The
Love of God
Christian:-
You wrote: "As I said according to the
Quran 32:9 and 15:29 human beings were created from the earth and then the
spirit of God was put into them."
So, you believe that we are made to be in His
spiritual image too?
Comment:-
Yes that is the position of all Religions
-depending, of course, on how you understannd this. The image is not God. And
God is not an image of man.
Christian:-
You say: "In the Messengers of God this
spirit is active. In others, owing to the Fall it is dormant (asleep or in some
cases absent).The purpose of the Messengers, including Moses, Jesus and
Muhammad was to reawaken the spirit."
But we are not fully One with God, unless we
are 100% like Jesus; which of course we can't ever be because we have sinned
(all of us). We can only be reborn into this new life through faith.
Muhammad can't fill the hole and the
emptiness in man that Jesus can. He could try to point a way, just as you could
now and even after your death; but if you ended up with a huge following
trudging their way towards God on a darkened path, then all your more wise
followers could ever do is continue praying for the peace and salvation of your
own soul until you finally find your way via Christ.
Jesus said:-
“For God so loved the world that He gave his
only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have
everlasting life. For God sent not His Son
into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him
might be saved.” John 3:16-17
Comment:-
You have a wrong
translation. The word “begotten” is not found in more accurate
Modern translations, neither in John 3:16 nor in John 1:14. But the phrase
“son of God” has a symbolic meaning according to the following
verses:-
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God,
they are the sons of God.” Romans 8:14
“But as many as received him (the Word), to
them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his
name.” John 1:12
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall
be called sons of God.” Matthew 5:9
“Jesus answered them, Is it not written in
your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of
God came, and the scripture cannot be broken.” John 10:34-35
Jesus was referring
to:-
“I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are
children of the most High.” Psalms 82:6
Obviously this was
never understood literally.
David was called
the Son of God (Psalms 2:7) and so was Adam (Luke 3:38)
God shows His love
for the world by sending His word through the Messengers and Prophets. The
Messengers of God, those who carried the Word of God, enable us to receive the
Spirit of God.
It is the Spirit of God that fills the hole
in man, and that is when he empties himself of his ego.
When you surrender to God you become
at-one-with God. There are, of course various degrees of surrender. We can become
like Jesus. See John 1:12 and John 14:20. We have sinned, but God forgives sins
to those who repent and follow His commands. There would be no point in God
sending the Messengers if we could not follow them.
Muhammad fulfils the same role in Muslims as
Jesus does for Christians and Buddha does for Buddhists and Krishna
does for Hindus. But there is a difference - Muslims do NOT mistake the
Messenger for God as Christians do, even against the statements of Jesus - this
is idolatry. We also take seriously "Faith without works is dead" See
James 2:20
In this Muslims are more truly Christian than
Christians are. This is because Jesus taught obedience to God as he himself
obeyed God. See Matthew 7:21-23 Matthew 19:7 and John 17:3 and 12. Note also
what Jesus said of himself in John 5:30, 6:38, 57, 7:16, 8:28, 10:37-38, 12:49
e.g. "I can of mine own self do
nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine
own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." John 5:30
(Note: This is not something said of God or
by someone who thinks he is God).
Muslims think of
Allah as self-existing, the creator of all other things by His Word. This
cannot be said of Jesus. To say that God created another God is a contradiction
because that other would not then be self-existent.
Christian:-
Jesus said he
descended from heaven. John 3:13 and 6:38.
Comment:-
What Jesus said
was:-
“No man ascended up to heaven but
he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven.”
John 3:13
“For I came down from heaven not to do mine
own will but the will of Him who sent me.” John 6:38
In so far as we are
spiritual being we all came down from heaven. But man was expelled because of
sin. Only those return to heaven who obey God as did Jesus.
Christian:-
You say: "Those in whom the Spirit is
awake are in NT terms known as "Children of God"
Take stock of your Muslim fellowship. You
love them dearly. This is what God wants us to do. But God calls us to firstly
seek Him, and sometimes that means distancing ourselves, even from our
fellowship so that we can hear His voice. Jesus did not take His disciples with
Him as He prayed in the garden
of Gethsemane.
