Answering WikiIslam-1 | No God But ALLAH

In the Name of Allāh
The Beneficent, The Merciful.
Peace and blessings on Mohammad.
DEDICATED TO
Allāh–the Glorious and the High,
Lord of the worlds
AND TO
Mohammad–who brought the world
to our feet and eternity to our arms.
*

PREAMBLE
Like WikiIslam there are many sites (Christian and others) on the Internet that claim to show Muslims the “truth” about our religion –that Islam is a false religion– in their effort to lure uninformed and unthinking Muslims into apostatizing from Islam.
They use verses of the Qur’an out of context, and seemingly, without knowledge as to the background to which they were revealed and that verses of the Qur’an are either literal or allegorical in meaning: “He it is Who has revealed the Book to thee; some of its verses are decisive –they are the basis of the Book– and others are allegorical. Then those in whose hearts is perversity follow the part of it which is allegorical, seeking to mislead, and seeking to give it (their own) interpretation”–(Qur’an 3:6. Please note, numbering of verses vary among translators of the Qur’an).

In his translation of the Qur’an Muhammad Ali has explained Arabic words/terms and has given a background to which verses were revealed in addition to giving the history of the Qur’an from its revelation to its collection. Muhammad Ali has also dealt at length with objections against Islam. His translation of the Qur’an with preliminary notes can be viewed and perhaps even downloaded free online: www.muslim.org. His comprehensive work The Religion of Islam may also be available through this site.
Notably, the Qur’an is not a treatise on any subject, it is “essentially a book meant for the spiritual and moral advancement of man, and therefore the power, greatness, grandeur and glory of God is its chief theme, the principles of social laws enunciated therein being also meant to promote the moral and spiritual advancement of man”¹

Needless to say, WikiIslam, like other sites critical of Islam, is vast on text and void of substance. Muslims are not to be overwhelmed by their volume of material. Muslims are to know that there is nothing in Islam of which they are to be ashamed. There is no charge against Allāh, the Qur’an, Islam and the Prophet Mohammad that is not refutable; in fact many charges against Muslims are also refutable and have been refuted.

What is to be borne in mind is that the Qur’an was revealed over a period of about twenty-three years. Unless and until he received Divine revelation in a matter the Prophet Mohammad followed the Torah; once the Prophet received guidance on that issue there was no going back to the old practice (this is what the Qur’an refers to when it speaks about abrogation not that one verse of the Qur’an abrogates another verse of the Qur’an as is the popular belief. The Qur’an/Islam abrogates the Jewish and Christian laws of death for apostasy and blasphemy; honor killing; stoning; and abolished slavery and subjugation of women: see Christianity-subjugates women).
Also, verses of the Qur’an are to be understood according to the background to which they were revealed; as well as verses dealing with the same subject are to be interpreted together.

Hadiths –sayings of the Prophet Mohammad– are to be interpreted as to the time-period in which they were given, if it was before or after Qur’anic revelation on the subject. Whatever contradicts with the Qur’an is to be discarded. The Prophet Mohammad taught only according to the Qur’an–(Qur’an 10:15; 21:45; 46:9; 53:3-4). The Qur’an supersedes the Hadith. Even during his lifetime sayings were forged in the Prophet’s name. Whatever contradicts with the Qur’an is to be discarded.

WikiIslam also lists nearly two hundred questions for Christians to ask Muslims (as well as questions to ask Bahais) which we have answered (see ANSWERING WIKIISLAM-2 QUESTIONS FOR MUSLIMS).
WikiIslam states that the best method of debunking the Qur’an “is by questioning every claim as to their validity, and to make Muslims justify every claim.”
Whereas Muslims do not have to justify any thing -let WikiIslam and others prove a religion superior to Islam- Muslims have justified the claims of the Qur’an. We challenge WikiIslam to “justify” atheism, Christianity and Hinduism. (See Home).

Whereas the cardinal doctrines of Islam -Unity of Allah God, Prayer, Zakaat/Charity, Fasting and Hajj- are clearly expressed by Allah in the Qur’an and are conducive to reason and observed by Prophet Mohammad, and Allah has named our religion (Islam) and designated the name of its followers (Muslims).
No other religionists show that the cardinal doctrines of their religion are clearly expressed by God in their Scripture and are conducive to reason and observed by the prophet(s)/leader/founder of their religion, and that God has named their religion and designated the name of its followers.

(Though WikiIslam does not follow Christianity), WikiIslam strives to have Muslims apostatize from Islam to follow Christianity which put God into the belly of a woman He created -and created more than four billion years after He created the earth and call her “Mother of God” and denigrate God as son of mortal woman- gave God anus and penis, pulled God out the woman’s vagina/menstrual passage -making Adam and Eve cleaner than God, Job 4:17, 25:4- circumcised God’s foreskin, had God suck the woman’s “paps”, pinned God in diaper and had Him in need to be cleaned; fed God butter and honey so that God can differentiate between good and evil (Isaiah 7:14-15, thus portraying God as an ignoramus); have God needing to “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with man and God (with Himself, Luke 2:52); have God commit gross injustices of putting Adam’s sin onto helpless, blameless and morally and mentally non-competent babies and to the Resurrection, and had the innocent Jesus (and Himself)  killed as scapegoat to free us of Adam’s sin (which He put on us; having God complicit in murder; and which acts of blaming and killing the innocent for the guilty are expected of tyrants), then Christians hanged God naked on a cross to be gawked at.
Which ascriptions to God are not only the blackest degree of blasphemy and repugnancy, these ascriptions to God do not befit Twenty-first Century intelligence. These are the lunacies that WikiIslam wansts Muslims to savage our senses and follow.

Sadly, there are Muslims who have mutilated their intelligence and turned their backs to the Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent and all-Forgiving Allah to ape Christians and kiss the useless and unGodly crucifix and to drink the mythical blood of Jesus Christ and eat his body –SPIRITUAL CANNIBALISM! (For the origins of Trinity, original/inherited sin and vicarious atonement, see Home).
Muslims who have apostatized from Islam have the grand opportunity while you are alive to repent and return to Allah; when you die -and no one knows when he/she will die- this grand opportunity evaporates like dewdrop in Hell.

As the joke goes: Christians claim Jesus is God; Jews joke they killed the Christians’ God; Muslims muse Jews are greater than the Christians’ God.
According to Christians, for nine months when God was in Mary’s belly and until God ate butter and honey to gain wisdom, for some 12 years and 9 months the universe was without a God. And as God was/is killed there is no more God in the universe. Surely, not even a dead God can resurrect Himself because as the Bible/God says that “the dead KNOW NOT ANYTHING ….there is NO work, NOR device, NOR knowledge, NOR WISDOM, in the grave, whither thou goest”-(Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10).
No wonder in the West is is said “God is dead”!
Let us examine WikiIslam’s charge against Islam.

Answer to WikiIslam
(See also Allāh vs. Historians – Jesus not killed on cross; Apostate Prophet-Qur’an poor science; Qur’an is perfectly preserved).
(To eliminate cluttering of the text we have omitted references given by WikiIslam. They are useless anyway as his charges are refuted).

CONTENTS

1. FLAT EARTH
2. HEAVEN/SKY IS A CANOPY
3. HEAVENS AND EARTH A “CONTAINER”
4. THE HEAVENS AND THEIR DENIZENS
5. HEAVEN SUPPORTED BY PILLARS
6. ALLĀH’S THRONE OVER WATERS
7. ALLĀH DID NOT REVEAL ABOUT QUASARS ETC
8. MOHAMMAD’S JOURNEY TO HEAVEN
9. ECLIPSES OF THE SUN OR MOON
10. NIGHT AND DAY

11. THE STARS, PLANETS AND METEORS
12. REMOVAL OF MOUNTAINS
13. MOUNTAINS ARE PEGS
14. WHERE ARE PARADISE AND HELL?
15.DHUL-QARNAIN & SUN SETTING IN WATER, GOG AND MAGOG
16. QIBLAH–MUSLIMS NOT FACING
17. FASTING
18. ALLĀH MERGES NIGHT INTO DAY
19. ABROGATION IN THE QUR’AN
20. QUR’AN A REVELATION FROM ALLĀH

21. QUR’AN PRESERVED THROUGH MEMORIZATION
22. DISAGREEMENTS ON THE QUR’AN
23. MOHAMMAD FORGOT PARTS OF THE QUR’AN; DIFFEENCE IN READING; VARIANT READINGS; MISSING VERSES; VERSE ON STONING
24: POINTS, VOWELS & GRAMMATICAL MISTAKES IN THE QUR’AN
25. CORRUPTION OF PREVIOUS SCRIPTURES
26. ALLĀH DECEIVES
27. ALLĀH DECEIVES MUSLIMS
28. ALLĀH CREATED CHRISTIANITY BY DECEPTION
29. HEAVENS AND THE EARTH
30. RESTING PLACE OF THE SUN

31. DAY AND NIGHT
32. WHERE ARE PARADISE AND HELL?
33. EMBRYOLOGY IN THE QUR’AN
34. THE QUR’AN DOES NOT MENTION THE FEMALE GAMETE
35. QUR’AN AND “DUST” STAGE
36. QUR’AN AND “THE MISSING STAGES”:
37. QUR’AN AND BEGINNING OF THE FETAL STAGE
38. QUR’AN AND THE LEAST PERIOD OF CONCEPTION
39. QUR’AN AND JOINTS IN THE BODY & EARTH’S CRUST
40. QUR’AN AS DISPENSER OF TRUTH

41: TOP 10 CONTROVERSIAL VERSES IN THE QUR’AN
42. DEALING JUSTLY WITH WIVES AND ORPHANS
43. PAIRS IN LIVING THINGS
44. THE CHINESE YIN-YANG DUALITY CONCEPT
45. MISQUOTING JESUS
46. SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD IN THE QUR’AN
47. CALLING JESUS BY HIS NAME
48. SAVING PHARAOH’S BODY
49. SOLOMON AND THE ANTS
50. SPACE EXPLORATION

51. PRESERVATION OF THE QUR’AN
52. CORRUPTION ON EARTH
53. QUR’AN ALLOWS SEX WITH PREPUBESCENT GIRLS
54. RAPE IN THE QUR’AN
55. MOHAMMAD’S MARRIAGE TO SAFIYYAH AND JUWAIRIYYAH
56. THAT THE QUR’AN ALLOWS PROSTITUTION
57. QUR’AN AND MAHR
58. VIRGINS/SEX IN PARADISE
59. MOHAMMAD & ANTI-SEMITISM
60. MOHAMMAD BEWITCHED:

61. MOHAMMAD & BRIBERY
62. MOHAMMAD & CHILD ABUSE
63. MOHAMMAD & CROSS-DRESSING
64. MOHAMMAD & DECEPTION
65. MOHAMMAD & DELUSIONS
66. MOHAMMAD DISPRAISED
67. MOHAMMAD & DRINKING WINE
68. MOHAMMAD & HATE-PREACHING
69. MOHAMMAD & HOMOPHOBIA
70. MOHAMMAD & HYGIENE

71. MOHAMMAD A HYPOCRITE
72. MOHAMMAD KILLING CHILDREN
73. MOHAMMAD & LYING.
74. MOHAMMAD, MARY’S HUSBAND
75. MOHAMMAD & MASS MURDER
76. MOHAMMAD MEGALOMANIA
77. MOHAMMAD & PRAYER – EXCEPTION TO THE RULE
78. MOHAMAMD & OBESITY?
79. MOHAMMAD & PEDOPHILIA
80. MOHAMMAD & PLUNDERING

81. MOHAMMAD & POLYGAMY
82. MOHAMMAD PRIVILEGED
83. MOHAMMAD & RACISM
84. MOHAMMAD & SEX ADDICTION, WOMAN LIKE A DEVIL
85. QUR’AN AND SLAVERY
86. MOHAMMAD & SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR
87. MOHAMMAD & TERRORISM
88. MOHAMMAD & TORTURE
89. MOHAMMAD UNGRATEFULNESS
90. MOHAMMAD & WARMONGERING

91. MOHAMMAD–WHITE COMPLEXION
92. MOHAMMAD & WEALTH
93. MOHAMMAD & WIFE BEATING
94.QUESTIONS FOR MUSLIMS (See ANSWERING WIKIISLAM-2 QUESTIONS FOR MUSLIMS).
95. MOHAMMAD SAYS KILL DOGS
(For the Qur’anic teachings on science please watch video at end of presentation).
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Whereas it is claimed that Qur’anic statements on science are “poor,” Maurice Bucaille, a French medical doctor, in his book The Bible The Qur’an And Science observes that the Qur’anic teachings on Science are in “perfect agreement” with today’s science.
As well as the Authenticity of the Qur’an, The Creation of the Heavens and the Earth, Astronomy in the Qur’an, The Earth, The Animal and Vegetable Kingdoms and Human Reproduction. (The Bible, The Qur’an And Science, pp.110-210; obtainable from https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=the+bible+the+ qur%27an +and+ science&ref=nb_sb_noss
What needs to be borne in mind is that the Qur’an is not a treatise on any subject. It only highlights certain truths for our elucidation.

1. FLAT EARTH: Allāh reveals: “And the earth—We have spread it out and made in it firm mountains and caused to grow in it of every suitable thing”–(Qur’an 15:19. See also 20:53; 43:10; 50:7; 51:48; 71:19; 78:6; 79:30).

Answer: Allāh spreading out the earth does not refer to its shape; but the earth being so huge it appears flat with furnishings for our benefit. A person looking over his country as far as the eye could see will see his land as “flat.” Even people living at the east and west who are standing sideways and those at the extreme south who are standing downside up see their lands as flat like a “carpet.”
However, since the Earth’s “substrata are very hot” to life, this “carpet”, a “solidified shell”, is the “Earth’s crust” to enable us to live–(Maurice Bucaille, The Bible The Qur’an And Science, pp. 181-182).

That the Qur’an teaches the earth is SPHERICAL: Allāh says He is the “Lord of the two Easts, and Lord of the two Wests”–(Qur’an 55:17). “The two Easts and the two Wests signify the different points of the horizon at which the sun rises and sets at the summer and winter solstice. In modern terminology, the two Easts are the near or the Middle East and the Far East; the two Wests are Europe and America”–(M. Ali comm.). There could only be “two” rising points of the sun and “two” setting points of the sun if the earth is spherical.

Again, Allah says He is “The Lord of every point at the rising of the sun” and “The Lord of all points in the East and the West”–(Qur’an 37:5; 70:40). As the earth rotates every new point on it gains light (becomes day) while every corresponding point loses light (becomes night). Thus every point is an “east” and a “west” giving many “easts” and many “wests”. The sun could only have several points of rising (and setting) if the earth is spherical. Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din explains:

“No one knew of the roundness of the earth in pre-Islamic days, but the Qur’an clearly hints at this when it speaks of numberless Easts and Wests. No one, in those days, could imagine a thing like that, seeing that they thought of one East and one West. Even certain religious scriptures gives ridiculous explanations of the setting of the sun in the West and its rising again from the East. The present division of the hemisphere into east and the West is a man-made barrier. But as in the course of the progress of Islam it had to assume a certain political importance, the Qur’an speaks of many Easts and many Wests. But if the earth be round, every inch of it is a new East and a new West. If, for instance, “B” is distant two hundred miles from “A” which, let us suppose, is situated to the West of “A” the sun will rise there some three minutes before it will rise at “B.” Similarly, it will set at “B” three minutes after it has set at “A.” If, therefore, we take two places on the hemisphere two hundred miles apart as rising and setting places for the sun, there will be thousands of Easts and Wests on the earth, thus confirming the truth of the Qur’an.” And establishing that the earth is not “flat” but ROUND/SPHERICAL. (Introduction To The Study Of The Holy Qur’an, p. 45).

The sun is 93 million miles away from the earth and almost 110 times the size of the earth; thus its light is diffused over a wide expanse of space.

Conduct this experiment. Place a book (flat earth) on a table. Hold a lighted flashlight (the sun) some distance away from the table and slowly raise it (simulating sunrise).You will see that light is spread over the entire top of the book (because it is a flat surface). Now place a ball (spherical earth) on top of the table and repeat the “sunrise” motion of the flashlight. You will see that only the portion of the ball facing the light is lighted (because it is a sphere). Now have someone slowly rotate the ball. You will see that, at the two extremities of the light on the ball, every point that was dark becomes lighted and correspondingly every point that was lighted becomes dark. Thus every new point that is lighted is a new “east” and every new point that becomes dark is a new “west.” Thus we have “numberless Easts and Wests,” confirming the fact that the Qur’an teaches that the earth is a sphere.

Hazrat Ali, the fourth Caliph explains the creation of the earth (and this was in Seventh-century Arabia):

“Glory be to the Almighty God! An example of the greatness of His might and power and the extra-ordinary beauty of His art of creation is the creation of the earth itself. Out of a stupendous swirling, sweeping, extremely disturbed and turbulent mass of nebulous material (Qur’an 41:11 above) which was rolling and rotating in piles, upon piles. He solidified a dry and practically steady and motionless earth (when compared to the turbulent condition of the nebulous mass). Over this earth He created envelops over envelops of gases, which are seven in number and which are separated one from another. These gaseous envelops though overlap each other; yet each one is forced to occupy its own space, as if they are fixed in their places. This solid earth is so created that is covered by a bluish green mass of water –and it looks as if it floats on the huge volume of water. These deep oceans and seas are obedient to His orders, and movements of their waves and currents are according to His decrees. On this earth he created solid mountains and fixed them in such a way that some of them are so high their peaks pierce the upper layers of the atmosphere and some of them have their bases planted in the deepest parts of the ocean, i.e., these mountains are raised higher than the surrounding lands around them and also reach into the bosom of the earth. These apparently sky scraping mountains acts as pivots, and with their help the slipping movement (floating of the continents) was brought under control. Thus the earth (the continents of the earth) after passing through many upheavals and jolts steadied itself into its pre-sent form. This was necessary so that the solid mass of the land may not leave its place or may not tilt carrying into the sea the inhabitants living upon it.” (The continents may not float towards deep oceans and may not disappear into them –Refer Modern Geophysics and geodesic theories of (i) Causes of volcanoes and volcanic regimes (ii) Margins and land side portions of continents on the sides of oceans, and (iii) Causes of the poles changing their places).
“Glory be to the Lord Who raised the earth high and dry above the strong and turbulent seas after it had been submerged and made this earth as comfortable and as happy for its inhabitants as if it was a cradle for a baby, and laid the crust of the solid and on the fluid mass of material beneath it. It is such a crust that it is steady and there is very little or no floating movement in it; heavy winds pass over it and raise waters of its oceans in the form of rain clouds.
Verily, in these facts (in the biography of this earth) there are lessons and warnings for those who fear the might and glory of the Lord”–(Nahjul Balagha, sermon 216, pp. 388-389).

Regarding the number “seven” as used also in “seven heavens” Muhammad Ali comments on Qur’an 2:29 which states: “He it is Who created for you all that is in the earth. And He directed Himself to the heaven, so He made them complete seven heavens; and He is Knower of all things.” Muhammad Ali:

“It is impossible to deal with the subject of the Quranic cosmogony within the limits of a footnote. But a few suggestions may be made here. In the first place, it should be noted that the word sab’a, which signifies the number seven, is also used in a vague manner, as meaning seven, or more, several or many(LL). According to LA, the Arabic equivalents of the numbers seven, seventy, and seven hundred are all used to indicate a large number by the Arabs: “The mention of seven and seventy and seven hundred is frequent in the Qur’an and the sayings of the Holy Prophet, and the Arabs used them to signify a large number and multiplicity”. Similarly Az explains the word sab‘ina, meaning seventy, as occurring in 9:80, as being “used to signify a large number and multiplicity, not indicating exactness in number”(LA). Hence the seven heavens may signify a large number of heavens. Secondly, the significance of the word sama’, which means only what we see above us, should not be lost sight of. R makes the meaning very clear when he says: “Every sama’, i.e. heaven, is a heaven in relation to what is beneath it and an earth in relation to what is above it”. Thirdly, in 65:12 it is affirmed that as there are seven heavens so there is a like number of earths, which corroborates the conclusion drawn above. Fourthly, the seven heavens are on one occasion called the seven ways(23:17), and in this sense the orbit of a planet may be called its heaven. In fact, this interpretation makes the significance of 65:12 very clear, for each of the seven earths will thus have a heaven for it. The seven earths together with our earth would thus make up the eight major primary planets of the solar system. Or, the seven heavens may be taken to apply to the whole starry creation, and the reference may in this case be to the seven magnitudes of the stars which may be seen by the naked eye. One point more may be noted here. The sama’ or the heaven is plainly called dukhan, i.e. smoke or vapour, in 41:11.” (Qur’an 65:12, as noted by MA, states: “Allāh is He Who created seven heavens, and of the earth the like thereof.”

Allāh also tells us that there is more than one world: “Praise be to Allāh, the Lord of the WORLDS”–Qur’an 1:1; 6:45, 71, 162; 7:54; 26:109, 192; 40:64; 41:9; 81:29; 83:6; among other places).
And that there are beings on other planets: “There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes to the Beneficent as a servant…And everyone of them will come to Him on the day of Resurrection alone;” “And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and what He has spread forth in both of them of living beings. And He is All-powerful to gather them together, when He will”–(Qur’an 19:93-95; 42:29).

Heavens refer not only to the sun and moon but to all objects: “And the heaven, We raised it high with power, and We are Makers of the vast extent.”–(Qur’an 51:47).

To emphasize, Muslims and even non-Muslims should have a copy of Muhammad Ali’s translation of the Qur’an, his preliminary notes and commentaries are a King Solomon’s mine of information, his translation can be viewed and perhaps down-loaded free online: www.muslim.org

Muhammad Ali’s comprehensive and invaluable work The Religion Of Islam and The Early Caliphate, and Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din’s Introduction To The Study Of The Holy Qur’an, and his revealing book The Sources Of Christianity, and Open Letters To The Bishops of Salisbury & London may also be obtained from this site: www.muslim.org

WikiIslam’s charge that the Qur’an/Allāh says the earth is “flat” is false and misleading.

2. HEAVEN/SKY IS A CANOPY: Allāh tells us in Qur’an 21:32: “And We have made the heaven a guarded canopy; yet they turn away from its signs.”

    Answer: “Canopy” does not mean that the earth is flat and has a covering like a tent. That the earth is not flat is made clear by reading from verse 30 to 33: “Do not those who disbelieve see that the heavens and the earth were closed up, so We rent them …And We have made the heaven a guarded canopy…And He it is Who created the night and the day and the sun and the moon. All float in orbits.”
   A “canopy” is something that protects from one element or another, and in this instance “canopy” is used in a figurative sense. Muhammad Ali comments: “Arabia had its spiritualists, the astrologers and the diviners who pretended to have access to the secrets of heaven; for a full explanation of which see 67:5. They are told that they cannot have any such access. Or, the meaning is that revelation from God (called here heaven) is guarded against all attacks.”
   And Qur’an 67:5 says: “And certainly We have adorned this lower heaven with lamps and We make them means of conjectures for the devils, and We have prepared for them the chastisement of burning.” Again, Muhammad Ali:

“The lamps with which the lower heaven is lighted, i.e., the stars, are made the means of conjectures regarding the future by the astrologers. Rujum is the plural of rajm, and explaining it IAth says: “Rajm means conjectures about what Allah has not stated ” (N). And classing the munajjim, i.e., the astrologer, and the kahin, i.e., the diviner, and the sahir, i.e., the magician, as one, he goes on to say: “Thus he (i.e., the Prophet, whose saying is explained) considered the astrologer, who learns about stars so that he may judge thereby, and attributes to them the effect of good and evil, to be a disbeliever” (N). Explaining these very words, Raghib says: “And rajm is used metaphorically to signify conjectures and surmises” (R). LL also gives this significance of the verse on the authority of Bd and TA: “We have made them to be means of conjectures to the devils of mankind, i.e., to the astrologers”. Thus the astrologers, who deceived people by telling them many things which they posed as having learned from the stars, are referred to here.”

3. HEAVENS AND EARTH A “CONTAINER”: Allāh reveals in Qur’an 21:16, “Not for (idle) sport did We create the heavens and the earth and all that is between!”
WikiIslam states that “all that is between” shows that the Qur’an wrongly teaches that the heavens and the earth are a sort of “container” within which the entire Universe operates.

    Answer: As Allāh is the Creator of all the worlds and whatever are in these worlds then, these creations being under Allāh’s Dominion, are in a sort of “container” within Allāh’s Power in which the entire Universe operates.
   Isn’t Barack Obama the President of America from border to border and and “all that is between” them; even as far away as Hawaii and the Virgin Island? Isn’t the U.S. then a sort of “container” of these States and “all that is between”?
    At one time Britain ruled some three-quarters of the globe –as one her sons is said to have eloquently put it: “The sun never sets on the British Empire” (or something like that). Wasn’t all these nations then “contained” by Britain? And wasn’t her Majesty “Lady” from Britain to British Guyana and “all that is between”?

   So what if Qur’an 41:9-11 and 2:29 convey that the earth was created before the heavens? This does mean that Allāh made the earth “flat” (as already proven the Qur’an shows that the earth is spherical).  Qur’an 41:9-11 states that Allāh “created the earth…Then turned He to the heaven.” This does not necessarily mean that the earth was created first eons before the heavens.
In Qur’an 2:29 Allāh states: “He it is Who created for you all that is in the earth. And He directed Himself to the heaven, so He made them complete seven heavens; and He is Knower of all things”–(Qur’an 2:29).  And Muhammad Ali comments: “Thumma generally denotes then or afterwards, and it is a particle denoting order and delay, but there are many examples of its use in which it implies neither order nor delay. According to Akh and other authorities, thumma has often the meaning of waw, i.e., and (LL). For the statement that the earth was made after the heavens, see 79:30.”
   And 79:(27) to 30 states: “Are you the stronger in creation or the heaven? He made it (heaven). He raised high its height, and made it perfect…And the earth, He cast it after that.” And Muhammad Ali comments: “The word dahaa is ordinarily translated as spread or expanded, but it also means he threw or cast and impelled, propelled or removed from its place a stone with his hand (T, LL). Two things are made clear in this brief statement: (1) The earth was brought into existence after the heaven, or the starry creation; and (2) It was cast away, as a stone is cast away, from a bigger creation.”

Perhaps the “heaven” in our system was made before our earth (79:30), and the other “heaven(s)” was made after our earth was made (2:29; 41:11-12). Which would mean that the entire system of creation were done in two phases. And Allāh knows best. But one thing is for certain the Qur’an does NOT teach that the earth (or heaven) is “flat” like a “pancake.”

4. THE HEAVENS AND THEIR DENIZENS: Allah reveals in Qur’an 34:9: “See they not what is before them and behind them, of the sky and the earth? If We wished, We could cause the earth to swallow them up, or cause a piece of the sky to fall upon them. Verily in this is a Sign for every devotee that turns to Allah (in repentance).” And WikiIslam states, “the fact that they (heavens) are solid is shown by references to pieces of the heavens falling and potentially injuring residents of the earth.”

Answer. This is humorous. Aren’t the heavenly bodies “solid” masses? And can’t pieces fall on us? What about meteorites that come crashing to earth? What Allāh is telling the rejecters of truth is that He has the power to have them swallowed up (perhaps earthquake or flood) or sent objects from the sky to crush them. Muhammad Ali comments on this verse:

“This is the ever-recurring argument of the Holy Qur’an. The disbelievers deny the last Resurrection, the life after death, the sublime principle of the accountability of human actions, which forms the only basis of high morals, and they are told that, as a proof of the truth of the Resurrection, they will be brought low in this very life for standing in the way of the advancement of Truth. It is compared with the coming of a portion from heaven because they would not be able to avert it.”

WikiIslam continues: “In fact, they (heavens) are so substantial that it is even conceivable to climb up onto them using a ladder.” And it quotes Qur’an 6:35 (we are using Muhammad Ali’s translation here as WikiIslam did not quote the full verse, which we believe is needed to give a proper response): “And if their turning away is hard on thee, then, if thou canst, seek an opening into the earth or a ladder to heaven, to bring them a sign! And if Allah pleased, He would certainly have gathered them all to guidance, so be not of the ignorant.”

Answer: Can anyone reach the heaven with a ladder? It is clear that the Prophet was aggrieved over the people not heeding the Divine Message. And Allāh is saying to him that if they would not believe the Divine Message (which is the best Message) then even if he were to bring them his own sign wherever he can find it –either in the earth or in the heavens– he cannot get everyone to believe. That only Allāh can bring all people into belief, if He pleases (but hat he has given man a free choice). Thus, it is not wise to grieve over the disbelievers. (Compare: “Then maybe thou wilt kill thyself with grief, sorrowing after them, if they believe not in this announcement”–Qur’an 18:6; 26:3. Such was Mohammad’s concern for his people. He even prayed for his dead enemy to be saved from Hell-fire).

5. HEAVEN SUPPORTED BY PILLARS: Allah revealed in Qur’an 13:2: “Allah is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars that ye can see; is firmly established on the throne (of authority); He has subjected the sun and the moon (to his Law)! Each one runs (its course) for a term appointed. He doth regulate all affairs, explaining the signs in detail, that ye may believe with certainty in the meeting with your Lord.”
And WikiIslam comments “The authors here take it as obvious that the heavens require support of some kind. But their emphasis is on their invisibility, not their actual absence.”

