₦airaland Forum

@tbaba1234


Thanks for your thought. I got the following points from your post;
1.   
Quote
Muhammad, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, himself had a very peaceful nature, was extremely tolerant, and highly protective of the non-Muslim minorities living in the Muslim state.
2.   
Quote
A Muslim is never allowed to initiate hostilities. "And fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but transgress not the limits. Surely, Allah likes not the transgressors." [2: 190].
3.   
Quote
He left behind a stunning legacy, a blameless example and a religion that changed the world forever.
4.   
Quote
True, Horrible things have been done in the name of islam and some Muslims have trangressed the bounds set by Allah (SWT). However, It is important for muslims and non-muslims to understand the true teachings of islam and not what is propagated by the mass media,

I am going to respond to each point as follows:

Point 1.

That Muhammad was peaceful and tolerant is debatable. The following scriptures have these to say.

Sura 5:51
says: O ye who believe, take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors. They are but friends and protectors to each other, and he amongst you that turns to them for friendship is one of them Verily, Allah guideth not a people unjust (Jews and Christians).

The following is a list of murders committed by Muhammad directly or indirectly (sanctioned by him).

Assassination of Musaylimah (Abu Dawud 38:4348).
Assassination of `Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul al-`Aufi (Sahih Bukhari 5:59:462)
Assassination of Abu `Afak (Ibn Ishaq)
Assassination of Abu Rafi’ (Sallam Ibn Abu'l-Huqayq). (Sahih Bukhari 5:59:369)
Assassination of Ka’b bin Ashraf. (Sahih Bukhari 3:45:687)
Murder of `Asma' Bint Marwan. (Ishaq 676)
The Killing of the Chieftain of Dumah(Al-Tabari vol.9 p.58-59)
Assassination of Khalid b. Sufyan (Abu Dawud 1:1244)
The Killing of Khubaib (Sahih Bukhari 4:52:281)
The Murder of Al-Nadr Bin Al-Harith(Ibn Ishaq)
The Torture and Murder of Kinanah b. al-Rabi b. al-Huqyaq(Tabari vol. 8, p.123)
The Murder of Ibn Sunayna (Abu Dawud 19:2996)
The Killing of Umaiya bin Khalaf Abi Safwan(Sahih Bukhari 4:56:826)
The Murder of `Uqba bin Abi Mu`ayt(Ishaq 308, See Also Tabari IX:121)
Murder of Habbar Ibn al-Aswad b. Ka`b al-`Ansi(Sahih Bukhari 5:59:662)
Attempted Murder of Hind bint Utbah(Abu Dawud 33:4153)

Burned Alive

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "No prayer is harder for the hypocrites than the Fajr and the 'Isha' prayers and if they knew the reward for these prayers at their respective times, they would certainly present themselves (in the mosques) even if they had to crawl." The Prophet added, "Certainly I decided to order the Mu'adh-dhin (call-maker) to pronounce Iqama and order a man to lead the prayer and then take a fire flame to burn all those who had not left their houses so far for the prayer along with their houses." Sahih Bukhari 1:11:626

Compare the way Muhammad handled those who opposed him with the way Jesus did.

51And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
52And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
53And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
54And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
55But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
56For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village. (Luke 9:51-56)

Point 2.
While it is true that in some portions of the Quran, Muslims were commanded not to initiate hostilities, in others they were given a blanket license to kill, maim and to destroy. But Jesus declared that those were the exact works of the devil!

Sura 9:29
"Fight (slay and kill) those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the last day (judgement day), nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Messenger have prohibited, nor they follow the religion of truth (the religion of Islam) out of those who have been given the Book (Jews and Christians), until they pay the tax, in acknowledgment of superiority and (recognition that) they are in a state of subjection (to Islam).

In the above scripture which unfortunately is also cited by Bin-laden and his fellow Jihadist, the command to kill is offensive and not defensive. A hadith to back up my claim that the wars and killings of Islam are offensive and not defensive as moderate and educated Muslims we have us believe.

Sahih Muslim 1:32

It is narrated on the authority of Jabir that the Messenger of Allah said: I have been commanded that I should fight against people till they declare that there is no god but Allah, and when they profess it that there is no god but Allah, their blood and riches are guaranteed protection on my behalf except where it is justified by law, and their affairs rest with Allah, and then he (the Holy Prophet) recited (this verse of the Holy Qur'an):" Thou art not over them a warden" (lxxxviii, 22).

From the above hadith, the basis of fighting unbelievers is simply because they did not profess Islam! Little wonder the endless war everywhere we have a madrassa.

Point 4.
Do you really call these a legacy? What will you call Jesus’ lifestyle that left his enemies manufacturing lies in other to kill him?

luke 23:14
14Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him

Point 5.
The Sunnah of the prophet and the Quran is the true teachings of Islam. The question is, with the above scriptures that I have shown you, will you continue to remain a Muslim? Remember, it is either it is Christ or it is Muhammad.

@tbaba1234

Thanks for your thought. I got the following points from your post;
1.

Muhammad, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, himself had a very peaceful nature, was extremely tolerant, and highly protective of the non-Muslim minorities living in the Muslim state.

2.

A Muslim is never allowed to initiate hostilities. "And fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but transgress not the limits. Surely, Allah likes not the transgressors." [2: 190].

3.

He left behind a stunning legacy, a blameless example and a religion that changed the world forever.

4.

True, Horrible things have been done in the name of islam and some Muslims have trangressed the bounds set by Allah (SWT). However, It is important for muslims and non-muslims to understand the true teachings of islam and not what is propagated by the mass media,

I am going to respond to each point as follows:
Point 1.

That Muhammad was peaceful and tolerant is debatable. The following scriptures have these to say.
Sura 5:51
says: O ye who believe, take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors. They are but friends and protectors to each other, and he amongst you that turns to them for friendship is one of them Verily, Allah guideth not a people unjust (Jews and Christians).

The following is a list of murders committed by Muhammad directly or indirectly (sanctioned by him).

Assassination of Musaylimah (Abu Dawud 38:4348).
Assassination of `Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul al-`Aufi (Sahih Bukhari 5:59:462)
Assassination of Abu `Afak (Ibn Ishaq)
Assassination of Abu Rafi’ (Sallam Ibn Abu'l-Huqayq). (Sahih Bukhari 5:59:369)
Assassination of Ka’b bin Ashraf. (Sahih Bukhari 3:45:687)
Murder of `Asma' Bint Marwan. (Ishaq 676)
The Killing of the Chieftain of Dumah(Al-Tabari vol.9 p.58-59)
Assassination of Khalid b. Sufyan (Abu Dawud 1:1244)
The Killing of Khubaib (Sahih Bukhari 4:52:281)
The Murder of Al-Nadr Bin Al-Harith(Ibn Ishaq)
The Torture and Murder of Kinanah b. al-Rabi b. al-Huqyaq(Tabari vol. 8, p.123)
The Murder of Ibn Sunayna (Abu Dawud 19:2996)
The Killing of Umaiya bin Khalaf Abi Safwan(Sahih Bukhari 4:56:826)
The Murder of `Uqba bin Abi Mu`ayt(Ishaq 308, See Also Tabari IX:121)
Murder of Habbar Ibn al-Aswad b. Ka`b al-`Ansi(Sahih Bukhari 5:59:662)
Attempted Murder of Hind bint Utbah(Abu Dawud 33:4153)

Burned Alive
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "No prayer is harder for the hypocrites than the Fajr and the 'Isha' prayers and if they knew the reward for these prayers at their respective times, they would certainly present themselves (in the mosques) even if they had to crawl." The Prophet added, "Certainly I decided to order the Mu'adh-dhin (call-maker) to pronounce Iqama and order a man to lead the prayer and then take a fire flame to burn all those who had not left their houses so far for the prayer along with their houses."
Sahih Bukhari 1:11:626
Compare the way Muhammad handled those who opposed him with the way Jesus did.
51And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
52And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
53And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
54And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
55But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
56[b]For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.[/b] And they went to another village. (Luke 9:51-56)

Point 2.
While it is true that in some portions of the Quran, Muslims were commanded not to initiate hostilities, in others they were given a blanket license to kill, maim and to destroy. But Jesus declared that those were the exact works of the devil!
Sura 9:29
"Fight (slay and kill) those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the last day (judgement day), nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Messenger have prohibited, nor they follow the religion of truth (the religion of Islam) out of those who have been given the Book (Jews and Christians), until they pay the tax, in acknowledgment of superiority and (recognition that) they are in a state of subjection (to Islam).
In the above scripture which unfortunately is also cited by Bin-laden and his fellow Jihadist, the command to kill is offensive and not defensive. A hadith to back up my claim that the wars and killings of Islam are offensive and not defensive as moderate and educated Muslims we have us believe.
Sahih Muslim 1:32

It is narrated on the authority of Jabir that the Messenger of Allah said: I have been commanded that I should fight against people till they declare that there is no god but Allah, and when they profess it that there is no god but Allah, their blood and riches are guaranteed protection on my behalf except where it is justified by law, and their affairs rest with Allah, and then he (the Holy Prophet) recited (this verse of the Holy Qur'an):" Thou art not over them a warden" (lxxxviii, 22).

From the above hadith, the basis of fighting unbelievers is simply because they did not profess Islam! Little wonder the endless war everywhere we have a madrassa.

Point 4.
Do you really call these a legacy? What will you call Jesus’ lifestyle that left his enemies manufacturing lies in other to kill him?
luke 23:14
14Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him

Point 5.
The Sunnah of the prophet and the Quran is the true teachings of Islam. The question is, with the above scriptures that I have shown you, will you continue to remain a Muslim? Remember, it is either it is Christ or it is Muhammad.

@ tbaba1234

Thanks a zillion. Actually, I started studying Islam after 6/11 incident. My curiosity stems from an article I came across online, ever since I have discovered so much. But I have so many questions about Islam, unfortunately, you find out that those muslims I have come across do not give honest answers about their religion.


