Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
Truth, wherever you find it, whatever its shape or form, remains truth. You may not want to see it, you may choose not to accept it, you may decide to turn a blind eye to it. None of this changes the fact that TRUTH is TRUTH. Truth doesn't depend on wether you think it's old fashioned or modern, it doesn't change if you decide to pretend it isn't there. It just IS.
The arabic word for it is Haqq. (TRUTH, in its absolute form). The thing about coming to Islam is you realise that your inner TRUTH is. Most reverts will tell you that there simply came a day when they were muslim. They didn't choose to walk away from what they believed, they simply realised, one day, that what they believed in no longer resonated in them. Why? Because the TRUTH will set you free. (As Jesus -Essa as- said).
So why is it that people will choose to believe in ANYTHING as bizarre as it may seem, rather than the truth? For example, why would someone believe in poltergeists but not in Jinnati? Why would they believe angels fall yet say they are created without choice?
The answer, for me, is this: Truth is INALIENABLE, and it demands action. Truth cuts between the very marrow of life and whatever existed before the light of truth has shone, simply is no more. No pretence can cover up the void of what no longer exists. As the saying goes, you can fool some of the people all of the time, you can fool all of the people some of the time, but you will NEVER fool all of the people all of the time. Why? Because YOU will know you're pretending, and that means there's ONE person you can't fool.
The TRUTH therefore, is that one thing that cuts to the quick of whatever you may have believed before. When Jesus (Essa, as) said that "I AM THE TRUTH, THE WAY, and THE LIFE" he is saying three things -
a) THE TRUTH - in other words, not PAUL, not PETER, JESUS (Essa, as). What did he do?
1) he rose early to pray, left people at lunchtime to pray, would "retreat" to pray throughout the day.
2) he prostrated to pray
b) THE WAY -
3) he said, when asked how to pray "OUR FATHER (creator in Hebrew, don't go literal crazy - READ what it said!!)in other words, he said ASK HIM, the ONE
4) he said that real followers of his would be seen by their works, that they would DO WHAT HE DID. (review points 1 through to 3)
c) THE LIFE -
5) One should lead the life he led. (for a third time, he re-itterates DO WHAT HE DID - see 1 - 3.
6) he said that until he returns, not a single dot from an i or a till from a T would be removed from the "word of God". Yet the bible has over 28000 versions, so what did he mean? He meant that the WORD - the TRUTH - is not dependent on man changing the books, it will survive, it will always be THE TRUTH. It was not just a statement but a warning that EVERYTHING that had been prescribed, remained.
7) He said he didn't come to abolish the law, but to fufil it. How much clearer could he have been, our beloved Jesus (Essa, as)
So I ask you - what would he have to say for you to believe he was NOT the son of God? Let's look at SOME of what JESUS said..
1) That he ISN'T God? He said that! He said, when Pilates told him the people accuse him of saying he is the son of God - he said "IT IS YOU THAT SAYS THAT!"
2) He said GO TO THE FATHER. (Creator, in Hebrew, not literally "father")
3) He said pray TO the FATHER (Creator, in Hebrew, not literally father - are you getting this?)
4) He said NOTHING would be removed from the law until he returned. Has he returned? (If you believe he died and then was raised, you need to ask yourself if GOD can DIE.. you then need to go read the bible where he said he WILL RETURN... so, why are you eating pork, for example?)
5)He said "My God, my GOD, why have YOU abandoned ME?" - in other words, here we see TWO people; GOD, and ME. If you say he was separated from God by sin, then you cannot say God died for your sins, because he was separated, right?
6) He was the friend of beggars, prostitutes, and spent his life telling people about GOD - not about HIMSELF.. what do christians do?
If Jesus said ALL the above, and he is your TRUTH, your WAY and your LIFE - how are you living? What truth are you believing? Who are YOU praying to? If you're confused, you need to hear not from Paul, or Peter, or any man - you need to read the words of God himself - did you know the Quran is written in the first person, by a man who never learnt to read, a book that has never been changed or adulterated since the day it was made, who will tell you about our beloved JESUS and about his return, as he promised.
Maybe, just maybe, you need an inspiration to TRUTH. Not because I said it, but because HE did.
So many people wear the bracelets, and so many people wear the necklaces, the bookcases, etc.. these ALL say the same thing, as though Jesus (Essa as) is somehow whispering from back in the day "WHAT WOULD JESUS DO????"
Would he follow Paul? Would he follow Peter? Would he follow HIMSELF? Or would he turn you to face the CREATOR because of HIS LOVE for HIM.. We muslims believe in the INJEEL - the living word that Jesus (Essa as) was.. the book that was within him, through his actions. Even the bible says "In the beginning there was the word, and the word became man." - JESUS (Essa as) is the WORD - are you listening to him, or to PAUL, PETER, or the NICENE council?
Food for thought, isn't it?
Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts
Monday, February 25, 2013
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Why say NO to Christmas?
Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
It is the "Silly Season" and let's face it, it's no secret that christians are so divided among themselves that they cannot agree on even the most basic of principles from wether or not a woman can preach to wether a christmas tree is "scriptural". There's no need to re-invent the wheel and try to find the answers to various christmas related questions. So here's an article written by a christian to christians, regarding christmas. Erm... need I say more?
PLEASE NOTE: I do not advocate the beliefs the writer advocates, I include extracts of his article here, simply because it is well researched and basically shows how the bible itself speaks against "christmas"..
All rights of the extracts of this article to its author David C Pack .
"Catholic Encyclopedia, 1911 edition, under “Christmas”: “Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the Church…the first evidence of the feast is from Egypt.” Further, “Pagan customs centering around the January calends gravitated to Christmas.” Under “Natal Day,” Origen, an early Catholic writer, admitted, “…In the Scriptures, no one is recorded to have kept a feast or held a great banquet on his birthday. It is only sinners (like Pharaoh and Herod) who make great rejoicings over the day in which they were born into this world” (emphasis mine).
The Encyclopedia Americana, 1956 edition, adds, “Christmas…was not observed in the first centuries of the Christian church, since the Christian usage in general was to celebrate the death of remarkable persons rather than their birth…a feast was established in memory of this event [ Jesus's birth] in the fourth century. In the fifth century the Western Church ordered the feast to be celebrated forever on the day of the Mithraic rites of the birth of the sun and at the close of the Saturnalia, as no certain knowledge of the day of Christ's birth existed.”
It was 300 years after Christ before the Roman church kept Christmas, and not until the fifth century that it was mandated to be kept throughout the empire as an official festival honoring “Christ.”
"Christ" said, “But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:9). Christmas is not a command of God—it is a tradition of men. "Christ" continued, “Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:9). Every year, throughout the world, on December 25th, hundreds of millions do just that!
We will see that God plainly commands, “Follow not the way of the heathen.” But most people do not fear God, and He allows them to make their own decisions. Human beings are free moral agents—free to obey or disobey God! (...)
Luke 2:8 explains that when "Christ" was born, “there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.” Note that they were “abiding” in the field. This never happened in December. Both Ezra 10:9-13 and the Song of Solomon 2:11 show that winter was the rainy season and shepherds could not stay on cold, open fields at night.
Numerous encyclopedias plainly state that "Christ" was not born on December 25th! The Catholic Encyclopedia directly confirms this. In all likelihood, "Christ" was born in the fall! A lengthy technical explanation would prove this point.
Since we now know that December 25th was nowhere near "Christ's" actual birthdate, where did the festival associated with this date come from?
Now read this quote under “Christmas”: “In the Roman world, the Saturnalia (December 17) was a time of merrymaking and exchanging of gifts. December 25 was also regarded as the birthdate of the Iranian mystery god Mithra, the Sun of Righteousness. On the Roman New Year (January 1), houses were decorated with greenery and lights, and gifts were given to children and the poor. To these observances were added the German and Celtic Yule rites when the Teutonic tribes penetrated into Gaul, Britain and central Europe. Food and good fellowship, the Yule log and Yule cakes, greenery and fir trees, gifts and greetings all commemorated different aspects of this festive season. (..)” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th ed., vol. II, p. 903).
A final quote about the selection of December 25th as the birthdate of "Christ" is necessary. Note an article in The Toronto Star, December 1984, by Alan Edmonds, entitled, “We owe a lot to Druids, Dutch”: “The Reformation cast a blight on Christmas. By then, of course, clever ecclesiastical politicians had adopted the Pagan mid-winter festival as the alleged birthdate of Jesus, of Nazareth, and thrown in a few other Pagan goodies to make their takeover more palatable.”
