the leaders of disbelief -- surely their oaths are nothing -- so that they may desist." (Quran 9:12) "to fight in the way of Allah, and of the weak among the men and the women and the children, who say: Our Lord, take us out of this town, whose people are oppressors, and grant us from thee a friend, and grant us from thee a helper." (Quran 4:75). Jihad is not a war of agression, Muslims are told in the Quran to "fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Surely Allah loves not the aggressors."(Quran 2:190) "And if they incline to peace, incline thou also to it, and trust in Allah. Surely He is the Hearer,the Knower." (Quran 8:61) "But if they desist, then surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (Quran 2:192).

The word Islam is derived from the Arabic roots Silm and Salam, meaning peace, purity, acceptance and commitment. A Muslim is one that accepts Islam, so to be Muslim means to be peaceful. The Islamic term for Heaven is Janah, meaning the abode of Peace. Peace is the nature, meaning and objective of Islam. Islam calls for: complete acceptance of and submission to the teachings and guidance of God; living in peace with one's self, the Creator, other people and the environment. Thus Islam is a total way of Life requiring balance and moderation, so nothing permissable is taken to extremes, and when Muslims eat, sleep, study, pray or do any thing, else they are to do it with moderation, in the hope of pleasing God and achieving True peace. Muslims greet eachother, with the phrase "Assalam-mu-alaikum-wa-rah-mat-Allahi-wurbur-katuhu" or May the Peace and blessings of Allah be with you, wishing eachother that which they all strive for. The term Islamic Terrorist is an oxymoron since Islam preaches peace. Identifying Islam with violence or terrorism is not only inaccurate, it is reminiscent of the propaganda campaigns of hatred that Hitler used to persecute Jews in W.W.II Germany. Why isn't the Mafia called a group of radical Catholics? Why isn't the Ku Klux Klan referred to as a Protestant Racist Group? Why aren't the South American Drug-Dealers dubbed as Christian Drug Cartels? All, of the religions that criminals claim to be adherents of denounce their deeds. The terms terrorist, radical, militant or extremist should be used by themselves, without mention of their professed religious preference. Throughout history religion has been exploited by ambitious tyrants and violated by ignorant mobs. This is no reflection on religion, but rather shows how desperately humanity is in need of better education to increase its concern for human dignity, rights and freedom.

When Christians commit crimes they are only human beings performing individual acts, but when it is done by Muslims it is Islam that is on trial. Non-Muslims in general have the perception that all Muslims, get all their ideas from Islam. Muslims are human. All humans are individuals, each person is an individual that has their own ideas. Not all people strictly adhere to the system of beliefs they claim to follow. The majority of serial killers are Northern European males that claim to be Christians and often use the Bible to justify their murderous efforts (remember the movie 'Seven'). For instance Jesus Christ is known to have advocated ideas, such as: "turning the other cheek", "treat others as you would have them treat you", "love thy neighbor", "judge not lest you be judged", "let he that has no sin cast the first stone", "love thine enemy", "forgive them their trespasses", "he that lives by the sword shall die by it". Yet many of those that claimed to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, used religious justification to act in a manner opposed to these ideas. For instance, hundreds of thousands of tenth century Europeans answered the call of the Pope, by marching to Jersualem, slaughtering millions of Muslims by burning their villages and at least 70,000 non-Muslim inhabitants, a few thousand while they prayed in the church of the Holy sepulchre, before returning with stolen Holy relics from the churches. Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain instituted the draconian laws and forced conversions of the Spanish Inquistion in the name of Christianity, using specific Biblical references as their supposed guide. European nations colonized weaker states, robbing their natural resources, destroying their economies, instituting racist laws and installing puppet governements for what they claimed was the glory of God. The most successful genoocide in history, killing all the members of 6 Native American 'Indian' Tribes, were carried out by those that claimed to want to 'save' the souls of their victims through their 'Lord and saviour' Jesus Christ. Those that advocated the US slave trade used Biblical verses to explain the justness of their cause. When the British defeated the Indian armies in 1847 the Mosque of Delhi was turned in to a stable, captured soldiers were dumped in a mixture of limestone and water and every tree on the road from Delhi to Lahore held the bodies of Muslims hanged for their beliefs. The Pope was the first government official to recognize the authority of Hitler's regime. The IRA is an organization of Christians, that bombs civilian targets, yet it is never described by the media in those terms. In Bosnia and Kosova Muslims were raped, tortured and massacred for their beliefs, by Christian Serbs. The US and UK are currently starving millions of Iraq's children, under the rubric that Sadam Hussein's aggression must be contained. Saddam Hussein used US supplied chemical weapons to gas his own people to death and the sanctions weaken any opposition to his rule.

Whenever Christians have taken an area held by Muslims, every effort has been made to destroy any 'evidence' of their existance, so there are no historically old Mosques, Muslim centers, museums or Muslim families in Christian countries, like France, Italy (Sicily) and Spain, where Muslims had ruled in the past with a sizeable Muslim population. This trend continues today as the Muslims in Bosnia and Chechnya, who have recently lost power, are being systematically exterminated by predominantly Christain forces. In contrast, historic churches, synagogues and temples can be found throughout the majority Muslim countries. The church of the Holy Sepulchre was under Muslim rule for centuries and it was protected for centuries. Muslims believe that worshipping idols is wrong, yet the pyramids of Egypt have been protected for over 1,000 years under Muslim rulers. Throughout the Muslim world, churches, synagogues and missionary schools were built within Muslim neighborhoods. These places were protected by Muslims even during the contemporary crises in the Middle East.