Salam.

Dear Nairalanders, I posted the testimony of two muslims who became chraistian only for the topic to be missing. I once did an article titled" Mohammed's obssession with women". That topic was also deleted. Are Muslims not intolerable? Why dont they like debates? No wonder, Iran and nothern Nigeria is denying her Muslims populace western education!

The Story of Zia Nodrat
In Kabul, Afghanistan, during 1964, a fourteen year old boy, Zia Nodrat, enrolled in the NOOR Institute for the Blind. He already knew the whole Qur'an by heart. In Western terms that would be like an English speaker memorizing the complete New Testament in Greek, since Arabic was not Zia's mother tongue. He completed the six primary grades of the Institute in three years.

While attending his classes in Braille in the Institute for the Blind, Zia also mastered English. He did this by listening and repeating what he heard on a transistor radio. With the help of a small ear plug, he heard programs coming into Afghanistan from other countries. He eventually started asking questions about what he had heard, such as, "What do you mean by the substitutionary atonement?" He had heard such theological concepts during Christian radio broadcasts like the Voice of the Gospel coming from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, Africa.

Finally, he shared with a few persons that he had received Jesus the Messiah as his personal Saviour. They asked him if he realized that he could be killed for this, since the Islamic Law of Apostasy for anyone leaving Islam is death. He answered, "I have counted the cost and am willing to die for the Messiah, since He has already died on the cross for me."

Zia then became the spiritual leader of the few Afghan Christians. In the Institute for the Blind in Kabul, the students elected him as the president of their association. But the next year after it was known that he had become a Christian, he lost the election for this position. One of his Christian teachers told him how sorry she was that he lost. He replied, quoting the prophet John the Baptist who said of Jesus, "He must become greater, I must become less" (John 3:30). His goal in life was not to seek prominence for himself, but to be a humble servant of his Lord. Zia's father said that before he had entered the Institute for the Blind, he had been like a cold and unlit piece of charcoal. After his experience there, he had become like a red hot, brightly burning coal.

Once he borrowed the English Braille copy of the Gospel of John. He opened it and read with his fingers. He then returned it and said that his question had been answered. When asked what his question was, he replied that in John 13:34 Jesus said, "A new commandment I give you that you love one another." He wondered why the Lord Jesus called it "new," since the commandment "love your neighbour as yourself" had already been given to Moses, as recorded in the Old Testament Book of Leviticus 19:18. But now he understood. He explained that until the incarnation of the Messiah the world had never before seen love personified. He went on to state that the Bible reveals that God is love, and that Jesus as God in human flesh is love incarnate. This was what made the mandate new. Jesus said, "A new commandment I give you that you love one another as I have loved you." In his perfect life Jesus has now given us a new model to follow.

Zia was the first blind student to attend regular sighted schools in Afghanistan. There he had a small recorder with which he taped everything his teachers said, so that he could go over it and learn it thoroughly. He thus became the number one student out of hundreds at his grade level. Those who failed in their classes were given a second chance to take examinations after the three month vacation. He studied the next year during this break and passed the tests. In this way he completed high school, finishing two grades each year.

Zia wanted to study Islamic Law so that he could defend Christians who might be persecuted for their faith. He therefore entered in the University of Kabul, from which he graduated with his law degree. He also studied Calvin's Institutes on the side since he wanted to grasp the concepts of this Reformation leader.

The Christoffel Blind Mission in Germany gave the Institute for the Blind in Afghanistan an extensive library of Braille books in German. Since Zia wanted to read these, along with his other classes he went to the Goethe Institute in Kabul and learned German. As the top student there too, he won a scholarship to go to Germany to study advanced German. When the Germans found out that he was blind, they withdrew the fellowship since they did not have the arrangements or accommodations for a blind person. He asked them what he would have to do. They replied that he would have to travel alone and take care of himself. When he agreed to do that, they finally accepted him. While studying there with top students from Goethe Institutes around the world, he was number one in this advanced course as well.

Zia also translated the New Testament from Iranian Persian into his own Afghan Dari dialect. This was published by the Pakistan Bible Society in Lahore. Its third edition was published by the Cambridge University Press in England in 1989. He also travelled to Saudi Arabia where he won a memory contest on the Qur'an. The Muslim judges were so amazed and chagrined that a non-Arabic speaker had taken first space, that they also awarded another prize for the best Arab in the competition. Because different blind students like Zia had become Christians, in March of 1973 the Muslim government in Afghanistan sent a written order closing the two Institutes for the Blind, one of which was in Kabul and the other seven hundred miles to the west in Herat. All the expatriate teachers of the blind along with their families were ordered to leave Afghanistan within one week. As these dedicated teachers left, God gave them a promise from Isaiah 42:16, "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them."

The Muslim Government then destroyed the Christian Church building in Kabul, after previously having given permission to build it. President Eisenhower had requested permission for construction of this building from King Zahir Shah on his visit to Afghanistan in 1959, since a Mosque had been built in Washington, DC for the Muslim diplomats there, and Christian diplomats and other Christians needed a place to worship on a reciprocal basis in Kabul. Christians from nations all around the world contributed toward its construction. At its dedication, the cornerstone carved in beautiful Afghan alabaster marble read: "To the glory of God 'Who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood' this building is dedicated as 'a house of prayer for all nations' in the reign of H.M. Zahir Shah, May 17, 1970 A.D., 'Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone'."

When troops arrived and started knocking down the wall between the street and the Church property preparatory to destroying it, a German Christian businessman went to the mayor of Kabul, who had given the order, and said, "If your Government touches that House of God, God will overthrow your Government." This proved to be a prophecy. The mayor then sent a letter to the congregation ordering them to give the Church for destruction, since that would mean that the Government would not have to pay compensation. They replied that they could not give it to anyone since it did not belong to them. It had been dedicated to God. They also added that if the Government took it and destroyed it, they would be answerable to God.

Police, workmen and bulldozers were sent to destroy the Church. The congregation, instead of opposing, offered them tea and cookies. Christians all around the world prayed and many of them wrote letters to Afghan embassies in various nations. Billy Graham and other world Christian leaders signed a statement of concern and sent it to the King.

On July 17, 1973 the destruction of the Church building was completed. That very night the Afghan Government responsible for the destruction was overthrown in a coup. Afghans who are quick to see omens in events say that Jesus the Messiah came down from heaven and overthrew the Government because the Government had overthrown His Church. It had been a Monarchy for 227 years. That night it became a Republic, under President Daoud. In 1978 this Government was toppled by a Communist coup, followed by the Russian invasion just after Christmas in 1979. Millions of Afghans had to flee their country as refugees. One of them was heard to say, "Ever since our Government destroyed that Christian Church, God has been judging our country."

Under the Communists, the Institute for the Blind in Kabul was reopened and Zia was put in charge. He did a fine job of reorganizing it. Then pressure was brought on him to join the Communist party. He refused. One official told him that if he did not join, he might be killed. He replied that he was not afraid to be killed and asked the Communist if he were ready to die.

Finally Zia was arrested on false charges and put in the Puli Charkhi political prison outside of Kabul, where thousands were executed. There was no heat in the jail to protect the prisoners from the cold winter weather. He had to sleep on the freezing mud floor in his overcoat. A prisoner next to him was trembling with cold since he did not even have a jacket. Zia knew John the Baptist had said, "The man who has two coats should share with him who has none" (Luke 3:11). He took off his only coat and gave it to the neighbour. From then on, the Lord miraculously kept him warm every night. He slept as if he had a comforter over him.

In prison the Communists gave Zia shock treatments to try to brainwash him. The electric burns lefts scars on his head. But he did not give in. When he was offered the opportunity to study Russian in prison, he mastered this language also. The Communists finally freed him in December, 1985.

Following his release from prison Zia read Genesis 12: 1-3, in his Braille Bible, "The Lord said to Abram, 'Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I , will bless you; , and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.' " Zia felt God was calling him to leave Afghanistan to go as a missionary to Pakistan. He therefore got in touch with a friend, a blind beggar. He then dressed himself in rags. On their way out of the country, he let his friend do all the talking, thereby concealing his identity or detection from the soldiers. They thus were able to get through the Soviet check points along the main highway from Kabul. It took them twelve days to travel the 150 miles to the Khyber Pass and then on into Pakistan.

After Zia arrived in Pakistan, he was offered an opportunity to travel to the United States to study Hebrew since he was also working on a translation of the Old Testament into his Dari language. He declined, saying he had so much to do among the Afghan refugees that he could not leave. He started an Institute for the Blind for them. He learned the main language of Pakistan, Urdu, preaching in this language in Christian churches. He furthermore completed a book of New Testament stories in Dari for children.

On March 23, 1988, Zia was kidnapped by a fanatical Muslim group, Hisbe Islami, ("the Party of Islam" and was accused of being a CIA agent because he knew English, a KGB or Khad spy because he knew Russian and an apostate from Islam because he was a Christian. He was beaten for hours with rods. A sighted person can brace and flinch when the blow comes. But a blind person cannot see the club coming and thus gets the full force, even like the torture the Lord Jesus Christ experienced when he was blindfolded and then struck (Luke 22:64). His wife and three daughters had been able to get out of Afghanistan and were with him in Pakistan at the time he was kidnapped. Soon after his wife gave birth to a beautiful boy who looks much like his father. No one knows whether Zia ever heard that he had a son.

The latest word, though not absolutely definite, is that Hisbe Islami murdered Zia. Before he was kidnapped, he had told a friend that if this party ever captured him they would kill him. This same party caught two Pakistani Christians taking relief items to needy Afghans and tortured them. Before releasing them, one of the captors stated, "We are not going to kill you the way we killed Zia Nodrat." In addition, an Afghan news reporter on the Northwest Frontier of Pakistan claims to have evidence that Hisbe Islami murdered Zia in a cruel way.

