Saturday, December 31, 2011

MAIL - 18 - Part - 1

My Friend Wrote -

In terms of how it is seen today , VEDAS are for Hindus , QURAN for Muslim and BIBLE for Christians. I am not talking the broad minded view. Common mans view point. Only QURAN seems to say all are from single God, but I have never seen in practice. There is a "but" after that sentence by stating the teachings are corrupted and this is final and hence please follow QURAN.

What do you think these eminent scholars of so called Christianity and HINDUISM are ignorant and or otherwise they have learned but are hiding the actual truth ? Everyone believes what they have studied as do MUSLIMS believe. Everyone cannot be right, may be,  but the same is applicable to followers of ISLAM.

As per you only ISLAM is the righteous way because it is the last revelation (something is missing in old scriptures or it is corrupted). For us it is not, that's the difference.

Some doubts !!

1. Why God created different versions and Why God stopped with Prophet Mohammed ?? Earlier versions were incorrect ??  Ok corrupted , why din't he take counter actions before  ?? He missed earlier ??

2. If the intention of God was to correct or add new verses etc why he didn't upgrade the existing version like VEDAS ?? You also agree VEDAS and initial word from GOD.

3. Seven readings for seven different tribes or whatever. What about others ?? At the same time GOD could have created for all human beings existing at that time. GOD does not have limitations . They why didn't he ??

4. Many people lived at that same time and they don't know about that or understand. What about them ? They are not supposed to go to heaven. There is an argument like if they do not know then it is not a problem. But GOD could have let them also. Again GOD has no limitations rt?

5. I could not believe like God could not achieve through Krishna or then Jesus and and then he went for prophet Muhammad. That sounds like he had to give more trys to get something corrected. Really ??

6. Some people born in MUSLIM family and by birth they get chance to learn the so called book that will give them heaven. Some like us are born in HINDU family and most of them for that reason are not given first option and in your words are misguided against QURAN and they will go to HELL. Funny isn't it ?? It is like some are born for heaven and other are born for hell and the latter group should first learn what they follow is wrong and then understand QURAN and then etc etc and finally will get heaven.

These questions are applicable to both VEDAS and QURAN. That's why I can't be sure.


will be continued ...

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

MAIL - 17 - Part - 2

I Wrote -
Dear Friend

Facts about the "different versions" of Quran
In fact, there exist seven recitation of the Glorious Quran. Prophet Mohammad had himself recited the seven recitation as applicable. This seven does not mean that there exists seven interpretations of word meaning. Even though recitation are different, the meaning is exactly the same.

At the beginning, the author of the article is attributing a false claim regarding the Quran. That is, all the recitation of the Quran are same. This is absolutely wrong.  During the life time of prophet Muhammad two of his companions differed on each others recitation and they came to the Prophet and recited each of their version. Then the prophet said.

"It was also revealed in this way. This Quran has been revealed in seven forms, so recite whichever is easiest for you."

So in the seven recitations, some but not every word is spelt with slight difference. The fact that prophet himself administered the seven readings, is either purposefully or ignorantly omitted by the author. Please note that during the time of the prophet, Quran was spread orally and not by the means of writings. But at the same time, as a secondary means, the companions of the prophet used to write the Quran on available mediums during that time.

The entire Quran was revealed during a span of 23 years, it was not revealed as a whole book.

The almighty God has revealed the Quran in seven dialects/recitations (harf in Arabic). The prophet then taught this seven recitation to his companions. The reason for seven recitations is that, during the time of prophet there were several tribes and each tribe had their own dialect. So in order for several tribes to memorize the Quran, the seven recitations were made available. Most importantly there was no change in the meaning of it.

The author of this article is creating an illusion by mentioning the seven recitations as seven reading. By seeing "seven reading" a novice person will think that there should be seven writings and then only this seven reading is possible. So the usage "seven reading" is not accurate it this sense. Also the author mentions that the Quran that is available today is received by the means of the "seven readers". Actually it should be "SEVEN READINGS (from the prophet)".

Now, what he has shown as different words is just the printed version of different the recitations and not the different "versions". Please note that this kind of "change" is applicable to only particular places; it is not applicable to all chapters or all versus. Also if really there is change happened to Quran then there should be missing chapters, missing versus, contradictions etc. If one learns this then it would be very clear that no such things are happened to the alleged "versions".

It is a deep subject and it involves a great deal of history and understanding of the Arabic language. My answer is limited to my current knowledge.

You think that Vedas are for Hindus, The Bible for Christians and Quran is for Muslims. This way of thinking requires a change. As I said, all are from the One God and He has commanded to follow His final revelation. Now why? In my understanding, the full interpretation (by the respective prophet/Rishi) of Vedas are not available today and hence one cannot follow the Vedas to achieve success in this life and the life after death.