December 25th was not selected because it was the birth of "Christ" or because it was even near it. It was selected because it coincided with the idolatrous pagan festival Saturnalia—and this celebration must be carefully examined. In any event, we do not know the exact date of "Christ's" birth. (...)
Some years ago, a priest in New Jersey told his Sunday school class that Santa was a myth. The outrage from parents and his supervisors was swift. He had “killed Santa!” He had “destroyed family tradition!” He had “usurped family authority,” the article continued. He was officially censored by his superiors for being “overzealous and insensitive.”
His crime? He told the truth!
According to Langer's Encyclo-pedia of World History, (article “Santa”), “Santa” was a common name for Nimrod throughout Asia Minor. This was also the same fire god who came down the chimneys of the ancient pagans and the same fire god to whom infants were burned and eaten in human sacrifice among those who were once God's people.
Today Santa Claus comes from “Saint Nicholas.” Washington Irving, in 1809, is responsible for remaking the original old, stern bishop of this same name into the new “jolly St. Nick” in his Knickerbocker History of New York. (Most of the rest of America's Christmas traditions are even more recent than this.) “Old Nick” has long been recognized as a term for the devil.
In Revelation 2:6 and 15, we read about a “doctrine of the Nicolaitanes,” which Christ twice tells His Church “[He] hates.” Let's analyze the word Nicolaitane. It means “follower of Nicholas.” Nikos means “conqueror, destroyer.” Laos means “people.” Nicolaitanes, then, are people who follow the conqueror or destroyer—Nimrod. If you have believed that following Christmas is an innocent Christian custom, let this truth sink in!
The Bibliotheca Sacra states, “The interchange of presents between friends is a like characteristic of Christmas and the Saturnalia, and must have been adopted by Christians from the pagans, as the admonition of Tertullian plainly shows” (Vol. 12, pp. 153-155).
Like every other aspect of Christmas, the shocking truth is that even this supposed Christian custom does not come from the Bible. It is an irony that people love to believe they are following the custom of the wise men giving to Christ, when actually they are giving almost exclusively to each other! What hypocrisy! Christ is completely forgotten.
The Bible actually teaches that Christians should not keep birthdays. Numerous scriptures make this principle clear. (...) However, what if you went to a birthday party that had been prepared for you and everybody gave gifts to each other and you were left out? The idea is ridiculous! If this happened, you would say that people were being selfish and forgetting you. In fact, most people give to others on Christmas merely because they expect to receive gifts themselves!
Let's briefly return to the “wise men” who gave gifts to Christ. The scripture describing this is Matthew 2:1-11: “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews?…And when they were come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”
It is commonly supposed that these were birthday presents for “baby Jesus.” But is this what the Bible actually says? Absolutely not! First, it is important to note that they did give the gifts to Jesus. They did not stand in his presence and exchange gifts among themselves or give them to others. The gifts were “presented unto Him.” Also, they arrived well after his “birthday.” This is another reason these could not have been “birthday presents.” (...)
The following demonstrates what the Babylonians believe about the origin of the Christmas tree: “An old Babylonish fable told of an evergreen tree which sprang out of a dead tree stump. The old stump symbolized the dead Nimrod, the new evergreen tree symbolized that Nimrod had come to life again in Tammuz! Among the Druids the oak was sacred, among the Egyptians it was the palm, and in Rome it was the fir, which was decorated with red berries during the Saturnalia!” (Walsh, Curiosities of Popular Customs, p. 242).
Frederick J. Haskin's Answers to Questions states, “The Christmas tree is from Egypt, and its origin dates from a period long anterior to the Christmas Era.” Did you know this—that the Christmas tree long preceded Christianity?
Most aspects of Christmas are not referred to in the Bible. Of course, the reason is that they are not from God (The reader should remember this article was written by a christian writer, not by the blogger yesimmuslimdealwithit) (...) The Christmas tree, however, is directly mentioned in the Bible! Turn to Jeremiah 10:2-5, “Thus says the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen…For the customs of the people are vain: for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.”
This plain description of the modern Christmas tree is clear. (The bible )directly refers to it as “the way of the heathen.” Just as directly, He commands His people to “learn not the way of the heathen,” calling these customs “vain.” Verse 23 adds a remarkable and powerful statement: “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walks to direct his [own] steps.” God must teach people how to live. Man simply cannot figure out God's ways for himself. (Note from yesImMuslimDealwithit - please read this again - Christians will tell muslims that they do not need laws because they are set free.. so no, I'm not agreeing with the writer in all he says, but I want readers to note what christians themselves say about christmas - their OWN bible denounces it.)
There is no room in Jeremiah 10 to believe, as some have tried to suggest, that because these trees are powerless of themselves, it is not really forbidden to have a Christmas tree. God condemns the putting up of pagan (Christmas) trees with this plain Bible command!
The Encyclopedia Americana states, “The holly, the mistletoe, the Yule log…are relics of pre-Christian time.” In other words, paganism! The Yule log was commonly used in a rite of Teutonic nature worship.
Frederick Haskin further states, “The use of Christmas wreaths is believed by authorities to be traceable to the pagan customs of decorating buildings and places of worship at the feast which took place at the same time as Christmas.”
The Encyclopedia Britannica, under “Celastrales,” exposes the origin of the holly wreath: “European pagans brought holly sprays into their homes, offering them to the fairy people of the forests as refuge from the harsh winter weather. During the Saturnalia, the Roman winter festival, branches of holly were exchanged as tokens of friendship. The earliest Roman Christians apparently used holly as a decoration at the Christmas season.”
There are dozens of different types of holly. Virtually all of them come in male and female varieties—such as “Blue Prince and Blue Princess” or “Blue Boy and Blue Girl” or “China Boy and China Girl.” Female holly plants cannot have berries unless a nearby male plant pollinates them. It is easy to see why the holly wreath found its way into pagan rituals as a token of friendship and fertility!
Christmas is incomplete to many unless it involves “kissing under the mistletoe.” This pagan custom was natural on a night that involved much revelry done in the spirit of drunken orgies. Just like today, this “kissing” usually occurred at the beginning of any modern Saturnalia/Christmas celebration. I will never forget having to always kiss my friends' mothers upon entering each of their houses every Christmas. It was the first thing that we did. I hated it—but it was something I “had to do”! Mistletoe was considered to have special powers of healing for those who “reveled” under it.
The Encyclopedia Britannica, under “Santalales,” states, “The European mistletoe is thought to have had special ritual significance in Druidical ceremonies and lives in folklore today, its special status as the Christmas mistletoe having come from Anglo-Saxon times.” Mistletoe is a parasite that lives on oak trees. (Recall that the Druids worshipped in oak tree groves.) The ancient Celtics (associated with the Druids) used to give mistletoe as an herbal remedy to barren animals to make them fertile. It is still referred to as “all healer” in Celtic. (Yesimmuslimdealwithit comment - and yes, it is a medicinal herb, but it should not be used for any spiritual purpose for only ALLAH heals!)
Like mistletoe, holly berries were also thought to be sacred to the sun god. The original “sun log” came to be called the yule log. “Yule” simply means “wheel,” which has long been a pagan representation of the sun. No wonder people today commonly speak of the “sacred yule-tide season.”
Human beings do not want to obey God (Rom. 8:7). They would rather follow their own “imagination.” They do not understand that God wants their lives to go “well.” He wants happiness, joy and blessings to flow into people's lives. All these are the results of obeying Him.
God inspired Moses to warn parents of the grave responsibility that they have in what and how they teach their children. Notice His instruction in Deuteronomy 6:1, 6-7, 20-21, 25: “Now these are the commandments…which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you go to possess it…And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart: And you shall teach them diligently unto your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up…And when your son asks you in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord our God has commanded you? Then you shall say unto your son, We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand…And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us.”
God took Israel out of Egypt—out of the customs of the world around them and revealed His Law to them. He does not want His people going back to the traditions, customs and ways from which He has called them. (note by yesimmuslimdealwithit - the writer sounds like a muslim, doesn't he? After all, he's basically saying one should submit to the laws of Allah, as written in the thorah, right? Submission to Allah's will, to the will of God, has a name - its translated in arabic as "ISLAM".)
When all of the interconnected traditions, filled with the symbolism of worshipping an ancient pagan, humanly devised god, are taught, this is not worshipping the true Creator.
The prophet Isaiah was inspired to write, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgression” (58:1). I have done this.
