Quennel Gale at queball20@yahoo.com
As promised, here is the second
part of our rebuttal to Nisar’s attacks. This paper will focus on contrasting
the Apostle Paul’s life and teachings with that of Muhammad’s. As we
shall shortly demonstrate, the facts will prove that Muhammad was not
in the league of the Apostle Paul.
Paul on Lying
Muslims often claim that Paul
admitted to lying in Romans 3:7-8. Yet when we actually read these verses
in context, a different picture altogether arises. It is clear that
Paul was speaking figuratively. Paul was addressing how man's unrighteousness
manifests God's righteous judgment more clearly. Paul then addresses
a hypothetical question a person might ask that if in fact one's falsehood
proves that God is righteous, then why does God condemn the individual?
Here is the passage in question:
“But if our unrighteousness
brings out God's righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That
God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us?
(I am using a human argument.) Certainly not! If that were so,
how could God judge the world? ‘If my falsehood enhances God's truthfulness
and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?’ Why
not say - as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as
some claim that we say – ‘Let us do evil that good may result’?
Their condemnation is deserved.” Romans 3:5-8
Interestingly, Paul indicates that it was deceitful men who were slanderously accusing the Apostle of condoning sin and falsehood, a charge to which Paul places under the condemnation of God.
Here is Paul’s views regarding lying and deception:
“Unlike so many,
we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary,
in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from
God." 2 Corinthians 2:17
“Rather,
we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception,
nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary,
by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every
man's conscience in the sight of God." 2 Corinthians 4:2
"Am I now trying to
win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men?
If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of
Christ." Galatians 1:10 "Have I now become your enemy
by telling you the truth?" Galatians 4:16
"You know, brothers,
that our visit to you was not a failure. We had previously suffered
and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our
God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition. For
the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives,
nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as men
approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.
We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.
You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover
up greed-God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from
men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could
have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother
caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted
to share with you not only the gospel of God
but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.
Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship;
we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while
we preached the gospel of God to you.
You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless
we were among you who believed." 1 Thessalonians 2:1-10
"Put to death, therefore,
whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity,
lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these,
the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in
the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such
things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from
your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your
old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which
is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." Colossians
3:5-10
"For such men are
false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of
Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of
light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants
of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve."
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
It
might surprise our readers to discover that it is Muhammad who condoned
deception and lying to achieve one’s aim, as the following verses demonstrate:
"Whoso disbelieves
in God, after he has believed - excepting him who has been compelled,
and in his heart is still at rest in his belief - but whosoever's
heart is expanded in unbelief, upon them shall rest anger from God,
and there awaits them a mighty chastisement." S. 16:106
Al-Tabari comments:
"It has been reported
that the Quraish compelled ‘Ammar, his father Yasir, and his mother
Sumayya to renounce Islam. So they tied Sumayyya to two camels and pointed
a spear to her heart, saying to her that she converted for the men,
and killed her. Later they killed Yasir. Thus, these two were the first
martyrs in Islam. As for ‘Ammar, he told them, unwillingly, what
they wanted to hear. So it was told the Messenger of God that ‘Ammar
disbelieved. He said, ‘No, ‘Ammar is full of faith from the top of his
head to the bottom of his feet; belief has been mingled with his flesh
and blood.' ‘Ammar came weeping to the Messenger of God. Therefore,
the Messenger of God started to wipe his tears, and said, ‘If they come
back to you, repeat to them what you said.' This is the evidence
for the admissibility of speaking unbelief under compulsion."
(‘Abdallah ‘Abd al-Fadi, Is the Qur'an Infallible? [Light of
Life PO Box 13 A-9503 Villach, Austria], p. 97; bold emphasis ours)
The Traditions tell us that
there are at least four instances where deception can be used:
Humaid b. ‘Abd al-Rahman
b. ‘Auf reported that his mother Umm Kulthum daughter of ‘Uqba b. Abu
Mu'ait, and she was one amongst the first emigrants who pledged allegiance
to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him), as saying that she heard
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: A liar is not one
who tries to bring reconciliation amongst people and speaks good (in
order to avert dispute), or he conveys good. Ibn Shihab said he did
not hear that exemption was granted in anything what the people speak
as lie but in three cases: in battle, for bringing reconciliation
amongst persons and the narration of the words of the husband to his
wife, and the narration of the words of a wife to her husband (in a
twisted form in order to bring reconciliation between them).
More information is provided
by William Muir's "Life of Mahomet", Volume I, footnote
88:
The common Moslem belief is that it is allowable to tell a falsehood on four occasions:
1st, to save one's life;
2nd, to effect a peace or reconciliation;
3rd, to persuade a woman;
4th, on the occasion of
a journey or expedition.
