Of Creeds
Everyone has a creed. Dictionary definition of creed:
Creed: any system, doctrine, or formula of religious belief, as of a denomination.
Your personal creed may not reflect the creed of any other denomination or religious group, but you yourself have a creed.
Now, do you or do you not hold to these twelve points:
1. I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
2. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
3. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
4. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
5. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again.
6. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
7. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
8. I believe in the Holy Spirit,
9. the holy catholic (NOT CATHOLIC AS IN ROMAN CATHOLIC!!! Definition of catholic: "universal in extent; involving all; of interest to all.") Church, the communion of saints,
10. the forgiveness of sins,
11. the resurrection of the body,
12. and life everlasting.
If you hold these twelve points, you hold the Apostle's Creed. If you do not, you do NOT hold the Apostle's Creed. It's a matter of saying you do or do not hold twelve simple statements of faith. Do you or do you not hold these twelve points true? If you do not hold them ALL true, which ones do you disagree with?
Of Canons
If you accept religious texts, you accept a canon of some sort. You may determine your own canon if you wish, but if you accept the canons of others (standard canons), I expect you to follow those who gave you those canons in other ways as well. If you create your own canon, I expect your theology to be based largely on the books in that canon. That is why I want to know which books you consider canonical. Do you accept the canon of the Council of Trent? the Samaritan Canon? the Masoretic Text? Do you accept as canonical other books which are not accepted in the standard canons, such as 1 & 2 Maccabees, Judith, Tobit, the Gospels of Barnabas or Thomas or Mary, the Didache, The Letter of Clement, The Book of Jasher, the Gospel of the Nazarenes, Gospel of the Ebionites, Gospel of the Hebrews, or the HIGHLY interesting Shepherd of Hermas.
YOUR CANON AND YOUR CREED DETERMINE YOUR BELIEF
You have a canon and creed and you must clearly define them, or I shall continue to call you a Christian, as you seem to follow standard Christian creeds and canons.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Women in Iraq
Abstract: The American government has claimed that the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s government in Iraq has given women freedoms that they did not have prior to the beginning of the 2003 war. Independent journalists in Iraq have stated that not only is this a lie, it is exactly opposite of the truth. Many independent sources have confirmed that the US led invasion has cause great suffering and oppression to the Iraqi women. Further, the US backed government in Iraq has enacted un-Islamic law that mirrors American perception of Islamic law, but has no basis in true Islamic jurisprudence.
At the Republican National Convention in 2004, President George W. Bush stated that because of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, "young women across the Middle East will hear the message that their day of equality and justice is coming." The implication of this statement is that women in the Iraq were oppressed prior to the U.S.-led invasions. President Bush and his staff made such insinuations frequently. In reality, women in Iraq had more rights before the U.S.-led invasion than anywhere else in the Middle East (Suri, Saddam Better for Women).
As a result of this constant misrepresentation of the facts on the ground, as well as the gross failure of much of the Western media to report the facts as they are, many Americans have a distorted view of the life of women in Iraq prior to the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Numerous independent reports have shown that most women highly preferred Saddam Hussein’s “barbaric” regime to current conditions, and that they are substantially more oppressed now than ever before in Iraqi history. Even in Afghanistan, women say that their lives are getting progressively worse since the U.S. invasion (Motevalli, First Afghan Woman Mayor Says Women's Rights Worsened).
One of the areas of life where women’s rights have devolved is in the area of education. Most Americans will agree that an educated woman is an empowered woman. Iraq’s constitution, created by the Baath party, guaranteed women and men equal access to education. Six years after Saddam Hussein took power, there was a 75% literacy rate among women. U.S. sanctions in the 1990s forced the Iraqi government to reduce their education budget. By the year 2000, only 25% of Iraqi women were literate (Al-Azzawi, Deterioration of Iraqi Women's Rights and Living Conditions Under Occupation). Today, women are almost entirely unable to go to school. Nora Hamaid, 30, told reporters, “I completed my studies before the [American] invaders arrived because there was good security and I could freely go to university.” Now she is afraid to send her children to school, because the abduction and murder of women and children is so common: “I mean, every day, from when they depart to when they return from school, for fear of abductions.” (Jamail, Women Miss Sadam)
Women also had the ability to pursue careers of their own choosing. They had many rights and benefits provided them by law. Women holding government jobs received one year paid maternity leave. That time has been cut in half (Jamail, Women Miss Saddam). A government employee who asked to be called “Iman” (Faith) told reporters: “I am an employee, and everyday go to my work place, and the biggest challenge for me and all the suffering Iraqis is [that] the roads are closed and you feel you are a person without rights, without respect. To what extent has this improved my security? We have better salaries now, but how can women live with no security? How can we enjoy our rights if there is no safe place to go, for rest and recreation and living?”
But for her complaints, Iman is one of the lucky ones. In “Brutalized For Western Profit” (Nousratpour), the Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq says: “Women have all but disappeared from public life for fear of being raped, killed, kidnapped or trafficked to foreign countries." Before the U.S. led invasion, women were able to roam the streets fearlessly. Today, only 10% of Iraqi women have regular salaried jobs. Ironically, inability to leave the house for fear of rape has driven tens of thousands of women into such dire poverty that they are forced into prostitution (Nousratpour, Brutalized for Western Profit).
Before the invasion, women were able to leave the house dressed however they willed. (RWOR, What the U.S. Occupation Has Meant for Iraqi Women). They had the freedom to choose their own ways of dress, just like western women. If they chose to wear hijab (veil), they did; if they did not wish to do so, no one compelled them to do so. Today, tailors have been ordered to only make certain types of clothing (Ibid.). Women are afraid to leave their houses dressed in ways that the local government condemns.
Not only has the life of women outside the house become unbearable, the life of women within their own houses have been increasingly threatened since the invasion. In Fallujah alone, more than seventy women have been killed just for opening the doors of their homes when men knocked. (Ibid.) Women are trapped: if they person knocking is a soldier and they do not answer, the door will be broken down and they will be shot; but if they do open the door, the person may be a thug who will shoot them for this “crime.” This never happened before the invasion.
The married life of women has also deteriorated. Without the ability to hold down jobs, poverty-stricken women are forced to marry in the hopes that a husband can provide for them. The marriage age of women is getting lower because younger and younger girls need husbands to provide for them (Jamail, Women Miss Saddam). Saddam Hussein’s government made polygamy practically impossible, but the current government is enabling it. Even in relatively progressive Kurdistan, polygamy is being touted by the new government (Nousratpour, Brutalized for Western Profit).
Under Saddam Hussein, women had the right to divorce their husbands, had equal consideration in the custody of children, and even had the ability to receive child support (al Azzawi, Deterioration of Women’s Rights). The current government only allows men to divorce women, and automatically gives children of divorced women to the husband. Women were protected against domestic violence in marriage (Ramdas, U.S. Invasion Makes Life Worse for Women of Iraq). Today this right is also gone, and gruesome and despicable “honor killings” are on the rise.
Perhaps the next issue that comes to the reader’s mind is, “Perhaps Islamic law, the official basis for the new law, is the problem.” Then we must ask, “Does Islam support the way that women are being treated in Iraq today?” The answer is a resounding “No.” Islam has always been, and remains, ahead of its time in the equal and fair treatment of women.
To understand my next points, we must begin with a basic understanding of basic Islamic law. Islamic scholars are divided into groups called “madhabs”. Each madhab has a distinct way of deriving law. The two basic sources of Islamic law are the Qur’an and the hadith (anecdotal stories from the life and teachings of Muhammad). Shi’a also add logic. Shi’ite courts traditionally seek logical cases endings more than Sunni courts. Sunni courts, on the other hand, traditionally rely more on legal precedent and the consensus of Islamic scholars, especially the early scholars.
In Islamic law, women and men are both ordered to seek knowledge and education. Sahih Bukhari (the most respected collection of hadith) says: "Seeking knowledge is mandatory for every Muslim". Muslim women have, from the earliest times, had equal education to men. Aisha bint Abu Bakr, who married Muhammad after the death of his first wife Khadija, became one of the most important “authors” (narrators) and teachers of Islamic law. Men came from afar and sat at her feet to learn. Before her marriage, she had overseen her father’s travels, packing his provision for many weeks’ travel into the harsh Arabian desert.
Women have had jobs in Islamic history. Islamic law guarantees women and men equal wages, a right American women do not enjoy to this day. Also, a Muslim woman is not required to share her income with her husband. He is required to provide for her provision, but if she does not wish to give him money from her earnings, there is no fault in her. During the Middle Ages, most of the wealth owned by Muslims was owned by women. Women inherited money from their fathers and husbands, or earned it, and used this money to affect many aspects of daily life, including the building of schools and mosques.
Islam does not compel women to veil themselves against their will. There is no set penalty for women who do not wear hijab under Islamic law. The only years a woman is strongly recommended to wear hijab are the years she menstruates. Before puberty and after menopause, it is purely optional. Also, a woman does not only need to wear hijab when she is at home, or with those who are close relatives of hers.
It is also useful at this juncture to mention that Islam is not the only major religion that orders women to wear the veil. Both Judaism and Christianity mandate the complete covering of women’s hair. In the Mishne Torah, Sefer Qedusha, in Hilkhoth Isurei Bi'ah 21:17 one can read the Rambam’s strict order that all women of marriage age must cover their hair, whether they are married or unmarried. In the Christian scriptures, Paul says, “For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.” (1 Cor. 11:6).
The killing of women within their own homes, simply for the crime of opening the door, is deplorable and without any precedent in Islamic law. Even in wartime, the killing of women and children is strictly forbidden unless the woman is actively engaged in combat. Non-combatant women are never to be killed.
Islamic law, though it allows polygamy, makes actually keeping multiple wives practically impossible. The man must be financial capable of fully supporting each wife and all of her children, something very few men can do today. Also, receiving the permission of the first wife to add a second wife to the family is strongly recommended.
Women in Islamic law have the right to divorce their husband in court. As the following well-known and accepted hadith shows, the mother is considered three times as important as the father, giving her preference in case of divorce except in cases when she abandons the children:
Bahz bin Hakim, on his father’s authority, said that his grandfather told him that he had asked Allah’s Messenger to whom he should show kindness and that the Prophet had replied: “Your mother.” He asked who came next and he replied: “Your mother.” He asked who came next and he replied for the third time: “Your mother.” He again asked who came next and he replied: “Your father, then your relatives in order of relationship” (Abu Dawud, 5120).
Islam, before any other culture, directly outlawed the killing of newborn daughters—still a common practice in China and parts of Hindu India. Kindness to daughters is one of the ways to be assured of Paradise in the hereafter according to Islam. There is no greater sin in Islam than the murder of one’s own daughter.
Women have always held a high place of honor in Islamic society. The first person to accept Muhammad as a prophet was a woman, as was the first Muslim casualty of war. Women served positions in government; Ash-Shefaa bint Abd’Allah al-Adawiyyah served as minister of finance during the first Caliphate. Umm Hani, the cousin of Muhammad, gave pardons to prisoners of war, and her pardons were accepted by Muhammad as valid and those she declared free were freed. Women received the right to vote and to pledge their allegiance to a leader during the time of Muhammad himself, and women were consulted in the nominations of the Caliphs, whereas American women did not receive the right to vote until 1917.
A woman can be a judge in an Islamic court, a position they did not hold in American courts until the 1870. Women have been heads of state in four of the five most populated Muslim-majority countries, as well as many other Muslim-majority countries, but have not yet reached this level in the United States.
By now, it should be clear to the honest reader that Islam does not and has not ever oppressed women. Rather, the oppression of women occurring today in Iraq is the direct result of the American occupation and puppet government. Iraqi women were not oppressed under Saddam Hussein as much as they are today under American rule.
Works Cited
Al-Azzawi, Souad N. "Deterioration of Iraqi Women's Rights and Living Conditions Under Occupation." Deterioration of Iraqi Women's Rights and Living Conditions Under Occupation. Web. 8 Apr. 2010..
Jamail, Dahr, and Abdu Rahman. "Iraq: Women's Rights in Danger." Al Jazeera English. 20 Mar. 2010. Web. 8 Apr. 2010..
Jamail, Dahr. "Women Miss Sadam." Dahr Jamail's Mideast Dispatches. 12 Mar. 2010. Web. 8 Apr. 2010..
Motevalli, Golnar. "First Afghan Woman Mayor Says Women's Rights Worsened." Reuters. 15 Jan. 2009. Web. 8 Apr. 2010..
Ramdas, Kavita. "U.S. Invasion Makes Life Worse for Women of Iraq." SeattlePI. 2 Jan. 2007. Web. 8 Apr. 2010..
Suri, Sanjay. "IRAQ: Saddam Better for Women." Inter Press Service. 29 Mar. 2006. Web. 8 Apr. 2010..
"What the U.S. Occupation Has Meant for Iraqi Women." Revolution 38 (12 Mar. 2006). Rwor.org. Web. 8 Apr. 2010..
Nousratpour, Louise. "Brutalized for Western Profit." Equality In Iraq. Organisation for Women's Freedom in Iraq, 10 Feb. 2010. Web. 10 Apr. 2010..
At the Republican National Convention in 2004, President George W. Bush stated that because of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, "young women across the Middle East will hear the message that their day of equality and justice is coming." The implication of this statement is that women in the Iraq were oppressed prior to the U.S.-led invasions. President Bush and his staff made such insinuations frequently. In reality, women in Iraq had more rights before the U.S.-led invasion than anywhere else in the Middle East (Suri, Saddam Better for Women).
As a result of this constant misrepresentation of the facts on the ground, as well as the gross failure of much of the Western media to report the facts as they are, many Americans have a distorted view of the life of women in Iraq prior to the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Numerous independent reports have shown that most women highly preferred Saddam Hussein’s “barbaric” regime to current conditions, and that they are substantially more oppressed now than ever before in Iraqi history. Even in Afghanistan, women say that their lives are getting progressively worse since the U.S. invasion (Motevalli, First Afghan Woman Mayor Says Women's Rights Worsened).
One of the areas of life where women’s rights have devolved is in the area of education. Most Americans will agree that an educated woman is an empowered woman. Iraq’s constitution, created by the Baath party, guaranteed women and men equal access to education. Six years after Saddam Hussein took power, there was a 75% literacy rate among women. U.S. sanctions in the 1990s forced the Iraqi government to reduce their education budget. By the year 2000, only 25% of Iraqi women were literate (Al-Azzawi, Deterioration of Iraqi Women's Rights and Living Conditions Under Occupation). Today, women are almost entirely unable to go to school. Nora Hamaid, 30, told reporters, “I completed my studies before the [American] invaders arrived because there was good security and I could freely go to university.” Now she is afraid to send her children to school, because the abduction and murder of women and children is so common: “I mean, every day, from when they depart to when they return from school, for fear of abductions.” (Jamail, Women Miss Sadam)
Women also had the ability to pursue careers of their own choosing. They had many rights and benefits provided them by law. Women holding government jobs received one year paid maternity leave. That time has been cut in half (Jamail, Women Miss Saddam). A government employee who asked to be called “Iman” (Faith) told reporters: “I am an employee, and everyday go to my work place, and the biggest challenge for me and all the suffering Iraqis is [that] the roads are closed and you feel you are a person without rights, without respect. To what extent has this improved my security? We have better salaries now, but how can women live with no security? How can we enjoy our rights if there is no safe place to go, for rest and recreation and living?”
But for her complaints, Iman is one of the lucky ones. In “Brutalized For Western Profit” (Nousratpour), the Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq says: “Women have all but disappeared from public life for fear of being raped, killed, kidnapped or trafficked to foreign countries." Before the U.S. led invasion, women were able to roam the streets fearlessly. Today, only 10% of Iraqi women have regular salaried jobs. Ironically, inability to leave the house for fear of rape has driven tens of thousands of women into such dire poverty that they are forced into prostitution (Nousratpour, Brutalized for Western Profit).
