Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
What I share today is very personal, I make duah Allah use it for his glory, insh'Allah.
I remember when my dear friend asked me to prepare her body for burial; she knew she was dying, and everyone else believed she was just being a little melodramatic. But pass away she did, and a promise pulled out of me, left me with fear and trepidation. No-one knew of my promise so I guess if I hadn't honoured it, no-one but I would know because my beloeved sister could no longer speak. But Allah would know, and my fear for HIM and my love for my sister was greater than my fear of "corpses" and coming face to face with death.
I had seen death before; my best friend passed away from cancer when I was in my last year of school - we were both catholic at the time, she a young convert from buddhism. She asked me at the time to "help her", to relieve her pain, essentially to put her out of her misery. She looked like a corpse already, she could barely breathe much less talk and her eyes had this depth as though the grave was already inside her. Seeing her in her coffin, surrounded by her wordly "treasures", at an age of 19, dressed in her little white baptismal dress, she was simply a lifeless body. There was nothing that reminded me of the Daphne I knew. I kissed her forehead, she was cold. But there was no "she" because "She" was gone. There was just this empty replica, blueish grey, made up to look like her.
I dreaded seeing her body because I knew how long it took me to get over Daphne's passing, the trauma, the tears, that lifeless thing that resembled her lying in that box. I remember the smell of formaldehyde - Daphne had used it to strengthen her nails at one point and now it literally ran in her veins.
My Fathima Moola passed away and I received the news one morning before I left for work. I didn't make it to work and instead found myself driving to her sisters, struggling against myself, my fears, and my promise. In my mind I just saw her smiling face saying "I'm Lastig! (naughty) but I want you to PROMISE you'll prepare my body. I don't have a daughter but YOU are my daughter that Allah has given me" At the time I'd thought it would be many years before I had to fulfill that promise and I could still convince her I didn't have to. "This is my last lesson for you, the only thing I can give you of myself that no-one else can teach you because only you are you and only I am me. I won't tell anyone of your promise I leave it with YOU and ALLAH. He will know" she had said. I drove, and reached, and shakingly told her sister. "I lost my sister, now you are my sister!" she wept, holding me "You must go, its important."
And so I did. We followed all the prescribed steps, and the fear when I initially saw her dissipated, replaced by love. I felt her with me, I knew that this truly WAS her gift to me because there is only one me and only one her, and no-one could take my place; each one had their own place, their own lesson, and I felt in that moment how Allah uses one situation to of death to teach us how to live. Once they had lain her down, there were greetings. They greeted her with such love, and I found myself doing the same, feeling that she was right there, watching us, smiling, enjoying our respect, the kindness of our words, the loving way one person might speak to her while holding her hand or another person might kiss her cheek. It is prescribed that the body of the beloved be covered at all times , our hands working beneath the towels to clean and wash and them perfume her; all the time prayers are recited, and we get to say quietly all those things we wish we could've said. It is as though there is no veil between life and death at that time, there is no separation. She is there, with us, we feel her soul around us and we have the confirmation of her body that she WAS here. And all those things she taught each of us are suddenly cemented. And all those things she may have said or done that were in any way negative are forgiven, completely, and forgotten, and all we wish is that she will forgive us for wherever we may have gone wrong with her. It is a reunion as much as a fond "see you soon" and if I live to be a thousand I will never, ever forget the beauty, the tenderness, the peacefulness and the closure of that day. THAT is the way I want to say goodbye, with loved ones around me, the truth of life and death naked and me covered, respected even my death to such a point that no cold words, no cold walls, no cold hands and not even cold water touches me. Instead, I too want to feel the warmth and love and kindness of too many people wanting to give this gift of final respect.
I cannot explain better than this. That is how I want to be prepared.
And then, back at the house, we her family got to see her face and she was peaceful, a beautiful smile on her face, as though she were dreaming the sweetest dream. Her body was not icy and bluish and cold and she wore no make-up that strained against her skin as had Daphne years ago. She was almost warm to the touch, she was radiant, and she was ready to say goodbye.
Yet when she left, the knowing that she would soon be laying on her side, covered in earth, the weight of her past upon her made me realise how short life is. Too short to waste with people who just aren't worth it, who cause us to sin, or cause us to grieve. LIFE should be lived in Allah's honour, and if someone is cause for continuous anger, then that someone is better served spiritually if we walk away. Life should be about loving, about preparing for that day when the scent of camphor and frankinsence fill the air, when the buckets and the gloves are passed by loving hands as loving tongues pray for our soul and our peace, and forgive us for all the tiny stuff we may have done. Life should be about death, how we prepare for it, about leaving behind all baggage and uncessary people before they become nooses around our necks on that day.
LIFE goes beyond death, and so LIFE should be lived in the knowing that this day WILL come. WHere will you be? In a drawer in a hospital? In the fire of cremation, watching? I can only imagine the horror for the soul that has to see that. It must be like dying twice. We think we know, we think we're okay with it, with whatever may happen to the body, but after my Fathima, I want to be a muslim until I die, and then beyond. Insh'Allah Ameen. oh Allah, grant Fathima the best of Paradise, Jannat ul Firdous. Look not upon her sin but upon this gift she gave me, and if you reward her a thousand times over it will be too little. And if you reward her a thousand times over then let her sins whatever they are be washed away. Insh'Allah. Ameen.
If this has moved you at all, I invite you to watch the following two youTube videos.
The first, is in homage to my Nabi, through whom and because of whom I have been given such a humbling gift as to be a muslimah..
