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Showing posts with label Lies about Islam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lies about Islam. Show all posts

Friday, 14 June 2024

Responding to objections/lies about Islam: Allah of Muslims is merciless and unloving

The purpose of the Divine faiths was to provide guidance to the mankind and to foster love and inter-faith harmony so that world could live in peace. Unfortunately, the social media is flooded with posts and misinformation about Islam, targeting not only Muslims, but "Allah of Muslims" and (Prophet) Muhammad (ﷺ).  The sentiments aired against Islam and "Allah of Muslims" and (Prophet) Muhammad (ﷺ) are sometimes so derogatory that one really feels pity on those who concoct such allegations. In addition to written material, caricatures depicting "Allah of Muslims" and (Prophet) Muhammad (ﷺ) are a shameful act.

On the contrary, Muslims, respect and honour all previous messengers and prophets, and respect the unpolluted Divine Scripturas, and make sure no words unbecoming of the previous prophets or sentiments are aired to degrade their status. The Muslims only differ on the concept of Trinity, which makes Prophet Eesa (Jesus, peace be upon him)  another god, at par with the one and only God, we Muslims call Allah. Perhaps this is the main reason that followers of Jesus get annoyed for Muslims not accepting him as a god. 

And from here on, an unending misinformation is unleashed, labelling Allah of Muslims as unjust, unloving and merciless. On the contrary, Jesus is portrayed as the most loving god and his sacrifice while absorbing sins of all his followers, leaving them clean of whatever sins they have committed or will be committing in futures. Muslims on the contrary believe no such concept of original sin and know that whatever sins they will commit, they will be answerable for those on the Day of the Judgement. 

As for mercy and love, the Allah of Muslims is far more merciful, loving and kind, besides being the most forgiving for all those who believe in Him, take Him as the Only Lord of the world without any associates, and repent of their sins and seek forgiveness.

The mindset about Islam, "Allah of Muslims" and (Prophet) Muhammad (ﷺ) generally germinates due to lack of knowledge about Isla, Qur'an and Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). The lack of knowledge compounded by lies about Islam drilled in the mindset by the religious men, pastors, priests and monks, thus, results in criticism about Islam. It is with this regard, I am writing this post to clear the mindset of the non Muslims, something that is being researched by many a non Muslims around the world and many a stark enemies of Islam are reverting to Islam.

In fact Qur'an abounds in verses that show fathomless latitude to the sinners and the wrongdoers and show how Merciful Allah is and how leverage He gives to the sinners and the wrongdoers to repent their sins and return to him seeking His forgiveness.  Of course no gets automatically absolved of one's sins, like followers of Jesus believe, and unless a sinner seeks forgiveness, his sins will not be erased or forgiven.

Let us go step by step to know how much merciful, kind and loving is Allah to his servants as against the lies so levelled against "Allah of Muslims" and Islam:

Allah's Mercy and Forgiveness
Allah Himself describe Him as "Ar-Rahman" (The Most Merciful) and "Ar-Rahim" (The Most Compassionate) in Qur'an. The Qur'an emphasizes that Allah's mercy encompasses all things and that He is willing to forgive those who repent sincerely.

"Say, 'O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.'" (Quran 39:53)

Unlimited Leverage for Repentance
Wrongdoers are given many opportunities to repent and seek forgiveness. Repentance (Tawbah) is highly encouraged, and Allah promises to forgive those who turn to Him with sincerity.

"And whoever does a wrong or wrongs himself but then seeks forgiveness of Allah will find Allah Forgiving and Merciful." Quran 4:110:

In one of Hadiths ( mentioned in Sahih Muslim, Book 37, as Hadith 6644): Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has been quoted as saying:

"Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said: 'O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it.'"

The above quoted verse form Qur'an and the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ should be enough and an eye opener for those who label "Allah of Muslims" as unkind, merciless and unloving.

Encouragement to Refrain from Sin
Allah encourages believers to avoid sin and wrongdoing, emphasizing that while Allah is forgiving, it is better to avoid sins in the first place.

