₦airaland Forum

@Davidylan: I think you should go an ready an entry I made, today on "Trinity help me." It will finally realise that Islam is not always against the bible. Rather th bible is always against itself. The old testament is against Trinity. What the Qur'an does is the abitrator bewteen the two. For example when you said the Jews kill your god, the Qur'an comforted you that Jesus was not killed and he was not crucified. But unfortunately, you were too emotionally wrapped up to see it yet.

Then the Jews were boostful that they kill your god, but the Qur'an told them not to be arrogant that for sure they did not succeed in killing Jesus son of Mary, being a prophet of Allah. His Lord God Almighty Allah did not allow Jesus soul to be accursed, as the Jews had hoped to disgrace him among their community.

But please read just a snippet of what I copied from the answer of the Jewish Rabbi on the subject of Trinity. This should whet your appetite, enough to just wanna read it on the thread indicated.

quote:
Did Somebody Find the Trinity in the First Chapter of the Bible? To Whom Was God Speaking to When He Said, "Let Us Make Man in Our Image"?

Question:

Dear Rabbi Singer,

A Messianic Jew is working overtime to try to convince me that I need JC. She recently showed me Genesis 1:26, “Let US make man in OUR image,” stating that JC was part of creation with God, plural Us and Our being the proof. Can you explain the plural in this verse to me? I want to have an intelligent answer. I am trying very hard to learn more of my Jewish religion, as I was raised in a non-religious home. The only Bible I own is the one she gave me and it is a King James.


Answer:

No area of Jewish literature could be more inhospitable to the Christian doctrine of the triune godhead than the Torah and the writings of its prophetic messengers. ,
unquote.

@Morpheus24:
So you hang around the unclothedness of women who are not your wives, yet not children, innicent of sexuality? Thats bad qualities. But your statement about ghost has no place in the thread, unless you can explain, further. Whats ghost anyway? Jinn? Angels are not ghost and am sure you are not calling Angels that. If you did, then thats mislabelling. Correct yourself, now that I have provided you with the tool.

@JeSoul:

Anyways I know none of our mooslims (especially the men ) will accept the german professors interpretation . . . I can hear them screaming and clamoring now "
" what do you mean we won't get our 70 virgins? after all that rioting, bombing, beheading and fighting? . . ."

No need of RIOT, BOMB, BEHEAD, FIGHT, , to get 70 virgins. It is not the qualification for it. Check the Qur'an, if you will see rioting, beheading, bombing or fighting as the means of qualification. Qualification is by True Belief and dying in that state. Then you get your rewards; good and pure food, drinks, sex, etc. Even today, there are virgins among the Christians wanting Muslim men to be the ones who disvirgined them. Why? They know that Muslim men are probably not going about jumping from bed to bed in illegal sex. Right there in your Beantown, I know them. These are white and also black women.


What Muslim men and muslim women will have are pure partners. InshaAllah, I will be made pure for my partners. And my partners will be made pure for me. JeSoul, avoid hellfire, the abode of those who are not Muslims. Get with the program. Come to this side of the divide, then prepare yourself pure for a pure partner. In yoruba expression; Aiye dun nje ju iya loo. In heavenly term, Aiye Jije is Paradise, while Ija jije is hellfire. Don't wait until its irreversible. You are warned, already. You can blame anyone, after this.

@ the poster:
They are fakes. There is no real followers of Jesus in the Christain community, anywhere on earth. We have, however followers of Apostle Paul, all over the place. The total christian population is just that.

A non-Muslim German is an authority on Fusat Arabic than the whole of Muslims? Madness of Europeans. They have the conqueror complex. Almost bordering on god complex, if you ask me.

I will rather listen to Sermon from Davidylan on the bambara culture than any from the German on Arabic. At David is an African and I know he is deeitful before he opens his mouth. I know that he will just entertain me. But the German will be pretending some scholarship. I do not need anyone pretending to me.

@Davidylan:

is there ever a time muslims have a consensus understanding of the quran? Why are they forever amending it to fit into 21st century thinking?

However the Arabic text is just as it was, in words, sentences, chapters and sound as it was when it was revealed! English is what it is revealed in. It was not even revealed in Makkan Arab of its time, but in Fusat; A purer form of Arabic. Today the Gold Standard of Arabic Language. It is the purest form of the language.

The Muslims do agree that God is One. His name is Allah. He creates everything. He is not three. He has no son, and not a son to any. He is complete, always. He is alone in His complete supremacy. He is not Jesus and Jesus is not Him. The holy ghost/spirit is nothing but Angel Gabreil. Jesus did not die on the cross and was not crucified on it! Want more of what muslim have a consensus on from the Qur'an? Muhammad (AS) is the last of all the Messengers and prophets of God. Jesus was a messenger and prophet of God.

Did Somebody Find the Trinity in the First Chapter of the Bible? To Whom Was God Speaking to When He Said, "Let Us Make Man in Our Image"?

Question:

Dear Rabbi Singer,

A Messianic Jew is working overtime to try to convince me that I need JC. She recently showed me Genesis 1:26, “Let US make man in OUR image,” stating that JC was part of creation with G-d, plural Us and Our being the proof. Can you explain the plural in this verse to me? I want to have an intelligent answer. I am trying very hard to learn more of my Jewish religion, as I was raised in a non-religious home. The only Bible I own is the one she gave me and it is a King James.


Answer:

No area of Jewish literature could be more inhospitable to the Christian doctrine of the triune godhead than the Torah and the writings of its prophetic messengers. It is on the strength of these sacred texts that the Jew has preserved the concept of one, single, unique Creator God Who alone is worthy of worship. Understandably, missionaries undertake a formidable task when they seek to “prove” the doctrine of the Trinity from the Jewish scriptures. No prophet went silent on the uncompromising radical monotheism demanded by the God of Israel. The Jewish people, therefore, to whom these sublime declarations about the nature of the Almighty were given, knew nothing about a trinity of persons in the godhead.

Because the prophets relayed their divine message on the nature of God with such timeless clarity, few texts in Tanach could hold any promise for the church to raise up as a support for their teachings on the Trinity. Understandably, though, the defenders of Christendom flaunted the very few verses that they managed to somehow skew into a supposed support for this alien doctrine.

One of the most popular verses used by missionaries as a proof text for the Trinity is Genesis 1:26. This verse appears in missionary literature quite often in spite of the fact that this argument has been answered countless times throughout the centuries. Let’s examine Genesis 1:26.

And God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and they shall rule over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the sky, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”

With limited knowledge of the Jewish scriptures, missionaries advance the above verse in as evidence that there was a plurality in the godhead which was responsible for creation. What other explanation could adequately account for the Bible’s use of the plural pronouns such as “us” and “our” in this verse?

This argument, however, is grievously flawed. In fact, a great number of Trinitarian Christian scholars have long abandoned the notion that Genesis 1:26 implies a plurality of persons in the godhead. Rather, Christian scholars overwhelmingly agree that the plural pronoun in this verse is a reference to God’s ministering angels who were created previously, and the Almighty spoke majestically in the plural, consulting His heavenly court. Let’s read the comments of a number of preeminent Trinitarian Bible scholars on this subject. For example, the evangelical Christian author Gordon J. Wenham, who is no foe of the Trinity and authored a widely respected two-volume commentary on the Book of Genesis, writes on this verse,

Christians have traditionally seen [Genesis 1:26] as adumbrating [foreshadowing] the Trinity. It is now universally admitted that this was not what the plural meant to the original author.1

If you had attended any one of my lectures you would know that the New International Version is hardly a Bible that can be construed as being friendly to Judaism. Yet, the NIV Study Bible also writes in its commentary on Genesis 1:26,

Us . . . Our . . . Our. God speaks as the Creator-king, announcing His crowning work to the members of His heavenly court. (see 3:22; 11:7; Isaiah 6:8; I Kings 22:19-23; Job 15:8; Jeremiah 23:18)2

Charles Caldwell Ryrie, a highly regarded dispensationalist professor of Biblical Studies at the Philadelphia College of Bible and author of the widely read Bible commentary, The Ryrie Study Bible, writes in his short and to-the-point annotation on Genesis 1:26,

Us . . . Our. Plurals of majesty.3

The Liberty Annotated Study Bible, a Bible commentary published by the Reverend Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University, similarly remarks on this verse,

The plural pronoun “Us” is most likely a majestic plural from the standpoint of Hebrew grammar and syntax.4

The 10-volume commentary by Keil and Delitzsch is considered by many to be the most influential exposition on the “Old Testament” in evangelical circles. Yet in its commentary on Genesis 1:26, we find,

The plural “We” was regarded by the fathers and earlier theologians almost unanimously as indicative of the Trinity; modern commentators, on the contrary, regard it either as pluralis majestatis . . . No other explanation is left, therefore, than to regard it as pluralis majestatis . . . .5

The question that immediately comes to mind is: What would compel these evangelical scholars -- all of whom are Trinitarian -- to determinedly conclude that Genesis 1:26 does not suggest the Trinity, but rather a majestic address to the angelic hosts of heaven? Why would the comments of the above conservative Christian writers so perfectly harmonize with the Jewish teaching on this verse?

