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Showing posts with label Trinity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trinity. Show all posts

Sunday 20 January 2019

Concept of Tawheed in Islam- The Oneness of Allah


Faith in oneness of Allah is the foremost pillar of Islam. Although all Divine religions since the Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) have revolved round the concept of oneness of Allah, there seems to have been some deviation in the concept of belief regarding God in Christianity. The concept of Trinity negates the very concept of oneness of Allah and divide the concept of God into three. Islam and followers of Old Testament (Torah) however strongly believe in oneness of one trued God, called in Arabic: Allah.

Thus the basic “doctrine of Oneness” (of Allah) is Islam’s most fundamental concept of Islam, called Tawheed. Surah Al Ikhlas, the 112th chapter of the Holy Qur'an clearly spells out the Declaration of Oneness of Allah, clearly dispelling any notion of Him being begotten or born:
Say (O'Muhammad), “He is Allah, (the) One (Ahad - In Arabic Ahad means One).   Allah, the Absolute.   He begets not, nor was He begotten;And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him.”

The above surah lays down the foundation of the concept of absolute monotheism and dispels any notion of there being any equal or comparable to Allah and amply clarifies there is only Allah, like the God of Jews. But not like the God of Christians which also shares the title with two other. This, however, does not mean that the three leading religions of Jews, Christians and Muslims worship a different God , because all religions believe in One True God, though with passage of time the term has assumed different meanings due to distortions and man made beliefs and interpretations. We Muslims thus believe that there is no plurality of gods, as the polytheist society of Makkah believed before the advent of Islam.

It also negates the claims of the pagans of Makkah that angels are the off springs of Allah. The surah clearly states that Allah is far above being the progeny of anybody or having any offspring. Thus He has no son or father. He is eternal ,without beginning or end. He is such a unique being that there is nobody like Him or equal to Him in any manner whatsoever. As for the Three in One concept, Allah clearly says in the Holy Quran:
They have certainly disbelieved who say, " Allah is the third of three." And there is no god except one God. And if they do not desist from what they are saying, there will surely afflict the disbelievers among them a painful punishment. [Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:73]
The Holy Quran thus clearly asserts the existence of a single and absolute truth that transcends the world; a unique, independent and indivisible being, who is independent of the entire creation. Allah, is a universal God, rather than a local, tribal, or parochial one for Allah is an absolute, who integrates all affirmative values and brooks no evil.

The concept of Tawheed unequivocally holds that God is One (Al-ʾAḥad) and Single (Al-Wāḥid). The Arabic term Tawheed is used to describe this belief in the absolute Oneness of God. Tawheed comes from an Arabic word meaning "unification" or "oneness"—it is a complex term with many depths of meaning in Islam. The word Tawheed is derived from the Arabic verb wahhada, which means "He made it one; or called it one". The Arabs say "Wāḥid, Ahad and Waheed," all meaning one. Allah is Waahid, meaning that He has no rivals or peers in any way. So Tawheed means knowing Allah is One, with none like unto Him. Whoever does not acknowledge Allah in these terms and does not describe Him as being One with no partner or associate does not believe in Tawheed. Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran [Surah Al Baqarah 2:255]:
“Allah - there is no deity except Him, the Ever- Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi (literally, a footstool) extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.” 
Tawheed in nutshell is analogous to the monotheistic concept of God in Judaism, as declared in the Shema Yisrael, the Jewish declaration of faith. Tawheed is also analogous to Christian Unitarianism adhered to by a minority of Christian denominations which reject a trinitarian position of God in Christianity, which is in contrast to most Christian faiths that ascribe to the Trinity (God as three persons in one being; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). 