"If you avoid the major sins which you are forbidden, We will remove from you your lesser sins and admit you to a noble entrance [into Paradise]." (Quran 4:31)

Ultimate Forgiveness is in Allah's Hands
Musch to the dismay of many non Muslims who beleive that their prophets, idols and saints can write off their sins, it must be cautioned that the Ultimate forgiveness is at the discretion of Allah, and He can choose to forgive whom He wills. This highlights the importance of seeking Allah's pleasure and striving to live a righteous life.

"Do you not know that to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth? He punishes whom He wills and forgives whom He wills, and Allah is over all things competent." Quran (5:40)

Divine Justice and Accountability
While Allah is merciful, He is also just. Those who persist in wrongdoing without repentance will face consequences, either in this life or the hereafter. The balance between mercy and justice ensures that while forgiveness is available, accountability is inevitable for those who do not repent.

"This is for what your own hands have sent before [to the Judgment], and because Allah is not ever unjust to His servants." (Quran 3:182)

Allah of Muslims is merciless to those who associate someone with Him
Having enumerated many a examples of mercy and kindness of Allah, let us also remember that there is only one thing for which no mercy will be shown by Allah, and this the sin of Shirk - associating someone with Allah and a partner in His dominion of which He is the sole Master. Since this aspect of mercilessness of Allah is tangent to the concept of trinity, Allah of Muslims is portrayed as unkind and merciless.

In Islam, shirk (Arabic: شِرْك) is considered one of the gravest sins. The term "shirk" comes from the Arabic root word "sharika," which means to share or associate. In the religious context, shirk specifically refers to accepting other divinities or powers alongside Allah as associates., thereby violating the fundamental concept of Tawhid, which is the oneness and absolute unity of Allah. 

So someone is perturbed over mercilessness of Allah of Muslims on His complete discontentment for those committing shirk, they needs to think it over earnestly, objectively, logically and without tainted input from others. Many are doing it, and thousands and thousands have pondered over it, got the truth known and REVERTED TO ISLAM.

* Please read our exclusive post: 
In conclusion, Allah provides significant latitude to wrongdoers in terms of opportunities for repentance and forgiveness. However, His justice ensures that persistent wrongdoing without repentance will result in consequences. The balance between mercy and justice is a key aspect of Islamic teachings on the treatment of wrongdoers.

However, despite the information shared above, which otherwise abound the social media, many non Muslims take out verses from Qur'an and refer to them out of context to portray "Allah of Muslims" as unjust, merciless and unloving. We at our end can only share one to one knowledge of Qur'an and Hadith to add to the knowledge of the unknowers so that they can carryout more research on Islam to know the facts themselves rather than lies fed to them.

Let no one deceive about Islam by lies, misinformation and disinformation. Islam provides the easiest access to Allah without any intermediary to speak to Him, repent one's sins and seek forgiveness.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

You may read more posts on countering / responding to lies / misinformation and disinformation about Islam: The Rebuttal: Countering disinformation being spread about Islam (Reference Page)

You may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Thursday, 1 February 2024

Responding to objections / lies about Islam: Islam is a demonized religion

It is a general tendency that when you hate someone, without knowing him, based on ideas fed to you, specially when it comes to matter related to faith, you tend to become extremely emotional that mar or obscure your judgmental abilities. Since the proclamation of Islam, the other Divine religions, like the Jewism and Christianity, felt threatened and their priests and scholars embarked upon a hate campaign about Islam, which unfortunately continues till date.

We have already published a number of posts to respond to the lies, misinformation and objections about Islam which can be found in our exclusive reference page: The Rebuttal. Continuing with our endeavour to clear the fog of lies, today we take yet another lie about Islam. The lie is so damning that we could not write it verbatim in our caption for it is far below the diginity of any sane human, no matter what religion or faith he belongs to, to utter such a derogatory mindset. The lie is appended below and we will thereafter respond to it:

Islam is centered around a false god - He is really Satan in disguise 

Now this objection is totally baseless, derogatory that expresses the mind of the sick, who in their hatred about Islam can go to this utterly baseless. Although this is not the perception and mindset of mainstream Christians, but a perspective held by certain fringe groups or individuals. This perspective is rooted in a combination of theological, historical, and cultural misunderstandings. 

