The Messengers

Nearly two billion Christians and over 1.5 billion Muslims believe in him, yet Jesus is perhaps the most misunderstood …

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) claimed prophet-hood over 1400 years ago. His message was simple: There is none worthy to be worshipped but God, and he (Prophet Muhammad) is the final messenger of God To test whether this claim is true we must rationally investigate the historical narratives and testimonies concerning the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Once we do this, we will be in a position to come to a balanced conclusion in this regard. In epistemology (which is narrowly defined as the study of knowledge and belief) testimony is considered to be one of the sources of knowledge, and when applied correctly, can form justified beliefs. Testimony is a valid source of knowledge only when it comes from a reliable source, especially if there are multiple sources in agreement. Obviously there are conditions as to how we can use testimony, but in the majority of cases, testimony is considered a valid source of knowledge. Let’s take a look at the universally accepted, non-violence based philosophy of Mohandas Gandhi (better known as Mahatma Gandhi). The majority of the world’s population did not have the opportunity of meeting with him, eating with him or even joining him for a peaceful protest. Imagine for a moment, a claim is made that for a short period of time, Mahatma Gandhi was a prison officer and was involved in the torture over 2000 people. For anyone to take this claim seriously, evidence would be necessary to prove the slurs on his character. In fact, a claim such as this actually undermines our understanding of how Gandhi could have led India to independence based on his philosophy of non-violence and civil right movements. Conversely, if we examine why we have such a high level of certainty that Mahatma Gandhi was a pacifist, we will conclude that it is due to recurrent testimony – that is, when a large number of people have reported a claim to knowledge such that it is impossible for them to agree upon a lie or to simultaneously lie. This is accentuated by the fact that most of these people never met one another and lived in different places, during different time periods. Therefore to claim they have lied is tantamount to claiming a mass conspiracy in which people across countries and time periods colluded to ensure its propagation. In light of the above, accepting the slurs on Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) character and rejecting his prophet-hood, could be equated to accepting these fickle and unfounded claims on Mahatma Gandhi and rejecting his pacifist philosophy! In order to assess Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) claim to prophethood, let us discuss the possible options: 1. DID HE LIE? Early historical sources on the Prophet Muhammad’s (upon whom be peace) life illustrate and emphasise the integrity of his character. He was not a liar and to assert as much is indefensible. The reasons for this abound, for instance he was known even by the enemies to his message as the “Trustworthy”[1]. Further proof of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) reliability and credibility is enforced and substantiated by the fact that a liar usually lies for some worldly gain, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) rejected all worldly aspirations, and suffered tremendously for his message [2]. He rejected the riches and power he was offered to stop promulgating his message. Significantly, he was persecuted for his beliefs; boycotted and exiled from his beloved city – Makkah; starved of food; and stoned by children to the point where his blood drenched his legs. His wife passed away and his beloved companions were tortured and persecuted [3]. The psychological profile of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was obviously incongruent with a liar, and to maintain that he was dishonest is tantamount to making bold claims without any evidence. The late Emeritus Professor in Arabic and Islamic Studies W. Montgomery Watt in, Muhammad at Mecca, explores this: His readiness to undergo persecution for his beliefs, the high moral character of the men who believed in him and looked up to him as a leader, and the greatness of his ultimate achievement – all argue his fundamental integrity. To suppose Muhammad an impostor raises more problems than it solves.[4] It was the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) truthfulness that was a key aspect of his success on both political and religious levels. Without his trustworthiness, which was an integral part of his moral behaviour, he could not have achieved so much in a relatively short space of time. This view is addressed by the historians Edward Gibbon and Simon Oakley in, History of the Saracen Empire: The greatest success of Mohammad’s life was effected by sheer moral force.[5] 2. WAS HE DELUDED? If someone is deluded, they have a strong conviction in a belief despite there being evidence to the contrary. The teachings of Muhammad (peace be upon him) are not that of someone who is deluded. Amongst many of his teachings, he taught how to perfect good character and be of service to others. Another way of looking at the issue of delusion is that when someone is deluded they speak falsehood whilst believing it to be true. To undermine this claim, the Prophet (upon whom be peace) foretold of many things that would occur to him and his community after him, pertaining to victory, the removal of the tyrannical kingdoms of Chosroes [the royal title for the Zoroastrian kings of Persia] and Caesar. These events occurred exactly as Muhammad (peace be upon him) foretold, and this is not something that is congruent with a deluded individual. There were a number of instances when this occurred. For example: The Messenger predicted ‘Ammar’s martyrdom in a ‘civil’ war: What a pity O ‘Ammar, a rebellious group will kill you. [6] The Prophet foretold that Fatima would join him first of all after his death: Before his death, the Messenger called his daughter Fatima to his bedside and

WHO SAID THAT?