The answer to this question is simple. If you search the Bible you will find that when the Almighty speaks of “us” or “our,” He is addressing His ministering angels. In fact, only two chapters later, God continues to use the pronoun “us” as He speaks with His angels. At the end of the third chapter of Genesis the Almighty relates to His angels that Adam and his wife have eaten from the Tree of Knowledge and must therefore be prevented from eating from the Tree of Life as well; for if man would gain access to the Tree of Life he will “become like one of us.” The Creator then instructs his angels known as Cherubim to stand at the gate of the Garden of Eden waving a flaming sword so that mankind is prevented from entering the Garden and eating from the Tree of Life. Let’s examine Genesis 3:22-24.

Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever” -- therefore the Lord God sent him out of the Garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the Garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

This use of the majestic plural in Genesis 3:22-24 is what is intended by the NIV Study Bible’s annotation on Genesis 1:26 (above). At the end of its comment on this verse, the NIV Study Bible provides a number of Bible sources from the Jewish scriptures to support its position that “God speaks as the Creator-king, announcing His crowning work to the members of His heavenly court.” The verses cited are: Genesis 3:22, 11:7, Isaiah 6:8, I Kings 22:19-23, Job 15:8, and Jeremiah 23:18. These verses convey to the attentive Bible reader that the heavenly abode of the Creator is filled with the ministering angels who attend the Almighty and to whom He repeatedly refers when using the plural pronoun “Us.”6

I will close this letter with one final note. Outsiders often wonder what binding force keeps the Jewish people united in faith. This is not so odd a question when we consider the inner conflict that has followed our people throughout our extraordinary history. Bear in mind that regardless of the turbulent quarrels that fester among us, the oneness of God remains the binding thread which unites the Jewish people in history and witness. The teachings of the Torah were designed to set forever in the national conscience of the Jewish people the idea that God is one alone and therefore the only object of our devotion and worship.
Sincerely yours,

Rabbi Tovia Singer

Footnotes:

Click on the footnote to return to the article


1Gordon J. Wenham, Word Biblical Commentary on Genesis, Word Books, 1987, p. 27.

2NIV Study Bible, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1985, p. 7.

3Charles Caldwell Ryrie, The Ryrie Study Bible (Dallas Theological Seminary), Chicago: Moody Press, 1978, p. 9.

4Jerry Falwell (Executive Editor), Liberty Annotated Study Bible, Lynchburg: Liberty University, 1988, p. 8.

5Keil & Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, Peabody: Hendric., 1989, Vol. I, p. 62.

6A similar verse describing God as He converses with His ministering angels is found in the beginning of the sixth chapter of Isaiah, which reads,

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the Temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew . . . Also, I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” (Isaiah 6:1,


~Lady~; Where is Jesus in any of the above, since God was preventing man from getting to the "tree of life," so that he would not become one of "us?"

@~Lady~:

Genesis 1:26

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
The concept of the majestic "we" does not lie in Christianity, so please don't bring that crap into Christianity, leave it in Islam.

To be sure if the understanding of Christianity is not CRAP on the idea of Majestic "we," and you can't blame Islam for it, majestic we, therefore need defination. I think you also need to ask the people who have heard the Oba of Bini address himself, whether he uses sigular or majestic we for himself. This should be enough anyhow. Heck. Even me Olabowale, I use majestic we for myself. I must from now onward be using it for myself when I am talking to you. That may actually drive home the point. lol.

I am wondering how God addressed Himself, even before created anything, eg Angels, other spirits, like Jinns, heavens and earth, the other heavenly or solar system bodies, galaxies and milkways, etc, animals andplants, etc? Inshort, when He was alone; were there He God Almighty, Jesus in existence as a separate entity and Holy ghost/spirit? Were there 3 godheads and therefore God addressing Himself and the others about the wish or the intent to create all of those things? If these other two were there, you will notice that at no time did they make any sound to allow us to actually believe that they were there and important enough to God!

You will now see that even in the creation of man, a lesser even than the cumulative event of all other creations, we did not hear any sound from these other entities, as well. If in these two cases, creations of things previous to man and man, we did not see any inkling that Jesus and holy spirit were part of God by providing any acknowledgement sound of importance to the creation process, those who suggest that God has 3 entities have only made such statement by having no real proof. Anybody can say anything. But proof must be provided. We see that Jesus never uttered any word, at anytime prior to his coming out of Mary, his mother birth canal. We can safely say that Jesus was not important in creation.

@RedHotChic: « #3 on: July 11, 2008, 06:09 PM »

Give me one good reason why I should dump christianity for Islam and am all yours?

Sisi, were you sincere to yourself, when you asked the above question, or just red hot play us for fools? The reason is your behavior since then, in the manner you asked questions and the rebuttals you provided. I am particular surprised when you stated that you never have read the Qur'an, before! How then can you critique it? In th maintime, Babs787, have been methodically providing bible verses and their expalantions, which are really pointing away what you might have believed them to be in meaning.

Could you then realise that your need to actually be honest with yourself, for the benefit of your own soul and your complete salvation? If your Bible is incorrect in anything, and babs787 have point out that it is incorrect in everything that you hold to be true, then it is certainly incorrect as a means of salvation against hellfire. Make the right choice, Islam

Has there been any science project to study the feeling of mankind in each of these inevitable conditions? No. It shows the limit of human knowledge yet to what the Qur'an contains. At least we know that the aitheist and the agnostics believe the birth and death parts. While most so called "monotheists," believe in the 3. For sure Muslims believe all of them.

For those who therefore criticize the Qur'an, this is a project for you. Study any part of it. You may find that man feels in the birthing and dying stages. At least the ressurrection stage confirms the saying that mankind can never know all that is in the Qur'an, except the parts God permits, only. I am grateful to God who has made me muslim and open this knowledge of Islam to me.

I contemplated on which thread that I should post this illustrous portion of the AlQur'an's Surah Mariam, and the tafsir of the verse concerning Yahya (as). I thought it fits best in my own view than many other threads, because it addresses the issue of life and death. Many a times, I have often asked myself, because of my poor knowledge of the Qur'an, how can the day of the death of yahya be peaceful, since he was murdered by the Children of Israel?


The answer came to me today, as I read the tafsir of the verses. It provides the the insight to the condition of how each of us feel in the time of birth, death and ressurrection. May God Almighty make our time of death a peaceful time and make our ressurrection peaceful as well. Amin. But it can't be peaceful, except God Wills it. And dying in sleep does not mean peaceful death, at all.