Prophet Muhammad Peace be upon him) has also stressed the concept of Tawheed in Saheeh al-Bukhaari (7372) 
Narrated Ibn `Abbas: When the Prophet sent Mu`adh to Yemen, he said to him, You are going to a nation from the people of the Scripture, so let the first thing to which you will invite them, be the Tawheed of Allah. If they learn that, tell them that Allah has enjoined on them, five prayers to be offered in one day and one night. And if they pray, tell them that Allah has enjoined on them Zakat of their properties and it is to be taken from the rich among them and given to the poor. And if they agree to that, then take from them Zakat but avoid the best property of the people.
Therefore it is mandatory for all Muslims, specially the reverts, to know the concept of Tawheed and FIRMLY believe in Tawheed - To acknowledge Oneness of Allah, who is away from likeness and numeration and he is not divisible even in imagination. Allah must be recognized as The Lord or The Master and that He is so absolutely pure and above nature that nothing can be added to or subtracted from His being.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
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Monday 8 October 2018

A Racist and Anti Islam Mindset finally finds Solace in Islam


My Ultimate Decision, the name and theme of my blog basically hinges about people of other faiths finally taking their Ultimate Decision of life by discarding their earlier faiths and embracing Islam. I have in the past shared circumstances and reasons by some of those who questioned their beliefs but did not find the satisfying answers till they voluntarily started reading about Islam and the Holy Qur'an when the truth started to unfold on them and took them into the final religion sent by Allah Almighty through Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

I have read many sites of Christianity which outrightly reject Islam as a Divine religion and trying to base their anti Islamic mindset - but when Islam provides answers to the very practicing Christians or those who have become racist with anti Islam mindset, many chose to be come practicing Muslims. In fact better than born Muslims.  

And this post today is of a man who was raised in a family where the father was extremely racist and anti Islam. Naturally, someone living in the United States where every incident of shooting is attributed to "Muslims fundamentalists" if the shooter turns out to be a Muslim and labelled as terrorist, but when a Christian does the same, he or she is simply shrugged of as a case of troubled family or bringing up,

Now back to the story of this young Christian who became a bully and extremely racist and anti Muslim and became was heavily involved in the racist neo-Nazi skinhead movement. But deep inside hi, he always felt bad about what he dis but continued doing so for it also pleased him hurting others. He confides that "I remember a Mexican schoolmate of mine asking me when I was 16 "why do you hang out with those losers, you are better than that." He was right, he recalls, but I guess there was a part of me that, even though I hated my father for what he was doing to the family, that I wanted to be just like him. That is where my racism and hatred came from.




Then by age of 23, he started to seriously think of changing and finding answers to keep his mind at rest. He says: 
During this time the Intifada was raging in Palestine. My father, racist and anti-Semite though he was, had always supported the Jewish state. I now think that he hated Jews, as well as any one else who wasn't white, but he hated the Arabs more than he hated the Jews, so that is why he supported Israel. As I was rethinking everything I was taught when I was younger I decided to take a closer look at this struggle in the Middle East.
So he started reading about history of Middle East and the Arabs, and Islam to see why his father so hated this religion. And as his insight into the Arabs, Middle East and Islam broadened, he started to find answers of the questions that he had had about religion. He says:
From the very beginning some things struck a chord with me and answered doubts I had always had concerning the religion I was raised in. I had always taken issue with the idea that God would ever have offspring. From my reading I recognized this belief as one pulled from pagan sources. Zeus, Odin, and numerous other pagan gods all had children. In the case of Odin, his followers even believed he hung on a tree, much like Christians believe that Jesus (PBUH) hung on a cross. Odinists, the name given to the followers of this ancient Northern European religion, also believed in a trinity of sorts formed by Odin, his son Thor, and his consort Freja. It was clear this innovation of the Christians did not have its basis in God, but in previous pagan beliefs.
The other issue that he had always struggle with was the concept of original sin. The idea that God could be so unjust as to hold himself and everyone else responsible for the sins of others who died thousands of years before me just seemed so unjust. He says:
I had a basic concept of God, and the idea He could be so unjust to do such a thing just did not sit well with me. It always seemed to me that Christians just didn't have the answer to these questions, and if they did, their answers just reinforced these unjust positions.
I looked to Judaism, but that religion offered more questions than answers as well. Their attitude towards the prophets, peace be upon them all, was disgraceful. Their religious texts accused these greatest of men of the most terrible crimes and I refused to believe God would pick such men to lead his people on earth.
If Judaism held such beliefs how could I look to them for guidance?
Reading more  about Islam was like finding a place of tranquility and solace for he finally came to the understanding that Islam had all of the answers, for understanding of Islam cleared up the confusion of the lie of the trinity, and asserted Jesus' (pbuh) true role as a prophet, and not the son of God. Islam revered all of the prophets, peace and blessings of God be upon them, and recognized them for the great people they were. In Islam, and the values it promotes, 

He saw the answer to his problems and questions, and the future of mankind. "The issue was to now try to implement Islam in my life," says Marc Springer, the narrator of his experience of other religions and finally coming home to the world of Islam - the final religion by Allah for the entire mankind till the Day of Resurrection.