Here are the detailed reasons behind this phenomenon:

Theological Differences
Trinity vs. Tawhid: A central theological difference is the Christian belief in the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) versus the Islamic concept of Tawhid (absolute oneness of God). Some Christians who misunderstand or reject Tawhid might perceive the Islamic rejection of the Trinity as heretical or even demonic.

Christology: Christians believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, whereas Islam regards Jesus (Isa) as a prophet, not divine. This fundamental difference leads some Christians to view Islamic teachings about Jesus as not just different, but as opposing their own, which can be demonized.

Historical and Cultural Misunderstandings
Medieval Polemics: During the Middle Ages, Christians and Muslims often viewed each other as existential threats. Christian polemicists sometimes depicted Muhammad and Islam in extremely negative terms, equating them with heresy and devilry. These polemics have left a lingering suspicion and misrepresentation.

Lack of Knowledge: Many Christians who equate Allah with Satan do so out of ignorance about Islam. They may not realize that "Allah" is simply the Arabic word for God, used by Arab Christians and Jews as well. This misunderstanding is exacerbated by limited exposure to authentic Islamic teachings.

Extremist Narratives
Extremist Views: Some fringe Christian groups promote the idea that Islam is a satanic deception. This view is often propagated by those who interpret end-time prophecies in a way that demonizes Islam, viewing it as part of a satanic plot against Christianity.

Cultural and Political Factors
Geopolitical Conflicts: The association of Islam with terrorism in the media, especially after events like 9/11, has led to a fear and demonization of Muslims and their beliefs. This climate of fear can foster extreme views where Islam is seen not just as different, but as malevolent.

Religious Exclusivism: Some Christians hold an exclusivist view of salvation, believing that their faith is the only true path to God. From this perspective, other religions, including Islam, are seen as false and potentially influenced by evil forces.

Misinterpretation of Islamic Teachings
Misunderstanding Jihad: The concept of jihad is often misunderstood by non-Muslims. While mainstream Islam teaches that jihad primarily refers to a spiritual struggle, extremists' misuse of the term has led to its association with violence, further fueling misconceptions.

Summary
The equation of Allah with Satan by some Christians stems from a mix of theological differences, historical polemics, cultural misunderstandings, ignorance, and extremist narratives. These factors combine to create a perception that is not based on an informed understanding of Islamic teachings but rather on fear, misrepresentation, and prejudice.

Mainstream Christianity, however, does not endorse this view. Many Christian leaders and scholars recognize that Muslims worship the same God that they do, albeit with different understandings and beliefs about His nature and revelations. Efforts towards interfaith dialogue continue to address and reduce these misunderstandings, promoting mutual respect and understanding between Christians and Muslims.

So let no one deceive about Islam by lies, misinformation and disinformation. Islam provides the easiest access to Allah without any intermediary to speak to Him, repent one's sins and seek forgiveness.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

You may read more posts on countering / responding to lies / misinformation and disinformation about Islam: The Rebuttal: Countering disinformation being spread about Islam (Reference Page)

You may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Saturday, 13 January 2024

Responding to lies / Misinformation about Islam: There is no concept of sin in Islam and therefore no need for forgiveness

When I came across this misconception about Islam, I just wondered how naïve is that someone who phrased this lie about Islam. It seems that this lie has been coined without reading Qur'an and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which are replete with the concept of repentance and forgiveness.

Not going by an Muslim reference, but quoting straight from Wikipedia the concept of sin, repentance and forgiveness:

The Islamic concept of repentance for any sins and misdeeds is called tawba. It is a direct matter between a person and God, so there is no intercession or formal, ecclesiastical confession to a religious leader.