Comment:-
Islam is primarily surrender to God and
everything else is a means to that or subordinate to that.
But Jesus did pray with others. Muhammad too
often withdrew and prayed alone.
Jesus prayed to God. Why do you not do the
same? Did he not tell you to pray to "Father in heaven"? Did he tell
you to pray to the Son or the Holy Ghost? Did not Jesus tell you to pray to the
Father in Heaven to forgive your sins?
Christian:-
You cannot know you are being led by the true
Spirit of God whilst you cannot even weep for man's part against His One true
Son. Whilst you cannot even know in your heart that you would not have lifted
Jesus off His cross anymore than the multitude around Him did. That the nature
of man is still inside you and always near you, and can only be defeated by the
power of salvation through the blood of Jesus.
Comment:-
Many people suffer
and have suffered. Certainly we have sympathy for them and this depends on
whether we have compassion and conscience which are attributes of the spirit.
It is the spirit that needs awakening and that is done by the Word of God.
We consider the phrase "Son of God"
to be symbolic as I have already said and taking it literally in a physical
sense is superstition. We regard Salvation by the blood of Jesus a superstition
NOT taught by Jesus. Jesus taught salvation by obedience to God. He said:-
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord,
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father
which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name
done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you:
depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21-23
According to Luke
3:22-23 Jesus was 30 years old when he became “the son of God”.
That is when he received the Holy Spirit and his mission began. The phrase does
not only refer to Jesus but to anyone led by the Word or Spirit of God –
see John 1:12, John 10:34-38. Here are some other verses in the Bible where
this phrase occurs:-
"That the sons of God saw the daughters of men
that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose."
Genesis 6:2 and 6:4
"And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith
the LORD, Israel
is my son, even my firstborn:" Exodus 4:22
"Which was the son of Enos, which was the son
of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God." Luke 3:38
"I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said
unto me (David), Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee." Psalms
2:7
“I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are
children of the most High.” Psalms 82:6
"Also I will make him (David) My firstborn,
higher than the kings of the earth." Psalms 89:27
Christian:-
You say: "Nowhere in the NT does Jesus
say he is god or that the Word is a separate God or that the Spirit is a
separate God or that God is a Trinity or that salvation is by belief in the
crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus."
The Trinity is a Revelation of the living
Word within our souls, Hamid. That actually Jesus was and is as God intended
Him to be, fully One with Himself and the Holy Spirit, stripped of flesh by man
to reveal His blinding light and purity which is far beyond the reach of us all
in our wretchedness. Only then is man humbled and his outstretched hands reach
into God's to be lifted and that great chasm bridged.
Comment:-
Indeed, in so far as Jesus surrendered to God
and abandoned his own ego then he was spiritually at one with God. He was His
word. But Jesus was in the flesh and that cannot be God.
The Trinity is an invention in the 3rd
Century and is not to be found in the teachings of Jesus. The following verses
show that there is no Trinity and the Father is the only God:-
John 1:18, 5:37, 6:29,46, 13:16 15:1-2, 4:28
17:3, 20:17. Romans 15:6. 1Corinthians 1:3, 3:22-23, 8:5-6, 11:3, 12:4-6.
2Corinthians 1:2-3, 11:31, 13:14. Ephesians 1:2-3, 17 6:23, 4:4-6. Galatians
4:4-6. Philippians 1:2, 4:19-20. Colossians 1:2-3. 1Thessalonians 1:1.