To save one's life
The first is borne out by Mahomet's express sanction. Ammar ibn Yasir was sorely persecuted by the pagans of Mecca, and denied the faith for his deliverance. The Prophet approved of his conduct: - "If they do this again, then repeat the same recantation to them again." Katib al Wackidi; p. 227 ½.
Another tradition preserved
in the family of Yasir, is as follows: - "The idolators seized
Ammar, and they let him not go until he had abused Mahomet and spoken
well of their gods. He then repaired to the Prophet, who asked of him
what had happened." – "Evil, oh Prophet of the Lord! I was
not let go until I had abused thee, and spoken well of their gods."
– "But how," replied Mahomet, "dost thou find thins own
heart?" – "Secure and steadfast in the faith." – "Then,"
said Mahomet, "if they repeat the same, do thou too repeat the
same." Ibid. Mahomet also said that Ammar's lie was better than
Aba Jahl's truth.
To effect a peace or reconciliation
The second is directly
sanctioned by the following tradition:- "That person is not a liar
who makes peace between two people, and speaks good words to do away
their quarrel, although they should be lies."
Mishcat, vol ii. p.427
To persuade a woman
As to the third, we have
a melancholy instance that Mahomet did not think it wrong to make false
promises to his wives, in the matter of Mary his Egyptian maid.
On the occasion of a journey or expedition
And regarding the fourth, it was his constant habit in projecting expeditions (excepting only that to Tabuk) to conceal his intentions, and to give out that he was about to proceed in another direction from the true one. (Hishami, p. 392; Katib al Wackidi, p. 133 ½.)
Hence, Muhammad treated
truth and deception according to his own style of situational ethics.
Muhammad condoned, and actually permitted lying to further his goals.
We are told in
Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Number 361:
Narrated Zahdam:
Once we were in the house
of Abu Musa who presented a meal containing cooked chicken. A man from
the tribe of Bani Taim Allah with red complexion as if he were from
the Byzantine war prisoners, was present. Abu Musa invited him to share
the meal but he (apologized) saying. "I saw chickens eating dirty
things and so I have had a strong aversion to eating them, and have
taken an oath that I will not eat chickens." Abu Musa said,
"Come along, I will tell you about this matter (i.e. how to
cancel one's oath). I went to the Prophet in the company of a group
of Al-Ashariyin, asked him to provide us with means of conveyance. He
said, ‘By Allah, I will not provide you with any means of conveyance
and I have nothing to make you ride on.’ Then some camels as booty were
brought to Allah's Apostle and he asked for us saying. ‘Where are the
group of Al-Ash'ariyun?’ Then he ordered that we should be given five
camels with white humps. When we set out we said, ‘What have we done?
We will never be blessed (with what we have been given).’ So, we returned
to the Prophet and said, ‘We asked you to provide us with means of conveyance,
but you took an oath that you would not provide us with any means of
conveyance. Did you forget (your oath when you gave us the camels)?’
He replied. ‘I have not provided you with means of conveyance
but Allah has provided you with it, and by Allah, Allah willing,
if ever I take an oath to do something, and later on I find that
it is more beneficial to do something different, I will do the thing
which is better, and give expiation for my oath.'"
The Quran testifies that even
Allah is a deceiver:
The Hypocrites -
they seek to deceive Allah but it is Allah Who DECEIVES them.
When they stand up to prayer, they stand without earnestness, to be
seen of men, but little do they hold Allah in remembrance; S. 4:142
Ibn Kathir comments:
In verse nine of Al-Baqarah,
Allah says: <They (think) deceive Allah and those who believe, while
they only deceive themselves.> While in the above verse, Allah says:
<Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He who deceives
them.> There is no doubt that Allah does not deceive as He is
All-Aware of secrets. But, the hypocrites, owing to their ignorance,
believe that they can trick Allah on the Day of Judgment them with the
same external shows of piety and honesty that they used to gain advantage
with the people and to get verdicts in the law courts in this world.
Allah knows their intentions. Similarly, Allah says in the following
verse: <On the Day when Allah will resurrect them all together, then
they will swear to you.> (58:18).
After claiming that Allah does
not deceive, Ibn Kathir goes on to say:
<But it is Allah Who
deceives them.> It is Allah Who tempts them in their going over
the limits and their misguidance, and DECEIVES them into reaching false
perceptions regarding the purpose of this life and the trial on the
Day of Judgment when their falsehood will fail. It is reported in
a hadith that: ‘Allah commands that a servant enter Paradise, as it
may seem to people, then takes him to Fire.’" (Tafsir Ibn Kathir,
Sura An-Nisa, ayat 24-147, abridged by Sheikh Muhammad Nasib Ar-Rafa'i
[Al-Firdous Ltd., London 2000], pp. 207-208)
Therefore, Muslims themselves
admit that their God is a deceiver.