The Birth of the Boy and His Characteristics


This also implies what is not mentioned, that this promised boy was born and he was Yahya. There is also the implication that Allah taught him the Book, the Tawrah which they used to study among themselves. The Prophets who were sent to the Jews used to rule according to the Tawrah, as did the scholars and rabbis among them. He was still young in age when Allah gave him this knowledge. This is the reason that Allah mentioned it. Because of how Allah favored him and his parents, He says,



(O Yahya! Hold fast to the Scripture [the Tawrah].) Means, "Learn the Book with strength.'' In other words, learn it well, with zeal and studious effort, (And We gave him wisdom while yet a child.) This means he was given understanding, knowledge, fortitude, diligence and zeal for good and the pursuit of good. He was blessed with these characteristics even though he was young. Allah said, (And (made him) Hananan from Us,) [19:13] Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said,


(And Hananan from Us, ) "This means mercy from Us.'' `Ikrimah, Qatadah and Ad-Dahhak all said the same. Ad-Dahhak added, "Mercy that no one would be able to give except Us.'' Qatadah added, "With it, Allah had mercy upon Zakariyya.'' Mujahid said, (And Hananan from Us,) "This was gentleness from His Lord upon him.'' The apparent meaning is that Allah's statement Hananan (affection, compassion) is directly related to His statement,


(and We gave him wisdom while yet a child.) meaning, "We gave him wisdom, compassion and purity.'' This means that he was a compassionate man, who was righteous. Hanan means the love for affection and tenderness (towards others). Concerning Allah's statement, (and Zakatan,) This is related to His statement,


(And Hananan) The word Zakah means purity from filth, wickedness and sins. Qatadah said, "The word Zakah means the righteous deed.'' Ad-Dahhak and Ibn Jurayj both said, "The righteous deed is the pure (Zakah) deed.'' Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said, (and Zakatan,) "This means that he was a blessing.'' (and he was pious.)[19:13] meaning that he was pure and had no inclination to do sins. Allah said;


(And dutiful to his parents, and he was not arrogant or disobedient.) After Allah mentioned Yahya's obedience to his Lord and that Allah created him full of mercy, purity and piety, He attached to it his obedience to his parents and his good treatment of them. Allah mentioned that he refrained from disobeying them in speech, actions, commands and prohibitions. Due to this Allah says, (and he was not arrogant or disobedient.) Then, after mentioning these beautiful characteristics, Allah mentions his reward for this,


(And Salam (peace) be on him the day he was born, and the day he dies, and the day he will be raised up to life (again)!) This means that he had security and safety in these three circumstances. Sufyan bin `Uyaynah said, "The loneliest that a man will ever feel is in three situations. The first situation is on the day that he is born, when he sees himself coming out of what he was in. The second situation is on the day that he dies, when he sees people that he will not see anymore. The third situation is on the day when he is resurrected, when he sees himself in the great gathering. Allah has exclusively honored Yahya, the son of Zakariyya, by granting him peace in these situations. Allah says,


(And Salam (peace) be on him the day he was born, and the day he dies, and the day he will be raised up to life (again)!) This narration was reported by Ibn Jarir, from Ahmad bin Mansur Al-Marwazi, from Sadaqah bin Al-Fadl, from Sufyan bin `Uyaynah.


(16. And mention in the Book, Maryam, when she withdrew in seclusion from her family to place facing east.) (17. She placed a screen before them; then We sent to her Our Ruh, and he appeared before her in the form of a man in all respects.) (18. She said: "Verily, I seek refuge with the Most Gracious (Allah) from you, if you do fear Allah.'') (19. (The angel) said: "I am only a messenger from your Lord, (to announce) to you the gift of a righteous son.'') (20. She said: "How can I have a son when no man has touched me, nor am I Baghiyya'') (21. He said: "Thus says your Lord: `That is easy for Me (Allah). And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a mercy from Us (Allah), and it is a matter (already) decreed (by Allah).''')

@Queenisha: « #51 on: July 15, 2008, 12:38 AM »
[Quote]
and neither did we read of him taking a bath or using the toilet and yet we do same
people sef[/quote]Whats your point? Are you saying he did not do any of these common human and other animals natural functions? If he didn't, its no shame on him, because he is your god. He can as natural with his jumping body odor as much as he wanna be. he can also be bloated as well. Unless he actually took showers and excreted the garbages out; in sweat, and in 1 and 2! Thats pretty normal.

Will it make the Christians of today more hygenic that their god, since they at least have to shower, sometimes? Ol girl, I didn't know that you are now hiding your head in less controversial threads, like this? I think its good for you.

davidylan answered the question well with relevant texts.
It's not what we eat or don't eat that make us unclean.
Any Christian that abhors pork because the Bible tells them so is yet to read the Bible.
Personally I don't buy pork and cook but I have no problems splurging on a rack of babyback ribs at a restaurant every now and then
And my faith is still unshaken

I wonder how "CHUNKY," this woman is, as a result of all of these splurges on Fatty Baby Backribs of Hoink hoink sounding, gruesomely killed animal? I have been to slaughter houses before!

Romans 14

2 For one believeth that he may eat all things:
another, who is weak, eateth herbs.

3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not;
and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth:
for God hath received him.

17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness,
and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God,
and approved of men.

19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace,
and things wherewith one may edify another.

20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure;
but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.

22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that
condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.

Q E D

Romans, of all things. Only the Post Jesus are needed to justify Jesus. Nothing Jesus say aor does is good enough. You have to go to those who heard him. Better, those who did not hear him, but concord a whale of a tale, in the tradition of Carvel Ice Cream's fudgy the whale. Paul is good at these things. And he found a slew of people who were eager to accept it. Funny enough, you will think that today's people are wise enough to read and understand. Reading and understanding only applies to all, except the bible; OT and NT.

If what you eat has no role in what defiles you, ecept what comes out, then I am scratching my beard and asking why the expression, " you are what you eat?" I also wonder if what comes out of you are what defiles you, we must wonder how sweat, exhale co2, urine and feaces defile anyone? I thought each one provides a means of balacing the internat working system of the each one of us? Woman, I need your help understanding that one. I believe i have come to the right teacher. But i am not sure that she will be sincere with me. She may wanna cover up the truth and sell me lies. lol.

@Femib 28:

quote author=tat link=topic=59716.msg2454947#msg2454947 date=1215085982]
@everyone,
Come and join me sign halleluyah JehovaH Jireh has done me well x2ce

Olorun dada lolorun mi, Olorun dada lolorun mi, O se mi dada, O tun wu wa dada simi, Olorun dada lolorun mi.

I thank God Almighty the maker of heaven and Earth, the one who knows the end from the beginning, the one who holds our future in his hands,

Thank you all for your prayers, my elder sister is pregnant.

Please don't relent in your prayers for me and my other sister. and please prayer for a sucessful pregnancy for my elder sister and a safe delivery and healthy baby

I always come to this forum but didnt drop any messgae cause I want my posting to be a testimony. I pray that the next time i will post here it wil be another testimony.

Thank you all and GOD will meet everyone at the point of your needs. Am really grateful for all your prayers.

Quote

Praise the LORD!!![

Report to moderator Logged

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Without JESUS, am nobody!

How did you manage to bring Jesus to what that woman, tat, said above? Is Jesus, Jehovah, Olorun, God Almighty? Please respond. You got me confused by mixing God Almighty and Jesus who worshipped him together! Thats not right.

@Olowo Tee: I wo sisi yi shi wa lemu adura yini? O ga o. Odaa. Adura agba o. Wa di male o. Amin e poo.

Bawo ni, sisi eko? Awon eniyan re nko o? Bami ki gbogbo ile o. Ko so fun won pe imale kon lo ni ko kiwon o. At least i like your charitable effort.

@RedHotChic:

Quote
Isaiah 53:3-7, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”

Do you read bible for understanding at all? Now look at my highlighted words and ponder on them. The highlighted words called for questioning. Did God smite him?

I hope I am not distrupting the flow of your discussion with babs787. But I think you should answer his question, since you are the one who had asked for a single reason why you should become muslim. rather leave Christianity for islam. You had failed to respond to his questions or ponder on the highlighted verses you quoted from the bible. This is your own doing. If you are looking for honest discussion, I think you got to be honst about the hole process.

Quote
You tend to take my mention of the blood of Jesus literally.



Quote
Jesus Christ is theONLY way to God
"I am the way the truth and the life; NO MAN cometh unto the Father(allah,jehovah,oluwa,chinneke etc) BUT BY ME."
-- Jesus Christ, John 14:6

If you make a remark that one is taking the mentioning of Jesus blood literally, then th same exact condition must apply to your quote about John 14 Verse 6, above. This verse can not be taking literally, if you object to the blood in a literal sense. You can cherry pick the modus operandi of understanding the Bible verses. These verses are very clear and direct, in their meaning, a moment in time. You can't be on this side at one time and then on the other side at another!

If you truly want good knowledge, you must approach the whole process with honesty. Nothing less will do therefore.