Answer: The words “that ye can see” refers to both invisibility and presence. The heavens, like the earth do have pillars/support, and they are invisible. These “pillars” are the centrifugal and magnetic forces or “laws of gravitation” that keep them from falling.

6. ALLĀH’S THRONE OVER WATERS: Allāh tells us: “He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days – and His Throne was over the waters – that He might try you, which of you is best in conduct. But if thou wert to say to them, “Ye shall indeed be raised up after death”, the Unbelievers would be sure to say, “This is nothing but obvious sorcery!” –(Qur’an 11:7).

Answer: Throne signifies Power and water signifies creation. Allāh’s Throne being over water simply means that His Power extends over all things. Muhammad Ali:

“The meaning of ‘arsh (“Throne of Power”) has been explained in 7:54b…What is the relation between water and the manifestation of the Power of God, for which the ‘arsh stands? This is explained by the Qur’an itself: “And We made from water everything living” (21:30). Man is the highest developed form of life, and life is due to water. The great power of God which is manifested in the creation of man is thus connected with water. And as physical life grows out of water, so spiritual life grows out of revelation, which is so often compared with rain or water. God’s great power has thus been made manifest through water, and hence with the creation of the heavens and the earth is mentioned the fact that God’s Throne of Power is ever on the waters.”
(And MA explains 7:54b) ‘Arsh (“Throne of Power”) literally means a thing constructed for shade (LL), or anything roofed (R). According to the latter authority the court or sitting-place of the king is called ‘arsh on account of its eminence. And he adds: It is used to indicate might or power and authority and dominion. LL accepts the interpretation of R, who says that “the ‘arsh of God is one of the things which mankind know not in reality but only by name, and it is not as the imaginations of the vulgar hold it to be”. In fact, both the words ‘arsh and kursi have been misunderstood as meaning resting-places for Allah. The latter has already been explained as meaning know-ledge (2:255b), and the true significance of the former is power or control of the creation. Istawa signifies, when followed by ‘ala, he had the mastery or control of a thing or ascendancy over it, being synonymous with istaula (LL), or he was or became firm (LL). Thumma, as already shown in 2:29a, has often the same significance as waw and means and.

The phrase Istawa ‘ala-l-‘arsh (“He is established on the Throne of Power”) is used in the Holy Qur’an here and on six other occasions, viz., in 10:3, 13:2, 20:5, 25:59, 32:4 and 57:4. A reference to all these places will show that it is invariably used after mentioning the creation of the heavens and the earth and in relation to the Divine control of His creation and the law and order to which the universe is made to submit by its great Author, as shown by the words that follow here, His is the creation and the command. The two things mentioned are, in the opening words, creation and ‘arsh, and in the concluding words, creation and command. Similarly in 10:3 where ‘arsh is spoken of after the creation of the heavens and the earth, it is followed by the explanatory words yudabbiru-l-amr, i.e., He regulates the affair. What is, therefore, aimed at is that after creating the universe, God has not left it to run its course independently of Him, but He it is Whose command holds sway and Who regulates the affairs as He has planned them. There are many people in this age of scientific advancement who think that, though the conclusion cannot be avoided that there is a God Who created this universe, Whom they call the First or Primal Cause, yet after its creation it runs its course according to certain immutable laws, and God ― or the First Cause ― has no concern with its affairs. The Holy Qur’an does not accept this view and hence, when it speaks of the creation of the heavens and the earth, it speaks also of the ‘arsh which stands for God’s control of the universe, as shown above. To make it further clear, the verse is made to end with the words tabarak Allahu Rabbu-l-‘alamin, i.e., blessed is Allah, the Nourisher of the worlds unto perfection. These words show that the world is still in the process of growth, and according to the Divine plan, it is advancing from one stage to another to attain its perfection. God has not only created it but He is also regulating its affairs to make it perfect.

In the words Rabb al-‘alamin there is also a deeper reference, as shown in 1:1a, to the spiritual evolution of man which is being worked out under the Divine plan, and the ‘arsh is mentioned specially in this connection, as man’s perfection does not consist in the working of the material laws which prevail in the universe but in the spiritual laws which are needed for his perfection. The amr (affair) whose regulation is so often mentioned in connection with ‘arsh is really the spiritual kingdom, what Jesus calls the kingdom of God. This is made clear in 32:5; see 32:5a. The spiritual perfection of man is specially mentioned in connection with ‘arsh in 40:15: “Exalter of degrees, Lord of the ‘arsh, He makes the spirit (i.e., Divine revelation) to light by His command upon whom He pleases of His servants, that he may warn (men) of the day of Meeting.” The Lord of the ‘arsh is thus clearly stated to be the Sender of revelation to man to bring about his spiritual perfection. Still more clearly in the same surah, the righteous servants of God who deliver the Divine messages to men are called the bearers of the ‘arsh. Speaking of the messages of the messengers of God and how the people give them the lie, it is added: “Those who bear the ‘arsh and those around it celebrate the praise of their Lord and believe in Him and ask protection for those who believe”(40:7). The bearers of the ‘arsh are, in fact, the bearers of the Divine message.”

7. ALLĀH DID NOT REVEAL ABOUT QUASARS ETC: That Allāh did not make mention of “galaxies, quasars, galaxy clusters or empty space” in the Qur’an does not mean that Allāh did not create these. As stated, what is to be borne in mind is that the Qur’an is not a treatise on any subject, it is “essentially a book meant for the spiritual and moral advancement of man.”
However Allāh does mention empty space and other galaxies. As shown above Allāh told us in Qur’an 41:11 that when He created the heavens it was a “vapor;” thus it stands to reason that there would still be “vapor” after the solid mass was created; moreover, Hazrat Ali, in his description of the creation of the heavens, states that “Over this earth He created envelops over envelops of gases, which are seven in number and which are separated one from another. These gaseous envelops though overlap each other; yet each one is forced to occupy its own space, as if they are fixed in their places.”
And Allāh indirectly told us that there are “galaxies” in telling us that He created the WORLDS (more than one world)–Qur’an 1:1; 7:54; 41:9).

While Allāh has not directly mention “quasars” He informed us that He created things we do not know and that there are things smaller than the atom (which would indicate that the atom can be split): “And (He made) horses and mules and asses that you might ride upon them and as an ornament. And He creates what you know not”–Qur’an 16:8); “And not the weight of an atom in the earth or in the heaven is hidden from thy Lord, nor anything less than that nor greater, but it is (all) in a clear book” –Qur’an 10:61). These verses show that there are things in both the animal world and the scientific which Allāh has not revealed to man.

Again. Allāh tells us that if all the trees in the earth were pens and many seas were ink to write His words, they would all be exhausted before they could finish writing His words: “And if all the trees in the earth were pens, and the sea with seven more seas added to it (were ink), the words of Allāh would not be exhaust-ted”–(Qur’an 18:109; 31:27). Thus everything created must be a “word” of Allāh.
It is folly to claim that because Allah did not mention any specific item in creation that Allah did not create it.

8. MOHAMMAD’S JOURNEY TO HEAVEN: WikiIslam notes the Prophet Mohammad’s Ascension to heaven in which the Prophet spoke about having to enter through doors and about seeing the source of the Nile and Euphrates rivers. (See Bokhari Vol. 9, #608).

Answer: It is doubtful a sensible person would take these “doors” in the heavens to mean literal doors. These are figurative expressions much like a person saying that his success was due to a certain individual opening a door for him (meaning that the individual did something for him or introduced him to someone who was able to help him in his pursuits). (See further on, that the Prophet’s journey was spiritual).
About the Prophet seeing the source of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. A person standing at one end of a long and winding bridge (and a skyway one) cannot see the other end of the bridge, but if the person was in an air-vehicle at some height above the bridge he would not only be able see the entire length of the bridge but also other details. Thus, Mohammad, whether bodily or spiritually, in the heavens would be able to see the sources of the Nile and Euphrates-Tigris rivers. (The Nile runs from Ethiopia through Sudan and Egypt into the Mediterranean Sea. The Euphrates runs from southern Iraq through Syria into Turkey; and the Tigris runs from southern Iraq to Turkey. Doubtlessly, a person in the air can see the sources of these rivers).

Regarding this journey of the Prophet. There is a difference of opinion among Muslims as to the nature of this journey (Mi’raj); some holding that it was physical, and others holding that it was spiritual. That this Ascension of the Prophet was a spiritual one seems evident from the following observations:

(1) Qur’an 17:60 speaks of Allāh showing the Prophet “the vision,” not an actual sighting.
(2) The Prophet said he was in a state between sleep and wakefulness when this event, Miraj, occurred–(Bokhari Vol. 4, #429). And Bokhari Vol. 9, #608 reports that three angels came to the Prophet while he was “SLEEPING” in the Ka’ba, and that when the Prophet saw them “HIS EYES WERE ASLEEP BUT HIS HEART WAS NOT –AND SO IS THE CASE WITH THE PROPHETS: THEIR EYES SLEEP WHILE THEIR HEARTS DO NOT SLEEP”; and at the end of the journey the Prophet then “WOKE” in the Ka’ba. This supports the view that the Mi’raj was a spiritual experience of the Prophet.
This narration also says that the angels carried the Prophet to the Zam-Zam well, where Gabriel “cut open” the Prophet’s chest area and removed “all the material out of his chest and abdomen” and then washed the inside of his body with Zam-Zam water and then stuffed the Prophet’s “chest and throat blood vessels” with “belief and wisdom” and then closed the chest–(Bokhari Vol. 9, #608). It may be advanced that since Mohammad was a Prophet and believed in Allāh why was it necessary to fill his body with belief? Also, wisdom and belief are not physical factors so as to require a physical insertion of them into the body. This seems to be another proof that the Mi’raj was a spiritual experience. As Muhammad Ali aptly points out that “things spiritual can only be seen with the spiritual eye.” (See his comm. to Qur’an 17:60. His translation of the Qur’an can be viewed online: www.muslim.org). Notably, the Mi’raj and the Isra –the Prophet’s journey from Makkah to Jerusalem– took place on the same occasion–(see Muhammad Ali’s comm. to Qur’an 17:1).
This difference of opinion among Muslims as to the nature of this journey (Mi’raj) by the Prophet Mohammad –some holding that it was physical, and others, that it was spiritual– is of no consequence to our practice of Islam. What is paramount is the significance of the journey as stated by Muhammad Ali: “As the significance of the Ascension was the spiritual eminence of the Holy Prophet and indicated his triumph in the world, his being carried to the Temple at Jerusalem signified that he would also inherit the blessings of the Israelite prophets.” And as prophesied by Jesus that the kingdom of God shall be taken from the Jews and given to another people: “Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof”–Matthew 21:43.
Muslims are to uproot and incinerate our unGodly and destructive sectism. We Muslims must be the biggest morons in creation if we believe we can defy Allāh and sectify ourselves –and even slaughtering one another in the name of this sectism– and yet expect Allāh to give us Jannah.

9. ECLIPSES OF THE SUN OR MOON: Allāh reveals in Qur’an 36:40: “Neither is it for the sun to overtake (or catch up to) the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day. And all float on in an orbit.” WikiIslam states: “For a solar eclipse to occur however, the sun and the moon actually must (from the perspective of the earth) “catch up” to each other in their “orbits.”

Answer: And how do you know that Allāh was referring to it “from the perspective of the earth”? Incidentally, for the Prophet Mohammad to convey that the sun and the moon “swims along in (its own) orbit” is one of the miracles coming from the mouth of a denizen of the desert 1400 years ago.
Yusuf Ali comments on this verse (36:40): “Though the sun and the moon both traverse the belt of the Zodiac, and their motions are different, they never catch up each other. When the sun and the moon are on the same side and on a line with the earth there is a solar eclipse, and when on opposite sides in a line, there is a lunar eclipse, but there is no clash …Similarly, Night and Day follow each other, but being opposite cannot coincide.” Thus, the sun and moon not being able to “catch up” to the other means they do not “clash.”

   That the eclipse frightened Mohammad “into a spectacular act of piety.”
   Answer: While eclipses do frighten some people. As the eclipse is a sign of Allāh, in engaging in this “spectacular act of piety” –praying– Mohammad was, appropriately, paying homage to the Power and Greatness of Allāh.
   And in response to the people’s belief that eclipses occur because of someone’s death, the Prophet said: “The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of someone’s death or life (i.e. birth), but they are two signs amongst the Signs of Allāh. So, if you see them (i.e. eclipse), offer the Prayer (of eclipse)”–Bokhari Vol. 4, #423. Notably, Muslims also prostrate to Allāh on read-ing certain verses of the Qur’an).

In answer to the skeptics question regarding the Resurrection Allāh reveals: “He asks: When is the day of Resurrection? So when the sight is confused, And the moon becomes dark, And the sun and the moon are brought together. Man will say on that day: Whither to flee?”–(Qur’an 6-10). WikiIslam wrote: “The “uniting” of the sun and the moon not only demonstrate a singular instance when they do “catch up” with each other, but also indicate that the authors of the Qur’an believed they were comparable in size. This is of course only an illusion of comparative distance.”

Answer: This is not about an eclipse or a “catch up” by the sun and moon. Clearly this verse is about the Resurrection –the “disruption of the solar system.”
The moon becoming “dark.” As the sun burns itself out it “will swell up, turning into the sort of star that astronomers call a red giant”; and will end up as a “black dwarf star.” (Paul Davies, God and the New Physics, pp. 200, 201). Thus, as the sun becomes weaker the moon deprived of the light of the sun will become “dark.” (See Qur’an 81:1).
The “sun and the moon are brought together.” “The phenomena of Moon joining the Sun was predicted by the Holy Qur’an in its verses 75(8-9), many centuries earlier than the scientific speculations of today,” wrote Bashir-ud-Din Mahmood, “tidal forces keep the moon drifting away from the Earth. Its orbit is now becoming wider at the rate of about 3 cm a year. Eventually the Earth will not be able to hold the Moon, and then it will fall in the Sun.” “Thus science considers the Doomsday of the Earth as an accepted reality, though there are questions about the ways in which it will take place.” And “As scientific knowledge builds up with rapid advancement in various fields, the extent of the wealth of knowledge contained in the Qur’an is dawning upon us.”(Doomsday and Life after Death, pp. 133, 134, 113; 19).

10. NIGHT AND DAY:Allāh reveals in His Qur’an 3:27: “Thou makest the night to pass into the day and Thou makest the day to pass into the night; and Thou bringest forth the living from the dead and Thou bringest forth the dead from the living; and Thou givest sustenance to whom Thou pleasest without measure.”
In creating the earth a sphere and rotating Allāh has thus created night and day. While parts of the earth are in “day” mode parts are in “night” mode.
That Allāh says the sun and moon are used for reckoning time does not mean they have no other use(s). While we basically wear garments to cover our private(s), garments can also beautify us, make comfortable, conceal blemish, and protect from the elements.

11. THE STARS, PLANETS AND METEORS: Allah reveals: “And certainly We have adorned this lower heaven with lamps and We make them means of conjectures for the devils, and We have prepared for them the chastisement of burning”–Qur’an 67:5). Muhammad Ali comments:

Qur’an 72:8 states: “And we sought to reach heaven, but we found it filled with strong guards and flames.”
To understand this verse that WikiIslam quotes, one needs to read from verse one which shows that it was about a group of outsiders who, as noted by Muhammad Ali, were “Christians.” Muhammad Ali comments on this verse (72:8):

“8a. By reaching heaven is meant learning secrets of the heaven. The reference may be to the diviners and astrologers among them, for which see 37:7a–10a, but more likely it is a prophetical reference to the great scientific discoveries of the modern age relating to heaven.

And 37:7a MA: “The Prophet’s preaching was confronted by a twofold opposition among the Arabs ― the secular classes and the priestly class, i.e., the diviners and the soothsayers, the class known as Kahin. It is these soothsayers who are called the rebellious devils, because they thought that they could invoke spirits and answer questions put to them relating to the future. This phase of opposition was equally swept away by the forceful

tide of Islamic truth, and the profession of the Kahin disappeared from Arabia as Islam advanced; see LA under the word kahin. The mention of heaven and stars in the previous verse refers to the popular superstition that the diviners and soothsayers obtained their knowledge of the future from the stars. The safe-guard against every rebellious devil indicates that they have no access to Divine secrets; see further 52:38a and 72:8a.”

(For the verses quoted by WikiIslam I suggest that readers consult Muhammad Ali’s explanation. MA’s translation of the Qur’an can be viewed online: www.muslim.org)
As stated WikiIslam is vast on text and void of substance. Muslims are not to be overwhelmed by its abundance of material. WikiIslam assembles verses of the Qur’an and gives them a literal meaning though part of the Qur’an is allegorical in meaning. What you do not know or understand just leave aside. DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELVES TO BE MISLED. No religion can be shown to be superior to or equal with Islam.
While many religious beliefs “have been swept away by the new physics,” as Paul Davies wrote, findings, such as the “existence of mind, for example, as an abstract, holistic, organizational pattern, capable even of disembodiment, refutes the reductionist philosophy that we are all nothing but moving mounds of atoms;”²and James Trefil wrote: “Everything we see in the sky, like everything on earth, happens in a rational orderly way.”³Twentieth century high-rise (sophisticated) man discovers what the Seventh century desert dweller, Mohammad, conveyed to us: that all things are chained to the law; that it is Allah “Who creates, then makes complete, And Who measures, then guides” –(Qur’an 87:2-3; 25:2; 54:49).

12. REMOVAL OF MOUNTAINS: Allāh reveals: “And the day when We cause the mountains to pass away, and thou seest the earth a levelled plain and We gather them together and leave none of them behind” –(Qur’an 18:47).

Answer: Even man is removing mountains –blasting them with explosives– and bulldozing/grading hills and making the earth in his environment level. Why then can’t Allāh Who created the mountains remove them and make the earth in all regions level?
As already shown, the Qur’an teaches that the earth is spherical. Whereas the earth is round, one’s country is conveniently spread out flat like a “carpet” and also has mountains. Allāh will obliterate the mountains –leveling the earth– and every nation’s habitation will become flat.

13. MOUNTAINS ARE PEGS: Allāh says the mountains are as pegs: “And He has cast firm mountains in the earth lest it quake with you, and rivers and roads that you may go aright”–Qur’an 16:15). Muhammad Ali comments: “The words of the Qur’an seem to point to the great upheavals and the violent agitations which led to the formation of the mountains, before man’s existence on earth, and, that having been effected, the convulsions are now comparatively insignificant. The present condition of the earth, with man upon it, is therefore one of stability, making life possible. But an tamsda bi-kum may also mean that they may be a source of benefit to you as mada means he conferred a benefit. In accordance with this we have elsewhere: “And the mountains, He made them firm, a provision for you and for your cattle” (79:32, 33).
Again Allah says: “Have We not made the earth an expanse And the mountains as pegs?”–(Qur’an 78:6-7). And Muhammad Ali: “The earth is called mihad or a place made even for walking upon (R). The words here are similar to what is said in 2:22, where the earth is spoken of as being made a rash, i.e., an expanse or resting-place. The mountains are likened to pegs on the surface of the earth.”(For seven heavens and earths see item #1).

14. WHERE ARE PARADISE AND HELL? Allāh tells us in His Qur’an 57:21: “Vie one with another for forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden the extensiveness of which is as the extensiveness of the heaven and the earth.” WikiIslam wants to know since the Garden is extensive as the “heaven and the earth” where is Hell?

Answer: It could be quipped that the Garden is extensive as only ONE ‘heaven and earth’ and that the other six “heavens and earths,” as Allāh says He created SEVEN, are for the religious liars, fabricators of falsehood, blasphemers, and the atheists. After all, mega spaces will be needed for the “dungeons” and boilers and furnaces to house, boil, and roast all the Christians, Jews, Hindus, and atheists, etc that reject Islam/ Mohammad, not only because no other religion can be shown to be superior to or equal with Islam but for their not keeping their pre-birth oath which they took with Allāh (explained later).

Muhammad Ali notes about Qur’an 57:21 above: “The Garden or the Paradise is here said to be as extensive as the heavens and the earth, and a similar statement occurs in 3:133. These statements afford us the key to a right conception of paradise. The following incident is related under 3:133: “A messenger of Hera-clius asked the Holy Prophet: ‘If paradise were as extensive as the heavens and the earth, where would be hell?’ The Prophet replied ‘Glory be to Allāh! Where is the night when the day comes?’ ” (Rz). It shows clearly that heaven and hell are not the names of two places, but are really two conditions, because if paradise were the name of a particular place, hell could not exist, as paradise would according to these verses extend over the whole of space.”
Perhaps Hell is both a condition and a place; depending on the nature of one’s sin(s). This view would not militate against the above-saying of the Prophet because even in our own surroundings we have places of joy standing beside penitentiary. In fact, even castles were said to have had dungeons.

Regarding WikiIslam’s note that “the direction of hell, when it is mentioned, is invariably “down.””
Answer: This may be figurative. Isn’t down “symbolic” of failure, and up symbolic of success? He hung his head “down” in shame; he held his head “up” or “high” in pride?

15. DHUL-QARNAIN & SUN SETTING IN WATER, GOG AND MAGOG: The story of Dhul-qarnain is revealed in Qur’an 18:83-101. The verses dealing with the sun setting in a sea/lake and the sun rising are 86 and 90. Those verses actually dealing with Gog and Magog are 94-101. About Dhul-qarnain reaching the place of the sunset and sun-rise verses 86 and 90 states:

86. “Until, when he reached the setting-place of the sun,a he found it going down into a black sea,b (and he continued his travels)
90. Until, when he reached (the land of) the rising sun, he found it rising on a people to whom We had given no shelter from it,a—

Regarding the sun setting in a “black sea” (or “lake” as WikiIslam notes). It is amusing that one would cerebrate that Allāh would try to have the Arabs believe in Him by telling them, no matter how steeped they were in idolatry, that the sun actually sets in a sea/lake when the Arabs could see it set in the sand/desert and without any sign of water; moreover that the Arabs did not question Mohammad as to how is it that the sun goes down into the water and is not doused (and they could tell it is a body of fire because of its heat), and day in and day out; and not even lose its heat but that they have to daily suffer ninety-plus degrees temperature; especially on the day when Mohammad scripted them on the expedition to Tabuk (to stem the threat of a Roman attack) complaining that it was “hot.”
(Instead of gaining believers Allah would be garnering rejecters. And the rabid opponents of Islam/Mohammad would reap a bonanza convincing the idolaters/polytheists Mohammad was “mad”).

Though the sun does not rise and set; one would certainly say the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. And if a mountain should be at the point where the sun descends, one would say he saw the sun setting behind the mountain.
Allāh only recounts what Dhul-qarnain saw. It is poor cerebrating to take Allah recounting what Dhul-qarnain saw to be Allah’s perception.
It is fatuous to take the setting and rising place of the sun literally; seeing Allāh reveals the sun and moon floats in orbits–(Qur’an 21:33; 36:40). All the verse is saying is that at evening Dhul-qarnain going west (“setting-place of the sun”) came to a sea/body of water. –(See Muhammad Ali details on Dhul-qarnain next).
Evidently, the idolatrous Arabs understood the correct/proper import of the verse. It is beneath childishness for “intellectuals” to take this setting of the sun in a “muddy pool” literally.

Muhammad Ali explains this sun setting in the sea/lake and the sun rising:

“86a. Maghrib al-shams, or the setting-place of the sun, signifies the western-most point of his empire, because going towards the west he could not go beyond it.
86b. The words in Arabic are ‘ain-in ami’at-in, which literally mean a black sea, ‘ain meaning an abundance of water, or a place in which water remains and collects, and amiat means black mud (T, LL). The place referred to is no other than the Black Sea, as, Armenia being within the Kingdom of Persia, the Black Sea formed the northwestern boundary of the empire.”
“90a. The three journeys alluded to seem to have been undertaken with the object of strengthening the frontiers of the empire, the most important of these being that spoken of in v. 93, the part of the frontier between the Caspian and the Black Seas, where the Caucasus afforded a natural protection against the attacks of the Scythians. Darius goes first westward to the Black Sea (vv. 85, 86). Then he undertakes an eastward journey — the land of the rising sun. The description of the people found here, a people who had no shelter from the sun, is a description of the barbarous aboriginal tribes on the shores of the Caspian. The En. Br. says in the article on Media: “The names in the Assyrian inscriptions prove that the tribes in the Zagros and the northern parts of Media were not Iranians nor Indo-Europeans, but an aboriginal population, like the early inhabitants of Armenia, perhaps connected with the numerous tribes of the Caucasus. We can see how the Iranian element gradually became dominant: princes with Iranian names occasionally occur as the rulers of these tribes. But the Galae, Tapuri, Cadusii, Amardi, Utii, and other tribes in Northern Media and on the shores of the Caspian, were not Iranians”.”
(Regarding verse 93 which states: “Until, when he reached (a place) between the two mountains, he found on that side of them a people who could hardly understand a word,” Muhammad Ali notes: “The two mountains are the mountains of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The people settling there spoke a different language and could not understand the Iranian language.”)

Regarding Gog and Magog in verses 94-101 (of chapter 18). Commentary by Muhammad Ali; his translation of the Qur’an can be viewed/downloaded online: www.muslim.org. (Emphasis added).

   94 “They said: O Dhu-l-qarnain, Gog and Magog do mischief in the land. May we then pay thee tribute on condition that thou raise a barrier between us and them?a
   95 He said: That wherein my Lord has established me is better, so if only you help me with strength (of men), I will make a fortified barrier between you and them:
   96 Bring me blocks of iron.a At length, when he had filled up the space between the two mountain sides, he said, Blow. Till, when he had made it (as) fire, he said: Bring me molten brass to pour over it.
   97 So they were not able to scale it, nor could they make a hole in it.
   98 He said: This is a mercy from my Lord, but when the promise of my Lord comes to pass He will crumble it, and the promise of my Lord is ever true.a
   99 And on that day We shall let some of them surge against others and the trumpet will be blown, then We shall gather them all together,a
100 And We shall bring forth hell, exposed to view, on that day before the disbelievers,a
101 Whose eyes were under a cover from My Reminder, and they could not bear to hear.a”

“94a. (which says: “They said: O Dhu-l-qarnain, Gog and Magog do mischief in the land. May we then pay thee tribute on condition that thou raise a barrier between us and them?”). This verse brings us face to face with an all-important subject, viz., the identity of Gog and Magog. The Bible references to Gog and Magog are somewhat loose. In Gen. 10:2 and 1 Chron. 1:5, “Magog is mentioned as the second son of Japheth, between Gomer and Madai, Gomer representing the Cimmerians and Madai the Medes. Magog must be a people located east of the Cimmerians and west of the Medes. But in the list of nations, Gen. 10, the term connotes rather the complex of barbarian peoples dwelling at the extreme north and north-east of the geographical survey covered by that chapter….In Ezek. 38:2 Magog occurs as the name of a country; in Ezek. 39:6 as that of a northern people, the leader of whom is Gog” (Jewish En., Art. “Gog and Magog”). “Josephus identifies them with the Scythians, a name which among the classical writers stands for a number of unknown ferocious tribes. According to Jerome, Magog was situated beyond the Caucasus near the Caspian Sea” (Jewish En.). The En. Br. considers the traditional identification of Gog and Magog with the Scythians to be “plausible”, and then adds: “This plausible opinion has been generally followed”, with this reservation, that the word may be applied to “any or all of the numerous but partially known tribes of the north; and any attempt to assign a more definite locality to Magog can only be very hesitatingly made”.

All these writers have, however, not paid sufficient attention to the words of Ezek. 38:2: “Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal”. Tubal and Meshech are almost always mentioned together, and their identification has been a task of great difficulty, so much so that a renowned Biblical critic suggests the names of certain nations in South Palestine. But this contradicts the views of ancient writers like Josephus, who settle the Magog north of the Caucasus. If we go, however, to the north of the Caucasus, we find still two rivers bearing the names of Tobal and Moskoa, on the latter of which is situated the ancient city of Moscow, and on the former the more recent town of Tobolsk. It seems almost certain that these two rivers received their names from the two tribes of Ezek. 38:2, the Tubal and Meshech, and then gave their names to the two above-mentioned cities, thus keeping the names of these tribes. This view is in accordance with the opinion of Josephus, who identifies Magog with the Scythians, for “throughout classical literature Scythia generally meant all regions to the north and north-east of the Black Sea, and a Scythian any barbarian coming from these parts”.

It is clear from the above that the name Magog stands for tribes which occupied territories to the north and north-east of the Black Sea, tribes which gave their names directly or indirectly to the towns of Tobolsk and Moscow.

There is, however, another point worth considering, and that is the gigantic effigies of Gog and Magog in Guildhall, London. “It is known,” says the En. Br., “that effigies similar to the present existed in London as early as the time of Henry V”. An explanation of this remarkable circumstance is given by Geoffrey of Monmouth: “Gaemot or Gaemagot (probably a corrupted form of Gog and Magog) was a giant who, along with his brother Gorineous, tyrannized in the western horn of England until slain by foreign invaders” (En. Br., Art. “Gog and Magog”). It is very difficult to speak with anything bordering on accuracy about the early connections of different races, but the preservation of the effigies of Gog and Magog in England, which can be traced to a very early period in English history, makes it probable that the Angles or the Saxons had in very ancient times some connection with the Scythians or other tribes living north of the Caucasus or the Black Sea. The relations of the different nations in early history are very complicated, and it is out of place to enter into any such discussion here. But it may be noted that the Goths, who are considered to be the easternmost of the Teutonic races, are said to have migrated into Scythia (En. Br., “Goths”), which shows the existence of connection between the two races. And again, “the Batharnae also, who in the third century B.C. invaded and settled in the regions between the Carpathians and the Black Sea, are said by several ancient writers to have been Teutonic by origin, though they had largely intermarried with the native inhabitants” (En. Br., “Teutonic Peoples”).