2Thessalonians 1:1-2. 1John 4:12. 2John 1:3. 1Timothy 1:2, 17, 2:5, 6:15-16. Titus
1:4. Philemon 1:3. James 2:19. Jude 1:1 1. Peter 1:2-3
Even Paul did not believe in Trinity:-
"For there is one God, and one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" 1 Tim 2:5
"There is actually to us one God the
Father,...and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ" 1 Cor 8:6
"One God and Father of all, who is
over all and through all and in all" Eph 4:6
"And ye are Christ's, and Christ is
God's" 1 Cor 3:23
Thus John 1:1 should be "...Word was
God's" [Theos=God, Theou=God's]
Christian:-
"For whosoever shall do the will of
my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and
mother." Matthew 12:50
Comment:-
Yes we believe that those who surrender to
God are spiritual relations of each other. All Muslims are brothers. And the
term Muslim also covers any one who follows any of the Messengers of God
including Moses and Jesus etc. Islam is the name of the Religion sent by God
through all the genuine Messengers.
Christian:-
You say: "Salvation is by obedience to
God's Commands - i.e. His Word as carried by the Messengers He sends."
God wants your conscience to be free so that
He can work through you, so that your eyes shine His light and peace everywhere
you go, your hands are outstretched into His world, that your thoughts are one
long prayer and praise of all the gloriousness He has set around us. He wants
you to know a man's thoughts, to lift him out of his despair with heavenly
wisdom, to be one in heart, mind soul and spirit as one body, His body here on
earth.
Comment:-
Conscience is free when the Spirit is active.
The Spirit is active when it is resurrected by obedience to God, to the Message
or Word brought through the Messengers. And it is dead when wholly trapped in
the world. But it is not resurrected when there is an obstruction between man
and God i.e. when he has an idol. That allows the Satan to deceive him.
As Paul also said:-
"Be not deceived: God is not mocked:
for whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap. For he that sows to his
flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall
of the Spirit reap life everlasting." Galatians 6:7-8
Christian:-
Don't miss your greater purpose here on
earth, Hamid. Be still, alone, with God and hear His Word speak to you. Let His
Word come alive within you and others see Him in you. Only then can you know
that Jesus' Father truly is yours too.
Comment:-
Thank you for your advice. I would give you
the same advice. In fact, I would point out the advice of Jesus, namely to look
for the beam in your own eyes rather than trying to look for mote in that of
others.
Christian:-
The Muslim God is not the same as the
Christian God. You should ask your fellow Muslim brothers whether they consider
Allah to be Jesus' Father in Heaven.
Comment:-
We are completely certain that Allah is the
same as what Jesus calls "Father in Heaven". We derive our Spirit
from Him. But true - the Christian concept of God is not the same as that of
Muslims or that of Jesus and the Jews.
Christian:-
I believe that Jesus is One with God the
Father and Holy Spirit. The Trinity is a realisation of what God wanted of His
Son, to be fully One. It is not something I was taught, it was a revelation to
me, a dimension of Him that is revealed to us by the living Word, as there are
many other dimensions to His Word.
Comment:-
The Trinity was invented at the Council of
Nicea under the Pagan Roman Emperor Constantine and taken from Ancient Egypt
where the Trinity was Osiris, Isis and Horus. But yes God is One and His Word
and Spirit emanate from Him but they are not separately God. The Sun, its rays
and its reflection in a mirror are certainly continuous, but not identical. We
do not confuse a person, for instance, with his arm or leg.
There is only one
God, and the Word and Spirit are not separate persons but God’s command
and power. Not only Jesus but all who are led by the Word or Spirit of God are
children of God spiritually. Why else did Jesus teach people to pray to their
Father in Heave. We can see that the Holy Spirit is not understood as being a
person from such verses as Luke 11:13, I Cor. 2:12, 1Cor. 6:19, Romans 8:9 and
Acts 2:17. On the Day of Pentecost the Spirit is said to have descended on many
people (Acts 2:4). “All were filled with the Holy Spirit”. This
cannot be said about a person. This episode was not what was predicted by Jesus
about the Paraclytos in John 16:12-14 and John 15:26, but what the Prophet Joel
forecast (Acts 2:16). What Jesus was forecasting was the coming of another
Prophet like himself. It is clear that the Holy Spirit was always with Jesus
and it did not need to come after he had gone as John 16:7 states.
Many people, though sincere, mistake personal
prejudices and the whispers of Satan for revelations. Otherwise we would not
have charlatans and false Prophets.