The Old testament that is available today, was not written by the administration of Moses and The New Testament that is available today, was not written by the administration of Jesus. Both of these were written by later generations who even did no see Moses and Jesus. But in the case of Quran, the interpretation of each verse was fully administered by prophet Mohammad and it is available today, as it was. Both Muslim and Non Muslims have learned about him and wrote book on his life. Finally it is God's decision to follow the final version of His revelation.

Regards
Nisam

Saturday, December 24, 2011

MAIL - 17 - Part - 1

I Wrote -

Dear Friend

When it is said that Quran is the only undistorted scripture for the mankind, the following basics should be well understood.

- What Quran says about
the whole mankind.
- What Quran says about previous messengers and their followers.
- What was the underlying context that called for an undistorted scripture.
- How Quran introduces itself.

What Quran says about
the whole mankind

"Mankind was one community and Allah (One God) sent Prophets with glad tidings and warnings, and with them He sent down the Scripture in truth to judge between people in matters wherein they differed. And only those to whom (the Scripture) was given differed concerning it, after clear proofs had come unto them, through hatred, one to another. Then Allah (One God)  by His leave guided those who believed to the truth of that wherein they differed. And Allah (One God) guides whom He wills to the straight path." Quran 213

A. Mankind, a Single Community
Quran put forwards the ultimate universal view that mankind was one community. There is no geographical, linguistic, tribalistic, colorly, time based etc etc division or distinction. 

B. Prophets for Mankind
When the community of mankind grew, there came disputes as is the case every time when the members of a team increases, disputes also increases. God sent prophets to each generations of mankind to resolve the disputes.

C. Scriptures for Mankind

Prophets of God were not giving their own opinion, in the matters of disputes of people. Instead, they were given scriptures, according to which they guided the humanity to the true path of God. The Vedas, The Torah, The Psalms, The Bible were among the many scriptures that came into this world from the same source (One God), to resolve the disputes among the mankind.
What Quran says about previous messengers and their followers

Please see MAIL - 13 - Part - 1.

Precisely, all the messengers called their people to The True Worship of One God without Idols, Images, Graves etc etc.

What was they underlying context that called for a undistorted scripture

Please see MAIL - 13 - Part - 2.

Precisely, the scriptures whose protection were entrusted to its followers, were distorted for worldly gains. This was the very context. Hence
Quran was not entrusted in the hands of its followers because history will repeat.

How Quran introduces itself

"And We have not revealed the Book to you, except that you may clearly explain to them those things in which they differ, and (as) a guidance and a mercy for a people who believe." Quran 16:64

- Fundamentally, Quran did not bring a new thing that is not known to the previous generations of mankind.
- Quran introduces itself as a scripture from God that testifies all the previous messengers and scriptures.
- Quran introduces itself as a scripture from God that contains The Solutions to All The Problems of This World.

Now, I would like to inform you some of the matters in which people differed. Scholars explains the disputes and its
solution suggested by Quran

1. Dispute on How to Pray

- Some people only bow down but do not prostrate.
- Some people only prostrate but do not prostrate.
- Some people pray while talking.
- Some people pray while walking.

Quran arbitrates -

- Bowing down should be done as part of praying.
- Prostration should be done as part of praying.
- Don't talk during prayer.
- Don't pray while walking.

2. Dispute on How to Fast

- Some people fast only a part of the day.
- Some people fast from certain types of foods and eat other foods during the fast.

Quran arbitrates -

- If you fast, then fast from Dawn to Dusk.
- If you fast, then completely avoid having any kind of food, even a single drop of water.

3. Dispute on Jesus

- Some people accused his mother Marry, a grave sin.
- Some people made Jesus a god and the son of God.

Quran arbitrates -

- Marry the mother of Jesus, was a pure and chaste lady.
- Marry the mother of Jesus, is a world class role model and a very good example for a believer.
- Jesus who born miraculously, was a prophet sent to The Children of Israel and he was not son of God.
- Jesus was a true servant of God and not part of God.


will be continued ...

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

MAIL - 16

My Friend Wrote -

We say QURAN is maintained as such. See the below link.

http://www.answering-islam.org/Green/seven.htm

Which version is with you ?

May be you might have the correct version or may be not (both sides are possible). Even that simple belief is doubtful, not a single word is changed.

And we have to agree that. And if the point is "the correct version is the correct version", nobody has to state that . Every body knows that. But the point to be noted is different versions exist authentic or non authentic and you are the one going into the background and decides this one is correct. It is your decision based on other information. That can also be wrong.

A 100% proof that this is from GOD, you cannot prove I think. No body in this world can. A belief that is what drives us.