Notes from yesimmuslimdealwithit - why would the writer weep for the transgressions of the christians, aren't christians free from all transgressions because of "the cross" - oh wait - the cross is also a pagan symbol - !!
Wether you are christian or not, christmas is not. Wether you are christian or not, you should not be hanging up christmas trees, exchanging gifts or participating in anything remotely christmassy. May our muslim brothers and sisters who participate "FOR THE FUN OF IT" take heed - Shirk is not a game, and since christmas is actually orignated in PAGAN and IDOLATROUS beliefs, is it not, then, idolatry? May Allah guide us all, and grant us the truth, always, for truly if the christians believed that the truth would set them free, they would seek the truth. CONVENIENCE is not the same as faith.
It is the "Silly Season" and let's face it, it's no secret that christians are so divided among themselves that they cannot agree on even the most basic of principles from wether or not a woman can preach to wether a christmas tree is "scriptural". There's no need to re-invent the wheel and try to find the answers to various christmas related questions. So here's an article written by a christian to christians, regarding christmas. Erm... need I say more?
PLEASE NOTE: I do not advocate the beliefs the writer advocates, I include extracts of his article here, simply because it is well researched and basically shows how the bible itself speaks against "christmas"..
All rights of the extracts of this article to its author David C Pack .
"Catholic Encyclopedia, 1911 edition, under “Christmas”: “Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the Church…the first evidence of the feast is from Egypt.” Further, “Pagan customs centering around the January calends gravitated to Christmas.” Under “Natal Day,” Origen, an early Catholic writer, admitted, “…In the Scriptures, no one is recorded to have kept a feast or held a great banquet on his birthday. It is only sinners (like Pharaoh and Herod) who make great rejoicings over the day in which they were born into this world” (emphasis mine).
The Encyclopedia Americana, 1956 edition, adds, “Christmas…was not observed in the first centuries of the Christian church, since the Christian usage in general was to celebrate the death of remarkable persons rather than their birth…a feast was established in memory of this event [ Jesus's birth] in the fourth century. In the fifth century the Western Church ordered the feast to be celebrated forever on the day of the Mithraic rites of the birth of the sun and at the close of the Saturnalia, as no certain knowledge of the day of Christ's birth existed.”
It was 300 years after Christ before the Roman church kept Christmas, and not until the fifth century that it was mandated to be kept throughout the empire as an official festival honoring “Christ.”
Can "Christ" Be Honored by Christmas?
The most common justification that one will hear regarding Christmas is that people have replaced old pagan customs and intents by asserting that they are now “focusing on Christ.” I have heard many say that they are “honoring Christ” in their Christmas-keeping. The problem is that God does not say this is acceptable to Him! Actually, He plainly commands against it! Keeping Christmas dishonors Christ! He considers everything about it to be an abomination! We will soon see why."Christ" said, “But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:9). Christmas is not a command of God—it is a tradition of men. "Christ" continued, “Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:9). Every year, throughout the world, on December 25th, hundreds of millions do just that!
We will see that God plainly commands, “Follow not the way of the heathen.” But most people do not fear God, and He allows them to make their own decisions. Human beings are free moral agents—free to obey or disobey God! (...)
Was "Christ" Born on December 25th?
"Christ" was born in the fall of the year. Many have mistakenly believed He was born around the beginning of winter—December 25th! They are wrong! Notice the Adam Clarke Commentary, volume 5, page 370, New York edition: “It was custom among Jews to send out their sheep to the deserts about the Passover [early spring], and bring them home at the commencement of the first rain.” The first rains began in early-to-mid fall. Continuing with this same quote: “During the time they were out, the shepherds watched them night and day. As…the first rain began early in the month of March-esvan, which answers to part of our October and November [begins sometime in October], we find that the sheep were kept out in the open country during the whole summer. And as these shepherds had not yet brought home their flocks, it is a presumptive argument that October had not yet commenced, and that, consequently, (Jesus) was not born on the 25th of December, when no flocks were out in the fields; nor could He have been born later than September, as the flocks were still in the fields by night. On this very ground, the nativity in December should be given up. The feeding of the flocks by night in the fields is a chronological fact…See the quotations from the Talmudists in Lightfoot.”Luke 2:8 explains that when "Christ" was born, “there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.” Note that they were “abiding” in the field. This never happened in December. Both Ezra 10:9-13 and the Song of Solomon 2:11 show that winter was the rainy season and shepherds could not stay on cold, open fields at night.
Numerous encyclopedias plainly state that "Christ" was not born on December 25th! The Catholic Encyclopedia directly confirms this. In all likelihood, "Christ" was born in the fall! A lengthy technical explanation would prove this point.
Since we now know that December 25th was nowhere near "Christ's" actual birthdate, where did the festival associated with this date come from?
Now read this quote under “Christmas”: “In the Roman world, the Saturnalia (December 17) was a time of merrymaking and exchanging of gifts. December 25 was also regarded as the birthdate of the Iranian mystery god Mithra, the Sun of Righteousness. On the Roman New Year (January 1), houses were decorated with greenery and lights, and gifts were given to children and the poor. To these observances were added the German and Celtic Yule rites when the Teutonic tribes penetrated into Gaul, Britain and central Europe. Food and good fellowship, the Yule log and Yule cakes, greenery and fir trees, gifts and greetings all commemorated different aspects of this festive season. (..)” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th ed., vol. II, p. 903).
A final quote about the selection of December 25th as the birthdate of "Christ" is necessary. Note an article in The Toronto Star, December 1984, by Alan Edmonds, entitled, “We owe a lot to Druids, Dutch”: “The Reformation cast a blight on Christmas. By then, of course, clever ecclesiastical politicians had adopted the Pagan mid-winter festival as the alleged birthdate of Jesus, of Nazareth, and thrown in a few other Pagan goodies to make their takeover more palatable.”
December 25th was not selected because it was the birth of "Christ" or because it was even near it. It was selected because it coincided with the idolatrous pagan festival Saturnalia—and this celebration must be carefully examined. In any event, we do not know the exact date of "Christ's" birth. (...)
What About Santa Claus?
Parents reason that they owe the whole Christmas myth to their children! Christmas traditions are focused primarily on kids, and they are certainly the center of most of what happens. I know because I kept seventeen Christmases. My older sister and younger brother and I were the recipients of much and the givers of very little on that day—and it all started with the Santa Claus lie.Some years ago, a priest in New Jersey told his Sunday school class that Santa was a myth. The outrage from parents and his supervisors was swift. He had “killed Santa!” He had “destroyed family tradition!” He had “usurped family authority,” the article continued. He was officially censored by his superiors for being “overzealous and insensitive.”
His crime? He told the truth!
According to Langer's Encyclo-pedia of World History, (article “Santa”), “Santa” was a common name for Nimrod throughout Asia Minor. This was also the same fire god who came down the chimneys of the ancient pagans and the same fire god to whom infants were burned and eaten in human sacrifice among those who were once God's people.
Today Santa Claus comes from “Saint Nicholas.” Washington Irving, in 1809, is responsible for remaking the original old, stern bishop of this same name into the new “jolly St. Nick” in his Knickerbocker History of New York. (Most of the rest of America's Christmas traditions are even more recent than this.) “Old Nick” has long been recognized as a term for the devil.
In Revelation 2:6 and 15, we read about a “doctrine of the Nicolaitanes,” which Christ twice tells His Church “[He] hates.” Let's analyze the word Nicolaitane. It means “follower of Nicholas.” Nikos means “conqueror, destroyer.” Laos means “people.” Nicolaitanes, then, are people who follow the conqueror or destroyer—Nimrod. If you have believed that following Christmas is an innocent Christian custom, let this truth sink in!
Is It "Scriptural" to Exchange Gifts?
Merchants regularly report that over 60% of their annual retail sales occur during the Christmas shopping season. This represents a tremendous amount of gift buying. Most today believe that gift-giving comes from the Bible example of the “three wise men” (the Bible gives no number) presenting gifts to Christ. Is this true? Where did exchanging gifts come from, and what does God's Word say about it?The Bibliotheca Sacra states, “The interchange of presents between friends is a like characteristic of Christmas and the Saturnalia, and must have been adopted by Christians from the pagans, as the admonition of Tertullian plainly shows” (Vol. 12, pp. 153-155).
Like every other aspect of Christmas, the shocking truth is that even this supposed Christian custom does not come from the Bible. It is an irony that people love to believe they are following the custom of the wise men giving to Christ, when actually they are giving almost exclusively to each other! What hypocrisy! Christ is completely forgotten.
