Genesis 22: 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for NOW I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only [son] from me.

If god is omniscient, how come he did not know that Abraham fearest him and needed to put him and Isaac through this reprehensible ordeal just to find that out?

If god is omniscient, he should not only know what is in our hearts/minds now, but he should also know the future state of our hearts/minds. So any exercise of tests of faith for which the sole beneficiary of that knowledge is god is redundant.

Unfortunately, you use the wrong book and give the wrong son's name. There is no way that the second son, even coming from the first wife can be the only son/child of the father!

With this in mind, i will touch up why Ibrahim was tested about Ismail, the first son, hence qualified to be the only son at sometime, before the birth of his younger brother Isiaqa. But how old was Isiaqa at the time of sacrifice? We must also consider that Sarah was told that Isiaqa qill be born and Isiaqa will even have a son named Yaqub. It is not possible therefore, for God to promise something which has not been fulfilled and then bring about a commandment which will make His own promise impossible. God does not deal like that. Hence the idea that it is Isiaqa (Issac) as the son of sacrifice, is not visible. It is weak and totally, unacceptable.

Coming back to Ibrahiim, we know that he left his people because of their disbelief in One True God, who needs no associations. As he left his people, insearch of god, and the true process of worship of Him, God tested him as he had tested every Prophet and believers before him. God did not test him out of the ordinarily or arbitrarily. God tested him in measure according to his capability, with a safety system for him to fall upon.

First, the mother of the son to be sacrificed is young and capable of childbearing. Unlike the old, past productive age sarah, hajar was very submissive and patient. You will expect that with a wife who is extremely younger than the husband. Trust me. I am talking from experience. Ismaila to his father must have represented a great attachment and attestation of Ibrahim's fatherhood/manhood. God tested him on the love of that worldly attachment to his son. Afterall he had left his known enviroment to unknown and unfamiliar enviroment. He was also tested to separate this son and his young mother from the primary house to an enviroment which he will have to sacrifice a period for its journey to see them.


Unlike the Christian and jewish beliefs, Ibrahim did not abandoned Ismaila and his mother Hajah. He continued to see them and they had a good family relationship. A proof of that is that Ka'aba was built by Ibrahim and was helped by Ismaila in this cause. We know that only a person much older than an infant can help in building a structure. Its more like around teenage years for something like this to begin, anyway. Further proof is that Jacob and his progenies and further generations of the children of Israel were very familiar with the live of Ismaila. If thee were no contact with Ibrahim, Isiaqa, Yakuub with Ismaila, this could not have been possible, through the generation.

Finally, the rite of that sacrifice is part of what the Mu/s/lims carry on in Hajj and Umrah throughout the ages, without any interruptions, over 1400 years now and climbing. As we know, if it has been Isiaqa as the son of sacrifice, the M/us/lims, specifically the last Prophet/messenger (as), would not hesitate to let everyone know. Afterall, he declared that mariam, the mother of jesus is the best woman, ever. This is over his own mother, Amina, his wife, khadijah Qubra, his daughter, Fatima Zarah, and the only virgin he ever knew, Aisha and any of the Arab women, specifically is aunts, etc from the Quraishi tribes.


The Jews and the christians, specifically the Christians on Nairaland will not forget that he was accused as to talk so much about the Prophets/Messengers and indeed the children of Israel, as a whole. All of these show that Isiaqa, could never be the son of sacrified. If he were the jews and the Christians would have been observing and marking the event yearly. Funny enough, the orthodox, the coptic in Egypt just celebrated Easter yesterday. Far out, man.

olabowale:


Coming back to Ibrahiim, we know that he left his people because of their disbelief in One True God, who needs no associations. As he left his people, insearch of god, and the true process of worship of Him, God tested him as he had tested every Prophet and believers before him. God did not test him out of the ordinarily or arbitrarily. God tested him in measure according to his capability, with a safety system for him to fall upon.

What is the point of testing anyone if he is god. If he is god he should already be aware of the state of everyone's heart and mind. So why is the test required? Is it because god did not know and needed the test to find out, like you and me would have needed a test to determine suitability of a candidate for a position?

huxley:

What is the point of testing anyone if he is god. If he is god he should already be aware of the state of everyone's heart and mind. So why is the test required? Is it because god did not know and needed the test to find out, like you and me would have needed a test to determine suitability of a candidate for a position?