Further passages from the Qur'an
about the deceiving nature of Allah:
And (the unbelievers)
schemed and planned, and Allah
schemed also, and the best of schemers is Allah. S. 3:54
Remember how the unbelievers
schemed against thee, to keep thee in bonds, or to slay thee, or get
thee out (of thy home). They scheme and plot,
but the best of schemers is Allah. S. 8:30
The term for scheme in Arabic
is makara and denotes one who is a deceiver, a conniver, a schemer.
It is always used in a negative sense. Allah is thus seen as the best
of deceivers, the premiere schemer and conniving one.
Muslim theologians themselves
admit to the negative connotation of the Arabic term. For example Dr.
Mahmoud M. Ayoub in his book, The Quran and Its Interpreters,
Volume II, The House of Imran, brings up the question of,
"how the word
makr (scheming or plotting),
which implies deceitfulness or dishonesty, could be attributed
to God." (Ibid. [1992 State University of New York Press, Albany],
p. 165)
After listing several Muslim
sources he quotes ar-Razi as arguing that "scheming
(makr) is actually an act of deception aiming at causing
evil. It is not possible to attribute deception to God. Thus
the word is one of the muttashabihat [multivalent words of the
Quran]." (Ibid., p. 166; all bold italic emphasis ours)
Paul on Husband and Wife
Relations
Paul exhorts husbands to
view their wives as their own bodies:
"Husbands, love your
wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to
make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,
and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or
wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way,
husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves
his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but
he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church - for we are
members of his body. 'For this reason a man will leave his father
and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.'
This is a profound mystery - but I am talking about Christ and the church.
However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself,
and the wife must respect her husband. Ephesians 5:25-33
Paul also commands husbands
to view their bodies as not belonging to themselves but to their wives
and vice-versa, and must not deny the others' needs:
"Now for the matters
you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. But since there
is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman
her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his
wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife's body does not
belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's
body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. Do not deprive
each other except by MUTUAL consent and for a time, so that you
may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan
will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control." 1 Corinthians
7:1-5
We challenge Nisar to produce
similar verses from the Quran commanding husbands to view their wives
as their own bodies, since we are confident he cannot especially in
light of the following.
Muhammad on Husband and
Wife Relations
Unlike Paul in the Holy Bible,
Muhammad clearly classifies women as property and teaches that they
are inferior to men:
"Your wives are
as a tilth unto you; so approach your tilth when or how ye will;
but do some good act for your souls beforehand; and fear Allah. And
know that ye are to meet Him (in the Hereafter), and give (these) good
tidings to those who believe." S. 2:223
The reason why this verse was
“revealed” is given in the Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 11, Number 2159:
Narrated Abdullah Ibn Abbas:
Ibn Umar misunderstood (the Qur'anic verse, "So come to your tilth however you will")--may Allah forgive him. The fact is that this clan of the Ansar, who were idolaters, lived in the company of the Jews who were the people of the Book. They (the Ansar) accepted their superiority over themselves in respect of knowledge, and they followed most of their actions. The people of the Book (i.e. the Jews) used to have intercourse with their women on one side alone (i.e. lying on their backs). This was the most concealing position for (the vagina of) the women. This clan of the Ansar adopted this practice from them. But this tribe of the Quraysh used to uncover their women completely, and seek pleasure with them from in front and behind and laying them on their backs.
When the muhajirun (the immigrants) came to Medina, a man married a woman of the Ansar. He began to do the same kind of action with her, but she disliked it, and said to him: We were approached on one side (i.e. lying on the back); do it so, otherwise keep away from me. This matter of theirs spread widely, and it reached the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him).
So Allah, the Exalted,
sent down the Qur'anic verse: "Your wives are a tilth to you, so
come to your tilth however you will,"
i.e. from in front, from behind or lying on the back. But this
verse meant the place of the delivery of the child, i.e. the vagina.
Instead of respecting the woman's
refusal to engage in a particular sexual position, Allah sends down
the command permitting men to enter women as they like!
"Women have such honorable
rights as obligations, but their men have a degree above them."
S. 2:228
Muslim commentator Ibn Kathir
notes:
<But men have a degree
over them.>, that is, men have a degree over women as far as virtue,
behavior, status, obeying orders, expenditure, fulfilling duties, and
grace in both worldly life and the Hereafter... (Tafsir Ibn Kathir,
part 2, Sura Al-Baqarah, ayat 142-252, Abridged By Sheikh Muhammad
Nasib Ar-Rifa'i [Al-Firdous Ltd., London 1998], p. 204; bold emphasis
ours)
Continuing further:
"Fair in the eyes
of men is the love of things they covet: WOMEN and sons; Heaped-up
hoards of gold and silver; horses branded (for blood and excellence);
and (wealth of) cattle and well-tilled land.