Before the invasion, women were able to leave the house dressed however they willed. (RWOR, What the U.S. Occupation Has Meant for Iraqi Women). They had the freedom to choose their own ways of dress, just like western women. If they chose to wear hijab (veil), they did; if they did not wish to do so, no one compelled them to do so. Today, tailors have been ordered to only make certain types of clothing (Ibid.). Women are afraid to leave their houses dressed in ways that the local government condemns.
Not only has the life of women outside the house become unbearable, the life of women within their own houses have been increasingly threatened since the invasion. In Fallujah alone, more than seventy women have been killed just for opening the doors of their homes when men knocked. (Ibid.) Women are trapped: if they person knocking is a soldier and they do not answer, the door will be broken down and they will be shot; but if they do open the door, the person may be a thug who will shoot them for this “crime.” This never happened before the invasion.
The married life of women has also deteriorated. Without the ability to hold down jobs, poverty-stricken women are forced to marry in the hopes that a husband can provide for them. The marriage age of women is getting lower because younger and younger girls need husbands to provide for them (Jamail, Women Miss Saddam). Saddam Hussein’s government made polygamy practically impossible, but the current government is enabling it. Even in relatively progressive Kurdistan, polygamy is being touted by the new government (Nousratpour, Brutalized for Western Profit).
Under Saddam Hussein, women had the right to divorce their husbands, had equal consideration in the custody of children, and even had the ability to receive child support (al Azzawi, Deterioration of Women’s Rights). The current government only allows men to divorce women, and automatically gives children of divorced women to the husband. Women were protected against domestic violence in marriage (Ramdas, U.S. Invasion Makes Life Worse for Women of Iraq). Today this right is also gone, and gruesome and despicable “honor killings” are on the rise.
Perhaps the next issue that comes to the reader’s mind is, “Perhaps Islamic law, the official basis for the new law, is the problem.” Then we must ask, “Does Islam support the way that women are being treated in Iraq today?” The answer is a resounding “No.” Islam has always been, and remains, ahead of its time in the equal and fair treatment of women.
To understand my next points, we must begin with a basic understanding of basic Islamic law. Islamic scholars are divided into groups called “madhabs”. Each madhab has a distinct way of deriving law. The two basic sources of Islamic law are the Qur’an and the hadith (anecdotal stories from the life and teachings of Muhammad). Shi’a also add logic. Shi’ite courts traditionally seek logical cases endings more than Sunni courts. Sunni courts, on the other hand, traditionally rely more on legal precedent and the consensus of Islamic scholars, especially the early scholars.
In Islamic law, women and men are both ordered to seek knowledge and education. Sahih Bukhari (the most respected collection of hadith) says: "Seeking knowledge is mandatory for every Muslim". Muslim women have, from the earliest times, had equal education to men. Aisha bint Abu Bakr, who married Muhammad after the death of his first wife Khadija, became one of the most important “authors” (narrators) and teachers of Islamic law. Men came from afar and sat at her feet to learn. Before her marriage, she had overseen her father’s travels, packing his provision for many weeks’ travel into the harsh Arabian desert.
Women have had jobs in Islamic history. Islamic law guarantees women and men equal wages, a right American women do not enjoy to this day. Also, a Muslim woman is not required to share her income with her husband. He is required to provide for her provision, but if she does not wish to give him money from her earnings, there is no fault in her. During the Middle Ages, most of the wealth owned by Muslims was owned by women. Women inherited money from their fathers and husbands, or earned it, and used this money to affect many aspects of daily life, including the building of schools and mosques.
Islam does not compel women to veil themselves against their will. There is no set penalty for women who do not wear hijab under Islamic law. The only years a woman is strongly recommended to wear hijab are the years she menstruates. Before puberty and after menopause, it is purely optional. Also, a woman does not only need to wear hijab when she is at home, or with those who are close relatives of hers.
It is also useful at this juncture to mention that Islam is not the only major religion that orders women to wear the veil. Both Judaism and Christianity mandate the complete covering of women’s hair. In the Mishne Torah, Sefer Qedusha, in Hilkhoth Isurei Bi'ah 21:17 one can read the Rambam’s strict order that all women of marriage age must cover their hair, whether they are married or unmarried. In the Christian scriptures, Paul says, “For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.” (1 Cor. 11:6).
The killing of women within their own homes, simply for the crime of opening the door, is deplorable and without any precedent in Islamic law. Even in wartime, the killing of women and children is strictly forbidden unless the woman is actively engaged in combat. Non-combatant women are never to be killed.
Islamic law, though it allows polygamy, makes actually keeping multiple wives practically impossible. The man must be financial capable of fully supporting each wife and all of her children, something very few men can do today. Also, receiving the permission of the first wife to add a second wife to the family is strongly recommended.
Women in Islamic law have the right to divorce their husband in court. As the following well-known and accepted hadith shows, the mother is considered three times as important as the father, giving her preference in case of divorce except in cases when she abandons the children:
Bahz bin Hakim, on his father’s authority, said that his grandfather told him that he had asked Allah’s Messenger to whom he should show kindness and that the Prophet had replied: “Your mother.” He asked who came next and he replied: “Your mother.” He asked who came next and he replied for the third time: “Your mother.” He again asked who came next and he replied: “Your father, then your relatives in order of relationship” (Abu Dawud, 5120).
Islam, before any other culture, directly outlawed the killing of newborn daughters—still a common practice in China and parts of Hindu India. Kindness to daughters is one of the ways to be assured of Paradise in the hereafter according to Islam. There is no greater sin in Islam than the murder of one’s own daughter.
Women have always held a high place of honor in Islamic society. The first person to accept Muhammad as a prophet was a woman, as was the first Muslim casualty of war. Women served positions in government; Ash-Shefaa bint Abd’Allah al-Adawiyyah served as minister of finance during the first Caliphate. Umm Hani, the cousin of Muhammad, gave pardons to prisoners of war, and her pardons were accepted by Muhammad as valid and those she declared free were freed. Women received the right to vote and to pledge their allegiance to a leader during the time of Muhammad himself, and women were consulted in the nominations of the Caliphs, whereas American women did not receive the right to vote until 1917.
A woman can be a judge in an Islamic court, a position they did not hold in American courts until the 1870. Women have been heads of state in four of the five most populated Muslim-majority countries, as well as many other Muslim-majority countries, but have not yet reached this level in the United States.
By now, it should be clear to the honest reader that Islam does not and has not ever oppressed women. Rather, the oppression of women occurring today in Iraq is the direct result of the American occupation and puppet government. Iraqi women were not oppressed under Saddam Hussein as much as they are today under American rule.
Works Cited
Al-Azzawi, Souad N. "Deterioration of Iraqi Women's Rights and Living Conditions Under Occupation." Deterioration of Iraqi Women's Rights and Living Conditions Under Occupation. Web. 8 Apr. 2010.
Jamail, Dahr, and Abdu Rahman. "Iraq: Women's Rights in Danger." Al Jazeera English. 20 Mar. 2010. Web. 8 Apr. 2010.
Jamail, Dahr. "Women Miss Sadam." Dahr Jamail's Mideast Dispatches. 12 Mar. 2010. Web. 8 Apr. 2010.
Motevalli, Golnar. "First Afghan Woman Mayor Says Women's Rights Worsened." Reuters. 15 Jan. 2009. Web. 8 Apr. 2010.
Ramdas, Kavita. "U.S. Invasion Makes Life Worse for Women of Iraq." SeattlePI. 2 Jan. 2007. Web. 8 Apr. 2010.
Suri, Sanjay. "IRAQ: Saddam Better for Women." Inter Press Service. 29 Mar. 2006. Web. 8 Apr. 2010.
"What the U.S. Occupation Has Meant for Iraqi Women." Revolution 38 (12 Mar. 2006). Rwor.org. Web. 8 Apr. 2010.
Nousratpour, Louise. "Brutalized for Western Profit." Equality In Iraq. Organisation for Women's Freedom in Iraq, 10 Feb. 2010. Web. 10 Apr. 2010.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Status, Rights, and Responsibilities of Women in Islam
It seems that I write one of these most every Saturday in response to the questions of the week; I hope y'all enjoy reading them. Question of the week is: Does Islam oppress women?
Equality of Women
Men and women are equals in Islam. Both men and women are entrusted with rights and responsibilities that are in accordance with their physical differences and abilities. Although responsibilities are different by gender, rewards and punishments in the hereafter are identical. (As a sidenote, this is why I reject the "70 virgins" hadith, in addition to the fact that it was written about 200 years after the death of Muhammad saws, and its chain of narration is weak. Rather, I believe that the "spouses" they will be with in paradise [3:15] are the righteous partners they had in their lives on earth. Returning to my topic...) The Quran says [16:97] "Anyone who works righteousness, male or female, while believing, we will surely grant them a happy life in this world, and we will surely pay them their full recompense (on the Day of Judgment) for their righteous works." And: [33:35] "The submitting men, the submitting women, the believing men, the believing women, the obedient men, the obedient women, the truthful men, the truthful women, the steadfast men, the steadfast women, the reverent men, the reverent women, the charitable men, the charitable women, the fasting men, the fasting women, the chaste men, the chaste women, and the men who commemorate GOD frequently, and the commemorating women; GOD has prepared for them forgiveness and a great recompense." The Quran gives the only distinction between people: their piety. [49:13] "O people, we created you from the same male and female, and rendered you distinct peoples and tribes, that you may recognize one another. The best among you in the sight of GOD is the most righteous. GOD is Omniscient, Cognizant." This message is repeated in the last sermon of the Prophet Muhammad (saws).
Rights of Women
Islam gave women rights and freedoms long before the European world, and continues to be ahead of its time in terms of equality of men and women. It is puzzling when many Westerners say that Islam oppresses women. Here, in life order, are some of the protections afforded women in Islam before they were offered in other cultures.
At Birth
In much of the east, it has long been common to favor having male children to continue the family name. Female infants were often killed at birth, and are now frequently aborted in China and India. Islam forbids female infanticide: And when the girl [who was] buried alive is asked for what sin she was killed and when the pages are made public and when the sky is stripped away and when Hellfire is set ablaze and when Paradise is brought near, a soul will [then] know what it has brought [with it]." [81:8-14] Those responsible for burying a girl child will be brought to task for their sins.
In Childhood
The Prophet (pbuh) said: "Whosoever has a daughter and he does not bury her alive, does not insult her, and does not favor his son over her, God will enter him into Paradise." Islam supports the equal education of girls and boys: "Seeking knowledge is mandatory for every Muslim". (AlBayhaqi). Muslim here includes both males and females.
In Marriage
Islam does not allow parents to force their children into marriage against their will. Ibn Abbas reported that a girl came to the Prophet Muhammad, and she reported that her father had forced her to marry without her consent. The Messenger of God gave her the choice between accepting the marriage or invalidating it. (Ibn Hanbal No. 2469). The girl said: "Actually I accept this marriage but I wanted to let women know that parents have no right (to force a husband on them)" (Ibn Maja, No. 1873).
Islam also forbids consummation of marriage before puberty, and should a woman be married before puberty she may complain to the courts and have her marriage invalidated. Islam prohibits violence against wives; the Prophet himself never raised a hand against his wives. The Prophet said: "The most perfect believers are the best in conduct and best of you are those who are best to their wives." (Ibn-Hanbal, No. 7396)
As a Mother
The Prophet many times relates the high status of the mother in Islam: A man once came to Muhammad and asked, "O Messenger of God, who among the people is the most worthy of my good company?" The Prophet (saws) said, Your mother. The man said, "Then who else?": The Prophet said, "Your mother." The man asked, "Then who else?" Only then did the Prophet say, "Your father." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim). The Prophet Muhammad also said, "Paradise is at the feet of mothers." (In Al'Nisa'I, Ibn Majah, Ahmad).
In Muslim History
Women have been given equal esteem in the carrying on of Islamic traditions since the beginning of the Prophet's ministry. Khadija (ra) was the first person to accept Muhammad as the Messenger of God, and Aisha was among the greatest narrators of hadiths. Muhammad's daughter Fatima was the only child of his to outlive him, and was influential in the history of Islam. An entire surah of the Qur'an is named after a woman (Surah Maryam). Hagar is famous in Islamic history for her piety, even when she was thrown out of her home.
In Secular History
Muslim women have been very influential not only in Muslim history but in secular history as well. Samira Musa and Khawla el-Krai (sp) were female Muslim scientists. Al-Ador Alkareemah bin Salah is an example of a Muslim Queen.
Responsibilities of Women
Women in Islam have responsibilities, just as men do. Women are not prohibited from having their own jobs, but are encouraged to first ensure the Islamic upbringing of their children. Women are responsible to follow the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad just as men are. Women are responsible to pray, to fast, and to do what is right, just as men. The only major difference is that a woman is not required to perform prayer or fast when she is having her regular cycle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB_lLb2JsvI
Equality of Women
Men and women are equals in Islam. Both men and women are entrusted with rights and responsibilities that are in accordance with their physical differences and abilities. Although responsibilities are different by gender, rewards and punishments in the hereafter are identical. (As a sidenote, this is why I reject the "70 virgins" hadith, in addition to the fact that it was written about 200 years after the death of Muhammad saws, and its chain of narration is weak. Rather, I believe that the "spouses" they will be with in paradise [3:15] are the righteous partners they had in their lives on earth. Returning to my topic...) The Quran says [16:97] "Anyone who works righteousness, male or female, while believing, we will surely grant them a happy life in this world, and we will surely pay them their full recompense (on the Day of Judgment) for their righteous works." And: [33:35] "The submitting men, the submitting women, the believing men, the believing women, the obedient men, the obedient women, the truthful men, the truthful women, the steadfast men, the steadfast women, the reverent men, the reverent women, the charitable men, the charitable women, the fasting men, the fasting women, the chaste men, the chaste women, and the men who commemorate GOD frequently, and the commemorating women; GOD has prepared for them forgiveness and a great recompense." The Quran gives the only distinction between people: their piety. [49:13] "O people, we created you from the same male and female, and rendered you distinct peoples and tribes, that you may recognize one another. The best among you in the sight of GOD is the most righteous. GOD is Omniscient, Cognizant." This message is repeated in the last sermon of the Prophet Muhammad (saws).
Rights of Women
Islam gave women rights and freedoms long before the European world, and continues to be ahead of its time in terms of equality of men and women. It is puzzling when many Westerners say that Islam oppresses women. Here, in life order, are some of the protections afforded women in Islam before they were offered in other cultures.
At Birth
In much of the east, it has long been common to favor having male children to continue the family name. Female infants were often killed at birth, and are now frequently aborted in China and India. Islam forbids female infanticide: And when the girl [who was] buried alive is asked for what sin she was killed and when the pages are made public and when the sky is stripped away and when Hellfire is set ablaze and when Paradise is brought near, a soul will [then] know what it has brought [with it]." [81:8-14] Those responsible for burying a girl child will be brought to task for their sins.
In Childhood
The Prophet (pbuh) said: "Whosoever has a daughter and he does not bury her alive, does not insult her, and does not favor his son over her, God will enter him into Paradise." Islam supports the equal education of girls and boys: "Seeking knowledge is mandatory for every Muslim". (AlBayhaqi). Muslim here includes both males and females.
In Marriage
Islam does not allow parents to force their children into marriage against their will. Ibn Abbas reported that a girl came to the Prophet Muhammad, and she reported that her father had forced her to marry without her consent. The Messenger of God gave her the choice between accepting the marriage or invalidating it. (Ibn Hanbal No. 2469). The girl said: "Actually I accept this marriage but I wanted to let women know that parents have no right (to force a husband on them)" (Ibn Maja, No. 1873).