The Bible actually teaches that Christians should not keep birthdays. Numerous scriptures make this principle clear. (...) However, what if you went to a birthday party that had been prepared for you and everybody gave gifts to each other and you were left out? The idea is ridiculous! If this happened, you would say that people were being selfish and forgetting you. In fact, most people give to others on Christmas merely because they expect to receive gifts themselves!
Let's briefly return to the “wise men” who gave gifts to Christ. The scripture describing this is Matthew 2:1-11: “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews?…And when they were come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”
It is commonly supposed that these were birthday presents for “baby Jesus.” But is this what the Bible actually says? Absolutely not! First, it is important to note that they did give the gifts to Jesus. They did not stand in his presence and exchange gifts among themselves or give them to others. The gifts were “presented unto Him.” Also, they arrived well after his “birthday.” This is another reason these could not have been “birthday presents.” (...)
Origin of the Christmas Tree
No article about Christmas is complete without some explanation of the “Christmas tree.” We have touched on it without directly focusing on it. The modern Christmas tree originated in Germany. But the Germans got it from the Romans, who got it from the Babylonians and the Egyptians.The following demonstrates what the Babylonians believe about the origin of the Christmas tree: “An old Babylonish fable told of an evergreen tree which sprang out of a dead tree stump. The old stump symbolized the dead Nimrod, the new evergreen tree symbolized that Nimrod had come to life again in Tammuz! Among the Druids the oak was sacred, among the Egyptians it was the palm, and in Rome it was the fir, which was decorated with red berries during the Saturnalia!” (Walsh, Curiosities of Popular Customs, p. 242).
Frederick J. Haskin's Answers to Questions states, “The Christmas tree is from Egypt, and its origin dates from a period long anterior to the Christmas Era.” Did you know this—that the Christmas tree long preceded Christianity?
Most aspects of Christmas are not referred to in the Bible. Of course, the reason is that they are not from God (The reader should remember this article was written by a christian writer, not by the blogger yesimmuslimdealwithit) (...) The Christmas tree, however, is directly mentioned in the Bible! Turn to Jeremiah 10:2-5, “Thus says the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen…For the customs of the people are vain: for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.”
This plain description of the modern Christmas tree is clear. (The bible )directly refers to it as “the way of the heathen.” Just as directly, He commands His people to “learn not the way of the heathen,” calling these customs “vain.” Verse 23 adds a remarkable and powerful statement: “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walks to direct his [own] steps.” God must teach people how to live. Man simply cannot figure out God's ways for himself. (Note from yesImMuslimDealwithit - please read this again - Christians will tell muslims that they do not need laws because they are set free.. so no, I'm not agreeing with the writer in all he says, but I want readers to note what christians themselves say about christmas - their OWN bible denounces it.)
There is no room in Jeremiah 10 to believe, as some have tried to suggest, that because these trees are powerless of themselves, it is not really forbidden to have a Christmas tree. God condemns the putting up of pagan (Christmas) trees with this plain Bible command!
The Source of Holly Wreaths, Yule Logs and Mistletoe
The Encyclopedia Americana states, “The holly, the mistletoe, the Yule log…are relics of pre-Christian time.” In other words, paganism! The Yule log was commonly used in a rite of Teutonic nature worship.
Frederick Haskin further states, “The use of Christmas wreaths is believed by authorities to be traceable to the pagan customs of decorating buildings and places of worship at the feast which took place at the same time as Christmas.”
The Encyclopedia Britannica, under “Celastrales,” exposes the origin of the holly wreath: “European pagans brought holly sprays into their homes, offering them to the fairy people of the forests as refuge from the harsh winter weather. During the Saturnalia, the Roman winter festival, branches of holly were exchanged as tokens of friendship. The earliest Roman Christians apparently used holly as a decoration at the Christmas season.”
There are dozens of different types of holly. Virtually all of them come in male and female varieties—such as “Blue Prince and Blue Princess” or “Blue Boy and Blue Girl” or “China Boy and China Girl.” Female holly plants cannot have berries unless a nearby male plant pollinates them. It is easy to see why the holly wreath found its way into pagan rituals as a token of friendship and fertility!
Christmas is incomplete to many unless it involves “kissing under the mistletoe.” This pagan custom was natural on a night that involved much revelry done in the spirit of drunken orgies. Just like today, this “kissing” usually occurred at the beginning of any modern Saturnalia/Christmas celebration. I will never forget having to always kiss my friends' mothers upon entering each of their houses every Christmas. It was the first thing that we did. I hated it—but it was something I “had to do”! Mistletoe was considered to have special powers of healing for those who “reveled” under it.
The Encyclopedia Britannica, under “Santalales,” states, “The European mistletoe is thought to have had special ritual significance in Druidical ceremonies and lives in folklore today, its special status as the Christmas mistletoe having come from Anglo-Saxon times.” Mistletoe is a parasite that lives on oak trees. (Recall that the Druids worshipped in oak tree groves.) The ancient Celtics (associated with the Druids) used to give mistletoe as an herbal remedy to barren animals to make them fertile. It is still referred to as “all healer” in Celtic. (Yesimmuslimdealwithit comment - and yes, it is a medicinal herb, but it should not be used for any spiritual purpose for only ALLAH heals!)
Like mistletoe, holly berries were also thought to be sacred to the sun god. The original “sun log” came to be called the yule log. “Yule” simply means “wheel,” which has long been a pagan representation of the sun. No wonder people today commonly speak of the “sacred yule-tide season.”
What Should You Do?
Finally, let's examine what God told His people they should do and the way they ought to teach their children.Human beings do not want to obey God (Rom. 8:7). They would rather follow their own “imagination.” They do not understand that God wants their lives to go “well.” He wants happiness, joy and blessings to flow into people's lives. All these are the results of obeying Him.
God inspired Moses to warn parents of the grave responsibility that they have in what and how they teach their children. Notice His instruction in Deuteronomy 6:1, 6-7, 20-21, 25: “Now these are the commandments…which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you go to possess it…And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart: And you shall teach them diligently unto your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up…And when your son asks you in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord our God has commanded you? Then you shall say unto your son, We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand…And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us.”
God took Israel out of Egypt—out of the customs of the world around them and revealed His Law to them. He does not want His people going back to the traditions, customs and ways from which He has called them. (note by yesimmuslimdealwithit - the writer sounds like a muslim, doesn't he? After all, he's basically saying one should submit to the laws of Allah, as written in the thorah, right? Submission to Allah's will, to the will of God, has a name - its translated in arabic as "ISLAM".)
When all of the interconnected traditions, filled with the symbolism of worshipping an ancient pagan, humanly devised god, are taught, this is not worshipping the true Creator.
The prophet Isaiah was inspired to write, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgression” (58:1). I have done this.
Notes from yesimmuslimdealwithit - why would the writer weep for the transgressions of the christians, aren't christians free from all transgressions because of "the cross" - oh wait - the cross is also a pagan symbol - !!
Wether you are christian or not, christmas is not. Wether you are christian or not, you should not be hanging up christmas trees, exchanging gifts or participating in anything remotely christmassy. May our muslim brothers and sisters who participate "FOR THE FUN OF IT" take heed - Shirk is not a game, and since christmas is actually orignated in PAGAN and IDOLATROUS beliefs, is it not, then, idolatry? May Allah guide us all, and grant us the truth, always, for truly if the christians believed that the truth would set them free, they would seek the truth. CONVENIENCE is not the same as faith.
Monday, September 17, 2012
For the love of Jesus (Essa) peace be upon him
Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
For those who may not know, Islam believes in Jesus. (In arabic, his name is Essa, or Isa (peace be upon him) depending on pronounciation). We believe that Isa will return, that we will fight the Dajaal and overcome thereby, and will rule for a predetermined period of time. We believe that he was chosen by Allah (the One living and eternal and self-subsisting God).
In ancient hebrew, the word "father" is similar to the word ALLAH in that it actually means "creator". This is an extremely important fact, a "father" attributes to a creator some sense of "equality" with mankind, and to say furthermore that the Creator has a son, is, linguistically speaking and spiritually, incorrect.
I will not in this post go in to the merits of "was Jesus God" because every muslim reading this knows there is ONLY One God and God can neither be born nor can HE die. Every one who's read the bible (whatever version that may be) will confirm it also says this, since God has NO beginning and NO end. Enough said on that count, we will leave it to another day.