Such are the POSSESSIONS of this world's life; but with Allah
is the best of the goals (to return to)." S. 3:14
Again, Ibn Kathir:
Allah mentions the delights that He put in this life for people, such as women and children, and He started with women, because the test with them IS MORE TEMPTING. For instance, the Sahih recorded that the Messenger said,
<I did not leave behind me a test more tempting THAN WOMEN.>
When one enjoys women for the purpose of having children and preserving his chastity, then he is encouraged getting married, such as,
<Verily, the best members of this Ummah are those who have THE MOST WIVES> He also said,
<This life is a delight, and the best of its delight IS A RIGHTEOUS WIFE>
The Prophet said in another Hadith,
<I WAS MADE TO
LIKE WOMEN AND PERFUME And the comfort of my eye is the prayer.>
'Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "Nothing was more
beloved to the Messenger of Allah THAN WOMEN, except horses,"
and in another narration, "…than horses EXCEPT WOMEN." (Tafsir
Ibn Kathir-Abridged Volume 2, parts 3, 4, & 5, Surat Al-Baqarah,
Verse 253, to Surat An-Nisa, Verse 147, abridged by a group of scholars
under the supervision of Shaykh Safiur Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri [Darussalam
Publishers & Distributors, March 2000], p. 124; bold emphasis ours)
The Quran states:
"Men are superior
to women on account of the qualities which God hath gifted the one above
the other, and on account of the outlay they make from their substance
for them. Virtuous women are obedient, careful, during
the husband's absence, because God hath of them been careful.
But chide those for whose refractoriness ye have cause to fear; remove
them into beds apart, AND SCOURGE THEM: but if they are obedient
to you then seek not occasion against them: verily, God is High, Great!"
S. 4:34 Rodwell
Not only does this last verse
say that men are superior to women, but it also grants husbands the
right to beat disobedient wives! The Concise Oxford English-Arabic
Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 1982, ISBN 0-19-864321-7, p.
32, defines the Arabic word for “beat” as:
beat1/bit/ (p.t. beat p.p. beaten)
1. (strike)
beat a carpet
beat eggs
the village is off the
beaten track
he managed to beat
down the price
he was beaten up (source: http://www.alastair.i12.com/MResources/ToBeatOrNotToBeat.html)
Here is Ibn Kathir's interpretation
of 4:34:
In this verse Allah says
that the man is the leader over the woman
and is the one who disciplines her if she does wrong. <Because
Allah has made one of them excel the other.>,
this is because men are better than women, and man is better than
woman. Therefore, prophethood and kingship were confined to men,
as the Prophet said: 'A people that choose woman as their leader
will not succeed.' This hadith was narrated by Al-Bukhari. Added
to that positions such as judiciary, etc.... <And because they
spend from their means.> Here, Allah refers to the dowry and
expenses, which Allah has prescribed in the Qur'an and Sunnah;
and given a man is better than a woman, it is appropriate that
he be her protector and maintainer, as Allah says: <But men have
a degree over them.> (2:228). (Tafsir Ibn Kathir-Part 5, Surah
An-Nisa', ayat 24-147, Abridged By Sheikh Muhammad Nasib Ar-Rifa'i,
p. 50; bold italic emphasis ours)
And:
<And beat them.> if they do not abstain from their disobedience through both advise and desertion. However, the beating should be Dharbun ghayru mubrah, i.e. light, according to the hadith narrated in Sahih Muslim, on the authority of Jabir, who had quoted the Prophet as saying in his farewell pilgrimage: "And fear Allah in women, for they are your aides, and their duties towards you is that your beds should not be shared with someone you dislike. Therefore, if they disobey you, beat them lightly, and your duty towards them is that you should maintain and buy them clothes in a reasonable manner."
Scholars said:
Dharbun ghayru mubrahun means:
The husband should beat his wife lightly, in way which does not
result in breaking one of her limbs or affecting her badly.
(Ibid., p. 53; bold italic emphasis ours)
Notice that even in Ibn Kathir's
translation of S. 4:34 the command to beat one's wife sticks out clearly.
Again from the
Sunan Abu Dawud:
Narrated Abdullah ibn AbuDhubab:
Iyas ibn Abdullah ibn AbuDhubab
reported the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) as saying: Do not
beat Allah's handmaidens, but when Umar came to the Apostle of Allah
(peace_be_upon_him) and said: Women have become emboldened towards
their husbands, he (the Prophet) gave permission to beat them. Then
many women came round the family of the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
complaining against their husbands. So the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
said: Many women have gone round Muhammad's family complaining against
their husbands. They are not the best among you. (Book 11, Number 2141)
And:
Narrated Umar ibn al-Khattab:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him)
said: A man will not be asked as to why he beat his wife.