Islam also forbids consummation of marriage before puberty, and should a woman be married before puberty she may complain to the courts and have her marriage invalidated. Islam prohibits violence against wives; the Prophet himself never raised a hand against his wives. The Prophet said: "The most perfect believers are the best in conduct and best of you are those who are best to their wives." (Ibn-Hanbal, No. 7396)
As a Mother
The Prophet many times relates the high status of the mother in Islam: A man once came to Muhammad and asked, "O Messenger of God, who among the people is the most worthy of my good company?" The Prophet (saws) said, Your mother. The man said, "Then who else?": The Prophet said, "Your mother." The man asked, "Then who else?" Only then did the Prophet say, "Your father." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim). The Prophet Muhammad also said, "Paradise is at the feet of mothers." (In Al'Nisa'I, Ibn Majah, Ahmad).
In Muslim History
Women have been given equal esteem in the carrying on of Islamic traditions since the beginning of the Prophet's ministry. Khadija (ra) was the first person to accept Muhammad as the Messenger of God, and Aisha was among the greatest narrators of hadiths. Muhammad's daughter Fatima was the only child of his to outlive him, and was influential in the history of Islam. An entire surah of the Qur'an is named after a woman (Surah Maryam). Hagar is famous in Islamic history for her piety, even when she was thrown out of her home.
In Secular History
Muslim women have been very influential not only in Muslim history but in secular history as well. Samira Musa and Khawla el-Krai (sp) were female Muslim scientists. Al-Ador Alkareemah bin Salah is an example of a Muslim Queen.
Responsibilities of Women
Women in Islam have responsibilities, just as men do. Women are not prohibited from having their own jobs, but are encouraged to first ensure the Islamic upbringing of their children. Women are responsible to follow the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad just as men are. Women are responsible to pray, to fast, and to do what is right, just as men. The only major difference is that a woman is not required to perform prayer or fast when she is having her regular cycle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB_lLb2JsvI
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Peace Thru Dialogue Pt 1
This is the unedited text version of the video format.
Assalamu aliekum wa rahmatullah wa barakhatu. May the peace, mercy and blessings of God be on you.
Insha'Allah this is the first video in my "Peace through Dialogue" series where I will discuss with Jewish youtube user omedyashar various issues and points of misunderstanding between Jews and Muslims in the hopes of increasing mutual understanding and clearing some misconceptions both sides may hold about the other. I want to personally thank Yusuf for agreeing to this dialogue. We have always maintained a public attitude of respect for each other, which was one of the reasons I chose to ask you to participate in this dialogue. The other major reason was that I highly respect your knowledge of Judaism, and hope you will continue to share it with the Muslim community, which already tends to respect you.
Without further distraction, I'd like to jump to this video's topic. One of the most critical components of both Judaism and Islam is belief in One God. In Islam, one of the simplest explanations of the nature of God is found in Surah Ikhlas, which was quoted in part earlier in this video. The opening verse is "Qul hu Allah hu ahhad"--Say He is Allah, the One. This is a declaration of the absolute unity of God, and the denial that He has any partners or opposites, as Ahhad also means "unique". The next verse says, "Allahu sommad." This verse means that God is independent of everything, and that everything depends on Him. The third verse states "Lam yalid wa lam yoolad": He does not beget, nor was He begotten. Verse four reads "Walam yakud lahu kuffuwan ahhadu": There is none like unto Him.
We also believe that God cannot be described using terms indicating time and space, as He is outside both. We believe God cannot be visualized or bound to a physical form. We believe Him to be transcendental. We believe God is eternal, without beginning or end. We believe He had no "need" to create the universe, and that it added nothing to Him because He existed with His attributes before time.
We do not believe God has a gender. In the Arabic language, the word Allah cannot be pluralized (as gods or elohim), nor can it be feminized (as goddess.
One of the things we as Muslims believe that God does not do is repent. We believe repentance denotes a need for forgiveness, and also demonstrates that there is one to receive the repentance. The Torah appears to say in several places that God repents.
Genesis 6:6 reads, "And it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart." Does this verse imply that the creation of man was a sin? Also, why did it grieve God? To what extent are the actions of man beyond the control of God in Judaism?
A similar verse is Exodus 32:14" "And the LORD repented of the evil which He said He would do unto His people." Does this verse imply that God can plan to do evil or sin, and later repent of that evil?
Another question I'd like to ask, which is similar to the former, is: Do Jews believe God to be omniscient? In Genesis 3:9 we read "And the LORD God called unto the man [Adam], and said unto him: 'Where art thou?'" Why does God need to ask where Adam was?
In conclusion, although the Jewish concept of God appeals to the monotheistic mind, the Jewish scriptures appear to present God as less than perfect and with what we might perceive as major flaws. I look forward to hearing your understanding of these verses and discussing the questions you will bring about Islam.
Assalamu aliekum wa rahmatullah wa barakhatu. May the peace, mercy and blessings of God be on you.
Insha'Allah this is the first video in my "Peace through Dialogue" series where I will discuss with Jewish youtube user omedyashar various issues and points of misunderstanding between Jews and Muslims in the hopes of increasing mutual understanding and clearing some misconceptions both sides may hold about the other. I want to personally thank Yusuf for agreeing to this dialogue. We have always maintained a public attitude of respect for each other, which was one of the reasons I chose to ask you to participate in this dialogue. The other major reason was that I highly respect your knowledge of Judaism, and hope you will continue to share it with the Muslim community, which already tends to respect you.
Without further distraction, I'd like to jump to this video's topic. One of the most critical components of both Judaism and Islam is belief in One God. In Islam, one of the simplest explanations of the nature of God is found in Surah Ikhlas, which was quoted in part earlier in this video. The opening verse is "Qul hu Allah hu ahhad"--Say He is Allah, the One. This is a declaration of the absolute unity of God, and the denial that He has any partners or opposites, as Ahhad also means "unique". The next verse says, "Allahu sommad." This verse means that God is independent of everything, and that everything depends on Him. The third verse states "Lam yalid wa lam yoolad": He does not beget, nor was He begotten. Verse four reads "Walam yakud lahu kuffuwan ahhadu": There is none like unto Him.
We also believe that God cannot be described using terms indicating time and space, as He is outside both. We believe God cannot be visualized or bound to a physical form. We believe Him to be transcendental. We believe God is eternal, without beginning or end. We believe He had no "need" to create the universe, and that it added nothing to Him because He existed with His attributes before time.
We do not believe God has a gender. In the Arabic language, the word Allah cannot be pluralized (as gods or elohim), nor can it be feminized (as goddess.
One of the things we as Muslims believe that God does not do is repent. We believe repentance denotes a need for forgiveness, and also demonstrates that there is one to receive the repentance. The Torah appears to say in several places that God repents.
Genesis 6:6 reads, "And it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart." Does this verse imply that the creation of man was a sin? Also, why did it grieve God? To what extent are the actions of man beyond the control of God in Judaism?
A similar verse is Exodus 32:14" "And the LORD repented of the evil which He said He would do unto His people." Does this verse imply that God can plan to do evil or sin, and later repent of that evil?
Another question I'd like to ask, which is similar to the former, is: Do Jews believe God to be omniscient? In Genesis 3:9 we read "And the LORD God called unto the man [Adam], and said unto him: 'Where art thou?'" Why does God need to ask where Adam was?
In conclusion, although the Jewish concept of God appeals to the monotheistic mind, the Jewish scriptures appear to present God as less than perfect and with what we might perceive as major flaws. I look forward to hearing your understanding of these verses and discussing the questions you will bring about Islam.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
For the Christians
Insha’Allah in this paper, we will have the opportunity to learn about each other and come to a better understanding of each other. The perfect Qur’an teaches peace and respect for the beliefs and opinions of others. It teaches me that you have a right to live your life the way you choose. In 10:99 God says that if He wished, he could have made every human being believe in him perfectly without any choice in the matter, as the angels worship Him. It asks me who I am, if I would attempt to coerce you to believe, when God Himself did not do so, nor did He will it. Therefore, without coercion of religion, let me attempt to discuss with you some points of disagreement between us and you.
First, I want to state a premise on which we stand in agreement. We agree that there is One God—although I do not believe you worship Him as One because of the doctrine of the Trinity, but that is another debate. We agree that Jesus was sent by God, that he was born of a virgin, that He taught God’s word to the people of his day, and that he was messiah—anointed by God. But we also differ on some issues. In this paper we are going to discuss insha’Allah one of the issues we disagree on.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:14-And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Baptism in the name of Jesus is also in vain, according to verse 29. The atoning death and resurrection of Jesus are the most central points in the Christian faith; without them, there is no Christianity. However, Jesus himself never said that his death would be for the forgiveness of sin. In fact, according to the Gospels that we have, in his lifetime he told people that their sins were forgiven, such as in Matthew 9:2: “Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee;” also in Mark 2:5, Luke 5:20 and 7:47, In the popular prayer he taught his disciples he said, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12), without mention of his death and resurrection as the basis for such forgiveness. The basis he gives for forgiveness of sins is forgiving others and repenting of your own sins.
His resurrection was also seen by Paul as an important proof that he was the son of God. Romans 1:4: “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” The New Testament also refers to Jesus as the “first begotten of the dead,” (Rev. 1:5), the first to be resurrected; but the Bible gives accounts of 4 others who were raised from the dead—two young men, a man thrown into the grave of a prophet, and Lazarus, who was resurrected by Jesus. The resurrection of Jesus is necessary to the Christian faith as the proof that Jesus was indeed the son of God, that his sacrifice had been accepted, and that the sins of mankind had been forgiven through him.
I have a proof I would like to bring from the Bible that Jesus did not die for our sins. In Ezekiel 46:16-18, God said:
16 Thus saith the Lord GOD: If the prince give a gift unto any of his sons, it is his inheritance, it shall belong to his sons; it is their possession by inheritance. 17 But if he give of his inheritance a gift to one of his servants, it shall be his to the year of liberty; then it shall return to the prince; but as for his inheritance, it shall be for his sons. 18 Moreover the prince shall not take of the people's inheritance, to thrust them wrongfully out of their possession; he shall give inheritance to his sons out of his own possession; that My people be not scattered every man from his possession.'
In this verse are three important people: The Prince, his sons, and his servants. What is important in understanding this verse is who the Prince is. I will demonstrate to you in three ways that it cannot be anyone other than the messiah. 1. Historically, Ezekiel came after all the kings and princes of Israel and Judah. It cannot be in reference to anyone before him because then it would not be a prophecy; besides which none of them fulfilled it. It must therefore be in reference to someone after Ezekiel, who is no one but the messiah. Also, this portion of scripture (Ezekiel ch. 38-48) is dealing with the messianic era. In it the promise is given that the tribes of Israel will be restored to their ancestral homeland, which has not occurred as yet. Chapter 48 details the position of each tribe’s borders, including the plot of land designated for the Prince and for the Temple. It is further promised that they will rebuild the temple, and the specifications of its size are given. This temple, described in great detail, was square and the temples built by Solomon and Herod were rectangular. This temple has not yet been built. However, if you believe that God gave this passage and that He does not lie, you must believe that He will fulfill His promise in the future—in the Messianic era.
Therefore, we must accept that this prince is the Messiah. We agree that the Messiah is Jesus. The verse mentions two other important groups: his sons and his servants. Who are his sons? In Christian theology Jesus had no sons. This word מִבָּ× ָ×™ appears five other times in the Tanakh and refers exclusively to one’s natural-born children, so if we are to understand it in the way the Bible uses it, it refers to the Messiah’s biological sons. However, Christians do not believe Jesus had sons; nor in Christian theology can he return and have sons, because he said: “in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.” Matthew 22:30. There are several alternatives to alleviate this problem: one can deny that one of these passages are authentic; or one can deny that God knew what he was saying to Ezekiel and did not attempt to fulfill His promise; or one can deny the Bible in its entirety; but to believe that both these prophets is true, and that these are what they both said, one must deny the death and resurrection of Jesus.
If we go up a few verses to Ezekiel 46:12-15 we find another issue. The prophet said,
12 And when the prince shall prepare a freewill-offering, a burnt-offering or peace-offerings as a freewill-offering unto the LORD, one shall open for him the gate that looketh toward the east, and he shall prepare his burnt-offering and his peace-offerings, as he doth on the sabbath day; then he shall go forth; and after his going forth one shall shut the gate. 13 And thou shalt prepare a lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt-offering unto the LORD daily; morning by morning shalt thou prepare it. 14 And thou shalt prepare a meal-offering with it morning by morning, the sixth part of an ephah, and the third part of a hin of oil, to moisten the fine flour: a meal-offering unto the LORD continually by a perpetual ordinance. 15 Thus shall they prepare the lamb, and the meal-offering, and the oil, morning by morning, for a continual burnt-offering.
In these verses we see the prophet telling us that the Prince will offer sacrifices to God in the Temple. As we have established, the Prince is the Messiah. This cannot be during the time of the Second Temple when Jesus was on earth, because as we have established this is at a time when all of the children of Jacob have returned to Palestine, the land has been divided between them, and the third Temple (the square Temple) has been built. This verse then becomes extremely problematic in Christian theology because it according to the book of Hebrews, Jesus was the final sacrifice for the sins of mankind.
Hebrews 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14 for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Jesus cannot in offer later sacrifices in Christian theology. On the other hand, to a Muslim, this is not problematic.
I as a Muslim do not believe in the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus. I believe that my sins are forgiven when I sincerely repent and pray. This theme is also found in the Bible in passages such as 2 Chron. 6:36, where God promises the Prophet Sulieman aliehey salam that whenever people pray in the direction of the Qiblah, their prayers will be answered. At that time, Qiblah was towards Jerusalem, and the Prophet Muhammad also prayed toward Jerusalem at the beginning of his prophethood, but God changed the Qiblah and directed us instead to pray towards the Kaaba in Mecca which is mentioned in Surah al Baqara (2:142-144).
God is described in the Quran as oft-forgiving, the dispenser of grace. In the Bible He says that he does not desire that the wicked should die in his sins. Ezekiel 33: 11 “Say unto them: As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” He desires for us to repent and be forgiven; he is Most Gracious and seeks to forgive us. Yet he says in Malachi 2, Psalm 40, and Psalm 52 that he does not require burnt offerings or sin offerings. He even says he hates and abhors them. He begs that someone close the doors of the Temple, that the children of Israel not insult Him any more with their offerings.
Malachi 1:10 Oh that there were even one among you that would shut the doors, that ye might not kindle fire on Mine altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same My name is great among the nations; and in every place offerings are presented unto My name, even pure oblations; for My name is great among the nations, saith the LORD of hosts.12 But ye profane it, in that ye say: 'The table of the LORD is polluted, and the fruit thereof, even the food thereof, is contemptible.'
In Psalm 40:6-8, He says that He has not delighted in burnt offerings. In Psalm 51 David prayed that God remove bloodguilt from him. He says that the sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite spirit, and that He will not despise a broken heart.
What does all this tell us? Sacrifices—animal or otherwise—are not the way God has chosen to forgive sins. Indeed, they were never meant to atone for sins; they were meant to be an outward sign of an inward repentance that had already occurred. But when the people of Israel started offering sacrifices without true repentance, He began to abhor them. Many Christians today make the same error—they say they believe in the sacrifice of Jesus but do not truly repent or pray more than once in their lifetimes. God knows and understands that we sin and wants us to turn to him in repentance when we do, yet many Christians say that because their sins are covered by the blood of Jesus, they do not need to seek God’s forgiveness.
In conclusion, Ezekiel chapter 46 provides a clear proof to the honest mind that God did not intend to forgive our sins through the atoning death of Jesus, and that Jesus did not die, and was not resurrected. He will return and fulfill these prophecies, insha’Allah may it be in our lifetimes.