@Pastor AIO:

What is the means of activation? There seems to be a putting the cart before the horse scenario being suggested here. What is the process or the practice that will enable the awakening of Al Fitra? For if the 5 pillars are the consequence of an awakened Al fitra then they cannot precede it. What must one do prior to the awakening that will bring about the awakening?

Activation means putting it into active state. You do what is required of actions to bring about the quantity out of dormancy, to the state, whereby the process of fulfillment, will finally be realised to completion. For example, a brilliant person who never goes to school and never reads can never unleach that dynamics of academic brilliance in him/her. Or a person who has knowledge and never acted on that knowledge, is just as if he/she never had that knowledge.


Another example is a good businessman, in theory can never make known to all who can testify to his business acumen, if he keeps his capital locked up in his safe, without yielding any financial benefits, because he refuses to be active in the financial community. Neither buying or selling anything. Finally, a seed that could become a beautiful tree, producing abundant benefits, in fruits, flowers, shades, etc, can never reach this potential, if its not planted and nurtured.

You activate your AlFitra by obeying Allah in full sincerity, of all His commandments, salah, Zakat, Siam, Hajj, and doing good and hoping in Him for your reward. Since AlFitra is always in you, something you are born with, then it is not putting the cart before the horse, by your later on in life, you reach a stage where you make salah, pay zakat, etc, the things that if you do them in full sincerity to God and expect reward from Him, alone, will demostrate in your heart, and within your community that you have this natural instinctive quantity called AlFitra!

How can a person say he is a muslim, with Good sounding AlFitra if he lives next to a Masjid, but never was in it to pray, while people see him doing all the prohibitions of Islam, at the times of prayers and other times? If he dies can he be buried by the people of that Masjid in full Islamic rites, especially if his name is paul and he has a cross hanging from his neck wen he died?

AlFitra can be awakened by hving a good and complete conscience and awareness that Allah alone is to be worshipped, in the way He prescribed His own worship. You can not make your own up, the way you want it. That will just be wrong and arrogance. In essence disagreeing with Him.

What He allows you in worship, is the only worship allowed. What He forbids you in actions of living is what is forbidden. There is no gray areas, under all its essential conditions. For example, you can not starve yourself to death if swine is the only meat available in a desert or jungle to survive on. But in the time of opulence, this same meat is completely forbidden. islam allows for easier part that preserve life, as long as it is not against the injuctions of Islam.

I remember that you asked a question sometimes about the bowing down of the Angels and the refusal of Shaitan to Adam. This goes to the fact that Allah commanded them, as He only can commands and therefore permissable as it as an obedience to Allah and not worshipping Adam. But Shaitan with bad and deceitful AlFitra, not known to the Angels, but known to Allah, before He began to create Adam and ordered that every Creation, Angels and Jinn prostrated, it was by this method that unknown in Shaitan became known to the Angels. Obedience to Allah therefore is the essential ingredient of action that awakens the pure and true AlFitra. If you dont have this ingredient, the AlFitra will wither away.

But is it the Al Fitra that makes you a mooslim or is it being a mosslem that brings out al-fitra in you. What am I saying really is making a distinction between Religion and Worship. Religion being a practice that will put you in concordance with the Truth and Worship being the outcome of Walking in the truth. I am suggesting 3 steps in a sequence that runs like this. Religion (practice) - Realisation (Al-fitra) - True Worship (which as we said above is living in concordance to God's will for you).

God's will for you is that you live a successful life, obeying His commandments. He gave you first AlFitra, by your confirming that He is your Lord God and no other god. Then He gave you the blueprint of freewill and then commands a way of worship on you, with explanation of rewards, both positive and negative. Islam is not just a religion. Its the way of worshipping God, His commands. He Allah rejects every other ways.


That rejecting was from prior to anyone ever going a different way from Islam. A demostration of that is revealing the evil in the heart of Iblis prior to him becoming known as shaitan. Allah says to the Angel community and Jinn (Iblis), I know what you don't know. Later Iblis disobey Allah's command. However, when Adam and Eve went near the tree, they later seek forgiveness, a way to correct mistakes or returning from a path that is leading to disaster.


But Iblis who became Shaitan never seek forgivenss, at anytime. Forgiveness have to be sincere. Hence those who are on the path laeding to distater will have to recognise it, and seek a sincere forgiveness and guidance from God. What you have done in your suggestion above is creating your own idea about guidance. That is wrong. Allah commands. His prophet, Muhammad (AS), whose period of prophetic office you live in demostrated how you should heed the commandments of Allah. You have no other choice. Unless arrogance.

Or as the quran put it:
Quote
“See you not that it is God Whose praises are celebrated by all beings in the heavens and on earth, and by the birds with extended wings? Each one knows its prayer and glorification; And God is aware of what they do.” An-Nur vs.41
John Coltrane would suggest 4 steps: Acknowledgement - Resolution - Pursuance - Psalm. These all make up A Love Supreme.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMrK7564Egs

But God gave you a way, as a human to praise Him. You can not praise Him as a bird for example, because you are not a bird. Birds have no choice but to behave like birds. You have no choice but to behave like human. You follow your human pattern of worshipping Allah by obeying His commandments. He says of Islam, it is the only religion caccepable to Allah. Others are rejected. He says that He give every human the choice to accept guidance. Those who reject it and decide any other path should expect the consequences. God says that He created Jinn and man only for His service and says that he will provide sustenance for all.


Your artificial success is not tantanemous to being a person, community, society or nation of true belief. China is success without a believe in God. An indian business man is buiding his own home, costing 1 Billion USD, without nothing more than a Hindu, bowing his head to the collection of idols. Bill Gates of Microsoft does not believe God exists. All of these artificial successes are only for this world. And if Coltrane refused Islam, like Miles Davis did all his music and artistic expressions will come to zero in the day of Judgement.

@~Lady~:

I can't believe you even suggested I try to find the word Trinity in the Bible. You should know better now. Use that with the Protestants, not the Catholics.

Is the bible not what you use, as a catholic? Show me trinity, I asked you. We have it as a word in the Qur'an. Interesting that you are copping out. If you are not a christian, then I understand. If you are a Christian, you need to answer my question, regardless of your denomination.

But the concept of Trinity is in the Bible.

Show me. But how do you have a concept, yet lack the actual word that the concept is defining? Please show the concept side by side with mark 12 verse 29. I am sure you can't in good conscience without one of them being a lie!

Like I said I will show you passages in the Bible, but if you understand the concept and true essence of Trinity you will see that the passages you wish to quote for me doesn't contradict the Trinity concept.

Darling, stop saying that only if i undersatnd the concept! Do you understand the concept of something unknown, non existing? Then try it for size Mark 12 Verse 29., against your unknown quantity word that you call trinity, yet you have its concept. If only I could say that something exist, and i do not know what it is, not being identifiable as a word in the very book that describes it. Thats wierd. Sometimes, in the past, I asked the wife of a NYC Pastor if a person wrote a book, but does not title it, but instead says that the concept of the tile is in the Book, will that be enough to satisfy the curious?


She actually laughed and said that the writer should be asked how can one believe him, and whatever word he attached to the concept to be true? I just smiled and did not want to destroy our friendship and tell her that the Book is the Bible and the word is the Trinity.

@~Lady~:

Uh see you're lying. I remember that conversation vividly and don't forget that I had people around me at that time that became involved in the conversation.

How am I lying? I remember quite well, where I was when we had that conversation. It was Saturday night and i was in the kitchen making me a hot joe. Just because you had people with you, they did not her my statement, so they could not be a good witness for you, if you wished them so. Afterall, you did not put me on speaker phone. Finally, you were the one who brought up the issue of opposite sex next door to the mix. Yet, I never accused you. can you imagine if i was the one who started this topic? My guess is that you could have demanded my immediate execution the way you reacted above.

Your position was that there was nothing wrong with entertaining the thought of having sexual relationship with someone other than your wife as long as your wife did not know about it.

That was not my position. It was you who probably assume so, without my leading you to it. You said if a very pretty girl was next door and a man caught a glance at here figure and the thought of having sex with her, that thought alone was enough as a sin, in Christianity. Since our conversation was about temptations as the handiwork of the devil, i gave you islamic perspective about it. In Islam, I said if the thought as temptation comes to one mind and one never acted upon it, it is not a sin, but a matter of struggling against the evil of fornication or adultery.