The second, is in homage to all the readers, who, like me, will live, and die, and be returned to HIM who created the heavens and the earth and everything in between. I hope it moves you as it moved me.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Friday, April 5, 2013
Isabella - Review
Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
One of the most thought provoking books I read in the early days of my journey to Islam was "Isabella". Today I post a Review of Isabella (latest publication listed as Isabella - A Girl of Muslim Spain)
The english translation was not the best and so I found myself at times questioning the story itself simply because the english was poor. However, having finally gone through the book, I was left exhilirated by the gems, the truths, the pictures and images it left with me. To this day, 8 years later, I am still in love with this little gem. It is a must read for anyone interested in comparative religion.
Isabella is the story of a young girl, the daughter of a religious leader of the time, who happens to overhear two muslim men having a discussion. The discussion sparks a question in her which she seeks to answer, a question which leads her straight to a dark night of the soul in which she questions her own existance, her beliefs, and her community. It is a story which will not leave its reader unchallenged, whatever the background.
For readers who want to check it out and possibly read a little (or most) of the book, there is a blogger who has started typing up much of the book, particularly those sections which make one think. The blogger is Haqq Islam.
PLEASE NOTE: This is not a review of the blogsite, just of the book.
The extract below is from http://www.haqislam.org/articles/stories/isabella-a-girl-of-muslim-spain/ (all credit to the author). You may click on the chapter links to read portions of the book : "Isabella".
One of the most thought provoking books I read in the early days of my journey to Islam was "Isabella". Today I post a Review of Isabella (latest publication listed as Isabella - A Girl of Muslim Spain)
The english translation was not the best and so I found myself at times questioning the story itself simply because the english was poor. However, having finally gone through the book, I was left exhilirated by the gems, the truths, the pictures and images it left with me. To this day, 8 years later, I am still in love with this little gem. It is a must read for anyone interested in comparative religion.
Isabella is the story of a young girl, the daughter of a religious leader of the time, who happens to overhear two muslim men having a discussion. The discussion sparks a question in her which she seeks to answer, a question which leads her straight to a dark night of the soul in which she questions her own existance, her beliefs, and her community. It is a story which will not leave its reader unchallenged, whatever the background.
For readers who want to check it out and possibly read a little (or most) of the book, there is a blogger who has started typing up much of the book, particularly those sections which make one think. The blogger is Haqq Islam.
PLEASE NOTE: This is not a review of the blogsite, just of the book.
The extract below is from http://www.haqislam.org/articles/stories/isabella-a-girl-of-muslim-spain/ (all credit to the author). You may click on the chapter links to read portions of the book : "Isabella".
Contents: (http://www.haqislam.org/articles/stories/isabella-a-girl-of-muslim-spain/ )
- Ch 1: In a Luscious Garden
- Ch 2: An Important Question
- Ch 3: A Letter
- Ch 4: The First Meeting
- Ch 5: The Second Meeting
- Ch 6: The Third Round
- Ch 7: Meeting of the Men of Allah
- Ch 8: Behind the Curtain
- Ch 9: Inside the House
- Ch 10: Inside Knowledge
- Ch 11: Test of Faith
- Ch 12: Isabella’s Prayer
- Ch 13: A Conspiracy
- Ch 14: A Complete Change
- Ch 15: Princess of France
- Ch 16: A Secret Meeting
- Ch 17: Duty of Islamic Government
- Ch 18: A White Lie
- Ch 19: Islam, the Perfect and True Religion
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Broken Telephone - living under the Redactor's spell..
Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
At the end of this post is an extract from a well known THEOLOGY college, concerning the role of a Redactor in the bible. Redactors were used both for the old testament and the new testament. Essentially these were people who were given a bunch of texts and were not told they all come from different authors, some of those authors in fact unknown. It is the Redactor's job, according to the article below, to "shape the material he has received for a purpose. Sometimes the purpose of the redactor is in harmony with the author and sometimes it is not" Sometimes, indeed the redactor him/herself does not know the purpose.
Given that:
1) The old testament and new testament both have gone through a number of "redactors" issued by different governments
2) These governments clearly stated their purpose of redaction was to develop a work with a common message that fits into the economic and political agenda of the time
3) Bible redactors who refused to participate in changes beyond a certain point were put to death
4) Despite redactors there are over 28 000 versions of the bible from which sprang churches so completely different that some are polygamous, some are not, some believe in "communion" and some do not, some believe in prophesy and some do not
...Is it not then in the mind of any sane person, extraordinarily dangerous to place one's eternal salvation in the hands of hand-me-down policies and redacted texts of which there is such variety??
Christians say that the changes made were slight, merely "editorial". Looking at the article at the end of this blog post, please note that the BOLD was EMBOLDENED BY the theology institute not by me, they did so, claiming to know that these WERE THE CHANGES made to these verses- do these look like "minor editorial/grammar/spelling changes" to you? Does this text not in its very essence put words into the son of MAN as though he be the son of GOD? Who then in his/her right mind would follow a text that had been so radically altered?
The article is at the end of this blog post. For now, let's look at JUST ONE of the verses which they've taken out of the so-called original text in the bible as per the theology college in question (as original as the 2nd redactor found it, so yeah... a pinch of salt here too....) - and then let's see if it DOES change with the presence of the redactor, shall we?