First, I want to state a premise on which we stand in agreement. We agree that there is One God—although I do not believe you worship Him as One because of the doctrine of the Trinity, but that is another debate. We agree that Jesus was sent by God, that he was born of a virgin, that He taught God’s word to the people of his day, and that he was messiah—anointed by God. But we also differ on some issues. In this paper we are going to discuss insha’Allah one of the issues we disagree on.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:14-And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Baptism in the name of Jesus is also in vain, according to verse 29. The atoning death and resurrection of Jesus are the most central points in the Christian faith; without them, there is no Christianity. However, Jesus himself never said that his death would be for the forgiveness of sin. In fact, according to the Gospels that we have, in his lifetime he told people that their sins were forgiven, such as in Matthew 9:2: “Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee;” also in Mark 2:5, Luke 5:20 and 7:47, In the popular prayer he taught his disciples he said, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12), without mention of his death and resurrection as the basis for such forgiveness. The basis he gives for forgiveness of sins is forgiving others and repenting of your own sins.
His resurrection was also seen by Paul as an important proof that he was the son of God. Romans 1:4: “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” The New Testament also refers to Jesus as the “first begotten of the dead,” (Rev. 1:5), the first to be resurrected; but the Bible gives accounts of 4 others who were raised from the dead—two young men, a man thrown into the grave of a prophet, and Lazarus, who was resurrected by Jesus. The resurrection of Jesus is necessary to the Christian faith as the proof that Jesus was indeed the son of God, that his sacrifice had been accepted, and that the sins of mankind had been forgiven through him.
I have a proof I would like to bring from the Bible that Jesus did not die for our sins. In Ezekiel 46:16-18, God said:
16 Thus saith the Lord GOD: If the prince give a gift unto any of his sons, it is his inheritance, it shall belong to his sons; it is their possession by inheritance. 17 But if he give of his inheritance a gift to one of his servants, it shall be his to the year of liberty; then it shall return to the prince; but as for his inheritance, it shall be for his sons. 18 Moreover the prince shall not take of the people's inheritance, to thrust them wrongfully out of their possession; he shall give inheritance to his sons out of his own possession; that My people be not scattered every man from his possession.'
In this verse are three important people: The Prince, his sons, and his servants. What is important in understanding this verse is who the Prince is. I will demonstrate to you in three ways that it cannot be anyone other than the messiah. 1. Historically, Ezekiel came after all the kings and princes of Israel and Judah. It cannot be in reference to anyone before him because then it would not be a prophecy; besides which none of them fulfilled it. It must therefore be in reference to someone after Ezekiel, who is no one but the messiah. Also, this portion of scripture (Ezekiel ch. 38-48) is dealing with the messianic era. In it the promise is given that the tribes of Israel will be restored to their ancestral homeland, which has not occurred as yet. Chapter 48 details the position of each tribe’s borders, including the plot of land designated for the Prince and for the Temple. It is further promised that they will rebuild the temple, and the specifications of its size are given. This temple, described in great detail, was square and the temples built by Solomon and Herod were rectangular. This temple has not yet been built. However, if you believe that God gave this passage and that He does not lie, you must believe that He will fulfill His promise in the future—in the Messianic era.
Therefore, we must accept that this prince is the Messiah. We agree that the Messiah is Jesus. The verse mentions two other important groups: his sons and his servants. Who are his sons? In Christian theology Jesus had no sons. This word מִבָּ× ָ×™ appears five other times in the Tanakh and refers exclusively to one’s natural-born children, so if we are to understand it in the way the Bible uses it, it refers to the Messiah’s biological sons. However, Christians do not believe Jesus had sons; nor in Christian theology can he return and have sons, because he said: “in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.” Matthew 22:30. There are several alternatives to alleviate this problem: one can deny that one of these passages are authentic; or one can deny that God knew what he was saying to Ezekiel and did not attempt to fulfill His promise; or one can deny the Bible in its entirety; but to believe that both these prophets is true, and that these are what they both said, one must deny the death and resurrection of Jesus.
If we go up a few verses to Ezekiel 46:12-15 we find another issue. The prophet said,
12 And when the prince shall prepare a freewill-offering, a burnt-offering or peace-offerings as a freewill-offering unto the LORD, one shall open for him the gate that looketh toward the east, and he shall prepare his burnt-offering and his peace-offerings, as he doth on the sabbath day; then he shall go forth; and after his going forth one shall shut the gate. 13 And thou shalt prepare a lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt-offering unto the LORD daily; morning by morning shalt thou prepare it. 14 And thou shalt prepare a meal-offering with it morning by morning, the sixth part of an ephah, and the third part of a hin of oil, to moisten the fine flour: a meal-offering unto the LORD continually by a perpetual ordinance. 15 Thus shall they prepare the lamb, and the meal-offering, and the oil, morning by morning, for a continual burnt-offering.
In these verses we see the prophet telling us that the Prince will offer sacrifices to God in the Temple. As we have established, the Prince is the Messiah. This cannot be during the time of the Second Temple when Jesus was on earth, because as we have established this is at a time when all of the children of Jacob have returned to Palestine, the land has been divided between them, and the third Temple (the square Temple) has been built. This verse then becomes extremely problematic in Christian theology because it according to the book of Hebrews, Jesus was the final sacrifice for the sins of mankind.
Hebrews 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14 for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Jesus cannot in offer later sacrifices in Christian theology. On the other hand, to a Muslim, this is not problematic.
I as a Muslim do not believe in the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus. I believe that my sins are forgiven when I sincerely repent and pray. This theme is also found in the Bible in passages such as 2 Chron. 6:36, where God promises the Prophet Sulieman aliehey salam that whenever people pray in the direction of the Qiblah, their prayers will be answered. At that time, Qiblah was towards Jerusalem, and the Prophet Muhammad also prayed toward Jerusalem at the beginning of his prophethood, but God changed the Qiblah and directed us instead to pray towards the Kaaba in Mecca which is mentioned in Surah al Baqara (2:142-144).
God is described in the Quran as oft-forgiving, the dispenser of grace. In the Bible He says that he does not desire that the wicked should die in his sins. Ezekiel 33: 11 “Say unto them: As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” He desires for us to repent and be forgiven; he is Most Gracious and seeks to forgive us. Yet he says in Malachi 2, Psalm 40, and Psalm 52 that he does not require burnt offerings or sin offerings. He even says he hates and abhors them. He begs that someone close the doors of the Temple, that the children of Israel not insult Him any more with their offerings.
Malachi 1:10 Oh that there were even one among you that would shut the doors, that ye might not kindle fire on Mine altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same My name is great among the nations; and in every place offerings are presented unto My name, even pure oblations; for My name is great among the nations, saith the LORD of hosts.12 But ye profane it, in that ye say: 'The table of the LORD is polluted, and the fruit thereof, even the food thereof, is contemptible.'
In Psalm 40:6-8, He says that He has not delighted in burnt offerings. In Psalm 51 David prayed that God remove bloodguilt from him. He says that the sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite spirit, and that He will not despise a broken heart.
What does all this tell us? Sacrifices—animal or otherwise—are not the way God has chosen to forgive sins. Indeed, they were never meant to atone for sins; they were meant to be an outward sign of an inward repentance that had already occurred. But when the people of Israel started offering sacrifices without true repentance, He began to abhor them. Many Christians today make the same error—they say they believe in the sacrifice of Jesus but do not truly repent or pray more than once in their lifetimes. God knows and understands that we sin and wants us to turn to him in repentance when we do, yet many Christians say that because their sins are covered by the blood of Jesus, they do not need to seek God’s forgiveness.
In conclusion, Ezekiel chapter 46 provides a clear proof to the honest mind that God did not intend to forgive our sins through the atoning death of Jesus, and that Jesus did not die, and was not resurrected. He will return and fulfill these prophecies, insha’Allah may it be in our lifetimes.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Things Zionists Don't Want You To Know Part 1: Defining Zionism
For the purpose of this series, Zionism is defined as the modern movement, begun by Theodor Herzl, to establish a secular "ghetto state" for Jews in Palestine. The purpose of this state, according to Herzl, was to rid the world of the pesky Jews. Herzl, though biologically Jewish, was a self-proclaimed atheist. He cared nothing for the Jewish people nor for Jewish law.
The so-called "Jewish state" he endorsed was created in direct contradiction to Jewish law. No attempt has been made to bring the state under Jewish law.
A kingdom operating under Jewish law would be under the guidance of a king. This king should have been born Jewish, not a convert (though the son of a convert may be king). The king should establish his laws based on the Torah, the laws of the surrounding nations, and what prophets who have been demonstrated true instruct him.
The Sanhedrin should also be established. For this to occur, the respected authorities should assemble and unanimously select one man to be "nasi", or leader of the Sanhedrin. He should then immediately begin a search for 69 others to join him on the Sanhedrin. They should each be extremely knowledgeable in the laws of God and man, fluent in foreign languages, students of Tanakh and Talmud, and well-known for their piety, charity, and kindness. This body, the Sanhedrin, would have judicial and legislative powers, while the king would have executive powers and limited judicial and legislative authority.
The secular state which exists, however, does not have nor care to have these properties. I am not opposed to a movement to set up such a government, because I know that if it was true to its founding principles it would be fair and just to all citizens. It would allow shariah and existing Muslim courts to judge Muslim affairs within its borders; and it would allow Jews and Palestinians equal rights to the land.
This kingdom would also allow both Jews and Muslims the right to offer sacrifices to God on the Temple Mount. Under this government, Muslims and Jews could live in peace side by side in total fairness, without fear of harm. I call such a movement "kingdomist" to separate it from the secular Zionist movement and support it; though I do not support those who endorse genocide and racism in the name of such a government.
The so-called "Jewish state" he endorsed was created in direct contradiction to Jewish law. No attempt has been made to bring the state under Jewish law.
A kingdom operating under Jewish law would be under the guidance of a king. This king should have been born Jewish, not a convert (though the son of a convert may be king). The king should establish his laws based on the Torah, the laws of the surrounding nations, and what prophets who have been demonstrated true instruct him.
The Sanhedrin should also be established. For this to occur, the respected authorities should assemble and unanimously select one man to be "nasi", or leader of the Sanhedrin. He should then immediately begin a search for 69 others to join him on the Sanhedrin. They should each be extremely knowledgeable in the laws of God and man, fluent in foreign languages, students of Tanakh and Talmud, and well-known for their piety, charity, and kindness. This body, the Sanhedrin, would have judicial and legislative powers, while the king would have executive powers and limited judicial and legislative authority.
The secular state which exists, however, does not have nor care to have these properties. I am not opposed to a movement to set up such a government, because I know that if it was true to its founding principles it would be fair and just to all citizens. It would allow shariah and existing Muslim courts to judge Muslim affairs within its borders; and it would allow Jews and Palestinians equal rights to the land.
Ezekiel 47:22 And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you and to the strangers that sojourn among you, who shall beget children among you; and they shall be unto you as the home-born among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 23 And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord GOD.
This kingdom would also allow both Jews and Muslims the right to offer sacrifices to God on the Temple Mount. Under this government, Muslims and Jews could live in peace side by side in total fairness, without fear of harm. I call such a movement "kingdomist" to separate it from the secular Zionist movement and support it; though I do not support those who endorse genocide and racism in the name of such a government.
Things Zionists Don't Want You To Know Part 2: Founding of the Zionist Movement
Theodor Herzl, founder of the Zionist movement, believed that antisemitism, specifically Nazism, was good for him. He believed that the more Jews that died, the more likely he was to get a "Jewish" state in Palestine.
Theodor Herzl wrote:
In 1938, Ben Gurion, the first head of Israel declared “If I knew it was possible to save all the children in Germany by taking them to England, and only half of the children by taking them to Eretz Israel, I would choose the second solution. For we must take into account not only the lives of these children but also the history of the people of Israel.”
In 1948, Rabbi Klaussner declared:
"One Cow in Palestine is worth more than all the Jews in Poland," said Izaak Greenbaum during the middle of World War 2.
The Zionist movement has never had the best interest of the Jewish people at heart. Rather, it seeks to isolate, destroy, and endanger the Jewish people. How, then, could anyone be surprised that they do not care about the human rights of other groups, such as Arabs?
It is not an act of antisemitism to denounce those who would kill Semitic peoples (Jews and Arabs). Rather, to decry the crimes of Zionists is the greatest act of love that one can do for the Jewish people and for all people.
Theodor Herzl wrote:
“It is essential that the sufferings of Jews. . . become worse. . . this will assist in realization of our plans. . .I have an excellent idea. . . I shall induce anti-semites to liquidate Jewish wealth. . . The anti-semites will assist us thereby in that they will strengthen the persecution and oppression of Jews. The anti-semites shall be our best friends” (From his Diary, Part I, pp. 16)
In 1938, Ben Gurion, the first head of Israel declared “If I knew it was possible to save all the children in Germany by taking them to England, and only half of the children by taking them to Eretz Israel, I would choose the second solution. For we must take into account not only the lives of these children but also the history of the people of Israel.”
In 1948, Rabbi Klaussner declared:
"I am convinced people must be forced to go to Palestine...For them, an American dollar appears as the highest of goals. By the word "force", I am suggesting a programme. It served for the evacuation of the Jews in Poland, and in the history of the 'Exodus'... To apply this programme we must, instead of providing 'displaced persons' with comfort, create the greatest possible discomfort for them...At a second stage, a procedure calling upon the Haganah to harass the Jews."
"One Cow in Palestine is worth more than all the Jews in Poland," said Izaak Greenbaum during the middle of World War 2.
The Zionist movement has never had the best interest of the Jewish people at heart. Rather, it seeks to isolate, destroy, and endanger the Jewish people. How, then, could anyone be surprised that they do not care about the human rights of other groups, such as Arabs?
It is not an act of antisemitism to denounce those who would kill Semitic peoples (Jews and Arabs). Rather, to decry the crimes of Zionists is the greatest act of love that one can do for the Jewish people and for all people.
Things Zionists Don't Want You To Know Part 3: Zionist Terrorists
The crimes of the Zionist machine began soon after its inception. The Zionist machine was willing to kill anyone that stood in its way, including Jews. About twenty-five years after the Zionist movement was started by Theodor Herzl, Dr. Yaakov Yisrael de Haan, Dutch Jewish author, was martyred by the Zionist organization Haganah.
Starting in 1937, Irgun committed crimes against Palestinians, Jews, and British individuals living in Palestine, many of them civilians. In July of 1938 alone, at least 91 individuals, five of them Jews, were murdered by Irgun. In 1939 nearly 70 individuals were killed by Irgun. In 1946, Irgun bombed the King David Hotel, killing 91 and injuring 46. Seventeen of those killed were Arab Jews. In 1947 113 individuals were killed by Irgun, and 130 more injured.
In 1948, 107 Palestinian civilians were killed by Irgun in the Deir Yassin Massacre. Some Jews protested these actions, but then left for their homes to prepare for Shabbat. The lives of innocent men, women, and children were less important even to those of the Jews who protested the killings then keeping customs, although Jewish law does permit breaking the Sabbath to save life. Therefore, some of the "prisoners"--the elderly, women and children--were taken to Jerusalem and butchered.
Lehi was a similar terrorist organization. In 1944, Lehi assassinated Lord Moyne in Cairo. In 1947, Lehi drove a truckload of explosives into a British police station in Haifa killing four and injuring 140. In 1948 Lehi bombed trains, killing 68 and wounding 95. In the same year, Lehi assassinated Count Folke Bernadotte.