I also indicated that if the thought was very rampant, one should continue to struggle against it, by resisting to fall for it and at the same pray against it. I also illustrated the fact that a person who have the tendency to steal, but never stole can not be consider a thief. The fact of having the tendency does not make a person a bad person, as long as he/she never acted on that weakness, but always struggling against faultering. You see Islam has greater means of mercy and Forgiveness, in principles, if you consider that a sin is simply when one commits it, not the thought of it. If one is tempted and that is sin all by itself, what would you say about Jesus who was driven by the devil into the wilderness, tempted 3 times in addition?

I challenged you on that and told you that when you entertain such thoughts you are committing adultery. It wasn't until after I brought in the situation of pornography and asked why you consider that a sin eve though you are not partaking in the sexual relationship that you "flip-flopped" and said that such thoughts should be dismissed.

I wonder how i flipped flopped, considering that one simply consciously decides to sit and watch for a period of time, the porn material that is in question. The flashes, of sexual thoughts, of the neighbor, regardless of how many times, is something of theoretical and not actuarial, in any form. While that may be bad, it is not in the same league with consciously making a decision to sit through a recorded act of it. One is imagination that is not continuous for a long period at any given time of said occurrance. The Porn watched is not imagination, but the true act of it, recorded. That is a very powerful image. I remember you talking about Anderson of CNN 360 degree. You said that he is hot. Could that thought be translated to have the same sexual effect on you, compared to if you were to watch his porn movie?

So I asked you to ask your wife if it was ok for you to entertain thoughts of having sexual relationship with someone other than her. I still haven't received a reply. What's her position on it?

Please read my response to you in the thread where we discissed it then. I gave you what my wife said, initially. And i also said that she agreed with me that to struggle against evil is a very good thing. She said, that those who realise what evil that are pssing as thoughts in their hearts are better persons and can not be called sinners, as long as they never acted upon it. If just the mere thought of sinful things is considered as sin in itself, then Jesus can not be called sinless. to have had a thought that the devil deserved to be worship, or that he is the provider of sustenance, or to force God to act, each in itself would have to be considerd as great sin.

@Esss:

These are my questions;

1. Its obvious that moslems do not believe in the death and cruxifiction of Jesus, hence my question; What does it take to be saved (or should I say a born again moslem)?

There is no god worthy of worship, except Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger and seal of prophethood. This alone, if said and believed with heart and obedience to God without anyone else, that is enough.

2. Whats the deal with Jihad?? Killing all non-believers!! Isnt that harsh??

Jihad is struggle for good and against evil. Killing all non believers is not the meaning of Jihad. If it had been, believe me, there would never been any non believer left alive, especially when the Muslims had the upper hands.

3. I once heard that the religion Islam actually originated from Abrahams first son. I have forgotten his name. the one he was never a father to.

Islam did not originate from Ismail (as). Islam was in one form or the other, within human race came with Adam. Considering the defination as being submission to God, therefore one can not deny that these Prophets were muslims. And Ismail was not a bastard to his father, Ibrahim. I did not grow up with my father, who died as i was approaching my teenage years, in 1966. Yet, no one can deny that he was my father. Even the father of our last born who was born few months before his death. Just because a person does not up with his father in the same household, does not mean his father was not a father to him/her.

4. Do they collect tithes and offering at your gatherings??

Sadaqa, free and voluntary giving or donation, is a choice. Zakat, compulsory donation is once a year and has a limit depending to financial ability and wealth.

5. Whats the stance of Islam on faith healings and miracles, because I don't see moslem having crusades like (Total experience and stuff) like christians. .

GGod heals everyone, as He pleases. Miracles comes from Him as mercy and signs. Only God makes muslims. Islam is not the same as Christianity or any other religion.

6. This is just my opinion, but isnt Islam a sexist religion. I mean I personally feel it is very unfair to women. (Correct me if I am wrong).

It is the first religion that liberated women and restored them to honor among mankind. Islam warns people not to severe the bond of the womb. It encourages and demands respects for mothers. He demnds people to treat women as equal. The word zaoj, means partner is used for husband and wife in its masculine and feminine derivatives. If you see men behaving badly towards woman, it is his own traditional culture and heritage that he is going to, while he ignores the injuctions provided in the Sharia of Allah and Sunnah of the Prophet (as). The prophet said that one should provid for the mother, three times and it was the fourth time that he mentioned the father, for the first time.

7. Whats the deal with sharia?? Especially in the civilised world of today.

In a single word definition, process. Every prophet brought Islam to their people, with their own particular sharia (process) of expressing that Islam. For example, Jesus son of mary made Salah, but not five salah that the Muslims of muhammad make today. When Jesus prayed in the garden of Geshamine, those were his salah.

8. Does the Quran say anything bout the holy spirit?? or Trinity??

Holy spirit in Islam is Ruuh Qudus, who is Angel gabreil. A creation ofGod Almighty Allah. He is not a partner of Allah and there is no 3 in One gods. Allah is One, 100%.

I have a ton of questions but I would take them a little at a time. Please note that I am not trying to become a muslim, but only trying to educate myself on the workings of your religion

Only God can make you a muslim. He is the Owner of your heart and the Lord of your soul. If He will because you have a good heard and honorable soul, He will direct you one time. And you can't do anything about it. You will rush to it as if when you are ready to sleep, you have no choice but to fall asleep.

@Davidylan:

olabowale please kindly do us a favor and stop posting here again. any further spamming of our beloved threads will prompt us to report you for spam and unsolicited plagiarism.

If you can't honestly answer a direct question without long meaningless epistles then please stay out.

As if David knows what honesty his, if it falls on him! David who has avoided to tell me the essence of Mark 12 Verse 29, in light of Trinity. I wanna see if this very verse is in agreement with it or not. You've tapped danced around it, doing the jiggle bug dance or is it the harlem shuffle that it becomes obvious that you can't even trust yourself, about Trinity!

You remind me of the New Yorker's magazine cover's caricaturing of the Obamas. Most of us were very ashamed for the populace not because of whats on the cover. But because they Bubba's and the ignorants will never get the satire of it all. Get up man and grow a spine; answer the Mark 12 Verse 29 and tell me if it talks for or against Trinity. My take is that it destroys Trinity to nothingness. Whats your take david?

You ask me for Faith, which is Iman, I explained it. Go and get eye glasses if you can't see it. You need somebody to read it to you. Its in there. The same thread where you asked it. And I struggle "Jihad," against all kind of evil, including that may be in me. And then i struggle towards improvement of myself and doing good for myself and others. All is for the pleasure of God. David, a word of advice: Aguntan to ba baja rin a je igbee. Don't copy bad manners from anyone.

@KunleOshob:

@Olabowale
I really don't have the energy to be replying all this your long epsitles, as i am employed and i have work to do.

MashaAllah. E ma ya see o. Alhamdulillah. Maybe I should be talking to your boss or the head of your church. Maybe I can have some honest answer. Remember that you were the one who came to me, calling me terrorist, because i am a muslim. If America can't scare me, how do you think you in Abuja or whereever you may reside will be my concern? I depend, 100% on Allah my Creator. I have survived by His protection alone, with any other protection needed. Orishi ri shi e. Next time I will know not to respond to you.

That asides your posts are always to a premeditated answer not really a quest for true knowledge but more essentially to find faults that don't exist because of your lack of understanding and more essentially to propagate your false and confused doctrines.

I propagate nothing, except what all the Messengers and Prophets brought to mankind; Worship God alone and shun all forms of idols. I wo lo se se ma ko ni bi won nse nronu ni? If you were a smart man, you would have known that I was never a christian. So to have assumed so spoke volume about your true knowledge. If I were the person who employed you, I would have no choice to terminate you from my organization for assuming that Olabowale was a Christian.

As david suggested to you earlier i suggest you restrict yourself to your terrorist section and don't intrude on christian threads again. This thread is meant to be a wake up call to christians who genuinely want to serve God and the church to live a more christ like life and not to engage any mooooslim/jihadist/terrorist on why the christian gospel of true love is superior toany other religious propagander.