The United Nations Universal Declaration of Hurnan Rights in article 13 states, "Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; freedom to manifest one's religion or belief." The story of Zia is a story of infringement of human rights. Zia has been denied his freedom and has probably been martyred for his faith. Before his capture, he asked a Christian friend that if anything happened to him, his friend would take care of his family. The friend answered in the affirmative, not realizing that a short time later Zia would be kidnapped. He was able to arrange for Zia's wife and two of his children to be brought to North America.

God does not force a belief system upon people. He has given them liberty to choose. Therefore what right does an earthly regime or group have to impose a certain belief system? Our prayer is that the new Government of Afghanistan will respect the freedom of religion which is basic to all other liberties. In the Afghan language, Dari, there is a popular Afghan proverb which substantiates this truth as it states the following in Dari, the main language of Kabul, "Isa'i badin khud, Musa'i badin khud." ("Let the followers of Jesus practise their religion, and the followers of Moses theirs."

Jesus prophesied, "A time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service to God" (John 16:2). After His resurrection, He commanded His followers, "Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Revelation 2:10). If Zia has been killed for the Messiah, he has gone on to his eternal reward. And all of like precious faith will one day see him again; as the Bible promises, "and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (I Thessalonians 4:17b). Then we will be able to learn the full story of Zia's dedicated life.

The Testimony of Siti Zainab


Assalam-mualaikum.

My name is Siti Zainab. I am a Malay Muslim woman from Southeast Asia. I was born into a Muslim family, very traditional in its ways and strong in their adherence to the religion of Islam. From the very beginning, I was given an Islamic education that was solid and deep, thus was my knowledge of Islam from a young age.

As part of my basic Primary School education, I was also made to attend Muslim madrasah (Islamic religious) schools, and started reading and reciting the Quran early, absorbing the key precepts & fundamentals of (Sunni) Islam, from qualified religious teachers (ustazahs) and various other qualified Islamic teachers. There I learnt to fear and obey Allah s.w.t. and also to follow the teachings and example of Prophet Muhammad (especially those found in the ‘Valid Hadiths’). I also could recite the Quran wholly, much to the delight of both my parents and both of them were quite pleased and happy with the formation of my Islamic devotion. In brief, I had experienced a solid foundation and deep religious formation as a devoted and committed Muslimah

I never neglected my religious duties to do the Solat (or Namaz) obligatory prayers five times a day, and religiously fasted the required 30 days during the Ramadhan ‘holy month’ of the Muslim calendar. I practised the Islamic ‘pillars of faith’ dutifully, without being told and/or reminded by anybody, particularly by my Muslim parents! In short, nobody doubted or questioned my religious upbringing, commitment and experience as a devout and God-fearing Muslimah (female Muslim), whatsoever.

Even so, as I continued to carry out the pillars of Islam fastidiously and faithfully. After years and years of fulfilling and carrying out the observances of Islam as a Muslim I had not questioned or doubted the significance or importance this ‘offering of worship’ ['ibadah'] was for me. Yet, as time went by, all these works proved increasingly to be ritualistic chores, meaningless going-through-the-motions that lost all meaning and attraction to me! Were these rituals and routines describing the best kind of relationship that God/Allah can establish with Mankind – that between a Master and a slave?? Also, rituals that are done just to collect more merit points/brownie points that would possibly increase my chances with Allah to get into Paradise??

I had many, many such questions and doubts like that I kept in my heart to myself but I did not raise them up because I did not want to hurt the feelings of my fellow-Muslim friends. I also remembered how harshly I was scolded, reprimanded and prevented from asking these sincere questions by my Islamic religious studies Teachers!

Nevertheless these Questions lingered on in my soul and my thoughts, and grew as I matured further in Age into my High School years! As I developed further into adulthood, the Islamic obligatory rituals increasingly became shallow, empty and even dead deeds. They were not the meritorious and deeds of blessings my ustazs and ustazahs (religious teachers) so vainly tried to teach us about.

That did not mean that I had not tried hard enough! I actually attempted many times to focus my attention on what was ‘beautiful and pure’ behind each act of ibadah (worship), nevertheless the realisation of how shallow and empty these Islamic actions were could never be shaken off, ! The questions still remained; Was this actually the right and best way for mankind to be related to GOD?

After completing High School, I gained admission into University and into a Course of my preference. Whilst in University, I also increased further the search for the answers to my questions of Life and the emptiness the Islamic Religion had offered me, mentioned above. I increased my readings and research until I discovered a Book entitled “Appointment in Jerusalem”. This Book was written by a Danish lady, and it describes her deep spiritual struggle and search for meaning and spiritual enlightenment and satisfaction in her religion. I was very drawn to its contents as it was very similar indeed to my own spiritual struggle and quest!

I was not a little surprised when I discovered that this Danish lady had obtained the realisation that her own relationship with GOD could be directly and spontaneous, without going through the motions of religious rituals and prescribed ritualistic formulations. I learnt that mankind could relate to God freely through even a personal and direct relationship with Him. That is, we could be related with the Creator-without all that religious ritualism, directly and personally, even as a Child relates to his/her own Father! This is a direct, personal and dynamic relationship. Therefore it means that mankind can now get to know God personally in the same sense as a Father and his Child.

Could this be the kind of spiritual relationship that I was looking for all this while? In my University classes there were also other Christians, who were kind and helpful. Yet, I did not mix closely with them, and only observed them from afar. I was trying to figure out if their faith and relationship with God was in line with what my struggle was about. Or were these Christians also having a shallow and meaningless ‘experience’ or ‘knowledge’ of God like I was as a Muslimah!

Even though these Christians were strong in their faith, they did not try to evangelise me or preach to me Christianity. It was only after many months had passed, that I finally inquired about their religious and spiritual experiences. They were intrigued that I as a Muslim, wanted to discuss religion with them, Christians. However, I really respect them for not trying to ‘sell their religion’ to me. On the other hand, we were able to sit down together and discuss about our religious and spiritual struggles openly, as equals and as mature adults.

It was through the interaction with these fellow university students, that I acquired a better understanding about what Christian teachings were all about, as well as a clearer understanding of the Book “Appointment in Jerusalem". Nevertheless, for 2 whole years in the University, I did nothing about Christianity. I still wanted to search within my religion of Islam about the true relationship between God and Mankind, and to compare that with the teachings of the Gospel. During those 2 years, my Christian classmates were very patient with me and my questions, sometimes, my questions were silly and shallow, other times, they were complex! Nevertheless I was very impressed at the Christians’ courtesy, kindness and sincerity.

After the 2 years, and further into my quest, I finally decided to embrace and accept the authentic teachings and message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Since that time, my prayer life, worship, fasting and good deeds have all been greatly enriched and blessed by Almighty God many times over. I have since come to realise that Man is not made just to function like a ‘Robot’, existing in a relationship with God/Allah merely like that between a Master and a Slave!!

On the other hand, the message of the Holy Gospel of Christ states that –all peoples that receive the Way and the Truth of God, they shall be given a brand new relationship with God, and the right to be known as “Children of God”, as it is written in the Holy Scriptures and taught by Sayidina Isa A.M. himself:

“But to all who received Him, He gave them the right to become the Children of God, to those who believe in His Name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, not of the will of men, but of GOD.”

John 1 : 12-13.



After being blest by the Lord, as His ‘child’, my life began to change – for the better. This caught the attention of my Family members. They finally came to know about my Christian faith and being a follower of Jesus Christ as taught in His Gospel. At that point, it was a little difficult for them to accept me as a follower of Jesus Christ — Islam is a grossly intolerant religion towards its followers that reject it, I remember undergoing a time of trial, tests and tough obstacles during that phase of my life.

In spite of all that, the Lord GOD provided me with the strength and patience that was sufficient to endure and undergo the bittersweet initial reaction of my family members. I had embraced fully the fact of Jesus Christ as my Redeemer, the Living Word (Logos in Greek, Kalimatullah in Arabic; cf. John 1:1-5, AQ Surah 3/45, 4/171) of GOD, into my life.

I reckon that they are truly ignorant about what becoming a follower of Jesus Christ actually is. The Quran does not have a full account of the life and ministry of Sayidina Isa Al-Masih – ie. Jesus the Messiah. However the Gospels in the New Testament has a complete and comprehensive account of everything significant that Sayidina Isa A.M. had ever said and did!

Today, Praise God, Alhamdulillah, the situation in my family is very much improved. Most importantly, I now possess the assurance of a real and powerful relationship with a loving God, unlike before, when all my good deeds or amal saleh were inadequate to assure me of a good and acceptable relationship with Allah, even though I strove to be an excellent or even a good Muslimah. No Muslim ever knows or is assured about what or when is ever good enough with the God of Islam! Now, as a follower and believer in Jesus Christ and his Salvation, I have a relationship with God that is far more blessed and better than that of a Slave and her Overlord – as Islam teaches, because as a slave, we are never sure if ever our overlord is pleased with our service or submission!

Today, as a child of God, I now possess the confidence and the eternal assurance regarding my relationship with God, that was based upon the loving gift of my Redeemer Sayidina Isa, who offered the perfect kiffarat [the atoning sacrifice] on my behalf. Now, the Spirit of God Himself has showered every good and wonderful spiritual blessing from His bounty into my life, as both His child AND His willing servant.

I would like to invite you to be healed from your spiritual uncertainty, confusion and lack of eternal assurance regarding your life in the Hereafter (Akhirat), and to come and experience and to know for yourself the incomparable spiritual blessings that the living God would bestow you now. I myself have no regrets whatsoever about the decision I have made, to follow and remain faithful to God’s living powerful Word, Sayidina Isa, the Messiah, for today as well as for tomorrow.

Your Friend, Zainab.

Has any Muslim ever come across this bible verse? John 14:6

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.



If you acknowledge Him, you are then part of him.

Fatimah's Testimony

I still don’t know why I am writing my story. Maybe I want to be heard because in the real world I still can’t tell many people that I have left Islam.