However, There is also no concept of original sin in Islam, thus the need for atonement, or ecclesiastical confession.

Unlike the concept of original sin and Jesus dying on the cross for the forgiveness of original sin of his followers, the concept of sin and asking forgiveness in Islam is a matter exclusively between the sinner and Allah, no one else in between. The concept of original sin in Christianity stems from the sin committed by Adam, and Eve, and thus  each child that is born carries that sin. 

The biblical basis for the belief is generally found in Genesis 3 (the story of the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden), in a line in Psalm 51:5 ("I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me"), and in Paul's Epistle to the Romans, 5:12-21 ("Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned").

This belief began to emerge in the 3rd century, but only became fully formed with the writings of Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD), who was the first author to use the phrase "original sin" (Latin: peccatum originale). Influenced by Augustine, the councils of Carthage (411–418 AD) and Orange (529 AD) brought theological speculation about original sin into the official lexicon of the Church.

Here we would like to share the verses from Surah 2. Al Baqarah (The Cow), wherein it is clearly stated that upon seeking forgiveness from Allah, Adam was forgiven, these no question arises about that sin carried forward by every newly born:

(2:36) But Satan caused both of them to deflect from obeying Our command by tempting them to the tree and brought them out of the state they were in, and We said: “Get down all of you; henceforth, each of you is an enemy of the other, and on earth you shall have your abode and your livelihood for an appointed time.”

(2:37) Thereupon Adam learned from his Lord some words and repented and his Lord accepted his repentance for He is Much-Relenting, Most Compassionate.

(2:38) We said: “Get you down from here, all of you, and guidance shall come to you from Me: then, whoever will follow My guidance need have no fear, nor shall they grieve.

(2:39) But those who refuse to accept this (guidance) and reject Our Signs as false are destined for the Fire where they shall abide for ever.” 

Read the explanation of these verses from our earlier post: Surah Al Baqarah - The Cow: 2nd Chapter of Qur'an (Exegesis - Introduction) 

Thus in Islam, there is no such concept of original sin and each child is born pure without of any sins. It is that child's later part of life when he falls prey to evil and commits sins. And for that Allah has kept the door of acceptance of the repentance of the sinner and forgiving him, if the sinner so prayeth. 

Yet, man is always exposed to machination of the Satan and liable to fall prey to sins. and it is here, the Divine mercy comes in which assures a sinner not to despair for Allah is there to make amends for him and the harm done to him by falling prey to the evil forces.

If a man commits a sin, he is directed to repent immediately and then seek forgiveness from Allah. And Allah promises umpteen number of times that if His servant asks for forgiveness after sincere repentance, He would certainly forgive him.

This concept of forgiveness and repentance is spread all over the Qur'an and is given due importance in Hadith and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad so that one should advantage of fathomless mercy of Allah to start afresh after repenting and seeking forgiveness of Allah. In fact, the word(s) "forgiveness" appears 76 time(s) in 74 verse(s) in Quran (in Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation). 

"And those who having done something to be ashamed of or wronged their own souls earnestly bring Allah to mind and ask for forgiveness for their sins and who can forgive sins except Allah? And are never obstinate in persisting knowingly in (the wrong) they have done." (3:135) 

We have already shared a number of posts on the concept of repentance and forgiveness, the links to which are given below. Instead of repeating these, those wanting to know more and clear their misconception that there is no concept of forgiveness in Islam should clear their doubts, rather than listening to lies about Islam from others and falling prey to disinformation about Islam:
The Prophet of Islam Muhammad once said: "He who seeks repentance (from the Lord) before the rising of the sun from the west (before the Day of Resurrection), Allah turns to him with Mercy."

