QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM

Bismillah,

John, the answers to your questions, every single one of them, are authoritatively answered by Ahmed Deedat's work, and I provided the link to that.  Did you read that yet?  I haven't studied the Bible for years, and I think it's better for you to read material from someone who can quote Bible and Qur'aanic references.

If you are a good, kind, open-minded, moral Christian, John, that's a good thing.  God bless all of you!

The heart of Islam is submission to Allah, The Most High's, will.  Allah, SWT, does not and never did require  a human sacrifice in order to forgive our sins. 

The story of Abraham (Ibrahim) and his son (In Christianity it is Issac, but in Islaam, it is Ismail -- if I got those names wrong, I apologize), illustrates very clearly that human sacrifices will never be required by God, The Glorious, The Forgiving. 

You know the Christian version which is very close to the Islaamic one.  Basically God has ordered Abraham to bring his son to a place and sacrifice him to God. But an angel stops his hand in the middle of his bringing it down, and he is told to get an animal instead.

How can we not see that this clearly shows that God doesn't want or need the evil pagan ritual of human sacrifice?  God shows us through this event that he can forgive us through him.  We don't need a priest or a sheikh. 

We just go to God with sincere hearts and repentence, and only he can determine our sincerity and genuineness, and he forgives us.  And then we must go and sin no more!  How great and glorious and loving our God is!  Allah huwa habibi! God is so dear to me!

Hello there! Herjihad,

Is it true that:

(1) Muhammad�s grandfather defended Mecca against the attack of Yemeni Christians led by an Ethiopian King?

(2) Muhammad married his boss, the businesswoman widow Khadijah?

(3) Khadijah�s Christian relative, Bahira, assured the apprehensive Muhammad that his revelation was akin to the laws which Moses (Musa) received at Mount Sinai?

(4) Muhammad modeled himself after Mary (Mariam) and Jesus (Isa)?

(5) Muhammad endured pain and suffering from seizures each time he was visited by the Angel Gabriel (Jibril) to receive divine revelation?

(6) Muhammad was rejected in Mecca but was welcomed in the Jewish city of Medina?

(7) Early Muslims took refuge from the Meccans in the Christian kingdom of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) before they migrated to the Jewish city of Medina?

(8) Muhammad the trader became a preacher, warrior, and head of state?

(9) Muhammad founded not just a religious faith, but a political empire beginning with the religious city-state of Medina?

(10) Most of the administrators and workers of the Islamic empire were Jews and Christians?

(11) The capital of Islam shifted from Medina to Damascus to Baghdad and then to Spain?

(12) Muhammad never saw the Qur�an because the scripture was written, collected and edited well after his death?

(13) The name of Muhammad enjoys greater honor than even that of Allah?

(14) Islam is theocratic and is technically incompatible with democracy?

(15) Islam is seen as a corrective to the teachings of Judaism and Christianity, one rejecting the prophet Jesus and the other making him God?

I am a Chinese but interested to learn more about Islam as I am in love with a Muslim. The above questions were taken from Mr. Ron Choong (www.actministry.com) who speaks about Islam and Christianity.

Please enlighten me on the above. Thank you.


Edited by pauline35

Is it true that:

(1) Muhammad�s grandfather defended Mecca against the attack of Yemeni Christians led by an Ethiopian King?

The actual defense of the city was by Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, who destroyed the Ethiopian army by sending flocks of birds who stoned them to death.

(2) Muhammad married his boss, the businesswoman widow Khadijah?

Yes. 

(3) Khadijah�s Christian relative, Bahira, assured the apprehensive Muhammad that his revelation was akin to the laws which Moses (Musa) received at Mount Sinai?

Yes, although describing him as apprehensive is incorrect.

(4) Muhammad modeled himself after Mary (Mariam) and Jesus (Isa)?

Absolutely false. Muhammad salallahu alaihi wassallam did not "model" himself on anyone but rather followed the revelations sent to him.