The Jewish Defense League's stated goal is "to protect Jews from antisemitism by whatever means necessary." It is recognized by the United State's Federal Bureau of Investigation as a terrorist organization. In November 1970, the JDL bombed the Manhattan offices of the Soviet airline Aeroflot. In 1972, two JDL members were arrested on charges that they attempted to bomb the Soviet Mission to the United Nations. In 1972 they killed the Jewish secretary of music impresario Sol Hurok. In the 1980s the JDL was involved in 6 other bombings. In 2001 JDL members were arrested and charged with attempting to bomb a California mosque.
Kach and Kahane Chai are also considered terrorist organizations. In 1994, a Kach supporter killed 29 people in a mosque in Hebron. Group leaders have been indicted multiple times for incitement to racism, incitement to murder, attempted bombings, and more.
In addition, there have been terrorist attacks by non-affiliated Zionists, notably Yaakov Teitel. All those who bear the ideology of racial superiority and "peace through violence" are a threat not only to Arabs and Muslims, but to fellow Jews and the world.
Starting in 1937, Irgun committed crimes against Palestinians, Jews, and British individuals living in Palestine, many of them civilians. In July of 1938 alone, at least 91 individuals, five of them Jews, were murdered by Irgun. In 1939 nearly 70 individuals were killed by Irgun. In 1946, Irgun bombed the King David Hotel, killing 91 and injuring 46. Seventeen of those killed were Arab Jews. In 1947 113 individuals were killed by Irgun, and 130 more injured.
In 1948, 107 Palestinian civilians were killed by Irgun in the Deir Yassin Massacre. Some Jews protested these actions, but then left for their homes to prepare for Shabbat. The lives of innocent men, women, and children were less important even to those of the Jews who protested the killings then keeping customs, although Jewish law does permit breaking the Sabbath to save life. Therefore, some of the "prisoners"--the elderly, women and children--were taken to Jerusalem and butchered.
Lehi was a similar terrorist organization. In 1944, Lehi assassinated Lord Moyne in Cairo. In 1947, Lehi drove a truckload of explosives into a British police station in Haifa killing four and injuring 140. In 1948 Lehi bombed trains, killing 68 and wounding 95. In the same year, Lehi assassinated Count Folke Bernadotte.
The Jewish Defense League's stated goal is "to protect Jews from antisemitism by whatever means necessary." It is recognized by the United State's Federal Bureau of Investigation as a terrorist organization. In November 1970, the JDL bombed the Manhattan offices of the Soviet airline Aeroflot. In 1972, two JDL members were arrested on charges that they attempted to bomb the Soviet Mission to the United Nations. In 1972 they killed the Jewish secretary of music impresario Sol Hurok. In the 1980s the JDL was involved in 6 other bombings. In 2001 JDL members were arrested and charged with attempting to bomb a California mosque.
Kach and Kahane Chai are also considered terrorist organizations. In 1994, a Kach supporter killed 29 people in a mosque in Hebron. Group leaders have been indicted multiple times for incitement to racism, incitement to murder, attempted bombings, and more.
In addition, there have been terrorist attacks by non-affiliated Zionists, notably Yaakov Teitel. All those who bear the ideology of racial superiority and "peace through violence" are a threat not only to Arabs and Muslims, but to fellow Jews and the world.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Things Zionists Don't Want You To Know Pt 4: Arabs in the Bible
Arabs have their history from the same roots as Jews and are themselves Semitic, making it virtually impossible for an Arab to be an anti-Semite. However, many Jews take out their hatred of Islam on Arabs:
"I know that elections must be limited only to those who understand that the Arabs are the deadly enemy of the Jewish state, who would bring on us a slow Auschwitz - not with gas, but with knives and hatchets." -Meir Kahane
"[I]t is time for Jews, worried over the huge growth of Arabs in Israel, to consider finishing the exchange of populations [genocide] that began 35 years ago." - Meir Kahane
"I don’t believe in western morality, i.e. don’t kill civilians or children, don’t destroy holy sites, don’t fight during holiday seasons, don’t bomb cemeteries, don’t shoot until they shoot first because it is immoral.
The only way to fight a moral war is the Jewish way: Destroy their holy sites. Kill men, women and children (and cattle)." - Manis Friedman
"All of the Palestinians must be killed; men, women, infants, and even their beasts." -Rabbi Yisrael Rosen
“The Lord shall return the Arabs’ deeds on their own heads, waste their seed and exterminate them, devastate them and banish them from this world. … It is forbidden to be merciful to them. You must send missiles to them and annihilate them. They are evil and damnable,” - Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.
Yet, Jews and Arabs are brothers, sons of Abraham. Arabs and Jews have lived at peace for thousands of years. At least two prophets regarded highly in the Tanakh, Elijah and Obadiah, were Arabs. Further, God blesses Arabs and promises the day when they will live at peace with Israel:
Even back to the beginning of the Arab race, the blessing of God was on them. Hagar was the mother of the Arab race; when she first became Abraham's wife and conceived, Sarah became jealous and cast the evil eye on her and beat her, causing her to miscarry. Hagar fled from Sarah into the wilderness. Then an angel met and spoke with her:
Hagar called the name of the place 'Beer-lahai-roi, saying, "Thou art a God of seeing; for she said: 'Have I even here seen Him that seeth Me?'" (verse 13).
God also blessed Ishmael when speaking to his father Abraham:
Gen 17:20 "And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee; behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation."
The blessing of God is upon the Arab peoples. Yet many among the Jews, fed by Zionist lies, would fight and curse them.
"I know that elections must be limited only to those who understand that the Arabs are the deadly enemy of the Jewish state, who would bring on us a slow Auschwitz - not with gas, but with knives and hatchets." -Meir Kahane
"[I]t is time for Jews, worried over the huge growth of Arabs in Israel, to consider finishing the exchange of populations [genocide] that began 35 years ago." - Meir Kahane
"I don’t believe in western morality, i.e. don’t kill civilians or children, don’t destroy holy sites, don’t fight during holiday seasons, don’t bomb cemeteries, don’t shoot until they shoot first because it is immoral.
The only way to fight a moral war is the Jewish way: Destroy their holy sites. Kill men, women and children (and cattle)." - Manis Friedman
"All of the Palestinians must be killed; men, women, infants, and even their beasts." -Rabbi Yisrael Rosen
“The Lord shall return the Arabs’ deeds on their own heads, waste their seed and exterminate them, devastate them and banish them from this world. … It is forbidden to be merciful to them. You must send missiles to them and annihilate them. They are evil and damnable,” - Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.
Yet, Jews and Arabs are brothers, sons of Abraham. Arabs and Jews have lived at peace for thousands of years. At least two prophets regarded highly in the Tanakh, Elijah and Obadiah, were Arabs. Further, God blesses Arabs and promises the day when they will live at peace with Israel:
Isaiah 19:19 In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD. 20 And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and He will send them a saviour, and a defender, who will deliver them. 21 And the LORD shall make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day; yea, they shall worship with sacrifice and offering, and shall vow a vow unto the LORD, and shall perform it. 22 And the LORD will smite Egypt, smiting and healing; and they shall return unto the LORD, and He will be entreated of them, and will heal them. {S} 23 In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria; and the Egyptians shall worship with the Assyrians. {S} 24 In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth; 25 for that the LORD of hosts hath blessed him, saying: 'Blessed be Egypt My people and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel Mine inheritance.'
Even back to the beginning of the Arab race, the blessing of God was on them. Hagar was the mother of the Arab race; when she first became Abraham's wife and conceived, Sarah became jealous and cast the evil eye on her and beat her, causing her to miscarry. Hagar fled from Sarah into the wilderness. Then an angel met and spoke with her:
Gen. 16:10 And the angel of the LORD said unto her: 'I will greatly multiply thy seed, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. 11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her: 'Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son; and thou shalt call his name Ishmael, because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
Hagar called the name of the place 'Beer-lahai-roi, saying, "Thou art a God of seeing; for she said: 'Have I even here seen Him that seeth Me?'" (verse 13).
God also blessed Ishmael when speaking to his father Abraham:
Gen 17:20 "And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee; behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation."
The blessing of God is upon the Arab peoples. Yet many among the Jews, fed by Zionist lies, would fight and curse them.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
The History of Judaism and Its Corruption: Pt. 1--Introduction
To my Jewish friends: The purpose of this series is to promote peaceful discussion. My goal is to make you think; if you can say, "Your articles made me think", then I will feel I have been successful at my goal. I'm not attempting to change your mind; only to bring to light certain things of which you may not have been aware. Sadly, to date I have only received ad hominid attacks as a result and no fruitful conversation has emerged. If you can disprove my points made, I would gladly reconsider them; but to date I have not seen any convincing proofs to the contrary, merely denials of my statements. My sources are listed; if a source for a given quote is not listed, bring it to my attention and I will provide it. I drew my information from JEWISH history, but am labeled an anti-Semite for this. Are the Talmud and Tanakh anti-Semitic? If they were, I was not made aware of this.
Muslims, Christians, and Jews believe that at the beginning of time, God created the first man and woman. Mankind quickly lost respect for their Father and Creator. Furious at the corruption of man, He decided to destroy the earth by flood. Thereafter, mankind again returned to idolatry and disbelief. The earth was again filled with false worship until one man, son of an idol manufacturer, realized that there was One higher and greater than the statues before him. With his decision to smash those idols, Abraham became the most influential man in Jewish history, having shaped the world in immeasurable ways. Abraham had eight sons, but only two became important in world history: Ishmael and Isaac. Both were promised by God, both were under Divine protection, both blessed, and both were to become great nations.
Jewish and Muslim traditions state that when Sarah became jealous of Hagar, Ishmael and Hagar were sent into the wilderness. Both traditions state that Abraham went often into the Arabian desert to visit Ishmael. The Torah says (Gen. 18:17-19) that God loved Abraham because He knew Abraham would teach his children God's ways. Muslim tradition says that Abraham and Ishmael build the Kaaba as a place to worship God. The children of Ishmael settled the Arabian peninsula. Isaac had two sons, Jacob (Israel) and Esau. The children of Esau settled the south Jordan region. The children of Israel were brought down to Egypt by severe famine. Four hundred years later, a lone prophet, Moses, was selected by God to bring them out, because they had become slaves to the Egyptians. Jewish tradition states that had they remained in Egypt but one more night, the children of Israel would have been forever lost to idolatry. Moses led the children of Israel through the wilderness towards Canaan. At the end of his life, he wrote a song calling heaven and earth to testify against the Jewish people when they forgot God. But he did give them hope: prophets bearing his message would continue to be sent to mankind. The responsibility fell on the shoulders of mankind to receive those prophets and obey their message.
Muslims, Christians, and Jews believe that at the beginning of time, God created the first man and woman. Mankind quickly lost respect for their Father and Creator. Furious at the corruption of man, He decided to destroy the earth by flood. Thereafter, mankind again returned to idolatry and disbelief. The earth was again filled with false worship until one man, son of an idol manufacturer, realized that there was One higher and greater than the statues before him. With his decision to smash those idols, Abraham became the most influential man in Jewish history, having shaped the world in immeasurable ways. Abraham had eight sons, but only two became important in world history: Ishmael and Isaac. Both were promised by God, both were under Divine protection, both blessed, and both were to become great nations.
Jewish and Muslim traditions state that when Sarah became jealous of Hagar, Ishmael and Hagar were sent into the wilderness. Both traditions state that Abraham went often into the Arabian desert to visit Ishmael. The Torah says (Gen. 18:17-19) that God loved Abraham because He knew Abraham would teach his children God's ways. Muslim tradition says that Abraham and Ishmael build the Kaaba as a place to worship God. The children of Ishmael settled the Arabian peninsula. Isaac had two sons, Jacob (Israel) and Esau. The children of Esau settled the south Jordan region. The children of Israel were brought down to Egypt by severe famine. Four hundred years later, a lone prophet, Moses, was selected by God to bring them out, because they had become slaves to the Egyptians. Jewish tradition states that had they remained in Egypt but one more night, the children of Israel would have been forever lost to idolatry. Moses led the children of Israel through the wilderness towards Canaan. At the end of his life, he wrote a song calling heaven and earth to testify against the Jewish people when they forgot God. But he did give them hope: prophets bearing his message would continue to be sent to mankind. The responsibility fell on the shoulders of mankind to receive those prophets and obey their message.
The History of Judaism and Its Corruption: Pt. 2--Supplement--The Talmud Share
This is apparently a very controversial subject to Jews, as it was the first of my videos to be false-flagged to extinction. I did not write it to be offensive, however. I thought Jews would find it rather boring.
This video is a supplement to the series, meant to explain background about the Talmud that the other articles assume the reader knows. These things are common knowledge to the student of Talmud but which those with only a casual understanding of the Talmud may not be aware.
There are two Talmuds, the Babylonian (Bavli) and Jerusalem (Yerushalmai) Talmuds, but the one referred to without qualification as the Talmud, and the one meant by the rest of this article, is the Babylonian Talmud. The Talmud is not one book, but consists of sections called tractates. Each tractate has a name (eg Berakhot, Sanhedrin, Ketuboth, etc.). To find a give quote, you also need the page number an letter, eg. 59a. The letter will be either an "a" or a "b" signifying which side of the page the given quote is on. On copies of the Talmud with translation, such as those published by Artscroll, the page number will not match the page number on the physical book; however, it will be provided. The Talmud is claimed to be the written version of the "oral Torah", an "addendum" as it were, because the Torah does not explain itself enough.
Although there is some basis for the belief that there was some explanation of certain things said in the Torah that wasn't written down, the Talmud became much more than a mere explanation of the Torah or tradition in practical Jewish life. The Talmud today stands as a single-handed guide to Jewish religious life. If the Talmud forbids something the Torah permits, it is considered forbidden; if it permits something the Torah forbids, it is permitted.
To understand the Talmud, one must understand the background of the Talmud. Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers), explains what became the basis for the writing of the Talmud: "1:1. Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua; Joshua to the elders; the elders to the prophets; and the prophets handed it down to the men of the Great Assembly." The Great Assembly is commonly known today as the Sanhedrin. Rabbi Yehuda haNasi compiled the Mishna, the first collection of the rulings of the men of the Great Assembly. The Talmud is a combination of the Jewish sages' teachings from four periods:
* Tanaim: ~70-200 CE
* Amoraim: ~200-500 CE
* Savoraim: ~500-700 CE
* Geonim: ~600-1040 CE
Often there are discussions in the Talmud in which a quote from a rabbi from one era is followed or preceded by a quote from a rabbi of a different era. The reason for these apparent cross-era "discussions" is that the latter era re-visited a topic discussed by a previous era. Each period realized more authority in the homes of Jews. Today, it is common to meet Jews who have studied Talmud for years and can explain complex Talmudic debates, but have never read the entire Tanakh. It is also common to find households that have expended large amounts of money to buy entire sets of Talmud and Mishna but do not have a single Tanakh. The Talmud itself warns: "In the future, the Torah will be forgotten by the Jewish people." (Shabbos 138b).
This video is a supplement to the series, meant to explain background about the Talmud that the other articles assume the reader knows. These things are common knowledge to the student of Talmud but which those with only a casual understanding of the Talmud may not be aware.
There are two Talmuds, the Babylonian (Bavli) and Jerusalem (Yerushalmai) Talmuds, but the one referred to without qualification as the Talmud, and the one meant by the rest of this article, is the Babylonian Talmud. The Talmud is not one book, but consists of sections called tractates. Each tractate has a name (eg Berakhot, Sanhedrin, Ketuboth, etc.). To find a give quote, you also need the page number an letter, eg. 59a. The letter will be either an "a" or a "b" signifying which side of the page the given quote is on. On copies of the Talmud with translation, such as those published by Artscroll, the page number will not match the page number on the physical book; however, it will be provided. The Talmud is claimed to be the written version of the "oral Torah", an "addendum" as it were, because the Torah does not explain itself enough.