Friend

Monday, December 19, 2011

MAIL - 15 - Part - 4

I Wrote -
Dear Friend

When there are generations who exemplified the teachings of a scripture, a person in a later generation should be able to verify it. This is where the importance of The Authentic Recording of such history come into play.
The Science of Authentic Recording

As I said, the recording of the Quran was performed during the time of prophet Mohammad itself. But the interpretation of each and every verses were not recorded as such, during his lifetime. As the time went, the later (first three) generations identified the importance of recording what prophet Mohammad said, did and commanded to do etc. They identified the potential threat to the preservation of Quranic interpretations of prophet Mohammad. For that, the first three generations evolved a methodology called The Science of Authentic Recording.

This is a very detailed branch of study. Among many things, it involves the recording of the very detailed history of each persons who reported what they saw, heard from prophet Mohammad.

- This kind of Authentic Recording of the interpretation of the Scripture, cannot be seen in the case of any other scriptures that is available today.
- This kind of Authentic Recording of the sayings of the prophet, what he did, commanded to do etc, cannot be seen in the case of any other prophets of God.

Precisely -

- There is a book that itself claims to be The Words of God.
- There is a book that contains amazing scientific facts as one of the proof for being The Words of God.
- There is a book that is in conformity with The Four Parameters of a Scripture.
- There is a book that is exemplified by The Three Generations of people.
- There is a book that is Recorded by The Science of Authentic Recording.

Such a book is what is Quran, the only such scripture that exists today.
Hence, this is how Quran is said to be protected, it is not a blind belief.

Now, regarding the words Hindu and Muslim. From what I studied from school, Hindu is a word that is used to represent some people who lived across the Indus Vally. The Persians who didn't have the word 'Si' in Sindu replaced it with 'Hi', becoming Hindu. Anyway, the word Hindu has got some geographical significance. The word Muslim, as I said earlier, does not signifies any geographical location, it does not signifies some people who lived somewhere at sometime.

The word Muslim, on the other hand, does signify a person who acquired peace of mind by willingly and consciously submitted his life, exactly according to the commands of God. So, I think these two words cannot be interchanged. Quran introduces all prophet of God, those who rightly followed, as Muslims, in the exact sense that they fully submitted their life to the commands of God.

"And strive hard in Allah's cause as you ought to strive. He has chosen you, and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship: it is the religion of your father Ibrahim (Abraham). He has named you Muslims both before and in this (Qur'an), that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you be witnesses over mankind ! ..." Quran 22:78

- The above verse specifically recognizes the prophet Abraham as a Muslim.
- The above verse specifically teaches that it is God Who named such people as Muslims.

Regards
Nisam

Friday, December 16, 2011

MAIL - 15 - Part - 3

I Wrote -

Dear Friend

Having a protected scripture alone, will not serve the purpose. A generation of people that exemplified the teachings of the scripture should also be present. This is true especially in the case of a scripture that is being referred to as The Final Revelation from God.

In the case of Glorious Quran, which claims to be The Final Revelation from God, there had been three generations of people who exactly exemplified its teachings. The first generation of people is called The Companions of prophet Mohammad. The detailed history of each of the three generations, from birth to death, is fully available today. When one wants to know, how the teachings of Quran was in-practice, they can look into the life of these three generations, in the ascending order. The availability of such niche details, make it impossible to alter the Text, the Interpretation and the Implementation of Glorious Quran.

- This kind of Implementation of the Scripture, cannot be seen in the case of any other scriptures that is available today.

It was due to this fact of available history of The Companions of prophet Mohammad, Mahatma Gandhi said -

"The best thing to happen to India would be to be reigned by a dictator as just and upright as Umar." Mahatma Gandhi.

Caliph Umar was one of the close companion and the one who was among the most important persons who descended prophet Mohammad. Caliph Umar was a ruler who mirrored the teachings of Quran and prophet Mohammad in all corners of his life. Who was Umar, what did he say, what did he do and what others said about him, is fully available today. The history of hundreds of such people, both men and women, who exemplified the teachings of Quran and prophet Mohammad, is fully available today.

- This kind of history of people who exemplified the teachings of the scripture and its prophet, cannot be seen in the case of any other scriptures that is available today.

Yet -

Quran put forwards a test that can be applied on any book that claims to be from God.

"Do they not then consider the Qur'an carefully! Had it been from other than Allah (One God), they would surely, have found therein contradictions in abundance." Quran 4:82

Quran teaches that any book that claims to be from God should not contain any kind of contradiction. One can apply this test on Quran to check for any contradiction.

will be continued ...

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

MAIL - 15 - Part - 2

I Wrote -

Dear Friend

Mentioning of the amazing scientific facts before 14 hundred years ago, does not ensure that Quran is not manipulated. Here comes the importance of The Compilation of Quran and its interpretation.

1. Compilation of Quran

Even though prophet Mohammad was neither able to write nor able to read, he had appointed scribes who recorded the verses of Quran on the available mediums in the 6th century. The primary medium of recording the Quranic texts was of course by remembering. But at the same time multiple scribes appointed by prophet Mohammad, recorded the verses of Quran in writing. The full history of the persons involved in this recording process, are available today.