There is absolutely no justification
for Muhammad to permit the beating of women. This is simply inhumane
to say the least. The reason for this being inhumane is not simply over
whether the beating is light or heavy. Rather, it has to do with the
fact that the right of the man to beat his wife is a clear violation
of her dignity as an equal partner. Parents may at times beat their
children as part of disciplining them, because they are in authority
above them, while children have the duty to obey. Their position is
not one of equality. Beating is an statement of not only higher physical
strength, but of position. Beating clearly violates the status and dignity
of women, putting them on the level of children (and even animals as
we shall shortly see) in comparison to their "owner".
The following citations are
taken and adapted from M. Rafiqul-Haqq and P. Newton’s
The Place of Women in Pure Islam.
Muhammad stated:
"The woman IS A
TOY, whoever takes her let him care for her (or do not lose her)."
(Ahmad Zaky Tuffaha, Al-Mar'ah wal- Islam [Dar al-Kitab al-Lubnani,
Beirut, first edition, 1985], p. 180)
Umar Ibn al-Khattab once told
his wife:
"You are a toy,
if you are needed we will call you." (Abu Bakr Ahmad Ibn 'Abd Allah
Ibn Mousa Al-Kanadi, Al-Musanaf, Vol. 1 pt. 2, p. 263- see also
Al-Ghazali, Ihy'a 'Uloum ed-Din, Vol. II,
Kitab Adab al-Nikah [Dar al-Kotob al-'Elmeyah, Beirut], p. 52)
The Caliph 'Amru Bin al-'Aas
said:
"Women
are toys, so choose." (Kanz-el-'Ummal, Vol. 21, Hadith
No. 919)
Another shameful practice that
Muhammad permitted was temporary marriages known as
Mut’a, a practice still observed by Shiite Muslims till this
day:
And all married women (are
forbidden unto you) save those (captives) whom your right hands possess.
It is a decree of Allah for you. Lawful unto you are all beyond those
mentioned, so that ye seek them with your wealth in honest wedlock,
not debauchery. And those of whom ye seek content (by marrying them),
give unto them their portions as a duty. And there is no sin for you
in what ye do by mutual agreement after the duty (hath been done).
Lo! Allah is ever Knower, Wise. S. 4:24 Pickthall
Ibn Kathir comments:
“… <And how could you take it back and you have gone in unto each other.> (4:21): the general meaning of which was given as evidence for Mut'a Marriage (Marriage for an intended short time) which was, undoubtedly, PREVALENT at the onset of Islam, but was abrogated thereafter. Ash-Shafi'i and a group of scholars were of the opinion that Mut'a Marriage had once been permitted but was later invalidated on two occasions. Some were more assertive than that, while others have made it lawful only if necessary. The majority of scholars, however, have opposed this view. The correct statement is mentioned in Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, on the authority of Ali Ibn Abu Talib: 'The Prophet forbade Mut'a Marriage and the meat of local skylarks (a type of bird) on the Day of Khaibar.'
"It is narrated in
Sahih Muslim, on the authority of Ar-Rabi' Ibn Sabrah Ibn Ma'bad Al-Juhani,
who had quoted from his father, who had participated in the Conquest
of Makkah with the Prophet who said: 'O, People!
I have permitted you to do Mut'a Marriage and Allah has forbidden
it until the Day of Judgment. Therefore, whosoever is married to a woman
through this type of marriage, should release them and should not take
anything back from Mahr you have given them.' According to Muslim, it
was said during Hujjatal Wadaa' (Farewell Pilgrimage). This Hadith
has other meanings in the Book of Al-Ahkaam." (Tafsir
Ibn Kathir, abridged by Sheikh
Muhammad Nasib Ar-Rafa'i,
part 5, pp. 29-30 italic emphasis ours)
The Hadith supplies several
examples of such marriages:
Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) reported:
We were on an expedition with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
and we had no women with us. We said: Should we not have ourselves castrated?
He (the Holy Prophet) forbade us to do
so He then granted us permission that we should contract temporary
marriage for a stipulated period giving her a garment, and 'Abdullah
then recited this verse: 'Those who believe do not make unlawful the
good things which Allah has made lawful for you, and do not transgress.
Allah does not like trangressers" (al-Qur'an, v. 87). (Sahih Muslim Book 008, Number 3243)
Jabir b. 'Abdullah and
Salama b. al-Akwa' said: There came to us the proclaimer of Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) and said:
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) has granted you permission
to benefit yourselves, i. e. to contract temporary marriage with women.