So - apparently (although how the even know this is beyond me since nobody does!) - the original text said::
"Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old?" Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "
Let us understand this tiny bit of the "bible" from a Quranic and Islamic perspective (before the redactor's change):
At the end of this post is an extract from a well known THEOLOGY college, concerning the role of a Redactor in the bible. Redactors were used both for the old testament and the new testament. Essentially these were people who were given a bunch of texts and were not told they all come from different authors, some of those authors in fact unknown. It is the Redactor's job, according to the article below, to "shape the material he has received for a purpose. Sometimes the purpose of the redactor is in harmony with the author and sometimes it is not" Sometimes, indeed the redactor him/herself does not know the purpose.
Given that:
1) The old testament and new testament both have gone through a number of "redactors" issued by different governments
2) These governments clearly stated their purpose of redaction was to develop a work with a common message that fits into the economic and political agenda of the time
3) Bible redactors who refused to participate in changes beyond a certain point were put to death
4) Despite redactors there are over 28 000 versions of the bible from which sprang churches so completely different that some are polygamous, some are not, some believe in "communion" and some do not, some believe in prophesy and some do not
...Is it not then in the mind of any sane person, extraordinarily dangerous to place one's eternal salvation in the hands of hand-me-down policies and redacted texts of which there is such variety??
Christians say that the changes made were slight, merely "editorial". Looking at the article at the end of this blog post, please note that the BOLD was EMBOLDENED BY the theology institute not by me, they did so, claiming to know that these WERE THE CHANGES made to these verses- do these look like "minor editorial/grammar/spelling changes" to you? Does this text not in its very essence put words into the son of MAN as though he be the son of GOD? Who then in his/her right mind would follow a text that had been so radically altered?
The article is at the end of this blog post. For now, let's look at JUST ONE of the verses which they've taken out of the so-called original text in the bible as per the theology college in question (as original as the 2nd redactor found it, so yeah... a pinch of salt here too....) - and then let's see if it DOES change with the presence of the redactor, shall we?
So - apparently (although how the even know this is beyond me since nobody does!) - the original text said::
"Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old?" Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "
Let us understand this tiny bit of the "bible" from a Quranic and Islamic perspective (before the redactor's change):
- "no-one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." (Islam has no problem with the presence of God - his BREATH, (spirit/ruh) is what gave Adam (as) life
- no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." - the Quran says that we come from HIM and to HIM we do return. There are also many descriptions of the seven heavens, references to these being above us and to angels coming "down" to us, to hear our duahs. We are therefore born "from above" not "OF above" which indicates a fatherhood type relationship born of water and Spirit - This points directly to the islamic interpretation of creation. Adam (as) was created from clay (soil) and Allah breathed his ruh (breath/spirit) into Adam (as). Herein is the spirit. The Quran tells us that we are created from a drop of Nutfah (a drop of impure water). Therefore as creations from that drop of nutfah and descendents from Adam (as); we are created from both, and we know it.
- just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. " How did Moses lift up the serpent? The quran tells us, upon Moses (Musa as) going up to the mountain (the story of the burning bush in the bible) "As Prophet Musa (A) obeyed, he heard the voice ask him to throw his staff onto the ground. At once it changed into a serpent, scaring him. He was then commanded to lift the snake without fear and as he did so, it changed back into a stick." IN OTHER WORDS - he did not KILL the snake. The snake did not DIE and then get resurrected; it was lifted up. Moses put his hand down, and lifted up the snake- he didn't kill it first! Just the same way, Jesus (Essa as) is telling everyone that just as miraculously as a snake is picked up and held in Moses' hand, the stick could be put back down (and was, in front of the pharoah) and turn back into a snake, SO TOO Allah would reach out, and LIFT Jesus up to the heavens (ASCENSION) and will be put back onto the earth. And whomsoever believes IN THAT - MAY HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. No-where does Jesus say that you are to believe that he will be killed and rise from the dead. The snake was not killed; it was LIFTED UP. The quran says that Jesus (Essa as) was lifted up.. Now Christians will say "oh but if he was lifted up he had to be dead." But Jesus (Essa as) is not the first person to have ascended, and christians indeed believe in the ascension of not ONLY Jesus (Essa as) but others.
Let us now look at the SAME verse AFTER the redactor's change? (Redactor's Changes are highlighted)
"Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God."
Read that again, for yourself - HAS the message changed?
In the first (more original, so they say) version, Jesus speaks of being lifted up, and no-where does he claim God as FATHER - let's look at what these additions are:
- Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" - So much for Chrisitans "rebirth" right?
- What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. - this is completely contradictory since Jesus said that one must be born of water AND spirit - right in this same verse!
- The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. Who said that? Doesn't Jesus say you must be born of water AND the spirit? Now this says you should ONLY be born of the spirit/ let's go back to the PURPOSE for the redaction - what on earth could it have been?
- No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And Said who? Did JESUS say this? But how Christians stand by this when they believe in the ascention of Elija and Elisha, of Moses, and of Mary? hmm... a slight editorial change, you say? To homogenise things, you say? Methinks there be a hornet in this nest!