Christian:-
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt
among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14
Comment:-
That is a naive
understanding which misleads simple people. As I pointed out, the phrase
“only begotten” does not exist in the original and is left out of
modern translations. But even as it is
the verse says "We beheld his glory AS OF the only begotten." It
does not say "We beheld the glory of the only begotten."
It is like saying this Judge or policeman is
the Law. He is not literally the Law but symbolically an embodiment of the Law.
He represents the Law. Jesus was known as "Emanuel" which means
"God with us." NOT God.
The Word is God's NOT God (My Doctrine is not
mine but His who sent me." John 7:16)
I hope you will continue to seek truth and
obtain it. (But it is difficult for Christians conditioned by their Church.
i.e. the Way is narrow. It is, of course, also difficult for others who are
conditioned by others with prejudices, fantasies and self-interests.
Christian:-
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way,
the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John
14:6
Comment:-
Yes, Jesus like Moses before him and Muhammad
after him were the way, the truth and life as they carried the Word of God. It
is only by obedience to God that salvation can be gained as you should know
from Jesus' teachings. So if you follow Jesus that is what you will do. Did you not consider that Jesus may have
been speaking about the Word that he carried rather than himself? Did he not
say that his doctrine was not his but His that sent him and that he kept his
followers in God’s name?
Christian:-
I meant to tell you, I came to Christ on His
death through the power of His Word as He was nailed on the cross - just me,
Jesus, a Gospel and a moment in time, when I was there feeling the pain and
suffering as He died for me, for the forgiveness of my sins.
Comment:-
That is very good
if you have accepted the teachings of Jesus and obey God, the Father whose Word
he came to deliver. But the emotions and feelings are not always indicators of
the truth of a doctrine. If, however, it arouses conscience which is a
spiritual faculty, that is a different matter. People often confuse emotional
sentimentality with spirituality. God will judge whether or not you are doing
so and you will no doubt be rewarded accordingly. Many people suffer and are
killed and many still are. The question is: Why? Why was Jesus willing to
sacrifice himself? It is the purpose that counts. By ignoring the purpose you
make the action meaningless. Do you think that his suffering or death led to
your forgiveness or was it your repentance? Will God judge and forgive you
because of your sincere repentance and because you accepted His word and
resolved to obey? Or will He forgive simply because Jesus was crucified?
Christian:-
Jesus says that He is the way, the truth and
the life. He says this because He is. It's as simple as that. No one comes to the
Father, but by Him.
Comment:-
It is true exclusively about him only at the
time he lived. Do you really think that God had ignored all human beings before
him and in all parts of the rest of the world? It seems that your idea of God
and His compassion is rather narrow!
Did Jesus not say
that God loved the world? Did not Jesus say that he had only come for the
Israelites and did he not send his disciples to the Israelites only?
“But he (Jesus) answered and said, I am not
sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 15:24
“These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded
them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the
Samaritans enter ye not: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Matthew 10:5-6
Jesus the man cannot literally be a Way, the
Truth and the Life. That surely refers to hid teaching, God's Word.
The fact is that his disciples did not fully
understand Jesus. That is why Jesus forecast the coming of the Spirit of Truth.
Islam (Surrender to God), the religion brought by the Prophet Muhammad is the
"The Religion of Truth", the confirmation and completion of Religion
brought by Jesus and Moses.
We Muslims also accept Jesus, and like him
surrender to God, the Father in Heaven. Did not Jesus teach you to pray to the
Father?
I wish you Peace and Enlightenment from God.
Christian:-
You say my idea of God is rather narrow.
"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide
is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many
who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which
leads to life, and there are few who find it. Beware of false prophets, who
come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves."
Matthew 7:13-15
Comment:-
Have you considered that all this might apply
to you?
The broad way is the worldly way. The narrow
way is that of Surrender and obedience to the Father in Heaven. The False
Prophets are those who teach things that are contrary to the teachings Jesus
received from God ("My doctrine is not mine but His who sent me"
John 7:16)
I do not see you accepting the teachings of
Jesus but the corruptions of others!