(Sahih Muslim, Book 008, Number 3246)
Abu Nadra reported: While
I was in the company of Jabir b. Abdullah, a person came to him and
said that Ibn 'Abbas and Ibn Zubair differed on the two types of
Mut'as (Tamattu' of Hajj 1846 and Tamattu' with women), whereupon
Jabir said: We used to do these two during the lifetime of Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him). Umar then forbade us to do them,
and so we did not revert to them. (Sahih Muslim, Book
008, Number 3250)
Finally:
Rabi' b. Sabra reported
that his father went on an expedition with Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) during the Victory of Mecca, and we stayed there for fifteen
days (i. e. for thirteen full days and a day and a night), and Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) permitted us to contract temporary
marriage with women. So I and another person of my tribe went out,
and I was more handsome than he, whereas he was almost ugly.
Each one of us had a cloak, My cloak was worn out, whereas the cloak
of my cousin was quite new. As we reached the lower or the upper side
of Mecca, we came across a young woman like a young smart long-necked
she-camel. We said: Is it possible that one of us may contract temporary
marriage with you? She said: What will you give me as a dower?
Each one of us spread his cloak. She began to cast a glance on both
the persons. My companion also looked at her when she was casting a
glance at her side and he said: This cloak of his is worn out, whereas
my cloak is quite new. She, however, said twice or thrice: There
is no harm in (accepting) this cloak (the old one). So I contracted
temporary marriage with her, and I did not come out (of this) until
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) declared it forbidden. (Sahih Muslim, Book 008, Number 3253)
We would like Nisar to answer
for us what kind of prophet would sanction such immorality? Is not this
type of temporary marriage a form of legal prostitution since the intent
in the marriage is sexual gratification as opposed to marital union
and family upbringing? And how does this maintain the integrity of the
women who are simply provided material gifts for the degrading of their
bodies in satisfying the sexual lust of men acting as untamed animals?
The
NT records that God backed up the message of Paul and the other apostles
with supernatural signs and wonders:
“So Paul and Barnabas spent
considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed
the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs
and wonders.” Acts 14:3
"I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has
accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what
I have said and done - by the power of signs and miracles, through
the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to
Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ." Romans
15:18-19
"I have made a full
of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by
you, for I m not least inferior to the 'super-apostles,' even though
I am nothing. The things that mark an apostle - signs, wonders and
miracles - were done among you with great perseverance." 2
Corinthians 12:11-12
Paul even had power over demons
and poison by God’s sovereign grace:
“Once when we were going
to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit
by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money
for her owners by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest
of us, shouting, ‘These men are servants of the Most High God, who are
telling you the way to be saved.’ She kept this up for many days. Finally
Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit,
‘In THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST I command you to come out of her!’
AT THAT MOMENT THE SPIRIT LEFT HER.” Acts 16:16-18
"God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs
and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses
were cured AND THE EVIL SPIRITS LEFT THEM. Some Jews who went around
driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus
over those who were demon-possessed.
They would say, 'In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command
you to come out.' Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were
doing this. [One day] the evil spirit answered them, 'Jesus I know,
and I know about Paul, but who are you?' Then the man who had the
evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such
a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. When this
became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were
all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high
honor." Acts 19:11-16
"Paul gathered a pile
of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by
the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the islanders saw the
snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, 'This man must
be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed
him to live.' But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered
no ill effects. The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall
dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen
to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god. There was
an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the
island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us
hospitably. His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery.
Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and
healed him. When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island
came and were cured." Acts 28:3-9
The
Quran testifies that Muhammad could perform no miracles:
Say those without knowledge:
"Why speaketh not Allah unto us? or why cometh not unto us a
Sign?" So said the people before them words of similar import.
Their hearts are alike. We have indeed made clear the Signs unto any
people who hold firmly to Faith (in their hearts). S. 2:118
Even IF thou wert to
bring to the People of the Book all the Signs (together), they would
not follow thy Qibla; nor art thou going to follow their Qibla; nor
indeed will they follow each other's Qibla. If thou after the knowledge
hath reached thee, Wert to follow their (vain) desires,- then wert thou
Indeed (clearly) in the wrong. S. 2:145
They say:
"Why is not a Sign sent down to him from his Lord!"
Say: "Allah hath certainly power to send down a Sign: but most
of them understand not." S. 6:37
They swear their strongest
oaths by Allah, that if a (special) sign came to them, by it they would
believe. Say: "Certainly (all) Signs are in the power of Allah:
but what will make you (Muslims) realize that (even) if (special) signs
came, they will not believe."? S. 6:109
They say:
"Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord?"