- For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God." - This is possibly one of the most quoted and cited verses in christianity today. AND YET - THIS was actually written by a redactor? Well well well... Nonetheless, let's look at this... it does NOT say that those who believe he was raised up and not killed are "unsaved" - it says that THOS WHO DO NOT BELIEVE IN HIS NAME... (in his existance, per chance?) Muslims DO believe in Jesus (Essa as).. And WHERE did this "SON OF GOD come in, when Jesus has referred to himself the whole time in this verse as the son of Man? The redactor just said that you are EITHER born of "flesh" or born of the spirit, leading the reader to think "oh, Jesus was born of the spirit" - and JESUS says he is the son of man (who is flesh). so GOD refers to the "spirit" only, then Jesus is EITHER mere flesh, or he is the son of God (Spirit) - he cannot be both because the redactor says what is born of the flesh is flesh and what is born of the spirit is spirit. The answer? ISLAM says that we are FLESH into which the BREATH (spirit) of God has been breathed through Adam (as). Seems to me we are the believers in what Jesus said, far more than christians appear to be...
The choice, dear christian reader, is clear - you believe a Redactor, or you believe JESUS. And if you believe JESUS, then by all descriptions above from Jesus:
1)you believe in ONE God,
2)you believe Jesus is the son of MAN (not God),
3)you believe Jesus is flesh and spirit, as we all are. Why? Because THAT is what Jesus said, among the bits some unknown redactor added in there.. And people wonder why muslims don't believe in the bible? We believe in the INJEEL - the word, the living word that was put into Jesus (the man) which he taught and lived by.. but we do not believe in some 4 redactor's version of the truth - and the above is why!
I don't know what's worse - that the redactions are taken as "gospel truth" (pardon the pun) or that they appear to KNOW what some of the redactions are and defend these despite the fact that it changes SO much!
So here's the article - feel free to do a similar evaluation of the 2nd verse.
Redaction Criticism is the study of editorial activity. A redactor is simply an editor who shapes the material he has received for a purpose. Sometimes the purpose of the redactor is in harmony with the author and sometimes it is not. In this segment of our study we will be examining the methods used to discover editorial work and how it can be distinguished from the authors own work. Performing redaction criticism is simply a matter of (again) asking questions of the text. The first question that must be asked is, does the segment of text I am looking at show "seams" or "stitches". Seams or stitches are obvious comments in the text which interrupt the flow of the narrative. These are called "commentary" by literary critics. (NB: It must be noted that the various methods of criticism overlap in places). If there is an obvious seam, then one must ask- does this seam attempt to clarify the passage; or does it seem to take the passage in another direction? The following passage will illustrate these questions. The BOLD face type are those words deemed editorial comments. The normal face type is the original narrative. The student will note that the editorial comments serve either to explain a word or phrase, or to make a theological comment which explains the text. The passage is John 3:1ff.
"Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God."The bold print can clearly be seen to interrupt the flow of the narrative and the it frequently offers clarification or explanation. This is what redaction critics mean when they talk of edited text. The student can find these editorial insertions and clarifications in most passages in the Bible. The passage above is offered simply because it is very well known. The purpose of these editorial insertions is to make explicit what the editor saw as the underlying theological message. The editor thus saw himself as simply making plain what he may have considered to be unclear. Redaction criticism is a very subjective method and the student should make sure that there is a clear seam before assigning a passage to the editor. A very famous, and yet plainly clear example of editorial work is found in the so called "long ending" of Mark. The oldest manuscripts of Mark do not contain Mark 16:9ff (see the text criticism module). The verses appended by a later editor clearly attmempt to harmonize the ending of Mark with the endings of Matthew and Luke. Here, the editor wanted to make sure that the "Great Commission" and the post resurrection appearences were included in Mark. He saw their absence as a possible source of confusion- so he clarified by adding them in! Here is Mark 16. Again, the BOLD face type are the editorial insertions while the plain type is the original narrative of the author:
"When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, "Don't be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you." So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover." So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it."This editoritorial addition can be seen by anyone. In the original narrative, the women leave the tomb terrified and speak to no one. In the editorial addition the women speak to the disciples! The student should also note the harmonization with the other Gospels which takes place in this editorial addition. When one is able to use the method of Redaction criticism, one is able to separate the strands of the author and the editor. This is a very important task in the theological explication of the Bible.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Planting fruit
Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
I came across a few hadith and had to share them! (I will look up the references later, but if anyone has them, please feel free to say so in the comments section)
“When a Muslim plants a plant, anything eaten of it or stolen from it, until the Day of Resurrection, is accounted as charity for him.”
How beautiful is that? I've planted trees which I've left behind, and I've planted herbs and vegetables which have been shared/given and even some have been stolen. I'm so excited now, I want to go out and plant a whole bunch more!! Talk about planting FRUIT!!
************************
“How praiseworthy are the women of Ansar that their modesty does not prevent them from attempts at learning and the acquisition of knowledge.”
In other words, women should be modest, yet it is praiseworthy if they acquire knowledge. (One must of course understand this means good knowledge, and there's no point in knowledge if what you're learning is how to rob a bank!)
**************************
A little clarity - these may surprise you if you live on what the media feeds you -
“The Prophet has prohibited the believers from looting and plunder" (Bukhari)
“Do not destroy villages and towns, do not spoil the cultivated fields and gardens, and do not slaughter the cattle.”
“Do not kill any old person, any child or any women” (AbuDawud)
“Do not kill the monks in monasteries” and “ do not kill the people who are sitting in places of worship.” (Ibn Hanbal)
“Do not attack a wounded person.”
“No prisoner should be put to the sword.”
“The greatest sins are to associate something with God and to kill human beings.”
*************************
I came across a few hadith and had to share them! (I will look up the references later, but if anyone has them, please feel free to say so in the comments section)
“When a Muslim plants a plant, anything eaten of it or stolen from it, until the Day of Resurrection, is accounted as charity for him.”