Christian:-
You say: "Islam (Surrender to God), the
religion brought by the Prophet Muhammad is the "The Religion of
Truth".
It is through Jesus' death on the cross and
the Resurrection that we receive His Holy Spirit. The Truth is the death, the
place that God's only Son is taken at the hand of man, the Revelation of God as
He raises His Son to Glory for the sake of saving our souls. It's a physical
happening within us on receiving Christ into our lives.
Comment:-
As I pointed out several times from your
scriptures that is not what Jesus taught. He taught salvation by obedience to
the Father in Heaven.
Christian:-
God's love for us was already complete, long
before Muhammad was even born. There was nothing more to add. It was perfected
and finished in Jesus.
Comment:-
This is not true.
Jesus told us in no uncertain manner that the
Truth would come after he had gone by someone, a person called the Spirit of
Truth. A parable (Matthew 21:33-44) by Jesus also tells us that after sending
servants, God sends His Son, and when he is persecuted he comes Himself. This
can be interpreted as referring to the Quran where God speaks directly.
Christian:-
You say: "When you come face to face
with God He will want to know why you were not accepting His Word but the false
doctrines of others."
His Word is given to me by His living Spirit.
Comment:-
So you reject what Jesus
says and cannot be a follower of Jesus as you claim.
You can, of course,
claim anything you like and believe whatever comforts you. Most people do so
all the time and believe all kinds of bizarre things. But that is not the
point. The point is whether there is any justification for it - whether it is
compatible with the Word of God as brought by the Messengers of God.
As I said I do not think you understand or
accept the teachings of Jesus but those of people who make things up
deliberately or through misunderstanding or superstition. It is blasphemy to
attribute one's own prejudices to the Holy Spirit.
What Jesus taught was:-
"Not every one that saith unto me
Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but He THAT DOETH THE WILL
OF MY FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN. Many will say to me in that Day: Lord, Lord,
have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? And
in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I
NEVER KNEW YOU: DEPART FROM ME, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY." Matthew 7:21-23
"Now we know that God hears not
sinners; but if any man be a worshipper of God and does His will, him He
hears." John 9:31
"Whosoever shall speak a word against
the Son of Man (Jesus) it shall be forgiven him; but unto him that blasphemes
against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven." Luke 12:10
"Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe
me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at
Jerusalem, WORSHIP THE FATHER." John 4:21
"Ye worship ye know not what: WE KNOW
WHAT WE WORSHIP: FOR SALVATION IS OF THE JEWS. But THE HOUR cometh, and now is,
when the TRUE WORSHIPPERS SHALL WORSHIP THE FATHER IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH: for
the FATHER SEEKETH SUCH TO WORSHIP HIM." John 4:22-24
"He that hears my word and believes
on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come unto
condemnation, but is passed from death into life." John 5:24
Note that it is not
belief in Jesus but in the Father that leads to salvation.
"..I do nothing of myself; but as the
Father hath taught me, I speak these things." John 8:28
Therefore, if you wish to be a good follower
of Jesus you have to "Surrender to God".
Please note that JESUS WAS NOT CREATING A
RELIGION ABOUT HIMSELF as Christianity has become.
Christian:-
He is the Light and the Life and now one
comes to the Father except through Him. Only Jesus bring downs the veil which
is between man and God through His death on the cross.
Comment:-
I have answered this before. We are going
round and round in circles.
It is the Word of God that leads to
salvation, who ever carries it. God sent other Prophets and Messengers with His
word also. Do you not believe that God sent them? Did Jesus reject Moses and
the Prophets?
Jesus said:-
"And I say unto you, That many shall
come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and
Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast
out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Matthew 8:11-12
"Whosoever shall speak a word against
the Son of Man (Jesus) it shall be forgiven him; but unto him that blasphemes
against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven." Luke 12:10
"For he that is not against us is on
our part." Mark 9:40
Christian:-
He taught me and the whole world that He died
for us.
Comment:-
Where does Jesus say that salvation is by his
death?