It is thus clear that the ancestors of the present Teutonic and Slav races are the Gog and Magog spoken of in the Holy Qur’ån. The effigies of Gog and Magog in London and the names of Tobal and Moskoa, occurring in the Bible, are clear indications of this fact.

Next we come to the statement that the tribes found by Darius between Azerbaijan and the Armenian mountains were constantly harassed by their northern neighbours, the Scythians. History bears evidence to the truth of this statement. The Scythians, or, according to some writers, the Sacae, constantly troubled Asia. According to Herodotus the Scyths ruled Media for twenty-eight years (En. Br., Art. “Scythia”). “About 512 Darius undertook a war against the Scythians … The purpose of this war can only have been to attack the nomadic Turanian tribes in the rear, and thus to secure peace on the northern frontier of the empire” (En. Br., Art. “Darius”). The portion which I give in italics shows that Darius exerted himself to his utmost in securing peace on the northern frontier of his empire, where the Caucasus, bounded on both sides by the Black and Caspian Seas, afforded a natural protection.

The barrier referred to in this verse, and described in the verses that follow, is the famous wall at Derbent (Ar. Darband). An account of this wall is given by Muslim geographers and historians, for instance, in Maracid al-Iila‘ and Ibn al-Faqsh. The following account, however, taken from the Encyclopaedia Britannica, should be more convincing: “Derbent or Darband, a town of Caucasia, in the province of Daghestan, on the western shore of the Caspian….It occupies a narrow strip of land beside the sea, from which it climbs up the steep heights inland….And to the south lies the seaward extremity of the Caucasian wall (50 miles long), otherwise known as Alexander’s Wall, blocking up the narrow pass of the Iron Gate or Caspian Gate (Portae Albanae, or Portae Caspae). This, when entire, had a height of 29 feet and a thickness of about 10 feet, and with its iron gates and numerous watch-towers formed a valuable defence of the Persian frontier.” (Italics in the last sentence are mine, for which see the next footnote.) The misnomer Alexander’s Wall seems to have been due to the mistake made by Muslim historians in supposing Dhu-l-qarnain to be Alexander.”

“96a. (which says: “I will make a fortified barrier between you and them: Bring me blocks of iron”). The blocks of iron were needed for the iron gates in the wall, for which see the concluding lines of the last note.”

“98a. (which says: “He said: This is a mercy from my Lord, but when the promise of my Lord comes to pass He will crumble it, and the promise of my Lord is ever true”). From the historical narration of the past, the subject is now changed to the future. Gog and Magog are described as two nations, and after describing the history of these nations, whose depredations on peaceful nations were brought to an end by Darius, we are now told that Gog and Magog will again be let loose in the latter days. In fact, this is clearly foretold in another chapter of the same period: “when Gog and Magog are let loose, and they sally forth from every elevated place” (21:96). This is the only other occasion on which Gog and Magog are spoken of in the Holy Qur’ån. The crumbling of the wall which withheld Gog and Magog for a time is thus explained by the Qur’ån itself, as the letting loose of Gog and Magog. Just as the building of the wall indicated the confinement of Gog and Magog to their own territorial bounds, the crumbling of the wall means that they will at some future time be let loose and they will then dominate the whole world. This domination is spoken of in the Hadith in various ways. According to one hadith, “No one will have the power to fight against them” (Ms. 52:20). According to another, “they will drink the water of the whole world” (KU, vol. 7, p. 2157). According to a third, God said: “I have created some of My servants whom no one can destroy but Myself ” (KU, p. 3021). As shown in 94a, the ancestors of Gog and Magog are the Slav and Teutonic races, and in the world-domination of Gog and Magog is thus clearly hinted the domination of the European nations over the whole world, and the prophecy has thus found fulfillment in our days.”

“99a. (which says: “And on that day We shall let some of them surge against others and the trumpet will be blown, then We shall gather them all together”). A mighty conflict of the nations is clearly spoken of here, and the words no doubt refer to some catastrophe like that which is predicted in the Gospels in the words: “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earth-quakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matt. 24:7, 8).

The Qur’an makes it clear that the reference in nation rising against nation is to the great European conflicts which we are witnessing nowadays. Gog and Magog, or the European nations, having subdued the whole world, could not agree on the division of the spoils, and they are rushing at one another’s throats, and the whole world being subject to them, their struggle has assumed the form of a world conflict. One World-War ends only to be followed by another. But if the first part of the verse speaks of the destruction due to these wars, the second part raises a great hope. Will this great world-conflict bring the world to an end? Human efforts to restore the balance to the world are a failure. But the Qur’an tells us that a mighty Revolution will come about. That is what is meant by the blowing of the trumpet. This revolution will be a change in the mentality of the nations. A silver lining is introduced in this dark picture by the words, then We shall gather them all together. The revolution would unite them; it would drive them to one common faith. Material benefits having turned man into the enemy of man, a spiritual awakening will, we are told, be brought about which will change the world entirely. Instead of cutting one another’s throats men will learn to love one another, and they will all be but one nation. There is a broad enough hint here at the nation of Islåm, for there is but one faith, the faith of Islåm, which has been able to weld diverse people into one whole. The day of peace for this world will dawn with the dawning of the idea on the mind of man that there is only a single nation, the human nation, that lives on this earth: “Mankind is a single nation” (2:213). And actually Islam is the only religion in the world which has been successful in uniting different nations into one whole and in obliterating distinctions of race and colour.”

“100a. (which says: “And We shall bring forth hell, exposed to view, on that day before the disbelievers”). These words complete the picture of the great conflict spoken of in the previous verse. It in fact describes the severity of the conflict, it will reduce the world to a veritable hell. We have seen hell raging on this earth in World-War II. What World-War III may bring, no one can say.”

“101a. (which says: “Whose eyes were under a cover from My Reminder, and they could not bear to hear”). The reason is given in these words why these disasters will be brought on man: These are people whose eyes are under a cover from My Reminder. Nay, they are so estranged from God that they cannot even bear to hear His Reminder. So thoroughly have lust and greed engrossed the civilized world!”

16. QIBLAH: The Qiblah is the direction Muslims face to pray. And this Qiblah is the Ka’bah in Makkah. In His Qur’an Allāh instructs the Prophet and Muslims to face the Ka’bah when we pray: “turn then thy face towards the Sacred Masjid. And wherever you are turn your faces towards it;” “And from whatsoever place thou comest forth, turn thy face towards the Sacred Masjid…And from whatsoever place thou comest forth, turn thy face towards the Sacred Masjid”–(Qur’an 2:144, 149-150).
To which WikiIslam wrote: “This is only possible on a flat earth model. Due to the sphericity of the earth, a prayer in any direction will point towards the sky/outer-space, not Mecca;” “For people who are praying a great distance from Mecca, their qiblah would be somewhere down towards the ground, and the people who are located on the opposite ‘side’ of the earth would have to pray vertically downward towards the center of the earth.”

   Answer: As already shown the Qur’an shows that the earth is spherical. While Muslims who are in Makkah and “wherever” else in Arabia and those who “comest forth” from other lands to Arabia directly face the Ka’bah, Muslims in other parts of the world, though the earth is spherical, are also facing the Ka’bah. The Muslim prayer is not only in standing but also includes bowing and prostrating. Thus, in our movement from standing to prostrating Muslims around the world will at some point be facing the direction of the Ka’bah.
   Whereas the Ka’bah spiritually represents Allāh: “So let them serve the Lord of this House (Ka’bah)”–(Qur’an 106:3); the entire city of Makkah is Qiblah: “I am commanded only to serve the Lord of this city (Makkah), Who has made it sacred”–(Qur’an 27:91).
   Thus, if we take the air-space of the area of Makkah –as nations take the air-space over their territories to be their own– then Muslims anywhere in the world, in their movement from standing to prostrating, would have come into focus with this space; which is enough for Qiblah.
   Even if there are regions of the earth where Muslims would not face the Ka’bah, this is of no consequence. Allāh is ever-present wherever we face: “To Allāh belong the East and the West; so whithersoever you turn, there is the Face/Presence of Allāh” –(Qur’an 2:115).
   And righteousness does not lie in which direction we face but in faith in Allāh and doing good deeds: “It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the East and the West, but righteous is the one who believes in Allah, and the Last Day, and the angels and the Book and the prophets, and gives away wealth out of love for Him to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask and to set slaves free and keeps up prayer and pays the poor-rate; and the performers of their promise when they make a promise, and the patient in distress and affliction and in the time of conflict. These are they who are truthful; and these are they who keep their duty”–(Qur’an 2:177).

17. FASTING: Allah tells us in Qur’an 2:187, “It is made lawful for you to go in unto your wives on the night of the fast. They are raiment for you and ye are raiment for them. Allah is Aware that ye were deceiving yourselves in this respect and He hath turned in mercy toward you and relieved you. So hold intercourse with them and seek that which Allah hath ordained for you, and eat and drink until the white thread becometh distinct to you from the black thread of the dawn. Then strictly observe the fast till nightfall and touch them not, but be at your devotions in the mosques. These are the limits imposed by Allah, so approach them not. Thus Allah expoundeth His revelation to mankind that they may ward off (evil)”
WikiIslam states, “This verse tells Muslims, when fasting, to not eat, drink, or have sexual intercourse during sunlight hours. This can cause a huge problem for those who live close to the North or South poles. The closer we get to the poles, the longer our days or nights become. They can eventually extend for up to several months each, making this verse, the fourth Pillar of Islam, impossible to practice without starving yourself to death. Again, this problem would not exist on a flat earth model.”

Answer: In his commentary to Qur’an 2:187 Muhammad Ali notes regarding this extended daylight: “An important question arises here regarding countries in which the days are sometimes very long, where it would be beyond the power of ordinary men to abstain from food from the breaking of the dawn to sunset. There is a report according to which the companions of the Prophet are related to have asked him about their prayers in a day which extended to a year or a month, and the Prophet is related to have answered that they should measure according to the measure of their days (AD 36:13). From this it would follow that in countries where the days are too long the time of fasting may be measured in accordance with the length of an ordinary day, or where practicable postpone the fasts to shorter days of about normal length.” (This regulating of the hours of fasting is said to be only for areas north and south of the 64-degree lines of latitude, i.e. the north and south poles).

   WikiIslam also tries to incite Muslims to apostatize from Islam by claiming that the Islamic fast is harmful to Muslims, in that it causes dehydration, etc.
   Answer: It is preposterous to charge that Allāh would have Muslims engage in acts that are harmful to us. Muslims from childhood are fasting, and the Prophet and Muslims fought wars in desert temperatures and as far I have read there is/was no complaint about dehydration.
   If one becomes dehydrated when fasting then he or she is exempted from fasting as Allāh “desires ease for you, and He desires not hardship for you,” and whereas the sick or the traveler are to make up the missed days of fasting “those who find it extremely hard may effect redemption by feeding a poor man” (if they can afford)–(Qur’an 2:185, 184).

18. ALLĀH MERGES NIGHT INTO DAY: Allah informs us that He merges night into day and vice versa: “That is because Allah merges night into day, and He merges day into night, and verily it is Allah Who hears and sees (all things)–(Qur’an 22:61, 31:29, & 39:5). WikiIslam notes: “Muslims sometimes claim “Merging here means that the night slowly and gradually changes to day and vice versa. This phenomenon can only take place if the earth is spherical.”
Answer: That the Qur’an teaches the earth is spherical has already been shown, see item #1

19. ABROGATION IN THE QUR’AN: WikiIslam lists verses of the Qur’an that he claims abrogate others.
Answer: There is NO abrogation in the Qur’an. Moreover, some of the verses quoted by WikiIslam are to be read with verses preceding it. For example WikiIslam notes Qur’an 2:3 and 9:103 which state: “Who believe in the Unseen and keep up prayer and spend out of what We have given them” and “Take alms out of their property — thou wouldst cleanse them and purify them thereby — and pray for them. Surely thy prayer is a relief to them. And Allah is Hearing, Knowing,” and WikiIslam postulates that the former verse has been abrogated by the latter.
   First. Whereas Qur’an 2:3 is speaking about them “spending” voluntarily, Qur’an 9:103 speaks about the Prophet “taking” alms from them to purify them; which are two different actions by two different people.
   Second. Reading from Qur’an 2:2 gives the proper understanding of 2:3: Here are the two verses (2:2-3): “This Book, there is no doubt in it, is a guide to those who keep their duty, Who believe in the Unseen and keep up prayer and spend out of what We have given them.”
   As clearly shown, Allāh is saying that the Qur’an is a guide for those who “believe in the Unseen and keep up prayer and spend out of what We have given them.” It is NOT about a difference in monetary matters.
   And Reading Qur’an 9:103, its context shows its correct meaning: “And of those around you of the desert Arabs, there are hypocrites; and of the people of Madinah (also) — they persist in hypocrisy….And others have acknowledged their faults — they mixed a good deed with another that was evil…Take alms out of their property — thou wouldst cleanse them and purify them thereby — and pray for them. Surely thy prayer is a relief to them. And Allāh is Hearing, Knowing.”
   These verses show that Prophet is here instructed by Allāh to take alms from the former hypocrites as a means of their purification. As Muhammad Ali commented: “Because they showed sincerity in confessing their faults, they were dealt with leniently. Their alms were not to be rejected. The Prophet’s acceptance of alms from them is here spoken of as purifying them of evil, while his prayer for them is described as bringing peace and quiet to them.”
Thus Qur’an 2:3 and 9:103 does not contradict/abrogate the other.

Another example. WikiIslam says that Qur’an 2:62 is abrogated by Qur’an 3:85: “Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good, they have their reward with their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve;” and “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.”

Answer: That in the first verse Allāh says Jews etc; will have their reward whereas in the second verse He says that whoever seeks a religion other than Islam will be losers, is no contradiction.
Allāh raised prophets among all people. All prophets of Allāh taught Islam –peace, and submission to the will/law of Allāh. And as prophets themselves submitted to the will/law of Allāh, they were Muslims. Jews and Christians etc; who followed their respective prophets prior to the advent of Islam, and these later religionists who died without knowing about Islam will have their “reward” (as they could not be charged as having rejected Islam). As no religion can be shown to be superior to or equal with Islam, Jews and Christians who reject Mohammad will be the “losers.” (As shown, the teachings of Jesus are not only devoid of “all truth,” Christians are following anti-Christ doctrines). Jews and Christians who follow the Prophet Mohammad would be rewarded twice–(Qur’an 28:54).
Islam is the oldest religion, the natural religion, and the only religion from Allāh God–(Qur’an 41:11; 30:30; 5:4). Whoever reverts to Islam is returning to his and her birthright. Whoever rejects Islam/Mohammad is going to Hell–(Cf. Qur’an 3:85; 9:113; Sahih Muslim, Vol, 1; #284).
The Prophet made no such designation that certain verses of the Qur’an were abrogated by others. If such was the case why not expunge the abrogated verses? Even a numbskull as I know that to leave obsolete material in a document would cause confusion. Only poor cerebration on the verses of the Qur’an would lead one to charge that certain verses abrogate others. As Allāh says: “Will they not then MEDITATE on the Qur’an? And if it were from any other than Allāh, they would have found in it many a discrepancy”–(Qur’an 4:82). To restate, there is NO abrogation in the Qur’an.

20. QUR’AN A REVELATION FROM ALLĀH: WikiIslam states: “We can prove that the Qur’an was corrupted through many sources, but what is most striking is the evidence from the Qur’an itself. The Qur’an tells us “There were some among the Jews who pervert words from their proper places…”
And WikiIslam notes that the word “pervert” in Arabic is Yoharefoon which means “corrupt”. “Therefore, according to the Qur’an, al-Tahreef (corruption) is achieved through changing words from their proper places.”
And to substantiate his charge WikiIslam notes that Qur’an 5:3 “This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favour upon you and have chosen for you Islam as religion,” which is believed to be the last revelation given to the Prophet Mohammad, is placed in the fifth chapter instead of in the last (the 114^th). Because of this placing of the final verse in the fifth chapter, WikiIslam concludes “This proves that Muslims have changed the words from their right places, and according to the Qur’an, that is Tahreef (Corruption).”

   Answer: WikiIslam is comparing figs to thistles. Allāh revealed in His Qur’an 2:59 that Jews “changed the word which had been spoken to them, for another saying.”
   Whereas Jews “changed” “words” this last verse of the Qur’anic revelation was not a “changed” “word” or “words” or “changed” verse. This verse was placed as revealed according to the order of Allāh. The same is with the case of the first five verses that came to the Prophet and which were/are placed in chapter 96 (Surah ‘Alaq).
   Surah Fatihah is placed at the beginning of the Qur’an because it is a prayer which precedes the beginning of the recitation of the Qur’an. It is also the “quintessence” of the Qur’an, as Muhammad Ali explained.
   The verses of the Qur’an were arranged to the requirements of Allāh. The Qur’an was rehearsed annually by the Angel Gabriel with the Prophet; and rehearsed twice in the year of the Prophet’s death–(Vol. 1, #5; Vol. 3, #126; Vol. 4, #754, 819).

That Jews adulterated the Bible is evidenced by the Bible itself: “How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us’? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie”–(Jeremiah 8:8. New American Standard Bible, 1985 edition).
And Prof. Abdul Ahad Dawud –the former Reverend David Benjamin Keldani– exposes in his revealing book Muhammad in the Bible: “The Jews have always been jealous of Ishmael because they know very well that in him the Covenant was made and with his circumcision it was concluded and sealed, and it is out of this rancour that their scribes or doctors of law have corrupted and interpolated many passages in their Scriptures. To efface the name “Ishmael” from the second, sixth, and seventh verses of the twenty-second chapter of the Book of Genesis and to insert in its place “Isaac,” and to leave the descriptive epithet “thy only begotten son” is to deny the existence of the former and to violate the Covenant made between God and Ishmael.” (For full text see PALESTINE).

Regarding Jews changing words, Allāh reveals in His Qur’an 4:46: “Some of those who are Jews alter words from their places and say, We have heard and we disobey; and (say), Hear without being made to hear, and (say), Ra’ina, distorting with their tongues and slandering religion. And if they had said, We hear and we obey, and hearken, and unzurna, it would have been better for them and more upright; but Allāh has cursed them on account of their disbelief, so they believe not but a little.”
Muhammad Ali comments: “The corruption of the previous books is constantly referred to in the Holy Qur’an, and, as the words clearly show, it implies a corruption of the text as well as a false rendering of it. The subject of the perversion of “holy writ” is specially dealt with in 2:75–79, 5:13, 41, and here; see 2:7 9a. The verification referred to in v. 47 and elsewhere implies only a verification of the general principles and particularly of the prophecies contained in those books.”
Muhammad Ali explained Ra’ina and unzurna (as mentioned in Qur’an 2:104): “Ra‘ina is equivalent to give ear to, hearken, or listen to us, but with a slight change of accent it becomes ra‘ina, which means he is foolish or stupid or unsound in intellect, the derivation in the first case being from ra‘y, to pasture or to be mindful, and in the second case from ra‘n, i.e., being foolish (LL). The Jews in derision changed the accent, “distorting” the word, as stated in 4:46, and thus made it a term of reproach. The word unzurna, which means wait for us or grant us a little delay, is suggested instead, because it cannot be distorted like its equivalent ra‘ina. The Muslims are here forbidden to use a certain form of expression, but the real object is to show how great was the hatred of the Jews towards the Holy Prophet, so that they did not observe even the ordinary rules of decency. Morally the injunction is one worthy of the highest regard, as it disapproves of the use of words bearing a sinister meaning.”
(See Qur’an 2:59, 75; 7:162 for Jews changing words and Muhammad Ali’s comments. MA’s translation of the Qur’an can be viewed online: www.muslim.org). For more evidence of Jews and Christians tampering with their Scriptures see Bible corrupt & obsolete).

   WikiIslam also commented: “Muslims have not arranged the surahs chronologically. They have took it upon themselves to organize the revelations instead of Allah completing this task himself.”
   Answer: As noted above the Surahs (chapters) of the Qur’an were arranged by Allah through the Angel Gabriel who rehearsed the Qur’an with the Prophet Mohammad annually.
   A bit of cerebration would enlighten that the reason the Qur’an was not a compiled “book” during the life of the Prophet is that as there was no telling when a new revelation would be given to the Prophet it would have been unwise to compile it. If the Qur’an was a compiled book it would have required rewriting it to accommodate the new verse(s). Thus it would have been foolish to compile the Qur’an while the Prophet was still alive.
   (For a complete discussion on the revelation and compilation of the Qur’an and its purity and authenticity see Muhammad Ali’s preliminary notes to his translation of the Qur’an: www.muslim.org. I have used some of his material in the topic Qur’an).

21. QUR’AN PRESERVED THROUGH MEMORIZATION: WikiIslam: “Could the Qur’an have Been Preserved through Memorization? We would say no, as Muhammad himself had forgotten portions of the Qur’an and needed his followers to remind him.”

   Answer: You can say whatever you like; facts belie your charge(s). As noted above, the Qur’an was rehearsed annually by the Angel Gabriel with the Prophet; and rehearsed twice in the year of the Prophet’s death–(Vol. 1, #5; Vol. 3, #126; Vol. 4, #754, 819). It must be a moment of stupendous coincidence, that the Prophet, Gabriel, and Allāh were all afflicted with the loss of memory and loss of the same verses (and even at the same time) so that they did not remind Mohammad.
   That the Qur’an was memorized and written down during the life of the Prophet is fact. Moreover, that the Qur’an was in unwritten book form is evidenced from the fact that it was rehearsed in a sequenced form by the Prophet and Angel Gabriel.
   Though many of the Companions who knew the Qur’an from memory were killed there were yet many others such as ‘Aisha who knew the Qur’an from memory.
   That Zaid bin Thabit found the last verse of Surah al-Taubah with one person only does not mean that the Qur’an “was not memorized in full by the companions” of the Prophet. Upon revelation the verses of the Qur’an were memorized and written on various pieces of material such as leaves and stones. When the Qur’an was compiled in written book form, it was required that these various pieces of articles be collected and burnt. Thus, Thabit finding it only with one person only means that there was no other written copy of it.
In fact, not only the Qur’an was memorized and written down during the lifetime of the Prophet but, as Muhammad Ali has shown, Hadith also were written down. (As stated Muhammad Ali has dealt at length with this topic in his preliminary notes; his translation of the Qur’an can be viewed online: www.muslim. org. I have used some of this material in the topic Qur’an).

22. DISAGREEMENTS ON THE QUR’AN: WikiIslam states: “During the Caliphate of Uthman, he heard that many Muslims were arguing that they can recite the Qur’an better, and they had differences between them. Upon hearing this, Uthman hurriedly ordered the burning of both fragmentary manuscripts and whole copies of the Qur’an and sent a message to Hafsa (one of Muhammad’s wives) requesting the manuscripts she had in her possession. Making a codex from what Zayd bin Thabit had originally compiled, he gave it to the people.
Even after the final recension of the Qur’an during Uthman’s reign, disputes still came to the fore in respect to the authenticity of the text. A very good example concerns a variant reading of Surah 2.238.
The Qur’an as it stands today, reads “Maintain your prayers, particularly the middle prayer (as-salaatil wustaa), and stand before Allah in devoutness”. The variant reading of this verse was given by Aisha, according to whom, in this verse it says ‘Asr Prayer’ (salaatiil ‘asri). However, according to Hafsa’s Codex, this was never the case.” (Emphasis added).

   Answer: The Prophet, because of the “variety of dialects with differences of pronunciation” had “permitted these slight variations of pronunciation according to local dialects owing to lack of education among the people,” as Muhammad Ali has pointed out in his The Early Caliphate. But this permission was only “temporary” until the people became educated; and was “confined only to pronunciation. The script was to be the same everywhere.”
   However, “varieties of pronunciation found their way into writing.” It was to stem this tide of variations that ‘Uthman had copies of the Qur’an made “from the standard volume prepared in Abu Bakr’s time,” and which was in the possession of Hafsah, the Prophet’s wife. Such copies were sent to other Islamic centers. It would have been “a half measure” to leave the “unauthentic versions” of the Qur’an with their “discrepancies” in circulation. They had to be “absolutely obliterated.” These were put into the fire. (pp. 145, 146).
   However, it is possible that a stray copy or two may not have been collected, and may have found its way into the archives of today.

   Regarding Qur’an 2:238 in which it is claimed that the verse says salaatil wustaa whereas according to ‘Aisha this verse says ‘Asr Prayer’ (salaatiil ‘asri).
   It is preposterous to claim that ‘Aisha would say that this verse is to be read “salaatiil ‘asri” instead of “salaatil wustaa,” given that Hafsa’s Codex was made from the memorization which was revealed by Allāh and taught by Gabriel to the Prophet and even memorized by ‘Aisha herself.
   Regarding salaatil wustaa Muhammad Ali explains: “Wasa, of which wusa is the comparative form, means both middle and excellent, for wasa refers sometimes to place and sometimes to degree (R). Al-˝alat al-wusa means the best or the most excellent prayer, not the middle prayer, because wusa is in the comparative degree, and middle does not admit of comparison. In Hadith the later afternoon prayer, ‘Asr, is spoken of as Al-˝alat al-wusa (Bukhari, 56:98).”
   And Muhammad Ali explains ‘Asr (Qur’an 103:3): “‘Asr signifies time or succession of ages (LL). Some, however, understand by al-‘asr the time of the Holy Prophet, and an authentic saying of his, in which he compares his own time to ‘asr, or the afternoon (B), supports this interpretation. In fact, both significances hold good.”
    And if we substitute “salaatil ‘asri” for “salaatil wustaa” in the Qur’anic text, the translation would read “Maintain your prayers, particularly the “time” (or success of ages) prayer” which would be an absurdity, for what is a “time” prayer or a “succession of ages” prayer?
   And if we use the word “afternoon” for ‘Asr the meaning would be: “Maintain your prayers, particularly the “afternoon” prayer;” even this would not be clear, for there are two afternoon prayers, Zuhr and Asr. But in saying “salaatil wustaa” (middle or excellent) it is evident that the ‘Asr prayer is meant.
   Clearly, what is meant here is that ‘Aisha explained that the “salaatil wustaa,” (the “middle” prayer) is the “salaatiil ‘asri,” or that the ‘Asr prayer is the middle (or excellent) prayer. And, taking the Fajr prayer (dawn prayer) to be the first prayer, then the ‘Asr prayer is the “middle” prayer.
   That “salaatil wustaa” refers to the ‘Asr prayer is confirmed by the Hadith narrated by Ali in which the Prophet said that the Pagans “had prevented us from offering the middle [“salaatil wustaa”] (the Best) Prayer till the sun had set–(Bokhari Vol. 6, chapter 41, #56-57). And the prayer before “sunset” is the ‘Asr prayer.
   There is no contradiction between the Qur’an (and Hafsa’s co-dex) and the statement of ‘Aisha.

23. MOHAMMAD FORGOT PARTS OF THE QUR’AN: DIFFEENCE IN READING. VARIANT READINGS. MISSING VERSES. VERSE ON STONING
That Mohammad forgot parts of the Qur’an, this absurdity has already been dealt with; (the Angel Gabriel and Allāh also must have forgotten these verses that they did not remind Mohammad of them). For a scholarly refutation of this piece of WikiIslam’s junk, as well as others relating to from the revelation of the Qur’an to its compilation see Muhammad Ali’s preliminary notes to his translation of the Qur’an: www.muslim.org). For difference in reading, variant readings, missing verses, verse on stoning see Qur’an).

24: POINTS, VOWELS & GRAMMATICAL MISTAKES IN THE QUR’AN: WikiIslam Islam states: “At the time of Muhammad, Arabic orthography was yet to develop into what we have known for centuries. For the early interpreters who added diacritical marks, to read the Qur’an as it was originally written, would lead the reader to interpret and choose for themselves from the many possible meanings available. Muslims began using diacritical marks because reading “errors” began to appear, and the differ-ences this created had led to differences in Islamic law.”