- This kind of Recording of the Scripture, cannot be seen in the case of any other scriptures that is available today.
 
For example, The New Testament was written, couple of decades after Jesus Christ.

2. Context of Revelation of Quranic Verses

When a verse is taken, its context of revelation should be studied to understand what the verse really mean. The context of revelation of Quranic verses are available today.

- This kind of availability of The Context of Revelation of the verses of the scripture, cannot be seen in the case of any other scriptures that is available today.

3. Order of Revelation of Quranic Verses

The order of the revelation of Quranic chapters and verses are available today. It is not written by a later generation. It was directed by prophet Mohammad himself, during his life time.

- This kind of availability of The Order of Revelation of the verses of the scripture, cannot be seen in the case of any other scriptures that is available today.

4. Interpretation of Quranic Verses

When a verse is taken from Quran, its interpretation given by prophet Mohammad is fully available today. No verse is interpreted by any other person other than prophet Mohammad.

- This kind of preservation of The Interpretation of Scripture, cannot be seen in the case of any other scriptures that is available today.

For each of the above points, volumes of books are available today. These books does not contain the opinion of authors of those books; instead, it explains what prophet Mohammad said on each of the above points. You can check the above four parameters with any of the scripture that is available today. You can see that Quran is the only scripture that meets the above criteria.

will be continued...

Monday, December 12, 2011

MAIL - 15 - Part - 1

I Wrote -
Dear Friend

When a book is said to be from God, then the book itself should contain the explicit claim that it is from God. This is the first and the foremost thing. It is not like there was/is a book and after some time some people started saying that it is from God.

Quran was revealed by prophet Mohammad. He was an illiterate. Prophet Mohammad was neither capable of reading nor writing. This is one of the fundamental point that should be kept in mind, always.

Test - 1

The first test is whether the book itself claims that it is from God or not.

It is He Who has sent down the Book to you with truth, confirming what came before it. And He sent down the Tawrah (Gospel of Moses) and the Injil (Gospel of Jesus Christ), Aforetime, as a guidance to mankind. And He sent down the Criterion (Quran, as a book for distinguishing Truth and False). Quran 3:3-4

- Quran unequivocally states that it is from God.
- Quran
unequivocally states that it is God who sent down all previous scriptures.

You can inspect any existing scriptures whether they explicitly claim that they are from God and that they explicitly recognizes all previous scriptures or not. Quran, being the final revelation, makes these two things very explicit in numerous verses.

Test - 2

Measuring Quran with the yardstick of science

Even though Quran is not a book of science, it does mention numerous branches of science. Some examples include -

1. Astronomy
Quran has at several places, mentioned astronomical facts. One of the important reference is about the Origin and The Creation of The Universe.

Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were joined together as one united piece, then We parted them! Quran 21:30

14 hundred years ago an illiterate man named Mohammad was able to tell this. From a scientific point of view, it quite impossible thing for a man in 6th century to tell about this.

- Please check, when did this mankind found this scientific fact.

2. Creation of Human beings

Was he not a drop of sperm emitted (in lowly form)? “Then did he become a clinging clot; then did (Allah) make and fashion (him) in due proportion. “And of him He made two sexes, male and female.” Quran 75:37-39

Precisely speaking, 14 hundred years ago, Quran taught this mankind that it is the sperm emitted by a male and not the female ovum that determines the sex i.e. male or female.
- Please check, when did this mankind found this scientific fact.

3. Hydrology

And We send the winds fertilizing, then We cause the water to descend from the sky, and We give it to you to drink, and it is not you who are the owners of its supply. Quran 15:22
Precisely speaking, 14 hundred years ago, Quran taught this mankind that it is the winds that fertilizes the clouds that cause the water to descend from the sky.

- Please check, when did this mankind found this scientific fact.

4. Oceanology

And it is He Who has let free the two seas, this is palatable and sweet, and that is salty and bitter; and He has set a barrier and a complete partition between them. Quran 25:53
Precisely speaking, 14 hundred years ago, Quran taught this mankind that there exists a barrier between a sea of drinking water and a sea of salty water. When water from either sea flows to the other, there is a transitional barrier that homogenizes the water from the source sea to that of the target sea.
- Please check, when did this mankind found this scientific fact.

These are only a few scientific references from Quran. I don't say that Quran is the only scripture that contains scientific facts. Other scriptures too contain such references because it was from the same source. The point is that Quran, being the final revelation, clearly mentions that all those previous scriptures were from One God and that those scriptures were subjected to the intervention by corrupted followers and thus their message, today, cannot be trusted as if it is fully from God.

Test - 3

Quran being a Literary and a Poetic Masterpiece

Quran was revealed to prophet Mohammad who was an illiterate at the time when the growth of Arabic literature and especially, poetry was in full-swing, 14 hundred years ago. To those people, Quran made an explicit challenge to produce a similar chapter as in Quran.