You and david have no right to make any suggestion to me, especially how I thread. So your suggestion is rejected. You are not the owner of nairaland. Get it? Ni ile yoruba, a ma npa owe kon: A fe gba omo ediye lowo asha, o ni won je ki owun lo si akiton lo yele je! WE in Islam are true to th duties of the Messengera nd the prophets (AS to all of them), as we are warning your disbelieving persons to turn to your Lord God Almight. That you worship Him alone without any partnership. We are telling you that the failure to do so will lead you into hellfire where you will be punished.

However, if you accept guidance, you will be rewarded with a station in paradise where there will not be any inconvenience and worries. The choice is clear, but have to make it on your own. This is my advice to you, Mr. Worker.

Establishment of a new polity
Main article: Constitution of Medina


Among the first things Muhammad did in order to settle down the longstanding grievances among the tribes of Medina was drafting a document known as the Constitution of Medina, "establishing a kind of alliance or federation" among the eight Medinan tribes and Muslim emigrants from Mecca, which specified the rights and duties of all citizens and the relationship of the different communities in Medina (including that of the Muslim community to other communities specifically the Jews and other "Peoples of the Book".[75][76] The community defined in the Constitution of Medina, Ummah, had a religious outlook but was also shaped by the practical considerations and substantially preserved the legal forms of the old Arab tribes.[14] It effectively established the first Islamic state.



The first group of pagan converts to Islam in Medina were the clans who had not produced great leaders for themselves but had suffered from warlike leaders from other clans. This was followed by the general acceptance of Islam by the pagan population of Medina, apart from some exception. This was according to Ibn Ishaq influenced by the conversion of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, one of the prominent leaders in Medina to Islam.[78] Those Medinans who converted to Islam and helped the Muslim emigrants find shelter became known as the ansar (helpers).[14] Then Muhammad instituted brotherhood between the emigrants and the helpers and he chose Ali as his own brother.[79]

With the early general conversion of Medinian pagans to Islam, the pagan opposition in Medina was never of prime importance in the affairs of Medina. Those remaining pagans in Medina were very bitter about the advance of Islam. In particular Asma bint Marwan and Abu 'Afak had composed verses taunting and insulting some of the Muslims. These two were assassinated and Muhammad did not disapprove of it. No one dared to take vengeance on them, and some of the members of the clan of Asma bint Marwan who had previously converted to Islam in secret, now professed Islam openly. This marked an end to the overt opposition to Muhammad among the pagans in Medina.[80]

Please note that before the West knew what it was constitution is, Muhammad bin Abdallah (AS), the Messenger and Prophet of Almighty Allah the Creator, had already established one for the people of Madina. Thats progressive thought.

Beginnings of armed conflict

A map of the Badr campaign.Main article: Battle of Badr
Following the emigration, the Meccans seized the properties of the Muslim emigrants in Mecca.[81] Economically uprooted and with no available profession, the Muslim migrants turned to raiding Meccan caravans for their livelihood, thus initiating armed conflict between the Muslims and Mecca.[82][83] Muhammad delivered Qur'anic verses permitting the Muslims to fight the Meccans (see Qur'an 22:39–40).[84]


These attacks pressured Mecca by interfering with trade, and allowed the Muslims to acquire wealth, power and prestige while working toward their ultimate goal of inducing Mecca's submission to the new faith.[85][86] In March of 624, Muhammad led some three hundred warriors in a raid on a Meccan merchant caravan. The Muslims set an ambush for the Meccans at Badr.[87] Aware of the plan, the Meccan caravan eluded Muslims.


Meanwhile, a force from Mecca was sent to protect the caravan, continuing forward to confront the Muslims upon hearing that the caravan was safe. The battle of Badr began in March of 624.[88] Though outnumbered more than three to one, the Muslims won the battle, killing at least forty-five Meccans with only fourteen Muslims dead. They had also succeeded in killing many of the Meccan leaders, including Abu Jahl.[89] Seventy prisoners had been acquired, many of whom were soon ransomed in return for wealth or freed.[90][91][92] Muhammad and his followers saw in the victory a confirmation of their faith.[14] The Qur'anic verses of this period, unlike the Meccan ones, dealt with practical problems of government and issues like the distribution of spoils.[93]

Muhammad expelled from Medina the Banu Qaynuqa, one of the three main Jewish tribes.[14] Following the battle of Badr, Muhammad also made mutual-aid alliances with a number of Bedouin tribes to protect his community from attacks from the northern part of Hijaz.[14]

Conflict with Mecca
Main article: Battle of Uhud


The attack at Badr committed Muhammad to total war with Meccans, who were now anxious to avenge their defeat. To maintain their economic prosperity, the Meccans needed to restore their prestige, which had been lost at Badr.[94] In the ensuing months, Muhammad led expeditions on tribes allied with Mecca and sent out a raid on a Meccan caravan.[95] Abu Sufyan subsequently gathered an army of three thousand men and set out for an attack on Medina.[96]


Map of the Battle of Uhud, showing the Muslim and Meccan lines respectively.A scout alerted Muhammad of the Meccan army's presence and numbers a day later. The next morning, at the Muslim conference of war, there was dispute over how best to repel the Meccans. Muhammad and many of the senior figures suggested that it would be safer to fight within Medina and take advantage of its heavily fortified strongholds.


Younger Muslims argued that the Meccans were destroying their crops, and that huddling in the strongholds would destroy Muslim prestige. Muhammad eventually conceded to the wishes of the latter, and readied the Muslim force for battle. Thus, Muhammad led his force outside to the mountain of Uhud (where the Meccans had camped) and fought the Battle of Uhud on March 23.[97][98] Although the Muslim army had the best of the early encounters, indiscipline on the part of strategically placed archers led to a Muslim defeat, with 75 Muslims killed including Hamza, Muhammad's uncle and one of the best known martyrs in the Muslim tradition.

The Meccans did not pursue the Muslims further, but marched back to Mecca declaring victory. They were not entirely successful, however, as they had failed to achieve their aim of destroying the Muslims completely.[99][100] The Muslims buried the dead, and returned to Medina that evening. Questions accumulated as to the reasons for the loss, and Muhammad subsequently delivered Qur'anic verses [Qur'an 3:152] which indicated that their defeat was partly a punishment for disobedience and partly a test for steadfastness.[101]

Abu Sufyan now directed his efforts towards another attack on Medina. He attracted the support of nomadic tribes to the north and east of Medina, using propaganda about Muhammad's weakness, promises of booty, memories of the prestige of Quraysh and use of bribes.[102] Muhammad's policy was now to prevent alliances against him as much as he could. Whenever alliances of tribesmen against Medina were formed, he sent out an expedition to break them up.[102]


When Muhammad heard of men massing with hostile intentions against Medina, he reacted with severity.[103] One example is the assassination of Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf, a member of the Jewish tribe of Banu Nadir who had gone to Mecca and written poems that had helped rouse the Meccans' grief, anger and desire for revenge after the battle of Badr.[104] Around a year later, Muhammad expelled the Jewish Banu Nadir from Medina.[105] Muhammad's attempts to prevent formation of a confederation against him were unsuccessful, though he was able to increase his own forces and stop many potential tribes from joining his enemies.[106]

Siege of Medina
Main article: Battle of the Trench


Abu Sufyan, the military leader of Quraysh, with the help of Banu Nadir, the exiled Jewish tribe from Medina, had mustered a force of size 10,000 men. Muhammad was able to prepare a force of about 3000 men. He had however adopted a new form of defense, unknown in Arabia at that time: Muslims had dug a trench wherever Medina lay open to cavalry attack. The idea is credited to a Persian convert to Islam, Salman the Persian. The siege of Medina began on 31 March 627 and lasted for two weeks.[107] Abu Sufyan's troops were unprepared for the fortifications they were confronted with, and after an ineffectual siege lasting several weeks, the coalition decided to go home.[108] The Qur'an discusses this battle in verses Qur'an 33:9-33:27.[62]


Battle of Khandaq (Battle of the Trench)During the battle, the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza, located at the south of Medina, had entered into negotiations with Meccan forces to revolt against Muhammad. Although they were swayed by suggestions that Muhammad was sure to be overwhelmed, they desired reassurance in case the confederacy was unable to destroy him.