So let no one deceive about Islam by lies, misinformation and disinformation. Islam provides the easiest access to Allah without any intermediary to speak to Him, repent one's sins and seek forgiveness.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

You may read more posts on countering / responding to lies / misinformation and disinformation about Islam: The Rebuttal: Countering disinformation being spread about Islam (Reference Page)

You may also refer to our reference page on Repentance and Forgiveness for more on the subject.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'anYou may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

Resource References: | Original Sin | Islamic views on Sin |

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Friday, 12 January 2024

The Rebuttal to 'Objection on Islam' that the God of Islam, Allah, is most definitely not the God of the Bible

There have ben many a objection by non-Muslims which are raised almost every now and then aginst Islam. While mostly these objections are based on incorrect information or lies against Islam, for which answers and response is given befittingly by Muslim scholars accordingly.

However, the objection that God of Islam, Allah, is most certainly no the God of Bible is one such objection to which I and almost all Muslims agree, and even Jews would subscribe to this objection. Yes certainly Allah is not 'that God' which Bible followers follow. 

But before we go in to  the rebuttal of the objection being raised, let us define who God really is:

In monotheistic belief systems, God is viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith, as against the polytheistic belief systems, wherein a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the universe or life, for which such a deity is often worshipped".

In the afore mentioned definition, God is one entity and cannot have multiple assistances or helpers to rule over His creations. This God has been the God of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Job, Jonah and Moses. And this the same God, which is also God of Muslims. Since God in Arabic is translated as Allah, for the Qur'an too is in Arabic, Muslims call God of all previous prophets as well as God of last prophet Muhammad ﷺ as Allah. 

Interestingly, in the Arabic translation of all types of Bibles, God of Christians is translated as Allah. If Allah, as Christians believe, is a god of pagan Arabs, then how come they have conceded to this translation of God in Arabic as Allah?  

Herein under is the testimony of there being Only One Lord as has been referred to in Deuteronomy 5:1-9 New International Version (NIV), The Ten Commandments:
5   Moses  summoned  all Israel and said: "Hear, Israel, the decrees and laws:  I. declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them. 2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. 3 It was not with our ancestors[a] that the Lord made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today. 4 The Lord spoke to you face to face out of the fire on the mountain. 5 (At that time I stood between the Lord and you to declare to you the word of the Lord, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain.)"
And he said:
6 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.7 “You shall have no other gods before[b] me8 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 9 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

And in line with the same Divine commandment to Moses, Muslims also strongly believe that there is only One God, we call Allah in Arabic, and that He has no assistances and helpers to manage His entire universe. In the Holy Qur'an, Chapter 112 Surah Al Ikhlas, the same concept is repeated when Allah addresses His Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and tells him to pronounce and tell others who Allah is: Say: “He is Allah, the One and Unique;

And this above referred surah is not the only one in which Allah strictly says of Himself being the Only One with no partners, associates or helpers, what to talk of a son, to run the affairs of the universe and heavens:

  • Allah is only One DeityHe is far too exalted that He should have a son: whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth belongs to Him. (Surah An-Nisa, Ayat 171).
  • Note it well: they, in fact, invent a falsehood when they say, Allah has children. They are utter liars. (Surah As-Saaffat, Ayats 151-152).
  • They have invented a blood-relationship between Allah and the angels, whereas the angels know well that these people will be brought up (as culprits). (Surah As-Saaffat, Ayat 158).
  • These people have made some of His servants to be part of Him. The fact is that man is manifestly ungrateful. (Surah Az-Zukhruf, Ayat l5).
Now coming over the the God of the Bible and the objection that the Allah is not the God of the Bible.  First of all it must be made very clear that we Muslims therefore firmly believe that Prophet Eesa (Jesus, may peace be upon him) was one of the true messengers of Allah who was endowed with the holy scripture of Injeel (The Bible).

When Christians say God of Bible, they in fact refer to the concept of Trinity which goes tangent to the definition of God of Jews and Muslims, for there can never be an assistance or anyone at par with One True God. This is very interesting, that in the same Bible, there are contradictions. On one hand, Prophet Eesa (Jesus) proclaims oneness of God and at the same time in other places Jesus is quoted to have said that he himself is God. Let us quote here few examples from Bible about the Oneness of God or otherwise: 

Do you remember what Jesus’ Father did one day when Jesus was with three of his followers?— Yes, God spoke all the way from heaven to tell them: “This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved.”—Matthew 17:5.