To download “Muhammad in the Bible” PDF click here 1- INTRODUCTION The idea that the Bible contains prophecies about the coming of Muhammad (peace be upon him), may surprise many people. It isn’t difficult to understand why, since the general perception people have of Muhammad is that of a man with no connection to Biblical Prophets or prophecies. However, taking a closer look at Muhammad’s life, it becomes clear that he upheld the basic tenets that the Biblical Prophets came with, and led millions to do the same. Indeed it is because of the teachings of Muhammad that billions of Muslims, since his time and until today, have revered the persons of Jesus, Moses and Abraham (peace be upon them all). In this article, you will discover how the Bible foretells the coming of an Arabian prophet, specifically Prophet Muhammad. Although there are numerous prophecies about Muhammad scattered throughout the Bible, we are going to focus primarily on the 42nd chapter of the Book of Isaiah in the Old Testament. Please note that all verses referenced from the Bible have been taken from the New International Version. 2 – WHAT IS ISAIAH 42 ABOUT? The 42nd chapter of the Book of Isaiah describes itself as a prophecy about the future. Isaiah states that: …the former things have taken place, and new things I declare… [Isaiah 42:9] Isaiah starts the chapter by drawing our attention to a very special person that God will send. He describes this person as: …my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight… [Isaiah 42:1] At least three of the names of Prophet Muhammad are mentioned – “servant”, “chosen one” and “in whom I delight”. Prophet Muhammad is known as God’s Servant, in Arabic “abd – ullah”. “Chosen one” is “Mustafa” in Arabic. This is another of the names of Prophet Muhammad. The one in whom God ‘delights in’ shows that this person is beloved to God. ‘Habibullah’ in Arabic, which means “Beloved of God”, also happens to be one of Prophet Muhammad’s names. 3 – THE LOCATION OF THIS SPECIAL PERSON Isaiah also reveals the location of this special person. He states: Let the wilderness and its towns raise their voices; let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops. [Isaiah 42:11] The two key words used are ‘Kedar’ and ‘Sela’ which together pinpoint an exact location for this special person. Out of all the places on earth that Isaiah mentioned, he chose to highlight Kedar and Sela’s location so we should pay special attention. Who is Kedar, and where did he settle? The Old Testament tells us that Kedar was one of the sons of Ishmael: These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam [Genesis 25:13] Ishmael is one of the sons of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh). The Old Testament tells us that Ishmael dwelt in a place called Paran: While he (Ishmael) was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt. [Genesis 21:21] Many Christian interpreters of the Bible hold that Paran is in Arabia. From Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible: He dwelt in the wilderness of Paran – This is generally allowed to have been a part of the desert belonging to Arabia Petraea, in the vicinity of Mount Sinai; and this seems to be its uniform meaning in the sacred writings. Moreover Strong’s Bible Dictionary also tells us: H6290 pâ’rân From H6286; ornamental; Paran, a desert of Arabia: – Paran. We can also place the location of the descendants of Ishmael, known as Ishmaelites, to Arabia. According to Harper’s Bible Dictionary [1] the term ‘Ishmaelites’ is used synonymously with the term ‘Midianites’. We can see this from the story of Joseph in Genesis: “Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.” [Genesis 37:36] “Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.” [Genesis 39:1] So these two groups, the Midianites and Ishmaelites, are used interchangeably. We know that geographically, Biblical Midian is located in modern day Western Saudi Arabia, compare a typical Bible map with a modern day map: Kedar and his own sons are also specifically linked to Arabia: “The oracle about Arabia. In the thickets of Arabia you must spend the night, O caravans of Dedanites. … all the splendor of Kedar will terminate” [Isaiah 21:13-16] Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your favored dealers in lambs, rams, and goats; in these they did business with you. [Ezekiel 27:21] The Old Testament scholar Charles Foster says about Kedar: “Namely, of the land of Kedar; which every reader conversant with Arabian geography will recognise as a most accurate delineation of the district of Hedjaz [Western Saudi Arabia], including its famous cities of Makkah and Madina.” [2] In summary we have established that Ishmael and his descendants, specifically Kedar, settled in modern day Saudi Arabia. Whilst it’s true that Saudi Arabia represents a wide geographic region, the use of the word ‘Sela’ pinpoints an exact location. The place being spoken of is actually the city of Madinah because ‘Sela’ is the name of a famous mountain in Madinah. Madinah was the city of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): It is worth mentioning that Prophet Muhammad’s lineage can also be traced back to Prophet Abraham (peace be upon them all). This is through Kedar: 4 – THE JEWISH TRIBES OF MADINAH It’s important to note that historically we know there was a presence of various Jewish tribes in Madinah before the advent of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Both Jewish Historians and Islamic history records this fact. The American historian Salo Baron, the most noted historian of the Jews of his generation,