No agreement was reached after the prolonged negotiations, in part due to sabotage attempts by Muhammad's scouts.[109] After the retreat of the coalition, the Muslims accused the Banu Qurayza of treachery and besieged them in their forts for 25 days. The Banu Qurayza eventually surrendered and all the men, apart from a few who converted to Islam, were beheaded, while the women and children were enslaved.[110][111] In the siege of Medina, the Meccans had exerted their utmost strength towards the destruction of the Muslim community.


Their failure resulted in a significant loss of prestige; their trade with Syria was gone.[112] Following the battle of the trench, Muhammad made two expeditions to the north which ended without any fighting.[14] While returning from one of these two expeditions (or some years earlier according to other early accounts), an accusation of adultery was made against Aisha, Muhammad's wife. Aisha was exonerated from the accusations when Muhammad announced that he had received a revelation confirming Aisha's innocence and directing that charges of adultery be supported by four eyewitnesses.[113]

Truce of Hudaybiyya
Main article: Treaty of Hudaybiyyah


Although Muhammad had already delivered Qur'anic verses commanding the Hajj,[114] the Muslims had not performed it due to the enmity of the Quraysh. In the month of Shawwal 628, Muhammad ordered his followers to obtain sacrificial animals and to make preparations for a pilgrimage (umrah) to Mecca, saying that God had promised him the fulfillment of this goal in a vision where he was shaving his head after the completion of the Hajj.[115] Upon hearing of the approaching 1,400 Muslims, the Quraysh sent out a force of 200 cavalry to halt them.


Muhammad evaded them by taking a more difficult route, thereby reaching al-Hudaybiyya, just outside of Mecca.[116] According to Watt, although Muhammad's decision to make the pilgrimage was based on his dream, he was at the same time demonstrating to the pagan Meccans that Islam does not threaten the prestige of their sanctuary, and that Islam was an Arabian religion.[116]

Negotiations commenced with emissaries going to and from Mecca. While these continued, rumors spread that one of the Muslim negotiators, Uthman bin al-Affan, had been killed by the Quraysh. Muhammad responded by calling upon the pilgrims to make a pledge not to flee (or to stick with Muhammad, whatever decision he made) if the situation descended into war with Mecca. This pledge became known as the "Pledge of Acceptance" (Arabic: بيعة الرضوان , bay'at al-ridhwān) or the "Pledge under the Tree."


News of Uthman's safety, however, allowed for negotiations to continue, and a treaty scheduled to last ten years was eventually signed between the Muslims and Quraysh.[116][117] The main points of treaty included the cessation of hostilities; the deferral of Muhammad's pilgrimage to the following year; and an agreement to send back any Meccan who had gone to Medina without the permission of his or her protector.[116]


A rendering of the seal attributed to Muhammad used in the letters sent to other heads of state.Many Muslims were not satisfied with the terms of the treaty. However, the Qur'anic sura "Al-Fath" (The Victory) (Qur'an 48:1-29) assured the Muslims that the expedition from which they were now returning must be considered a victorious one.[118] It was only later that Muhammad's followers would realise the benefit behind this treaty. These benefits, according to Welch, included the inducing of the Meccans to recognise Muhammad as an equal; a cessation of military activity posing well for the future; and gaining the admiration of Meccans who were impressed by the incorporation of the pilgrimage rituals.[14]

After signing the truce, Muhammad made an expedition against the Jewish oasis of Khaybar, known as the Battle of Khaybar. This was possibly due to it housing the Banu Nadir, who were inciting hostilities against Muhammad, or to regain some prestige to deflect from what appeared to some Muslims as the inconclusive result of the truce of Hudaybiyya.[96][119] According to Muslim tradition,


Muhammad also sent letters to many rulers of the world, asking them to convert to Islam (the exact date are given variously in the sources).[120][121][14] Hence he sent messengers (with letters) to Heraclius of the Byzantine Empire (the eastern Roman Empire), Khosrau of Persia, the chief of Yemen and to some others.[120][121] In the years following the truce of Hudaybiyya, Muhammad sent his forces against the Arabs on Transjordanian Byzantine soil in the Battle of Mu'tah, in which the Muslims were defeated.[122]

Conquest of Mecca
Main articles: Conquest of Mecca and Muhammad after the conquest of Mecca

The Kaaba in Mecca held a major economic and religious role for the area, it became the Muslim Qibla, or direction for SalahThe truce of Hudaybiyya had been enforced for two years.[123][124] The tribe of Khuz'aah had a friendly relationship with Muhammad, while on the other hand their enemies, the Banu Bakr, had an alliance with the Meccans.[123][124] A clan of the Bakr made a night raid against the Khuz'aah, killing a few of them.[123][124]


The Meccans helped their allies (i.e., the Banu Bakr) with weapons and, according to some sources, a few Meccans also took part in the fighting.[123] After this event, Muhammad sent a message to Mecca with three conditions, asking them to accept one of them. These were that either the Meccans paid blood money for those slain among the Khuza'ah tribe; or, that they should disavow themselves of the Banu Bakr; or, that they should declare the truce of Hudaybiyya null.[125]


Muhammad and his companions advancing on Mecca. The angels Gabriel, Michael, Israfil and Azrail, are also in the paintingThe Meccans replied that they would accept only the last condition.[125] However, soon they realized their mistake and sent Abu Safyan to renew the Hudaybiyya treaty, but now his request was declined by Muhammad. Muhammad began to prepare for a campaign.[126] In 630, Muhammad marched on Mecca with an enormous force, said to number more than ten thousand men.


With minimal casualties, Muhammad took control of Mecca.[127] He declared an amnesty for past offences, except for ten men and women who had mocked and made fun of him in songs and verses. Some of these were later pardoned.[128] Most Meccans converted to Islam, and Muhammad subsequently destroyed all of the statues of Arabian gods in and around the Kaaba, without any exception.[129][130] The Qur'an discusses the conquest of Mecca in verses Qur'an 110:1-110:3.[62]

Conquest of Arabia


Main articles: Battle of Hunayn and Battle of Tabouk
Soon after the conquest of Mecca, Muhammad was alarmed by a military threat from the confederate tribes of Hawazin who were collecting an army twice the size of Muhammad's. Hawzain were old enemies of Meccans. They were joined by the tribe of Thaqif inhabiting in the city of Ta’if who had adopted an anti-Meccan policy due to the decline of the prestige of Meccans.[131] Muhammad defeated the Hawazin and Thaqif tribes in the battle of Hunayn.[14]


Muhammad prohibits intercalary months during the Farewell Pilgrimage. 17th century Ottoman copy of a 14th century (Ilkhanate) manuscript (Edinburgh codex). Illustration of Abū Rayhān al-Bīrūnī's al-Âthâr al-bâqiya.In the same year, Muhammad made the expedition of Tabuk against northern Arabia because of their previous defeat at the Battle of Mu'tah as well as the reports of the hostile attitude adopted against Muslims. Although Muhammad did not make contact with hostile forces at Tabuk, but he received the submission of some of the local chiefs of the region.[14][132]


A year after the battle of Tabuk, the tribe of Thaqif inhabiting in the city of Ta’if sent emissaries to Medina to surrender to Muhammad and adopt Islam. Many bedouins submitted to Muhammad in order to be safe against his attacks and to benefit from the booties of the wars.[14] The bedouins however were alien to the system of Islam and wanted to maintain their independence, their established code of virtue and their ancestral traditions. Muhammad, thus required of them a military and political agreement according to which they "acknowledge the suzerainty of Medina, to refrain from attack on the Muslims and their allies, and to pay the Zakat, the Muslim religious levy."[133]

Farewell pilgrimage and death

Pilgrims circumambulating the Kaaba during the Hajj.Main article: The Farewell Pilgrimage
At the end of the tenth year after the migration to Medina, Muhammad carried through his first truly Islamic pilgrimage thereby teaching his followers the regulations of the various ceremonies of the annual Great Pilgrimage (hajj).[14]

After completing the pilgrimage rituals, Muhammad delivered a famous speech known as the Farewell Speech (Arabic: Khutbat al-Wadaa'). In this sermon, Muhammad advised his follower not to follow certain pre-Islamic customs such as adding intercalary months to align the lunar calendar with the solar calendar. Muhammad abolished all old blood feuds and disputes based on the former tribal system and asked for all old pledges to be returned as implications of the creation of the new Islamic community.