Because the Western Media has continued the time-honored tradition mis-representing Islam and Muslims as violent, barbaric, depraved hordes, I feel I should clarify the issue. This use of stereotype-genaralization demonizes the group as a sort of horde, lacking humanity, to cognitively facilitate the violation of that groups' human rights, in a manner simmilar to that employed by Hitler, in advocating a "final-solution" to the "Jewish-problem". This sort of reasoning that denies the existance of individuality among victimized group members, while accepting the individual characteristics among more-favored groups is the common thread linking all forms of prejudice and racism. Since our individuality is what makes us human, the villified group is dehumanized, through mis-representations that portray it as a threatening mono-lithic monster to be destroyed. Once the public perception of the villified group is in line with this portrayal, there is no shame in victimizing the group members.
Too often, for political reasons, under-represented minorities, like Muslims, Arabs, and Palestinians are stereotyped, demonized and maligned by the media to a mis-understanding majority, and not given an opportunity to respond. It's sad and ironic that so many media outlets would exercise poor journalistic judgement in serving as platforms for the destructive rhetoric of hate-speech, berating the intellect of their audience, while deriding the principles of Freedom and Justice that this great nation was founded upon. Spreading hate-speech suggests tacit approval of its intolerant reasoning. The dissemination of distorted or inaccurate information has a negative impact on the lives of ordinary Muslims and serves to mislead people of other faiths. Media images shape public perceptions, especially of ethnic and religious minorities and thus media institutions have a responsibility commensurate with their influence on popular culture and public perceptions. Vilification of minorities is irresponsible and unacceptable, creating an atmosphere of hostility and fear, leading to discrimination and hate crimes. Especially vulnerable are children, who have few defenses against negative stereotypes and who face harassment and worse at schools based on widespread prejudices which the media promote.
Unfortunately many occasions have shown that misinformation and racist stereotypes in the media lead to acts of discrimination in the populace, demonstrated by attacks on Muslim homes, businesses and mosques throughout our nation. For instance within 48 hours of the Oklahoma City bombing, irresponsible media coverage including "expert-analysis" by Steven Emerson (see: http://www.fair.org/extra/9901/emerson.html ) created an atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust leading many to vent their misguided anger in over 200 reported incidents of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab threats, harassment and violence. Sadly most victims never report their cases, suffering in silence, fearful of retraumatization by a legal process that they correctly feel is stacked against them. During those 48 hours Congress quickly passed an anti-terrorism bill that to this day allows the use of ethnic-profiling and secret evidence to imprison Muslims without trial or due process.

Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there's still time to change the road you're on. -Led Zepplin, "Stairway to Heaven"

I hope more work is done to promote mutual understanding and tolerance between groups of differing beliefs. It is important to recognize that all life is sacred and all views should be respected and considered. Ostracizing or excluding any faith from productive participation in our society is bigoted, biased, counter-productive and reminiscent of Nazi policies. All faiths and ethnicities should be recognized, accepted and incorporated into society so that no one is discriminated against in zoning laws, lending policies, workplace rules, cafeterias, school holiday celebrations or any sphere of society. Muslim individuals and groups throughout North America, Europe and Asia are working daily to provide free medical care, homeless-shelters, social services and natural disaster relief, but face a constant battle against media generated stereotypes that portray them as violent terrorists.
Religious freedom is central to the American system of liberty. We have always held that religion is at all times and places a matter between God and individuals. That no one ought to suffer in name, person, or effects on account of religious opinion. A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is afraid of its people. Nothing is as fundamental or as valuable for human life as pursuing the inclinations of the mind, the heart, and the conscience. In America, long before the Revolutionary War, the writing of the Declaration of Independence, and the adoption of the Constitution, pilgrims of faith escaping religious persecution sought the freedom of a New World to practice their faith. Throughout our history, men and women have come to this nation to escape religious persecution and secure this precious freedom. They and others have built a nation in which religious practices and religious institutions have thrived - exactly because each individual has been able to choose for himself or herself whether and, if so, how to worship. America did not invent human rights. In a very real sense, human rights invented America. The Media's concerted McCarthyist attempts at marginalizing, villifying and intimidating Muslims out of exercizing their constitutional rights, is an embarrassment and an affront to the ideals upon which this nation was founded.

[geoffrobinson (Guest)]

Your post is too long to respond to any individual points. I would just say that there is no evidence of any major (a word here or there, a phrase here or there) distortion of the original texts of Scripture. No doctrine or dogma is even affected. Without getting into specifics, these conditions exist with the Koran as well, which any honest Muslim scholar could tell you.

As for corruptions in Scripture, I will tell you why you believe in them. When the Koran was being written, you didn't really have access to those Scriptures. All through the Koran it says believe in the Jewish and Christian Scriptures. You say these Scriptures speak of Muhammad. That is all well and good. After Muhammad and after the Koran was written as Islam spreads, you actually encounter Christians and Jews. You start reading these texts. Lo and behold, no mentioning of Muhammad. You commit the logical fallacy of begging the question. You assume the Koran is true. It doesn't appear to be correct about other Scriptures. Those Scriptures must have been corrupted.

Last point: Jesus's disciples were in agreement. Nicea was 300+ years later. Satan always attacks the church because he is worried about it.

Questions:
If Jesus is a prophet, why shouldn't I believe what he and his followers have said?

[concerned (Guest)]

Come on! One doesn't need to give long arguments... Just use logic.

A human being who ate, slept, surely used toilet, suffered. loved etc couldn't be a god. St. Paul and his followers made the changes to approach Christianity to Paganism of Romans. Don't be a blind, go to a truly Christian Church such as a Catholic one and you'll see all these Saints that they worship. The images everywhere! These are in substitution of old pagan gods. How similar is a church to say a Hindu mandeer (church)!!! You see there many gods.

concerend

[muslimah (Guest)]

Hey, GR...you are trying to say that there are discrepencies or distortions in the Quran? Well..there are none. The Quran is still in it's original form as it was when it was first revealed to prophet Mohammed(SAAW). And..it has remained so throughout the ages.

Now, as for the bible...there are many versions, revisions, and styles of it. As well as that, there are so many contradictions on any one topic within the bible itself...in any one version as well. You need proofs? Shall surely direct you to them, if you need that.