I was born into a Muslim family and remained a devout practicing Muslim for 30 years. But then something happened nine years ago. It wasn’t an explosion, or a revelation. I was living in a Muslim country, surrounded by Muslims, leading a happy Muslim life. I didn’t need to start reading the history of Islam. But I did. And everything changed. It still took me nine years to realize that Islam can never be from God.

My quest for truth began when I first found out about the legality of raids and slavery in Islam. I started re-reading the Quran – this time in Arabic and English to find out what God really allowed and what He banned. I was disappointed. I read it several times. I read ahadith and commentaries and biographies of Muhammad. The more I read, the farther I grew from Islam. It came to a point where I prayed fervently and cried on my prayer mat beseeching Allah to guide me. At that time, I still believed that the Quran was from God.

I prayed and fasted but salah (Muslim prayer) never calmed me and I never enjoyed Ramadan. I know that salah is extremely calming for many Muslims and they really enjoy Ramadan. I say, good for them. But I also know Muslims who think that Islam is not as easy as people claim. It is highly ritualistic with some very frustrating rituals. You fart and your ablution is void. One has to do it all over again. If you fart while praying, you have to repeat the ablution and the prayer. If you have sex you have to shower as soon as possible so that you are ‘clean’ before next prayer. That cleansing shower has its own ritualistic steps. A woman having her period can’t even touch the Quran and in an orthodox culture like most Islamic cultures she can’t let her brothers and father know that she is on her period so even when she is not fasting she will wake up at four in the morning for suhoor (small breakfast before fasting in Ramadan) so that the men in the family don’t find out she is menstruating.

I still continued to pray and fast and give zakat. But the one thing I didn’t want to do was go for Hajj. I have done Umrah and it wasn’t a wonderful experience. I will not deny that it was an elating experience to finally be able to see and touch the Kaaba because that is every Muslim’s dream, but I found most of the Umrah rituals aimless and odd. Even as a young adult I couldn’t understand why we had to go around a building seven times or push and shove others to kiss a stone that carried everyone’s germs.

Hajj always frightened me. A distant relative was burnt in the 1997 Hajj fire. Two years later he died from complications. In 2003 a friend died in the Hajj stampede. Accidents can and do happen anywhere and everywhere but when you set out to worship God, you go with the expectation that your experience or at least your worship will be blessed, not that you will be either roasted or crushed to death. Over the years one thought disturbed me time and again: why would God kill His worshippers so mercilessly if what they were doing was right? Since the early 1970s until today (2009) there have been seven stampedes (isn’t that an ominous number?), three instances of violence, two instances of fire, and once a hotel collapsed that was housing pilgrims. I thought, aren’t these signs; signs that something is not quite right about Hajj?

When Hindus were crushed to death during their pilgrimage stampede, Muslims were quick to point that it was a curse from God for worshipping idols but when Muslims die almost every other year in Hajj stampedes while stoning the pagan-looking towers they are called martyrs. I still don’t understand that.

Over the years I came to realize slowly that like Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Muhammad truly believed that he was a prophet of God and that he was receiving revelations. In that way he was not completely at fault. In fact there are several similarities between these two men. Ahmad also means Muhammad. Both men claimed they were prophets. Both called people to take oaths of allegiance with them. Both made prophecies. Ahmad like Muhammad claimed God spoke to him through angels and dictated him books that are incomparable in language and style. Ahmad challenged native Arabic speakers to bring a book like his just like Muhammad and like Muhammad he challenged them to even work collectively. Like Muhammad, Ahmad is recorded to have gone into trance while receiving revelations. Once he spoke extempore in Arabic for an hour during which his voice changed and he later collapsed – he was Indian and was not a native Arabic speaker. Thus, he was as illiterate in the Arabic language as Muhammad claimed he was unlettered (See more on Mirza Ghulam Ahmad here).

What is even more interesting is that both Muhammad and Ahmad liked to indulge in Mubahala (a cursing prayer contest) in which both parties pray to God cursing the opponent and the one who is lying dies within a year of the Mubahala or dies before the truthful party. It is believed that Ahmad died because his Mubahala failed him. Muhammad is believed to have brought his daughter, son-in-law and grandsons to engage in a Mubahala with the Christians of Najran in the 10th year after the Hijrah. Muslims claim the Christians refused to enter into Mubahala because they knew they were at fault and Mubahala would have meant they would have died within a year and their future generations would have faced dreadful fates. We know what Muhammad said to the Christians in argument but what the Christians said as counter-argument is not recorded in Islamic books. We do know that they claimed they were not convinced that Muhammad was a prophet. Whether or not the Mubahala really took place, Quran records it as being ordered by God and interestingly Muhammad died the following year, his daughter died less than five months later and his son-in-law and grandsons were all murdered – not by Christians but by Muslims! That is something no Muslim book will point out.

When I read this I began to think: if the vast majority of Muslims think that the followers of Ahmad are kuffar (non-Muslims) and that he was a fake prophet even when his claims were very much like Muhammad’s and he had more powerful miracles (the incidence of the eclipses and the revealed sermons), why do they believe in Muhammad? If Ahmad was defying the message of the Quran by claiming to be a messenger receiving revelations, wasn’t Muhammad defying the message of the Gospel by claiming that Jesus was ‘just a prophet’? Muhammad was a lot more popular than Ahmad because the former brought a new message of monotheism to the polytheistic Arabians while Ahmad was reinventing the wheel. Furthermore, he was against jihad and tried to preach to a people of 20th century India who had far more sense than the 7th Century superstitious Arabs.

I also thought, for the three days that the Christians of Najran stayed in Medina Muhammad claimed to receive constant revelations from God but, when his own wife was accused of adultery he waited for a month for a physical proof to ensure she wasn’t pregnant before bringing a revelation to announce her innocence! Many verses were ‘revealed’ because one of Muhammad’s wives, companions or Omar Ibn Khattab inspired them. Does God really do that? I don’t even want to go into how women are ‘put in their place’ in the Quran. Most of the Quran addresses Muhammad or men. It was only after Umm Salama pointed out how God forgets women when He dictates the Quran that the tone of the Quran changed and began addressing women as well.

I guess the turning point in my religiosity came one summer when I read how Muhammad used to go into a trance when he received revelations. My paternal grandmother had the ability to capture demons / spirits / supernatural-beings (called jinn in Arabic) to learn about the future and lead a comfortable life after her husband suddenly died. Apparently my grandmother had subdued a supernatural force which Muslims call a jinn. This demon/jinn was several hundred years old and belonged to ancient Persia. When my grandmother summoned him, her body would stiffen, she would sweat profusely and go into a trance. Her lips moved very fast but if someone tried hard they would not hear her but hear a faint sound of a man’s voice speaking in a different language. My father recalled that it sounded like “a hefty animal was snoring.” She would then begin to write several sentences without pause. When the supernatural force left her, she would collapse, drained out of all energy. Her writing, though sometimes muddled, was often in faultless Arabic and always provided answers to the questions that she had asked the spirit. The spirit gave insight into past events which were often accurate and told her about the future. It even prophesized when she would die.

Such stories are not uncommon in Arabian lands. There is always someone or the other who has the gift to control supernatural beings and use them for their advantage. When the human capturer dies, the supernatural being is released with him/her. Many times their predictions are accurate and help humans in winning lover’s hearts, bets and battles. But not everyone is powerful enough to be able to possess a complying and friendly demon and these spirits don’t always remain loyal.

This wasn’t uncommon fourteen centuries ago either. Quran refers to it in several places and challenges all jinns and humans to band together and bring a book like the Quran. It may seem like a silly challenge today, but the 7th Century Arab knew exactly what it meant. The text of the Quran was composed by someone so powerful that no ordinary human or jinn ever took up the challenge. Even when Mirza Ghulam Ahmad made a similar challenge, no one took it up. When I learnt about Muhammad’s experiences, I couldn’t help but draw similarities between his physical state when he claimed to receive revelations and the physical state of my grandmother when the spirit spoke through her and even Mirza Ahmad when he claimed he was receiving revelations. In all three cases, something was definitely revealed, but it was not God speaking through angels. I thought to myself: angels spoke to all prophets and sometimes even to their women but they never went into a trance. Even encountering demons didn’t cause them to sweat and collapse. Prophets had power over those beings. Then I read a hadith in which Muhammad said:

“There is no one among you but he has with him a constant companion (qareen) from among the jinn and a constant companion from among the angels.” They said, “You too, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “Me too, but Allah has helped me against him (the devil-companion) and he has become Muslim, so he only enjoins me to do that which is good.” (Underlining mine). (This hadith is quoted here and a similar one exists in Sahih Muslim, Book 39, Hadith No. 6759).

It is quite clear that at least Muhammad had a demon/Jinn as a constant companion. Muhammad had power over that Jinn and had controlled it and made him to submit (he had become Muslim) so he joined Muhammad in what the latter thought was good. Muhammad is recorded to have acknowledged it.

The Quran is certainly beautiful in many places. Surah Rahman is extremely beautiful poetry that one can not only appreciate if they understand Arabic but even non-Arabic speakers find it captivating. But my question has always been: is that all the All Mighty God is capable of composing? Didn’t Muhammad limit the power of God by claiming that Quran was His word? When a mere human can’t even imagine the glory of God and what He looks like; when Moses couldn’t even bear to catch a glimpse of God, how can we, the ordinary human beings, be asked to imagine how He speaks? Shouldn’t we all be consumed and scatter as dust when He speaks to us? Wouldn’t a paper that bears His word turn to ashes? Quran is certainly not as glorious as God and it certainly limits His power.