Today I dedicate this post to one of the most inspirational and well loved Prophets; Jesus (Isa, peace be upon him). From the miracle of his conception to the miracles he made which show that he truly was a chosen one; some miracles are in the versioned bibles and some are not. There are a few that christians do not usually know about.
So here is the story of Jesus (Isa as)..
The hebrew people had settled in the blessed land of Palestine. There were 12 tribes of Israel.They held the Torah as Moses (Musa as) had remembered and written it down after breaking the inital plates that Allah had dicated to him. At this point we refer to Allah and the God of the Torah as one and the same. At this stage, they still followed the TORAH as it was originally given. The Prophet David (Dawud as) and his son the Prophet Solomon (Suleiman as) were commended as great kings and commanded great respect.The people led noble lives and where they did not, Suleiman (as) was a most excellent judge.
As time went on, people began to pay less and less attention to the laws of piety and converted to the pagan ways of the Romans who's influence lay everywhere!. The Levites and the Pharasses and Sadjucees, in charge of the holy Torah and the Holy laws, began to notice that and they in turn, also corrupted, hid certain things from the Holy Book and changed others so as to obtain political and spiritual control of a people who had begun to stray.
The people adopted sinful ways and the Pharasees bought and sold salvation and forgiveness just as many years later the Catholics would do.
The Quran repeatedly reminds us that Prophet Adam, the first human being, was born with neither a human mother nor a human father. So the miraculous birth of Jesus (Isa as) affords him no higher standing or presumed partnership with God than Adam. When God ordains a matter, He merely says, "Be" and it is so. "The similitude of Jesus before God is as that of Adam. He created him from dust, then said to him: "Be!" And he was" (3:59).
The angel's visit caused Mary a tremendous amount of anxiety which grew as her baby grew. How could she possibly face giving birth to the child without a husband? She left the temple and went to Nazareth, where she was born and settled in a simple farm house to avoid the public. But still, the anxiety continued. What would people say? Her father was pure man, and her mother, pious, had given birth to her as a gift of Allah! The tongues would surely wag!
Eventually, she decided to leave. She had no idea where she would go but she knew she needed to get away. She sat down in the trunk of a dead palm tree and there she gave birth to a son. She was now even more worried, confused as to what would become of her and how she would care for this baby without food or drink.
A voice nearby said "Grieve not, for your Lord has placed a rivulet below. Shake the truck of this tree and ripe dates will fall. Eat and drink and regain the strength you lost, and be of good cheer, for what you see is by the power of Allah, who made te dry palm tree regain life in order to provide food for you."
Slowly, she regained her strength, comforted by Allah's provision, and in her mind she knew she needed to return to society. The thought of returning was accompanied by the same stress and fears of what people would say. Sensing his mother's worry, the baby began to speak. "If you meet anyone say 'I have vowed to fast for The Beneficent and may not speak to any human today." The miracle of the baby speaking to her gave her courage to do just that. As was to be expected, they chastised her on seeing her, told her she'd committed a terrible sin. She put her finger to her lips and pointed to the child. They asked "how can we speak to a newborn baby?!" But to their total amazement, the child began to speak, clearly, saying "I am Allah's servant. Allah has given me the Book, has made me a prophet, and has blessed me wherever I may be, and has enjoined on me prayers and alms-giving as long as I live. Allah has made me dutiful towards she who has borne me. He has not made me arrogant nor unblessed. Peace unto me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I shall be raised Alive."
Let's review the happenings thus far as per the Quran itself:
And mention in the Book (the Qur'an, O Muhammad, the story of) Mary, when she withdrew in seclusion from her family to a place facing east. She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our Ruh (angel Gabriel), and he appeared before her in the form of a man in all respects.
Joseph (a carpenter) was very suprised at the story of the birth of Jesus (as) He asked Mary how it could be that a tree could grow without a seed. Mary replied thatit is possible because a the one who created the first tree didn't need a seed, and so too Adam didn't require a seed to be made since Allah does as HE pleases.
The Pharisees and Sadducees felt that this child was dangerous - news of his miraculous birth would no doubt turn people away from obeying their rules and they would loose authority over people who would turn back to God as their only source, thus causing their jewish tenents to crumble. They tried to suppress news of the chil's speech in infancy and accused Mary of a great misdeed. Joseph married Mary, and islam has no problem with Mary having had children afterwards as it does not detract from her saintliness. She was a virgin mother, it doesn't mean to say she died a virgin. After all, she was married and loved her husband Joseph.
By the time Jesus (Essa as) was twelve, he accompanied his mother to Jerusalem. He wanded into the temple and joined a crowd that was listening to the Rabbis. He gave his opinions and taught in the synagogue which disturbed the Rabbis greatly. They were unable to answer the questions he put to them. Try as they might they couldn't silence him. The story of Mary's panic discovering Jesus was missing can also be found in the bible, but the rest of the story is absent, changed just as the then Pharisees and Sadjucees had changed the Torah. Jesus became so engrossed in the discussion that he forgot it was time to head home. In the meantime Mary had left, thinking he might have returned with his relatives or friends. But when she got home and didn't find him there, she panicked - raced back to town, searched high and low for her son. And there was.. sitting in the temple among the learned, debating and conversing with them as though this was the most natural thing. He had forgotten all about the time.
Jesus the boy, becomes a man..
Just as many other aspects of worship had been traded for a life of luxury or labour depending on which side of the breadline one lived, so too the practice of the Sabath had fallen by the way side, as Jesus grew. The old practices of complete rest and worship had simply fallen away or became twisted - suddenly calling a dr for a gravely ill patient was sinful. Life was riddled by hipocrisy, and framed by the outlines of complacency issued by the religious leaders. They were tought that the Sabath was kept in heaven and hence they needed to "observe" the Sabbath . The pharisees took the emphasis off worship and placed it on "doing nothing". You could not travel more than one thousand yards on a Sabbath, etc. 20 000 priests earned their living from the temple, and the rooms f the temple were full. Jesus noticed there were more priests than worshipers, but yet the temples were overflowing with animals being sold for sacrifices for various penances and forgivenesses.
Every step into the temple and within the temple had to be paid for - the catholics years later did no less, didn't they, which provokes the catholic reformation - ? But that's another topic.
There were so many laws, so many sins, and each one had to be paid for with blood of an animal for sacrifice. Every small thing was sinful - even calling that dr for a sick patient. On his way to the temple, Jesus picked two pieces of fruit to feed a hungry child - a violation of the Pharisees! He made a fire for an old women to keep her warm - another violation. He went into the temple and looked around at the 20 000 registered priests.
The Pharisees and Sadducees, who always disagreed about everything, argued continuously, selling off sacrifices whilst arguing. The poor who could not afford the sacrifice offerings for the payment of "sins" and "religious offences" were chased away. The poor queued on the temple stairs, the ill, waiting for a little charity, a little food. But none was given whilst inside the fires roared with the roasting sacrifices. On this same night John (pbuh) and Zakariah (pbuh) were killed by the ruling powers. On the same night, Jesus was told by Allah to call the childred of Israel and turn them BACK to Allah. Jesus spoke out, denounced, and charged that "marketplace" of thieves declaring Allah's word and calling people to a nobler life.
Jesus the Prophet
Throughout his life, Jesus continued to invite people back to the Creator. He performed many miracles, and in Allah's name - (ALLAH working through him), he carved a bird out of clay, and breathed into it so that ALLAH, through him, brought the bird to life. The Romans were not at this stage concerned about Jesus. So long as the Jews were bothered by Jesus they were distracted away from the occupation of Rome.
At one point, they tried to trick Jesus. They brought a woman forward and said "does not the law stipulate the stoning of an adulteress?" Jesus answered "yes" and they argued that if that woman was an adulteress then she should be destroyed, and if he opposed this then he would be destroying his own teaching of a God of forgiveness.
Jesus looked at the Pharisees. He knew they were guilty of FAR more than this woman, so he said "Whoever of YOU is sinless you can stone her!" This did not abolish the law - it pointed out the hypocrisy, it taught about the importance of following a leader that is pious, it spoke to the lies of the pharisees and their "tests", and he attested to the fact that religious leaders are not executioners - ALL IN ONE!
On his way to the temple that moring, Jesus had been followed by a woman who knelt before him and washed his feet with perfume and tears. Jesus asked her to stand an then said "Oh Lord, Forgive her sins."