Now, that set aside...yes, we muslims believe in the scriptures as they were revealed...but just that. AS THEY WERE REVEALED. In others words, not as they currently exist today.

By the way, since I am on the topic of the scriptures...and if you as a christian follow and believe in your scriptures of the bible...they why is it that there are several points within the bible which christians do not abide by? For instance...the order for women to cover their heads. Yes...that is in the Bible. As well, the order for women to remain silent in the church...yes, that too is in the bible. Yet...you do not find christians following that.

As well..did you realize that pork is prohibited as well? Yes...that too is in the bible. Need the references?

Anyways...all this set aside...Jesus himself many times referred to his position in reference to God...in that he is merely a servant. Now, please tell me...with all rationing mind...how is it that God can be equal with the servant?

As well...if Jesus was truly God incarnate, as is the Christian belief...then why did he not save himself?

Now...if you will look to the islamic belief and understanding of life, as well as religion..you will find that we are told and educated that we are each responsible for our own actions/non-actions. That means, that...we are to be held responsible for our own acceptance of the message, as well as how we implement that message...i.e. put it to daily action in our daily lives.

Now...that dogma alone sets forth an exemplary measure for life in itself. As for the christian dogma...it is represented that if you believe in the sacrificial lamb story that is presented in Jesus in the Christian belief...then no one is to be held responsible nor accountable for anything of this life. Rather, the salvation is dependent solely on that belief. Quite unrational.

Whereas, Islam appeals to the sense of rationalism, in which each sould is responsible for itself..and each soul is responsible according to it's own knowledge and understanding. Therefore, for those to whom has come the message of Islam, and they still reject, then they have to pay for that. They will be asked accordingly. As well, those who have accepted the message from God...and yet do some wrongs, they will also have to pay and answer for that. As for those who do right according to God's commands, then they will get their just reward.

Islam is appealing to the sense of justice and understanding as well as rationality.

Quite different from Christianity, which appeals only to the sense of emotion and hope.

Much different.

..Muslimah.

[Concerned (Guest)]

'geoffrobinson' I'm sorry my post was so long. I should really learn to be more brief. (This response is shorter, but still relatively long. Again, I'm sorry) I find it difficult to remain breif in responding to stereotypes and misunderstandings firmly entrenched for about 1,000 years, since the Crusades. I encourage you to spend more time reading more about Islam, from non-Orientalist authors, maybe even to attempt responding to my entire earlier-post.

Religion and politics are very controvertial subjects, becuase they deal with the values and ideals that people identify with, hold most dear, and do not consider "open for disscussion". Suggesting that these beliefs are in some way flawed, incorrect or inappropriate, is tantamount to suggesting that the people holding these beliefs are inferior and should be 'removed'. This is why almost every war in history has in someway involved or capitalized upon the religious and political views of those that must pay most dearly for them. It is un-reasonable to expect anyone to give up the beliefs they identified with and held most dearly, especially when others suggested those beliefs were irrational. It is very rare that anyone will ever concede defeat in an argument, usually people hold onto their positions even more doggedly when challenged or threatened. Please keep this in mind as I attempt to convey the Muslim perspective.

We dissagree about the Bible, Christians believe that it is in its original form and Muslims believe it has been modified. Muslims feel that the modifications are obviously evidenced by the fact that the books of the Bible do not completely corroborate each other or official church doctrine and that older Bible 'versions' do differ in many phrases. Christians believe that the Bible represents the overall Message of their Lord, that while certain phrases might not corroborate each other, the overall message remains consistant. Muslims feel that the Christian view is complicated by the fact that far too many Christians do not study their Bibles and depend too heavily upon their church leaders to tell them what to believe.

Muslims do not feel that the Quran has changed since its revelation. Christians regard Muhammad as a heretic without any religious or moral authority and thus the Quran really should have been a moot point, if it had not been for the fact that Islam had wide appeal and Christian-Church leaders viewed it as a threat to their extended monopoly on morals. Thus Christians studied the Quran and Islam with the aim of finding fault with the religion, using this new field of Orientalism combined with anthropology as a justification for colonization, slavery and the most successful genocides in history over populations they characterized as backward, barbaric, heathen, monolithic, monstrous hordes that must be destroyed. Many Christians have asserted that the 'Quran must be wrong because' there are various ancient Quranic-type scripts from 150 years after the prophet's death, that have words that differ from the current Quran. Muslims do not accept this, because it was well known that typos did occur, and non-Muslims in the prophet's time and afterwards had unsuccessfully tried to spread altered versions of the Quran. Christians have also asserted that the 'Quran must be wrong because' in some places it says that the Lord's day may be like 50,000 years and at others it says like 1,000,000 years. Again Muslims reject this argument because the Christians in this case refuse to acknowledge that the Quran is in the form of an epic poem, and poems use hyperbole and exaggeration. Also, some have pointed out that in our own solar-system the length of the day is not constant, it depends both on the time of year and the location, both in terms of distance from the Sun and Lattitude on the planet. Muslims believe their assertion about the Quran is supported by the fact that Qurans over 1,000 years old are exactly the same as current day Qurans, letter for letter and word for word without any inconsistancies within itself, history or the physical world. Muslims are certain the Christian-Church's quest to show that the 'Quran must be wrong', will continue for a long time and result in nothing besides insults and a disgusting display of hate-speech.

Muslims believe that in many religios texts the prophet Muhammad while not mentioned by name, is described, becuase all religions came from the same Lord and thus share a common bond. Most Christinas believe that there is a historical linkage with Judaism, but no link between Christianity and Islam.

Yes, the council of Nicea met about 325 years after the death of Jesus. That is part of the reason Muslim's assert that current day Christians are not following the teachings of Jesus. The church (which Jesus didn't follow, form, describe or encourage) followed the doctrines decided at that meeting, in which those that represented the views of Paul and not of Jesus' disciples, prevailed.