But Muhammad didn’t compose it either. The language actually may have been too sophisticated for him and may have impressed him as well. Quran claims that Jinns listened to the Quran and spread the word (46:29-30). Could it be that Muhammad’s Jinn too heard the Torah and the Gospel and reported it to his master? Muhammad didn’t know the Scriptures or the Biblical history or about Science, but could his Jinn have known all this, albeit through his own faulty understanding since Jinns are a creation of God and not divine or all powerful? God doesn’t err but a Jinn can and hence we find contradictions and bad science in the Quran. Perhaps Aisha secretly knew that it is not God who was eager to fulfill Muhammad’s wishes, but it was the Jinn that was eager to please his master because she wasn’t one to blaspheme like that.

I continued to study Islam more closely. When I questioned various points, others told me that I was inviting Satan to whisper to me; that I should stop reading too much. Most Muslims either don’t know the little details of their religion or don’t care about them for the peace of their mind. Those close to me continued to explain that I wasn’t doing anything wrong: I was worshipping one God – praying more in a day than a person from any other religion; I wasn’t cheating anyone, lying or stealing. Wife beating, polygamy and oppression didn’t affect me. What else did I want? So I began to search for Truth secretly and quietly.

I was worshipping one God five times a day but the associated rituals were wearisome. The call to prayer attested five times a day that Muhammad was a prophet of God. After every call to prayer I was taught to make a supplication blessing Muhammad and asking Allah to give him the best place in Heaven at a rank above everyone else and to allow him to intercede as Allah promised him! Five times a day I sat on my prayer mat in Tashahhud and spent almost half of my prayer in blessing Muhammad and his ummah several times. Which prophet ever taught his people to bless him endlessly every day? I could sense hidden paranoia.

But no Muslim I knew could see this.

My faith in Islam hung by a thin thread and I was just waiting for God to show me the final sign. That sign came in the form of an Islamic talk I was attending. The speaker was talking about the Quran. Someone from the audience very casually asked how many verses are there in the Quran since there is some confusion on the exact number. The speaker explained that no one really knows (adding that it doesn’t matter how many there are): the number is disputed because scholars differ in their opinion over where some verses end or if some verses are actually one or multiple verses depending on how the Quran was compiled. According to the current version there are 6,236 verses without bismillah and 6,349 with bismillah. However, there are scholars who look at oldest compilations of the verses and believe that the correct number with bismillah is 6,666!

He hadn’t even finished his talk when my arms broke out in goosebumps and I walked out of the building. At home I spent a long time searching the internet on information about the AntiChrist. What I found was very significant.

Revelation 20:4 reads:

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his MARK upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Some distinct features characterize the AntiChrist:

1. His number is Six hundred threescore and six = 666 (Revelation 13:18) — There is a strong possibility that the actual number of verses of the Quran as compiled and standardized by Uthman is really 6,666. Certainly many Muslims believe that.

2. There is a mark on the foreheads of the followers of the Anti-Christ (Revelation 13:16) — Devout Muslim men develop a scar on their foreheads called zabiba in Arabic, from rubbing their foreheads on the prayer mats. It is even mentioned in the Quran in 48:29.

3. And there is a mark on their right hands (Revelation 13:16) — To enter the fold of Islam Muhammad took the oath of allegiance from people which is called bayah in Arabic and entailed a man or woman placing their right hand into the right hand of Muhammad. Sufi Muslims still practice bayah. Bayah is also mentioned in the Quran in the same surah in 48:18, and also in 60:12. Also, whatever a Muslim possessed in the way of Allah from lands to women was called "that which their right hand possessed." Islam came to possess everything with its right hand.

4. The Anti-Christ will change the calendar (‘times and laws’) (Daniel 7:25) — The Muslim holy day is not the Sabbath day but Friday and the Muslim Hijri calendar is a lunar calendar which is very different from the relatively fixed solar Julian or Gregorian calendars.

5. He will spread through the lands by his sword (Daniel 11:40) — It is common knowledge that Islam spread through the different lands by wars and occupations.

6. Anti-Christ will preach a different Jesus from what was preached by the Apostles (2 Corinthians 11:3-4) — According to the Muslim faith and particularly the Quran, Jesus was not God; he spoke as a baby in the cradle; gave life to clay birds; and was neither crucified nor resurrected.

I still believe that Muhammad was not an evil man and he was convinced that he was a prophet. But whatever is not from God has every possibility of turning into something that is evil. Because no divine force stopped Muhammad when he waged wars and began giving himself concessions, he must have thought that whatever he was doing had God’s approval and blessing. Quran insists that a Muslims must obey God and Muhammad and must bless Muhammad every day. And while there are many ahadith that teach that Muhammad was only a man, there are also many more that urge Muslims to put their complete faith in Muhammad, give their oath of allegiance to him, bless him, and seek his intercession on the day of judgment because when “all prophets from Adam to Jesus” will fail to intercede, Muhammad will speak up from his ‘Maqam Mahmoud’ (exalted position) to intercede for his followers. Knowing all this and more, I couldn’t go on being a Muslim.

A prophet comes to change the evil status quo and reform the society. Arguing that raids, polygamy, child marriages, slavery and wife beating were the ancient customs of Arabia which Islam allowed to continue but tried to control just shows what Muhammad should have done and didn’t do. If my teacher wants me to write with an ink pen, he shouldn’t use a ballpoint pen in class and should set a positive example by using an ink pen himself instead of claiming that he can do whatever he likes because he is the teacher. By including such acts in his practice and in the Quran, Muhammad may have tried to set boundaries but he also sanctioned them in the process. Did he really think these practices would gradually end as Muslims claim when he also claimed to be the last prophet who is to be followed completely?

This is how I felt about the religion in which I was born. But I didn’t blindly jump into Christianity. I studied other religions and came to the conclusion that while I may not agree with some Christians and their practices, the message of Christ is indeed the best and the most peaceful. One can bring about change through love. Nothing and no one compares to Jesus, the Christ. He doesn’t need my praise because his actions still speak for themselves, and he doesn’t need my blessings because he is the one who blesses, for the Lord is indeed my Shepherd.

I continue to read the Bible every day and study Christianity. I must admit that those who love me have been very supportive. They have not converted to Christianity but they know and appreciate how Christ has brought peace into my life. I do not stay up all night any longer reading and re-reading the Quran in horror and disbelief and I am not bitter about the teachings of Muhammad any longer because I find solace in the words of Christ; words that warn gently and make us humble and kind human beings.

I now firmly believe that if you earnestly seek truth and keep your heart and mind open, Jesus does find you eventually for he promised - “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).

Dear readers, in Islam, if one converts to Christianity,he or she will be killed. This testifier did not disclose his identity because that will be putting his life at risk. Read and see some of the reasons they left Islam.



Testimony of Abdul Saleeb

My name is "Abdul Saleeb". I was born and raised in a Muslim country in the Middle East. Even though I lived in a very conservative Muslim society I grew up in a somewhat of a liberal Muslim family. Furthermore, my Muslim upbringing was unique due to my mother's serious involvement in Islamic sufism. So I can honestly confess, that I have had first hand experience of every aspect of contemporary Islamic movements. I personally did not consider myself very religious. At one point I even turned to Marxist ideologies thinking that they could provide real solutions to my country's social ills. However, throughout all this time I never doubted the fundamentals of my religious faith. I thought of Islam as a faith with such high ideals that I did not consider myself worthy of the name Muslim but I wholeheartedly believed that Islam was God's last and most perfect religion for all mankind, based on God's final revelation, the Qur'an, and the prophet Muhammad, God's seal of prophethood. My view of other religions (especially Judaism and Christianity) was that although they were fundamentally the same since they had all been revealed by one God, they were all inferior to Islam because all of them had to various degrees corrupted the original message of their founding prophets, something that we as Muslims have not done.

My religious views were radically challenged when I left my country because of its civil turmoil and went to Europe for the continuation of my studies. By the providence of God and because of various circumstances, I ended up enrolling in an International Christian School. My first "theological" question to one of my Christian teachers, was extremely childish but looking back at it now , the response of my teacher revolutionized my worldview. I asked my question after sitting in my first class about some of the teachings of the Bible. My question was, "How come Christians can drink wine but Muslims cannot? How come your word of God says one thing and our word of God says something different?" My teacher, not knowing much about Islam at all, gently asked, "How do you know the Qur'an is the word of God?" I was taken aback by that response. I had lived in a world in which everyone simply presupposed that the Qur'an was dictated word for word by God to the Prophet Muhammad and no one ever questioned that assumption. That brief encounter forced me to start on a journey, engage my Christian friends in hours of cordial discussion and debate about the truthfulness of the Christian faith.

Like almost any other Muslim, my original reaction to the claims of Christians about Jesus Christ was that of utter shock. These claims not only seemed like plain blasphemy but also quite nonsensical. How could any rational being believe such things about an honored prophet of God? Despite my fundamental theological differences with my friends, there was something about their life and faith that impressed me a great deal. There was a sincerity in their relationship with God and other people that I had not encountered among my own Muslim people. So I would often tell them that I did not want to deny their faith but I just wanted to find a compromise so that I could hold to the truth of Islam and they could continue to hold to their faith.

However, I was in no doubt that their belief about Jesus was based on statements that the prophet Jesus had never actually claimed for himself. My difficulty in understanding Christian belief was very much along the lines that have historically separated Islam from Christianity.

First, there was the issue of the deity of Christ. How can anybody believe that a human being was actually God incarnate? How can that be logically possible?

The second obstacle was the doctrine of the Trinity, an issue closely related to the first problem. Again, this Christian belief seemed to me was a logical absurdity and grossly compromised the belief in the Oneness of God.

Finally, I did not grant in any way that the Bible, especially the New Testament documents, were reliable when it came to reporting the words of Christ. Anything in the Bible that disagreed with the Qur'an was automatically rejected as being a corrupt teaching in the Bible.

My spiritual journey went on for months. Oftentimes I did find comfort in the Qur'an, but I was encountering more questions in that book than answers. For example, the violent tone of many of the Qur'anic passages (especially against the unbelievers but also against the Jewish and Christian people) began to bother me, when compared with the emphasis on love in the New Testament. One particular passage that troubled me, especially in light of my good friendship with many Christians, was in Sura 5:51.