Jesus was the only person to be born of a mortal mother, Mary, and an immortal father, God the Father. That is why Jesus is called the Only Begotten Son of God.[Reference]

(This is something that is refuted by Qur'an in the third verse of the Surah Al Ikhlas that He (Allah) neither begot any nor was He begotten, which clearly means that neither He (Allah) has an offspring nor is He the offspring of another. )

And yet it is said in Bible: 

"The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his SERVANT Jesus (Acts 3:13) - The Qur'an expresses the same sense in the similar words: " He who obeys the Apostle (Muhammad) obeys Allah." (Qur'an 4:80) 

22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— 23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.  (Acts 2:22-23)

If despite this very clear verse from Bible, its followers still claim Jesus to be God (rather some believe him to be the only god), one cannot argue much for then there is no further imagination to make Jesus as God. Therefore Muslims do not subscribe to the concept of Trinity nor take Prophet Eesa as son of God, for Jesus is like all other messengers and prophets of Allah, though born in miraculous circumstances.

And let us quote what an ordinary Jesus followers believed (this part of the conversation I picked up from Facebook - but no names to observe privacy):

Jehova the Almighty God is the heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ is the same Jehova the Almighty God 

Are you saying Jesus is the same person as the Father?

Yes

You are confusing: When Jesus said" the Father is greater than I", "The Father is greater than all"

So when Jews killed Jesus according to Gospels, did they kill your God? But Bible says that God is immortal. Who is telling lies: you or your Bible?

I have quoted the examples so that even an ordinary believer could understand the concept. There can be numerous arguments which can be quoted from the Holy Quran, but to cut the discussion short, it should be noted that the Arabic word “Allah” contains a deep religious message due to its root meaning and origin.  This is because it stems from the Arabic verb ta’allaha (or alaha), which means “to be worshiped.”  Thus in Arabic, the word “Allah” means “The One who deserves all worship.”  This, in a nutshell, is the Pure Monotheistic message of Islam. And as per chapter 112 quoted above, The One True God or Allah is the One who has all these four unique attributes.

Note: Please our earlier post to substantiate our view point: Understanding Islam: Who is Allah? Is He the same God as that of Jews and Christians?

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

You may read more posts on countering / responding to lies / misinformation and disinformation about Islam: The Rebuttal: Countering disinformation being spread about Islam (Reference Page)

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'anYou may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Photo | Tafsir References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from the following sources: 
  • Tafsir Ibn Khatir
  • Muhammad Asad Translation
  • Yusuf Ali Translation
  • Translation Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
  • Qur'an Wiki
  • Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
  • Towards Understanding the Quran
In addition, references of other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Monday, 8 January 2024

The Rebuttal: Countering disinformation being spread about Islam (Reference Page)

The use of social media to spread disinformation has confused millions about what is the truth and what is otherwise. While the use of social media to spread disinformation and misinformation is mainly in the corporate world to paint rosy pictures about business of the counterparts, the media is also being used for point scoring by the priests, monks and imams to mislead followers of one religion and projecting their religion being the supreme. In doing so, logic is more often than not is set aside and emotions of followers of the opposing religions are played tacitly, many a times concealing, twisting and fabricating the truth.

When it comes to Divine Religions, each religion takes a hard stand and all other religions are over shadowed with information to mislead others. Islam, based on the last of the four Divine Scriptures, is more often than not been the target of the followers of the previous Divine religions and every effort is being let loose to find "faults" within the Qur'an, the last of the four Divine Scriptures, Psalms, Torah and the Gospel being the earlier three. This has resulted into discrimination, prejudice and unfair treatment of Muslims around the world and under the garb of Islamophobia, Jihad and such like jargons, Muslims are being marginalized. 