Who exactly are you referring to as the Satan who 'always attacks the church'? The prophet? The principles of Islam? The Council of Nicea? Me? Muslims in general? Non-Christians? If it was intended towards non-Christian entities, congratulations on following a long and glorious history of denouncing Muslims as demons. Dante believed so strongly in this Church-Propaganda that he placed Muhammad in the ninth level of his hell-inferno (Lower than the Devil)

If my post is too long to respond to, how is it that you intend to 'respond' to the Quran, Hadith, Islamic principles and over 1,000 years of Islamic civilization and scholarship? How is it that you plan to invalidate our beliefs, without really understanding them first? Or was it your intention to rely on widely distributed church-sponsored, mis-information in the enviornment of historical amnesia left by post-colonial regimes, that so many missionaries prey upon?

Muslims and Christians have irresolvable meta-physical differences, but in practice they agree almost entirely on what is right and wrong in any situation. Muslims believe Christians should do as Jesus did, as Jesus was not a hypocrite, this should be in accordance with what he said. (Muslims do not beleive that all of his followers, were at all times correct about his teachings) Christians believe that the Bible is un-altered from its original form and Muslims disagree. So while you should follow the example of Jesus, Muslims don't believe that his example is properly represented in the current Bible. That having been said, most Christians would be acting closer to the straight path if they followed the principles described in their Bible, which too few of them read. So Muslims do believe that Christians should study their Bible and that they would benefit by following many of the principles it outlines, because the modifications to the Bible did not remove all of the Lord's words and significant portions of the Bible are True. Muslims would also like to encourage everyone to study the Quran and the principles of Islam and consider all theologies within a sort of free-market of ideas.

[satisfaction26]

Hello GR,
You said that you love us even for whatever had happened.That's good, we Muslims respect your belief.It is kind of you to pray for us, I'll be praying for you too.Hope you feel free to know more about Islam.:-)

Let me tell you what I've always been praying in my Sholah.
They are written in the Holy Quran.
1) Say: I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of mankind,
The King of mankind,
The God of mankind,
From the evil of the whisperer (devil who whisper evil in the heart of me)who withdraws (from his whispering in one's heart after one remembers Allah)
Who whisper in the chests of mankind
Of jinns and men
2) Say: I seek refudge with the Lord of the day-break
From the evil of what He has created
And from the evil of the darkening(night) as it comes with its darkness; (or the moon as it sets or goes away)
And from the evil of the witchcrafts when they blow in the knots
And from the evil of the envier when he envies
3) Say: He is Allah, (the)One
" Allah As-Sammad( The self-efficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks)
He begets not, nor was He begotten
And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him
4) Say: O Al-Kafirun(disbelievers in Allah, in His Oneness, in His Angels, in His Books, in His Messengers, in the Day of Resurrection, in Fate, etc.)
I worship not that which you worship
Nor will you worship that which I worship
And I shall not worship that which you are worshipping
Nor wiil you worship that which I worship
To you be your religion, and to me my religion(Islamic Monotheism).

You may carry on with your quest.Go ahead and change our thoughts here(I believe our brithers and sisters here are knowledgeable, and make good defenses).This is why this site was setted up, not to receive condems or bad words.For those who gave hatred messages, thank you for sensoring your words by typing '#' rather than the real words.
I'm really holding on those verses above firmly, and I feel deep satisfaction with Islam(that's where I got my name:-)).Yes I am a born-Muslim,Alhamdulillah, thank you Allah.And I will make sure that I die as one too.Amin.

Mardhiah Mansor

[believer (Guest)]

Greetings to all of you. I would like to give a few comments to this interestting discussion.

First I would like to identify myself as a believer in Jesus the Messiah. I have become a follwer of the blessed Messiah more than 20 years ago. I made that decision after I started to read the Bible, because in the roman catholic church where I was brought up(nobody choses where he is born or inn what religion he is raised) I was not encouraged to read. I soon discovered the numerous false teachings and idolatry in the catholic church. But most of all I learned I was a lost sinner on my way to hell and unless I repented of my sins and put my faith in the Lamb of God who shed his blood for all men without distinction of religion, I could not be forgiven and given the gift of eternal life. But God be eternally blessed, I did repent and put my trust only in Jesus the Messiah, not in religion or good works or the pope or saints or prophets, and I received the gift of eternal life. His words were proven to be truth and life.

As I grew in my daily walk with God I became aware of the claims of other religion, notably of Islam. I have talked with many muslims and have read the Qu'ran but I still cannot reconcile the Qu'ran and the Bible. There are too many discrepancies between them and since the Qu'ran came appro. 600 years after the New Testament and 900 years after the completion of the Old Testament it would seem to me that the burden of proof is on Islam to clearly demonstrate that the Qu'ran was really a new revelation from God. Also to bring along the accusation that the Bible is corrupted is a serious accusation. But if you accuse you have also to bring proof, like showing us a "genuine, uncorrupted" Bible. If this could be brought forth and shown to be genuine and that my Bible is corrupted I would without hesitation embrace it, but since this has never been the case, it is simply asking us to have blind faith, and that God never asks us to have. Could not your lack of proof be an indication that your are perhaps mislead? No offense. I say it with love and respect.
Best regards. Believer

[believer (Guest)]

It would be nice to have some feedback from my last post!
Best regards,
Believer

[artys6 (Guest)]

Friends ... I am a U.S. serviceman who practices Christianity ... I admire many Muslims and their devoutness for their religion and I will fight to my death to protect their right as U.S. citizens and legal visitors to peacefully practice their faith ... please pass the below to your Muslim friends and family who may believe bin Laden to be 'an inspiration.'

And tell your friends (who may know how) to tell bin Laden that we Americans military men have not forgotten the Embassy in Beirut, the servicemen who died in Tanzania and Kenya, nor shall we forget the horrific events of 11 Sep 2001. May 'God' bless those who pass peace and use proper force to uphold justice -- not those who propagate hate and terror in the name of religion ...