Jesus is a figure who is loved and revered by billions of people the world over. Yet there is so much confusion surrounding the status of this colossal personality. Muslims and Christians both hold Jesus in high regard but view him in very different ways. The questions raised in this article aim to get to the heart of the issues surrounding Jesus: Was Jesus God? Or was he sent by God? Who was the real historical Jesus? Some ambiguous verses of the Bible can be applied erroneously to show that Jesus is in some way divine. But if we look at the clear, direct verses of the Bible, we see again and again that Jesus is being referred to as an extraordinary human being and nothing more. What emerges, when we consider the historical and logical facts about Jesus’ life, is conclusive proof not only that Jesus cannot be God, but that he never claimed to be either. What follows are five lines of reasoning which clarify this subject for us through the Bible itself and thereby allow us to discover the real Jesus. 1. JESUS NEVER CALLS HIMSELF GOD The Bible contains many verses in which Jesus speaks of God as a separate person to himself. Here are just a few of them: When a man addressed Jesus as ‘Good Teacher’, he replied ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good except the one God.” [Mark 10:18] In another instance he says: I can’t do anything by myself. Whatever I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just. I don’t seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me. [John 5:30] Jesus speaks of God as a separate being to himself: I’m going up to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. [John 20:17] In this verse he affirms that he was sent by God: This is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent. [John 17:3] If Jesus was God he would have told people to worship him, but he did the opposite and disapproved anyone worshipping him: And in vain they worship Me [Matthew 15:9] If Jesus claimed to be God than there should be hundreds of verses in the Bible which would have mentioned it. But there is not a single verse in the entire Bible in which Jesus says I am God, worship me. 2. JESUS AS SON AND LORD? Jesus is sometimes referred to as ‘Lord’ in the Bible and at other times as ‘Son of God’. God is called the ‘Father’, so putting these names together it could be claimed that Jesus is the son of God. But if we look at each of these titles in context we will find that they are symbolic and not to be taken literally. ‘Son of God’ is a term used in ancient Hebrew for a righteous person. God calls Israel his ‘˜son’: This is what the LORD says: Israel is my oldest son [Exodus 4:22]. Also, David is called the ‘˜Son of God’: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.’ [Psalm 2:7]. In fact anyone who is righteous is referred to as God’s ‘son’: All who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons and daughters [Romans 8:14]. In the same way, when the word ‘Father’ is used to refer to God it shouldn’t be taken literally. Instead it’s a way of saying God is the creator, sustainer, cherisher etc. There are many verses for us to understand this symbolic meaning of the word ‘Father’, for example: one God and Father of all. [Ephesians 4:6]. Jesus is sometimes called ‘˜Lord’ by the disciples. ‘Lord’ is a term used for God and also for people who are held in high esteem. There are many examples of the word ‘Lord’ being used for people in the Bible: So they (Joseph’s brothers) went up to Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. ‘We beg your pardon, our lord,’ they said. [Genesis 43:19-20]. Also, in other parts of the Bible, Jesus is even called a ‘servant’ of God by the disciples: the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. [Acts 3:13]. This clearly shows that when ‘Lord’ is used to refer to Jesus, it is a title of respect not of divinity. 3. THE NATURE OF JESUS The nature of Jesus was totally different to that of God. There are many parts of the Bible that highlight this difference in nature: God is All-Knowing but Jesus by his own admission was not All-Knowing. This can be seen in the following passage when Jesus says ‘But nobody knows when that day or hour will come, not the heavenly angels and not the Son. Only the Father knows.’ [Matthew 24:36] God is independent and he doesn’t need sleep, food or water. Jesus however ate, drank, slept and depended on God: As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father. [John 6:57]. Another sign of Jesus’ dependence on God is that he prayed to God: Going a little farther, he (Jesus) fell with his face to the ground and prayed [Matthew 26:39]. This shows that Jesus himself sought help from God. God, being the one who answers prayers does not need to pray to anyone. Also, Jesus said: I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than me. [John 14:28]. The Bible is clear that God is unseen and is not a man: for no one may see me and live. [Exodus 33:20], God is not a man [Numbers 23:19]. Jesus on the other hand was a man who was seen by thousands of people, so he could not be God. Furthermore, the Bible makes it clear that God is too great to be inside his creation: But how could God possibly live on earth with people? If heaven, even the highest