Jesus taught people to have mercy on one another, to believe in ONE God, the Creator, through him, Allah raised 3 people from the dead. The Jews mocked him, saying he could only raise up someone who had died recently and asked him to bring back to life Sam the Ibn Noah. Heading to his grave, Jesus (as) asked ALLAH to bring this man back to life, and Sam the Ibn Noah came out of the grave.But his hair was gray and in his time there was as yet no aging, so Jesus asked him about that and Sam the Ibn Noah said "I thought that the Day of Resurection had come; from fear of that day my hair turned grey."
The miracle of the Holy Table:
Jesus in the Quran.
For those who may not know, Islam believes in Jesus. (In arabic, his name is Essa, or Isa (peace be upon him) depending on pronounciation). We believe that Isa will return, that we will fight the Dajaal and overcome thereby, and will rule for a predetermined period of time. We believe that he was chosen by Allah (the One living and eternal and self-subsisting God).
In ancient hebrew, the word "father" is similar to the word ALLAH in that it actually means "creator". This is an extremely important fact, a "father" attributes to a creator some sense of "equality" with mankind, and to say furthermore that the Creator has a son, is, linguistically speaking and spiritually, incorrect.
I will not in this post go in to the merits of "was Jesus God" because every muslim reading this knows there is ONLY One God and God can neither be born nor can HE die. Every one who's read the bible (whatever version that may be) will confirm it also says this, since God has NO beginning and NO end. Enough said on that count, we will leave it to another day.
Today I dedicate this post to one of the most inspirational and well loved Prophets; Jesus (Isa, peace be upon him). From the miracle of his conception to the miracles he made which show that he truly was a chosen one; some miracles are in the versioned bibles and some are not. There are a few that christians do not usually know about.
So here is the story of Jesus (Isa as)..
The hebrew people had settled in the blessed land of Palestine. There were 12 tribes of Israel.They held the Torah as Moses (Musa as) had remembered and written it down after breaking the inital plates that Allah had dicated to him. At this point we refer to Allah and the God of the Torah as one and the same. At this stage, they still followed the TORAH as it was originally given. The Prophet David (Dawud as) and his son the Prophet Solomon (Suleiman as) were commended as great kings and commanded great respect.The people led noble lives and where they did not, Suleiman (as) was a most excellent judge.
As time went on, people began to pay less and less attention to the laws of piety and converted to the pagan ways of the Romans who's influence lay everywhere!. The Levites and the Pharasses and Sadjucees, in charge of the holy Torah and the Holy laws, began to notice that and they in turn, also corrupted, hid certain things from the Holy Book and changed others so as to obtain political and spiritual control of a people who had begun to stray.
The people adopted sinful ways and the Pharasees bought and sold salvation and forgiveness just as many years later the Catholics would do.
The Romans were the superpower of the day. They were pagan, they believed in many man-made gods and adopted more as their territory expanded, embracing even the witchcraft and sorcery learnt from Egypt. They had temples dedicated to various gods, temple prostitutes were well employed and they lived a life of slavery to carnal desires. The ruling class lived lives of spoilt depravity and ritches, arrogance and wastage. The cast system was rife and ordinary people lived in misery and slavery. Women had no rights and enjoyed no priveledge, except for the prostitutes of the Roman temples.
Herod took power of the Roman empire and whilst he epitomised the cruelty of the time, his own people disliked him - any complaint was, quite literally, put to the sword.
The Conception and Birth of Jesus - Prophet Isa (PBUH)
Allah, the Beneficent, wanted to guide the depraved humanity to the right path. Once again he decided to send a prophet, to bring people back to Him and to forgive them their sins should they turn to HIM in repentance.
Maryam (Mary) was a beautiful maiden young girl who loved God and sought to serve him. She was virtuous, and chaste. She prayed continuously and tried to follow the laws of Moses (Musa as) as much as possible. Growing up in the house of the Prophet Zakariyya (peace be upon him) she had learnt a good deal about Allah and His religion.
The Quran tells us that an angel appeared to Maryam (Mary), to announce to her the "gift of a holy son" (19:19). Maryam (Mary) was astonished at the news, and asked: "How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste?" (19:20). When the angel explained to her that she had been chosen for the service of Allah (SWT), and that Allah (SWT) had ordained the matter, she devoutly submitted herself to His will. The Quran further describes that Maryam (Mary, mother of Jesus) retreated from her people (outside the city), and gave birth to Prophet Isa (Jesus, peace upon him) underneath a remote date palm tree. The date palm tree miraculously provided nourishment for Maryam (Mary) during labor and birth. (See Chapter 19 of the Noble Qur'an for the entire story. The chapter has aptly been named "The Chapter of Maryam (Mary, mother of Jesus)")
The Quran repeatedly reminds us that Prophet Adam, the first human being, was born with neither a human mother nor a human father. So the miraculous birth of Jesus (Isa as) affords him no higher standing or presumed partnership with God than Adam. When God ordains a matter, He merely says, "Be" and it is so. "The similitude of Jesus before God is as that of Adam. He created him from dust, then said to him: "Be!" And he was" (3:59).
The angel's visit caused Mary a tremendous amount of anxiety which grew as her baby grew. How could she possibly face giving birth to the child without a husband? She left the temple and went to Nazareth, where she was born and settled in a simple farm house to avoid the public. But still, the anxiety continued. What would people say? Her father was pure man, and her mother, pious, had given birth to her as a gift of Allah! The tongues would surely wag!
Eventually, she decided to leave. She had no idea where she would go but she knew she needed to get away. She sat down in the trunk of a dead palm tree and there she gave birth to a son. She was now even more worried, confused as to what would become of her and how she would care for this baby without food or drink.
A voice nearby said "Grieve not, for your Lord has placed a rivulet below. Shake the truck of this tree and ripe dates will fall. Eat and drink and regain the strength you lost, and be of good cheer, for what you see is by the power of Allah, who made te dry palm tree regain life in order to provide food for you."
Slowly, she regained her strength, comforted by Allah's provision, and in her mind she knew she needed to return to society. The thought of returning was accompanied by the same stress and fears of what people would say. Sensing his mother's worry, the baby began to speak. "If you meet anyone say 'I have vowed to fast for The Beneficent and may not speak to any human today." The miracle of the baby speaking to her gave her courage to do just that. As was to be expected, they chastised her on seeing her, told her she'd committed a terrible sin. She put her finger to her lips and pointed to the child. They asked "how can we speak to a newborn baby?!" But to their total amazement, the child began to speak, clearly, saying "I am Allah's servant. Allah has given me the Book, has made me a prophet, and has blessed me wherever I may be, and has enjoined on me prayers and alms-giving as long as I live. Allah has made me dutiful towards she who has borne me. He has not made me arrogant nor unblessed. Peace unto me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I shall be raised Alive."
Let's review the happenings thus far as per the Quran itself:
And mention in the Book (the Qur'an, O Muhammad, the story of) Mary, when she withdrew in seclusion from her family to a place facing east. She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our Ruh (angel Gabriel), and he appeared before her in the form of a man in all respects.
She said: "Verily! I seek refuge with the Most Beneficent (Allah) from you, if you do fear Allah."
The angel said: "I am only a Messenger from your Lord, (to announce) to you the gift of a righteous son."
She said: "How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, nor am I unchaste?" He said: "So (it will be), your Lord said: "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).'"
So she conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a far place (Bethlehem valley, about four to six miles from Jerusalem). And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said: "Would that I had died before this, and had been forgotten and out of sight!"
Then (the babe "Jesus" or Gabriel) cried unto her from below her, saying: "Grieve not! Your Lord has provided you a water stream under you; and shake the trunk of palm tree towards you, it will let fall fresh ripe dates upon you. So eat and drink and be glad, and if you see any human being, say: 'Verily! I have vowed a fast unto the Most Beneficent (Allah) so I shall not speak to any human being this day.'"
Then she brought him (the baby) to her people, carrying him. They said: "O Mary! Indeed you have brought a thing Fariyya (an unheard mighty thing). O sister (the like) of Aaron (not the brother of Moses, but he was another pious man at the time of Mary)! Your father was not a man who used to commit adultery, nor was your mother an unchaste woman."
Then she pointed to him. They said: "How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?"
He (Jesus) said: "Verily! I am a slave of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet; and He has made me blessed wheresoever I be, and has enjoined me prayer, and Zakat, as long as I live, and dutiful to my mother, and made me not arrogant, unblest. And Salam (peace) be upon me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive!"