(The following is from a recent New York Times editorial)

The White House has asked U.S. networks to limit broadcasts of statements by Osama bin Laden. I wish that instead of censorship, the president would respond to him. Here's what Mr. Bush could say:

Dear bin Laden: I've listened to the statement you released through Al Jazeera TV. Since I know that no Arab or Muslim leader will dare answer you, I thought I would do it. Let me be blunt: Your statement was pathetic.

It's obvious from what you said that you don't have a clue why we're so strong or why the Arab regimes you despise are so weak.
You spoke about the suicide attacks on us as being just revenge for the '80 years of humiliation and disgrace' the Islamic nation has gone through. You referred to the hijackers as a Muslim vanguard sent 'to destroy America,' the leader of the 'international infidels,' and you denounced the Arab regimes as 'hypocrites' and 'hereditary rulers.'

What was most revealing, though, was what you didn't say: You offered no vision of the future. This was probably your last will and testament - I sure hope so - and you could have said anything you wanted to future generations. After all, it was your mike. Yet you had nothing to say. Your only message to the Muslim world was whom to hate, not what to build - let alone how.

In part it's because you really don't know much about Islamic history. The Muslim world reached the zenith of its influence in the Middle Ages - when it preserved the best of classical Greek and Roman teachings, and inspired breakthroughs in mathematics, science, medicine and philosophy. That is also when Islam was at its most open to the world, when it enriched, and was enriched by, the Christian, Greek and Jewish communities in its midst - whom you now disparage as infidels - and when it was actively trading with all corners of the world.

Your closed, inward, hate-filled version of Islam - which treats women as cattle and all non-Muslims as enemies - corresponds with no period of greatness for Islam, and will bring none.

It was also revealing that the only Arab state you mentioned was Iraq. Interesting - Iraq is led by a fascist dictator, Saddam Hussein, who used poison gas against his own people, who squandered Iraq's oil wealth to build himself palaces and who raped Kuwait. But you are silent about all that. What bothers you is our targeted sanctions to end such a regime - not the regime itself.

In other words, you not only don't understand the Muslim past, you don't understand its present. The reason these past 80 years have been so stagnant for the Arab-Muslim world is not because we in America have been trying to keep you down. Actually, we haven't been thinking about you much at all.

No, the difference between American power, Chinese power, Latin American power and Arab-Muslim power today is what we've each been doing for these past 80 years. We and others have been trying to answer many questions: How do we best educate our kids? How do we increase our trade? How do we build an industrial base? How do we increase political participation? And we judged our leaders on how well they answered all those questions.

But people like you want Arabs and Muslims to ask only one question of their leaders: How well did you fight the infidels and Israelis? I know that who rules Jerusalem is a deeply important part of your heritage, and every Arab-Muslim leader must address it. But it can't be the only question. Yet, because people like you have reduced it to the only question, and tried to intimidate every Arab who wanted to ask other questions, you have allowed your region to be led by scoundrels, like Saddam.

Yes, you've wreaked some havoc, bin Laden, but don't flatter yourself into thinking you can destroy us. You have to build something strong to destroy something strong. But you can't. Because all the intellectual and creative energies in the Arab-Muslim world - which are as bountiful as in any other region - can never reach their full potential under repressive regimes like Iraq or leaders like you.

Stalin and Mao killed a lot of their own people, but even these thugs had a plan for their societies. You, bin Laden, are nothing but a hijacker - a hijacker of Islam, a hijacker of other people's technology, a hijacker of a vast Arab nation's anger at its own regimes. But you have no vision and no plan for your people.

Which is why your epitaph will be easy to write:
Osama bin Laden - he destroyed much, he built nothing. His lasting impact was like a footprint in the desert.

[concerned (Guest)]

I don't agree at all with you. Y

our views are all distorted and are pathetic. Actually,
if I were your teacher of History I would give you zero as you ought not to receive anything more than that.

If all American servicemen have your views - I don't think all have these views - then you've lost sight of what's at stake in Afghanistan.

My friend your boss Geroge Bush and his lobby aren't seeking only Osama bin Laden, but also the vast resources of Central Asia and the big $$$$ that will be the anti-missiles deployment for our military industrial complex. Just read the numerous evidences being posted in IWC and elsewhere.

Don't forget what these politicians and big business did for our soldiers who returned from Vietnam! Were they heroes? Doesn't seem so, Vietnam is now a good fellow a good business partner. The missing in action? Do they care about them? Clinton who avoided being drafted became our President. These are facts!

concerned

[Mardhiah]

Hello believer,
To know the truth of Al-Quran, you have to know a lit bit about the history of our prophet Muhammad(p.b.u.h).He was the one who spread Islam with the words of Allah.