"O ye who believe! Take not Jews and Christians for your friends and protectors; they are but friends and protectors to eachother. And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship) is of them. Verily God guideth not a people unjust."

However, the most troubling section of the Qur'an had to do with the character of the prophet Muhammad himself. According to Sura 33:37, God sanctions Muhammad's desire to marry the divorced wife of his own stepson, "in order that (in future) there may be no difficulty to the believers in (the matter of) marriage with the wives of their adopted sons, when the latter have dissolved with the necessary (formality) (their marriage) with them. And God's command must be fulfilled."

I vividly remember the first time that I came across that verse in my study of the Qur'an. I began to sob with great sorrow and shame. All my life I had been told that Muhammad was the most perfect and ideal moral example for mankind and yet the Qur'an had a good number of examples of how the "revelations" could be so selfserving to the prophet himself!

I immediately wrote a letter to my mother back home with some of these troubling questions that I was encountering in the Qur'an. The response that I received to my letter from one of the most prominent religious leaders in my country was that I should just continue my secular studies and not focus too much on religion. On the other hand, as my understanding of the Bible was increasing many of my questions were beginning to get answered. Even as a Muslim I came to believe that the crucifixion of Christ was an undisputable historical fact that no honest person that deals with evidences of history could deny.

The character of Christ himself, as manifested for example in his beautiful Sermon on the Mount, was gradually making a great impression on me. But for me, the most impressive factor about Christ, were the multitudes of Old Testament prophecies about the coming of the Messiah. Some of these prophecies were so specific and they were fulfilled in the life of Jesus to such a detail that it amazed me to see how God had taken hundreds of years of Jewish history to prepare the coming of the Messiah; prophecies ranging from Messiah's ancestery, his manner and place of birth, his life and ministry to the circumstances surrounding his death by crucifixion. I was very attracted to Christ and yet I could not deny my own tradition and past. Becoming Christian seemed a definite betrayal of my own family and Islamic heritage. The tension in my life was so strong that I felt torn asunder between these two faiths.

But I still could not bring myself to accept that Jesus was anything more than a human being. Since he had never explicitly said, "I am God and you must worship me," the Christian claim about Jesus was based on speculation and historically unreliable Gospels. Surely the incredible statements attributed to Jesus were invented by later church and put in the mouth of Jesus.

In the midst of all this anxiety of thought, I woke up one morning and was suddenly struck by the meaning of a verse written by the prophet Isaiah in his ninth chapter. I had read this verse several weeks prior to that morning, but I had never understood its meaning. In Isa.7:14, we read,

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."

Isaiah then goes on to write in chapter 9,

"[, ] in the future he (God) will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan the people walking in darkness have seen a great light, on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned [, ] For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne [, ] from that time on and forever."

I could not believe it! The fact that the Messiah was not going to be just a prophet but Mighty God himself, was therefore a truth that had been prophesied sevenhundred years before Christ in the Old Testament, and not something that had been made up by Christians many years or centuries after Christ! It was God's own promise that he will come in flesh (Immanuel = God with us) and will establish a kingdom that will last forever.

I came to trust in Christ, the next day on January 20, 1985. I cried uncontrollably as I was praying and turning to Christ in faith. I did not know why, and though I had never felt much burden of guilt, I was feeling a great sense of peace and relief from the burden of my sins. A greater satisfaction was the sense of rest in finally finding the truth about God and His revelation of love to mankind in Jesus Christ. A book that helped me (and several other Muslim friends of mine who became Christians around the same time that I did) tremendously in answering many of my questions about the deity of Christ and the reliability of the New Testament documents was Josh McDowell's "Evidence That Demands A Verdict". I highly recommend it.

Soon after my own conversion, I decided to dedicate my entire life to promoting the Good News of Christ among Muslims and especially the people of my own country. I later came to the United States and received my undergraduate and graduate degrees in Biblical and Theological Studies. I also co-authored a book with Norman Geisler, a prominent Christian philosopher, with the title "Answering Islam: The Crescent in the Light of the Cross".

Abdul Saleeb, Ramadan of 1996

@ Seyi BRown

It is a sin of disobedience! Marriage is to produce 'GODLY SEED'. God's commandments are for our own good, so please ask yourself the following questions:

Will it be easy for your Children to be practising Christians when you marry a Muslim? (Remember how 'family' is 'traditionally run' in 'Africa').
Do you know what rights you have in Islam to practice Christianity?
What 'powers' does a Muslim man have over his 'Wife'?
Will he love you as CHRIST loves the church or Will he love you like ALLAH commands?
Will his family be happy for you to continuing practising Christianity or will there be a MUSLIM wife (or four more)added to the family if you are deemed 'uncooperative' in the matter of religion later on in the marriage?
Will you be happy to practise ISLAM if you had to choose between 'A HUSBAND' and 'A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD'?

I am sure you can come up with more questions yourself! If you still CURIOUS after all the questions, ASK GOD!

Your questions are really deep. If someone answers those questions honestly, he/she will make a good decision. Thanks

@ OP

If anyone tells you that all religions are the same, that person is a blunt liar! It means the person must know the doctrines of every religion. But that is impossible. Those who claim thus, do so to give you a psychological comfort so that you will not bother yourself with the christian message that says those in other religions were entice by deceptive demon spirits. Most religion acknowledged Jesus as a great teacher, why don't you focus on that great teacher?

@Sweetneca

You at least agree that Muhammeds god and the Christian God is not the same. We can discuss which one is true in another thread. ok

Here is my view on the subject.

I understand at least from common sense that every nation, tongue, race, people etc have a supreme being that they identify with. Long before the coming of Christianity into Ibo land, we have always call that supreme being chukwu, so it is with the people of arabia who identified their own supreme being as allaah. The question now is this : "this beings that the people identified as supreme, are they one and the same?

Let me use a simple analogy here. Someone may have heard about something and yet not know exactly that thing e.g I may have heard stories about James and yet not know him when I see him. In the same vein, man in longing for his creator has tried his best to find Him, howbeit by his own effort. In doing so he came up with all sorts of things, but don't forget that he knew and is certain that there is a supreme creator. the Ibos came up with their own supreme being as Chukwu, the yorubas as Olodumare, the arabs as Allah, while the Jews identified Him as Yahweh. If all these people agree that there is a supreme being, to the extend of there agreement, Allaah then must/is a supreme being. However if we do an analysis of what each of the mentioned race think about this supreme being, we will now discover that they are not the same. It is on this second premise that Christians including my humble self have identified Mohammed's allaah as not being the same christianity's Supreme Being. Whoever wants to find out about Mohammed and his god should read the hadiths and quran and compare his teachings ang livestyle with Jesus's and his God in the New testament. You will see the difference.

[size=14pt]That Kid Must be from INTERPOL. Our security outfits have embezzled the money meant for our boys to look like that guy. [/size]

[size=16pt]NO TO RUSSIA! THEY RUINED AJAOKUTA.[/size]

I feel your pain. Do not try to hide your age, it is an asset not a liability. Apply for positions whose conditions you qualify for. With your qualification you can become a lecturer at least in a study centre, plus try to start a business, if you do not know how to go about it call me on 08085404500 or e-mail: olatuson@gmail.com

What an individual!

I know Jonathan is incapable of leading the country.

If the arms is meant for Nigeria, why did the Nigerian custom report that it was "at the point of reloading the container that they became suspicious"?

SSS please explain.

@Vedaxcool

Pls my Muslim brothers do not answer dexmond again unless he tells us why he asked the questions pertaining to licking fingers and answers the ones I asked him, he is just a timid C** who knows we have
cornered him but thinks he is in a court room where only him have the right to ask questions.

OK, I asked the question regarding hand licking because I believe it is not rational especially in the 21st century. You said I did not answer your question. Should I answer a question that is not intelligible? here is the question you asked "Go and ask your Mum why she licked her hands after tasting a pot of soup. then you would have found part of the answer. Also include yourself, that you have never in your life licked your hands after eating, then we will all know that you are a confounded liar, also ask your pastor and anybody why they lick their hands after eating.”

Does the question make any sense? If you have any question about Jesus, I will try and answer as far as my understanding can go. So ask you shall receive!

The ideology that Islam represents is reason for the opposition by the quraish of Mecca at the beginning of the messengership of the prophet (SAW

What is this ideology? Does this Ideology follow lay down rules? Is this Ideology in conformity with the following?

-equality before the law
- freedom of speech
- freedom of the press
- freedom of religion
- the right to own property
- freedom of opinion and expression
- the right to receive an education
- freedom of movement
- freedom from cruel and unusual punishment
- the right to an attorney
- the right to a fair trial by jury


If this Ideology you are talking about is in tandem with the above, then the fears by some people is unfounded.


- innocent until proven guilty

My sincere condolence. Please take heart. May God give you and your family the fortitude to bear the loss.

Devil Sleeps in Our What?


Sahih Muslim 2:462
Abu Huraira reported: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said. When any one of you awakes up from sleep and performs ablution, he must clean his nose three times, for the devil spends the night in the interior of his nose.


This explains why Muslims wash there nostrils. I think the best way to prevent satan from sleeping in your nose is to stuff your nostrils with cotton

@ Osama10

Its a free world man, do whatever comes to your mind.

But remember that freedom comes with responsibilty. Do those things that are right not those things that come to your mind even when they are offensive to the society.

So vedaxcool you do lick other peoples hand?

No quotations from the quran nor the hadiths! Please add quotation to give credibility or else, I will not accept that Mohammed actually said those things.

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: The Prophet said, 'When you eat, do not wipe your hands till you have licked it, or had it licked by somebody else."