Blessed are those like Marc Springer who having experienced their earlier faiths, questioned them and when found no answers, found the same in Islam, in the commandant contained in the Holy Qur'an and the teachings and way of life of the last of the prophets, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).  Marc Springer later married a Muslim woman with her ancestral linkage to Saudi Arabia and lives a happily married life in Washington DC.

You may read the complete narration of Marc Springer' change of faith from the source given below.

To read personal accounts of many a celebrity who have reverted to Islam, please visit our page: Embracing Islam: Revert Experiences.


You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.


Photo | Photo of Marc Springer courtesy Source
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 Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Thursday 3 May 2018

Bible and Quran - Contradictions (The Trinity)


Awhile ago I read a Christian brother remarking that the God of Christians is different from the Allah (Arabic translation of the word God). This really amazed me as we as Muslims always believe that there is only one Allah (or God) who created this entire universe and sent a large number of prophets starting from Prophet Adam, followed by Prophets Lut, Moses, David, Jesus and finally prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them all) and also revealed His four holy books to prophets David, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them all).

However  when I finally read about the Trinity, did the true meaning of a God being different from Allah dawned on me. And the genesis of this notion commences with the birth of Prophet Eesa (Jesus, peace be upon him).

The birth of Prophet Eesa (Jesus) is a unique event in the lineage of prophets and messengers of Allah. While the details of the events leading to the birth of Prophet Eesa (peace be upon him) is being shared separately in the series of posts under the prophets and messengers of Allah, here the concept of Trinity arising out of extraordinary birth of Prophet Eesa by virgin Mariam (Mary) seems to have given the concept of Trinity: The Father, the Son and the Holy spirit.

The Trinity thus becomes another contradiction between Bible and Quran. Here we present the issue as narrated in Bible and Quran.

The concept of Trinity is quite complex to understand as it embodies one God in three persons. Herein under the concept of Trinity is described in the Wikipedia with references from the Christian holy scriptures:
As per the Christian faith, the Trinity holds that God is three con-substantial persons or hypostases — the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit—as "one God in three Divine Persons". The three Persons are distinct, yet are one "substance, essence or nature" (homoousios). In this context, a "nature" is what one is, whereas a "person" is who one is. Sometimes differing views are referred to as nontrinitarian.
According to this central mystery of most Christian faiths, there is only one God in three Persons: while distinct from one another in their relations of origin (as the Fourth Council of the Lateran declared, "it is the Father who generates, the Son who is begotten, and the Holy Spirit who proceeds") and in their relations with one another, they are stated to be one in all else, co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial, and each is God, whole and entire.
In many holy scriptures of Christians words to this effect appear:
"I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30) 
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”—Matthew 28:19 
Luke 3:21-22 . . . when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, [22] and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, “Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.” (cf. Mt 3:13-17)
Even Judaism traditionally maintains a tradition of monotheism to the exclusion of the possibility of a Trinity. In Judaism, God is understood to be the absolute one, indivisible, and incomparable being who is the ultimate cause of all existence. The idea of God as a duality or trinity is heretical — it is even considered by some polytheistic.

Contrary to the Christians belief of Trinity, Allah Almighty very categorically clarifies the notion so held:
“And (remember) when Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection): ‘O 'Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)! Did you say unto men: “Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allah?”’ He will say: ‘Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known it. You know what is in my inner-self though I do not know what is in Yours, truly, You, only You, are the All-Knower of all that is hidden (and unseen).
‘Never did I say to them aught except what You (Allah) did command me to say: “Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.” And I was a witness over them while I dwelt among them, but when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them, and You are a Witness to all things." [Surah Al-Maa’idah 5:116-117]
As for the oneness of Allah, which is also admitted by Judaism, the Holy Quran very clearly mentions the notion of oneness of Allah, God to others:
"Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him." (Sura Al Ikhlas 112-1-4)
The above verses from Holy Quran clearly maintains that Allah neither begetteth not, nor is He begotten, negating the very notion that Prophet Jesus is son of Allah.