How beautiful is that? I've planted trees which I've left behind, and I've planted herbs and vegetables which have been shared/given and even some have been stolen. I'm so excited now, I want to go out and plant a whole bunch more!! Talk about planting FRUIT!!
************************
“How praiseworthy are the women of Ansar that their modesty does not prevent them from attempts at learning and the acquisition of knowledge.”
In other words, women should be modest, yet it is praiseworthy if they acquire knowledge. (One must of course understand this means good knowledge, and there's no point in knowledge if what you're learning is how to rob a bank!)
**************************
A little clarity - these may surprise you if you live on what the media feeds you -
“The Prophet has prohibited the believers from looting and plunder" (Bukhari)
“Do not destroy villages and towns, do not spoil the cultivated fields and gardens, and do not slaughter the cattle.”
“Do not kill any old person, any child or any women” (AbuDawud)
“Do not kill the monks in monasteries” and “ do not kill the people who are sitting in places of worship.” (Ibn Hanbal)
“Do not attack a wounded person.”
“No prisoner should be put to the sword.”
“The greatest sins are to associate something with God and to kill human beings.”
*************************
Monday, February 25, 2013
A stick a stick a spade a spade
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?
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?
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Time to Love.. to Seek.. to Flow..
Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
Before I begin with today's topic, I want to wish my beloved a VERY happy birthday. I am grateful to Allah for placing you in my life, for drawing us nearer, and for His protection. I pray HE make ways even where there appear to be done, remove blockages and simply continue to bless us, insh'Allah. Ameen. I love you. And so it is apt that I speak of Love today; but of that love of the ONE, of peace, of tranquility, of calmness. And let all these thoughts and the outpouring of love for that Creator that gave you to me and me to you; let that be my gift to you. In you, my love, I find my Allah reflected in the smallest ways; and in HIM, my love, I am blessed to love you more.
“The minute I heard my first love story,
I started looking for you, not knowing
how blind that was.
Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere.
They’re in each other all along.”
_Rumi
*********
TIME OUT, everyone - BE still.. just BE..
just breathe....
inhale deep into the soles of your feet that peace that is ALLAH..
feel the footsteps of all those that have gone before you
that common walk of the spirit that seeks to discover that well of crystal clear, divine love..
Feel the thunder within their heart as they recite the Zhikr of Allah's name without even a breath of speech.
Feel the calm waters of transparent thought as it fills you from the top of your head to the ends of your toes..
Seek the face of God, the Creator, the ONE- ALLAH -
breathe in that thirst of HIM and breathe out the tiredness of dunya..
and just BE..
Meditate upon LOVE that is greater than LOVE so great it fills your every dream..
may it take you, lift you up, make you live and breathe and hope and float above all that is on this day..
and bring you gently to rest..
at the foot of those rivers of life
which flow unending, whispering secrets of the unknown..
beneath the ARSH of the Creator (his throne)..
Look around you and SEE the beauty that frames each day, and FEEL with your very soul that humming, vibrating LIFE BEAT that courses through your veins.
And know that IAM there.. the I AM that was, that is, that evermore shall be, the ONE
the ONE..
the ONE..
ONE..
O - the circle that begins and ends all things..
life that is eternal.. beating gorgeous wings of noor and life and light upon your soul..
MEDITATIONS: Let your soul drift to find the O N E..
***************
“I want to see you.
Know your voice.
Recognize you when you
first come ’round the corner.
Sense your scent when I come
into a room you’ve just left.
Know the lift of your heel,
the glide of your foot.
Become familiar with the way
you purse your lips
then let them part,
just the slightest bit,
when I lean in to your space
and kiss you.
I want to know the joy
of how you whisper
“more”
― Rumi
********************
“This is love: to fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment. First to let go of life. Finally, to take a step without feet.”
― Rumi
*****************
“Let yourself be drawn by the stronger pull of that which you truly love.”
― Rumi
******************************************
“I am your moon and your moonlight too
I am your flower garden and your water too
I have come all this way, eager for you
Without shoes or shawl
I want you to laugh
To kill all your worries
To love you
To nourish you.”
― Rumi
******************************************
Before I begin with today's topic, I want to wish my beloved a VERY happy birthday. I am grateful to Allah for placing you in my life, for drawing us nearer, and for His protection. I pray HE make ways even where there appear to be done, remove blockages and simply continue to bless us, insh'Allah. Ameen. I love you. And so it is apt that I speak of Love today; but of that love of the ONE, of peace, of tranquility, of calmness. And let all these thoughts and the outpouring of love for that Creator that gave you to me and me to you; let that be my gift to you. In you, my love, I find my Allah reflected in the smallest ways; and in HIM, my love, I am blessed to love you more.
“The minute I heard my first love story,
I started looking for you, not knowing
how blind that was.
Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere.
They’re in each other all along.”
_Rumi
*********
TIME OUT, everyone - BE still.. just BE..
just breathe....
inhale deep into the soles of your feet that peace that is ALLAH..
feel the footsteps of all those that have gone before you
that common walk of the spirit that seeks to discover that well of crystal clear, divine love..
Feel the thunder within their heart as they recite the Zhikr of Allah's name without even a breath of speech.
Feel the calm waters of transparent thought as it fills you from the top of your head to the ends of your toes..
Seek the face of God, the Creator, the ONE- ALLAH -
breathe in that thirst of HIM and breathe out the tiredness of dunya..
and just BE..