Answer: Originally, the Qur’anic text “had neither dots nor vowel points,” says A’la Mawdudi. Points (dots) and vowels were added to the Arabic text for the benefit of those who do not know the Arabic language. It is sheer nonsense to say that the absence of these dots and vowels resulted in a great many variant readings. The Qur’an was not only written down at the time of its revelation but was also memorized. It would have been necessary that those who would have taught it to others must themselves have been taught the correct recitation as the Prophet Mohammad recited it.
For example, if one was to attempt to read the written text “Mry hd lttl lmb” this would indeed proved difficult, since various vowels can be added to produce a reasonable statement. But if that person is instructed by one who has memorized the correct or original statement then the meaning can only be one: “Mary had (a) little lamb.” Mawdudi explains:

“Though the correctness of the Qur’anic text was ensured in the written form, the work of its propagation was done orally because of the general illiteracy and scarcity of paper. Little difficulty was, however, felt by the literate Arabs in deciphering this script. There were thousands of such persons who had learnt the whole of the Qur’an by heart from the Prophet (p.) himself and his Companions. They followed and taught the same reading that they had learnt from the Prophet (p.) and his Companions.”
“With the passage of time it was felt that there should be vowel points to preserve the correct reading of the Qur’an. Accordingly, at the instance of Zaid (b.) the Governor of Basrah (45 to 53 A.H.–After the Hijra, the prophet’s journey from Makkah to Madinah in 622 After Christ) dots were assigned for vowel points. Then during the reign of Abdul-Malik (65-85 A.H.) Hajjaj bin Yusuf appointed scholars to assign new symbols for vowel points and dots to distinguish between the similar letters. The same practice continues to the present time.”⁴

WikiIslam notes: “The following are just a few examples from among many grammatical mistakes which show that the Qur’an is not flawless.”
1. “Sabi’een or Sabi’oon, one must be wrong (5:69, 22:17)”
Answer: Sabi’een is mentioned in Qur’an 2:62 and 22:17, and Sabi’oon is mentioned in Qur’an 5:69. According to Arabic scholars there is no grammatical error, both terms are correct. What is to be known is that there were two sects of people who were named Sabians. In his commentary to Qur’an 2:62 Muhammad Ali notes:

“The Sabians are mentioned in the Holy Qur’an on three occasions only, here and in 5:69 along with the Jews and the Christians, and in 22:17 with these and the Magians. According to En. Br., the Sabians were a semi-Christian sect of Babylonia, closely resembling the so-called “Christians of St. John the Baptist”. The probable derivation of the name is traced to an Aramaic root, and the root meaning is said to be those who wash themselves, and this is said to be corroborated by Arab writers applying to them the name of al-Mughtasilah. The idea that the Sabians were star-worshippers is rejected; the error, it is said, being due to the pseudo-Sabians of Harrian, who chose to be known by that name in the reign of Al-Mamun, in 830 A.D., in order to be classed as the “People of the Book”. The commentators hold different opinions regarding them, most of them agreeing that they are representatives of a religion between Judaism and Christianity, based on the doctrine of unity, but also maintaining worship of angels. The majority do not include them in the Ahl al-Kitab (AH).”

2. “Butunihi is a mistake in 16:66. It must be Butuniha, because it is referring to the plural (cattle).”
Answer: This verse states: “And surely there is a lesson for you in the cattle (an’aam): We give you to drink of what is in their bellies (butunihi) —from betwixt the faeces and the blood— pure milk, agreeable to the drinkers.” According to Arabic scholars there is no mistake.

   3. “Kon fayakoon, meaning “be and it is”, must be kon fakana, meaning “be and he was” in 3:59, because it refers to the past not present.”
   Answer: This is no grammatical mistake, only a lack of knowledge in understanding the Qur’an. This verse reads in full: “The likeness of Jesus with Allāh is truly as the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust, then said to him, Be, and he was.”
   As shown Allāh is referring to His method of creating a thing in the past. In other words Allāh is telling the present that He created Adam by His decree “Kun fayakoon” –that He created Adam by His decree “Be and it is” and “he came into being” or “and he was.”
Muhammad Ali explains “kun fayakoon” as revealed in Qur’an 2:117:

“Kun fayakunu is the oft-recurring phrase in which Allāh’s act of the creation and annihilation of things is spoken of in the Holy Qur’an. It is not meant by this that there is no gradual process in the creation of things; evolution in creation is in fact plainly spoken of in the very first words of the Qur’an, where God is spoken of as Rabb (Evolver) of words, the Fosterer of a thing in such a manner as to make it attain one condition after another until it reaches its goal of completion (R). It is, in fact, an answer to those who think that the creation of things by God is dependent on the previous existence of matter and soul and the adaptability of their attributes. The argument given here in the word badi is that man, who stands in need of matter to make things, also stands in need of a pattern after which to make them, but God stands in need of neither. The verse seems particularly to refer here, however, to the revolution that was to be brought about by the Prophet. It seemed an impossibility to men, but Allāh had decreed it. And, in fact, the revolution brought about in Arabia by the Prophet was so wonderful that the old heaven and earth of the peninsula may be said to have been changed into new ones”–(Comm. Qur’an 2:117).

25. CORRUPTION OF PREVIOUS SCRIPTURES: WikiIslam wrote: “Many Muslims erroneously believe that the Qur’an claims the corruption of previous scriptures. However with this erroneous belief comes a new set of problems. The Qur’an says in 15:9, “We have revealed the dhikr (reminder) and we surely will preserve it,” but which “reminder” is Allah referring to, and who decided it only applied to Qur’anic text?
The Taurat and Injil are also referred to as dhikr in 21:48, 21:7, and 40:53-54. So if Allah could not protect these dhikrs as he promised in 15:9, how can we expect him to protect the last dhikr? Allah said he will preserve the dhikr, either he preserves all the dhikr (Taurat, Injil, and Qur’an) or None.”

   Answer: All prophets prior to Mohammad were tribal and their “dhikr” was for a limited time. The Qur’an is dhikr to the Resurrection. The Qur’an consists of the teachings of previous Scriptures that are good for all time and contains teachings that are not met with in previous scriptures. Thus the Qur’an consists of, exceeds, and supersedes all scriptures.
While the dhikr given to Moses and Jesus were given by Allāh for their respective people and limited to their time they were decreed to become OBSOLETE upon the advent of Mohammad (and there is no wisdom in protecting to the end of time something that is or will become obsolete). Thus, the only dhikr that is worth protecting is the Qur’an.
   However, Allāh did protect portions of other dhikrs that are good for all time as He revealed: “(Mohammad) A Messenger from Allāh, reciting pure pages, Wherein are (all) right books”–(Qur’an 98:2-3). And Muhammad Ali comments: “Kitåb (pl. kutab) means a book or an ordinance. Whichever significance may be adopted, the meaning of the passage is that all those right directions necessary for the guidance of man, whether previously revealed or not, are to be met with in the Holy Qur’an. The Qur’an thus claims to contain all the good points of other sacred books, and, in addition, to supply their deficiencies.”
Allāh has protected the Qur’an; fourteen hundred years after its revelation thousands know it by heart and not a word of it has changed.

That the Bible –Old and new Testament– was decreed to become OBSOLETE is declared by such prominent personalities as Judah, Moses, and Jesus:
Judah: “The sceptre (kingship) shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver (prophet) from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be”–(Genesis 49:10).
Moses: “I (God) will raise them (the Israelites) up a Prophet from among their brethren (the Ishmaelites), like unto thee (Moses), and I will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words (the Qur’an) which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him” –(Deuteronomy 18:(15) 18-19).
Jesus: “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you ANOTHER COMFORTER, that he may abide with you FOREVER;” “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE will guide you into ALL TRUTH”–(John 14:16; 16:13).
Whether one accepts Mohammad to be Shiloh, Prophet like Moses, and Comforter or not is irrelevant. It is evident that the Bible was Divinely slated for redundancy; and with it Judah, Moses, and Jesus (though they, as all other prophets of Allāh God, are to be honored).
No wise man and woman would endeavor to preserve an item that will become useless; more so if the item is damaged (as the Bible was/is corrupted).
That Mohammad is the Shiloh, Prophet like Moses, and Comforter see Prof. Abdul Ahad Dawud B.D. –“the former Reverend David Benjamin Keldani, B.D., a Roman Catholic priest of the Uniate-Chaldean sect” –revealing book Muhammad in the Bible. See Mohammad.

26. ALLĀH DECEIVES: WikiIslam charges that Allāh deceives, and lists as proof Qur’an 3:54; 7:99; 8:30; 10:21; 13:42; and states: “The word makir is always used disparagingly, and never in a positive context. It is often used to describe someone sly and dishonest. This is because of the way a makir deceives – they set out to cheat you by deception. It is highly inappropriate for Allah to use this word to describe himself; especially when two of his names are (the truth) and (the dependable).”

Answer: One deceives when he intends to lead astray or to harm another. To discipline a person or to engage in act(s) that is for his betterment or to reform him or to put an end to his injustice is not deception; it is benefit or mercy. Muhammad Ali explains the word “makr” (of Qur’an 3:54):

“Makr is explained by R as the turning of another with ingenuity or skill from that which he aims at, and he considers makr as of two sorts, a good one and an evil one.” Therefore the best interpretation of the word makara (including both sorts) is that adopted by T, viz. he exercised craft, cunning, art, or skill in the management or ordering of affairs with excellent consideration or deliberation, and ability to manage according to his own free will (LL). The idea of the plan being contrived for an evil purpose or clandestinely, which is included in the significance of the word, has led many to take that idea as its exclusive significance, which is not the case. Makarallåhu may also signify that Allåh recompensed or requited them for their makr (T-LL). According to some, its original significance is the gathering of an affair and its strengthening (Rz). All these explanations show that it is the equivalent of the word plan, the good or evil nature of the plan being dependent on the object or doer’s intention. Allåh is called here Khair al-måkirin or the Best of planners, the qualifying word khair being inapplicable to an evil object.” (Emphasis added).

Thus in response to the enemy’s makr Allāh returns one which is “good.” Allāh, Who is good and from Whom only good comes and Who is solicitous of the guidance of man does not deceive. Guiding and deceiving are contradictions that cannot be met with in Allāh.

27. ALLĀH DECEIVES MUSLIMS: WikiIslam claims that Allāh deceived Muslims and quoted Qur’an 8:43-44: “When Allah showed them to you in your dream as few; and if He had shown them to you as many you would certainly have become weak-hearted and you would have disputed about the matter, but Allah saved (you); surely He is the Knower of what is in the breasts. And when He showed them to you, when you met, as few in your eyes and He made you to appear little in their eyes, in order that Allah might bring about a matter which was to be done, and to Allah are all affairs returned.”

Answer: As stated above, guidance and deception are contradictions. Allāh is solicitous of the welfare of man. You deceive when you intend to lead astray or harm another. Allāh did not deceive the Muslims. Allāh gave them assurance that even though their number was small they would be victorious. To be given foreknowledge that you would be victorious over an enemy greater than you and for that insight to manifest is not deception, it is Divine benevolence.

28. ALLĀH CREATED CHRISTIANITY BY DECEPTION: WikiIslam states: “Allah created Christianity by his deception. According to Islam, Jesus is not God, and he was not crucified …Allah however, makes it clear in the Qur’an that Jesus was not crucified (died) and he is not God’s son, meaning that Christian’s are in error to follow these beliefs. But why do Christians think he was crucified? Because Allah admits that he made it appear so:
And their saying: Surely we have killed the Messiah, Isa son of Marium, the messenger of Allah; and they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to them so (like Isa) and most surely those who differ therein are only in a doubt about it; they have no knowledge respecting it, but only follow a conjecture, and they killed him not for sure. Nay! Allah took him up to Himself; and Allah is Mighty, Wise.–(Qur’an 4:157-158).
So we see that Allah admits to making it appear (to the people) that Jesus was crucified on the cross (and died), and that Allah then raised Jesus to himself (ascended him to heaven). Therefore Allah admits to deceiving the people.”

Answer: Allāh did NOT create Christianity. Christianity is a human concoction. Jesus did NOT teach/found Christianity either –least of all that which is passing under his name. Trinity was invented 300 years after Christ and inherited sin and vicarious atonement were devised by Paul. (See the various topics on Jesus and Allāh and Jesus or Paul). There is only ONE Divinely revealed religion–Islam. And Christ, as he declared, followed Islam and was a MUSLIM. (See Jesus-a Muslim taught Islam).

Second. The Bible also shows that Jesus is not God (only the NAME Immanuel is “interpreted” to mean God with us), that Jesus is not son of God (he is only CALLED son of God), and that Jesus was NOT crucified/killed (Jesus showed himself to his followers telling them that he was flesh and blood, not spiritual-ized like angels as the resurrected are). (See Jesus as God; Jesus-Son of God; Jesus-inherited sin to ascension).

Third. Even if Christians was “deceived” into believing that Jesus was killed and had formed their religion from his death and ascension, from where did they get Divinity of Jesus, inherited sin and vicarious atonement? Jesus made it clear that he was a prophet of God sent only for Jews).

   Regarding the charge that “Allah admits to deceiving the people.” Here is the relevant part of the verse from the translation quoted by WikiIslam: “And their saying: Surely we have killed the Messiah, Isa son of Marium, the messenger of Allah; and they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to them so (like Isa)”
   The bracketed words “like Isa” is not part of the Arabic text, and is also incorrect. The words “but it appeared to them so” means, as the context shows, that Jesus appeared to them to be killed/crucified/ dead. (Perhaps Jesus was unconscious or in a coma).
To say that “they did not kill Jesus nor did they crucify Jesus, but it appeared to them like Jesus/Isa” is senseless. “It” cannot refer to Jesus, a person. “It” refers to Jesus’ state –killed or crucified. (For Jesus’ birth to his alleged ascension see Christianity dupes people).
   Notably, there are two conditions of Jesus in the verse: that he was not “killed” nor was he “crucified.” Malik Ghulam Farid explains:

“Two different views prevail among the Jews regarding Jesus’ alleged death by Crucifixion. Some of them hold that he was first killed and then his dead body was hung on the cross, while others are of the view that he was put to death by being fixed to the cross, The former view is reflected in The Acts 5:30 where we read “which ye slew and hanged on a tree.” The Qur’an refutes both these views by saying, they slew him not, nor did they bring about his death on the cross. The Qur’an first rejects the slaying of Jesus in any form, then proceeds to deny the particular way of killing by hanging on the cross. It does not deny that Jesus was hung on the cross; it only denies his death on it”–(comm. 4:158).

In these verses (4:157-158) Allāh recounts the Jewish and Christian conjectures that Jesus was killed/crucified and points out that Jesus was not dead but it appeared to them that he was. Allāh did not deceive anyone. The Christians followed conjecture and built their religion on falsehood.

29. HEAVENS AND THE EARTH: WikiIslam: “Any accounting of the cosmology of the Qur’an must begin with the fact that the Islamic universe is extremely small and simple. It consists entirely of two (and only two) components; the heavens and the earth.

Answer: (Explanation of heaven and earth have already been given in item #1). This piece of ignorance is debunked by the very first chapter of the Qur’an: “Praise be to Allāh Lord of the WORLDS”–Qur’an 1:1; also 6:45, 71, 162; 7:54; 26:109, 192; 40:64; 41:9; 81:29; 83:6; among other places). Now have the experts count and tell you how many “worlds” there are and how “extremely small and simple” the “Islamic universe” is not.

30. RESTING PLACE OF THE SUN: Allāh reveals in His Qur’an 36:38: “And the sun Runs its fixed course For a term (decreed). that is The Decree of (Allah) The Exalted in Might, The All-Knowing.”
Answer: All this means is that sun travels in an orbit (fixed course) ordained by Allāh; and a “term (decreed)” means that it (the sun) is not forever. The Prophet’s saying that at sunset the sun “prostrates Itself underneath the Throne and takes the permission to rise again, and it is permitted” only means that the sun (like other creations) are subjected to the commands of Allāh; Allāh’s “Throne” signifies Allāh’s “Power”

31. DAY AND NIGHT: WikiIslam states: “In the Qur’an, night is not simply the absence of day. Night and day are each specific, tangible creations of Allah, and they engage in a form of balanced conflict independent of the celestial bodies.” And he quotes Qur’an 3:27: “Thou causest the night to gain on the day, and thou causest the day to gain on the night…
Day and night are clearly entities independent from the sun, moon or any other celestial objects. Even when considered in the same verse, night and day are independent of the sun, with no recognition that the sun causes either of them.
Your Guardian-Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and is firmly established on the throne (of authority): He draweth the night as a veil o’er the day, each seeking the other in rapid succession: He created the sun, the moon, and the stars, (all) governed by laws under His command. Is it not His to create and to govern? Blessed be Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds! (Qur’an 7:54).”

   Answer: Aren’t night and day the result of the sun? Allāh says in Qur’an 6:96: “He is the Cleaver of the daybreak.” How does “daybreak” occur if not with the sun? Allāh says He created the sun and the moon as a lamp and reflector of light, respectively–(Qur’an 10:5; 25:61).
   Since Allāh created the earth and caused it to revolve around the sun (alternating darkness and light) is not “day” and “night” then specific creations”? (If you turn a light on in a dark room is not “light” created? And if you place black curtains over a window in daylight is not darkness/night created?)   How then it is claimed that in the Qur’an “Day and night are clearly entities independent from the sun, moon or any other celestial objects”?
   And on the coming of “day” isn’t day gaining on “night” and vice versa?   Isn’t the ending of night and day like a “veil” being drawn over the other? And doesn’t night and day follow each other in “rapid succession” –except for a brief twilight is there an intermediate period between them?
   The sun (and moon) is not only used for computing time–(Qur’an 6:96; 10:5), the sun also causes “day” and “night.”

32. WHERE ARE PARADISE AND HELL?: Allah reveals in His Qur’an: “Be quick in the race for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a Garden whose width is that (of the whole) of the heavens and of the earth, prepared for the righteous”–(Qur’an 3:133); “Be ye foremost (in seeking) Forgiveness from your Lord, and a Garden (of Bliss), the width whereof is as the width of heaven and earth, prepared for those who believe in Allah and His messengers: that is the Grace of Allah, which He bestows on whom he pleases: and Allah is the Lord of Grace abounding” –(Qur’an 57:21). Since Paradise is wide as the heavens and the earth where will hell be? Muhammad Ali explains:

“The Garden or the Paradise is here said to be as extensive as the heavens and the earth, and a similar statement occurs in 3:133. These statements afford us the key to a right conception of paradise. The following incident is related under 3:133: “A messenger of Heraclius asked the Holy Prophet: ‘If paradise were as extensive as the heavens and the earth, where would be hell?’ The Prophet replied ‘Glory be to Allāh! Where is the night when the day comes?’ ” (Rz). It shows clearly that heaven and hell are not the names of two places, but are really two conditions, because if paradise were the name of a particular place, hell could not exist, as paradise would according to these verses extend over the whole of space.”

Allāh reveals that there are seven gates to Hell; meaning that there are seven groups of sins that lead to hell–(Qur’an 15:43-44). Hell is also referred to by different names; and Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din notes in book, Introduction to the Study of the Holy Qur’an, pp. 100-103:

“Fire is admittedly the most cleansing of all purifying factors. It is most natural, therefore, that this house of purgatory should be made of burning, purging fire with a pall of smoke over it (56:43). …If sufferers from nerve-troubles or filthy diseases are ordered by their medical advisers to be placed in a steamed room in a Turkish bath, how can we scoff at the idea of Hell and of us being ordered thither by Nature’s relentless surgeons (66:6), rough in their methods, perhaps, but bound to do as directed? Metals mixed with alloy are usually put in the melting-pot, so that dross is burnt off and the substance purified; so also we shall have to undergo a similar process to rid ourselves of physical dross. For this reason Saqar is one of the names given to Hell. The word means anything that changes the nature of other things by melting them. In a word, distress will come to a sinner from every quarter (14:17) to cleanse him from the evils that surround him from all sides (2:81).
The different names given by the Qur’an to Hell help to explain its nature. Sa’ir, Jahim and Jahannam mean something in the nature of a burning fire, Laza (70:15) explains the nature of its functions meaning anything that stupefies the brain. But Hutamah, its sixth name, is very suggestive. It means remorse, a feeling of shame and disgrace, because abasement (9:63) and intense remorse (2:167) are some of the chastisements administered to the denizens of Hell which they may in no wise escape (2:162). It shows that Hell is a mental torture: that its agonies are agonies of the mind (104:7). For, otherwise, why else should our physical body share our troubles if to be nothing but an instrument? The body is a life-less thing unless it comes under the operation of the mind. It is, as it were, an unconsenting party if it joins with us in our wrong-doings. The principle of justice and equity do not punish a party who is forced to give his consent. Moreover, the verse which explains the nature of Al-Hutamah (104:5) decides the question. Speaking of the fire of Hell the Qur’an says that it will come out of our own hearts. Here in this life we are conscious of the same burning of the heart, when a strong desire, unbecoming in its very nature, goads us to do some wrong. The very idea of shame makes our blood hot and we feel as if we were being driven towards a pit of fire. (The sick has been known to groan and agonize over the fire in his body). The Qur’an makes mention of some seven gates of Hell meant for different classes of sinners (15:44). The doors would lead to seven spiritual evils.” (This book may be obtained from www.muslim.org). (See Hell).

33. EMBRYOLOGY IN THE QUR’AN: WikiIslam entered a Himalayan amount of material in his effort to prove that the Qur’an/Allāh is wrong in His description of the development of the fetus. WikiIslam opines that there is a “clear mistake” in the Qur’anic “idea of the formation of bone;” that “after the alaqa is turned into a mudgha,” the Qur’an states “then we formed the morsel into bones,” that “the text has a past tense conjugation followed by the word “then” (fa), thus the logic of the text is that the bones were completed, finished, and then they were clothed with flesh.”

Answer: That Allāh did not mention “cartilage” but mentioned “bone” may be, as stated, Allāh does not give every detail on a subject. (What is to borne in mind is that the Qur’an is not a treatise on any subject; it only highlights certain truths; and does not list every detail).
There is more than one verse on this topic. Verses dealing with the same topic do not give every detail in every instance. For other verses on this topic see Qur’an 40:67; 75:36-39; 82:7-8.
   Qur’an 22:5 reads: “We created you from dust, then from a small life-germ, then from a clot, then from a lump of flesh, complete in make and incomplete…”
   Qur’an 23:12-14 states: “Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay); then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed; Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; Then of that clot (alaqa) We made a (foetus) lump (mudgha); then We made out of that lump (mudgha) bones and clothed the bones with flesh (lahm); then We developed out of it another creature.”
   As emphasized. The sperm (and ovum) are in a state of “congealed blood” (a “clot”or somewhat jelled substance), then the “congealed blood” is transformed into another substance (not yet flesh) which looked like something chewed (“mudgha”) which would reflect Qur’an 22:5 that the “clot” is made into a “lump of flesh complete in make and incomplete” (i.e. in being “complete in make and incomplete” it is in a state between “clot” and “flesh”); then bones are developed in this “mudgha,” followed by the bone skeletal clothed with “flesh” (“lahm”) which the “mudgha” was transformed into. (The Arabic word “lahm” means “flesh”).
   In summary, the clot is transformed into a state between clot and flesh (mudgha), then the nucleus of the bones is formed in this state (between clot and flesh, “mudgha”) then the skeletal is clothed with flesh (“lahm”) which the clot has been fully transformed into. This Qur’anic teaching of the development of the fetus is in accordance with modern findings.
(Regarding The Qur’an and Science, Authenticity of the Qur’an, The Creation of the Heavens and the Earth, Astronomy in the Qur’an, The Earth, The Animal and Vegetable Kingdoms and Human Reproduction in the Qur’an read Maurice Bucaille The Bible, The Qur’an And Science (pp.110-210; obtainable from Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=the+bible+the+qur%27an+and+science&ref=nb_sb_ noss).

Notably, about Allāh saying: “We created you from dust, then from a small life-germ, then from a clot, then from a lump of flesh” “And certainly We create man of an extract of clay, Then We make him a small life-germ in a firm resting-place”–(Qur’an 22:5; 23:12–14). Allāh creating man from dust/clay refers to Him creating the first man/Adam, and then from Adam we, Adam’s progeny, were/are created from sperm and clot etc.
(See videos on various subjects on science at the end of this presentation)

WikiIslam questions “Does the Qur’an Plagiarize Ancient Greek Embryology?”
Answer: (WikiIslam seems to be implying that if the Qur’an plagiarized its teaching on embryology from the Greek then the Qur’an could not be Divine Revelation; which would convey that the entire Qur’an also is not Divine Revelation).
If the Qur’an “Plagiarize(d) Ancient Greek Embryology,” someone must have taught Mohammad to read Greek or to read Greek translated into Arabic (though Mohammad did not know to read Arabic) or someone must have informed Mohammad about “Ancient Greek Embryology.” Perhaps Mohammad was taught “Ancient Greek Embryology” by that “Babylonian Jew from Southern Mesopotamia.” (Ask Ibn Warraq. For a debunking of Warraq’s book see Why I am not a Muslim).
And if the Qur’an “Plagiarize(d) Ancient Greek Embryology,” from whom did the Qur’an “Plagiarise(d)” its other materials on science, and its prophecies (and its inimitability)? (See Qur’an-science; Qur’an-prophecies).
Whereas materials by Aristotle and Hippocrates are assumptions. The Qur’an is definitive/comprehensive –naming “sperm”; quantity required to fertilize; “mingled liquids” (sperm and ovum); a thing that “clings;” a thing “chewed”; stages of fetal development; fetus covered in “three veils”. Which are only modern discoveries and which could not have been seen with the naked eye -the microscope was invented only around 1590 (a thousand years AFTER Mohammad). How then the Qur’an borrowed from Greek Embryology?

Whereas Christians try to belie the Qur’an/Islam their God/Son of God, Jesus, has nothing to say on science. This is not surprising given that Jesus tells people to depend only on God to give them victuals as He sends to the flowers and birds.
To restate, critics of Islam are vast on text and void on substance. Many of their charges are puerile. Readers are urged to compare verses of the Qur’an that Christians/critics use to fault the Qur’an with Muhammad Ali’s translation: www.muslim.org.

34. THE QUR’AN DOES NOT MENTION THE FEMALE GAMETE: WikiIslam wrote: “The Qur’an never explicitly claims that the female parent contributes genetic material.”
   Answer: (God does not say He gave Adam and Eve genitals or that He gave them sperm and ovum, respectively –though Onan spilled his seed (Genesis 38:7-10)– thus, according to WikiIslam God does not know about the process of procreation).
Allāh tells us in Qur’an 49:13: “O mankind, surely We have created you from a male AND a female.” Since we are created from a male and female then reason alone would dictate that the female also has to contribute something.
   Allāh reveals in Qur’an 7:89: “He it is Who created you from a single soul, and of the same did He make his mate, that he might find comfort in her. So when he covers her she bears a light burden, then moves about with it. Then when it grows heavy…” Man can emit his seed any place he fancies outside the womb it will never cause any thing to bear a “burden” light or heavy. For it to cause the woman to bear a “burden” she has to complement the man with some thing.
Allāh reveals in Qur’an 76:2: “Verily We created man from sperm mixed (with ovum)”. This mixing could not be the combination of the various liquids/secretions to effect ejaculation; because man could not be “created” from sperm alone. For man to be “created” the sperm has to be “mixed” with ovum.
After Allāh gave Mary the news of the birth of Jesus “she conceived him”–(Qur’an 19:19-22). And “conceive” means “to become pregnant (with young);” and the state of “pregnancy” requires the union of sperm and ovum. But Allāh did not “explicitly” say He had a man impregnate Mary; so according to the critic no man contributed “genetic material” to the pregnancy. What then did Mary’s ovum unite with if not a contribution from the man? (Jesus was not of virgin birth. See Christianity dupes people)
   Again, Allāh says: “O people, keep your duty to your Lord, Who created you from a single being and created its mate of the same (kind), and spread from THESE TWO many men and women”–(Qur’an 4:1). How then the woman did not contribute genetic material?
   Clearly, as we are created from a “mixture” of sperm and ovum reason would tell us that both parents provide genetic material to the child. As stated the Qur’an is not a treatise on any subject. That Allāh did not actually name the female “gamete” does not mean the female parent did not contribute genetic material.
   That “the female parent contributes genetic material” is encapsulated in the expressions “mingled sperm,” that Allāh created man from a “male and a female,” that when he covers her she “bears a light burden,” and that man is multiplied from “these two”–man and woman.

The Prophet Mohammad taught: “if a man’s discharge preceded that of the woman, then the child resembles the father, and if the woman’s discharge preceded that of the man, then the child resembles the mother”–Bokhari Vol. 6, #7. Notably, the Prophet speaks about the child’s “RESEMBLANCE” not the child’s SEX which is determined by the chromosomes. The woman provides an “X” chromosome, the man either an ”X” or “Y”. Two “X’s” result in a girl child, an “X” and “Y” results in a boy child. Thus it is the man’s contribution that determines the sex of the child.

(Regarding the critics claim that Qur’an 86:6-7 is wrong about the production of sperm. The Arabic word sulb indicates “sexual area” of man” and the word tara’ib designates “sexual areas” of the woman. (See Maurice Bucaille, The Bible the Qur’an And Science, pp. 207-210). See Qur’an-wrong on semen production. Also these videos:
Part 1 by Fotfoundation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMQPkDK nOCM&feature=video_response
Part 2 by Fotfoundation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eghBcXY ddk&feature=response_watch (More videos at the end of presentation).

WikiIslam states further that “the Qur’an itself provides the evidence of its doctrinal omission or rejection of the role of the ovum in procreation, for verse 2:223 states that wives are tilth. This is saying they are like the earth receiving the zygote (i.e. seed) from the male.”
And WikiIslam concludes that verse 2:223 “cannot contain the ovum because tilth does not contribute genetic material to the development of the seed (i.e. zygote), and must mean the semen mingled with some unspecified non-genetic material-contributing female secretion.”

