Questions from a Christian.

seekshidayath wrote: Infidels is not the word used in Qur'an. It was actually first used historically by christians to call non-christians. Qur'an uses the word 'Kafir', which means - one who disbelieves, or one who rejects the truth.

 

This answer is disappointing.

 

(1) Of course, the word "infidel" does not appear in the Qu'ran: it is an ENGLISH word.  However it is used for "Kafir" in some English translations of the Qu'ran.

--see AL-QU�RAN A Contemporary Translation by Ahmed Ali. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1993. E.g., 3:56; 5:72; 8:73.

 

(2) "Infidel" was not first used by Christians for non-christians: not only is it an English word, but its usage only goes back to the 15th century.

 

(3) The word used in the West was the Latin "infidelis" which means  the same as "Kafir"--one who disbelieves, one who rejects the truth, an unbeliever.

Edited by fool4JC - 26 August 2010 at 11:07am

As salamu alaikum.Hasan.JazakAllah Kheiran for your reply.May Allah Bless you and your family.

wonderful wrote: After our discussion I emailed the link to this forum to some close friends. One response follows. It is not meant to be inflammatory so please do not take it that way. This was a private response to me. In the interest of transparency I would ask that you please address my friend's response. "I am not a scholar on it but have done a lot of research�I have found that the extremists are the ones following the religion the way Muhammad intended and wrote the Quran...Those whom are peaceful and loving Muslims do not necessarily follow the religion the way it is written�I am including a link to a book below written by a former Islamic PHD�He could recite the whole Quran by the time he was 12�Biblically speaking the line of Ishmael (Abrahams illegitimate son through Hagar) is the line through which Muslims claim God fulfilled the promise, while we believe in Isaac�God instructed Abraham to kill Ishmael but he did not�It is on this axis that the line leading to Muhammad(Through Ishmael) and Jesus(Through Isaac) were formed�The scriptures say it is these two lines that will meet on the plains of Megiddo for battle (Armageddon)� So I believe opposite to what you say�I do believe "Islam" is the threat and that most Muslims are not, because just as most Catholics could barely tell you why Jesus came or for that matter the difference between the new and old testament, most Muslims don't know who Muhammad truly was or in what context the Quran was written�Anything peaceful in the Quran was long ago dispelled by its author(Muhammad) in favor of bloodshed and Jihad. That being said, Our commandment is to love them and not to preach hatred�I don't necessarily believe in tolerance as it pertains to acceptance of false doctrine but I do believe in love and boundaries for our children�The US is putting more and more false doctine about Islam into our public schools and it weaves a false web, which is exactly what the devil wants:) http://www.amazon.com/Islam-Jews-Unfinished-Mark-Gabriel/dp/0884199568 I don't believe you got many right answers on that forum�I believe this book and his other will properly address the questions you had." subsequent reply: "This guy was an Iman and a PhD in Islamic History�Present day Islam is taken out of context with the order the Quran was written�Putting it into it's sequential order reveals a whole lot more about the man Muhhamad and for that matter the Quran as it relates to interpretation�Muhammad said if anything new was revealed to him that conficted with prior revelation that the new revelation would be law and the old was not to be followed any longer� For that reason a true Muslim must follow it in order�Those who don't are using it out of context�Remember, He is the founder of the whole religion and the author of the twist between Ishmael and Isaac (well satan is probably the author but he was the pawn)�The book opened my eyes�"

wonderful,
your friend's words don't sound much different than what you would hear on right wing talk shows or from 'Zionistic' pastors like Mr. Hagee, who don't waste an opportunity to defame Islam, because it is rival to them.
So, I would not pay any attention to their hate and lies they craft out to follow their agenda.
Rather, I would suggest to you, and ask you to read the Bible and read the Quran for yourself, and then come back with your finding. I guarantee you would have answers to all those questions you posed, and this friends true intentions will be unveiled to you.
This first hand analysis by yourself will be your best answer.
As for as peaceful and practicing Muslim, that will be no different than in any other belief. There are people who are violent and people who are peaceful and people who are victims, people would be people.
Hitler was a Christian, so was Mussolini. In last three decades right in front of our eyes more than three million Muslims have been slaughtered, their lives, livelihood, their cities and countries raised to the ground by what could easily be translated as Christian armies, and we are fearful to even talk about it, call a spade a spade.
So, truth has a price, but we must seek it, and live by it.
Again I will say, read the Bible, and the Quran, and you would not have to rely what your friend tells you or what anyone else! Because, one thing in Islam we say is that you will answer for yourself, and will not be asked what someone else did or said. So each and everyone of us must search and find the answers and be ready when the time comes!
Hasan


Edited by honeto - 02 July 2010 at 9:57pm

There is a really great book that has all of the answers of your questions. I already posted it under the books section. Here is the link to that post
http://www.islamicity.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=16778