(5) Muhammad endured pain and suffering from seizures each time he was visited by the Angel Gabriel (Jibril) to receive divine revelation?

No. On occasion it was reported that he would start perspiring even on a cold day, but there are many instances recorded of Gabriel appearing to him under peaceful circumstances.

If you want examples, use the Hadith search engine on Islamicity's homepage.

(6) Muhammad was rejected in Mecca but was welcomed in the Jewish city of Medina?

Yes, although describing Medina as a Jewish city is inaccurate. There were both Jews and Arabs living there.

(7) Early Muslims took refuge from the Meccans in the Christian kingdom of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) before they migrated to the Jewish city of Medina?

Yes, and the Negus of Ethiopia ultimately converted to Islam. And again, there were both Jews and Arabs living in Medina. 

(8) Muhammad the trader became a preacher, warrior, and head of state?

He would more accurately be described as a military commander rather than "warrior." The other decriptions are correct.

(9) Muhammad founded not just a religious faith, but a political empire beginning with the religious city-state of Medina?

The word "empire" implies the subjugation of a periphery to a metropole, which exploits the wealth of the periphery for its benefit. Describing the state established by Muhammad salallahu alaihi wassalam as an empire is therefore incorrect, since in the Islamic state there would ideally be no exploited periphery. Some rulers did in fact treat the Khalifate as an imperial structure, but to ascribe that formation to what Muhammad salallahu alaihi wassalam founded and intended is incorrect.

(10) Most of the administrators and workers of the Islamic empire were Jews and Christians?

Now you have adopted the term "empire" into your question before you even receive an answer about the nature of the Islamic state founded by Muhammad salalhu alaihi wassalam, indicating you already have preconceived notions about the answers to the questions you pose. Nevertheless, since the Khalifate existed for 1300 years in various formations and even broke into competing structures during this time, a full record of all the administrators and workers during this period is not conceivable.

(11) The capital of Islam shifted from Medina to Damascus to Baghdad and then to Spain?

The initial shifts you mention are correct, but after that the Khalifate divided among competing factions and so there were numerous cities claiming to be the seat of the Caliph. The last generally recognized seat of the Caliphate was Istanbul.

(12) Muhammad never saw the Qur�an because the scripture was written, collected and edited well after his death?

False. The Qur'an was written, collected and edited during his lifetime. During the reign of the third Caliph Uthman a definitive version of the Qur'an was assembled.

(13) The name of Muhammad enjoys greater honor than even that of Allah?

Utter nonsense. That notion is contrary to the very essence of Islam.

(14) Islam is theocratic and is technically incompatible with democracy?

Islam is a way of life, not a political ideology. The question is in essence incorrect. A state founded upon Islamic principles could take different forms, and many thinkers such as Ziauddin Sardar have presented democratic models for Islamic governance. But the reduction of Islam to simply an ideology opposed to democracy is disingenous.

(15) Islam is seen as a corrective to the teachings of Judaism and Christianity, one rejecting the prophet Jesus and the other making him God?

Yes.

Edited by Shamil

Thank you to all for contributing your time and knowledge to someone whom are learning. The questions I posted earlier were from a man who founded the Academy Christian Thought in NewYork, Mr. Ron Choong. He lives there and he claims to have done some research and continues to preach about what Christian ought to know about Islam and other religions.

The reason I posted his questions on this web was mainly because I wanted to learn more about the history of Islam and I was sceptical about the answer which he preached to others.

I was a Catholic and when being a Catholic, I must say I am embarrassed by the way of some Christian whom uses evangelism as a strategy to push for conversion or "a reborn". I was even approached by a Christian Pastor whom told me that Islam is a devil religion.

I usually apply logic to some negative or positive comments made by this Pastor. Through this evangelism, they have made me become a non-Catholic and I lost my confident in their teachings and I have no faith in Christian Doctrines. I am now a free thinker but trying to learn about other religions too. I find that Phophet Muhammed is intelligent and the most influential personality in this world. A successful leader.