Moreover, there are number of sites that portray Islam as a false religion and "false information" is being dug by twisting the meaning of verses of Qur'an and sayings of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Many a times, non-Muslims comment on our posts and portraying Islam as a false and declining religion. Whereas just the opposite is true, for Islam is the fast-emerging religion and many non-Muslims fear that by Islam will be the dominant religion by year 2050. 

The purpose of this post, thus, is to highlight the disinformation about Islam and present the true picture to its readers, so that they can correlate both versions and make an independent and unbiased framework of thinking. In the following lines, we will pen down the disinformation, which will be followed by detailed rebuttal posts to clarify the disinformation:

Note: This is just the beginning of responding to many lies and misinformation about Islam being spread on the social media. We have already responded to some of the lies / misinformation listed below and we will continue to address the remaining in due course.

Allah:
Islam:
Qur'an:
Life and sayings of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ:
Islamic rituals / special occasions:

You may also read one of our earlier posts on Disinformation about Islam, which addresses many a objection as stated above.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

Photo | Sources of Misinformation: | 1 | References to Rebuttal: | 1 | 2 | 3 |

For more Q&A about Understanding Islam, please refer to our reference page: Understanding Islam - Frequently asked Q&A

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on FacebookYou may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Responding to lies/misinformation about Islam: Islam says earth is flat

The amount of objections about Isla, Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has both its good and otherwise aspects. For good part, it is heartening to see that many non Muslims are reading Islam, Qur'an and life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. But the bad aspect is that they always deduce the negativities rather than finding good and correlating the same with their own faith. The emphasis always on aspects which have either been misinterpreted or misunderstood are then propagated to downplay Islam and create misinformation.

One of the many aspects that are played around against Islam is the shape of the earth. And it is alleged that Islam says that earth is flat. And to support their argument, a number of verses from Qur'an are referred. I too read these verses, but I could not find any meaning of these verses that convey that earth is flat, for Allah has made all celestial objects including earth as round, otherwise these would not have been floating in circles of semi circles to complete their orbits. 

Secondly, whenever reading the explanation of Qur'anic verses, one must try to read explanation of scholars who keep them abreast with science and other means of knowledge to correctly interpret the verses. In earlier times, that is the time when Islam was taking its roots among the pagans of Arabia, who were mostly illiterate, the earth looked flat to them for as far as they could see, the earth was laid out flat, while the visible celestial objects like sun and moon looked round. And probably for this reason, some of the early interpreters of Qur'an also interpreted these verses and deduced that earth was flat. And it is the explanation of these early scholars of Islam that have been taken out to tell the world the "naivety" of Islam that it did not know the shape of the earth.

Let us also consider the 5th verse of Surah 39 Az Zumar, which states:

خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ بِٱلْحَقِّ يُكَوِّرُ ٱلَّيْلَ عَلَى ٱلنَّهَارِ وَيُكَوِّرُ ٱلنَّهَارَ عَلَى ٱلَّيْلِ وَسَخَّرَ ٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ يَجْرِى لِأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى أَلَا هُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْغَفَّـٰرُ
[39:5] He created the heavens and the earth truthfully. He rolls the night over the day, and rolls the day over the night. He committed the sun and the moon, each running for a finite period. Absolutely, He is the Almighty, the Forgiving.

Here, the Arabic for “He rolls” (Yukawwir / يُكَوِّرُ ) is derived from the Arabic word for “ball” (kurah / كرة ). This verse clearly informs us that the earth is round. For unless the earth was geo-spherical (as explained in the video below), it would not have been possible for the night to GRADUALLY merge into day and day in to night. Had the earth been flat, this gradual change over of day into night and night into day would not have been practically possible. Since the Earth is not exactly round, a specific reference to its shape is given in Surah 79, verse 30. The Arabic word used to describe the Earth in this verse is daḥāhā ( دَحَاهَا ), which is typically translated as “egg-shaped” or “spread.”