Certainly Jesus was willing to suffer in
order to bring the Word of God to mankind. In this he showed his love for God and
mankind. Other Messengers were also willing to suffer in the service of God.
And indeed we love the Messengers because of this and try to follow them. But
salvation is by obedience to God. Not to do so is to reject the Messenger and
to reject the Messenger is to reject God and His message.
Jesus said:-
"And he that takes not his cross, and
follows after me, is not worthy of me." 10:38
What do you think this means? Do you think it
means that you should seek to be crucified? Or does it mean being willing to
accept the difficulties brought by temptations when one wants to follow the
Word of God?
The death and
resurrection of Jesus appears to be misunderstood by Christians. He is supposed
to have died on the cross and that is why the disciples thought that he was a
ghost when he appeared among them, but in fact he was still flesh and bone. See
Luke 24:36-46. It is the faith of the disciples that died when they thought
Jesus had died and it revived when he reappeared. Jesus said:-
“But he (Jesus) answered and said unto them,
An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and there shall no sign
be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and
three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and
three nights in the heart of the earth.” Matthew 12:39-40
But the fact is
that Jesus is said to have died on
Friday evening (Luke 23:54) and resurrected on the following Sunday morning
(Luke 24:1). That is obviously not three days and 3 nights.
Note that Paul noticed that soon after the
departure of Jesus corruption had set in:-
"I marvel that ye are so soon removed
from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel."
Galatians 1:6
"Professing themselves wise they
became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made
like to corruptible man.." Romans 1:23
Do Christians accept the Old Testament? Jesus
did. In it we read:-
"Yet I am the Lord thy God from the
land of Egypt and thou shalt know no god but Me; for there is NO SAVIOUR
BESIDES Me." Hosea 13:4
This is also the Islamic position.
I see it is impossible for you to accept the
teachings of Jesus! So there is no point in further discussion.
Christian:-
"As many as I love, I rebuke and
chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and
knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and
will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcomes will I grant to sit
with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father
in his throne." Revelation 3:19-21
The 'Good Shepard' will go to the ends of the
earth to gather in just one of His lost sheep. This is Holy love in the Light
of Christ. There is purpose for all things, Hamid, salvation came at a heavy
cost.
Comment:-
Not one but there are many lost sheep in the
world. Why?
The verse makes it clear that enlightenment
is conditional on the seeker making an effort to understand and his/her
willingness to accept the Truth. When there is no ability or willingness to
make an effort to understand or to accept then efforts to enlighten are futile.
"Give not that which is holy unto the
dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under
their feet, and turn again and rend you." Matthew 7:6
"And he spake many things unto them
in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some
seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell
upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up,
because they had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was up, they were
scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among
thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: but other fell into good
ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixty fold, some
thirty fold.
"Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
"And the disciples came, and said
unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto
them, because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of
heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given,
and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be
taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because
they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they
understand." Matthew 13:3-13
However, if you do follow the instructions
that came through Jesus then it may be that you will be forgiven for things that
you have not understood - Jesus did say he had things to say which his
followers could not understand.
Best wishes and farewell.
Christian 2:-
I am a Christian
and I wonder whether Islam is the religion which should be followed. I wonder
whether I can find salvation being a Christian (and of course without
mistrusting what the Bible says. Do
you have any information on that? I
do not find precise references in the Quran which says that Christians (and
Jews) are *all* bad and will be punished by God. So I believe I can go on being a
Christian, cannot I?
Comment:-
"Verily, whether it be of those who believe, or
those who are Jews or Christians or Sabaeans, whoever believes in Allah and the
Last Day and acts aright, they have their reward with their Lord, and there is
no fear for them, nor shall they grieve." Quran 2:62
"They are not all alike. Of the people of the
Book there is an upright community, reciting the revelations of Allah throughout
the night, falling prostrate (in Surrender). They believe in Allah, and in the
last day, and bid intelligent (or right) conduct, and forbid what is stupid (or
wrong), and vie with one another in good works; these are among the
righteous." 3:113-114
It is necessary to
understand that Islam came because certain misunderstandings and corruptions
had been introduced into the past dispensations of Religion including
Christianity (not necessarily only in the written scriptures). Islam came to
both confirm and rectify. It is not, therefore, a question of simply continuing
to follow these misunderstandings, but of purifying the religion.