And if you are in doubt concerning that which We have sent down (i.e. the Qur'an) to Our servant (Muhammad), then produce a Surah (chapter) of the like thereof and call your witnesses (supporters and helpers) besides Allah, if you are truthful. Quran 2:23

Quran contains 114 chapters. This is a very open challenge that anybody can try with the help of anyone else. But for the last 1400 years this challenge is intact.

With above facts -

- I am trying to establish the authenticity of Quran being the final revelation.
- I am trying to establish the authenticity of Quran in its information on previous scriptures.


will be continued ...

Thursday, December 8, 2011

MAIL - 14

My Friend Wrote -

>> - The protection of Quran and its interpretation is a responsibility that God himself took. Otherwise it would not have survived 14 centuries, intact.

How can we be sure that QURAN is not manipulated  like as you say other scriptures are ?
There are other view points like more ancient scriptures are Vedas or Bible etc. And they say like see most of the cases in those scriptures are also present in QURAN and so it is the manipulated version of those ones !!

The only proof I think is regarding some verse like God will protect QURAN. The verse from the same QURAN itself.

Does it mean tomorrow some one manipulate Vedas or Bible and wrote something like that and it then become interpreted similarly as QURAN.

So how can we be sure ??

For me, as I said earlier, Hindu and Muslim is an interchangeable word. You don't need to be a HINDU to follow Hinduism. Hinduism is actually a way of living. If you are properly following QURAN , I would say you are also a HINDU. And if some correctly follows Vedas , he is also a MUSLIM. One should be taught to learn VEDAS and QURAN etc and be a better human being.

Friend

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Info

The Same Friend Commented -

Your standard of debate seems similar to a third rate uneducated "Pentecost" pastor.

-------------------------------------

Dear Friend

Thank you for your frank comment.

First of all I am not such a person :)

It has been the case of all previous prophets of God that when they approached their people with the commands from Almighty God, they mocked at them. It has also been the experience of people who followed the path of prophets of God, who carry forwarded the message of True Love of God that they were constantly confronted with these kind of qualifications.

And indeed We sent Nuh (Noah) to his people, and he said: "O my people! Worship Allah! You have no other God but Him. Will you not then have Taqwa! (God fearing mind and practice)'' Quran 23:23

Prophet Noah's people replied -

"He is only a man in whom is madness, so wait for him a while.'' Quran 23:25

- People who rejected prophet Noah, called him - A Mad man !

And (remember) when Isa, son of Maryam (Jesus son of Marry), said: "O Children of Israel ! I am the Messenger of Allah unto you, confirming the Tawrah (Gospel of Moses) (which came) before me, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad. "But when he came to them with clear proofs, they said: "This is plain magic.'' Quran 61:6

- People who rejected  prophet Jesus Christ, said - This is plain magic !

And they say: "O you (Muhammad) to whom the reminder (the Qur'an) has been revealed! Verily, you are a madman ! Quran 15:6

- People who rejected prophet Mohammad, said - Verily, you are a madman !

These kind of qualifications seems to be a miniscule repetition of history of prophets of God and those who followed them. Definitely it will serve to be more courageous on the right path, in The True Love of God.

Regards
Nisam

Monday, December 5, 2011

Info

One of My Friend Commented -

Regarding the YouTube video, I
will listen when I get time. It should be sharing of vulgar-religious thoughts.

> Discussion on Idols.
Your thoughts are baseless. Let me ask you a question. Suppose you have a picture of your wife when you are abroad. When you want to see her face, your only way is to look at the picture. You will feel her presence to some extend. And your eyes may comes wet or shining due to your love towards her. Can I say like, you are loving the paper on which the photo is printed ? Can I say like you are loving the ink used for printing the photo? The point is, it is up to your mind, which will decide whether you are worshiping God or Idol.

> Your quotes from Bible
Then comes to your statements quoted from Bible. Your statement is taken from Old testaments which is written in very early stages of civilization. These words comes when people started worshiping materials made by God (rocks, snakes etc) instead of God. You should check the situation where the words comes from before going for blind interpretation. I suggest you to read new testaments if you want to get real message of Christianity. i.e. Love. No rules can be defined in front of Love. You are wrong in interpreting Bible. The new testaments is the sole of Christianity which teaches people to love rather than judging people with idiotic rules. Love will solve every problems in this world.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Friend

Thank you very much for your comments.

Very briefly, the message of the speech is the reflection of the following verse of the Quran.