   Answer: As shown above, the “ovum” is inherent in the statement “mingled sperm” etc.
   Qur’an 2:223 states: “Your wives are a tilth for you, so go in to your tilth when you like, and send (good) beforehand for your-selves. And keep your duty to Allåh, and know that you will meet Him. And give good news to the believers.”
   It seems necessary to know the background to this verse. Qur’an 2:223 was revealed to dispel a Jewish superstition. Jews used to believe that if a man had sexual intercourse with his wife from the posterior position and had a child born from that union the child would be squint-eyed:

“Jews used to say: “If one has sexual intercourse with his wife from the back, then she will deliver a squint-eyed child.” So this verse was revealed: “Your wives are a tilth unto you; so go to your tilth when and how you will”–Bokhari Vol. 6 #51. Thus, this verse is not about anal sex as some wrongly believe –children are not born from anal sex.
This shows that a man may have marital relations whenever he wills and however [position] he wills; that are also agreeable to his wife; as women have rights as those against her, and as Allāh has put love and compassion and mercy between them, and as she is a source of peace and comfort. And it is not love and compassion and mercy and comfort to force one’s self onto the wife abuse her, cause her distress or place her under duress. See Islam-women).

Muhammad Ali comments on this verse, Qur’an 2:223: “The comparison of the woman to the tilth is simply to show that it is she who brings up the children and through whom is made the character of the man, and to show that the real object of conjugal relations is not simply the satisfaction of carnal desires.”

35. QUR’AN AND “DUST” STAGE: In his Qur’an 22:5 and 23:12-14, respectively, Allāh reveals: “We created you from dust, then from a small life-germ, then from a clot, then from a lump of flesh, complete in make and incomplete…” “And certainly We create man of an extract of clay, Then We make him a small lifegerm in a firm resting-place, Then We make the life-germ a clot, then We make the clot a lump of flesh…”
And WikiIslam states that in their explanation of these verses, “Muslims all conveniently ignore the first stage which is ‘DUST’. What does it correspond to in the modern Embryology? We know some would claim the dust to be metaphorical. Where is the evidence for that? If the dust is metaphorical, then the other stages should also be metaphorical, in the absence of evidence to differentiate between metaphorical and literal phrases. The evidence that ‘dust’ is not metaphorical is the word ‘then’ or ‘thumma’ linking dust and sperm.

Answer: As already stated, Allāh creating man from dust/clay refers to Him creating the first man/Adam from dust/clay, and then from Adam we, Adam’s progeny, were/are created from sperm and clot etc.

36. QUR’AN AND “THE MISSING STAGES”: Allāh reveals in His Qur’an 40:67: “He it is Who created you from dust, then from a small life-germ, then from a clot, then He brings you forth as a child, then that you may attain your maturity, then that you may be old; and of you are some who die before and that you may reach an appointed term, and that you may understand.”
And WikiIslam states: “Some might view 40:67 to ‘contradict’ the other embryology verses as it states clearly and plainly that the child is formed straight after the alaqa stage.

Answer: That Allāh says He created from “dust” then “life-germ” and “clot” and did not list the other stages before He brought us forth as a “child” does not mean that the Qur’an ‘contradicts’ itself. Allāh also does not detail giving us veins, blood, nails and hair; it would be juvenile to say these stages are missing in the Qur’an. As already noted the Qur’an/Allāh does not give every detail in every verse of the same topic.

37. QUR’AN AND BEGINNING OF THE FETAL STAGE: WikiIslam states: “Muslims claim that the Qur’an correctly denotes the start of the Fetal stage by referring to the creation of ‘another creation’ after the izham/lahm (bone clothed with flesh) stage which supposedly occurs at week eight.”
This verses of Qur’an 23:12-14 reads: “…Then of that clot We made a lump; then We made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh, then We developed out of it another creature.”
And WikiIslam concludes: “An experienced embryologist would know that the delineation of the embryo and fetal stages is arbitrary. However, the 8-week dividing line is still arbitrary, since a firm scientific basis for the transition to the fetal stage is lacking.”

   Answer: As “the 8-week dividing line is still arbitrary, and since a firm scientific basis for the transition to the fetal stage is lacking” how do know that Muslims/Qur’an is wrong?
   However, Allāh develpoing the fetus into another creature does not mean that man was a creature other than human (say for instance a rabbit) then was made into human. Apart from the fact that in its early stage(s) the fetus does not look human, the human cell is human regardless of what stage of development it is in.
   Allāh’s statement of developing the fetus into “another creature” simply means that whereas initially man was a tadpole-like creature (with a tail) this tailed creature was now transformed into a human form.   “So Blessed be Allāh, the Best of creators.”

38. QUR’AN AND THE LEAST PERIOD OF CONCEPTION: WikiIslam wrote: “Some Muslims claim that the Qur’an correctly states that the least period of conception is 6 months. They base this claim on two verses.”
These two verses are Qur’an 46:15 in which Allāh states that the weaning of a child is “thirty months” and Qur’an 31:14 which states that the weaning is “two years” (which gives a difference of six months or 24 weeks).
WikiIslam argues that that this Qur’anic six months as the least period of conception is incorrect. He sates “the claim of six lunar months or 22 weeks as the least period of conception or ‘mini-mum period for fetal viability’ is unsupported by modern medical science.
A fetus is defined as being viable if it has the ability to “potentially able to live outside the mother’s womb [that is, can survive], albeit with artificial help.” (And WikiIslam notes that from the fifties to the late 80’s viability went from “30 weeks” “and is now as early as 19 weeks”), and concludes: “Thus, it can be seen that the minimum period of fetal viability has changed, at least in recent history. It was never 22 weeks or 6 lunar months prior to the era of modern medicine, being likely to have been at least 30 weeks. Now, it has shrunk to only 19 weeks in countries with advanced pediatric medicine. We would suggest the minimum period of fetal viability in many third-world countries would still be around 30 weeks.” Thus, the Muslims “proposition of the least period of conception is false.” (Emphasis added).

   Answer: As emphasized, WikiIslam is only conjecturing –“We would suggest.” And that “fetal viablity” of 19 weeks and potentailly earlier is due only to “artificial help.” It is doubtful that Muslims were speaking about “artificial help.”
   As to WikiIslam’s claim, “It (fetal viability) was never 22 weeks or 6 lunar months prior to the era of modern medicine.” Why could fetal viability not be “22 weeks or 6 lunar months?”
   A few years ago girls reached puberty around eleven or twelve years of age, today according to reports American girls as young as seven have developed breasts, pubic hair, and are even menstruating.
And in the Seventh Century girl(s) became mother(s) at the age of ten years old. Tradition tells us that Al-Mughira said that “he attained puberty at the age of twelve,” and Al-Hassan bin Salih said, “I saw a neighboress of mine who became a grandmother at the age of twenty-one” (the footnote to this narration explains that “This woman attained puberty at the age of nine and married to give birth to a daughter at ten; the daughter had the same experience”)–(Bokhari Vol. 3, ch. 18, heading of #832). (For more on this see ‘Aisha whom the critics love to use to denigrate the Prophet).

39. QUR’AN AND JOINTS IN THE BODY & EARTH’S CRUST: WikiIslam wrote: “Gamal Soltan, a political scientist at Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies protests that the approach of starting with a conclusion from the Qur’an or Sunna (e.g. the Qur’an says the body has 360 joints) and then work toward proving that conclusion, corrupts the scientific method. In the case of the belief in the body having 360 joints, it has meant counting “things that some orthopedists might not call a joint.”

Answer. “things that some orthopedists might not call a joint.” What makes you think these orthopedists “might” be correct in not calling them joint? Whose defintion of “joint” is correct man or the Creator?
As every creation is precisely constructed and is under the governance of some law/principle, isn’t our investigating of their construction and machination our working towards a “conclusion”?

WikiIslam continues: “Other critics protest against claims by Bucailleists such as that the body has 360 joints or that the earth has seven layers.” “The existence of 360 joints, in fact, is not accepted in medical communities; rather, the number varies from person to person, with an average of 307. These days most geologists divide Earth’s crust into 15 [not 7] major zones, or tectonic plates.”

Answer: That “The existence of 360 joints, in fact, is not accepted in medical communities.” So what, are medical communities infallible? It would seem very odd that the number of bones would vary from adult to adult (and of the same sex). The question then is what constitutes a “joint”? As noted on the Internet. According to The Bone & Joint Centre of Seattle, whose “physicians treat an array of orthopedic problems,” “There are 206 bones and 360 joints in the human body.” And Minneapolis Orthopaedics states that in the human body there are “640 muscles. 206 bones. 360 joints.”
So what if “most geologists” of “these days” divide the Earth’s crust into 15 major zones (what about the other geologists)? May be in the future other geologists of “those” days will give it another quantity. Who then will be correct? Perhaps most geologists of these days are taking as two zones that which Allāh gives as one.

(Regarding “the approach of starting with a conclusion from the Qur’an or Sunna”) WikiIslam notes: “Theoretical physicist Parvez Hoodbhoy of Pakistan identifies: “the problem with such claims to ownership is that they lack an explanation for why quantum mechanics, molecular genetics, etc., had to await disco-very elsewhere. Nor is any kind of testable prediction ever made. No reason is offered as to why antibiotics, aspirin, steam engines, electricity, aircraft, or computers were not first invented by Muslims. But even to ask such questions is considered offensive.””

   Answer: This must be the biggest assinine statement ever from a supposed intellectual. Can all things be developed by one people? Did every invention or discovery that we possess today been made by one people/nation?
   How is it that two thousand years after Moses and six hundred years after Jesus Christ and the Bible Christians and Jews did not develop anything?
   And perhaps some time from now when some other system would have superseded Western Civilization and would develop, say, underwater cities or cities in the atmosphere or travels by suspended animation they might question how is it that Western civilization did not develop these?
   Allāh created us and gave us intelligence and informs us that “He has made subservient to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth”–(Qur’an 45:13).  Thus, whereas Muslims were given a guide (which were later neglected, resulting in our stagnation) any person, Muslim or non-Muslim, that takes to the text book or lab can invent and discover.
   Parvez Hoodbhoy of Pakistan may be a “Theoretical physicist;” what he sorely needs to be is a “practical” thinker.

(Muslims contribution to mankind is voluminous. For a listing of inventions by Muslims “Google” The Islamic Scholar, or Muslims contribution to the world, or Muslims contribution to Science, or Muslims contribution to Medicine).

40. QUR’AN AS DISPENSER OF TRUTH: WikiIslam states: “Others unconvinced of a Qur’an as dispenser of scientific truths, argue some of these scientific facts were known in the Middle East centuries before the revelation of the Qur’an – for example found in passages that they argue are rephrasings of the Hebrew Bible – or were also “predicted” by non-scientists with no claims of divine inspiration. Criticisms are also presented based on the translations and context of the verses presented as scientific facts.”

Answer: As stated, Allāh raised prophets/messengers among all people; thus it would be expected that the Qur’an should contain teachings of past Scriptures. And what are “some of these scientific facts (that) were known in the Middle East centuries before the revelation of the Qur’an” “or were also “predicted” by non-scientists with no claims of divine inspiration”? Please detail them.

WikiIslam continues: “Alleged Qur’anic predictions have also been called “vague descriptions of natural phenomena” employ-ing “stretched or arbitrary” interpretations. Alleged Quranic ref-erences in particular to the expanding universe, parallel univer-ses, and cosmic structural hierarchies have been called “blatantly wrong.”

Answer: They have been “called “blatantly wrong.”” Were they proved to be wrong? What about the Qur’anic teaching on the fetus covered in three veils of darkness, bees making honey in their bellies, formation of rain clouds, etc. were they proved to be wrong?

41: TOP 10 CONTROVERSIAL VERSES IN THE QUR’AN: WikiIslam lists what he calls the “Top 10 Controversial Verses In The Qur’an” (all of which are refuted/explained):

-10 wife-beating Qur’an 4:34.
-9 dismembering the thief Qur’an 5:38.
-8 polygamy Qur’an 4:3.
-7 marrying prepubescent girls (Qur’an 65:4).
-6 sex with female prisoners of war (Qur’an 33:50).
-5 Jews turned into apes (Qur’an 2:65).
-4 marry wife of adopted son (Qur’an 33:4).
-3 woman’s testimony half of a man’s (Qur’an 2:282).
-2 woman inherits half of what man inherits
-1 fight non-Muslims (Qur’an 9:29; 9:5).
(For a response to these “controversial verses” please see Controversial verses in the Qur’an).

42. DEALING JUSTLY WITH WIVES AND ORPHANS: Allāh reveals in Qur’an 4:3: “And if you fear that you cannot do justice to orphans, marry such women as seem good to you, two, or three, or four; but if you fear that you will not do justice, then (marry) only one or that which your right hands possess. This is more proper that you may not do injustice.”

Answer: Obviously, those who charge that Islam allows marriage/sex with “orphan” girls did not consider the possibility that these “orphans” were of marriageable state. ‘Aisha explains this verse (which is related to Qur’an 4:127):

“It is about an orphan girl under the custody of her guardian who being attracted by her wealth and beauty wants to marry her with Mahr less than other women of her status. So such guardians were forbidden to marry them unless they treat them justly by giving them their full Mahr. Then the people sought the verdict of Allāh’s apostle (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) for such cases, whereupon Allāh revealed: “They ask your instruction concerning women…..” (Qur’an 4:127).” (See Muhammad Ali commentaries on this verse, 4:3, and on Qur’an 4:127; his translation of the Qur’an can be viewed online: www.muslim.org).

43. PAIRS IN LIVING THINGS: That Allāh does not say directly that there are “asexual organisms, parthenogenetic orga-nisms, hermaphrodites, or Schizophyllum commune” does not mean that Allāh did not create them. And if the Qur’an is lacking in mentioning them then so are the Bible and Veda. However, Maurice Bucaille explains in his book The Bible The Qur’an And Science:

“One must bear in mind that there are two methods of reproduction in the vegetable kingdom: one sexual, the other asexual. It is only the first which in fact deserves the term ‘reproduction’, because this defines a biological process whose purpose is the appearance of a new individual identical to the one that gave it birth.” “Asexual reproduction is quite simply multiplication. It is the result of the fragmentation of an organ-ism which has separated from the main plant and developed in such a way as to resemble the plant from which it came. It is considered by Guilliermond and Mangenot to be a ‘special case of growth’.” (p. 188).

Allāh has included all these different creations in the general statement that He created things that He has not revealed to us: “Glory be to Him Who created pairs of all things, of what the earth grows, and of their kind and of what they know not!”–(Qur’an 36:36).

Allāh told Mary –at her objection that how could she have a son when no man has touched her– that He “creates what He pleases.” That Allāh creates “what” He pleases/wills also establishes that Allāh creates “how” He wills/pleases.

Allāh created Adam and Eve without parent(s) how is it then Allāh cannot create creatures without the union of the male and female reproductive cells? Allāh also created Isaac and John the Baptist when their parents were incapable of reproducing.

Allāh tells us that He reproduced us through sperm and ovum but He did not describe to us that at a certain point in our growth He made certain organs of our bodies produce sperm and ovum, this does not mean that Allāh did not engineer this process.

Today’s’ man can clone the specie from a single cell (without the need for sperm) why can’t Allāh duplicate certain creatures without mating (male and female)?

Allāh also tells us that everything in creation is a “sign” from Him: “And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and what He has spread forth in both of them of living beings”–(Qur’an 42:29. Also 6:95-99; 10:5-6; 30:20-25; 45:3-6).

Four of the ninety-nine Names of Allāh, God, are: (1) Rabb–“the Originator of things and their Combiner to create new forms. It means the Law-giver, Who frames Laws under which He propounds the shapes which things must assume and the ratio and proportion in which various ingredients must combine with each other. He is the Regularizer, i.e., the Lord Who puts things on the way to perfection. He is the Arranger of the different stages through which they have to pass on their way to completion.”(Ref. Qur’an 87:1-3; 25:2; 54:49).(2) Al-Badi’–He Who creates out of nothing; (3) Al-Bari–He Who originates things with various faculties in them; (4) Al-Khaliq–He Who combines things in a given proportion to create new things.⁵
And Muhammad Ali explains: The Arabic word Rabb which is generally taken as Lord, “conveys not only the idea of fostering, bringing-up, or nourishing, but also that of regulating, completing and accomplishing (T-LL), i.e. of the evolution of things from the crudest state to that of the highest perfection. According to R, Rabb signifies the fostering of a thing in such a manner as to make it attain one condition after another until it reaches its goal of completion. Hence Rabb is the Author of all existence, Who has not only given to the whole creation its means of nourishment but has also beforehand ordained for each a sphere of capacity and within that sphere provided the means by which it continues to attain gradually to its goal of perfection. By the use of the word Rabb the Holy Qur’an thus hints at the law of evolution which is working in the universe.”⁶

   Further, Allāh says that He explained “all” things to Moses: “We gave the Book to Moses to complete (Our blessings) on him who would do good, and making plain all things–(Qur’an 6:154; 7:145).
   As there are many things which the Qur’an teaches that Moses did not, then, clearly, “all” things being made plain to Moses could only mean those things that were given to Moses. Likewise, Allāh saying that He created “all” things in pairs may very well be a reference to those things only that the people knew of. This reasoning would seem to be conveyed by the words of Allāh that He also created that which we “know not.”
Thus, these “asexual organisms, parthenogenetic organisms, hermaphrodites, or Schizophyllum commune” though not mentioned in the Qur’an are all creations of Allāh. To claim that because the Qur’an does not mention or detail them therefore the Qur’an/Allāh is lacking is infantile.
   If Mohammad “made up the Qur’an” then Mohammad has given to the world the best Book in Scriptural history.

44. THE CHINESE YIN-YANG DUALITY CONCEPT: WikiIslam wrote: “The principle of Ying and Yang is the foundation of the entire universe. It underlies everything in creation. It brings about the development of parenthood; it is the root and source of life and death…” Thus, it is hardly miraculous for the Qur’an to claim ‘creation in pairs’ of all things known and un-known when the ancient Chinese already believed in a remark-ably similar duality principle at least two thousand years before Islam.”

Answer: Allāh tells us in His Qur’an that He raised prophets among all people and gave them guidance. Thus one would expect the Chinese (and Hindus and others) to have teachings that are mentioned in the Qur’an. Though this does not mean that the Qur’an borrowed from previous scriptures: a younger child who is given the same teachings as his older sibling by their parents could hardly be said to have borrowed those teachings from his older sibling. (See Qur’an-borrowed from Bible).
However, whereas Allāh gave Revelations to all people these teachings, through the passage of time, lost their purity: “By Allah! We certainly sent (messengers) to nations before thee (Mohammad), but the devil made their deeds fair-seeming to them”–(Qur’an 16:63). And Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din points out in his Open Letters To The Bishops of Salisbury And London:

“The whole world was a world of fetish worshippers at the appearance of Islam. From an eggshell to the man-worship of Christianity and Hinduism, the adoration that should go to God went to His creatures.” (p. 17).

45. MISQUOTING JESUS: WikiIslam notes that like the “O” in “O Jesus son of Mary!” 5:112, that this “O” is used in many other places in the Qur’an such as “O Moses…” “O Mohammad …” etc; and WikiIslam questions, “Doesn’t this quote from the disciples strike you as a little odd?” and that “It would seem that Allāh has the same poetic speaking style as the disciples, but considering Allah is almighty and eternal, we can rightly conclude that it was the disciples who spoke like Allah and not the other way around.”

   Answer: (Even the Divine expression of grace and respect for His servants are subjected to ridicule. Wonder how WikiIslam addresses people).
   In the case of humans “O” is an address much like Mr. or Miss or Sir or Madam. Surely, it is a sign of dignity for a President to address his employees as Mr. or Mrs. Or Miss or Ma’am rather than “hey, you!” (Invariably, when need be, others address me as “Sir,” and likewise I address them as “Sir” or “Ma’am).
   In the case of Allāh, depending on the occasion, “O” may be an ordinary address or an expression of mercy by Allāh as one of Allāh’s reasons for creating us is to have mercy on us–(Qur’an 11:119); He has ordained mercy on Himself–(Qur’an 6:12, 54); His mercy precedes His anger–(Bokhari Vol. 4, # 416; Vol. 9, #545; 643); He invites us to forgive us our sins–(Qur’an 14:10); and His mercy encompasses all things”–(Qur’an 7:156).
And perhaps the most sublime expression of Allāh’s mercy is stated in Qur’an 39:53 where He implores us in loving, compassionate terms to forgive us ours sins; He insctructs the Prophet Mohammad to convey to us: “Say, O My servants who have sinned against their souls, despair not of the mercy of Allah, surely Allah forgives all sins. Verily He is Most Forgiving, Ever Merciful”–(Qur’an 39:53). Imagine Allāh, Lord of the worlds, Who created us and provided us with everything in the heavens and the earth and needs nothing from us, imagine the expanse of His love and compasssion to address sinners in such noble terms. Such is the Muslim’s God.

46. SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD: WikiIslam states: “While the Qur’an is supposed to be the words of Allah, there are many verses with grammatical issues which raise doubts,” and he quotes: “Shakir: And the Jews say: Uzair is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!”–(Qur’an 9:30). And WikiIslam claims that in this verse “the speaker is wishing for Allah to do something.”
WikiIslam continues: “We find the same error in the following verse (and he quotes Qur’an 63:4): And when you see them, their persons will please you, and If they speak, you will listen to their speech; (they are) as if they were big pieces of wood clad with garments; they think every cry to be against them. They are the enemy, therefore beware of them; may Allah destroy them, whence are they turned back?”
And as Allāh would not have to wish for anything, WikiIslam states: “So could the explanation for this consistent speaking style found throughout the Qur’an then be because it’s this same person inventing the quotes? If its not Allah’s words, then what did he stand to gain by fabricating quotes by figures revered by Jews and Christians?”

Answer: While the words of the Qur’an are revelations from Allāh, certain expressions become the statements by the Prophet and/or Muslims; for example; the Fatihah (first chapter of the Qur’an) though it is the Revelation from Allāh it becomes the expression or prayer of Muslims proclaiming the greatness, benevolence and mercy of Allāh and the seeking of His guidance and bounties:

      “Praise be to Allåh, the Lord of the worlds,
        The Beneficent, the Merciful,
        Master of the day of Requital.
        Thee do we serve and Thee do we beseech for help.
        Guide us on the right path,
        The path of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed
favours,
        Not those upon whom wrath is brought down, nor
        those who go astray.”

And in Qur’an 17:1 Allah reveals: “Glory to Him Who carried His servant by night from the Sacred Masjid (Ka’bah in Makkah) to the Remote Masjid (Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem), whose precincts We blessed, that We might show him of Our signs! Surely He is the Hearing, the Seeing.” These words become words of praise to God when uttered by us. Thus the statement becomes our saying.

   Regarding the verses of 9:30 and 63:4 under discussion. The Arabic text in both verses read: Qaa-tala homul-laah. Which means Allāh destroy or curse them. There is no “may” in the Arabic text. The word Qatal can mean either kill/destroy or curse depending on the context.
   Qur’an 9:30 which refers to a false belief means Allāh’s curse is on the Jews and Christians for their ascribing Divinity to the servants/creatures of Allāh –Ezra and Jesus. (For Jews taking Ezra as son of God see Muhammad Ali’s comm.: www.muslim.org).
   And Qur’an 63:4 which deals with hypocrisy and militancy against Muslims means Allāh will destroy them. That Allāh will destroy the hypocrites seems suited to the context as verse 8 shows, and which reads: “They (the hypocrites) say: If we return to Madinah, the mightier (the hypocrites) will surely drive out the meaner (the Muslims) therefrom. And might belongs to Allāh and His Messenger and the believers, but the hypocrites know not”–(Qur’an 63:8).

As stated there is no “may” in the Arabic text. Translators need to put such “fill in” words in brackets or in italics so readers who do not know Arabic would not be misguided.
Notably, this calling for the destruction or curse on the Jews is not unique to the Qur’an, the Biblical God and the prophets David and Jesus also cursed the Jews:
-Jews cursed by the Biblical God (Muhammad Ali on Qur’an 2:159):

“For the meaning of la‘nat, or curse, see 88b. The reference in those who curse seems to be to Moses and the Israelite prophets: “But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command thee this day, that all these curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee: cursed shalt thou be in the city and cursed shalt thou be in the field, cursed shall be thy basket and thy store. Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine and the flocks of thy sheep. Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out” (Deut. 28:15–19). After enume-rating the curses of the Lord, His sending upon them “cursing, vexation, and rebuke”, His making the pestilence “cleave” to them, His smiting them with “a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting…and the botch of Egypt…and madness and blindness”, the curses of men are thus spoken of: “Thou shalt go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them”, “thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore”, “thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build a house, and thou shalt not dwell therein”, “thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people…the fruit of thy land and all thy labours shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed always” (Deut. 28:20–68).

-Jews cursed by the prophet David: “Therefore the Lord heard this, and was wroth; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel; because they believed NOT in God, and trusted NOT in his salvation”–(Psalm 78:21-22);
-Jews cursed by the prophet Jesus: “Woe unto, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites…therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation”–(Matt. 23:14); “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”–(Matt. 23:33); “O Jerusalem. Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee…Behold your house is left unto desolation”–(Matt. 23:37-38); “Therefore I say unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof” –(Matt. 21:43).

And Muhammad Ali notes to Qur’an 5:78 “After Moses, David and Jesus, who represent the highest achievement of Israelite prophethood in temporal and spiritual glory, spoke of the advent of the Holy Prophet in unmistakable terms. The curse is used here in its original sense of being removed further off from Divine mercy. Both prophets had warned the Jews that their transgressions called for Divine punishment which should soon overtake them if they did not mend their ways. The time of both was followed by a great affliction overtaking the Jews, in the respective depredations of the Babylonian kings and the destruction wrought by Titus.” (See MA’s commentary on Qur’an 9:30. His translation of the Qur’an can be viewed online: www.muslim.org).

47. CALLING JESUS BY HIS NAME Since it was evident that Jesus was the son of Mary, WikiIslam questions “why is “son of Mary” explicitly added when someone addresses Jesus?”
Answer: Because ‘son of Mary’ was part of Jesus’ name: “When the angels said: O Mary, surely Allāh gives thee good news with a word from Him (of one) whose name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary”–(Qur’an 3:45). Muhammad Ali explains:

“Three names are given for the child — Al-Masih, ‘Iså, and Ibn Maryam. The first of these is more a title than a name, being preceded by al. The literal significance of Masih is either one who travels much or one wiped over with some such thing as oil (LL). It is the same word as the Aramaic Messiah, which is said to mean the anointed. Jesus Christ is said to have been so called because he used to travel much (Rz, R), or because he was anointed with a pure blessed ointment with which the prophets are anointed (Rz). It is, however, the first significance, viz., that Masih means one who travels much that finds the foremost acceptance with the commentators as well as the lexicologists, and this lends support to the evidence recently discovered which shows that Jesus travelled in the East after his unfortunate experience at the hands of the Syrian Jews, and preached to the lost ten tribes of the Israelites who had settled in the East, in Afghanistan and Kashmir.
‘Iså is the Arabic form of the Hebrew Yoshua, Jesus being the Greek form of the same name; and Ibn Maryam, or son of Mary, is a surname. It is remarkable that the Qur’an makes no mention at all of Mary’s husband, and in this respect, these circumstances bear a strong resemblance to those connected with Moses’ birth, for there, too, no mention at all is made of Moses’ father. The mere fact, therefore, that there is no mention of Jesus’ father is not sufficient to show that Jesus had no father. Moreover, of his two parents Joseph and Mary, Mary was undoubtedly much more well-known than Joseph.”

48. SAVING PHARAOH’S BODY: Allah reveals in His Qur’an 10:90-92 that as Pharaoh pursued the Israelites into the sea, He brought the Israelites to safety and drowned Pharaoh; promising to save Pharaoh’s body as a sign for future generations: “But this day We shall save thee in thy body that thou mayest be a sign to those after thee.”
WikiIslam states that the claim that the Pharaoh on display in the Cairo museum is the Pharaoh of Moses’ time is “highly suspect.” And that since the mention of saving Pharaoh’s body “is not mentioned anywhere but the Qur’an it cannot be called prophetic.”

Answer: There is evidence that the body in the Cairo Museum is the Pharaoh of Moses. Muhammad Ali notes: “That the body was really cast ashore, though the Bible does not mention it, is clear from the fact that the body of Rameses II, who is regarded as the Pharaoh of Moses, has been discovered as preserved among the mummies in Egypt (En. Br. Art. Mummy). This is another instance of the insufficiency of the Bible narrative and of the truth of the Quranic statement where it supplements the Bible. The discovery now made could not have been known to the Holy Prophet; it was not known to any person in the world till very recently.”
That this is not a prophecy because Pharaoh’s death was not foretold before the event. Pharaoh’s death was NOT the prophecy. The prophecy was that Pharaoh’s BODY would be preserved for future generations to witness. This prophecy was not to convince the Israelites of Moses time but as Allāh clearly states it was a “sign” to LATER generations –to “those AFTER thee.”

49. SOLOMON AND THE ANTS: Qur’an 27:18-19 recounts Solomon hearing a comment by an “ant.” WikiIslam referred to the “ants” as “fictional” and that “Muhammad stole this story from Jewish folklore.”