Bismillahi-Rahmani-Rahim.
Prophet Muhammad s.a.w was born on Monday,12 Rabiulawal(20 August 570A.D).The only child of Adullah bin Abdul Muttalib and Aminah binte Wahab.Both of them were from a Quraisy tribe which at time was the most respectable one.After 3 months of marriage Abdullah went to syam for trading and fell sick on the way back.He died and was buried there.At that time Aminah was already in 2 month of pregnacy.He left behind 5 camels, some sheeps and a slave, Ummul-Aiman who took care of Muhammad s.a.w later.
After 7 days of birth, his grandfather,Abdul Muttalib brought to the Kaabah and tawaf around it.Sheeps were slaughtered and the prophet was named Muhammad(praised).
Like the tradition of the Arab pagan, Muhammad was sent out of the city for breast-feeding.First to Siti Suwaibah then Halimah Al-Saadiah.He was raised in a good and proper manner,away from bad environment.Unfortunately he can't read nor write.He became shepherd and began to observe the life around him.At the age of 5,he was sent back to his mother.One year later they went to Medina to visit relatives and his father's grave.
On the way back to Mecca,Aminah fell sick and died.She was buried in Abwa', a place in between Mecca and Medina.Ummul-Aiman bought Muhammad s.a.w back.Then was bought under the care of his grandfather.2 years later was pass to his uncle Abu Talib after Abdul Muttalib's death, like what was written in his will.
Muhammad continued to be a sheperd and later learn how to trade at 12.He was bought by his uncle to syam then.They met a jewish father who saw the signs of messenger on him.He told Abu Talib to bring him back,for the jews would kill him if they know.After that Muhammad focussed more on trading
alone and also in the share with a merchant named Asysyaib.Untill he was well-known as trustworthy and honest.Everyone began to call him Al-Amin(trustworthy).This news reached to Khadijah, a businesswomen.She made a relation with Abu Talib to permit Muhammad in dealing her business to Syam.While trading, Muhammad never fear of going to far away places and he showed humbleness toward the cutomers.Maisarah,Khadijah's person of hope, admired and was amused by his way.In 595A.D Muhammad and Khadijah got married.At that time he was 25 and Khadijah was 40.
Ten years later,the improvement of Kaabah was held out.
As the work of building finished,an arguement of who had the right to put the black stone back to its place started.It got worse and a fight was about to begin.In this situation, came Abu Umayyah bin Al-Mughirah form Makhzun tribe.He sugessted that the first person to step into the mosque would be the judge.Suprisingly, the first person to step in the place the next day was Muhammad s.a.w, without realizing that he had something to do with the arguement.The people were happy to see that it was the Al-Amin to be the judge.He spread out a cloth that was worn on his head(I don't know what it is called)
and put the stone on it.He asked every leader for every family to hold all ends of the cloth.It was brought to the Kaabah and Muhammad put the stone back to its original place.
Lately,the immoral and bad behaviour saddened Muhammad.He isolated himself in a cave,Hira'.Now the mountain is known as Jabal Nur(Lighted Mountain).One night,in 6 Agust 610A.D,came Gabriel and appeared in front of him.This is the dialogue going on between them:
G:Read(O Muhammad)
M:I can't read
Gebriel hugged strongly and then let it go,he told Muhammad to read again.
M:I can't read
He hugged Muhammad again and was repeated a few times.Finally he read:
1. Read! In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists),

2. Has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood).

3. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous,

4. Who has taught (the writing) by the pen [the first person to write was Prophet Idrees (Enoch)],

5. Has taught man that which he knew not.(surah Al-Alaq)
He went home in the state of shock and told Khadijah everything.Khadijah who was an understanding wife answered calmly,"By Allah,God will never disappoint you,you always speak the truth,you always help the orphans and those who need it."
She bought her husband to meet her cousin,Waraqah bin Naufal,a person who learnt Torah and Bible.After hearing what had been told, he said,"You Muhammad were fulfilled to be a prophet.If I could live long, I would be there to help you."
Days passed,Muhammad s.a.w returned back to the cave.One day he heard a voice came from the sky.He raised his head and saw Gebriel in between the sky and the Earth.He went back home and told his wife to cover him.Then this verse desent:
1. O you (Muhammad SAW) enveloped (in garments)!

2. Arise and warn!

3. And your Lord (Allâh) magnify!

4. And your garments purify!

5. And keep away from Ar-Rujz (the idols)!

6. And give not a thing in order to have more (or consider not your deeds of Allâh's obedience as a favour to Allâh).

7. And be patient for the sake of your Lord (i.e. perform your duty to Allâh)!(Al-Muddaththir)
This verse showed the offical appointment of being Allah's Messenger.

Muhammad conveyed the message of Allah in stages:
-secretly
-to his family
-to all

In the first stage around 55 people embraced Islam.Among them is his wife,Ali bin abu Talib (his cousin), Zaid bin Warisah (his adopted child) and Abu Bakar Al-Siddiq.
Stage 2 was carried out after the decent of this verse:"And warn your tribe (O Muhammad SAW) of near kindred"(26:214)
He had a talk at Abu Talib's House.Some supported him and some mocked him.The strongest rebel was from his own uncle,Abu Lahab.
Not long after that,Muhammad held a talk at Safa Hill.He called upon leaders from every tribe in Mecca.Allah had commanded him in this verse:"Therefore proclaim openly (Allâh's Message Islâmic Monotheism) that which you are commanded, and turn away from Al-Mushrikûn (polytheists, idolaters, and disbelievers, etc. - see V.2:105).
Truly! We will suffice you against the scoffers."(15:94-95)
M:What do you think if I said there are enemies on horses in between that hill? Will you believe me?
Others:Yes, we believe you.We haven't heard any lies from you
M:By Allah, there is no God other than Him.I swear I am the messenger of Allah, especially to you and the people around the world.Verily, you are going to die just like the way you sleep.And verily your deeds are going to be examed.And verily, good deeds are going to be rewarded and bad deeds are going to be punished.
Verily, those will sure be, in heaven forever, or in hell forever.
The moment he finished the statement.Abu Lahab suddenly shouted,schocking everyone there,"Damn you Muhammad.Is this the only motive you bring us all here? Indeed, I never seen someone telling to the despicable more than what u have told."






Mardhiah Mansor

[Mardhiah]

Al-Quran, the book Guidance
In order to say you read the Quran,you have to make sure you read all.The best is to feel it while reading.
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
That he heard 'Umar speaking while standing on the pulpit of the Prophet in the morning (following the death of the Prophet), when the people had sworn allegiance to Abu Bakr. He said the Tashah-hud before Abu Bakr, and said, "Amma Ba'du (then after) Allah has chosen for his Apostle what is with Him (Paradise) rather than what is with you (the world). This is that Book (Quran) with which Allah guided your Apostle, so stick to it, for then you will be guided on the right path as Allah guided His Apostle with it."(Bukhari)
__________________________________________________ _______________

http://islamicity.com/Science/iqs/tsld007.html

Introduction

"Do they not consider the Qur'an? Had it been from any other than God, they would surely have found therein much discrepancy. [Qur’an 4:82]"
Do they not carefully consider (investigate) the Qur’an or are there locks upon their hearts. [Qur’an 47:24]
A scientific approach has been encouraged in the Qur’an with the objective of ascertaining its truthfulness. It provides man with a chance to verify it authenticity.