Say (O Muslims): "We believe in Allah (One God) and that which has been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismail (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), Yaqub (Jacob), and to Al-Asbat (the offspring of the twelve sons of Yaqub), and that which has been given to Musa (Moses) and `Isa (Jesus), and that which has been given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted (in Islam).'' Quran 2:136


- I believe in One God and worship Only One God. Is this a vulgar thought ?
- I believe in prophet Abraham. Is this a vulgar thought ?
- I believe in prophet Ishmael. Is this a vulgar thought ?
- I believe in prophet Isaac. Is this a vulgar thought ?
- I believe in prophet Jacob. Is this a vulgar thought ?
- I believe in prophet Moses. Is this a vulgar thought ?
- I believe in prophet Jesus. Is this a vulgar thought ?
- I believe in The Final Testament, Quran. Is this a vulgar thought ?
- I believe in final prophet, Mohammad. Is this a vulgar thought ?
- I make no distinction between any of the prophets of God. Is this a vulgar thought ?

Please let me know what makes vulgar here, if you still feel that it is vlugar.

>>Suppose you have a picture of your wife when you are abroad.
Looking at photo of wife is of course part of love. There is no disagreement.

But,

What about a person who by looking at the photo of his wife, prays to that photo ? Please think whether it is Love or Worship.

Please understand that Love and Worship are different and they are not at all same.

- One should love their parents, wife, children does not mean that they are worshiping them. It is perfectly OK to love them and you and I should do that.
- One should love God, does mean that they should Worship God, as required by Him.

Let me ask you -

What about a person who by looking at the photo of his wife, praying that "Please Cure My Disease" ?

Is it OK ? Is it Love or Is it Worship ? This is the point that you should think about.

Is this a baseless thought ? Isn't this a base thought ? Please ponder upon it.

>>
Your statement is taken from Old testaments which is written in very early stages of civilization.
First of all, let me ask you, to whom Jesus Christ was sent ?

He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." Matthew 15:24

Again -

For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name." Romans 15:8

From the New Testament, it is very well clear that Jesus Christ was sent to the House of Israel. Now one need to look at the historical context of the situation when Jesus Christ was deployed.

The Historical Context When Jesus Was Sent

You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. John 4:22

Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

"Ye worship ye know not what - The Samaritans believed in the same God with the Jews; but, as they rejected all the prophetical writings, they had but an imperfect knowledge of the Deity: besides, as they incorporated the worship of idols with his worship, they might be justly said to worship him whom they did not properly know."

Dear friend, this is not my commentary or my interpretation and it is from The New Testament.

- They incorporated the worship of idols with his worship.
- They justified their worship of idols by saying that in fact they are worshiping One God.

The very context when Jesus Christ was sent, primarily include they incorporated the worship of idols with his worship. Please try to understand it and it is not my interpretation.

>>These words comes when people started worshiping materials made by God (rocks, snakes etc) instead of God.
No. Not At All. Look at Clarke's commentary on the Biblical verse of John 4:22. They not at all treated the rocks and snakes as another god.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

"Ye worship ye know not what - This probably refers to the comparative ignorance and corruption of the Samaritan worship. Though they received the five books of Moses, yet they rejected the prophets, and of course all that the prophets had said respecting the true God. Originally, also, they had joined the worship of idols to that of the true God."

In the interpretation of John 4:22, Barnes says they had joined the worship of idols to that of the true God. Please try to understand it and it is not my interpretation.

Who Were The Samaritans mentioned in John 4:22 ?

I request you to learn and understand who were the Samaritans that is mentioned in John 4:22. You can see that they were a corrupted group among the Jews. They were part of The Lost Sheep Of Israel to whom Jesus Christ was sent. The were corrupted people who associated Idols in the worship of True God.

Again -

When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways. Acts 3:26

What Was This Wicked Ways ?

I request you to learn what was the most wicked ways that is mentioned in the Acts 3:26. You can see that the most wicked ways of the children of Israel was that they associated idols in the true worship of God. They did never-ever believe that those idols are other gods.

>>Your statement is taken from Old testaments which is written in very early stages of civilization.
So are you going to say that Old testaments are not at all valid for today ?

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Matthew 5:17

- Jesus Christ never did reject previous prophets of God or their scriptures.
- Then on what basis you out-rightly set aside the Old testaments ?

>>These words comes when people started worshiping materials made by God (rocks, snakes etc) instead of God.
Partially Correct. They represented God by the means of idols, stones etc etc.

- They did not think that these stones were Gods.
   - This is why I said, it is partially correct.

Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone--an image made by man's design and skill. Acts 17:29

The above verse is from New Testament.

Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

"He from whom we have derived that being must be living and intelligent. It is necessary, also, that the object of religious worship should be much more excellent than the worshiper; but a man is, by innumerable degrees, more excellent than an image made out of gold, silver, or stone; and yet it would be impious to worship a man: how much more so to worship these images as gods!"

I don't have to explain what Clarke said above.

Please think about the object of religious worship should be much more excellent than the worshiper.

Please think how these Idols and images can be More Excellent than the man who is by innumerable degrees, more excellent than an image made out of gold, silver, or stone

- The Object of religious worship should be much more excellent than the worshiper.
- The idols and images are inferior objects when compared to the man who is excellent.