Answer: Though the ants were not “fictional” and Mohammad did not steal anything, the belief that they were actual “ants” is erroneous. Muhammad Ali explains:

“Many of the fables regarding Solomon have been due to a misconception of the word naml. It should be noted that wadi-l-Naml cannot be properly translated as valley of the ants, for Naml is a proper noun, and according to T (see under the root wady), the valley of the Naml is situated between Jibrin and ‘Asqalan. And Namlah is the name of a tribe, like Mazin, which literally signifies the eggs of the ants. Namil means a clever man (T). The name Namlah used to be given to a child in whose hands an ant was placed at its birth, because it was said a child would be wise and intelligent (T).And the Namlah are plainly spoken of as a tribe in the Qamus, which says under the word barq, Abriqah is of the waters of Namlah. (See also Muhammad Ali’s commentary to 27:16-21 about Solomon’s alleged speaking to “birds” and alleged threatening to kill a “bird” Muhammad Ali’s translation of the Qur’an with notes and commentaries can be viewed on the Internet: www.muslim.org).

The verse of the Qur’an states: “Until when they came to the valley of the Naml, a Namlite said: O Naml, enter your houses, (lest) Solomon and his hosts crush you, while they know not.”
Clearly an ant cannot, seriously or even jokingly, be called a “NAMLITE.” Thus, because of the name of their tribe, Namlah, which means “ants,” the people were referred to as “ants.” (Perhaps this may be the reason why the Hindu Hanuman is called a monkey-man, because his people were forest dwellers).

50. SPACE EXPLORATION:Allah says in His Qur’an 55:33: “O assembly of jinn and men, if you are able to pass through the regions of the heavens and the earth, then pass through. You cannot pass through but with authority.”
WikiIslam states that this verse “has nothing to do with space travel. This verse simply means that we cannot escape the Judgment of Allah.” And “This cannot be fulfilled prophecy by definition, because it deals with the “Day of Judgment”, which cannot have happened yet.”

   Answer. As careful reading shows this verse is not about “Day of Judgment.” The verse speaks about passing through the regions of the heavnes and the earth. On the Day of Judgment there would be no need for us to try to “pass through the regions of the heavens and the earth.”
   That this verse is clearly hinting at space and earth explorations –whether by scientific observations or by space vehicles– is shown in the concluding words of the verse, “You cannot pass through but with authority.”
   The “authority” being the receiving of knowledge from Allāh (which will enable you to pass through) as it is from Allāh that we receive knowledge.

(Notably, there is no such distinction as “secular” knowledge. All knowledge is from Allāh: “Read in the name of thy Lord who creates…Who taught by the pen, Taught man what he knew not;” “I, Allāh, am the Seer. A Book which We have revealed to thee that thou mayest bring forth men, by their Lord’s permission, from darkness into light, to the way of the Mighty, the Praised One”–(Qur’an 96:1-5; 14:1). And knowledge is classed as (1) Material knowledge which is nutrient for the body; and (2)Spiritual knowledge which is nutrient for the soul).

51. PRESERVATION OF THE QUR’AN: Allah states in His Qur’an 15:9: “Surely We have revealed the Reminder (the Qur’an), and surely We are its Guardian.”
WikiIslam states: “This claim of “fulfilled prophecy” is almost laughable! There is absolutely no evidence that the Quran is exactly the way it was when Muhammad revealed it roughly 1450 years ago.” And, “It is plausible that the Quran has remained unaltered, but if Muslim’s cannot prove it (beyond all doubt) then they cannot claim this as “fulfilled Prophecy.”

Answer: The Qur’an was not “revealed” by Muhammad.
Unlike the Bible which initially was transmitted orally for hundreds of years the Qur’an was both memorized and written down upon its revelation to the Prophet Mohammad. (Muhammad Ali has dealt with this topic in his preliminary notes to his translation of the Qur’an which can be viewed online: www.muslim.org. I have used the relevant portions of MA’s presentation showing the purity and authenticity of the Qur’an in the topic Qur’an).

52. CORRUPTION ON EARTH: Allah reveals in His Qur’an 30:41-43: “Corruption has appeared in the land and the sea on account of that which men’s hands have wrought, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, so that they may return. Say: Travel in the land, then see what was the end of those before! Most of them were polytheists. Then set thyself, being upright, to the right religion before there come from Allāh the day which cannot be averted: on that day they will be separated.”
WikiIslam opined: “This verse is (Allah) claiming that any bad things that befall men are sent to “punish people” for not being Muslim or good enough Muslims. It’s a scare tactic meant to keep the Muslims under Muhammad’s thumb, following Allah.” “It lends to the superstitious nature of Islam, and serves only to keep Muslims throughout history as ‘pious’ as possible, and when something bad befalls them or their community, it’s their own fault for being “bad Muslims” and disobeying Allah.”

Answer: When a person transgresses the law of his country and is imprisoned, isn’t this “bad (that) befalls him” his own doing? And when a group or town breaks the law and they are chastised by the government, this “bad (that) befalls them or their com-munity” isn’t it “their own fault for being “bad” (citizens) and disobeying” their leader/law/country?
Is the law of a land “a scare tactic meant to keep the (people) under (their country’s) thumb, following (their leader/ government)”? Muhammad Ali comments on Qur’an 30:41-42:

“History bears evidence to the truth of these words. Before the advent of the Holy Prophet corruption prevailed in all countries of the world. The sea may here signify the islands. Darkness prevailed in all countries of the world, affecting the beliefs of men as well as their deeds. Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Zoroastrianism had long ceased to have any healthy effect on the lives of their votaries, and the followers of these religions had not only ceased to practise virtue, but, worst of all, they had begun to look upon vice as virtue, and many of them attributed indecent and immoral practices to their sages and their gods. Christianity, which was then the youngest of the religions of the world, had also lost its purity. “The Christianity of the seventh century was itself decrepit and corrupt,” is Muir’s verdict. Such widespread corruption had never previously existed in the world’s history. A recent writer, J.H. Denison, writes in Emotion as the Basis of Civilization: “In the fifth and sixth centuries, the civilized world stood on the verge of chaos. The old emotional cultures that had made civilization possible, since they had given to men a sense of unity and of reverence for their rulers, had broken down, and nothing had been found adequate to take their place…. It seemed then that the great civilization which it had taken four thousand years to construct was on the verge of disintegration, and that mankind was likely to return to that condition of barbarism where every tribe and sect was against the next and law and order were unknown…. Civilization like a gigantic tree whose foliage had over-reached the world…stood tottering…rotting to the core” (pp. 265 –268). And then adds, speaking of Arabia: “It was among these people that the man was born who was to unite the whole known world of the east and south” (p. 269).
With the light of Islåm, and through the torch of knowledge and civilization lit in Arabia, a new era dawned not only over Arabia, but also over other countries. Europe remained the longest in darkness, and it was only after the torch of knowledge had been lighted in Spain by the Muslims that both the Renaissance and the Reformation came.
The doctrine of Unity had been forgotten by all nations; even the Jews submitted to the decisions of their learned men with a submission which was only due to God. That Christianity had long before forsaken the doctrine of Unity goes without saying.”

That Qur’an 30:41-43 “lends to the superstitious nature of Islam.”  There is no “superstition” in Islam. Mohammad condemned superstition. For instance, the Jews use to believe that if a man had sexual intercourse with his wife from the posterior position and had a child born from that union then the child would be squint-eyed; so Allah revealed “Your wives are a tilth unto you; so go to your tilth when and how you will” –(Qur’an 2:223. Cf. Bokhari Vol. 6 # 51).
   Also, pre-Islamic Arabs use to believe that a worm would come out of the head of a man who was killed and not avenged. An owl perched on one’s house use to be viewed as an omen of death to the owner of the house or to a relative. Some use to claim that “the bones of a dead person turned into a bird.” But the Prophet Mohammad “denies all this and invites people to abandon all such superstitions”–(Bokhari Vol. 7 #653 Cf. The word ‘Hama’).
   The Qur’an condemns not only idolatry, but sorcery, fortune telling, and superstition as well. The Qur’an is a Book of wisdom. Islam teaches us to be wise. There is no wisdom in aping idolatry, superstition, sorcery, and fortune telling.
   In the realm of the seen and the unseen only Allah God is the true power.

53. QUR’AN ALLOWS SEX WITH PREPUBESCENT GIRLS: WikiIslam claims that Qur’an 65:4 “supports marrying and having sex with prepubescent girls.”
Answer: See Qur’an-evil verses item 44. Incidentally, the Bible allows sex with pre-pubescent girls:

“Then the Lord spake unto Moses, saying…And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses, and they slew ALL THE MALES….And they brought the CAPTIVES and the prey and the spoil to Moses, and Eleazar…And Moses said unto them…Now therefore kill every MALE among the LITTLE ONES (of the captives), and kill EVERY WOMAN who hath known man by lying with him (to know which woman and girls were virgins Moses and/or the soldiers must have had to physically examine them), but ALL THE WOMEN CHILDREN, that have not known a man by lying with him (virgin girls) KEEP ALIVE FOR YOURSELVES…And the Lord spake unto to Moses, saying, Take the sum of the PREY (BOOTY) that was taken, both of MAN and of beast, thou and Eleazar…And divide the PREY into two parts; between them that took the war upon them, who went out to battle, and between all the congregation And LEVY A TRIBUTE UNTO THE LORD….And the BOOTY, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught was 675,000 sheep, 72,000 cattle, and 61,000 asses, and of WOMEN that had not known man by lying with him (virgin girls), were 32,000. And the half, which was the portion of them that went out to war, was 337,500 sheep; 36,000 cattle, 30,500 asses, and 16,000 persons (virgin girls.And of the congregation’s half portion of these 16.000 virgin girls, 320 were given to the Levite priests, as “the Lord commanded Moses.” And the LORD’S TRIBUTE(of the (booty) was 675 sheep; 72 cattle; 61 donkeys; and 32 persons….the men of war had taken SPOIL (BOOTY), EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF.” (See Christianity-sex slaves & prepubescent girls girls).

Unless and until he received Divine Revelation in a matter the Prophet Mohammad followed the Bible. Thus, if Mohammad’s followers engaged in marriages to pre-pubescent girls they were only following what the Bible –Judaism and Christianity– allows.

54. RAPE IN THE QUR’AN: WikiIslam postulates that “there are several verses in this book (Qur’an) which give the green light to rape and other sexual crimes against woman.” And he notes Qur’an 4:24 which states: “Also (forbidden are) women already married, except those whom your right hands possess. Thus has Allah ordained for you. All others are lawful, provided you seek them from your property, desiring chastity, not fornication. So with those among them whom you have enjoyed, give them their required due, but if you agree mutually after the requirement (has been determined), there is no sin on you. Surely, Allah is Ever All-Knowing, All-Wise.”
And WikiIslam comments: that this verse allows Muslims to have “sexual relations” with his slave-woman. And he notes the hadith in Abu Dawud to support his claim: “Abu Said al-Khudri said: “The apostle of Allah sent a military expedition to Awtas on the occasion of the battle of Hunain. They met their enemy and fought with them. They defeated them and took them captives. Some of the Companions of the apostle of Allah were reluctant to have intercourse with the female captives in the presence of their husbands who were unbelievers. So Allah, the Exalted, sent down the Quranic verse, “And all married women (are forbidden) unto you save those (captives) whom your right hands possess”. That is to say, they are lawful for them when they complete their waiting period.” [The Quran verse is 4:24] (Abu Dawud 2:2150).

Answer: This hadith (without the part about Muslims wanting to have sex with the female captives and revelation of Qur’an 4:24) is noted in Bokhari Vol. 5, #612.
     As noted in the hadith of Abu Dawud the Prophet SENT his followers on this mission; the Prophet was NOT present with them. Since the Prophet was not with the Muslims this revelation could not have been given to authorize the Muslims to have sex with their female captives. Moreover, it is hardly credible that Allah would sanction this sex which is adultery when He has forbidden adultery and even forbidden fornication.
   Qur’an 4:24 has nothing to do with the Muslims wanting to have sex with their female captives (which the Bible allows: “And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it; And when the Lord thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword: But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself”–Deut. 20:12-14).
   What is to be borne in mind is that the battle of Hunain was fought in the eight year of the Hijrah. The injunctions against adultery and fornication were not yet given. Thus, in wanting to have sex with their female captives the Muslims were, either knowingly or not, following the Bible.

Muhammad Ali explains Qur’an 4:24: “It is thus forbidden to a man that he should marry a woman who is already married. An exception is made, however, regarding those whom your right hands possess, by which expression are generally meant in the Holy Qur’an those who are taken prisoners in war. It sometimes happened that such prisoners became converts to Islam, and therefore they could not be sent back. Such women it was lawful to take in marriage, even though they might not have been divorced formally by their former husbands. The words ma malakat aimanu-kum may, however, also mean those whom you have lawfully taken in marriage, because lawful possession is clearly implied in the word aiman, which signifies covenant, marriage also being a covenant. The meaning of the passage may therefore be that all free women are prohibited to you except those whom you have lawfully married.”

This verse (Qur’an 4:24) also seems to be a prohibition of polyandry –where one woman has more than one husband or more than one man have a common wife as in Hinduism where the five Pandava brothers had one common wife, Draupadi. This verse is also a prohibition against the other Hindu practice of Niyoga –contract marriages, in which a childless widow/widower can have temporary marriages with up to eleven spouses, one after the other, for raising children. Swami Dayananda Saraswati quotes the Rig Veda as stating: “When a man is incapable of producing children, let him address his wife as follows: –O Thou that art desirous of getting children do not expect me to raise off-spring upon thee. Do thou, therefore, seek another husband.” The woman seeking to contract Niyoga, should, however, continue to serve her husband by marriage; similarly when a woman on account of some chronic disease is rendered incapable of bearing children, let her address the following words to her husband. “My Lord! Do not expect me to bear any children. Do thou, therefore, contract Niyoga with a widow”–(Light Of Truth, p. 137. Though the woman tells the husband to contract Niyoga with a “widow” it does not negate him from contracting Niyoga with a married woman seeing that Hinduism allows polygamy as well as polyandry. (For more on Niyoga see Hinduism & women).

   Islam not only discourages “rape” which would fall under the category of “mischief in the land” and carries severe penalty–(Qur’an 5:33; one is not even allowed to slander his slave, much more “rape,” which carries the penalty of flogging–Bokhari Vol. 8, #841); Islam also discourages “marital rape;” Allāh tells us in His Qur’an that:
   -wife and husband are garment to the other –to protect, beautify, comfort, and conceal flaws–(Qur’an 2:187). It is not protection, beautification and comfort to force one’s self onto the unwell wife.
   -He has established marriages between men and women; created her to be his mate, that he might find peace and comfort in her, and has put between them love and compassion–(Qur’an 25:54; 16:72; 24:32; 7:189; 30:21). That woman is a source of peace and comfort condemns the act of marital rape, for, any man who forces himself upon his wife, abuses her, causes her distress, or places her under duress, he can not find peace and comfort in her. Marital rape is not love and compassion and peace and comfort!
   And the noble Messenger of Allāh taught us that the best of us are those who are best to their wives. Forcing one’s self onto his wife is not being “best” to her.

55. MOHAMMAD’S MARRIAGE TO SAFIYYAH AND JUWAIRIYYAH: WikiIslam charges: “This practice of raping war captives was implemented by Islam’s very own prophet Muhammad, in his life. On two occasions, he married (for the sake of marriage only) war captives and raped them. Those victims were namely Safiyya and Juwairiyya.”

Answer: It is intriguing that Mohammad, who lived a life of celibacy for his first twenty-five years, then married a woman fifteen years his senior, and after his wife’s death married mostly women having children, would now “rape” or marry “for the sake of marriage only” captive women for “sex.”
If the Prophet “raped” or allowed his followers to “rape” captive women then this was not novel. They, as noted above, were only doing what the Bible allowed thousands of years before them: “And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it; And when the Lord thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword: But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself”–Deut. 20:12-14).

Mohammad’s marriage to Safiyyah. WikiIslam notes that upon the Prophet’s triumph over the Jews of Khaibar, “Dihya came and said, ‘O Allah’s Prophet! Give me a slave girl from the captives.’ The Prophet said, ‘Go and take any slave girl.’ He took Safiya bint Huyai. A man came to the Prophet and said, ‘O Allah’s Apostles! You gave Safiya bint Huyai to Dihya and she is the chief mistress of the tribes of Quraiza and An-Nadir and she befits none but you.’ So the Prophet said, ‘Bring him along with her.’ So Dihya came with her and when the Prophet saw her, he said to Dihya, ‘Take any slave girl other than her from the captives.’ Anas added: The Prophet then manumitted her and married her.”
Thabit asked Anas, “O Abu Hamza! What did the Prophet pay her (as Mahr)?” He said, “Her self was her Mahr for he manumitted her and then married her.” Anas added, “While on the way, Um Sulaim dressed her for marriage (ceremony) and at night she sent her as a bride to the Prophet”–(Bokhari Vol.1, #367).
And WikiIslam states: “Muslim apologists might argue Mu-hammad did a good deed, but what choice did Safiyah have after her entire family and rest of her tribe had just been either enslaved or murdered by Muhammad and his followers?”

   Answer: And why were they “enslaved or murdered”? For their treachery against Mohammad and Muslims! Safiyyah was fortunate she did not lose her head, but was made a “Mother of the Believers” and reserved a place in Jannah.
   Safiyyah was the “daughter of Huyayy ibn Akhtab of Banu al Nadir” and was honored as “the lady of Banu Qurayzah and Banu al Nadir,”⁹ Mohammad did not “raid” the Banu Nadir tribe. Mohammad did not kill her “husband, brother, and father.” Her father and brother were killed in war against Mohammad, and her husband was executed as per his own agreement with Mohammad.
   Jews of Khaybar had proven themselves untrustworthy. While Muslims had the peace treaty of Hudaybiyah with others in the South, “But what about the north, where both Heraclius (of Rome) and Chosroes (of Persia) might attack Madinah in cooperation with the Jews of Khaybar who were anxious for an opportunity to take revenge upon Muhammad?” as M.H. Haykal explained, “It would be relatively easy for either emperor to remind the Jews of the fate of their co-religionists, the Banu Qurayzah, Banu al Nadir, and Banu Qaynuqa, who had previously been expelled from their dwellings after blockade, fighting, and war, and to incite them to new ventures against Muhammad. For their enmity and bitterness surpassed that of Quraysh….it was not possible to reconcile them with a peace treaty like that of Hudaybiyah since the covenant of Madinah had been violated by them much to their own detriment. Were help to come to them from the side of Byzantium, their natural inclination to rise again against Muhammad could not be contained. Hence it was thought necessary to put a final end to their influence in the Arabian Peninsula, and to do so quickly without giving them the time to forge any new alliances with Ghatafan or any of the other tribe hostile to Muhammad.”¹⁰
   The Jews fought strongly against the Muslims. After their defeat and surrender Jews of Khaybar –unlike the Banu Qaynuqa and Banu al Nadir who were forced to evacuate their lands altogether– “Muhammad accepted their plea and permitted them to stay on their land whose title now passed to him by right of conquest. The terms of their surrender provided that they would be given half their crops in compensation for their labor.”¹¹
   Safiyyah’s husband, Kinanah ibn al Rabi, was executed as per his own agreement with Mohammad. M. H. Haykal relates: “Kinanah al Rabi was known by the Muslims to have been the guardian of the wealth of Banu al Nadir. When the Prophet had asked Kinanah about his treasure, the latter solemnly declared that he did not know where it was hidden. Muhammad threatened him that in case the treasure was found hidden in his place he would be put to death. Kinanah agreed.” Later, Kinanah was seen in an “uninhabited house in the outskirts” where part of the treasure was discovered. He was executed as per his own words.¹²
   Being of noble birth and to be reduced as wife of an ordinary man would have been a most humiliating experience for Safiyyah. “The Prophet granted her her freedom and then married her.”¹³
By taking Safiyyah over to himself the Prophet, and King of Arabia, not only elevated her status by making her his wife but also rendered to her the supreme and invaluable service of robing her a Muslim. There could hardly be any doubt that Safiyyah was joyed to be “in Muhammad’s arms;” and welcomed it whole-heartedly. After all, the Hebraic law had sentenced her to a living hell: condemned her to a life of “sorrow,” and subjection to her husband; and sold her daughter into bondage–(Gen. 3:16; Ex. 21:7).
   Whereas Mohammad liberated her and gave her rights that left her nothing to strive for all the way to Jannah; and immortalized her as a “Mother” of the Believers –honored now by some one-and-a-half billion Muslims. And counting, as Islam, in the face of all the vociferous clamoring against it, continues inexorably to its destiny as decreed by His Highest Majesty: “They desire to put out the light of Allāh with their mouths, but Allāh will perfect His light, though the disbelievers May be averse”–(Qur’an 61:8). “He (Allāh) it is Who has sent His Messenger (Mohammad) with the guidance and the religion of Truth that He may make it prevail over all religions. And Allāh is enough for a witness”–(Qur’an 48:28; 9:33; 61:9).
              Talk about Safiyyah being the envy of women!
(That Safiyyah does not have the right to accept or refuse what Mohammad decides to do with her, as penned by one critic. This is hooey! Marriage and divorce and women’s rights have been dealt with in Islam-women).

Safiyyah, without doubt, found comfort and joy in Mohammad. “Safiyyah remained loyal to Mohammad throughout his life. In his last illness, when the Prophet was surrounded by his wives, Safiyyah came forward and said: “O Prophet of God, I surely wish that that from which you suffer might be in me rather than in you.” Muhammad’s wives winked at one another and the Prophet observing their reaction, said: “Go on and wink at one another! By God, I know that Safiyyah is truthful and loyal!”
Safiyyah, who survived Muhammad, lived until the time of the caliphate of Mu’awiyah. She was buried at al Baqi”¹⁴ in Madinah.

Mohammad’s marriage to Juwairiyyah: The event on how the Prophet got Juwairyyah is noted in Bokhari Vol. 3, #717. It states:

“Narrated Ibn ‘Aun: I wrote a letter to Nafi and Nafi wrote in reply to my letter that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) had suddenly attacked Bani Mustaliq without warning while they were heedless and their cattle were being watered at the places of water. Their fighting men were killed and their women and children were taken as captives; the Prophet got Juwairiyyah on that day. Nafi said that Ibn ‘Umar had told him the above narration and that Ibn ‘Umar was in that army.” (That the Prophet got Juwairiyya that day only means that she was taken captive that day; not that the Prophet took her for wife then).

As stated, Juwairiyyah was of the Banu Mustaliq, a Jewish tribe. There are various versions as to how the Prophet came to marry Juwairiyya. But one thing is remarkable. Upon her marriage to the Prophet a hundred of her families “were set at liberty without any ransom being paid.”¹⁵
That the Banu Mustaliq was a peaceful, law abiding tribe. Not so. Here is the background to the war and Mohammad’s marriage to Juwairiyyah as noted by Muhammad Husayn Haykal in his The Life of Muhammad, (bearing in mind that from his advent Mohammad was persecuted, besieged, target of assassination attempt, forced into exile, pursued, and warred on and all Mohammad did was preach the Divine Message):

“The news reached Muhammad that the Banu Mustaliq, a clan of the Khuza’ah tribe, were mobilizing for war in the vicinity of Makkah and inciting the Arab tribes around them to assassinate Muhammad…Acting quickly in seizing the initiative, Muhammad hastened to strike and take them by surprise as was his custom. (Today modern nations fly thousands of miles from their lands to pre-empt “alleged” and suspected “enemies” contrasted to Mohammad who had avowed enemies on his own soil; see Mohammad-killed opponents) .…After losing ten men, the Banu al Mustaliq realized that they had better surrender to the Muslim forces. They were all made captives and their cattle confiscated.
…Juwairiyyah, daughter of al Harith, was one of the captives of the Banu al Mustaliq. She was a noble and attractive woman and her lot fell to a man of al Ansar. She sought to ransom herself but her captor, knowing that she was the daughter of the leader of Banu al Mustaliq, demanded a very high price which he thought her people was capable of paying. Afraid of him and his ambition, Juwairiyyah sought the Prophet…she asked for the Prophet’s assistance in ransoming herself from captivity. After listening to her story, the Prophet thought of a better fate for her. He suggested that he ransom and marry her as well. Juwairiyyah accepted his proposal. When the news reached the people, everyone who held a captive of the Banu al Mustaliq granted that particular captive his or her freedom in deference to the new status the new captives had acquired as the in-laws of the Prophet. ‘Aishah had said of her: “I know of no woman who brought as much good to her people as Juwairiyyah.”
Such is the story according to one version. Another version tells that al Harith ibn Abu Dirar came to the Prophet to ransom his daughter, and that after talking to the Prophet, he believed in him and declared his conversion. The same version tells that Juwairiyyah followed her father and was converted to Islam, whereupon the Prophet asked for her hand and offered her a dowry of four hundred dirhams. A third version tells that her father was not agreeable to her marriage to the Prophet and that a relative of hers intervened and gave her to the Prophet against the will of her father. Muhammad did in fact marry Juwairiyyah and built for her a room adjoining his other quarters by the mosque. By this, Juwairiyyah, became one of the “Mothers of the Believers.” (pp. 328, 333-334).
Which ever version of Juwairiyyah’s marriage one believes the significant fact is no objection to the marriage by Juwairiyyah is noted.

As with Safiyyah, Juwairiyyah not only found comfort in Mohammad’s arms, Mohammad liberated her and gave her rights that left her nothing for which to strive all the way to Jannah; and has immortalized her with the coveted crown “Mother of the Believers” as decreed by His Eternal Majesty¹⁶ –honored now by some one-and-a-half billion Muslims. And counting. As Islam spirits on. Inexorably. Invincibly. Impregnably. As Divinely decreed. To prevail over all: “He it is Who sent His Messenger (Mohammad) with guidance and the Religion of Truth, that He may cause it to prevail over all religions, though the polytheists are averse”–(Qur’an 9:32-33; 48:28; 61:8-9). Allaho Akbar!
Talk about Safiyyah and Juwairiyyah being the envy of women! (See also Mohammad-Rayhana).

56. THAT THE QUR’AN ALLOWS PROSTITUTION: Allāh reveals in His Qur’an 24:33: “And let those who cannot find a match keep chaste, until Allåh makes them free from want out of His grace. And those of your slaves who ask for a writing (of freedom), give them the writing, if you know any good in them, and give them of the wealth of Allåh which He has given you. And compel not your slave-girls to prostitution when they desire to keep chaste, in order to seek the frail goods of this world’s life. And whoever compels them, then surely after their compulsion Allåh is Forgiving, Merciful.”
There are three points in this verse: (1) those who cannot find a suitable partner or afford to marry are to keep them themselves chaste (and sex outside of marriage is not chasteness), (2) to honor the right of the slave to liberate himself, and (3) not to force slave-girls into prostitution. Muhammad Ali explains these three points:

(1) Those who cannot find a suitable partner or afford to marry are to keep them themselves chaste. “The words translated as those who cannot find a match may also mean those who cannot find the means to marry. Marriage thus becomes an obligatory institution in Islåm, only those being excused who cannot find a match or who lack the means to marry. Marriage, in fact, af-fords the surest guarantee for the betterment of the moral tone of society.”

(2) To honor the right of the slave to liberate himself: “The word kitab, translated writing, as used here, stands for mukatabah, which is an infinitive noun of kataba, signifying he (a slave) made a written (or other) contract with him (his master), that he (the former) should pay a certain sum as the price of himself, and on the payment thereof be free (LL); also he (a master) made such a contract with him (his slave). It was called a kitab (or writing) because of the obligation which the master imposed on himself. The money was paid in two or more instalments. Thus every possible facility was afforded to the slave to earn his freedom. Though the practice of the master making such a contract with the slave pre-vailed before the advent of Islåm, the important reform introduced by Islåm was that, when a slave desired such a contract to be made, the master could not refuse it. Twelve centuries before any attempt was made by any individual or community to legislate for the liberty of slaves, a dweller in the Arabian desert had laid down this noble institution, that, if a slave asked for a writing of freedom, he was not only to be given that writing by the master, but he was also to be provided with money to purchase his freedom, the only condition being if you know any good in them, i.e., if he is fit for work and able to earn his livelihood. And, in addition, the duty was imposed upon the State of spending a part of the collection of the poor-rate for this object, as stated in 9:60.”

(3) Not to force slave-girls into prostitution: (That Allāh allows prostitution, this is a typical example where knowledge of the background to which verses were revealed is required to understand the Qur’an). Muhammad Ali gives the background to this verse: “It is related that ‘Abd Allåh ibn Ubayy, the leader of the hypocrites, kept slave-girls for prostitution (Rz). Prostitution, which seems to have prevailed before the advent of Islåm in Arabia, is condemned here. But this curse has obtained an incredible prevalence in the whole of Christendom, and is legalized in many countries of Europe as a neces-sary evil, while in others it is openly connived at.”

To restate this portion of the verse: “And compel not your slave-girls to prostitution when they desire to keep chaste, in order to seek the frail goods of this world’s life. And whoever compels them, then surely after their compulsion Allåh is Forgiving, Merciful.”
Allāh “Forgiving,” this “forgiveness” is for the slave girl. This is evident as careful reading of the verse shows; the words “whoever compels them, then surely after their compulsion.” Those who “compel” are the slave owners and those who are under “compulsion” are the girls. And as Allāh says that “after their compulsion” He is Forgiving, Merciful for their being compelled. Even though it was not the girl’s choice it was still a sin and the owners who forced her into it are warned that while she would be forgiven they would not be forgiven.
Muslims are admonished not to follow the hypocrites, and the girl is consoled/comforted that if she is forced she is not to be distressed; Allāh will not hold her accountable.