Do the unbelievers not realize that the heavens and the earth used to be one solid mass that we exploded into existence? And from water we made all living things. Would they believe? (21:30)
Say: The (Qur’an) was sent sent down by Him who knows the secrets (that is) in the heavens and the earth... (25:6)
"Somebody who did not know something about nuclear physics 1400 years ago could not, I think, be in a position to find out from his own mind for instance that the earth and the heavens had the same origin, or many others of the questions that we have discussed here."- Professor of Geology, Dr. Albert Kroner.
"... this very information is exactly what they awarded the 1973 Noble Prize for ... The Qur'an reveals the origin of the universe - how it began from one piece - and mankind continues to verify this revelation, even up to now. Additionally, the fact that all life originated from water would not have been an easy thing to convince people of fourteen centuries ago. “ Professor of Mathematics, Dr. Gary Miller

"Then he turned to the sky, and it had been (as) smoke (dukhaan): He said to it and to the earth: come you together, willingly or unwillingly. They said: we do come (together) in willing obedience."(41:11)
Scientist now can observe new stars formimg up out of that smoke,which is the origin of the universe.
The following verse of the Qur'an where God is speaking, may perhaps be compared with modern ideas: "The heaven, We have built it with power. Verily. We are expanding it. (51:47)
The expansion of the Universe is the most imposing discovery of modern science. Today it is a firmly established concept and the only debate centres around the way this is taking place. It was first suggested by the general theory of relativity and is backed up by physics in the examination of the galactic spectrum; the regular movement towards the red section of their spectrum may be explained by the distancing of one galaxy from another. Thus the size of the Universe is probably constantly increasing and this increase will become bigger the further away the galaxies are from us.
Evolution
"Is it not a fact that there was a time when the human being was nothing to be mentioned? We created the human from a liquid mixture, from two parents, in order to test him. Thus, we made him a hearer and a seer." [Qur’an 76:1-2]
"And God created every living creature from water. Some of them walk on their bellies, some walk on two legs, and some walk on four. God creates whatever He wills. God is Omnipotent." [Qur’an 24:45]

Embryology
"What is the matter with you, that you are not conscious of God’s Majesty. Seeing that it is He that has created you in diverse stages?" [Qur’an 71:13-14]

"He creates you in the wombs of your mother, in stages, one after another, in three veils of darkness." [Qur’an 39:6]
"... Subsequently, we reproduced him from a tiny drop, that is placed into a well protected repository. Then we developed the drop into a hanging (embryo), then developed the hanging (embryo) into a bite-size (fetus), then created the bite-size (fetus) into bones, then covered the bones with flesh. We thus produce a new creature. Most blessed is God, the best Creator. Then, later on, you die. Then, on the Day of Resurrection, you will be resurrected." [Qur'an 23:12-16]
It was not until the middle of the 19th century when the scientists began to discover that the human embryonic development took place in several successive stages.
A noted embryologist Keith L. Moore and expert in his field, upon being presented with the statements made in the Qur’an regarding the stages of the formation of the embryo from the mixing of the male and female gametes up to the embryo’s full development remarked "It has been a pleasure for me to help clarify statements in the Qur’an about Human Development. It is clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad from God or Allah because almost all of this knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later."
A famous French physician Maurice Bucaille addressed the French Academy of Medicine in 1976 and expressed the complete agreement of the Qur’an and established findings of modern science. He presented his study on the existence in the Qur’an of certain statements concerning physiology and reproduction. His reason for doing that was that "our knowledge of these disciplines is such, that it is impossible to explain how a text produced at the time of the Qur’an could have contained ideas that have only been discovered in modern times".

Geology
"When you look at the mountains, you think that they are standing still. But they are moving, like the clouds. Such is the manufacture of God, Who perfected everything. He is fully Cognizant of everything you do." [Qur'an 27:88]
"And the mountains as pegs." [Qur’an 78:7]
"And He has set up on the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with you." [Qur’an 16:15]
"And we sent down Iron, in which is great might, as well as many benefits for mankind" [Qur’an 57:25]

Conquest of Space
"O assembly of Jinns and Men, if you can penetrate regions of the heavens and the earth, then penetrate them! You will not penetrate them save with a Power." [Qur’an 55:33]
"Even if We opened unto them a gate to Heaven and they were to continue ascending therein, they would say: our sight is confused as in drunkenness. Nay, we are people bewitched." [Qur’an 15:14-15]
When talking of the conquest of space therefore, we have two passages in the text of the Qur'an: one of them refers to what will one day become a reality thanks to the powers of intelligence and ingenuity God will give to man, and the other describes an event that the unbelievers in Makka will never witness, hence its character of a condition never to be realized.
The event will however be seen by others, as intimated in the first verse quoted above. It describes the human reactions to the unexpected spectacle that travelers in space will see: their confused sight, as in drunkenness, the feeling of being bewitched. This is exactly how astronauts have experienced this remarkable adventure since the first human space flight in 1961.
It is known in actual fact how once one is above the Earth's atmosphere, the Heavens no longer have the azure appearance we see from Earth. The human observer in space above the Earth's atmosphere sees a black sky and the Earth seems to be surrounded by a halo of bluish color due to the same phenomena of absorption of light by the Earth's atmosphere

Other Facts
In regards to Clouds, "Have you not seen how God makes the clouds move gently, then joins them together, then makes them into a stack, and then you see the rain come out of it...?" [Qur'an 24:43]
Preservation of gentic data, "Does the human being think that We will not reconstruct his bones ? Yes indeed; We are able to recreate even his fingerprint." [Qur’an 75:3-4]
Lost City of Ubar, "Seest thou not how thy Lord dealt with the 'Ad (people),- Of the (city of) Iram, with lofty pillars, The like of which were not produced in (all) the land?" [Qur’an 89:6-8]
Currently, about 1,000 scientific signs have been identified in the entire Qur’an.