In Islam, Allah (God for all followers of heavenly religions), the ONENESS of Allah the Almighty takes precedence over everything. Therefore ascribing someone equal to or as partner of Allah is the greatest of all sins, called Shirk in Arabic meaning taking a partner. Allah therefore on many a places in the Holy Quran has asked the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to forewarn the people who equate someone with Allah:
“Then do not set up rivals unto Allah (in worship) while you know (that He Alone has the right to be worshiped).” (Al-Baqarah 2:22) 
Those who say Jesus is God are disbelievers

لَقَدۡ كَفَرَ الَّذِيۡنَ قَالُوۡۤا اِنَّ اللّٰهَ هُوَ الۡمَسِيۡحُ ابۡنُ مَرۡيَمَ​ ؕ وَقَالَ الۡمَسِيۡحُ يٰبَنِىۡۤ اِسۡرَآءِيۡلَ اعۡبُدُوا اللّٰهَ رَبِّىۡ وَرَبَّكُمۡ​ ؕ اِنَّهٗ مَنۡ يُّشۡرِكۡ بِاللّٰهِ فَقَدۡ حَرَّمَ اللّٰهُ عَلَيۡهِ الۡجَـنَّةَ وَمَاۡوٰٮهُ النَّارُ​ ؕ وَمَا لِلظّٰلِمِيۡنَ مِنۡ اَنۡصَارٍ‏ 
"And surely they disbelieved when they said: 'Christ, the son of Mary, is indeed God'; whereas Christ had said: 'Children of Israel! Serve Allah, Who is your Lord and my Lord.' Allah has forbidden Paradise to those who associate anything with Him in His divinity and their refuge shall be the Fire. No one will be able to help such wrong-doers." [Al Quran Surah Al Maidah Chapter 5: 72]
Allah begins this ayah by saying, “laqad kafara” meaning certainly they have disbelieved i.e. there’s no doubt they have committed kufr. Who are these people? These are the people who say that Allah is the Messiah or God is Messiah.

They made this claim in spite of the fact that Prophet Eesa (Jesus, peace be upon him) made it known that he was the servant of Allah and His Messenger. The first words that Prophet Eesa (Jesus, peace be upon him) uttered when he was still a baby in the cradle were:

إِنِّى عَبْدُ اللَّهِ ءَاتَانِىَ الْكِتَـبَ وَجَعَلَنِى نَبِيّاً
“Verily, I am a servant of Allah, He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet.”  [Surah al-Mariam 19: ayah 30]

وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ رَبِّى وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ هَـذَا صِرَطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ
“And verily Allah is my Lord and your Lord. So worship Him (Alone). That is the straight path.” [Surah Ale-Imran 3: ayah 51]

We see that Prophet Eesa (Jesus, peace be upon him) clearly conveyed the message that Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. He didn’t claim divinity. He didn’t demand the people to worship him, but Allah. In the ayah, the term “Rabb” has been used. Rabb denotes the Owner, Sustainer, Provider, Planner, and Creator. Prophet Eesa (Jesus, peace be upon him) was not a sustainer, provider, planner or creator. He was created himself. If he was the owner of the world, he would not have faced opposition when he came.

Whoever says Allah has a partner, He has a child or there’s someone else who should be worshipped along with Allah, such a person is not going to enter paradise. His entry into Jannah is forbidden. He will be sent to the Fire. And for the wrongdoers there are no helpers. Shirk is the greatest injustice. Allah created us and we worship or obey someone else?