Although there is some basis for the belief that there was some explanation of certain things said in the Torah that wasn't written down, the Talmud became much more than a mere explanation of the Torah or tradition in practical Jewish life. The Talmud today stands as a single-handed guide to Jewish religious life. If the Talmud forbids something the Torah permits, it is considered forbidden; if it permits something the Torah forbids, it is permitted.
To understand the Talmud, one must understand the background of the Talmud. Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers), explains what became the basis for the writing of the Talmud: "1:1. Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua; Joshua to the elders; the elders to the prophets; and the prophets handed it down to the men of the Great Assembly." The Great Assembly is commonly known today as the Sanhedrin. Rabbi Yehuda haNasi compiled the Mishna, the first collection of the rulings of the men of the Great Assembly. The Talmud is a combination of the Jewish sages' teachings from four periods:
* Tanaim: ~70-200 CE
* Amoraim: ~200-500 CE
* Savoraim: ~500-700 CE
* Geonim: ~600-1040 CE
Often there are discussions in the Talmud in which a quote from a rabbi from one era is followed or preceded by a quote from a rabbi of a different era. The reason for these apparent cross-era "discussions" is that the latter era re-visited a topic discussed by a previous era. Each period realized more authority in the homes of Jews. Today, it is common to meet Jews who have studied Talmud for years and can explain complex Talmudic debates, but have never read the entire Tanakh. It is also common to find households that have expended large amounts of money to buy entire sets of Talmud and Mishna but do not have a single Tanakh. The Talmud itself warns: "In the future, the Torah will be forgotten by the Jewish people." (Shabbos 138b).
The History of Judaism and Its Corruption: Pt 3--The Torah and Early Jewish History
Among Jews and Muslims, there is an agreement that the Torah was given by God to Moses. It was meant to be the guide to Jewish life. However, as we shall see by the end of this series, the original Torah was lost.
Moses was a great prophet. He led the Jewish people for over forty years. He brought them out of Egypt and taught them the Torah. Yet even in his day, he had to struggle with those who opposed his leadership and with idolatry and those who would worship golden calves. After his death, his student Joshua became his successor. Joshua led his people in victorious conquests, removing from the land of Canaan those who had corrupted it with the worship of idols, infanticide, and ritual worship in forms too gross to mention.
Yet after Joshua's generation, the Jewish people turned to the worship of the gods of Canaan and Egypt. Judges 2:7 And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the LORD, that He had wrought for Israel...11 And [after Joshua's death] the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baalim.
God punished the Jewish people by repeatedly allowing their enemies to defeat them in battle and subjugate them. In response to their troubles, they would repent, but only for a limited period of time. God would send them judges to teach them the right way, but after the death of the judge they would revert to idolatry.
The last of these judges was Samuel the Priest. In his day, the priestly line, including Samuel's adopted father and brothers, were punished for their rebellion against God. When Samuel grew old and was ready to die, the Jewish people asked him to appoint a king over them. God told Samuel not to grieve this, because it was God they were rebelling against, not Samuel. He set Saul as king, but Saul was removed for his rebellion against God.
David became the second king of Israel, and Solomon the third, but Solomon's heart was not pure like his father's. Solomon built a temple for God in Jerusalem, and was blessed with wealth and great wisdom, but when he was old his heart turned away from God.
Moses was a great prophet. He led the Jewish people for over forty years. He brought them out of Egypt and taught them the Torah. Yet even in his day, he had to struggle with those who opposed his leadership and with idolatry and those who would worship golden calves. After his death, his student Joshua became his successor. Joshua led his people in victorious conquests, removing from the land of Canaan those who had corrupted it with the worship of idols, infanticide, and ritual worship in forms too gross to mention.
Yet after Joshua's generation, the Jewish people turned to the worship of the gods of Canaan and Egypt. Judges 2:7 And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the LORD, that He had wrought for Israel...11 And [after Joshua's death] the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baalim.
God punished the Jewish people by repeatedly allowing their enemies to defeat them in battle and subjugate them. In response to their troubles, they would repent, but only for a limited period of time. God would send them judges to teach them the right way, but after the death of the judge they would revert to idolatry.
The last of these judges was Samuel the Priest. In his day, the priestly line, including Samuel's adopted father and brothers, were punished for their rebellion against God. When Samuel grew old and was ready to die, the Jewish people asked him to appoint a king over them. God told Samuel not to grieve this, because it was God they were rebelling against, not Samuel. He set Saul as king, but Saul was removed for his rebellion against God.
David became the second king of Israel, and Solomon the third, but Solomon's heart was not pure like his father's. Solomon built a temple for God in Jerusalem, and was blessed with wealth and great wisdom, but when he was old his heart turned away from God.
The History of Judaism and Its Corruption: Pt 4--The Kingdom of Israel
The kingdom of Israel fell into two parts as a result of the sins of Solomon. The northern kingdom took the name Israel, and the southern kingdom took the name Judah.
The southern kingdom never experienced much peace but was constantly troubled by coup d'etats and spiritual trouble. From the time of the first king of Israel, the land became spiritually bankrupt. King Jeroboam, first king of the separatist kingdom Israel, set up two altars and golden calves: one in Bethel, on his southern border, and one in Dan, on his northern border; and both on major routes. He set up holidays at the same times as the holidays of God in Judah, and told the people to worship at his statues. He set up priests from whoever among the people wanted to be a priest, instead of the Levites, the family of Moses, who had been keepers of the Torah. Thus, God was alienated from the Kingdom of Israel by their actions.
Ahab, seventh king of Israel, fed as many as 850 prophets of Baal at one time from the royal table. In his time, the prophet Elijah lamented that he was the last person left who followed the true worship of God, and that the king sought to kill him. God revealed to him that there were yet seven thousand who had not bowed to Baal, and at least 1,000 of them were students of the prophets.
God continued to send prophets to Israel, including Elijah, Amos, and Hosea. Yet they continued to rebel. Finally, God had enough with them and sent them into captivity:
At that time, only the people of Judah remained as those who followed the worship of God.
The southern kingdom never experienced much peace but was constantly troubled by coup d'etats and spiritual trouble. From the time of the first king of Israel, the land became spiritually bankrupt. King Jeroboam, first king of the separatist kingdom Israel, set up two altars and golden calves: one in Bethel, on his southern border, and one in Dan, on his northern border; and both on major routes. He set up holidays at the same times as the holidays of God in Judah, and told the people to worship at his statues. He set up priests from whoever among the people wanted to be a priest, instead of the Levites, the family of Moses, who had been keepers of the Torah. Thus, God was alienated from the Kingdom of Israel by their actions.
Ahab, seventh king of Israel, fed as many as 850 prophets of Baal at one time from the royal table. In his time, the prophet Elijah lamented that he was the last person left who followed the true worship of God, and that the king sought to kill him. God revealed to him that there were yet seven thousand who had not bowed to Baal, and at least 1,000 of them were students of the prophets.
God continued to send prophets to Israel, including Elijah, Amos, and Hosea. Yet they continued to rebel. Finally, God had enough with them and sent them into captivity:
2 Kings 17:7 And it was so, because the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, 8 and walked in the statutes of the nations, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they practised; 9 and the children of Israel did impute things that were not right unto the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city; 10 and they set them up pillars and Asherim upon every high hill, and under every leafy tree; 11 and there they offered in all the high places, as did the nations whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD; 12 and they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them: 'Ye shall not do this thing'; 13 yet the LORD forewarned Israel, and Judah, by the hand of every prophet, and of every seer, saying: 'Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by the hand of My servants the prophets'; 14 notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their neck, like to the neck of their fathers, who believed not in the LORD their God; 15 and they rejected His statutes, and His covenant that He made with their fathers, and His testimonies wherewith He testified against them; and they went after things of nought, and became nought, and after the nations that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them that they should not do like them; 16 and they forsook all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal; 17 and they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and gave themselves over to do that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him; 18 that the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of His sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.
At that time, only the people of Judah remained as those who followed the worship of God.
The History of Judaism and Its Corruption: Pt. 5--Judah, Idolatry, and the Imprisonment of the Prophets
As discussed previously in this series, the northern kingdom, called Israel, was sent into captivity for their many sins. The southern kingdom, Judah, did not learn from the north's sins and became far worse (Jeremiah 3). In the southern kingdom, the Torah was lost and forgotten. Although the kings had been commanded to each make a copy of the Torah and keep it with them at all times, and it seems from the Psalms that at least David did so, by the time of the 16th king of Judah, Josiah, no one knew what the Torah said any more.
While renovating the Temple of Solomon, Hilkiah the Priest found a scroll. It is believed from what is written in 2 Chronicles 34 that the scroll contained the last chapters of Deuteronomy. It was read before the king, who ripped his clothes and sent to the prophetess Hulda for instruction. The prophetess told him that Judah would be sent into captivity for their sins, but not in his lifetime. These events occurred around the year 622 BCE. Josiah's son, Jehoiakim, did not follow his father's footsteps but instead rebuilt the altars of idolatry that his father had destroyed. Although the prophet Jeremiah was sent to him, he did not heed instruction.
In Jeremiah ch. 36, Jeremiah (who was imprisoned at that time) sent his scribe Baruch to the king with a scroll containing the message of God, warning the king and his people of the impending judgment to fall on them for their many sins. Instead of repenting when warned, the king grabbed the scroll, cut it into small pieces with a penknife and threw it into the fire. Soon, the punishment foretold by Jeremiah fell on the Jewish people. A large percentage of the people were carried away by Nebuchadnezzar, but the rest still did not repent. In defiance of the message of God, they killed the regent the king had put over them and then fled to Egypt, bringing Jeremiah with them by force.
When they reached Egypt they began sacrificing to the Egyptian gods. Jeremiah confronted them and told them to return to God. They told them that when they offered sacrifices to the queen of heaven, they met with prosperity, but that Josiah's reforms had brought them to poverty. They told Jeremiah that they would continue their sacrifices to the queen of heaven (the Egyptian Isis). Enraged, God swore that the Jews who were in Egypt would never pray in His name again, and they were forever lost to idolatry. Many years later, a portion of the Jews who had gone into Babylon returned to Israel to rebuild the Temple and restore the worship of God, led by Ezra.
While renovating the Temple of Solomon, Hilkiah the Priest found a scroll. It is believed from what is written in 2 Chronicles 34 that the scroll contained the last chapters of Deuteronomy. It was read before the king, who ripped his clothes and sent to the prophetess Hulda for instruction. The prophetess told him that Judah would be sent into captivity for their sins, but not in his lifetime. These events occurred around the year 622 BCE. Josiah's son, Jehoiakim, did not follow his father's footsteps but instead rebuilt the altars of idolatry that his father had destroyed. Although the prophet Jeremiah was sent to him, he did not heed instruction.
In Jeremiah ch. 36, Jeremiah (who was imprisoned at that time) sent his scribe Baruch to the king with a scroll containing the message of God, warning the king and his people of the impending judgment to fall on them for their many sins. Instead of repenting when warned, the king grabbed the scroll, cut it into small pieces with a penknife and threw it into the fire. Soon, the punishment foretold by Jeremiah fell on the Jewish people. A large percentage of the people were carried away by Nebuchadnezzar, but the rest still did not repent. In defiance of the message of God, they killed the regent the king had put over them and then fled to Egypt, bringing Jeremiah with them by force.
When they reached Egypt they began sacrificing to the Egyptian gods. Jeremiah confronted them and told them to return to God. They told them that when they offered sacrifices to the queen of heaven, they met with prosperity, but that Josiah's reforms had brought them to poverty. They told Jeremiah that they would continue their sacrifices to the queen of heaven (the Egyptian Isis). Enraged, God swore that the Jews who were in Egypt would never pray in His name again, and they were forever lost to idolatry. Many years later, a portion of the Jews who had gone into Babylon returned to Israel to rebuild the Temple and restore the worship of God, led by Ezra.
The History of Judaism and Its Corruption: Pt 6--Ezra
I just want to point out that this series is aimed at Jews. Although Muslims may not believe what is said about the prophets (peace be upon them all) in this series, Jews do. This series intends to prove to Jews, from their own texts, that the original version of the Torah is lost and what exists today has been rewritten. This article, the last in the series, will be the most controversial. I am sorry if what is said in it offends you, but this is what Jewish texts say.
As we've already noted in this series, the situation with the Jewish people had become desperate. The Torah had been lost; idolatry had taken over. The Jews had been exiled from their home as punishment. Then a man named Ezra came. Ezra's goal was to restore Judaism to what it had been before; however, he unwittingly changed Judaism and the Torah forever, and not entirely for the good. The Qur'an says (9:30) that Jews say Ezra is God's son, and begs that this heresy be destroyed.Jews contest that they do not claim Ezra to be God's son; and indeed, in word, they do not. However, few Jews or Muslims realize the role Ezra played in the corruption of Judaism. Ezra is credited in the Talmud with changing the Torah.
Ezra is referred to by the Rabbis (which when used in the general sense like that infers the rabbis of the Sanhedrin) as "flowers that appear upon the face of the earth", the evidence that "springtime" had come to the Kingdom of Israel. Ezra is considered worthy to have been the bringer of the Torah, had it not been already given to Moses (Sanhedrin 21b). The Torah was lost, as we have learned, but according to the Talmud Ezra restored it (Sukkot 20a). Ezra rewrote the text of the Torah, introducing Assyrian or square letters (Sanhedrin 21b). He showed his doubts concerning the correctness of some words in the text by adding points over them. Should Elijah, said he, approve the text, the points would be disregarded; should he disapprove, the doubtful words would be removed from the text (Ab. R. N. 34). He is regarded and quoted as the type of person most competent and learned in the Torah (Bereshit Rabbah 36). The rabbis attribute much of what we know as Judaism today to him. He added many commandments and prohibitions to the Jewish people, such as that courts be in session on Mondays and Thursdays; that garments be washed on those days; that the wife should rise early and bake bread; that women should wear a girdle (Bava Kamma 82a; Yer. Meg. iv 75a); and that women (and men, under some circumstances) should undergo a ritual bath (mikvah) (Bava Kamma 82a) and more. His name is also connected with the founding of the Great Assembly, commonly known as the Sanhedrin (Meg. 17b), and the beginning of the Jewish calendar is traced back to him (Brakhah 6a, Rashi).
I believe Ezra's intentions were pure: he intended to destroy idolatry and restore the Jews to their faith. However, according to Jewish history, he changed the Torah. The reason I believe he wanted to empower and in a sense "create" the Great Assembly was as an antidote to idolatry: prophets, priests, kings, and judges had been unsuccessful at assisting the Jewish people in retaining the knowledge of God. His hope was that a court of many scholars would keep the nation intact on the right track, and would prevent the Torah from being lost again. At this task, he succeeded. But it was his version of the Torah--his flawed, but well-intentioned one--that survived to this day. Ezra was a good man, with pure intentions, who disserviced Judaism by forever changing the Torah and Jewish law. The empowering of the Sanhedrin led to the birth of the Talmud, which has taken over Jewish thought and has pushed the Torah to the side.
UPDATE:
I will send you Elijah
Mecca in the Rabbinic Texts
Mohammad (saws) as Elijah
As we've already noted in this series, the situation with the Jewish people had become desperate. The Torah had been lost; idolatry had taken over. The Jews had been exiled from their home as punishment. Then a man named Ezra came. Ezra's goal was to restore Judaism to what it had been before; however, he unwittingly changed Judaism and the Torah forever, and not entirely for the good. The Qur'an says (9:30) that Jews say Ezra is God's son, and begs that this heresy be destroyed.Jews contest that they do not claim Ezra to be God's son; and indeed, in word, they do not. However, few Jews or Muslims realize the role Ezra played in the corruption of Judaism. Ezra is credited in the Talmud with changing the Torah.