Meditate upon LOVE that is greater than LOVE so great it fills your every dream..
may it take you, lift you up, make you live and breathe and hope and float above all that is on this day..
and bring you gently to rest..
at the foot of those rivers of life
which flow unending, whispering secrets of the unknown..
beneath the ARSH of the Creator (his throne)..
Look around you and SEE the beauty that frames each day, and FEEL with your very soul that humming, vibrating LIFE BEAT that courses through your veins.
And know that IAM there.. the I AM that was, that is, that evermore shall be, the ONE
the ONE..
the ONE..
ONE..
O - the circle that begins and ends all things..
life that is eternal.. beating gorgeous wings of noor and life and light upon your soul..
MEDITATIONS: Let your soul drift to find the O N E..
***************
“I want to see you.
Know your voice.
Recognize you when you
first come ’round the corner.
Sense your scent when I come
into a room you’ve just left.
Know the lift of your heel,
the glide of your foot.
Become familiar with the way
you purse your lips
then let them part,
just the slightest bit,
when I lean in to your space
and kiss you.
I want to know the joy
of how you whisper
“more”
― Rumi
********************
― Rumi
*****************
― Rumi
******************************************
I am your flower garden and your water too
I have come all this way, eager for you
Without shoes or shawl
I want you to laugh
To kill all your worries
To love you
To nourish you.”
― Rumi
******************************************
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
The thirteen tribes of Isreal - Atila the Hun??
Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
It is well recorded that there were in fact 12 tribes of Isreal. However, is the Isreal of today, the one that claims heritage over SO much of Palestine (given by the UN and the balance taken by force) actually Isreal? You be the judge.. Perhaps, just perhaps, you may see Palestine in a different light!
***free gift at the end of this post
Please note:: lest you think this is islamic propaganda, please note that the writing below was written by christians -
Allow me to introduce you to the THIRTEEN tribes of Isreal.. where Rome is alive and well ..
THE THIRTEENTH TRIBE
So, I'm just saying - when the truth is out there.. WHO is actually the "bad guy" in Palestine?... Make duah today.. that Allah may reveal what is already out there, and that hearts may listen, insh'Allah!
********************************
So where is the free gift? Well, the gift is a link to the entire book! - free!
http://www.fantompowa.info/13th%20Tribe.pdf
It is well recorded that there were in fact 12 tribes of Isreal. However, is the Isreal of today, the one that claims heritage over SO much of Palestine (given by the UN and the balance taken by force) actually Isreal? You be the judge.. Perhaps, just perhaps, you may see Palestine in a different light!
***free gift at the end of this post
Please note:: lest you think this is islamic propaganda, please note that the writing below was written by christians -
Allow me to introduce you to the THIRTEEN tribes of Isreal.. where Rome is alive and well ..
The Thirteenth Tribe
by Arthur Koestler
THE KHAZAR EMPIRE AND ITS HERITAGE
This book traces the history of the ancient Khazar Empire, a major but almost forgotten power in Eastern Europe, which in the Dark Ages became converted to Judaism. Khazaria was finally wiped out by the forces of Genghis Khan, but evidence indicates that the Khazars themselves migrated to Poland and formed the cradle of Western Jewry. . .
The Khazars' sway extended from the Black Sea to the Caspian, from the Caucasus to the Volga, and they were instrumental in stopping the Muslim onslaught against Byzantium, the eastern jaw of the gigantic pincer movement that in the West swept across northern Africa and into Spain.
In the second part of this book, "The Heritage," Mr. Koestler speculates about the ultimate faith of the Khazars and their impact on the racial composition and social heritage of modern Jewry. He produces a large body of meticulously detailed research in support of a theory that sounds all the more convincing for the restraint with which it is advanced. Yet should this theory be confirmed, the term "anti-Semitism" would become void of meaning, since, as Mr. Koestler writes, it is based "on a misapprehension shared by both the killers and their victims. The story of the Khazar Empire, as it slowly emerges from the past, begins to look like the most cruel hoax which history has ever perpetrated."
ISBN 0-394-40284-7
THE KHAZAR EMPIRE AND ITS HERITAGE
Rise and Fall of the Khazars
I RISE
II CONVERSION
III DECLINE
EARLY RUSSIAN CULTURE BELITTLED
SOVIET HISTORIAN REBUKED
IV FALL
V EXODUS
VI WHERE FROM?
VII CROSS-CURRENTS
VIII RACE AND MYTH
SUMMARY
A NOTE ON SPELLING
A NOTE ON SOURCES
(A) ANCIENT SOURCES
(B) MODERN LITERATURE
THE "KHAZAR CORRESPONDENCE"
SOME IMPLICATIONS - ISRAEL AND THE DIASPORA
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY-oOo-What the Critics have to say!Finally Available To ALL - Absolute Historical Proof : Jews are not Israelites!
Research Proves "Jews" are non-Israelite Asiatics!
DATELINE U.S.A. (1977) -- In 1976 Random House published a book that should have hit the Christian Churches like a blockbuster, but instead they chose totally to ignore it. It dealt with the racial origin of the people in Communist and Christian countries who call themselves "Jews," and whom the Churches (and the Jews themselves) generally insist are "God's Chosen People," the Israelite descendants of Abraham. Since the late 1800's a small number of Bible Scholars, who were also students of History and Racial origins, have insisted the Church denominations were wrong; that instead of being Israelites, these Jews from Eastern Europe and Western Asia were descended from Mongolians and other Asiatic peoples who had adopted Judaism as their "religion" over 1,000 years ago and had become know as "Jews." These Bible scholars were ignored or condemned, and often called "cultists" or "anti-Semites."