Sahih Bukhari 7:65:366


Can someone explain the rational behind this teaching? Vedaxcool, Nopuqeater, Olabowale, jarus, Mushin, Chakula, Thiscounts and co., I hope you are practising this sunnah or else you are not true Muslims. Good Muslims will accept everything Mohammed told them including things like this.

the word of god is with pastor kumuyi. if making heaven at last is your target, it is a bit easier going from Deeper life. i know it is not the church that one attends that guarantees one a place in heaven. the fact that people know that members of their local church will frown at certain things which are ungodly, tends to restrain them. now if you don't do those things that offend god and man, are you not going to make it? that is the reason i said it's a bit easier from there. generally, going to heaven is not a simple thing. it's a narrow way. you have to be different which will land you into so many troubles.

@ Babaearly

I know about ASTRAL travel but Eckankar is a fraud. They make you chanting one Hu sound and the next thing you have surrendered your soul to who knows what. Tried it once and my experience wasnt funny. Stay away from eckankar.

If you don't mind, you may relate your experience to us. One more person may enter into your kind of mistake.

Islam under fire! Thank God for the internet. We can now read the hadiths and the quran online to know their contents. Hmm, Teachings indeed!

Introduction

Religiously, Muslims are permitted to lie or use deception if it is used to further the cause of Islam. This is generally referred to as Taqiyya. It is most often used to distort Islamic teachings, and also in the attempt to deceive people into believing that they are being persecuted for their faith in the West. This is particularly important to some Muslims, hoping to paint the persecutor as the persecuted and shifting focus away from the millions who face real persecution at the hands of Islam. It is also useful in creating an atmosphere of fear among the general Muslim population, gaining the sympathy of the West, and shaming vocal critics of Islam into silence. The most troubling aspect of Muslims "crying wolf" is not the extra cost to the tax-payers for wasted police time, resources etc., but the fact that the lives of many innocent non-Muslims would be, and no doubt have been, destroyed if the Muslim claims are believed.
[edit] Lies in the Name of Islam
[edit] Distortion of Islamic beliefs

Muslims are often mistranslating or misinterpreting qur'anic verses for apologetic purposes. Many of the articles hosted at WikiIslam deal in addressing these falsehoods, and to list them all here would be an impossible task (to navigate the site, see the Site map). Some notable instances of deception include; Arsalan Iftikhar at CNN and his distortion of verse 5:32, Jamal Badawi and Tariq Ramadan who both agree that wife-beating is permitted but claim Muhammad never resorted to striking his wives, and Laleh Bakhtiar in her mistranslation of verse 4:34.
[edit] Other Lies and Deceptions
Name of Muslim↓ Location↓ Deception↓ Source ↓
Carnita Matthews Australia Flag of Australia.png A Muslim women accused a Sydney Police Officer of "racism" and claimed he physically attempted to remove her veil during a routine traffic stop. In an emotional Channel 7 interview, she tearfully described the "fear" she felt when faced with this "angry" and "aggressive" officer who shouted at her. The police officer in question was later cleared of the charge when patrol car video footage proved he never once touched her and was polite throughout the exchange. When asked by Channel 7 to return and explain what the footage showed, she declined the offer. Even after these accusations have been proven false, it is stirring up anger within the Islamic community with text messages describing the police officer as “an enemy of allah” being sent in mass.[1] Amazingly, no charges are being brought against the Muslim for her false accusations Conning the World. Veiling the Truth with Bedazzling Burkas - Wendy Larkson, Australian Islamist Monitor, June 11, 2010
Ahmad Abu Laban
&
Ahmed Akkari Denmark Flag of Denmark.png Following Jyllands-Posten's publication of the infamous Muhammad Cartoons, the Danish Muslim leader Ahmad Abu Laban took it upon himself to spearhead a campaign demanding an apology from Jyllands-Posten. In December 2006, a delegation of Danish Muslim leaders, headed by Laban and Lebanese-born theological student Ahmed Akkari, travelled to the Middle East to publicise and garner opposition to the offending cartoons. However, the number of images taken to the Middle East had risen from twelve to fifteen. These additional images were a lot more offensive than any of the original twelve. According to the BBC, the source of these images (through their own admission) had been traced back to the delegation of Danish Muslim leaders themselves The Muhammad Cartoon Hoax - WikiIslam
Adnan Hajj Lebanon Flag of Lebanon.png The photographer at the centre of the 2006 Lebanon War photographs controversies, where several media outlets used doctored or misleading photographs and captions which reflected negatively on Israel. Due to the diligence of bloggers who would most likely be labelled as "Islamopobes" by many, Adnan Hajj's photoshopped images were exposed, leading to his and another photo editors dismissal The Reuters Photo Scandal: A Taxonomy of Fraud - Zombietime
Ericka Tazi the United Kingdom Flag of the United Kingdom.png Christian hoteliers, Benjamin and Sharon Vogelenzang, who were accused of laughing at and insulting a Muslim guest for wearing the hijab and angrily criticizing her religion are cleared. Among other issues, the judge said the Muslim's claim "that she was verbally attacked by the couple for up to an hour had not been borne out by other prosecution witnesses, who suggested that any discussions lasted around seven minutes". Due to these false charges, the innocent couple have suffered financial losses with their hotel, Mrs. Vogelenzang has said that "takings were down by 80 per cent" Christian hoteliers are CLEARED of insulting Muslim woman as judge slams her evidence - Jonathan Petre, The Daily Mail, December 9, 2009
Noor Ramjanally the United Kingdom Flag of the United Kingdom.png A Muslim leader who has fled the country, is sentenced to 2-years jail for making false accusations of being kidnapped from his home by anti-Muslim extremists who drove him into a forest and threatened him at knife-point to stop the Islamic prayer meetings he was holding. The police had spent 1,850 man hours investigating his case at a cost of £9,234. He had also previously claimed an arson attack on his home which lead to CCTV cameras and other security measures being installed by the Council at a cost of £1,300. These measures which were taken for his protection ultimately proved him to be a liar Noor Ramjanally sentenced to imprisonment at Chelmsford Crown Court - Edmund Tobin, The Guardian, June 11, 2010
Omar Bakri Mohammed the United Kingdom Flag of the United Kingdom.png Following the 2005 7/7 terrorist attacks on London which claimed the lives of 56 people and injured around 700 others, the Muslim cleric publicly stated "I condemn the killing of innocent people." only to be secretly recorded by an undercover reporter for the Sunday Times explaining two days later "Yes I condemn killing any innocent people, but not any kuffar." He even referred to the 7/7 bombers as the "fantastic four". One of his followers, Islamic preacher Anjem Choudary, also explained in a BBC interview "when we [Muslims] say 'innocent people' we mean 'Muslims'. As far as non-Muslims are concerned, they have not accepted Islam. As far as we are concerned, that is a crime against God." Can Infidels be Innocents? - Daniel Pipes, August 7, 2005
Yasmin
&
Atoofa the United Kingdom Flag of the United Kingdom.png A bus driver who was accused by two Muslim students of banning them from boarding a bus at Russell Square due to their Islamic dress (one was wearing a hijab and the other a niqab) is cleared of the charge after CCTV footage showed he had actually barred them from the bus for their abusive behaviour. If found guilty, the bus driver could have faced the sack, not to mention the social stigma of being an "Islamophobe" Claim of 'Islamic veil bus ban' thrown out - Ross Lydall, The London Evening Standard, July 28, 2010
Ahmad Saad Nasim USA Flag of USA.png Only days after the 9/11 attacks, the Saudi Arabian-born ASU student "lied to cops about being assaulted and pelted with eggs in a parking lot while assailants screamed "Die, Muslim, die!" Nasim confessed to fabricating the attack when cops interviewed after he attempted a second hate crime hoax-- in which he locked himself in a library restroom with the word "Die" written on his forehead, a plastic bag tied over his head, and a racist note stuffed in his mouth." This Muslims lies received nationwide media coverage with people denouncing these imaginary hate crimes against a Muslim, and he even had the audacity to compare himself to the innocent civilians who died in the 9/11 Islamic terror attacks[2] The boy who cried 'muslim' - Michelle Malkin, Townhall
Amjad Abunar USA Flag of USA.png The owner of the Al Madinah meat market, who claimed the words "Go Home" were spray-painted twice on a door of his property before being gutted by an arson attack, was arrested by police for setting the fire himself. This revelation came only a week after "the graffiti and fire were cited as evidence by a Washington advocacy group [CAIR] that hate crimes against Muslims were on the rise in Texas." Hate-Crime Accuser Charged With Arson - The New York Times, September 30, 2004
Aqil Yassom Al-Timimi USA Flag of USA.png "In Nashville, Tenn., Iraqi-American Aqil Yassom Al-Timimi claimed someone set his Chevy truck on fire after the Sept. 11 attacks because he was of Arab descent. Although local TV stations ate up the hate crime angle, one keen reporter remained skeptical, Sources said they suspected Al-Timimi was the perpetrator all along, but more than a year and a half after the fire, the case has languished. Al-Timimi, the supposed victim of hateful wrongdoing, hasn't been heard from since." More Muslim hate crime myths - Michelle Malkin, Townhall, May 30, 2003
Aziz Poonawalla
&
Chris Rodda (non-Muslim) USA Flag of USA.png A 10-year-old girl claimed she was sprayed with a substance while at the Islamic Society of Greater Dayton, in Ohio. Through the post written by Chris Rodda[3] and later perpetuated by Aziz Poonawalla, the news of this "Terrorist attack on an Ohio mosque" spread like wildfire on the internet. This was all in spite of the fact that police had stated the mosque was not the victim of a hate crime and that there was "nothing left at the scene or anything that makes us believe this is a biased crime." In fact, there were no chemicals found on the alleged young victim, and a can of pepper spray was oddly found inside the mosque, not outside the mosque where it was allegedly used by "two men" Dayton mosque attack hoax update: can of pepper spray was found inside the mosque - Robert Spencer, Jihad Watch, October 18, 2008
Mazhar Tabesh USA Flag of USA.png The co-owner of the Muslim-owned Alpine motel in Heber City, which was thought to have been set alight as a hate crime in response to 9/11, was arrested several months later for setting it alight himself. He had also previously claimed to have been "receiving threatening calls that increased after the Sept. 11 terror attacks." Townhall Columnist, Michelle Malkin, writes "Utah residents organized a benefit concert and raised $1,400 for Tabesh’s family. The national press jumped on the bandwagon: “Immigrant Family Feels Post-9-11 Rage,” blared a Los Angeles Times headline. The accompanying 1,100-word story suggested that “white supremacists and skinheads living in the area” might be to blame."[4] Owner of Alpine Motel Arrested - The Associated Press, KSL-TV, September 11, 2002
Mirza Akram USA Flag of USA.png The owner of the burnt Continental Spices Cash & Carry, in Everett, Washington, who had claimed “he had been harassed by some customers earlier this summer [and that] the verbal slurs didn’t stop until he threatened to call police,” was arrested a month later for setting fire to his own business and causing an estimated $50,000 in damages. The cautious Muslim had even spray-painted the property with obscenities against Arabs and a white cross before setting it alight "Islamophobic Prejudice" and CAIR - Daniel Pipes, FrontPageMagazine, August 25, 2004
Muhammad Salah USA Flag of USA.png At an Islamic Association for Palestine conference held in Chicago, he introduced himself to a woman as a "Muslim human rights activist" who can "teach you about the oppression and sufferings of Muslims in America and all over the world." He went on to tell her he was a used-car salesman working in Chicago who was arrested and tortured by Israelis on a visit to see his family and friends. Unbeknown to him, the women who he was speaking to was the Iraqi-born Rita Katz, co-founder of the Search for International Terrorist Entities Institute (SITE Institute), and she knew very well that who she was speaking to was not a "Muslim human rights activist", but the leader of the worldwide military wing of Hamas What is Taqiyya? - An Inquiry Into Islam
Musa Shteiwi
&
Essa Shteiwi USA Flag of USA.png "Blast at Arab—American Restaurant 'Suspicious'" screamed the CAIR headline as they claimed the explosion at the Steak Thyme Restaurant (which sent the owner and his son to hospital with severe burns) was a hate crime. It was the fourth arson attack on the restaurant within the space of six-weeks, the third resulting from a Molotov cocktail being thrown through the front window. Only hours before the forth attack, the owner vowed he would "never give into pressure to close the store". However, investigators discovered that the explosion was actually set by the owner and his son. "The Shteiwis were standing in a pool of gasoline that they intended to use as an accelerant in setting their store ablaze later that night when Musa Shteiwi took a break and lit up a cigarette, igniting the gasoline prematurely and causing the blast". Father and son both later died from their self-inflicted injuries[5] and another man who was hired by the father and son team to carry out the previous three attacks was sentenced to three years in prison[5] Kafir-phobia: Americans as Violent Anti-Muslim Bigots - Patrick Poole, American Thinker, August 31, 2006
Nezar Maad USA Flag of USA.png The owner of the Frontier Printing Services which was damaged and vandalized with anti-Arab graffiti only days after the 9/11 attacks, was himself eventually arrested as a suspect in the damage case, the amount of which he claimed was $500,000. Although he was later released due to lack of evidence, Federal prosecutors dropped the hate crime investigation and Nezar has since been found guilty of several other cases of fraud Anchorage's Alleged Hate Crime Hoaxster Mike Maad In Trouble Again - Alaska Pride, September 16, 2006
Omar Shahin,
Didmar Faja,
Mohamed Said Mitwaly Ibrahim,
Marwan Sadeddin,
Ahmad al-Shqeirat, & Mahmoud Sulaiman USA Flag of USA.png In what looks like a planned incident to gain publicity for congressional legislation against profiling,[6]6 imams were removed from a US Airways flight about to take off from the Minneapolis airport. Led by Omar Shahin, they claimed that they were "victims of profiling and discrimination and hate merely because they were Muslims who prayed quietly in the airport terminal". In reality, they were anything but quiet. Their odd behaviour included praying loudly twice when only one prayer was needed according to Islamic laws, and not sitting in their assigned seats, instead they spread out in pairs covering each exit of the plane. It was in fact a Muslim Arabic-speaking passenger who alerted the flight attendant to their strange behaviour and of what they were saying to each other in Arabic. According to the Arabic speaker, they were "invoking bin Laden and condemning America for killing Saddam."[7] The Muslim passengers even stood up and applauded once the imams were removed from the plane Flying imams of Minneapolis - Bogus Hate Crimes, November 20, 2006
Safia Z. Jilani USA Flag of USA.png A Muslim student at Elmhurst College who claimed a masked gunman had pistol-whipped her after writing “Kill the Muslims” in a women's restroom, was arrested after a week-long investigation determined the incident never occurred. She was charged by Elmhurst police with making up the story. According to the Chicago Tribune, initially the United Church of Christ "called the incident a hate crime, hundreds of students rallied to show solidarity with their Muslim peers, who constitute about 25 of the school's 3,300 students. The college beefed up security, including foot and car patrols by Elmhurst police, and campus security offered to escort Muslim students around the campus." Only a week earlier there were anti-Islamic slurs and a swastika scrawled on her locker.[8] In hindsight, the probability of this locker vandalism being the work of an "Islamophobe" is very doubtful Cops: Student made up campus attack - Russell Working, Chicago Tribune, October 17, 2008
Saleh Nawash
&
Ahmed Jaffal USA Flag of USA.png Lebanese immigrant and leader at the Islamic Mosque of Cleveland who owned a meat store named Halal Products "pleaded guilty to conspiracy, attempted aggravated arson, and attempted insurance fraud. When Halal Products failed, reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer (not online), Nawash coveted the $100,000 insurance policy on the business and hired an arsonist to do the dirty deed. The prosecutor provided details on how he left kerosene in the building and how, to win sympathy, he plotted to make the fire look like a hate crime. Nawash received a jail sentence of nine years; his side-kick Ahmed Jaffal, 49, got eight years" More Muslim "Hate Crime" Myths - Daniel Pipes, August 25, 2004
Shehab Ahmed
&
Shahriar Ahmed USA Flag of USA.png "The son of a prominent Muslim is told he can't fly home to Portland and tonight, his family is looking for answers," announced the KGW ('s anchor Russ Lewis as the top story on its 11 p.m. news, after being contacted by Shebab's father. "Shehab, we were told, was coming home from UCLA for spring break when he found out he was on the FBI terror watch list. He was eventually allowed on a flight, but, said Shehab, 'To know that the government puts me on the list as bin Laden and whatnot, that's scary.'" However, it was proven later that this was not what actually happened. "Shehab Ahmed did miss one plane home to Portland, but only because he got to the airport late. When he tried to get on another flight, there was a problem—a momentary one. Shehab's name matched a name on the terror watch list. The ticket agent asked for ID, and Shehab was allowed on the flight to Portland, What happened to Shehab that March day isn't found in any TSA or FBI report; there was no incident to report. But the incident was written up – by Shehab himself on his blog." The title of this post? "Apparently I'm on the FBI Watchlist" More Muslim "Hate Crime" Myths - Daniel Pipes, August 25, 2004
Tamsir Mendy USA Flag of USA.png Previously thought to have been a hate crime against Muslims, a self-described devout Muslim immigrant is charged with first-degree arson for setting fire to the Masjid Al-Hedaya (Islamic Center of Marietta). The ever hopeful CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper had said before the arrest "Given the recent wave of incidents targeting American mosques, a possible bias motive for this apparent arson attack must be considered."[9] The damage to the building is estimated at $100,000, and according to law enforcement officials, the perpetrator (a native of Gambia) may be in the country illegally Suspect in mosque arson could be in country illegally - Janel Davis, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 8, 2010