Ezra is referred to by the Rabbis (which when used in the general sense like that infers the rabbis of the Sanhedrin) as "flowers that appear upon the face of the earth", the evidence that "springtime" had come to the Kingdom of Israel. Ezra is considered worthy to have been the bringer of the Torah, had it not been already given to Moses (Sanhedrin 21b). The Torah was lost, as we have learned, but according to the Talmud Ezra restored it (Sukkot 20a). Ezra rewrote the text of the Torah, introducing Assyrian or square letters (Sanhedrin 21b). He showed his doubts concerning the correctness of some words in the text by adding points over them. Should Elijah, said he, approve the text, the points would be disregarded; should he disapprove, the doubtful words would be removed from the text (Ab. R. N. 34). He is regarded and quoted as the type of person most competent and learned in the Torah (Bereshit Rabbah 36). The rabbis attribute much of what we know as Judaism today to him. He added many commandments and prohibitions to the Jewish people, such as that courts be in session on Mondays and Thursdays; that garments be washed on those days; that the wife should rise early and bake bread; that women should wear a girdle (Bava Kamma 82a; Yer. Meg. iv 75a); and that women (and men, under some circumstances) should undergo a ritual bath (mikvah) (Bava Kamma 82a) and more. His name is also connected with the founding of the Great Assembly, commonly known as the Sanhedrin (Meg. 17b), and the beginning of the Jewish calendar is traced back to him (Brakhah 6a, Rashi).
I believe Ezra's intentions were pure: he intended to destroy idolatry and restore the Jews to their faith. However, according to Jewish history, he changed the Torah. The reason I believe he wanted to empower and in a sense "create" the Great Assembly was as an antidote to idolatry: prophets, priests, kings, and judges had been unsuccessful at assisting the Jewish people in retaining the knowledge of God. His hope was that a court of many scholars would keep the nation intact on the right track, and would prevent the Torah from being lost again. At this task, he succeeded. But it was his version of the Torah--his flawed, but well-intentioned one--that survived to this day. Ezra was a good man, with pure intentions, who disserviced Judaism by forever changing the Torah and Jewish law. The empowering of the Sanhedrin led to the birth of the Talmud, which has taken over Jewish thought and has pushed the Torah to the side.
UPDATE:
I will send you Elijah
Mecca in the Rabbinic Texts
Mohammad (saws) as Elijah
Monday, January 11, 2010
I Will Send You Elijah
Malachi 3:23 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. 24 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers; lest I come and smite the land with utter destruction.
Jews accept Malachi as the last prophet sent to the Jewish people. The book of Malachi expresses God's disgust with the Jewish people because they have forsaken His covenant.
These verses express God's contempt for Israel's sin. He wishes in this passage that someone would "shut the doors" to the Temple, that someone would prohibit the Jews from further defiling His name until they repented. He says that in the other (non-Jewish) nations, His name will be properly glorified and exalted.
Then He promises to send "Elijah the Prophet."
The coming Elijah, it is said in this passage, would turn the hearts of the fathers towards their children (perhaps a reference to an end to the practice of child sacrifice/infanticide) and the hearts of the children towards their fathers before the land was struck with destruction.
The Prophet Elijah, may he be remembered for good, was a great prophet sent during one of the darkest hours in Jewish history. Indeed, Elijah complained to God:
And he said: 'I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.' (1 Kings 19:10)
This complaint came after the famous showdown between Elijah and the priests of Baal. Elijah called all of the northern kingdom, Israel, together. He told them to choose what God was true: Baal or Yhvh, the Hebrew sacred name of God. They stood silent, so he challenged the priests of Baal to a duel; they would each offer a sacrifice, and the one that was consumed by fire from heaven would be considered true. The people agreed. Elijah's prayer was answered by fire; he then stood up and killed the 850 prophets of Baal that had been under the care of the king and queen of Israel. The queen swore to kill Elijah, who fled to the Arabian peninsula, where God spoke to him.
Elijah was a beacon of light in a dark world. He stood against evil and did many miracles. Yet little is known of his origin. He is referred to as "Elijah the Tishbite of Tishbe in Gilead." Tishbite can be correctly translated a stranger, rendering the verse, "Elijah the stranger, from the strangers in Gilead", inferring that Elijah was not Jewish. Further emphasizing that point, the Bible does not typically include genealogies for non-Abrahamic or convert prophets (as for example Obadiah the Edomite and Hagar daughter of Pharaoh). Elijah was from Gilead, a general term for the area east of the Jordan river. The "balm of Gilead" is generally known as the "balm of Mecca."
Thus Malachi, the last prophet before the "long darkness" in Jewish prophetic history, foretold the coming of Elijah. Could it be that the Elijah meant was a non-Jewish prophet from outside the land of Israel, even perhaps from the Arabian peninsula?
Jews accept Malachi as the last prophet sent to the Jewish people. The book of Malachi expresses God's disgust with the Jewish people because they have forsaken His covenant.
Malachi 1:5 And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say: 'The LORD is great beyond the border of Israel.' 6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master; if then I be a father, where is My honour? and if I be a master, where is My fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise My name. And ye say: 'Wherein have we despised Thy name?' 7 Ye offer polluted bread upon Mine altar. And ye say: 'Wherein have we polluted thee?' In that ye say: 'The table of the LORD is contemptible.' 8 And when ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it no evil! And when ye offer the lame and sick, is it no evil! Present it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee? or will he accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts. 9 And now, I pray you, entreat the favour of God that He may be gracious unto us!--this hath been of your doing.--will He accept any of your persons? saith the LORD of hosts. 10 Oh that there were even one among you that would shut the doors, that ye might not kindle fire on Mine altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same My name is great among the nations; and in every place offerings are presented unto My name, even pure oblations; for My name is great among the nations, saith the LORD of hosts. 12 But ye profane it, in that ye say: 'The table of the LORD is polluted, and the fruit thereof, even the food thereof, is contemptible.' 13 Ye say also: 'Behold, what a weariness is it!' and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye have brought that which was taken by violence, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye bring the offering; should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD. 14 But cursed be he that dealeth craftily, whereas he hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a blemished thing; for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and My name is feared among the nations.
These verses express God's contempt for Israel's sin. He wishes in this passage that someone would "shut the doors" to the Temple, that someone would prohibit the Jews from further defiling His name until they repented. He says that in the other (non-Jewish) nations, His name will be properly glorified and exalted.
Then He promises to send "Elijah the Prophet."
Malachi 3:22 Remember ye the law of Moses My servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, even statutes and ordinances. 23 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. 24 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers; lest I come and smite the land with utter destruction.
The coming Elijah, it is said in this passage, would turn the hearts of the fathers towards their children (perhaps a reference to an end to the practice of child sacrifice/infanticide) and the hearts of the children towards their fathers before the land was struck with destruction.
The Prophet Elijah, may he be remembered for good, was a great prophet sent during one of the darkest hours in Jewish history. Indeed, Elijah complained to God:
And he said: 'I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.' (1 Kings 19:10)
This complaint came after the famous showdown between Elijah and the priests of Baal. Elijah called all of the northern kingdom, Israel, together. He told them to choose what God was true: Baal or Yhvh, the Hebrew sacred name of God. They stood silent, so he challenged the priests of Baal to a duel; they would each offer a sacrifice, and the one that was consumed by fire from heaven would be considered true. The people agreed. Elijah's prayer was answered by fire; he then stood up and killed the 850 prophets of Baal that had been under the care of the king and queen of Israel. The queen swore to kill Elijah, who fled to the Arabian peninsula, where God spoke to him.
Elijah was a beacon of light in a dark world. He stood against evil and did many miracles. Yet little is known of his origin. He is referred to as "Elijah the Tishbite of Tishbe in Gilead." Tishbite can be correctly translated a stranger, rendering the verse, "Elijah the stranger, from the strangers in Gilead", inferring that Elijah was not Jewish. Further emphasizing that point, the Bible does not typically include genealogies for non-Abrahamic or convert prophets (as for example Obadiah the Edomite and Hagar daughter of Pharaoh). Elijah was from Gilead, a general term for the area east of the Jordan river. The "balm of Gilead" is generally known as the "balm of Mecca."
Thus Malachi, the last prophet before the "long darkness" in Jewish prophetic history, foretold the coming of Elijah. Could it be that the Elijah meant was a non-Jewish prophet from outside the land of Israel, even perhaps from the Arabian peninsula?
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Judaism and Islam: Incompatible? Pt 1-Introduction
As shocking as it may sound to some, I believe that the teachings of Judaism and Islam are not incompatible. Judaism and Islam are not at war with each other; Zionism and lies are. Jews and Muslims have lived together at peace for hundreds of years. One of the greatest Jewish thinkers of all time, the Rambam, lived in Muslim Egypt. In fact he preferred Egypt over living in Palestine, and when given the opportunity to move to Palestine went for a short period of time, then returned to Egypt. The lies spread by Zionists about Islam run against the core beliefs of Judaism.
This series delves into some of the similarities between Judaism and Islam, and discusses how they are not in conflict; in fact, they complement each other. Hopefully this series will answer many of the questions that trouble even the most sincere of Jews, and will explain Islam to them. I am not attempting to convince anyone to convert to Islam by this series; as the Noble Qur'an says, "To me my religion, to you yours." There is no compulsion of faith in Islam; Allah guides whom He wills, so who am I to coerce anyone to believe. If you are happy as a Jew, then good; but I want you to understand that Judaism does not contradict Islam in any way. Jews and Muslims can and should peacefully coexist.
This is a comprehensive series. Each video explores many nuances of Jewish and Muslim theology, and some delve into Christianity as well. Although I realize that the content may be boring to many of my viewers, I hope you'll take the time to at least become acquainted with the materials I offer. I have spent the last two years studying Judaism. I have read the Jewish scriptures ten times; I have studied Jewish commentaries on the scriptures, have sought out information about troubling passages, and believe I have a relatively comprehensive understanding of Jewish law. I hope to use this understanding to explain why, from a Muslim perspective, I do not believe Judaism and Islam are incompatible. I hope to be thorough but not waste words. You, my viewer, will derive the most benefit from this series if you watch the videos in order and together. I highly recommend taking the time to watch the entire playlist in one sitting, then watching individual videos again for more information. The videos compliment each other and may not stand alone very well. Please comment along the way; I appreciate your input.
This series delves into some of the similarities between Judaism and Islam, and discusses how they are not in conflict; in fact, they complement each other. Hopefully this series will answer many of the questions that trouble even the most sincere of Jews, and will explain Islam to them. I am not attempting to convince anyone to convert to Islam by this series; as the Noble Qur'an says, "To me my religion, to you yours." There is no compulsion of faith in Islam; Allah guides whom He wills, so who am I to coerce anyone to believe. If you are happy as a Jew, then good; but I want you to understand that Judaism does not contradict Islam in any way. Jews and Muslims can and should peacefully coexist.
This is a comprehensive series. Each video explores many nuances of Jewish and Muslim theology, and some delve into Christianity as well. Although I realize that the content may be boring to many of my viewers, I hope you'll take the time to at least become acquainted with the materials I offer. I have spent the last two years studying Judaism. I have read the Jewish scriptures ten times; I have studied Jewish commentaries on the scriptures, have sought out information about troubling passages, and believe I have a relatively comprehensive understanding of Jewish law. I hope to use this understanding to explain why, from a Muslim perspective, I do not believe Judaism and Islam are incompatible. I hope to be thorough but not waste words. You, my viewer, will derive the most benefit from this series if you watch the videos in order and together. I highly recommend taking the time to watch the entire playlist in one sitting, then watching individual videos again for more information. The videos compliment each other and may not stand alone very well. Please comment along the way; I appreciate your input.
Judaism and Islam: Incompatible? Pt 2-Jesus
One of the clearest distinctions between Judaism and Islam is the position of Jesus in each. Contrary to popular belief, the Talmud does not degrade Jesus. There are three separate people named Yeshu in the Talmud, but none of them were at the same time period or shared any life details with Jesus son of Mary. Islam supports the Q Gospel idea; that is, the idea that the original teachings of Jesus were lost and that the gospels we have today are a corrupted version of them. As many of my viewers know, on my old GbJew account I made many videos explaining why Jesus could not be the messiah. As of the date of this article's publishing, they are still up for educational purposes. I have been asked how I reconcile my previous disbelief in Jesus with Islam, which is a valid question. At this point in my life, I am not very interested in eschatology. Additionally, Islam's Messiah is much more able to complete the messianic prophecies than the Christian Jesus. For example, in Islam Jesus is neither God nor God's son. Islam unequivocally denies the possibility of God begetting or being begotten. Thus Islam does not accept the belief that Jesus was God incarnate, part of the triune God, or the son of God . Islam does not believe in the atoning death of Jesus. Islam does not create a need for God to kill himself or anyone else for man's sins. It does not hold the doctrine of a "sin nature" from which man must be delivered. It does not hold that any man is "perfect" in the Christian sense of the idea of the "sinless Jesus." The final extremely difficult issue for me was Jesus as messiah. As I pointed out in a video on my GbJew channel, the last eight chapters of Ezekiel are very troubling to Christian eschatology. They deal with the life of the Messiah the Prince, often in boring details. They discuss in great detail the animal sacrifices he will offer in the final temple, a temple which has not yet been built. On that note: I am aware that the ownership of the Temple Mount is a very sensitive issue for both Muslims and Jews. I believe a new Temple will be built; I believe it will be according to the dimensions found in the book of Ezekiel, about as large as the current city of Jerusalem is. However, I do NOT believe that Jews may or will destroy al Aqsa. The prophets forbid destruction on the Temple Mount: "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain." (Isa. 65:25, 11:9) Instead, the city will be destroyed by an earthquake. (Haggai 2:6, Joel 4:16, Isa. 29:6). The earthquake will open a river flooding Jerusalem. The river will destroy the disbelievers who have fought the Messiah the Prince and then will become a river for healing and for cleansing for the survivors (Dan. 9:26). The river will temporarily flood the city, then will flow into the Dead Sea, bringing it life. (Eze. 47:8) The river will be a source of commerce, being miraculously filled with aquatic life. (Eze. 47:9) Then the Temple will be a house of prayer for all people (Isa 56:7). Every new moon and every Sabbath, all flesh will come worship God in Jerusalem (Isa. 66:23). All mankind will be united in worship of God and in service of the Messiah the Prince. In that Temple, the Messiah the Prince will offer sacrifices as described in the last eight chapters of Ezekiel. In Christian theology this is extremely problematic, as Jesus was the final sacrifice according to the author of Hebrews. Most Christians today believe that because Jesus was the final sacrifices, it is sinful to offer sacrifices; this tramples underfoot the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. Islam does not believe in the atoning death of Jesus and therefore takes no issue with the continued offering of animal sacrifices. The 46th chapter of Ezekiel discusses at length the property rights of the Prince's sons in relation to his servants. The Prince's portion of the land in Ezekiel is a plot adjacent to the new Temple, and of the same dimensions. In Christian teaching, Jesus did not have any children while on this earth and most certainly did not give them the land described as the Prince's in Ezekiel. Further, Jesus said in the Christian scriptures that the dead, when they are resurrected, do not marry nor are they given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven. Therefore, according to Christianity, Jesus is not capable of having children to give the land to. Thus, it was pointless for God to write a passage about the Messiah's children. I doubt Christians want to accuse God of either lying, of not knowing His own plan for the salvation of humanity, or of writing something He had no plan to fulfill. In Islam, however, the problem disappears because Jesus did not die and was not resurrected. He continues to live, like Elijah, and will return to earth, marry, have children, and die. Thus the Muslim Jesus does not clash with the Jewish scriptures.