Joseph was really surprised to hear of the birth of Jesus (as). He
Such is Jesus, son of Mary. (It is) a statement of truth, about which they doubt (or dispute). It befits not (the Majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son (this refers to the slander of Christians against Allah, by saying that Jesus is the son of Allah). Glorified (and Exalted be He above all that they associate with Him). When He decrees a thing, He only says to it, "Be!" - and it is.
Jesus said: "And verily Allah is my Lord and your Lord. So worship Him (Alone). That is the Straight Path. (Allah's Religion of Islamic Monotheism which He did ordain for all of His Prophets)."
Then the sects differed (the Christians about Jesus), so woe unto the disbeliveers (those who gave false witness saying that Jesus is the son of Allah) from the meeting of a great Day (the Day of Resurrection, when they will be thrown in the blazing Fire).
How clearly will they (polytheists and disbeliveers in the Oneness of Allah) see and hear, the Day when they will appear before Us! But the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers) today are in plain error. And warn them (O Muhammad) of the Day of grief and regrets, when the case has been decided, while now they are in a state of carelessness and they believe not. (Ch 19:16-39 Quran)
Joseph (a carpenter) was very suprised at the story of the birth of Jesus (as) He asked Mary how it could be that a tree could grow without a seed. Mary replied thatit is possible because a the one who created the first tree didn't need a seed, and so too Adam didn't require a seed to be made since Allah does as HE pleases.
The Pharisees and Sadducees felt that this child was dangerous - news of his miraculous birth would no doubt turn people away from obeying their rules and they would loose authority over people who would turn back to God as their only source, thus causing their jewish tenents to crumble. They tried to suppress news of the chil's speech in infancy and accused Mary of a great misdeed. Joseph married Mary, and islam has no problem with Mary having had children afterwards as it does not detract from her saintliness. She was a virgin mother, it doesn't mean to say she died a virgin. After all, she was married and loved her husband Joseph.
By the time Jesus (Essa as) was twelve, he accompanied his mother to Jerusalem. He wanded into the temple and joined a crowd that was listening to the Rabbis. He gave his opinions and taught in the synagogue which disturbed the Rabbis greatly. They were unable to answer the questions he put to them. Try as they might they couldn't silence him. The story of Mary's panic discovering Jesus was missing can also be found in the bible, but the rest of the story is absent, changed just as the then Pharisees and Sadjucees had changed the Torah. Jesus became so engrossed in the discussion that he forgot it was time to head home. In the meantime Mary had left, thinking he might have returned with his relatives or friends. But when she got home and didn't find him there, she panicked - raced back to town, searched high and low for her son. And there was.. sitting in the temple among the learned, debating and conversing with them as though this was the most natural thing. He had forgotten all about the time.
Jesus the boy, becomes a man..
Just as many other aspects of worship had been traded for a life of luxury or labour depending on which side of the breadline one lived, so too the practice of the Sabath had fallen by the way side, as Jesus grew. The old practices of complete rest and worship had simply fallen away or became twisted - suddenly calling a dr for a gravely ill patient was sinful. Life was riddled by hipocrisy, and framed by the outlines of complacency issued by the religious leaders. They were tought that the Sabath was kept in heaven and hence they needed to "observe" the Sabbath . The pharisees took the emphasis off worship and placed it on "doing nothing". You could not travel more than one thousand yards on a Sabbath, etc. 20 000 priests earned their living from the temple, and the rooms f the temple were full. Jesus noticed there were more priests than worshipers, but yet the temples were overflowing with animals being sold for sacrifices for various penances and forgivenesses.
Every step into the temple and within the temple had to be paid for - the catholics years later did no less, didn't they, which provokes the catholic reformation - ? But that's another topic.
There were so many laws, so many sins, and each one had to be paid for with blood of an animal for sacrifice. Every small thing was sinful - even calling that dr for a sick patient. On his way to the temple, Jesus picked two pieces of fruit to feed a hungry child - a violation of the Pharisees! He made a fire for an old women to keep her warm - another violation. He went into the temple and looked around at the 20 000 registered priests.
The Pharisees and Sadducees, who always disagreed about everything, argued continuously, selling off sacrifices whilst arguing. The poor who could not afford the sacrifice offerings for the payment of "sins" and "religious offences" were chased away. The poor queued on the temple stairs, the ill, waiting for a little charity, a little food. But none was given whilst inside the fires roared with the roasting sacrifices. On this same night John (pbuh) and Zakariah (pbuh) were killed by the ruling powers. On the same night, Jesus was told by Allah to call the childred of Israel and turn them BACK to Allah. Jesus spoke out, denounced, and charged that "marketplace" of thieves declaring Allah's word and calling people to a nobler life.
Jesus the Prophet
Throughout his life, Jesus continued to invite people back to the Creator. He performed many miracles, and in Allah's name - (ALLAH working through him), he carved a bird out of clay, and breathed into it so that ALLAH, through him, brought the bird to life. The Romans were not at this stage concerned about Jesus. So long as the Jews were bothered by Jesus they were distracted away from the occupation of Rome.
At one point, they tried to trick Jesus. They brought a woman forward and said "does not the law stipulate the stoning of an adulteress?" Jesus answered "yes" and they argued that if that woman was an adulteress then she should be destroyed, and if he opposed this then he would be destroying his own teaching of a God of forgiveness.
Jesus looked at the Pharisees. He knew they were guilty of FAR more than this woman, so he said "Whoever of YOU is sinless you can stone her!" This did not abolish the law - it pointed out the hypocrisy, it taught about the importance of following a leader that is pious, it spoke to the lies of the pharisees and their "tests", and he attested to the fact that religious leaders are not executioners - ALL IN ONE!
On his way to the temple that moring, Jesus had been followed by a woman who knelt before him and washed his feet with perfume and tears. Jesus asked her to stand an then said "Oh Lord, Forgive her sins."
Jesus taught people to have mercy on one another, to believe in ONE God, the Creator, through him, Allah raised 3 people from the dead. The Jews mocked him, saying he could only raise up someone who had died recently and asked him to bring back to life Sam the Ibn Noah. Heading to his grave, Jesus (as) asked ALLAH to bring this man back to life, and Sam the Ibn Noah came out of the grave.But his hair was gray and in his time there was as yet no aging, so Jesus asked him about that and Sam the Ibn Noah said "I thought that the Day of Resurection had come; from fear of that day my hair turned grey."
Jesus continued to pray for the Mercy of ALLAH Al Rahmaan (the Merciful) -
The Quran says: "O Jesus, son of Mary! Remember My Favor to you and to your mother when I supported you with Ruh-ul-Qudus (Gabriel) so that you spoke to the people in the cradle and in maturity; and when I taught you writing, Al Hikmah (the power of understanding), the Torah and the Gospel; and when you made out of the clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My Permission, and you breathed into it, and it became a bird by My Permission, and you healed those born blind, and the lepers by My Permission, and when you brought forth the dead by My Permission; and when I restrained the Children of Israel from you (when they resolved to kill you) since you came unto them with clear proofs, and the disbeliveers among them said: 'This is nothing but evident magic.'" And when I (Allah) put in their hearts of the disciples (of Jesus) to believe in Me and My Messenger, they said: "We believe. And bear witness that we are Muslims." (Ch 5:110-111 Quran) Almighty Allah also revealed: "And He Allah will teach him (Jesus) the Book and Al Hikmah (the Sunna, the faultless speech of the Prophets, wisdom, etc.), (and) the Torah and the Gospel.
And will make him (Jesus) a Messenger to the Children of Israel (saying): "I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I design for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah's Leave; and I heal him who was born blind, and the leper, and I bring the dead to life by Allah's leave. And I inform you of what you eat, and what you store in your houses. Surely, therein is a sign for you, if you believe. And I have come confirming that which was before me of the Torah, and to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden to you, and I have come to you with proof from your Lord. So fear Allah and obey me. Truly! Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him (Alone). This is the Straight Path."
Then when Jesus came to know of their disbelief, he said: "Who will be my helpers in Allah's Cause?" The disciples said: "We are the helpers of Allah; we believe in Allah, and bear witness that we are Muslims (we submit to Allah)."
Our Lord! We believe in what You have sent down, and we follow the Messenger (Jesus); so write us down among those who bear witness (to the truth, La ilaha ill Allah - none has the right to be worshipped but Allah).