"I am embarrassed to be an American today."[10]
(Pictured above) A peace rally at the Elmhurst College campus, protesting against an imaginary anti-Muslim hate crime
[edit] Islamophobia on the Rise

Putting aside the nonsensical neologism, according to the most up-to-date FBI Hate-Crime Statistics, hate crimes directed against Muslims "remain relatively rare",[11] with gays, lesbians and Caucasians more frequently a target than the followers of Islam. Jewish victims of hate crimes also outnumber Muslim victims by a ratio of almost 9 to 1, and anti-Muslim incidents only account for a tiny 1.3% of all hate crimes. Even anti-Christian (Catholic/Protestant) incidents outnumber those perpetrated against Muslims in America. Some of the cases above also lead us to wonder just how much lower these figures would be if we were to learn the truth behind all 105 reported incidents. Regardless of these facts, many have begun to refer to Muslims as "the new Jews". Frankly such statements are offensive when you consider that the dwindling number of "old Jews" are still here and are still the most persecuted religious minority in the West. In fact anti-Semitic incidents around the world have more than doubled in 2009 over the previous year.[12] Ironically the growing anti-Semitism around the world, particlularly in the West, is coming from the growing number of "new Jews". But this is something you will not likely hear from the media, who seem obsessed with pushing the idea that Muslims are being persecuted in the West.
[edit] Conclusion

The phenomenon of lying for a cause is not exclusive to Muslims and there are many people who consider themselves to be Muslims who are honest and who just want to live their lives in peace. But don't let this blind you to the fact that the Islamic faith itself allows, encourages, and even demands[13] dishonesty from its followers who very often comply. Religiously sanctified deception is not limited to the Shia sect of Islam; how can it be when this behaviour is based on Qur'anic verses (2:225, 3:28, and 16:106), Muhammad's sunnah (the prophet himself admitted to being a liar and encouraged Muslims to lie and deceive), it is one of the holy attributes of the Islamic deity (he admits to being the best deceiver and one of his 99 names is "Deceiver",[14] and orthodox Islamic scholars have also legitimised its practice? Claims made by Muslims about their religion or any other issues should not be dismissed out of hand, but sometimes scepticism is not only advised but necessary for those who are interested in the truth.