A Reminder to the Worlds
It must be stressed that the Qur'an is accurate about many things, but accuracy does not necessarily mean that a book is a divine revelation. In fact, accuracy is only one of the criteria for divine revelations.
The Qur'an states, "This book is a divine revelation; if you do not believe that, then what is it?" In other words, the reader is challenged to come up with some other explanation. Here is a book made of paper and ink. Where did it come from? It says it is a divine revelation; if it is not, then what is its source?
… and they say, 'Surely he [i.e. Prophet Muhammed] is possessed , ’ but it [i.e., the Qur'an] is not except a reminder to the worlds." [Qur’an 68:51-52]

[b]References
A Scientist's Interpretation of References to Embryology in the Qur'an, Keith L. Moore, Ph.D, F.I.A.C., Professor of Anatomy and Associate Dean Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada (http://www.ummah.org.uk/science/moore.htm)
The Amazing Qur’an, Professor Gary Miller, University of Essex Islamic Society (http://www.ummah.org.uk/science/amzquran.htm)
“What Is the Origin of Man” and “The Bible, the Qur’an and Science” by Maurice Bucaille
Newly Discovered Scientific Facts Revealed in The Qur’an and Authentic Sunnah (http://www.it-is-truth.org)

__________________________________________________ ______________

Mardhiah Mansor

[believer (Guest)]

Thank you Mardhiah for your post, but I would of prefered if you would have answered my questions in a more personnal way. I still feel my question is unanswered. Can you present to Christians worldwide an "uncorrupted" Bible in order to uphold your prophet's claim that it is corrupted? Also, if the Torah and the Injil were really revelations from God, why could God not have kept those from corruption but the Quran yes? Is God not Allmighty?
Best regards,
believer

[Mardhiah]

Bismillahi-Rahmani-Rahim
What I was trying to do is to show that the Quran is not man-made.To present an 'uncorrupted bible' is like coming out with extinct species.Have this quetion ever come across to you: Why are messengers appointed?
In Islam,messengers and prophets are slightly different.Both received wahyu(messages) from Allah, but messengers carried harder responsibilities which were to spread out what they knew to their people.They were to correct the behaviour and beliefs.Prophets are uncountable.Messengers are 25 of them.Each was decent to a tribe at a time.A human is equipped with mind and desire.Mind alone can't do much for him to have a true faith.He needs someone to guide him that is a messenger."And We sent not a Messenger except with the language of his people, in order that he might make (the Message) clear for them" (14:4)
After a distortion in Allah's religion, a messenger will be appointed.Now lets go to Mosses(peace be upon him),Torah was sent through him.Then why are there messengers after him? Get my point? Those messengers would be using what is in the Torah as guidiance.For every corrupted messages would be corrected.Look at the gap between the decent of Torah and Injil; David, Solomon, Elias, Elisha, Jonah, Zachariah, John(peace be upon them).Until it came to Jesus, a new revelation was made;Injil.Laws were made according to time, places and people.
'Why could God not have kept those from corruption but the Quran yes?'
Quran is for people of the 'last time',from Muhammad's s.a.w time till the end.The reason of appointing Muhammad s.a.w was to guide the whole world,you,me and the others.He is the last messenger and prophet.Therefore, Quran has to be protected because they will be no more messengers after him.Allah knows best.World yesterday was not like today,where it seems to shrink for us.News of an incident can spread around the world in a few hours.Do you think a messenger is still needed?
Mardhiah Mansor

[plastguruman (Guest)]

You people are turning the terrorist attacks into a war of religions. This is the worst thing that can happen. We should embrace the different religions and cultures in the world, as long as they don't violate basic human rights. The problem seems to be that while the USA embraces all peaceful religions, a particular portion of Muslims, particularly the Taliban, have absolutely NO TOLERANCE FOR ANY RELIGION BUT THEIR OWN. Right now, two Americans are on trial in Afghanistan for supposedly preaching Christianity. SO WHAT! Do they not know how to say "no thanks, I pledge my life and loyalty to Allah and Islam"? What is the crime? If a Muslim approached me about converting to Islam, I would kindly listen, thank him, and then decline. There are many diverse religions in this world, all of which believe that theirs is the one "true" religion. There are radical extremists in nearly every religion that change the meaning of their text (quran, bible, etc.) to suit their purposes and to harm others. These groups, no matter what their religion, must be stopped. Any religion that teaches to destroy all "non-believers" is not a true religion. The Muslim religion seeks to convert others to their religion, no differently than Christians seek to convert others to Christianity. Should we imprison and put on trial all who preach the Muslim religion in America? Of course not! So why do the Taliban fear Christianity in their country? Why is there no tolerance? Also, I don't understand the concept of "terrorism" itself. Any action you take should be to achieve a desired result. What positive result has terrorism ever brought to ANYONE throughout history? Its only purpose is to disrupt the peacefulness of the world. For example: what goal has been achieved by attacking America? Has a goal been achieved by making us afraid of anthrax and airplanes? What positive result for bin Laden, the Taliban, al Quiada or any other group has been achieved? It has only created havoc and death in the name of religion and brought suffering among their own groups! Then they have the audacity to complain that we are killing innocent civilians. Wait a minute, isn't that what they did Sept 11th on a much larger scale? This is not a letter to put down Islam and I realize that not all Muslims condone the violence that occurred Sept 11th. It is a letter to make ALL people and ALL religions realize that there will never be peace in this world until there is tolerance for all peaceful religions, and ALL religions must realize that extremists (who only seek to destroy those different than themselves) in their own and other religions, must be stopped. I am not an expert on any religion, this just makes sense to me. I look forward to reading your replies.