Now, after many years of research, a well-known Jewish author, Arthur Koestler has published a 255 page book titled THE THIRTEENTH TRIBE in which he proves the same point; i.e. that these Eastern European "Jews" are neither Israelites nor "Semites," but are instead Khazars, Mongols, and Huns! Most major newspapers and magazines reviewed the book during 1976. Also, Random House, the publisher, advertised it extensively and began some of their ads with the following headline: WHAT IF MOST JEWS AREN'T REALLY SEMITES AT ALL? In addition, Random House quoted the following reviews:
"Mr. Koestler's excellent book...Is as readable as it is thought-provoking. Nothing could be more stimulating than the skill, elegance and erudition with which he marshals his facts and develops his theories..." Fitzroy Maclean, New York Times Book Review.
"You do not have to be Jewish to be interested... Are today's Western Jews really ethnic, Semitic, Biblical Jews, or are most of them descendants of converted Khazars?...This compact, interesting book...examines tragic-ironic implications in [this question] for modern history...It should fascinate." --Edmund Fuller, Wall Street Journal
"Koestler marshals the evidence in a clear and convincing way. He tells a good story, pulling together materials from medieval Muslims and Jewish travelers, scholarly controversy and the mysterious lore of the Khazars." --Raymond Sokolov, Newsweek
Robert Kirsch of the Los Angeles Times stated in his lengthy review that 'Arthur Koestler publicizes with his customary skills a daring hypothesis: that THE KHAZAR JEWS MIGRATED TO POLAND AND BECAME THE FOREBEARS OF EASTERN EUROPEAN JEWRY...' Then Kirsch quoted Prof. A. N. Poliak of Tel Aviv University, who stated that "The large majority of world Jewry is descended from the Jews of Khazaria." Then he again quoted Koestler in THE THIRTEENTH TRIBE, "If so, this would mean that their ancestors came not from the Jordan but from the Volga; not from Canaan but from the Caucasus, once believed to be the cradle of the Aryan race; and that GENETICALLY THEY ARE MORE RELATED TO THE HUN, UIGUR, AND MAGYAR TRIBES THAN TO THE SEED OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB..." (emphasis added) We cannot stress enough how absolutely imperative it is for all Christian Americans to consider the startling proof in Arthur Koestler's book that today's Jews are not Israelites. The Jewish influence on American life has reached such a stage that no student of contemporary history can ignore it. Not only the news media are Jewish monopolies, but top positions in the U.S. government are largely filled by Eastern European Jews. The magazine and book publishing houses are in Jewish hands; and movies, television, and the other entertainment industries are dominated by Jews in all phases. America's government and most of her people's sources of information are controlled and directed by Jews. If these people were really "God's Chosen People," perhaps Americans would have little cause for concern -- BUT WHAT IF THEY ARE REALLY THE "HUNS" AND THEREFORE THE ANCIENT ENEMIES OF CHRISTENDOM? Since many Americans may not have an opportunity to read Koestler's book, we shall herewith submit our own index-style review.
THE THIRTEENTH TRIBE
(by Arthur Koestler, Random House)
Reviewed by Pastor Sheldon Emry
Page |
Information |
| 15 | Khazars adopt Judaism as their religion in A.D. 740. |
| 16 | Majority of Eastern European Jews are Khazar and Japhetic in origin, not Semitic. Refers to 1973 Jewish Encyclopedia and A. N. Poliak, Professor, Medieval Jewish History, Tel Aviv University. |
| 17 | Jews more closely related to Hun, Uigur, and Magyrs than to the seed of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. |
| 18 | Khazars exacted tribute from subject peoples. |
| 20 | Identified them with the hosts of Gog and Magog. |
| 22 | German word Ketzer is our word for Khazar and means heretic or Jew. |
| 23 | Khazars were with Attila the Hun in 4th century. |
| 37-39 | Some were phallic worshipers, killed anyone thought to be extra intelligent and called it an offering to god. |
| 46 | Quotes 1,000-year-old Arab historian, "The Khazars and their King are all Jews...some are of the opinion that Gog and Magog are the Khazars." |
| 47-50 | Khazars were re-exporters of foreign goods, middlemen, inspectors of trade, goldsmiths, and silversmiths; and they exacted 10% tax on all trade. |
| 59-63 | Jews fled Rome and Greece to Khazaria to avoid forced conversion to Christianity. They adopted Islam when forced, repudiating it when safe. |
| 72 | Khazar King, in a letter, traced his people in Togarma and Japheth, the ancestors of all the Turkish tribes. |
| 81 | In A.D. 864 a monk wrote "there exists a people under the sky in regions where no Christians can be found, whose name is Gog and Magog, and who are Huns; among them is one called Gazari [Khazari?], who are circumcised and observe Judaism in its entirety." |
| 93 | Russian communists tried to hide Khazar-Jewish connection! |
| 95-132 | History of breaking up of Khazar Empire and integration of these Jews into Russia, Poland, etc. |
| 135 | Khazar kingdom known as a kingdom of "Red" Jews. |
| 141 | Khazars joined Ghengis Khan and retained their Judaism. |
| 145 | Interchangeable names --Khazar, Zhid (or Yid), and Jew |
| 151 | Majority of Jews in Middle Ages were Khazars. |
| 152-154 | Jews were mintmasters, royal treasurers, tax collectors, and money lenders. Principal source of income was foreign trade and the levying of customs dues and they practiced communal life. |
| 159-161 | They lost the name of Khazars and became known as Jews. During Dark Ages commerce largely in Jewish hands, including slave trade. |
| 163-167 | During Crusades whole families and towns of Jews committed suicide rather than accept Christianity. |