ON LOVE When pen is put to paper and writes about love, it breaks in two. Love is truly a powerful, unique and irresistible force or feeling. When we try and express our love, we find it very hard to find the right words. The expressions we use do not fully represent what is burning deep down inside our hearts. This may explain why we associate love with actions and not just words. We embrace each other, buy our loved ones gifts, send our partners a bunch of flowers, or take them out for a romantic dinner. Love is not just an internal feeling; it is also a way of being, a way of behaving. The psychologist Erich Fromm aptly described love in the following way: “Love is an activity, not a passive effect; it is a “standing in,” not a “falling for”. In the most general way, the active character of love can be described by stating that love is primarily giving, not receiving.”[1] There are many levels and types of love. Various thinkers, philosophers and psychologists have spoken about love. The terms they have used and the approaches they have taken differ, but we can generally understand the different types of love in the following way: Natural Love: We all experience natural love. This type of love relates to loving our family. We love our families due to shared personal, private and familial experiences. This love is also built on a sense of identity and belonging. Friendly Love: This love is the type of love we experience amongst friends. We fall in love with our friends due to our shared experiences, common interests, beliefs, passions and activities. Passionate Love: Love between partners is considered a passionate type of love. This type of love can be found between husband and wife, and it is not to be confused with lust. This love sees the beloved as the source of their pleasure, comfort and security. Passionate lovers tend to see their pleasure and happiness in the pleasure and happiness of their beloved. The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle referred to this type of love as two bodies and one soul. Selfless Love: Another type of love is a love that is not based on circumstances and is freely given regardless of context. This type of love is associated with the love we receive from our mothers. Their love is not based on us loving them back or on the way we behave. Mothers simply love without being loved back. A mother’s love is selfless; she sacrifices many of her desires and needs for her children. “WE LOVE LIFE, NOT BECAUSE WE ARE USED TO LIVING BUT BECAUSE WE ARE USED TO LOVING.” FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE Imagine a life without love or being loved. Is that a life worth living? Everything is barren if we don’t feel love or give love. Without love, our lives become like the dry, lifeless earth. With love, our lives are like a lush green garden enjoying growth, fruits and harmony. Love gives us life, and a life without love is a not a life at all. LOVING OURSELVES, LOVING GOD Another type of love includes self-love. This love occurs due to the desire to prolong our existence, feel pleasure and avoid pain, as well as the need to satisfy our human needs and motivations. We all have this natural love for ourselves because we want to be happy and content. The psychologist Erich Fromm argued that loving oneself is not a form of arrogance or egocentricity. Rather, self-love is about caring, taking responsibility and having respect for ourselves. This type of love is necessary in order to love others. If we cannot love ourselves, how then can we love other people? There is nothing closer to us than our own selves, if we cannot care for and respect ourselves, how then can we care for and respect others? Loving oneself is a form of self-empathy. We empathise and connect with our own feelings, thoughts and aspirations. If we cannot empathise and connect with our own selves, how then can we empathise and connect with others? “The idea expressed in the biblical “Love thy neighbour you as love thy self!” implies that respect for one’s own integrity and uniqueness, love for an understanding of one’s own self, cannot be separated from respect and love and understanding for another individual.”[2] If a person’s love for himself is necessary, this should lead him to love the One who made him. Why? Because it is God who created the physical causes and means in order for human beings to achieve happiness, pleasure and to avoid pain. It is God who has freely given us every precious moment of our existence, yet we do not earn or own these moments. Given that the English word for love encompasses a range of meanings, the best way to elaborate on the Islamic conception of God’s love is to explain His mercy (rahmah) and His special love (muwadda). 1. Mercy: It is said that another word for love is mercy. One of God’s names is The-Merciful; the Arabic word used is Ar-Rahman. The translation does not fully represent the depth and intensity that the meaning of this word carries. The name Ar-Rahman has three major connotations: the first is that God’s mercy is an intense mercy; the second is that His mercy is an immediate mercy; and the third is a mercy so powerful that nothing can stop it. God’s mercy encompasses all things and He wants people to be guided. In God’s book, the Qur’an, He says: “…but My mercy encompasses all things…” The Qur’an, Chapter 7, Verse 156 “It is the Lord of Mercy who taught the Qur’an.” The Qur’an, Chapter 55, Verses 1-2 In the above verse, God says He is The-Merciful, which can be understood as the “Lord of Mercy”, and that He taught the Qur’an. This is a linguistic indication to highlight that the Qur’an was revealed as a manifestation of God’s