It is also
necessary to understand that as God judges and punishes or rewards according to
the faith and deeds of people then there are many degrees of paradise and hell.
A person can be at any position on the Straight Way. It is not merely a question
of salvation from the worst areas of hell. It is a question of striving towards
the higher parts of paradise, towards nearness to God. It is question of
development and growth.
"And the soul and Who fashioned it, and
enlightened it with what is wrong and right for it! He indeed is successful who
causes it to grow (or purifies it)! And he indeed is a failure who corrupts
it!" 91:7-10
"But O, you soul in peace and fulfilment!
Return unto your Lord, well pleased and well pleasing unto Him! Enter you
amongst My servants, Enter you My
Garden (Paradise)!" 89:27-30
Christian 2:-
All right. But how
can I find out what should be purified in Christianity? Are all the
misunderstandings explained in the Quran? (like the Trinity, which should not
be trusted, crucifixion, redemption (because of the original sin), etc.) However, these facts appear in the
written scriptures; so does it mean they were badly written or wrongly compiled
by the Church? How is it possible to find out which are the introduced
misunderstandings and corruptions in the Bible?
Comment:-
You read the Quran
and read the NT and OT and compare them. Also compare the NT with what the
Churches teach just as I did. The Quran confirms some of the teachings of the
past and rectifies others.
Christian 3:-
It seems to me that
ayat 2.62 refers only to the People of the Book, not to other religions such as
Hinduism for example. Indeed the status of non-Muslim People of the Book seems
to be somewhat ambiguous in the Quran.
If one takes the
Quran as a whole, the specifics of Christianity, such as trinity, are
explicitly condemned. Though one could argue that even this has some degree of
ambiguity, because it raises
another issue, namely does trinity such as it appears in the Quran refer to the
same belief as mainstream modern Christianity, or does it refer to some
Christian heretic groups that existed in the area and at the time of the Prophet? Isn't mainstream
Christian dogma incompatible with the basic tenets of Islam?
Comment:-
What makes you
think that the mention of Sabaeans in the verse and the phrase "whoever
believes in Allah and the Last Day and acts aright," means only the People
of the Book if you mean that refers only to the OT and NT. Do not Buddhists and
Hindus also have Scriptures?
You are mistaken
about condemning Trinity. What the Quran says is:-
"O you people of the Book! Do not commit
excesses in your religion, nor say against Allah anything save the truth. The
Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, was but the messenger of Allah and His Word,
which He cast into Mary and a Spirit from Him; believe then in Allah and His
messengers, and say not "Three." Desist! it is better for you. Allah
is only one Allah, Glory be to Him, too Exalted is He that He should beget a
Son! To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and that is in the earth, and
Allah suffices as Defender." 4:171
This is further
explained in
"They disbelieve who say, "Verily, Allah
is the third of three;" for there is no God but one, and if they do not
desist from what they say, there shall touch those who disbelieve amongst them
grievous woe." 5:73
Note: 4:171 says
Three not Trinity. Trinity appears to mean One having three parts.
According to
Christians the Godhead consists of three persons, one of which is Jesus the man
- a kind of committee. This is shirk. The oother two have been made partners of
God and Jesus is regarded as an equal with the Father when he himself said that
he was not equal to God (John 10:29, John 13:16, John 14:28) but one sent by
God, one who could do nothing except what the Father had told him to do. This
is not by what we understand by God, quite apart from the fact that he had the
limitations of the flesh depending on nutrition etc., and complaining to God
"Why hast Thou forsaken me.",
and insisting that: "While I was with them I kept them in Thy name".
The fact is that even the Christian Scriptures do not support the Trinity.
Christianity is NOT based on the teachings of Jesus. Those who profess his name
have abandoned him - in fact are in a sense persecuting him as did the Jews.
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