Don't get deluded by illogical thoughts. Think about the interpretation of Clarke. Please try to understand it and it is not my interpretation.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

"The more intelligent pagan Greeks no more pretended that these sculptured gods and goddesses were real deities, or even their actual likenesses, than Romanist Christians do their images; and Paul doubtless knew this; yet here we find him condemning all such efforts visibly to represent the invisible God. How shamefully inexcusable then are the Greek and Roman churches in paganizing the worship of the Christian Church by the encouragement of pictures and images in religious service! (In the eighth century, the second council of Nicea decreed that the image of God was as proper an object of worship as God Himself)."

Read the above commentary couple of times and let me know your comments. Please learn when did the Church authorized the usage of Idols and images for worshiping the True God. From the above, it is very clear that -

- Jesus Christ did not promote the worship of God by Idols, images etc. He was against it.
- None of the early generations of Jesus Christ used idols, images etc to worship the True God.
- It is In the eighth century, the second council of Nicea decreed that the image of God was as proper an object of worship as God Himself


>>
I suggest you to read new testaments if you want to get real message of Christianity. i.e. Love.
First of all let me ask you, to whom one should Love most ?

No doubt, that one should love their God who created them. This does not mean that one should not love their parents, children. It means the first preference is for God and that is exactly The First Commandment.

How One Should Love God ?

"One of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?"

Jesus answered, "The first is, `Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." Mark 28-30

- Jesus Christ taught that One should express their Love with all your heart.
- Jesus Christ taught that One should express their Love with all your soul.
- Jesus Christ taught that One should express their Love with all your mind.
- Jesus Christ taught that One should express their Love with all your strength.

There are no idols, images etc etc. The love requires heart, soul, mind and strength. The Love does not require idols, images etc.

>>The new testaments is the sole of Christianity which teaches people to love rather than judging people with idiotic rules. Love will solve every problems in this world.
True Words but Wrong Sense. Let me ask you -

What Is This Love ?

If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.John 14:23.

This is again from The New Testament.

- If a man love Jesus Christ then
he will keep my words:
  - He will obey The First Commandment of Jesus Christ.
  - The love requires heart, soul, mind and strength. The love does not require idols, images etc.

I have explained to you to whom one should show Love and How it should be.

I am consolidating my points.

1. What about a person who by looking at the photo of his wife, praying that "Please Cure My Disease" ? Is it OK ? Is it Love or Is it Worship ?
2. From verses like John 4:22, it is clear the one of the big problem that Jesus Christ faced was they incorporated the worship of idols with his worship.
3. Jesus Christ said - I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. Jesus Christ did not out-rightly rejected previous prophets or their scriptures.
4. From Acts 17:29 it is very well clear that those who worshiped idols, images did never think that they were other gods beside The True God.
5. How shamefully inexcusable then are the Greek and Roman churches in paganizing the worship of the Christian Church by the encouragement of pictures and images in religious service.

6. Idol worship came to the Christian community far far long after Jesus Christ.

I request you to take a print out of this mail, go to your Church and discuss with your Pastor and let me know the comments.

Dear Friend,

It is not out of any dislike, that I am talking this. It is out of The True Love of One God, mentioned in the scriptures of Almighty God, that I talk these things. Of course, people have their own choices and tastes. I duly respect their belief and practices. But when it comes for The Truth, those practices and beliefs are no where near what Almighty God really want us to do.

Regards
Nisam

Sunday, December 4, 2011

MAIL - 13 - Part - 3

I Wrote -
Dear Friend

Prophet Mohammad


The deployment of prophet Mohammad was a considerable shift in the history prophets of God. Prophet Abraham had two sons. They were
prophet Ishmael (Ismael) and prophet Issac (Ishaq). The ancestral father of all the children of Israel and the prophets till Jesus Christ, was prophet Issac. The ancestral father of prophet Mohammad was prophet Ishmael.

As I said, all the prophet of God called the humanity to the One God, Who Created the heaves and the earth, The Unborn, The Eternal etc.

"We, the Prophets, are half brothers, but our religion is one." - Prophet Mohammad.

This one religion was the religion of all the prophets of God, who called the people to the
True Worship of One God without Idols, Images, Graves etc.

- The Rishis who came to the Indian subcontinent, called the humanity to this True Worship of One God.
  - It is quite evident from the verses of Vedas and Upanishads.

- The prophets who were sent to the Children of Israel, including Moses and Jesus Christ called their people to The True Worship of One God.
  - It is quite evident from both Old and New Testaments.

- Prophet Mohammad too, called the people
to The True Worship of One God.
  - It is quite evident from Quran.

Fundamentally,  prophet Mohammad brought nothing new. It was the same message that was undertaken by all the prophets of God, i.e. The True Worship of One God.