Say: "The Unseen is only for Allah (to know), then wait ye:
I too will wait with you." S. 10:20
And the Unbelievers say:
"Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord?"
But thou art truly a warner, and to every people a guide. 13:7
The Unbelievers say:
"Why is not a Sign sent down to him from his Lord?"
Say: "Truly Allah leaveth, to stray, whom He will; But He guideth
to Himself those who turn to Him in penitence,-" S. 13:27
And We refrain from
sending the Signs, only because the men of former generations treated
them as false: We sent the She-camel to the Thamüd - a visible Sign-,
but they treated her wrongfully: We only send the Signs by way of frightening
(and warning from evil). S. 17:59
They say: "We shall
not believe in thee, until thou cause a spring to gush forth for us
from the earth, Or (until) thou have a garden of date trees and vines,
and cause rivers to gush forth in their midst, carrying abundant water;
Or thou cause the sky to fall in pieces, as thou sayest (will happen),
against us; or thou bring Allah and the angels before (us) face to face:
Or thou have a house adorned with gold, or thou mount a ladder right
into the skies. No, we shall not even believe in thy mounting until
thou send down to us a book that we could read."
Say: "Glory to my Lord! Am I aught but a man,- a messenger?"
S. 17:90-93
But (now), when the Truth
has come to them from Ourselves, they say, "Why are not (Signs)
sent to him, like those which were sent to Moses?" Do they not
then reject (the Signs) which were formerly sent to Moses?
They say: "Two kinds of sorcery, each assisting the other!"
And they say: "For us, we reject all (such things)!" S. 28:48
Nay, here are Signs self-evident
in the hearts of those endowed with knowledge: and none but the unjust
reject Our Signs. Ye they say: "Why are not Signs sent down
to him from his Lord?" Say: "The signs are indeed with
Allah: and I am indeed a clear Warner."
And is it not enough for them that we have sent down to thee the
Book which is rehearsed to them?
Verily, in it is Mercy and a Reminder to those who believe. S. 29:49-51
Furthermore, unlike Paul, Muhammad
had no power over Satan but actually fell under demonic influence
and also died as result of poison!:
Narrated Aisha:
Once the Prophet
was bewitched so that he began to imagine that he had done a
thing which in fact he had not done. (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Book
53, Number 400)
Narrated 'Aisha:
Magic was worked on
the Prophet so that he began to fancy that he was doing a thing which
he was not actually doing. One day he invoked (Allah) for a long
period and then said, "I feel that Allah has inspired me as how
to cure myself. Two persons came to me (in my dream) and sat, one by
my head and the other by my feet. One of them asked the other, "What
is the ailment of this man?" The other replied, 'He has been bewitched"
The first asked, 'Who has bewitched him?' The other replied, 'Lubaid
bin Al-A'sam.' The first one asked, 'What material has he used?' The
other replied, 'A comb, the hair gathered on it, and the outer skin
of the pollen of the male date-palm.' The first asked, 'Where is that?'
The other replied, 'It is in the well of Dharwan.' " So, the Prophet
went out towards the well and then returned and said to me on his return,
"Its date-palms (the date-palms near the well) are like the heads
of the devils." I asked, "Did you take out those things with
which the magic was worked?" He said , "No, for I have been
cured by Allah and I am afraid that this action may spread evil amongst
the people." Later on the well was filled up with earth. (Sahih
Al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 54, Number 490)
Narrated 'Aisha:
A man called Labid bin
al-A'sam from the tribe of Bani Zaraiq worked magic on Allah's Apostle
till Allah's Apostle started imagining that he had done a thing that
he had not really done. One day or one night he was with us, he invoked
Allah and invoked for a long period, and then said, "O 'Aisha!
Do you know that Allah has instructed me concerning the matter I have
asked him about? Two men came to me and one of them sat near my head
and the other near my feet. One of them said to his companion, "What
is the disease of this man?" The other replied, "He is under
the effect of magic.' The first one asked,
'Who has worked the magic on him?' The other replied, "Labid
bin Al-A'sam.' The first one asked, 'What material did he use?'
The other replied, 'A comb and the hairs stuck to it and the skin of
pollen of a male date palm.' The first one asked, 'Where is that?' The
other replied, '(That is) in the well of Dharwan;' " So Allah's
Apostle along with some of his companions went there and cam e back
saying, "O 'Aisha, the color of its water is like the infusion
of Henna leaves. The tops of the date-palm trees near it are like the
heads of the devils." I asked. "O Allah's Apostle? Why did
you not show it (to the people)?" He said, "Since Allah cured
me, I disliked to let evil spread among the people." Then he ordered
that the well be filled up with earth. (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 7,
Book 71, Number 658)
Narrated 'Aisha:
that Allah's Apostle
was affected by magic, so much that he used to think that he had done
something which in fact, he did not do, and he invoked his Lord (for
a remedy). Then (one day) he said, "O 'Aisha!) Do you know
that Allah has advised me as to the problem I consulted Him about?"