And they (disbeliveers) plotted (to kill Jesus), and Allah planned too. And Allah is the Best of the planners. (Ch 3:48-54 Quran)
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The miracle of the Holy Table:
Allah the Exalted said: Remember when the disciples said: "O Jesus, son of Mary! Can your Lord send down to us a table spread (with food) from heaven?" Jesus said: "Fear Allah, if you are indeed believers." They said: "We wish to eat thereof and to be stronger in Faith and to know that you have indeed told us the truth and that we ourselves be its witnesses."
Jesus, son of Mary, said: "O Allah, our Lord! Send us from heaven a table spread (with food) that there may be for us - for the first and the last of us - a festival and a sign from You; and provide us sustenance, for You are the best of sustainers." Allah said: "I am going to send it down unto you, but if any of you after that disbelieves, then I will punish him with a torment such as I have not inflicted on anyone among all the Alamin (mankind and jinn)." (Ch 5:112-115 Quran)
The Day of the Table became one of the holy days for the disciples and followers of Jesus. Later on, the disciples and followers forgot the real essence of the miracles, and so they worshipped Jesus as a god.
"And remember when Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection): "O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you say unto men: 'Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allah?'" He will say: "Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right to say. Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known it. You know what is in my inner self though I do not know what is in Yours, truly, You, only You, are the All Knower of all that is hidden and unseen. Never did I say to them aught except what You (Allah) did command me to say: 'Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord', And I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them, but when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them, and You are a Witness to all things. (This is a great admonition and warning to the Christians of the whole world). If you punish them, they are Your slaves, and if You forgive them, Verily You, only You are the All Mighty, the All Wise."
Allah will say: "This is a Day on which the truthful will profit from their truth: theirs are Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise) - they shall abide therein forever. Allah is pleased with them and they with Him. That is the great success (Paradise). To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all that is therein, and He is Able to do all things." (Ch 5:116-120 )
Jesus in the Quran.
And they say: "The Most Beneficent (Allah) has begotten a son (or offspring or children) (as the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah, and the Christians say that He has begotten a son (Christ), and the pagan Arabs say that he has begotten daughters (angels, etc.))."
Indeed you have brought forth (said) a terrible evil thing. Whereby the heavens are almost torn, and the earth is split asunder, and the mountains fall in ruins, that they ascribe a son (or offspring or children) to the Most Beneficent (Allah).
But it is not suitable for (the Majesty of ) the Most Beneficent (Allah) that He should beget a son (or offspring or children). There is non in the heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most Beneficent (Allah) as a slave. Verily, He knows each one of them, and has counted them a full counting. And everyone of them will come to Him alone on the Day of Resurrection (without any helper, or protector or defender)." (Ch 19:88-95)
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"Yet, they join the jinns as partners in worship with Allah, though He has created them (the jinns), and they attribute falsely without knowledge sons and daughters to Him. Be He Glorified! And Exalted above (all) that they attribute to Him. He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. How can He have children when He has no wife? He created all things and He is the All-Knower of everything.
Such is Allah, your Lord! La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Creator of all things. So worship Him (Alone), and He is the Wakil (Trustee, Disposer of affairs, Guardian etc.) over all tings.
No vision can grasp Him, but His Grasp is over all vision. He is the Most Subtle and Courteous, Well-Acquainted with all things." (Ch 6:100-103)
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"O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in you religion, nor say of Allah aught but the truth. The Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, was (no more than ) a Messenger of Allah and His Word, ("Be" - and he was) which He bestowed on Mary and a spirit (Ruh) created by Him; so believe in Allah and His Messengers. Say not: "Three (trinity)!" Cease! (It is ) better for you. For Allah is the only One Ilah (God), Glory be to Him (Far Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is All Sufficient as a Disposer of affairs.
The Messiah will never be proud to reject to be a slave to Allah, nor the angels who are near (to Allah). And whosoever rejects His worship and is proud, then He will gather them all together unto Himself. So, as for those who believed (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) and did deeds of righteousness, He will give their (due) rewards, and more out of His Bounty. But as for those who refuse His worship and were proud, He will punish them with a painful torment. And they will not find for themselves besides Allah any protector or helper." (Ch 4:171-173 )
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"O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in you religion, nor say of Allah aught but the truth. The Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, was (no more than ) a Messenger of Allah and His Word, ("Be" - and he was) which He bestowed on Mary and a spirit (Ruh) created by Him; so believe in Allah and His Messengers. Say not: "Three (trinity)!" Cease! (It is ) better for you. For Allah is the only One Ilah (God), Glory be to Him (Far Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is All Sufficient as a Disposer of affairs.
The Messiah will never be proud to reject to be a slave to Allah, nor the angels who are near (to Allah). And whosoever rejects His worship and is proud, then He will gather them all together unto Himself. So, as for those who believed (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) and did deeds of righteousness, He will give their (due) rewards, and more out of His Bounty. But as for those who refuse His worship and were proud, He will punish them with a painful torment. And they will not find for themselves besides Allah any protector or helper." (Ch 4:171-173 )
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"And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah, and the Christians say: Messiah is the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouths. They imitate the saying of the disbeliveers of old. Allah's Curse be on them, how they are deluded away from the truth!
They (Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides Allah, (by obeying them in things which they made lawful or unlawful according to their own desires without being ordered by Allah) and (they also took as their lord) Messiah, son of Mary , while they (Jews and Christians) were commanded (in the Torah and the Gospel) to worship none but One Ilah (God- Allah) La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). Praise and glory be to Him, (far above is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him)". (Ch 9:30-32 )
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"Now ask them (O Muhammad): "Are there (only) daughters for your Lord and sons for them?" Or did We create the angels females while they were witnesses?
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"Now ask them (O Muhammad): "Are there (only) daughters for your Lord and sons for them?" Or did We create the angels females while they were witnesses?
Verily, it is of their falsehood that they (Quraish pagans) say: "Allah has begotten off-spring or children (angels are the daughters of Allah)" And, verily, they are liars!
Has He (then) chosen daughters rather than sons? What is the matter with you? How do you decide? Will you not then remember? Or is there for you a plain authority? Then bring your Book if you are truthful!
And they have invented a kinship between Him and the jinns, but the jinn know well that they have indeed to appear (before Him) (i.e. they will be brought for accounts).
Glorified be Allah! (He is free) from what they attribute unto Him! Except the slaves of Allah, whom He chooses (for His Mercy i.e. true believers of Islamic Monotheism who do not attribute false things unto Allah)." (Ch 37:149-160)
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"Surely, in disbelief are they who say that Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary. Say (O Muhammad): "Who then has the least power against Allah, if He were destroy the Messiah, son of Mary, his mother, and all those who are on the earth together?" And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them. He creates what He wills. And Allah is Able to do all things.
And (both) the Jews and Christians say; "We are the children of Allah and His loved ones." Say: "Why then does He punish you for your sins?" Nay, you are but human beings, of those He has created, He forgive whom He wills and He punishes whom He wills. And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, and to Him is the return of all.
O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Now has come to you Our Messenger (Muhammad) making (things) clear unto you, after a break in (the series of ) Messengers, lest you say: "there came unto us no bringer of glad tidings and no warner." But now has come unto you a bringer of glad tidings and a warner. And Allah is Able to do all things. (Ch 5:17-19)
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"Surely they have disbelieved who say: "Allah is the Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary." But the Messiah (Jesus) said: "O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord." Verily, whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, then Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the Zalimun (polytheists, and wrong-doers) there are no helpers.
Surely, disbeliveers are those who said: "Allah is the third of the three (in a Trinity)." But there is no Ilah (god) (none who has the right to be worshipped) but One Ilah (God- Allah). And if they cease not from what they say, verily, a painful torment will befall the disbeliveers among them.
Will they not repent to Allah and ask His Forgiveness? For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
The Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary, was no more than a Messenger; many were the Messengers that passed away before him. His mother (Mary) was a Siddiqah (she believed in the Words of Allah, and His Books. They both used to eat food, as any other human being, while Allah does not eat). Look how We made the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) clear to them, yet look how they are deluded away from the truth."
(Ch 5:72-75)
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(Ch 5:72-75)
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"And say: "All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has not begotten a son (nor an offspring), and Who has no partner in His Dominion, nor He is low to have a Wali (helper, protector, or supporter). And magnify Him with all the magnificence, (Allahu-Akbar, Allah is the Most Great)." (Ch 17:111)
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Say: (O Muhammad): "He is Allah, the One. Allah As-Samad (The Self- Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks). He begets not, nor was He begotten; and there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him." (Ch 112:1-4 Quran)
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