The Mission
And We have not sent you except as a giver of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind, and most of men know not. Quran 34:28

The mission of prophet Mohammad was not limited to any particular community as with all the previous messengers. It was A Universal Mission. Prophet Mohammad addressed The Mankind by several Quranic verses such as the following.
O mankind ! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has Taqwa (God Fearing Mind and Practice). Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. Quran 49:13

- The mission was not limited to any specific country, geography, it was Universal.
- The mission was not limited to any specific group of tribe, family, it was The Whole Mankind.
- The mission was not limited to any specific language, it was for All The Languages.
- The mission was not limited to any specific time, it was For All The Time to Come.

Verses like the above cuts all the boundaries of Geography, Tribe, Time, Language etc.

The Message

Say: "O mankind ! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah -- to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. None has the right to be worshiped but He. It is He Who gives life and causes death. Quran 7:158

- Almighty God commanded prophet Mohammad to declare that he was the messenger of God ,to all mankind.
- Almighty God commanded prophet Mohammad to declare that None has the right to be worshiped but He.
- Almighty God commanded prophet Mohammad to declare that It is He Who gives life and causes death. Hence nobody else has The Right To Be Worshiped

The Final Messenger of God

The parable of myself and the Prophets is that of a man who built a house and did a complete and good job, except for the space of one brick. Whoever entered it would look at that space and say, how good it is, apart from the space of that brick. My position is like that of that brick, and the Prophets -- blessings and peace be upon them -- end with me
. - Prophet Mohammad.

- Prophet Mohammad was the final messenger of God, who confirmed all the previous prophets of God.
- Prophet Mohammad placed himself in the position of that of a brick which is part of a very close and tight structure of a house.

Islam
The word Islam precisely means - Peace obtained by The Complete Submission to The Commands of God.

- The word Islam does not have any significance to any Person.
- The word Islam does not have any significance to any Geographical area.
- The word Islam does not have any significance to any Tribe or Family.
- The word Islam does not have any significance to any Language.
- The word Islam does not have any significance to any Time.

The word Islam does signify The Way of Life of The Complete Submission To The Commands of God and The Peace thus obtained.

- Islam was the way of all the prophets of God and those who followed them, in the exact sense that they completely submitted their life to the commands of God.
- Islam was the way of prophet Noah and those who followed him, in the exact sense that they submitted their life to the commands of God.
- Islam was the way of prophet Abraham and those who followed him, in the exact sense that they completely submitted their life to the commands of God.
- Islam was the way of prophet Moses  and those who followed him, in the exact sense that they completely submitted their life to the commands of God.
- Islam was the way of prophet Jesus and those who followed him, in the exact sense that they completely submitted their life to the commands of God.
- Islam was the way of prophet Mohammad, and those who followed him, in the exact sense that they completely submitted their life to the commands of God.

Hence, Islam is not a new religion brought by prophet Mohammad. Prophet Mohammad came to full-fill the way of The Complete Submission To The Commands of God, named Islam.

Purpose of Life
And I created not the Jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me. Quran 51:56

- Islam teaches that the sole purpose of the creation of man is to worship God.
- It is not, always you have some spare time or you fix some time and then you worship God.
- It is that, each moment of life should be used to worship God, at the extent possible, till last breath.

Day Of Judgement

And have Taqwa (God fearing mind and practice) the Day when you shall be brought back to Allah (One God). Then every person shall be paid what he earned, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly.  Quran 2:281

- Just like the appraisal of our profession, the entire life will be appraised by God. God will not do any bit of injustice in that appraisal.
- On that day, you will have good from what you did good.
- On that day, you will have bad from what you did bad.

Muslim
The word Muslim is a derivative of the word Islam. A Muslim is a person who believes and practices the above mentioned Islam.

The Companions of prophet Mohammad

And the first forerunners [in the faith] among the Muhajireen ( companions of prophet Mohammad who sacrificed their life to One God ) and the Ansar (companions of prophet Mohammad who helped the former) and those who followed them with good conduct - Allah (One God) is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great attainment. Quran 9:100

- Companions of prophet Mohammad had displayed unmatched trustworthiness and stubbornness in their way of The Complete Submission To The Commands of God.
- All other prophets of God, did not have such companions.
- Prophet Moses was rebelled by his followers, by the means of the a majority from the children of Israel.
- Prophet Jesus was rebelled by his followers, by even threatening his life.
- Prophet Mohammad was not at all rebelled from within his followers.

Protection of Quran and The Scholars of Islam


The protection of Glorious Quran was undertaken by God Himself.

Verily, We, it is We Who revealed the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur'an) and surely We will guard it (from corruption). Quran 15:9

- The protection of Quran and its interpretation is a responsibility that God himself took. Otherwise it would not have survived 14 centuries, intact.
- The scholars of Islam were the only scholars (when compared to other ideological scholars) who honestly did everything to protect Quran and the teachings of prophet Mohammad.

This is a again, only a tiny account of the message of the scriptures, based especially on the final revealed scripture named Quran.
 
Regards
Nisam