Why must you write an exam to be qualified for a job? You think everyone should just be left alone because God knows what they can do. That's not possible because one has to increase in faith or decrease. As people increase in disbelieve or decrease.

Frizy:

Why must you write an exam to be qualified for a job? You think everyone should just be left alone because God knows what they can do. That's not possible because one has to increase in faith or decrease. As people increase in disbelieve or decrease.

The exam is essentially for the benefit to the potential employer, who do not know the state of your knowledge in the subject. But in this case, god should already know, shouldn't he, if he is god.

Or is foreknowledge and omniscience NOT one of god's attributes?

@Huxley: Simple. Lets look at your case. If there is no medium like Nairaland to bring us together, I would not have known about your atheist mindset. Your disbelieving mind had to be exposed for even a man in New York City to see, while at the same time all others, who participate on this board, can understand your deviance, all at the same time.

But yet, some are appealing to your basic human dignity, in truth while others think that they are doing the same without knowing that they are in manifest error, in a different degree. Your test is now that you accept guidance and worship God in truth. The fire of hell has been mentioned to you, brought near in reality to your mind. So also is Paradise. You are now aware of not just work, good work in your case, I hope. But a reason to do that good work: God Almighty. But finally, you are now required to worship this One God in complete truth, the way He requires you to worship Him. You will find this way in what the lasted Prophet left behind: Qu/r'a/n and Sunnah and Hadith.

See, since you are not a Prophet/Messenger like Ibrahim, you need not be tested with commandment to sacrifice your loved one. The apple of your eyes. All you are required to do is simple to worship God in truth, in the way He has commanded mankind to worship Him alone. And do as much of good work as you have the capacity to do. Yet all of thse do not stop you from scientific mastery and living a good life.

But the devil is never far and always near. The devil is never tired of planting the seed of deceit: I hope you are aware of his presence. Try to work away from him. Mankind never is save from his deceitful effort. Except if one is a true believer. Don't fail in your test, ultimately. But a person who died denying the existence of God, saying that God is a tribal God, saying God is 3 in 1 or one in three, etc are all disbelievers. And including a fellow who will tag himself as "Evil genius," All and me need repentance and guidance of God.

Huxley; don't die unless you are in the state of I/S/lam.

Does god know what is in our hearts?

@Huxley: My God Al.l.ah knows my heart. 100%

olabowale:

@Huxley: My God Al.l.ah knows my heart. 100%

Is it in the same way that Zeus or Mithras knows your heart 100%?

Wonder what light could exegetical analysis throw on this?

@Huxley:

Is it in the same way that Zeus or Mithras knows your heart 100%?

Wonder what light could exegetical analysis throw on this?

I do not know Zeus, and i do not know Mithras. These are dead things. They have no power to take or give anything, truly. I am a M.u.sli.m and nothing else when it comes to religion. I think I have made myself very clear to you on this subject and related ones on this board. To ask me about Zeus or Mithras, is a more remote subject to me than you asking a city dweller to tell you the mind of a bush baby. I mean the animal called bush baby, not people living in the bushes.

olabowale:

@Huxley:
I do not know Zeus, and i do not know Mithras. These are dead things. They have no power to take or give anything, truly. I am a M.u.sli.m and nothing else when it comes to religion. I think I have made myself very clear to you on this subject and related ones on this board. To ask me about Zeus or Mithras, is a more remote subject to me than you asking a city dweller to tell you the mind of a bush baby. I mean the animal called bush baby, not people living in the bushes.

You clear to not understand sarcasm and the rhetorical side of debating. Let me spell it out simply;

You have mad a claim that All.ah knows your heart 100%. How do you know that? If the Alla.h is your own cognitive sense, then yes. But if Alla.h is an independent being, then you have to show how he comes to know your heart.

In other words, if I postulate that Zeus or Mithras knows my heart 100%. What would you make of that claim? Are there any truth values to the claim? If NOT, how do you know that there are no truth values to the claims?

I hope that helps

huxley or what do you call yourself
Of the truth your foolishness is taking a toll on you