Now coming to the verse of Qur'an which is both taken objectively and negatively:

 وَالْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَاهَا (Chapter An-Nazi'at (79), Verse:30)

This verse is generally translated in English as: “And after that, the earth: wide has He spread its expanse”

Now this explanation "spread out" was taken by some interpreters a sign for the earth being flat. And it is this interpretation which is often misquoted to prove the ignorance of Qur'an to believe earth being flat.

Before we give out the explanation it must be understood that “From a linguistic standpoint, it is quite possible for a word, phrase or statement to have more than one layer of meaning, such that one layer would make sense to one audience in one age and another layer of meaning would, without negating the first, be meaningful to another audience in a subsequent age.”

It may be added here that contrary to the majority of Greek philosophers, the ancient Romans had established the view that the Earth was flat. There may have been some Roman philosophers that thought otherwise, however, this was the majority view. Dino Boccaletti has shown that in the Roman world the notion of a spherical Earth was unpopular; later on the Christian Church exacerbated this, by making it more difficult for people in the Roman Empire to accept a spherical Earth. Contrastingly, and as will be explicated below, the majority of Islamic scholarship rejected the predominant Roman understanding that the Earth was flat. This rejection was strongly grounded in the Qur’ān. 

The word “دَحَاهَا” in Arabic also means the egg, thus the verse can also be translated: ”extended in egg shape.” So the translation can be: “And the earth, moreover, hath he extended in egg shape.” But for egg, the Arabic is Baida. Here the word “دَحَا” (dahaa) is derived from word “دحية” (duhyah) wich specifically means ”egg of ostrich” (not just any egg).

Thus unlike the early interpreters of Qur'an, majority of scholars unanimously agree that the earth is round , but to human eyes it appears to be flat, because it is very big and its roundness or curvature cannot be seen at close distances. So the one who stands and looks sees it as flat, but when viewed as a whole, in reality it is round. 

As for it being spread out, famous 13th century Muslim scholar Ibn Kathir said: “That is, He spread it out, prepared it, made it stable and made it firm by means of the mountains.” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 8/247)

Ar-Razi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  “If it is said: Do the words “And the earth We spread out” indicate that it is flat? 

We would respond: Yes, because the earth , even though it is round, is an enormous sphere, and each little part of this enormous sphere, when it is looked at, appears to be flat. As that is the case, this will dispel what they mentioned of confusion. The evidence for that is the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And the mountains as pegs” [an-Naba 78:7]. He called them awtad (pegs) even though these mountains may have large flat surfaces. And the same is true in this case.” (Tafsir ar-Razi, 19/131) 

Some even mock the verse: “Until, when he reached the setting place of the sun, he found it setting in a spring of black muddy (or hot) water” [al-Kahf 18:86] – and say that Islam says the sun dips into murky waters even the evening to disappear. 

The fact is this is as it appears to be in the eye of the beholder, because the sun sets on one country, but remains up in the sky for another, until it rises from the east on the following morning. So the earth looks flat in every region or part of it, because of its immense size. 

This does not contradict its real shape, because we may see a very high mountain, but if we climb it and reach its summit we may find a flat surface there, and find an entire nation living there, and some of the people there may not know anything about the rest of the world, and so on.” (Adwa al-Bayan, 8/428) 

It would be wise for the non Muslims to research well and listen to and read the explanation of the well read Islamic scholars rather than picking up a wrong explanation from very early interpretations or pseudo scholars who spread misinformation because of their nativity.

You may also to listen to eminent Muslim scholar Zakir A Naik on the shape of the earth:
We have given reference from where the above shared information is taken and reference are given below. However, the best explanation of earth being egg shaped and not flat is given in Quran Talk Blog in its post: Earth Egg Shaped
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

You may read more posts on countering / responding to lies / misinformation and disinformation about Islam: The Rebuttal: Countering disinformation being spread about Islam (Reference Page)

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'anYou may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Photo | Resource References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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