Regarding WikiIslam’s charge that “a Muslim man is considered “chaste” so long as he only has sex with his wives (of whom he may have up to four) and his right-hand possessions (female captives/slaves). An unmarried Muslim man who has sex with his slave girl is still considered to be “chaste” by Islamic standards.

   Answer: Sura 4:3-4 allows the Muslim man to marry up to four wives: “MARRY such women as seem good to you, two, or three, or four; but if you fear that you will not do justice, then (marry) only one or that which your right hands possess. This is more proper that you may not do injustice. And give women their dowries as a free gift.”
   Clearly, Muslims are instructed to MARRY either a free believing women or a war-captive; and to even give them “dowries.”
   This verse clearly sanctions marriage between Muslims and their female captives. This is made even clearer in verse 25 which states: “And whoever of you cannot afford to MARRY free believing women, (let him marry) such of your believing maidens as your right hands possess…So MARRY them with the permission of their MASTERS, and give them their dowries justly.”
   Clearly, the charge that Islam allows Muslims to have illegal sex with their captives is baseless. In fact, Prophet Mohammad taught: “The man shall have a double reward who has a slave-girl and he trains her in the best manner and he gives her the best education, then he sets her free and MARRIES her”–(Bokhari Vol. 4 #655; & 3:720).

   Sura 23:5-6 says: “Successful indeed are the believers, who are humble in their prayers….And who restrain their sexual passions –except in the presence of their mates or those whom their right hands possess.” (Sura 70:22-30 says the same as 23:5-6).
   The claim that these verses of Suras 23 and 70 being Makkan Suras allowed sex with slave women is also baseless. Whereas Suras 23 and 70 were revealed towards the end of the early Makkan period, Sura 17 which is of the mid early Makkan period requires Muslims to not even do the things (such as touching, amorous speech and intense/sultry gazing) that lead to zina (sexual intercourse between people who are not married to each other; and which includes both adultery and fornication). Here is the verse (17:32): “And go not nigh to adultery/ fornication: for it is a shameful deed. And an evil, opening the road (to other evils),” and Sura 25 which is also of the same Makkan period says in verses 68 (speaking about those who will inherit paradise): “And they who call not upon another god with Allāh….nor commit adultery/fornication.”
   These Suras (23, 70, 17 and 25) are of the Makkan period and it would be poor cerebration to surmise that Allāh would require abstention from illegal sex and also enjoin the commission of illegal sex. Muhammad Ali explains Qur’an 23:5-6:

“Furuj, plural of farj, indicates the part of a person which it is indecent to expose(LL), particularly the pudenda. In this sense hifz al-farjmeans generally the observing of continence, or the restraining of sexual passions.The words au ma malakat aimanu-hum, of which a literal rendering is given in the translation, usually indicate slaves. It should be noted that this chapter is a Makkan revelation, and the conditions under which slave-girls could be taken as wives were given later at Madinah; see 4:25a. If the reference here is to sexual relations, the permission regarding those whom their right hands possessmust be read subject to the conditions of 4:25. It may be added that slave-girls, when taken as wives, did not acquire the full status of a free wife, and hence they are spoken of distinctly. It may, however, be added that hifz al-farjin a wider sense means the covering of parts of the body which it is indecent to expose, and in this connection it must be borne in mind that according to Islamic rules of decency, the exposure of such parts of the body, as are generally exposed in ballrooms and theatres, is disallowed, but a certain degree of freedom is allowed to women in the presence of their husbands and female servants and to men in the presence of their wives and male servants.” (Much like men showering together at a gym).

Allāh also enjoins: “And marry not the idolatresses until they believe”–(Qur’an 2:221); “And marry those among you who are single, and those who are fit among your male slaves and your female slaves”–(Qur’an 24:32). And, as stated above, the Prophet Mohammad taught: “The man shall have a double reward who has a slave-girl and he trains her in the best manner and he gives her the best education, then he sets her free and marries her”–(Bokhari Vol. 4 #655; & 3:720).

Again, Allāh says: “Surely prayer keeps (one) away from indecency and evil”–(Qur’an 29:45); and adultery, whether with slave-girls or with the free, is indecency. To enjoin decency and allow concubinage is a contradiction. It would be a contradiction of the most glaring kind for Allah to enjoin chastity and decency, to instruct us to come not near to adultery/fornication and still sanction “concubinage.” And there are no contradictions in the Qur’an–(4:82).

Qur’an 33:50, 52 states: “O Prophet, We have made lawful to thee thy wives whom thou hast given their dowries, and those whom thy right hand possesses, out of those whom Allåh has given thee as prisoners of war and the daughters of thy paternal uncle and the daughters of thy paternal aunts, and the daughters of thy maternal uncle and the daughters of thy maternal aunts who fled with thee; and a believing woman, if she gives herself to the Prophet, if the Prophet desires to marry her. (It is) especially for thee, not for the believers — We know what We have ordained for them concerning their wives and those whom their right hands possess in order that no blame may attach to thee. And Allåh is ever Forgiving, Merciful.…It is not allowed to thee to take wives after this, nor to change them for other wives, though their beauty be pleasing to thee, except those whom thy right hand possesses. And Allåh is ever Watchful over all things.” Muhammad Ali comments:

“That his wives were lawful for the Prophet goes without saying. It appears that this revelation came after 4:3, which limits the number of wives a man can take under exceptional circumstances to four. The Prophet was, however, told that he should not divorce the excess number for this reason.
The marriages of the Holy Prophet have furnished his critics with the chief implement of attack on him, and the low-minded missionary has gone so far as to call him a voluptuary on that account, though he dare not apply that word to the husband of a hundred wives. Therefore I give below full particulars regarding the Prophet’s marriages. His life as regards his marriages may be divided into four periods. Briefly these are: (1) A celibate life up to twenty-five. (2) A married state with one wife from 25 to 54. (3) Several marriages from 54 to 60. (4) No further marriage after 60. As regards the first period, the life of a celibate youth living in a warm country till 25, the testimony of a hostile writer like Sir William Muir is that “all authorities agree in ascribing to the youth of Muhammad a modesty of deportment and purity of man-ners rare among the people of Mecca”. In fact, in Arabia at the time profligacy was the order of the day and it was among people who prided themselves on loose sexual relations that the Prophet led a life of transcendent purity.
Then comes the second period from 25 to 54. His first marriage was contracted while he was twenty-five years of age, and the widow Khadijah whom he married was forty years old, i.e., fifteen years his senior. It was with her, and her alone, that he passed all the years of his youth and manhood until she died three years before the Hijrah, when he was already an old man of fifty. This circumstance alone is sufficient to give the lie to those carpers who call him a voluptuary. After her death, while still at Makkah, he married Saudah, a widow of advanced age. He also married ‘Å’ishah, his only virgin wife, while still at Makkah, but her marriage was consummated five years afterwards in the 2nd year of the Hijrah.
Then followed the flight to Madinah, and subsequent to the Flight he had to fight many battles with his enemies, the Quraish, or such tribes as sided with the Quraish. The result of these battles was a great discrepancy between the number of males and females, and as his favourite followers fell in the field of battle fighting with his enemies, the care of their families devolved upon the Prophet and his surviving companions. In the battle of Badr fell Khunais, son of Hudhåfah, and the faithful ‘Umar’s daughter Hafsah was left a widow. ‘Umar offered her to ‘Uthmån and Abu Bakr in turn, and she was at last married by the Holy Prophet in the third year of the Hijrah. ‘Abd Allåh, son of Jahsh, fell a martyr at Uhud, and his widow Zainab, daughter of Khuzaimah, was taken in marriage by the Prophet in the same year. In the next year Abu Salamah died, and his widow, Umm Salamah, was taken to wife by the Prophet. The events are narrated in the last section, leading to Zainab’s divorce by Zaid; the Prophet married her in the fifth year of the Hijrah under circumstances already narrated. Umm Habibah was one of his devoted followers who .ed to Abyssinia with her husband, ‘Ubaid Allåh, who there became a Christian, and when he died his widow found comfort in being taken as a wife by the Holy Prophet in the seventh year of the Hijrah.
Besides these widows of his faithful followers whom it fell to his lot to take under his protection, the Prophet took three widows of his enemies in marriage, and in each case this step led to the union and pacification of a whole tribe. These three, Juwairiyah, Maimunah and Safiyyah, he married in the years six and seven of the Hijrah. Regarding one of these, it is sufficient to note that, when the Prophet took Juwairiyah for a wife, over a hundred families of the tribe of the Bani Mustaliq, to which tribe she belonged, were at once liberated by the Muslims.
The fourth period is that when war came to an end; a reference to this is contained in v. 52: “It is not allowed to thee to take wives after this”.
Thus it will be seen that all the marriages of the Prophet were due either to feelings of compassion for the widows of his faithful followers or to put a stop to bloodshed and ensure union with some tribe. Compare also 4:3a, where it is shown that the permission for polygamy was given under similar circumstances; in fact, many of the companions had to follow the example of the Prophet.
As pointed out in the beginning of the last note, the Prophet was specially allowed to retain all his wives when the number allowed was brought down to four in the case of other believers. This was the only privilege allowed to the Prophet and it is to this that the words, especially for thee, refer. What God ordained for the believers is contained in 4:3, and on the revelation of that verse any Muslim who had more than four wives had to divorce the excess number.”

And regarding the injunction of verse 52, It is not allowed to thee to take wives after this, nor to change them for other wives: Muhammad Ali notes:

“When the Prophet’s wives chose to remain with him, limitation was placed upon the Holy Prophet, viz., that he should not take any other wife. The Prophet did not contract any marriage after the seventh year of the Hijrah, when this verse was revealed.
This is another limitation, viz., that it was not after this allowed to the Prophet to divorce anyone of those who had chosen to remain with him.
By those whom thy right hand possesses are indicated the wives of the Prophet whom he had lawfully married.” (Those whom thy right hand possesses has already been explained).

57. QUR’AN AND MAHR: Is the mahr/dowry given to the Muslim woman a payment in exchange for sex?
When the man enjoys the woman doesn’t the woman enjoy the man? how is it she does not have to give him payment?
Allāh states in Qur’an 4:4: “And give women their Saduqat (dowry) as a free gift…” and in Qur’an 4:25 Allāh says: “And whoever among you cannot afford to marry free believing women, (let him marry) such of your believing maidens as your right hands possess…. So marry them with the permission of their masters, and give them their Ujur (wage/salary) justly.”
Whereas the word ujur is used for dowry in Qur’an 4:25, the word saduqat is used for dowry in Qur’an 4:4. (Using “wages” instead of dowry), Qur’an 4:4 states: “And give women their wages as a free gift.” The words as a FREE gift obliterates the charge that the “wage”/dowry is a payment to the woman in exchange for sex. The “wage”/dowry could not be “free” and yet be payment for sex or for anything else.

   Regarding the word saduqah in Qur’an 4:4 Muhammad Ali explains: “The word used here is saduqat, pl. of saduqah (from sidq, meaning truth), which means dowry or a nuptial gift. Sadaqah meaning charity is a different word from the same root. Other words used for dowry are mahr and sudaq.”
   Thus, the word mahr is used instead of “wage” to denote that, unlike a payment which is given in return for service rendered, it is given without the recipient having given anything in return for it).
   Even if the marriage is not consummated the woman gets the mahr/dowry as Allāh says in Qur’an 2:237: “And if you divorce them BEFORE you have touched them and you have appointed for them a portion, (pay) half of what you have appointed unless they forgo or he forgoes in whose hand is the marriage tie. And it is nearer to dutifulness that you forgo. Nor neglect the giving of free gifts between you. Surely Allāh is Seer of what you do.”
   If “wage”/dowry is payment in exchange for sex how is it that the man is yet to give her half of the “wage”/dowry, and even to give her all, when he has not had sex with her? (Such is Islam’s generosity to women).

Islam not only requires the man to give the woman mahr/ dowry even though the marriage has not been consummated, Islam requires the man to give the woman a settlement even when the marriage has not been consummated: “There is no blame on you if you divorce women while yet you have not touched them, nor appointed for them a portion. And provide for them, the wealthy according to his means and the straitened according to his means, a provision according to usage. (This is) a duty on the doers of good”–(Qur’an 2:236).
Muhammad Ali notes: “The faridah or the portion is the dowry, so that even when no dowry has been agreed upon, and marriage has not been consummated, liberality must be shown to the divorced wife, and some provision should be made for her, even though the husband may be in straitened circumstances.” (This is another instance which shows the husband is to give alimony. See also Qur’an 33:49 where alimony is required even though the marriage was NOT consummated).

58. VIRGINS/SEX IN PARADISE: WikiIslam denigrates the Muslim Paradise as a place of sensuality; noting that men will be given 72 virgins.

Answer: So what! If men will enjoy virgins wouldn’t the virgins also enjoy the men? When a man enjoys his wife doesn’t his wife enjoy him? If she does not, he is not doing it right.
It is without doubt that believers in God expect to receive a place of bliss in the Hereafter. As sex in marriage is Divinely lawful on the earthly plain there is no difficulty if it should be allowed in the spiritual plain. Carnal pleasure in the conjugal bed is a form of worship of God–(Genesis 1:28. Qur’an 25:54; 16:72; 24:32). Only the ignorant revile this blessed union as vulgar.

What is to be remembered is that the verses of the Qur’an are of literal and allegorical meanings. There are several descriptions of the “Garden(s)” in the Qur’an. These descriptions are not to be taken literally. Allāh, God says in Qur’an 32:17: “And no soul knows what delights of the eyes is kept hidden for them, as a reward for their (good) deeds.” The Prophet Mohammad is reported to have said: Allāh says, I have prepared for My righteous servants that which no eye has seen and no ear has heard, and which the heart of man cannot conceive–(Bokhari Vol.’s 4, #467; 6, #302-303; 9, #589). Man can relate to things only in the physical life. To us the ultimate in possessions are gold and precious stones, wealth and carnal pleasure. So Allah relates to us in terms of what we understand. These descriptions of paradise are to let us know that we will receive in paradise the ultimate in bliss.

59. MOHAMMAD & ANTI-SEMITISM: WikiIslam notes the hadith in which the Prophet is reported as saying: “The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: Muslim, or the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him; but the tree Gharqad would not say, for it is the tree of the Jews”–(Muslim Vol. 4, #6985; Bokhari Vol, 4, #791).

Answer: It is fair to say that all believers in God accept that prophets of God made prophecies through the knowledge of God. Through Allāh the Prophet Mohammad made dozens of prophecies in the Qur’an that have already manifested. Thus, this saying of the Prophet relating to the future must also be a prophecy (the future will tell).
If this saying of the Prophet is “anti-Semitism,” then God saying in the Bible that the Israelites (Jews) are “treacherous,” “stiff-necked,” “rebellious,” “provocative,” and will “wander in the wilderness forty years and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness” (and being wasted for forty years in the wilderness is worse than a quick death–Numbers 14:33) must also be “anti-Semitism.”
And Jesus ridiculing Jews as “vipers,” “evil and adulterous;” putting all the righteous blood from Adam to Zacharias, son of Barachias, unto their heads; that they will lose the kingdom of heaven; and be given the greater damnation of Hell (and damnation in hell is worse than Mohammad saying they will be killed) must also be “anti-Semitism.”
Truth is not anti-Semitism!
Truth is not “anti” any thing!’
Truth is truth!

60. MOHAMMAD BEWITCHED: WikiIslam notes: “A’isha reported that a Jew from among the Jews of Banu Zuraiq who was called Labid b. al-A’sam cast spell upon Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) with the result that he (under the influence of the spell) felt that he had been doing something whereas in fact he had not been doing that. (This state of affairs lasted) until one day or during one night Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) made supplication (to dispel its effects)…”–(Muslim Vol. 3, #5428).

Answer: Jews were always trying “to inflcit some injury on the Prophet.” (See Qur’an 2:102 about Solomon and the two angels, Harut and Marut,” and Muhammad Ali’s commentary).
Allāh gives man knowledge. Whether man puts that knowledge to good or evil lies in his own hand.
The Prophet was human and thus subject to human sufferings such as illness and “sorcery.” Though such “black magic” does not affect his mission of prophethood. And prayer to Allāh is the best cure against evil. (See also hadith #5430 about the Jewess giving the Prophet “poisoned mutton.” Not to mention their dishonoring their covenant of mutual protection with the Prophet and siding with the Idolaters against the Prophet).

61. MOHAMMAD & BRIBERY: WikiIslam notes that the Prophet gave gifts to four non-Muslims and not to Muslims: “So the Quraish and the Ansar became angry and said, “He (i.e. the Prophet,) gives the chief of Najd and does not give us.” The Prophet said, “I give them) so as to attract their hearts (to Islam)”–(Bokhari Vol. 4, #558).

Answer: Are there not nations today that give gifts with motive(s)? Are there not nations today that, though some of their people are homeless and starving, yet give aid to others for whatever reason(s)?
There is no motive better and more beneficial than to bring one into the worship of Allāh, which will see him/her dwelling in Allah’s everlasting grandeur. (Note well, Mohammad did not compel or coerce he only tried to “attract their hearts” to reason and wisdom).
(Perhaps the chiefs to whom the Prophet gave gifts, and if they embraced Islam, on the Day of Judgment when they realize the wisdom of their choice, would sing hallelujah to Mohammad for his “bribery”).

Bribe/bribery carries the inherent meaning of “dishonesty” and is used in the context of evil. To label Mohammad giving money to people as “bribe/bribery” to change from their false belief to Islam which gives their soul eternal bliss is, at best, laughable.

Since WikiIslam is gung-ho to have Muslims apostatize to Christianity (or other), wonder what WikiIslam has to say about Jesus eating and drinking with “publicans and sinners,” so much so that his people viewed him as “a man gluttonous, and a winebibber”–(Matthew 9:10; 11:19).
And what was Jesus’ response? “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick,” that “wisdom is justified of her children”–(Matthew 9:12; 11:20).
The Muslims did not need a “physician” –money to save their souls– the “chief of Najd” did. And clearly, from Jesus’ pronouncement(s) Mohammad’s gesture was one of “wisdom.” The chief was spiritually “sick.”

Sick, just like Christians who put God into the belly of a woman He created and bring Him out the woman’s vagina and circumcised His foreskin and have God answer the calls of nature like animals: (Astaghferullah!); and have God put Adam’s sin onto innocent, helpless and morally and intellectually non-competent babies and then make God complicit in the murder of Jesus for this sin inherited from Adam: for details see Christianity dupes people.
These are the gruesome monstrosities that WikiIslam is desperate and dedicated to have Muslims accept. And only the uneducated Muslims and the unthinking would ape Christians and kiss the useless and unGodly crucifix.
Glory, Praise and thanks to Allāh God for sending us Mohammad!

62. MOHAMMAD & CHILD ABUSE: WikiIslam notes the Prophet as saying: “Command a boy to pray when he reaches the age of seven years. When he becomes ten years old, then beat him for prayer”–(Abu Dawud Vol. 2, #494, 495).

   Answer: Incidentally the Bible commands:
   -“He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes;” “Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying;” “Withhold not correction from the child: for if you beatest him with the rod, he shall not die, Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell”–(Proverbs 13:24; 19:18; 23:13-14).
   -A Bishop is to be “One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with ALL GRAVITY”–(1 Tim. 3:4).
-Even God beats and scourges His sons into obedience and those who are not are “bastards”: “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be WITHOUT CHASTISEMENT, whereof all are partakers, then are ye BASTARDS, and NOT SONS”–(Hebrews 12:6-8. Thus one can imagine what latitude the Christian husband is allowed to bring/keep his wayward wife in all subjection and for him to become a “Bishop” and even to get into heaven to sit “on the right hand of God”).

Whereas brutality is another matter. How would you deal with a child to whom talking and facing him into a corner and sending to bed without supper and curtailing his privileges have no effect? Perhaps there are those who can attest that they are better off for receiving a whack on the backside.
Waking a seven year-old at five in the morning for a ten minute prayer (and after which he may go back to bed) can hardly be viewed as a hardship for the child. Perhaps there are many thousands of non-Muslim children (as well as Muslims) who are roused from sleep at six, five-thirty, and maybe even five to be trudged off in “subzero temperatures” to daycare so their parent(s) can be at their jobs at seven.
And some of these children who may be grumpy or sluggish or rebellious are probably dealt with harshly by their parent(s). It is doubtful that these children are scarred for life for the “discomfort” they suffer at this daily regimentation or that they end up as adults hating their parents for waking them up early, or hating their parent’s employer (for requiring their parents to be early at work) and/or hating school.

   One of the benefits of prayer is to imbue mercy. And as the Prophet Mohammad taught: “He who is not merciful to others will not be treated mercifully”–(Bokhari Vol. 8, #26; 42).
   When a child is being trained he/she can be allowed time off and/or be given the choice of making his own schedule of alternate days to pray until it becomes his/her daily practice. Also they might be exempt from the morning prayer during school-week.
   Regimentation helps cultivate discipline and build character. The Prophet is noted as having said that Islam is a very easy religion and whoever makes it hard will not be able to keep it. So do not be extremists–(Bokhari Vol. 1, # 38). The religion that allows its adherents to deny God (which is the worst of sins) under compulsion has to be the world’s easiest religion”–(Qur’an 16:106).
Every organization has rules and or regimentation (as the military and perhaps other security agencies). Almost everyone is regimented: we prepare at a scheduled time, doing what are necessary, to go to work; return home, most likely prepare meals; etc. It should be explained to a child why it is necessary to pray and fast, and why to pray in Arabic. (See Fasting-reasons & benefits and Arabic-why pray in?).

A few whacks on the bottom in the ephemeral is no price to pay for the joy in the Eternal Splendor of Paradise.
May be when this “beaten” child gets into Paradise he would offer a special gratitude to Allah and the Prophet and his parents for straightening him as a kid. Especially when he sees and hears those in Hell wailing and gnashing their teeth.

63. MOHAMMAD & CROSS-DRESSING: WikiIslam notes the hadith “that the people would present their gifts (to the prophet) when he was at Aisha’s house. The companions of Um Salamah said, “O Um Salamah! By Allah the people wait to give their gifts till it is Aisha’s day and we desire the good things just as Aisha does. So ask the prophet to command the people to give him his gifts in whatever house of his wives he may be in.” Um Salamah mentioned this to the prophet but would not respond to her. She repeated it a second time but he still would not respond to her, but on the third time he said, “O Um Salama! Do not hurt me with Aisha; for by Allah, the inspiration did not descent on me while I was in the coverings (lihaf) of any of you (women) except Aisha”–(Bokhari 3941).”

Answer: (I do not know what Bokhari 3941 is).   How is it that WikiIslam reads “cross-dressing” in this hadith?   “Lihaf” means “cover” or “coverlet,” much like a blanket or bedsheet. Perhaps even a shawl.
The Prophet condemned cross dressing–(Abu Dawud Vol. 3, #4086-4088). If the Prophet was “cross-dressing” it is strange that no one called his attention to this “cross-dressing” and his condemnation of “cross-dressing” (which would be hypocrisy on the Prophet’s part for condemning it and yet indulging in it); and the Prophet received Divine revelation until shortly before his death.
Thus, with all the Revelations the Prophet received over his twenty-three years ministry, according to WikiIslam the Prophet must have been “cross-dressing” a good part of these twenty-three years. And perhaps in public.
   That Mohammad was wearing ‘Aisha’s dress, WikiIslam will have to prove that Mohammad and ‘Aisha were the same physical size.
   Mohammad may very well have been using ‘Aisha’s blanket or bedsheet and perhaps even her shawl as a “lihaf”–coverlet.

64. MOHAMMAD & DECEPTION: WikiIslam referenced Ibn Ishaq as noting the Prophet as saying, “I am the best of plotters. I deceived them with My guile so that I delivered you from them.”
Answer: The Prophet’s statement refers to “war strategy.” There is “good” plotting and “bad” plotting. The former brings benefit while the latter causes harm/evil. The Prophet engaged in “good” plotting and delivered his people from the “bad” plotting of the disbelievers who wanted to extirpate them.

65. MOHAMMAD & DELUSIONS: WikiIslam notes as delusions the sayings of the Prophet: “I recognise the stone in Mecca which used to pay me salutations before my advent as a Prophet and I recognise that even now”–(Muslim 30:5654); and his saying to ‘Aisha: “O Aisha! This is Gabriel sending his greetings to you.” I said, “Peace, and Allah’s Mercy be on him.” ‘Aisha added: The Prophet used to see things which we used not to see”–(Bokhari Vol. 8, # 220).

   Answer: Why or how are these “delusions”?   I know of people who claim to have seen “spirits.” And there are some who even say they speak to the dead. So why can’t Mohammad, a Prophet of God see the Angel Gabriel and speak with him?
   Jesus spoke to some two thousand devils–(Matt. 8:31-32; Mark 5:8-13); Balaam’s ass spoke to Balaam–(Num. 22:28-30), and Joshua said a stone would give evidence–(Joshua 24:27; Genesis 31:48). And in our time we have GPS (ground position sensor) and “chips” programmed by man to speak to us and sing us “happy birthday” tunes etc. Imagine then how advanced and sophisticated the system of Allāh God must be.
   So why can’t a stone speak to Mohammad?

66. MOHAMMAD DISPRAISED: WikiIslam states: “The Meccans, who understood that Muhammad was no prophet, called Muhammad the dispraised. Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “Doesn’t it astonish you how Allah protects me from the Quraish’s abusing and cursing? They abuse Mudhammam and curse Mudhammam while I am Muhammad (and not Mudhammam)”–(Bokhari Vol. 4, #733).

Answer: So what that people called Mohammad “dispraised”? This does not diminish Mohammad’s status as Divine Messenger. People deny God and denigrate Jesus etc. Perhaps there are many honorable people in our societies that are abused for standing up for truth and justice.
That the Meccans “understood that Muhammad was no prophet.” These were the very Meccans who woshipped idols –things that could confer no benefit and effect no harm– that later came to their senses and saw the degradtion and futility of their (and their forefathers) acts and embraced Mohammad.
Pity, there are many in today’s world that, havig eyes, yet do not see that their passage into Paradise lies through Mohammad/Islam.

67. MOHAMMAD & DRINKING WINE: WikiIslam notes: “Narrated by Gaber bin Abdullah: We were with the messenger of Allah, PBUH and he asked for a drink. One of his men said: “Oh Messenger of Allah, Can we offer you wine to drink?” He said Yes. He (Gaber) went out looking for the drink and came back with a cup of wine. The messenger (Peace Be Upon him) asked:”Have you fermented it, even with one piece of ferment?” He (Gaber) said “yes” and he (Muhammad) drank”–(Muslim Hadith #3753).

   Answer: The questions are was this hadith before or after intoxicants were prohibited; or was the Prophet thirsty and “wine” was all that Gaber had to offer?
   If it was after its prohibition it is doubtful that Gaber would deliberately offer the Prophet wine if he had other non-alcoholic drink; in fact, after its prohibition it is said that everyone emptied their wine containers in the streets of Madinah and therefore it is doubtful that Gaber would have “wine” and even yet to offer it to the Prophet.
   Allāh tells us that there is some benefit in intoxicants though the harm is greater; and that a person under compulsion can use prohibited food–(Qur’an 2:219; 5:90; 5:3; 2:173; 16:115). Thus the Prophet/Allāh forbidding “wine” and the Prophet taking it under compulsion is no sin or “hypocrisy.”

68. MOHAMMAD & HATE-PREACHING: WikiIslam notes the following Hadiths as “hate-preaching.”“Narrated AbuDharr: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The best of the actions is to love for the sake of Allah and to hate for the sake of Allāh,” and “The strongest bond of faith is loyalty for the sake of Allah and opposition for His sake, love for the sake of Allah and enmity for His sake” –(Abu Dawud, #4582).

Answer: “Love for the sake of Allāh” means to care for His creatures –in answer to the question How to love Allāh, the Prophet is reported as saying, Love His creatures.
“Hate for the sake of Allāh” means to hate falsehood and injustice, and to strive against them –this is one form of Jihad. Advocating “love” of Allāh’s creatures and justice, and against falsehood and injustice could hardly be labeled “hate-preaching.”

69. MOHAMMAD & HOMOPHOBIA: WikiIslam notes as “homophobia” the Prophet saying: “There is nothing I fear for my ummah more than the deed of the people of Loot.”–(Tirmidhi 1457).
Answer: Contrary to popular belief the Sodomites were guilty of acts other than homosexuality; they committed highway robbery and evil deeds in their assemblies,” and they were destroyed “because they transgressed”–(Qur’an 29:28-34). (In Islam there is no death for homosexuality, see Islam-homosexuals & lesbians).
Why is this saying of the Prophet subject to ridicule? Allāh (Chance, to the atheist) created humans males and females to propagate the species, and even instilled passion in them to effect this. Even in the animals this drive for mating is present.
If mankind (males and females) were to engage solely in homosexuality then, barring cloning and non-sexual means of conception, in about a hundred years time mankind will be extinct. It is doubtful a progressive individual would like the human race to become extinct in a hundred year’s time.