| 167-171 | Proves only a handful of Sephardim Jews were in Europe so the vast majority of Jews today are Khazar in origin. |
| 172-174 | Gives origin of Yiddish language. It is NOT Hebrew! |
| 178 | "The Jewish dark ages may be said to begin with the Renaissance." (Reviews comment: This remark by the Jew Cecil Roth, coupled with other information, is a sorrowful admission that the Jews were supreme in the Dark Ages but lost their dominion over Europe when the Light of God's Word brought about the Renaissance!) |
| 180-199 | Quotes from many sources to prove Jews NOT descended from Biblical Israelites, ending with this, ...evidence from anthropology concurs with history in refuting the popular belief in a Jewish race descended from the biblical tribe. |
| 200-222 | Refers to others who have written on the same subject. |
| 223 | Israeli's right to exist...not based on...the mythological covenant of Abraham with God; it is based on international law -- i.e., on the United Nations' decision of 1947. . . |
| 224-226 | Koestler ends his book by saying he believes many Jews have learned of their Khazar ancestry and now reject the Chosen-Race doctrine. |
THE THIRTEENTH TRIBE proves beyond doubt that modern Jews are not Biblical Israelites. Every church member in America should insist that his Pastor investigate these claims. Are our Jewish politicians, publishers, movie makers, and opinion molders God's "Chosen People"? Or are they Mongol and Hun infiltrators of Christendom?*****************************
Is The Jews' "Chosen People" Masquerade Finally Over?
Shortly after World War I, Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company, assembled a staff of experts in Detroit to conduct research on the European Jews who had been entering America in large numbers since the 1880's. Ford provided the staff with several million dollars for this research, and in 1923 he published the results in a four-volume work titled "THE INTERNATIONAL JEW." It was Henry Ford's conclusion that very few of these people who called themselves "Jews" were descendants of the Bible Israelites. Ford further proved that these Jews, using all sorts of crimes while under the cloak of being the Chosen People of the Bible, were rapidly taking economic and political control of America. In the religious field, Ford claimed THE JEWS HAD SECRETLY GAINED CONTROL OF MOST PROTESTANT SEMINARIES AND CHRISTIAN BOOK- PUBLISHING HOUSES and had been able to remove almost all criticism of Jews from Christian literature. In summing up his findings, Henry Ford stated, "The Jews are not the Chosen People, though practically the entire Church has succumbed to the propaganda which declares them to be so." Ford's book caused a furor for a few years but soon disappeared from colleges, universities, and public libraries and became unobtainable at any price. The Churches continued to teach "The Jews are God's Chosen People, Israel," and the (by then) Jewish-dominated news media began to refer to Jews always as Israelites. Anyone opposing the increasing Jewish control of the nations was immediately branded "anti-Semitic;" and Jewish dominated Seminaries taught new ministers to quote Genesis 12:1-3 and sternly warn their flocks that anyone speaking unfavorably of the Jews would be "cursed by God." Jewish control of American society, politics, and religions continued to increase.
In 1951 retired U.S. Military Intelligence Officer, Col. John Beaty, published a scholarly 265-page book IRON CURTAIN OVER AMERICA. In it Col. Beaty gave overwhelming evidence this strange Race of Eastern European "Jews" were actually Khazar and Mongol Asiatics and had no racial ancestory in Israel at all.
He then proved that by 1951 these "Jews" had a stranglehold on American politics, on Banking and Credit, on all sources of news, on the entertainment industry, on America's education system, and that they were the predominant race as judges, lawyers, doctors, and in organized crime. The Jewish news media refused to review the book, Jewish book dealers refused to handle it, Christian book stores ignored it, and only a few thousand copies were distributed. Most Americans never heard of IRON CURTAIN OVER AMERICA. Now, because of renewed interest, both THE INTERNATIONAL JEW (in an abridged edition) and IRON CURTAIN OVER AMERICA have been reprinted and are available. (See ordering information below). The latest, and perhaps the most succinct book on this subject, is ISRAEL'S 5 TRILLION DOLLAR SECRET by Col. Curtis B. Dall, former son-in-law of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and a personal acquaintance of many high officials in the U.S. Govern ment since the 1930's. Col. Dall lives and works in the Washington, D. C. area, and his book, published in 1977. Col. Dall proves again, from reliable sources, that the Jews are NOT Israelites. In fact, Col. Dall calls their masquerade as "Israel" the greatest "hoax" of the last centuries! It should be read by every non-Jew.
You now know their false identity as "Israel" protects these "Jews" from being exposed as aliens and as anti-Americans. Read the books below. Give this sheet to your Minister. Tell him to preach the truth - or resign! Most preaching today is based on the "Jew-Israel" myth, and it is false.
"Fear them not therefore; for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed: and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye on the housetops" (Jesus, in Matthew 10:26,27).
So, I'm just saying - when the truth is out there.. WHO is actually the "bad guy" in Palestine?... Make duah today.. that Allah may reveal what is already out there, and that hearts may listen, insh'Allah!
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So where is the free gift? Well, the gift is a link to the entire book! - free!
http://www.fantompowa.info/13th%20Tribe.pdf
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