In this verse:

  • Allah clearly says that those people who believe in the divinity of Prophet Eesa (Jesus, peace be upon him) are not believers. The usage of “laqad” in the beginning of the ayah lays emphasis on the matter.
  • All the messengers of Allah brought the message of tawheed. They didn’t claim to worship themselves or someone other than Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.
  • Prophet Eesa (Jesus, peace be upon him) has no share in “uloowiya” of Allah meaning he doesn’t deserve worship. He called himself Abdullah, a slave of Allah. Slaves are not worshipped.
  • If Prophet Eesa (Jesus, peace be upon him) doesn’t have divinity then the same rule applies to other messengers and pious people. If a Prophet of Allah doesn’t deserve worship then what about those lesser than him? Why do people go to graves and pray for intercession? Why do people prostrate graves, scholars or pious people?
  • Anyone who commits shirk will not enter Jannah. He will become the fuel for HellFire. Allah says in Surah an-Nisa Ayah 116, “Indeed, Allah does not forgive that you associate partners with Him, but He forgives other than that for whom He wills. And whoever associates partners with Allah, then surely he has lost the way, straying far away.”

It is recorded in the saheeh that the Prophet Muhammad (peace peace be upon him) had someone proclaim to the people,

إِنَّ الْجَنَّةَ لَا يَدْخُلُهَا إِلَّا نَفْسٌ مُسْلِمَة
“Only a Muslim soul shall enter Paradise.” Does that mean someone who claims to be Muslim only he will enter Paradise? No. But:

مُؤْمِنَة
Only a believing soul shall enter Jannah. This believing soul is a Muslim with the right faith and righteous deeds. This includes believers from the time of Prophet Musa (Moses, peace be upon him) and Eesa (Jesus, peace be upon him). As long as anyone followed his messenger correctly he was on the right path. A Muslim is the one who submits to Allah and worships Him alone.

It is a mercy of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala that He is informing us beforehand that these actions will lead to the HellFire. It is our responsibility to go out to the people who take Eesa to be Allah, those who worship graves, or those who prostrate to scholars and inform them that this is shirk. These actions will make them fuel for fire. If we don’t tell them then we are concealing the truth.

To quote from the very books of Christians, here are References:
Matt. iv. 10, where Christ rebukes Satan for desiring the worship of other than Allah: John xx. 17, where Christ says to Mary Magdalene, "Go unto my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father; and to my God and your God." Cf. also Luke xviii. 19, where Christ rebukes a certain ruler for calling him Good Master: "Why callest thou me good? None is good, save One, that is, Allah." In Mark xii. 25 Jesus says: "The first of all the commandments is, Hear O Israel; the Lord our God is One Lord."

The verse 73 of Surah Al Maidah Chapter below strictly rejects the doctrine of Trinity:
( 73 )   They have certainly disbelieved who say, "Allah is the third of three." And there is no god except one God. And if they do not desist from what they are saying, there will surely afflict the disbelievers among them a painful punishment.
People who say Allah is one of three gods are committing kufr [disbelieve]. According to one belief, the other two gods are Prophet Eesa (Jesus, peace be upon him) and his mother Lady Mariam. And according to another belief, the other two gods are Prophet Eesa (Jesus, peace be upon him) and the Holy Spirit i.e. angel Jibreel ‘alayhi salaam.

The concept of Trinity is a much later fabrication in the Christianity and is utter false fabrication. If they die upon this then nothing can save them from the painful torment in the Hereafter.

In Surah al-Anbiya 21: Ayah 22, Allah says, “Had there been within the heavens and earth gods besides Allah, they both would have been ruined. So exalted is Allah, Lord of the Throne, above what they describe.”

The system of the earth, in itself asserts that there is only One God. Surah al-Muminoon 23: Ayah 91 says, “Allah has not taken any son, nor has there ever been with Him any deity. (If there had been), then each deity would have taken what it created, and some of them would have sought to overcome others. Exalted is Allah above what they describe (concerning Him).” All these verses point towards one direction only: – Allah is the only God.

Therefore we as Muslims do not subscribe to the concept of Trinity nor take Prophet Jesus as son of Allah for Allah is far above these worldly relations. And believe in absolute oneness of Allah and believe that Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) was a man just like others who was born naturally to his mother Mary, though in peculiar circumstances, and was a prophet of Allah, just like the complete lineage of prophets from Adm till Muhammad (may peace be upon them all).

You may like to watch a enlightening video by Dr Zakir A Naik, the prominent Muslim scholar on the subject of Trinity:

References: Surah Al Maidah [Part III] | Surah As Samad Chapter 112 |
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

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