'Aisha said, "O Allah's Apostle! What's that?" He said, "Two
men came to me and one of them sat at my head and the other at my feet,
and one of them asked his companion, 'What is wrong with this man?'
The latter replied, 'He is under the effect of magic.' The former asked,
'Who has worked magic on him?' The latter replied, 'Labid bin Al-A'sam.'
The former asked, 'With what did he work the magic?' The latter replied,
'With a comb and the hair, which are stuck to the comb, and the skin
of pollen of a date-palm tree.' The former asked, 'Where is that?' The
latter replied, 'It is in Dharwan.' Dharwan was a well in the dwelling
place of the (tribe of) Bani Zuraiq. Allah's Apostle went to that well
and returned to 'Aisha, saying, 'By Allah, the water (of the well) was
as red as the infusion of Hinna, (1) and the date-palm trees look like
the heads of devils.' 'Aisha added, Allah's Apostle came to me and informed
me about the well. I asked the Prophet, 'O Allah's Apostle, why didn't
you take out the skin of pollen?' He said, 'As for me, Allah has cured
me and I hated to draw the attention of the people to such evil (which
they might learn and harm others with).' "
Narrated Hisham's father:
'Aisha said, "Allah's Apostle was bewitched, so he invoked Allah
repeatedly requesting Him to cure him from that magic)." Hisham
then narrated the above narration. (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book
75, Number 400)
Abu Darda' reported: Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) stood up (to pray) and we heard him
say: "I seek refuge in Allah from thee." Then said: "curse
thee with Allah's curse" three times, then he stretched out his
hand as though he was taking hold of something. When he finished the
prayer, we said: Messenger of Allah, we heard you say something during
the prayer which we have not heard you say before, and we saw you stretch
out your hand. He replied: Allah's enemy Iblis came with a flame of
fire to put it in my face, so I said three times:" I Seek refuge
in Allah from thee." Then I said three times: " I curse thee
with Allah's full curse." BUT HE DID NOT RETREAT (ON ANY ONE
OF THESE) THREE OCCASIONS. Thereafter I meant to seize him. I swear
by Allah that had it not been for the supplication of my brother Sulaiman
he would have been bound, and made an object of sport for the children
of Medina. (Sahih Muslim,
Book 004, Number 1106)
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
A Jewess brought a poisoned
(cooked) sheep for the Prophet who ate from it. She was brought
to the Prophet and he was asked, "Shall we kill her?" He said,
"No." I continued to see the effect of the poison on the palate
of the mouth of Allah's Apostle. (Sahih Al-Bukhari Volume 3, Number
786)
From Ibn Sa'd's biography,
the Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir (Book of the Major Classes),
Volume 2, p. 249:
Verily a Jewish woman
presented poisoned (meat of) a she goat to the apostle of Allah.
He took a piece form it, put it into his mouth, chewed it and threw
it away. The he said to the Companions: "Halt! Verily, its leg
tells me that it is poisoned." Then he sent for the Jewish woman
and asked her; "What induced you to do what you have done?"
She replied, "I wanted to know if you are true; in that case Allah
will surely inform you, and if you are a liar I shall relieve the people
of you."
And,
The apostle of Allah and
his companions ate from it. It (goat) said: "I am poisoned."
He [Muhammad] said to his Companions, "Hold you hands! because
it has informed me that it is poisoned!" They withdrew their hands,
but Bishr Ibn al-Bara expired. The apostle of Allah sent for
her (Jewess) and asked her, "What induced you to do what you have
done?" She replied, "I wanted to know if you are a prophet,
in that case it will not harm you and if you are a king, I shall relieve
the people of you. He gave orders and she was put to death.
From al-Tabari's
History, Volume 8, p. 124:
The messenger of God said
during the illness from which he died - the mother of Bishr had come
in to visit him - "Umm Bishr, at this very moment I feel my
aorta being severed because of the food I ate with your son at Khaybay."
In light of this, we are left
with the following conclusions. Either Allah was not powerful enough
to protect his prophet from being bewitched or poisoned, making Jesus
more powerful and greater than Allah. Or Muhammad was not a true prophet
of God. We will let Nisar Muhammad answer these questions for our readers.
This brief comparison should convincingly demonstrate to our readers that Muhammad doesn’t even come close in comparing to the beloved Apostle Paul, the risen Lord Jesus’ faithful and righteous servant. This concludes this part. The final part to follow soon, Lord Jesus willing.
Quennel Gale at queball20@yahoo.com