Judaism and Islam: Incompatible? Pt 3-Muhammad a Prophet?
Most Jews believe that the time of the prophets is over, as the Talmud says. Based on this, they reject Muhammad believing that there are no more prophets. However, there have always been Jewish and non-Jewish prophets. The Tanakh names many non-Jewish prophets, including Job, Adam, and Noah. It is possible in Judaism for a non-Jewish prophet to be as great as the Moses and all the patriarchs, as many Jewish sources say Balaam was.
Although the time of prophecy has ended for Jews, there is no evidence in Scripture or in Jewish literature that it ended at any specific time for non-Jews. Indeed, the verses stating that the time of prophecy was drawing to a close only indicate this for Jews. As it is written, "For the children of Israel shall sit solitary many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without pillar, and without ephod or teraphim;" (Hosea 3:4). Thus the decision by many Jews to reject Muhammad based on this alone is not merited. Therefore, I would like to appeal to Jews to judge Muhammad based on his merits, seeing if he fulfilled the qualifications of a prophet.
Rambam says that a prophet is authenticated by performance of a wondrous sign or by accurate prediction of the future. Then, he says, we must examine the character of the man to see if he is one who is fit for prophecy. He should be wise, learned, and moral. However, there are cases when divine inspiration takes over even though the individual is not learned and has not studied the curriculum Rambam felt was necessary before taking their role as a prophet. This was the case of Jonah and of Amos. Jonah was a common man according to Jewish tradition. He went to the Temple during the time of the festival of water pouring, at which time he was endowed with prophecy and was sent on his mission to Ninevah. He was afraid because he did not have the education to be a prophet and tried to avoid his mission. Similarly, Amos said, "I was no prophet, nor a prophet's son (disciple); but I was a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees." (Amos 7:14).
The singularly most important qualification, the one that distinguishes between true and false prophets among otherwise qualified candidates, is whether or not the prophet instructs people to follow the laws of God. I wish to invite Jews to examine whether Muhammad fulfilled these qualifications.
Although the time of prophecy has ended for Jews, there is no evidence in Scripture or in Jewish literature that it ended at any specific time for non-Jews. Indeed, the verses stating that the time of prophecy was drawing to a close only indicate this for Jews. As it is written, "For the children of Israel shall sit solitary many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without pillar, and without ephod or teraphim;" (Hosea 3:4). Thus the decision by many Jews to reject Muhammad based on this alone is not merited. Therefore, I would like to appeal to Jews to judge Muhammad based on his merits, seeing if he fulfilled the qualifications of a prophet.
Rambam says that a prophet is authenticated by performance of a wondrous sign or by accurate prediction of the future. Then, he says, we must examine the character of the man to see if he is one who is fit for prophecy. He should be wise, learned, and moral. However, there are cases when divine inspiration takes over even though the individual is not learned and has not studied the curriculum Rambam felt was necessary before taking their role as a prophet. This was the case of Jonah and of Amos. Jonah was a common man according to Jewish tradition. He went to the Temple during the time of the festival of water pouring, at which time he was endowed with prophecy and was sent on his mission to Ninevah. He was afraid because he did not have the education to be a prophet and tried to avoid his mission. Similarly, Amos said, "I was no prophet, nor a prophet's son (disciple); but I was a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees." (Amos 7:14).
The singularly most important qualification, the one that distinguishes between true and false prophets among otherwise qualified candidates, is whether or not the prophet instructs people to follow the laws of God. I wish to invite Jews to examine whether Muhammad fulfilled these qualifications.
Judaism and Islam: Incompatible? Pt 4-Muhammad a Prophet? cont.
1. Authentication: correct prediction of the future or wondrous signs.
http://arabicpaper.tripod.com/miracle.html
http://www.jews-for-allah.org/Muhammad-and-Judaism/miracles-of-mohammed.htm
2. His character
His character
http://arabicpaper.tripod.com/virtues.html
Then the final test: did Muhammad return mankind to the faith of Abraham?
Judaism teaches that before Moses gave bnai Israel the Torah, there were seven laws given to mankind. A non-Jewish prophet's role would be to return mankind to these laws.
They are:
1. Prohibition on Idolatry.
Islam teaches that there is only One God
2. Prohibition on Blasphemy
The Qur'an forbids blasphemy: 4:140, 9:47, 5:33
3. Prohibition on Theft
The Qur'an forbids theft: 5:38, 5:50
4. Prohibition on Murder
The Qur'an forbids murder: 5:32, 2:190
5. Prohibition on Forbidden Intercourse
There are six kinds of forbidden relations, all of which the Qur'an forbids:
a. Mother: 4:23
b. Stepmother: 4:22
c. Sister: 4:23
d. Adultery: 4:15
e. Another Man: 4:16
f. Animals: Because intercourse is limited to husband and wife, zoophilia is forbidden.
6. Prohibition on Meat
The only dietary regulation that is incumbent on non-Jews under Jewish law is the prohibition on eating meat torn from a still-convulsing animal. Islam commands the ritual slaughter of meat and its proper cutting before the animal can be eaten. [5:3]
7. The command to establish courts.
Judaism teaches that non-Jews are commanded to set up courts to make sure these laws are followed. Islam does have such courts.
Thus according to Judaism, Muhammad had all the qualifications of a prophet.
http://arabicpaper.tripod.com/miracle.html
http://www.jews-for-allah.org/Muhammad-and-Judaism/miracles-of-mohammed.htm
2. His character
His character
http://arabicpaper.tripod.com/virtues.html
Then the final test: did Muhammad return mankind to the faith of Abraham?
Judaism teaches that before Moses gave bnai Israel the Torah, there were seven laws given to mankind. A non-Jewish prophet's role would be to return mankind to these laws.
They are:
1. Prohibition on Idolatry.
Islam teaches that there is only One God
2. Prohibition on Blasphemy
The Qur'an forbids blasphemy: 4:140, 9:47, 5:33
3. Prohibition on Theft
The Qur'an forbids theft: 5:38, 5:50
4. Prohibition on Murder
The Qur'an forbids murder: 5:32, 2:190
5. Prohibition on Forbidden Intercourse
There are six kinds of forbidden relations, all of which the Qur'an forbids:
a. Mother: 4:23
b. Stepmother: 4:22
c. Sister: 4:23
d. Adultery: 4:15
e. Another Man: 4:16
f. Animals: Because intercourse is limited to husband and wife, zoophilia is forbidden.
6. Prohibition on Meat
The only dietary regulation that is incumbent on non-Jews under Jewish law is the prohibition on eating meat torn from a still-convulsing animal. Islam commands the ritual slaughter of meat and its proper cutting before the animal can be eaten. [5:3]
7. The command to establish courts.
Judaism teaches that non-Jews are commanded to set up courts to make sure these laws are followed. Islam does have such courts.
Thus according to Judaism, Muhammad had all the qualifications of a prophet.
Judaism and Islam: Incompatible? Pt 5-Mercy to the Worlds
Judaism teaches that seven laws were given to Adam and Noah, and that the sons of Noah must all keep.
Those who do not keep these laws must be put to death. The laws are:
1. Prohibition on Blasphemy
2. Prohibition on Idolatry
3. Prohibition on Murder
4. Prohibition on Theft
5. Prohibition on Forbidden Intercourse
6. Prohibition on Meat Taken from a Live Animal
7. Command to Establish Courts.
One of these laws, the command to establish courts, is critical to the survival of the universe. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: "The world endures on three things - justice, truth, and peace, as it is said: 'Truth and the verdict of peace are you to adjudicate in your gates.'"
What is the law of these courts?
According to the Mishne Torah, Laws of Kings and Their Wars:
9:17 [14] What does it mean that they (non-Jews) are commanded concerning establishing law? They are obligated to set up judges and magistrates in every major city to establish laws on the other six commandments of the seven commandments of Noah, and to admonish the peoples to do them. A ben Noah that transgresses one of these seven commandments is liable to be killed by decapitation.
9:18 What does this imply? One who does [literally: serves] foreign worship (idolatry), or who curses the Name, or who spills blood, or who had intercourse with one of the six persons with whom sexual relations are forbidden, or who stole even less than the worth of the smallest form of currency, or who ate the least bit from a limb of a living animal, or meat from an active animal, or who saw someone transgress one of these seven laws and didn't have him judges and killed -- behold, such an individual as this is to be killed by decapitation.
If the courts mandated by this Divine Law are not in place, the world will be destroyed again as it was in the days of Noah. If the non-Jews do not set up these courts, the Jews must set them up. 10:11 "The Court of Israel is obligated to erect judges for these [non-Jews], to adjudicate for them according to these judgments, in order that the world shall not be destroyed." The Court of Israel ended in the fifth century with the end of the semikah (ordination) that gave authority to the members of the Sanhedrin (Hilkoth Sanhedrin 4:11). Yet when they came to an end, the world did not come to an end; this indicates, if one assumes the earlier prediction of apocalypse true, that such courts continued to exist. And indeed they did; as we have established earlier in the series, they continued through the Prophet of Mercy, Muhammad. Muhammad came in the same century that the line of semikah--the line of ordination for these courts, which had remained from Moses until that time--died.
Thus, the Prophet of Mercy, Muhammad, staved off the destruction of the world by renewing the covenant of Divine law.
Those who do not keep these laws must be put to death. The laws are:
1. Prohibition on Blasphemy
2. Prohibition on Idolatry
3. Prohibition on Murder
4. Prohibition on Theft
5. Prohibition on Forbidden Intercourse
6. Prohibition on Meat Taken from a Live Animal
7. Command to Establish Courts.
One of these laws, the command to establish courts, is critical to the survival of the universe. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: "The world endures on three things - justice, truth, and peace, as it is said: 'Truth and the verdict of peace are you to adjudicate in your gates.'"
What is the law of these courts?
According to the Mishne Torah, Laws of Kings and Their Wars:
9:17 [14] What does it mean that they (non-Jews) are commanded concerning establishing law? They are obligated to set up judges and magistrates in every major city to establish laws on the other six commandments of the seven commandments of Noah, and to admonish the peoples to do them. A ben Noah that transgresses one of these seven commandments is liable to be killed by decapitation.
9:18 What does this imply? One who does [literally: serves] foreign worship (idolatry), or who curses the Name, or who spills blood, or who had intercourse with one of the six persons with whom sexual relations are forbidden, or who stole even less than the worth of the smallest form of currency, or who ate the least bit from a limb of a living animal, or meat from an active animal, or who saw someone transgress one of these seven laws and didn't have him judges and killed -- behold, such an individual as this is to be killed by decapitation.
If the courts mandated by this Divine Law are not in place, the world will be destroyed again as it was in the days of Noah. If the non-Jews do not set up these courts, the Jews must set them up. 10:11 "The Court of Israel is obligated to erect judges for these [non-Jews], to adjudicate for them according to these judgments, in order that the world shall not be destroyed." The Court of Israel ended in the fifth century with the end of the semikah (ordination) that gave authority to the members of the Sanhedrin (Hilkoth Sanhedrin 4:11). Yet when they came to an end, the world did not come to an end; this indicates, if one assumes the earlier prediction of apocalypse true, that such courts continued to exist. And indeed they did; as we have established earlier in the series, they continued through the Prophet of Mercy, Muhammad. Muhammad came in the same century that the line of semikah--the line of ordination for these courts, which had remained from Moses until that time--died.
Thus, the Prophet of Mercy, Muhammad, staved off the destruction of the world by renewing the covenant of Divine law.
Judaism and Islam: Incompatible? Pt 6-Innovated Religion?
Jewish law teaches that it is forbidden to the sons of Noah to create religions for themselves.
Mishne Torah, Laws of Kings and their Wars 10:12 "The general principle of the matter: They (the sons of Noah) are not to be allowed to innovate religious practice, or to create for themselves commandments from their own minds. Either a person shall become a full member of the people of Israel and thus accept upon himself all the commandments, or he shall remain with his Torah (that is, the commandments enjoined on the sons of Noah), and not add to it nor detract from it. And if he occupied himself in the Torah that is only binding upon Israel, or ceased working as a religious expression, or innovated something religious -- they (the legal enforcement of non-Israelites) are to hit him and punish him, and inform him that he is liable for death due to this; but he is not to be killed."
So it appears that it is forbidden for non-Jews to invent their own religions. The question then becomes, Is Islam an invented religion?
Islam does not claim to be an invented religion. Rather, it claims its origins in the faith of Abraham, which he taught to his son Ishmael. God bore witness of Abraham that He knew he would raise his children in God's ways. Thus, it can be readily accepted that Ishmael was taught the ways of God. As we have established, Muhammad was a prophet who returned mankind to the faith of Abraham. However, Islam does have new laws, such as the prohibition on alcohol. The question is whether this is permitted or forbidden.
Putting aside prophetic privilege to temporarily change law as necessary to bring people back to faith, I have another case to bring. In Jeremiah 35, the Rechabites, sons of Moses' father in law, are brought into the temple. The prophet set wine in front of them and told them to drink. They declined saying that Jonadab son of Rechab their father forbid alcohol, cities, fields and vineyards to them. They obeyed their father's command and lived in tents and did not consume alcohol. Instead of being punished for this, they are praised. It appears to me that the prohibition on forming a new religion is a prohibition on courts of bnei noach applying the death penalty to innovated laws; for this is murder. Also, it may include setting up new religious rituals. Islam does not claim that Muhammad set up any new religious rituals; only that he restored those practiced by Abraham and his sons. Thus, I do not believe that the evidence points to Islam being an innovated religion.
Mishne Torah, Laws of Kings and their Wars 10:12 "The general principle of the matter: They (the sons of Noah) are not to be allowed to innovate religious practice, or to create for themselves commandments from their own minds. Either a person shall become a full member of the people of Israel and thus accept upon himself all the commandments, or he shall remain with his Torah (that is, the commandments enjoined on the sons of Noah), and not add to it nor detract from it. And if he occupied himself in the Torah that is only binding upon Israel, or ceased working as a religious expression, or innovated something religious -- they (the legal enforcement of non-Israelites) are to hit him and punish him, and inform him that he is liable for death due to this; but he is not to be killed."
So it appears that it is forbidden for non-Jews to invent their own religions. The question then becomes, Is Islam an invented religion?
Islam does not claim to be an invented religion. Rather, it claims its origins in the faith of Abraham, which he taught to his son Ishmael. God bore witness of Abraham that He knew he would raise his children in God's ways. Thus, it can be readily accepted that Ishmael was taught the ways of God. As we have established, Muhammad was a prophet who returned mankind to the faith of Abraham. However, Islam does have new laws, such as the prohibition on alcohol. The question is whether this is permitted or forbidden.
Putting aside prophetic privilege to temporarily change law as necessary to bring people back to faith, I have another case to bring. In Jeremiah 35, the Rechabites, sons of Moses' father in law, are brought into the temple. The prophet set wine in front of them and told them to drink. They declined saying that Jonadab son of Rechab their father forbid alcohol, cities, fields and vineyards to them. They obeyed their father's command and lived in tents and did not consume alcohol. Instead of being punished for this, they are praised. It appears to me that the prohibition on forming a new religion is a prohibition on courts of bnei noach applying the death penalty to innovated laws; for this is murder. Also, it may include setting up new religious rituals. Islam does not claim that Muhammad set up any new religious rituals; only that he restored those practiced by Abraham and his sons. Thus, I do not believe that the evidence points to Islam being an innovated religion.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Mumble mutter mutter....
Pardon my dust...I am trying to figure out how to use this thing.
Until I get it all set up, please check out my youtube:
Youtube.com/thisismydeen
and my zazzle:
http://www.zazzle.com/thisismydeen
Until I get it all set up, please check out my youtube:
Youtube.com/thisismydeen
and my zazzle:
http://www.zazzle.com/thisismydeen
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