Commenting on the vulnerability of women in his society, Muhammed asked his male followers to “Be good to women; for they are powerless captives (awan) in your households. You took them in God’s trust, and legitimated your sexual relations with the Word of God, so come to your senses people, and hear my words , ”. He also told them that they were entitled to discipline their wives but should do so with kindness. Muhammad also addressed the issue of inheritance by forbidding false claims of paternity or of a client relationship to the deceased and also forbidding his followers to leave their wealth to a testamentary heir.


He also upheld the sacredness of four lunar months in each year.[134][135] According to Sunni Tafsir the following Qur'anic verse was delivered in this incident: “Today I have perfected your religion, and completed my favours for you and chosen Islam as a religion for you.”(Qur'an 5:3)[14] while according to Shia ones it refers to appointment of Ali ibn Abi Talib as the successor of Muhammad in pond of Khumm which happened while Muslims returned from Mecca to Medina, few days later.[136]


The Mosque of the Prophet (Al-Masjid al-Nabawi) is Islam's second most sacred site; the Green dome in the background stands above Muhammad's tomb.A few months after the farewell pilgrimage, Muhammad fell ill and suffered for several days with head pain and weakness. He succumbed on Monday, June 8, 632, in the city of Medina. He is buried in his tomb (which previously was in his wife Aisha's house) which is now housed within Mosque of the Prophet in Medina.[137][14][138] Next to Muhammad's tomb, there is another empty tomb that Muslims believe awaits Jesus.[138]

Reforms
Main article: Early reforms under Islam


According to William Montgomery Watt, for Muhammad, religion was not a private and individual matter but rather “the total response of his personality to the total situation in which he found himself. He was responding [not only]… to the religious and intellectual aspects of the situation but also to the economic, social, and political pressures to which contemporary Mecca was subject."[154] Bernard Lewis says that there are two important political traditions in Islam – one that views Muhammad as a statesman in Medina, and another that views him as a rebel in Mecca. He sees Islam itself as a type of revolution that greatly changed the societies into which the new religion was brought.[155]




Historians generally agree that Islamic social reforms in areas such as social security, family structure, slavery and the rights of women and children improved on what was present in existing Arab society.[155][156] For example, according to Lewis, Islam "from the first denounced aristocratic privilege, rejected hierarchy, and adopted a formula of the career open to the talents"[155] Muhammad's message transformed the society and moral order of life in the Arabian Peninsula through reorientation of society as regards to identity, world view, and the hierarchy of values.[157]


Economic reforms addressed the plight of the poor, which was becoming an issue in pre-Islamic Mecca.[158] The Qur'an requires payment of an alms tax (zakat) for the benefit of the poor, and as Muhammad's position grew in power he demanded that those tribes who wanted to ally with him implement the zakat in particular.[159][160]

Sunnah


The Sunnah represents the actions and sayings of Muhammad (preserved in reports known as Hadith), and covers a broad array of activities and beliefs ranging from religious rituals, personal hygiene, burial of the dead to the mystical questions involving the love between humans and God. The Sunnah is considered as a model of emulation for pious Muslims and has to a great degree influenced the Muslim culture.


The greeting that Muhammad taught Muslims to offer each other, “may peace be upon you” (Arabic: as-salamu `alaykum) is used by Muslims throughout the world. Much of the details of the major Islamic religious rituals such as daily prayers, the fasting, the annual pilgrimage are only found in the Sunnah and not the Qur'an.[161]


The Sunnah also played a major role in the development of the Islamic sciences. It contributed much to the development of the Islamic law particularly from the end of the first Islamic century onwards.[162] Muslim mystics, known as sufis, who were seeking for the inner meaning of the Qur'an and the inner nature of Muhammad, viewed the prophet of Islam not only as a prophet but also as a perfect saint. Sufi orders trace their chain of spiritual descent back to Muhammad.[163]

Muslim veneration
See also: Islamic views of Muhammad, Naat, Depictions of Muhammad, Islamic music, Qawwali, and Islamic view of miracles


Wazir Khan Mosque (16th century) Fresco painting with floral designs surrounding the words "Allah" and "Muhammad" in blue. Inscribed inside the names are Qur'anic verses; the one inside the word "Allah" is the Ayat-ul-Kursi and the one inscribed inside the word "Muhammad" asserts that Muhammad is the last prophet.Muslims have traditionally expressed love and veneration for Muhammad. Stories of Muhammad's life, his intercession and of his miracles (particularly "Splitting of the moon" have permeated popular Muslim thought and poetry. The Qur'an refers to Muhammad as "a mercy (rahmat) to the worlds" (Qur'an


21:107).[14] The association of rain with mercy in Oriental countries has led to imagining Muhammad as a rain cloud dispensing blessing and stretching over lands, reviving the dead hearts, just as rain revives the seemingly dead earth (see for example the Sindhi poem of Shah ʿAbd al-Latif).[14] Muhammad's birthday is celebrated as a major feast throughout the Islamic world, excluding the Wahhabi-dominated Saudi Arabia where these public celebrations are discouraged.[164] Muslims experience Muhammad as a living reality, believing in his ongoing significance to human beings as well as animals and plants.[164]



Topkapı Palace gate with Shahadah and his seal. The Muslim Profession of faith, the Shahadah, illustrates the Muslim conception of the role of Muhammad – "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is His Messenger."According to historian Denis Gril, the Qur'an does not overtly describe Muhammad performing miracles, and the supreme miracle of Muhammad is finally identified with the Qur’an itself.[165] However, Muslim tradition credits Muhammad with several supernatural events.[166] For example, many Muslim commentators and some Western scholars have interpreted the Surah 54:1-2 as referring to Muhammad splitting the Moon in view of the Quraysh when they had begun to persecute his followers.[165][167]


Persian manuscript miniature depicting Muhammad, from Rashid al-Din's Jami al-Tawarikh, approximately 1315, illustrating the episode of the Black Stone.[168] When Muslims say or write the name of Muhammad or any other prophet in Islam, they usually follow it with Peace be upon him (Arabic: sallAllahu `alayhi wa sallam).[169]

Other religious views


Muhammad is mentioned by name in the Hindu scriptures in several aspects. Muhammad appears with the names Amad and Mahāmad.[179] Thus, Muhammad is mentioned, as Mahāmad (the ultimate Amad), in III.3.3.5-27 of the Bhavishya Purana text. The passage is aware of Muhammad's Arabian origin, and portrays him as an epithet of Brahma. It states that Muhammad will redevelop religion for the Arya Dharma people, and will destroy the worship of idols.

It then refers to the other religions as Malechhas (non-Aryan) who have brought a powerful enemy Tripurāsura whom Mahamad has brought a great blessing to kill. It then explains the Malechhas religion as dharmadūṣaka ("polluter of righteousness", a preceptor of paiśācadharma ("ghoulish religion", that spoils the land of the Arabs. [180] [181][182]



In a variety of views of Hinduism held on Muhammad, some scholars assert that the prophet was none else than the Narashan rishi of the Vedas, predicted in the Atharva Veda.[183] One of the prominent Vaishnava proponents, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada maintained that Mohammad and Jesus, were empowered representatives of God, saktiavesa avataras.[184]

Some translate the phrase "the last prophet", suggesting that Vedic deity Agni is none other but Muhammad.[185] In 1926 Siddiq Hussain's two-volume Kannada book, Ja at Guru Sarwar-i 'Alam, argued that the Muhammad was actually Kalki Avatar whose arrival had been predicted in the Hindu scriptures.[186] On the other hand Mirza Ghulani Ahmad argued that Rama and Krishna were prophets of God who had foretold the arrival of Muhammad as God's last law-bearing prophet.[187]



Muhammad is sometimes linked to the passage of the Rig Veda declaring that Narashan rishi will arrive as the "last divine messenger" (antim deva duta), who shall "dispel all darkness" and "conquer death".[188] Bahá'ís venerate Muhammad as one of a number of prophets or "Manifestations of God", but consider his teachings to have been superseded by those of Bahá'u'lláh.[189]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints considers Muhammad, along with Confucius, the Reformers, as well as philosophers including Socrates, Plato, and others, to have received a portion of God's light and that moral truths were given to them to enlighten nations and bring a higher level of understanding to individuals.[190] Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, viewed Muhammad as an agent of the Hindu supreme being Brahman.[191]