70. MOHAMMAD & HYGIENE: WikiIslam notes the Hadith about the Prophet on one of his visit to Um Haram bint Milhan, “she provided him with food and started looking for lice in his head”–(Bokhari Vol. 4, #47).
Answer: So to keep one’s self free of parasites is demeaning? In modern times we have all kinds of shampoo and disinfectant to cleanse our hair/head and rid it of “lice” and in ancient days they pluck them out. So what? Perhaps there are people in this day who still pluck them out.

71. MOHAMMAD A HYPOCRITE: The Caliph Ali was married to the Prophet’s daughter Fatima. Ali wanted to have a second wife because one man wanted to marry his daughter to ‘Ali, but the Prophet would not allow it “because Fatima is a part of my body, and I hate what she hates to see, and what hurts her, hurts me”–(Bokhari Vol. 7, # 157).
WikiIslam charges that because Mohammad had many wives and refused to give permission to Ali’s second marriage that this was “hypocrisy” by the Prophet.

   Answer: But this hadith that WikiIslam quotes is incomplete; it does not give the reason why the Prophet objected to this marriage, which reason is stated in Bokhari Vol. 4, #342 and Vol. 5, #76 which show that this woman was the daughter of an enemy of Islam.
   The Prophet is reported as saying: “No doubt, Fatima is a part of me, I hate to see her troubled. By Allāh, the daughter of Allāh’s Apostle (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) and the daughter of Allāh’s ENEMY cannot be the wives of one man.”
   The Prophet’s objection was not because of polygamy but because the woman was the daughter of Abu Jahl, an ENEMY of Allāh. This is not “hypocrisy.” This is wisdom.

72. MOHAMMAD KILLING CHILDREN: WikiIslam notes from Sahih Muslim 38:4390: “Narrated Atiyyah al-Qurazi: I was among the captives of Banu Qurayzah. They (the Companions) examined us, and those who had begun to grow hair (pubes) were killed, and those who had not were not killed. I was among those who had not grown hair.”

Answer: Muhammad Ali noted that upon his settling into Madinah the Prophet Muhammad made a “treaty of mutual obligation” with the Jews in which “the Muslims and the Jews were bound not only not to turn their hands against each other but also to defend one another against a common enemy;” and “when the enemy laid siege to Madinah, they were bound to repel the attack.” But, “Instead of this they sided with the investing army.” The Quraiza’s “were in alliance with the Prophet, but when the Quraish attacked Medinah, which, under the treaty, they were bound to repel, they secretly sided with the invading army.” (Qur’anic comm. 126, 126a, 1983, see also 2475).
The tribe of the Bani Quraizah was guilty of treachery and was executed according to the dictates of the Torah. Mohammad did not pass judgment on this tribe, judgment was given by the very person the Jews had chosen to arbitrate between them and Mohammad: “And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war agaisnt thee, then thou shalt besiege it; And when the Lord thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword: But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself”–Deut. 20:12-14).

WikiIslam also notes from Bokhari Vol. 4, #256: “Narrated As-Sab bin Jaththama: The Prophet passed by me at a place called Al-Abwa or Waddan, and was asked whether it was permissible to attack the pagan warriors at night with the probability of exposing their women and children to danger. The Prophet replied, “They (i.e. women and children) are from them (i.e. pagans).” I also heard the Prophet saying, “The institution of Hima is invalid except for Allah and His Apostle.”

   Answer: “Hima” as explained by the Publisher, “was a pre-Islamic institution by means of which the chief of the tribe took a pasture for his animals preventing others from grazing their animals in it while he himself could graze his animals in the other’s pastures. Islam cancelled such an institution and allowed it only for grazing the animals collected as Zakat.” This is what the Prophet’s saying that “Hima is invalid except for Allah and His Apostle,” means; not that the Prophet took the practice for himself.
   The Prophet saying that “They (i.e. women and children) are from them (i.e. pagans)” does not mean that these are to be purposely killed. Only that the Muslims first priority is self-preservation against a rabid enemy dedicated to their extirpation. Even today we have nations flying thousands of miles away from their borders –in contrast to Mohammad whose enemies were on his own soil– to vanquish others who did not even threaten them and killing thousands of innocent women and children and for less than self-preservation.
   And Mohammad was no occupier, no usurper, no oppressor, no exploiter, and no aggressor or transgressor.

73. MOHAMMAD & LYING: WikiIslam notes Bokhari Vol. 7, #427, in which the Prophet gave them “mounts” (camels or horses) but Muslims had to remind the Prophet about his oath not to give them “mounts.” To which the Prophet replied: ’It is Allah Who has given you mounts. By Allah, and Allah willing, if I take an oath and later find something else better than that, then I do what is better and expiate my oath.’ “

Answer: This is not lying. “Lying” is when one is untruthful, false or dishonest. (Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dict; 1971). The Prophet made an oath and and did something BETTER then expiated his oath. Making a promise and then doing something that is BETTER instead is not “lying” it is wisdom. (For more on “lying” see Islam-and lying).

74. MOHAMMAD, MARY’S HUSBAND: WikiIslam notes from al-Suyuti (6/395) and Tabarani that the Prophet Mohammad said that in heaven that Mary, mother of Jesus, and the wife of Pharaoh will be his wives.
Answer: Doesn’t the British monarchy require the “best” bride for the crown prince? In fact they go the distance to verify that the prospective bride is virginal. And perhaps good/decent parents try to get the “best” girl for their sons.
According to the teaching of Islam the two women of perfection are Mary, mother of Jesus, and Asiya, wife of Pharaoh (of Moses’ time)–(Bokhari Vol. 4, #’s 642-643; Vol. 7, #329). Thus, if the Prophet’s saying is taken literally where is the difficulty in the “perfect” Mohammad marrying the perfect women?

75. MOHAMMAD & MASS MURDER: WikiIslam notes from Ibn Ishaq 464 that Mohammad had “800-900 (Jewish) boys and men” executed.
Answer: These individuals were of the Bani Quraizah tribe which was guilty of treachery. As noted in MOHAMMAD KILLING CHILDREN they were judged and executed according to the dictates of their Torah. See Mohammad-Jews & raiding parties.

76. MOHAMMAD MEGALOMANIA: WikiIslam notes Bokhari Vol. 1, #13, 14 which reports the Prophet Mohammad as saying to Muslims: “None of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father, his children and all mankind.” And WikiIslam charges that this statement by the Prophet is “Megalomania”

   Answer: Notably, the Prophet did not compel “love” from his followers, he only informed them. The followers were at liberty to “love” him or not.
   The body-guards of Presidents etc; who put their lives to safeguard their leaders, do they not love their leaders more than themselves or at least love the money for themselves or beneficiaries? And would these bodyguards not shoot even their fathers and mothers that threaten these presidents/leaders with death? Wouldn’t this be a demonstration of having more “love” for their leaders than their parents?
   Should the Director of the firm/company where you work issue a notice saying that employees are to heed and obey the words of the supervisor and to honor him by standing whenever he enters into their presence; and should the supervisor later remind the employees of the Director’s decree would this be “megalomania” on the part of the supervisor?

Allāh instructs Mohammad to inform mankind: “Say: If you love Allāh, follow me: Allāh will love you, and grant you protection from your sins. And Allāh is Forgiving, Merciful;” and also to “Say: If your fathers and your sons and your brethren and your wives and your kinsfolk and the wealth you have acquired, and trade whose dullness you fear, and dwellings you love, are dearer to you than Allāh and His Messenger and striving in His way, then wait till Allāh brings His command to pass. And Allāh guides not the transgressing people”–(Qur’an 3:31; 9:24).
Clearly, Allāh is telling Muslims that love for earthly possessions are hardly worth the love for Him and Mohammad which is to be above love for all things.
Now then, like the example of the Director and supervisor above, how can Mohammad reminding the Muslims of Allāh’s injunctions, be “megalomania”? Mohammad reminding Muslims of the words of Allāh the observance of which lead to Paradise is not “megalomania” it is mercy.
When we were minors parental love protect us to the danger of their own lives. And as adults filial love protect our parents to the dangers of our own lives. And our parents who are only the mechanics of our creation benefits us only in the mortal life; whereas Mohammad is our benefactor not only in the ephemeral but also in the eternal. Therefore to love Mohammad more than ourselves is wisdom.

77. MOHAMMAD & PRAYER – EXCEPTION TO THE RULE: WikiIslam states that “When a Muslim is engaged in the prayer (salat), it is forbidden for him to respond to people who try to speak to him while he is praying until he is finished.
However, from the following Hadiths you will see that Muhammad wanted to be an exception to the rule. He tells Muslims that even if they are performing salat to Allah, they must respond to him (Muhammad) if he calls them. He invokes Qur’an 8:24 to prove his case.
Narrated Abu Said Al-Mualla: While I was praying, the Prophet passed by and called me, but I did not go to him till I had finished my prayer. When I went to him, he said, “What prevented you from coming?” I said, “I was praying.” He said, “Didn’t Allah say” “O you who believes Give your response to Allah (by obeying Him) and to His Apostle.” (8.24)–(Bokahri Vol. 6, #1, 70, 226).

   Answer: Whenever a military officer appears on the scene the soldier immediately drops whatever he is doing and salutes the officer; and even without the officer requiring his attention. How much more then the subordinate would hasten to his superior should the superior require his attention.
   Should your employer instruct you to obey him and to obey your supervisor, what excuse can you have for not giving attention when the supervisor requires it regardless of what you are doing? And how can the supervisor be guilty of trying to be “an exception to the rule” when you are following the instruction of the owner?
   And Mohammad was not only material “officer” of Muslims but also spiritual “officer”. Thus, if any man can be said to have authority over his fellow man it is Mohammad. To obey Mohammad is to obey Allāh.

78. MOHAMAMD & OBESITY?: WikiIslam notes from Ibn Ishaq: “The apostle made for a rock on the mountain to climb it. He had become heavy by reason of his age, and moreover he had put on two coats of mail(1), so when he tried to get up he could not do so. Talha b. ‘Ubaydullah squatted beneath him and lifted him up until he settled comfortably upon it.”–(See also Abu Dawud #4731).

   Answer: That the Prophet had on two “coats of mail”, i.e. he had on two sets of armor. (Don’t slim/skinny people sometimes need a push to get on a high plain?)
   So what that Mohammad gained weight in his later years? How does this negate him from being Prophet of God? Aren’t there many others in the world and even young ones that are obese? If your father (or mother, or President) becomes “fat” will you be ashamed of him? Is this how you judge the worth of a person, by his form (and feature)? Will he cease to be your father (or mother; or President)?
   That Mohammad became “fat.” Isn’t this what intelligent people strive against –ridiculing people because of their height and weight? Perhaps WikiIslam also ridicules people because they have Alzheimer’s diease or diabetes.

79. MOHAMMAD & PEDOPHILIA: WikiIslam notes: “A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported: Allah’s Apostle (Mohammad) married me when I was six years old, and I was admitted to his house when I was nine years old.”–(Muslim #3310).
Answer: (For the Prophet’s marriage to ‘Aisha see ‘Aisha & Mohammad). Mohammad’s marriage to ‘Aisha is supported not only by historical and medical facts but also by the Bible.

80. MOHAMMAD & PLUNDERING: WikiIslam notes: “Narrated Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (SA) said, “My livelihood is under the shade of my spear,(1) and he who disobeys my orders will be humiliated by paying Jizya” Footnote: (1) “Under the shade of my spear” means “from war booty”. (Sahih Bukhari Vol.IV (page 104).”

Answer: Mohammad preached against the irrationality of polytheism, the futility and degradation of idolatry, the humiliation of human worship (Gods born of the womb), the depravity of wine and profligacy, and the injustice against daughters, wives, orphans and slaves. The Makkans were free to accept or reject Mohammad’s message. If they had not taken up arms against Mohammad, Mohammad would not have retaliated. Mohammad had no choice but to defend himself and followers. No man would do any less. (There are nations today that have not been wronged and are yet transgressors).
Mohammad’s saying that “My livelihood is under the shade of my spear,” is diametrically the result of his enemies first taking up the “spear” against Mohamamad. These were the very “spears” that persecuted him, plotted against him, made attempt to assassinate him, drove him out of his home and confiscated his property, and were bent on annihilating him and his followers. To the victor belong the spoils of war. This could hardly be called “plundering.” (Biblical warriors as well as America took “plundering”, see Ali Sina-challenges & Mohammad , item #12, section viii, “booty“).

81. MOHAMMAD & POLYGAMY: WikiIslam: “Narrated Qatada: Anas bin Malik said, “The Prophet used to visit all his wives in a round, during the day and night and they were eleven in number.” I asked Anas, “Had the Prophet the strength for it?” Anas replied, “We used to say that the Prophet was given the strength of thirty (men).” And Sa’id said on the authority of Qatada that Anas had told him about nine wives only (not eleven)”–(Bokhari Vol. 1, #268).
Answer: After fourteen hundred years WikiIslam and Christians are yet obsessed with Mohammad’s “particularly active sex life.” (See Islam-polygamy also Why I am not a Muslim-Ibn Warraq).

82. MOHAMMAD PRIVILEGED: WikiIslam wrote: “Muhammad [through convenient “revelations” from Allah] gave himself rights and immunities that no other Muslim ever received.
Narrated Aisha: I used to look down upon those ladies who had given themselves to Allah’s Apostle and I used to say, “Can a lady give herself (to a man)?” But when Allah revealed: “You (O Muhammad) can postpone (the turn of) whom you will of them (your wives), and you may receive any of them whom you will; and there is no blame on you if you invite one whose turn you have set aside (temporarily).’ (33.51) I said (to the Prophet), “I feel that your Lord hastens in fulfilling your wishes and desires.”–(Bokhari Vol. 6, #311).

  Answer: Are the kings and queens and leaders of their countries not “privileged” and have certain “rights and immunities” that no other citizen have or “ever received”? Certaily then, the greatest man in creation is befitting of all “privileges” and “rights and immunities.”
   Regarding ‘Aisha’s remark, “your Lord hastens in fulfilling your wishes and desires” (which some may want to interpret to mean that ‘Aisha was doubtful of the Prophet’s truthfulness, when in fact it could merely have been an observation on her part), ‘Aisha also eloquently said about the Prophet that “Whoever tell you that he concealed (some of Allah’s orders), is a liar”–(Bokhari Vol. 6. #378).
  Allah ’hastened’ to the aid of ‘Aisha also, when she was slandered–(Qur’an 24:11-20; Bokhari Vol. 6 # 274). Thus, ‘Aisha also was “privileged.”

83. MOHAMMAD & RACISM: WikiIslam notes: “Narrated Anas bin Malik: Allah’s Apostle said, “You should listen to and obey, your ruler even if he was an Ethiopian (black) slave whose head looks like a raisin.“–(Bokhari Vol 9, #256; Vol. 1, #662, 664).
   Answer: It is absurd to claim that the Prophet’s saying was “racism” seeing that Prophet enjoins that this “slave whose head looks like a raisin” is to obeyed.
   The Prophet was emphasizing Islamic equality as one of the teachings of Islam is that an Arab is not better than a non-Arab and vice versa except in deeds and that a black is not better than a white and vice versa except in deeds; as Allāh reveals one is better than the other only in belief and deeds–Qur’an 6:133; 49:13; 98:7).
   Clearly, rather than being “racism” the Prophet’s saying was meant to obliterate any block of “racism” that may have been standing in the heart(s) of the “straight-haired” and “white-skinned” Arab.

84. MOHAMMAD & SEX ADDICTION, WOMAN LIKE A DEVIL: WikiIslam notes: “Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet used to pass by (have sexual relation with) all his wives in one night, and at that time he had nine wives”–(Bokhari Vol. 7, #142).
Answer: (Did the Prophet actually told his followerrs he had sexual relation with all his wives in one night?) This is not sex addiction this is treating wives with equality. Maybe you subconsciouly envy Mohammad; just as “Christian historians,” fourteen hundred years after, are jealous of his “particularly active sex life” See Ibn Warraq, Why I am not a Muslim).

WikiIslam continues: “Jabir reported that Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) saw a woman, and so he came to his wife, Zainab, as she was tanning a leather and had sexual intercourse with her. He then went to his Companions and told them: The woman advances and retires in the shape of a devil, so when one of you sees a woman, he should come to his wife, for that will repel what he feels in his heart.”–(Muslim #3240).
Answer: Without doubt, this is sage advice.
That “woman advances and retires in the shape of a devil.” That women, generally, are curvacious and sexually tempting is without doubt. All the Prophet’s saying means is that man is easily aroused by an alluring/attractive woman. And that rather than lust after other women and commit sin with them Muslims are to go and calm their intimate urges with their wives.

85. QUR’AN AND SLAVERY: There is no slavery in Islam! Islam abolished slavery! Islam requires that part of the State’s fund be used to liberate slaves–(Qur’an 2:177; 9:60; 90:13. Islam-slaves/slavery).
So what that Mohammad had slaves? Mohammad was born into a society that deals in slavery. When Mohammad received Divine Revelation abolishing slavery he freed his slaves and gave incentives to others to free their slaves.
Maymuna and Mary the Coptic were not slaves of Mohammad, they were wives of Mohammad. And Rayhana was a Jewish war mate (see Mohammad-Rayhana).

86. MOHAMMAD & SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR: WikiIslam notes: “…But after a few days Waraqa died and the Divine Inspiration was also paused for a while and the Prophet (Mohammad) became so sad as we have heard that he intended several times to throw himself from the tops of high mountains and every time he went up the top of a mountain in order to throw himself down, Gabriel would appear before him and say, “O Muhammad! You are indeed Allah’s Apostle in truth” whereupon his heart would become quiet and he would calm down and would return home. And whenever the period of the coming of the inspiration used to become long, he would do as before, but when he used to reach the top of a mountain, Gabriel would appear before him and say to him what he had said before.”–(Bokhari Vol. 9, #111). (Emphasis added).

Answer: It is intriguing that Prophet Mohammad would continue wanting to commit suicide considering that on his first attempt he was assured by Angel Gabriel that he was “indeed Allah’s Apostle in truth.”
So what if the Prophet wanted to commit suicide because he was so depressed at thinking that he had lost the best of treasures –Divine Messengership? There are many who end their lives for earthly purposes, some of which seem senseless.
That the Prophet Mohammad contemplated committing suicide is moot. What is significant is that the Prophet brought us (from Allah, God) the best Book in Scriptural history and accomplished in twenty-three years that which no other prophet had –freed man from the irrationality of polytheism; the futility and degradation of idolatry; the humiliation of human worship (Gods born of the womb); the depravity of wine and profligacy; liberated Woman and Slave and ennobled the Orphan; gave justice to all; and united ruthless camel-drivers and catapulted them into “thrones of Caesars.”
Graciously or grudgingly the critics and denigrators of Mohammad have no alternative but to bow to his unparalleled achievements.

87. MOHAMMAD & TERRORISM: WikiIslam notes: “Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “I have been sent with the shortest expressions bearing the widest meanings, and I have been made victorious with terror (cast in the hearts of the enemy), and while I was sleeping, the keys of the treasures of the world were brought to me and put in my hand.” Abu Huraira added: Allah’s Apostle has left the world and now you, people, are bringing out those treasures (i.e. the Prophet did not benefit by them) –(Bokhari Vol. 4, #220).

   Answer: The Prophet being made victorious with “terror” only means that Allāh casts terror into the hearts of the enemies, not that Allāh literally terrified them: “We will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve”–(Qur’an 3:151; 8:14; 59:13).
  Mohammad only preached the Divine Message. Had the enemies not first taken up the sword to cast “terror” into Mohammad and his followers Mohammad would not have had to resort to casting “terror” into his attackers in self-defense.
  That Mohammad was given “the keys of the treasures of the world.” What are the keys of the treasures? Knowledge! And after the death of the Prophet, Muslims used the keys/knowledge and brought benefits to mankind.

88. MOHAMMAD & TORTURE: WikiIslam notes: “The Apostle said, ‘Get him away from me and cut off his tongue.‘ Ishaq:595.”
Answer: (I could not find the hadith regarding this. See Islam-and torture). As noted this claim is made by Ibn Ishaq. No reason is given as to why the Prophet ordered that a man have his tongue cut off. (Perhaps the man was suffering from gross habitual “liar-itis” or “slander-itis”). The question is, was the person’s tongue “cut off”? There does not seem to be any evidence that it was. If there was, for certain the critic(s) would have referenced it.
What is to be borne in mind is that even in his life-time sayings were forged in the Prophet’s name (much like the “fables invented by Christian writers who seek to vilify Islam” such as the Hafsa scandal). Hazrat Ali, the fourth Caliph of Islam, is noted as saying: “During the very lifetime of the Holy Prophet (AS) many a false tradition was attributed to him. This continued till the apostle of God got so vexed that he stood up and declared, ‘Whoever deliberately and purposely tells a lie against me or attributes lies to me shall make a place for himself in the Hell’”–(Nahjul Balagha, sermon 215, p. 386. See also Bokhari Vol. 1, # 106-109; Vol. 4, # 667, 712).

WikiIslam notes: “The Prophet said, “No prayer is harder for the hypocrites than the Fajr and the ‘Isha’ prayers and if they knew the reward for these prayers at their respective times, they would certainly present themselves (in the mosques) even if they had to crawl.” The Prophet added, “Certainly I decided to order the Mu’adhdhin (call-maker) to pronounce Iqama and order a man to lead the prayer and then take a fire flame to burn all those who had not left their houses so far for the prayer along with their houses.“–(Bokhari Vol. 1, #626).

   Answer: If Mohammad had given this command who could have prevented it from being executed? No one! And there would have been several dutiful Muslims to carry out his order.
   The question is how many houses were burnt? Not a single one! Moreover, it is hardly believable that Mohammad would have burned any house (which might have killed innocent children) seeing that he taught that a Muslim is not to burn his enemy and not even an ant, that fire is the punishment of Allāh–(Abu Dawud, Vol. 2, #2667-2669).
   Clearly, this thought which the Prophet expressed was only to communicate the importance and benefit of the congregational prayer: that if Muslims knew the benefit they would even crawl to get to the Masjid–(Bokhari Vol. 1, #’s 589; 626; Vol. 3, #854).

The Fajr (dawn) prayer especially is the acid test for a Believer in Allāh. As Salahhuddin Ayube (Saladin) the majestic is said to have stated, in gathering soldiers to liberate the Holy Land, that when the Masjids are filled for the morning prayer his army will be ready. It is not an easy undertaking for one to kill the sweet sleep of dawn to pray, and pray to a Master he does not and cannot see.
Salah –the formatted Muslim five daily prayer– not only distinguishes Muslims from other religionists. This prayer is a constant reminder that Allāh is One and Only, without mother and father and son and daughter and partner and associate and does not incarnate, and is the only Presence worthy of worship; it reminds us of our duty to be truthful and just and to keep away from shameful deeds and that success lies in prayer to Allah.

In our bending posture (ruku) we proclaim subhana-rabbiyal-‘Azeem (Glory be to You Allāh, the Magni-ficent; though the English equivalent “Glory” for the Arabic “Subhan” is inadequate, as Subhan conveys the quality of perfection and free of all defects and free of all needs and wants; qualities which no human can possess) and in our prostration (sijda, the lowest position that that one can position himself/herself) we extol Suhana-rabbiyal-‘Alaa (Glory be to You Allāh, the Most High). In effect we are declaring, respectively: “Allāh, You alone is perfect and free of all needs and wants; You are the Magnificent;” and “Allāh, You alone is perfect and free of all needs and wants; You are the Most High”).

Even in the midst of our social intercourse when we may tend to lapse or be distracted from our duty we are called to this remembrance. And, depending on how long we make our recitation, these five prayers basically take only about an hour a day or less. (We perhaps goof off for longer than an hour). There is no better way to spend our time than in the glorification of our Creator to Whom is our eventual return.

89. MOHAMMAD UNGRATEFULNESS: WikiIslam notes: “Narrated Aisha: (the wife of the Prophet) The people used to come from their abodes and from Al-‘Awali (i.e. outskirts of Medina up to a distance of four miles or more from Medina). They used to pass through dust and used to be drenched with sweat and covered with dust; so sweat used to trickle from them. One of them came to Allah’s Apostle who was in my house. The Prophet said to him, “I wish that you keep yourself clean on this day of yours (i.e. take a bath).” –(Bokhari Vol. 2, #25)

Answer: In what way was the Prophet “ungrateful?” Did this man come to benefit the Prophet or to receive benefit from the Prophet? And to what is this “day of yours” referring? Was the man a Muslim and the day Friday in which Muslims are required to have a bath for the Friday (Jumu’a) prayer?
There does not seem to be much in this hadith on which to properly comment. However, it would have been expected that the man would have at least wiped the sweat from his face before facing the Prophet; Muslim or not, his garment must have been flowingly enough to be used as a towel.

90. MOHAMMAD & WARMONGERING: WikiIslam: “Expeditions Led by Allah’s Messenger: In this year, according to all Sira writers, the Messenger personally led the Ghazwa of Alwa. [A Ghazwa is an Islamic Invasion in Allah’s Cause consisting of an army unit led by the Prophet himself.] He left Sa’d in command of Medina. On this raid his banner was carried by Hamzah. He stayed out for fifteen days and then returned to Medina. The Messenger went on a Ghazwa at the head of two hundred of his companions in October, 623 and reached Buwat. His intention was to intercept a Quraysh caravan with a hundred men and twenty-five hundred camels. –Al Tabari, Vol; 7 p. 15.”

Answer: As pointed out, Mohammad only sought to preach the Divine Message. The rejecters of the Divine Message dedicated themselves to annihilate Mohammad and his followers. Whatever defensive and pre-emptive measures Mohammad took to preserve himself and followers Mohammad was fully justified.
In fact even others were dedicated to crushing the fledgling Islam State. Muhammad Ali notes in his The Early Caliphate:

-“There is no doubt that at the very outset when Islam took a firm footing in the soil of Arabia, Persia and Rome viewed this rising power in their neighborhood with jealousy and alarm.” (p. 65)
-“In the year 14 A.H. (After Hijrah), when Rustam, the famous Persian general, came out for battle on the field of the Qadisiyah, this is how he loudly swaggered: “The whole of Arabia will I smash.”(p. 66).
-The Persians “violated the independence of Arabia by encroaching upon its soil. They made common cause with the rebels and sent troops for the destruction of the power of Islam. Likewise, towards the north, the Rom-ans stirred up Christian tribes against Islam.” (p. 67).

Regarding this caravan that Mohammad wanted to attack; these were the very people who persecuted, besieged, tried to assassinate, forced into exile, pursued, and warred on Mohammad. However, as Muhammad Ali notes in his commentary to Qur’an 8:5:

“It is true that a caravan was returning from Syria, and an army (which one critic opined was responding to Abu Sufyan’s call for help) had marched forth from Makkah; it is also true that some of the Muslims wished that they should encounter the caravan and not face the Makkan force (which was Allah’s purpose that they should face, in order to “cut off the root of the disbelievers”–Qur’an 8:7). Had the Holy Prophet desired to plunder the caravan, he would have done so long before Abu Sufyan could obtain succour from Makkah. Madinah was situated at a distance of thirteen days journey from Makkah, so that if the Holy Prophet had actually an idea of plundering the caravan, he would have done it long before Abu Sufyan could obtain succour in less than a month, even if he had been apprised of the Holy Prophet’s intentions and had sent for aid from Makkah. And why should the Prophet have waited all this while and not plundered the caravan before help reached Abu Sufyan?
Badr, where the encounter took place, lies at a distance of three days’ journey from Madinah. Here, marching towards each other, the two armies met. This shows that the Makkan army had long been on its way to Madinah, while the Muslims were as yet quite unprepared. The enemy had marched forth for ten days and the Muslims only for three days when the two forces encountered each other, which shows clearly that the Muslims had turned out to take the defensive against an invading force. The Prophet had never any design of plundering the caravan, for if he had any such design he could have carried it out long before the Makkan force had approached Madinah, and his hands would thus have been strengthened to meet a powerful enemy. It is quite clear that the Holy Prophet only marched forth when the enemy had already travelled over three fourths of the way to Madinah, and the caravan had left Madinah far behind.
Further, it is clearly stated here (Qur’an 8:5) that a party of the believers were averse to fighting. They could not have been averse if they had to encounter only an unarmed caravan. What is said in the next verse makes it clearer still, they went forth as if they were being driven to death, because they knew that they were going to meet an enemy not only treble in numbers, but also much more powerful and efficient.” (M. Ali. Qur’anic comm. 980).

The Muslims who migrated with the Prophet Mohammad to Madinah were forced to leave behind their property and wealth. Why should they not recoup from the Makkans what they had been forced to abandon? If you were to meet the person who forced you out of your home in a vulnerable position wouldn’t you confront him? Why then fault Mohammad for a legal act that you would commit?
Be it Seventh century Arabia or Twentieth century era, the occupier/usurper is not to be left untouched to devour the fruits of his victims in peace.

91. MOHAMMAD–WHITE COMPLEXION: WikiIslam notes Bokhari Vol. 1, #63 which shows that the Prophet was of “white” complexion.
Answer: ???

92. MOHAMMAD & WEALTH: WikiIslam notes the following three hadiths:

(i) Narrated Abu Huraira: Whenever a dead man in debt was brought to Allah’s Apostle he would ask, “Has he left anything to repay his debt?” If he was informed that he had left something to repay his debts, he would offer his funeral prayer, otherwise he would tell the Muslims to offer their friend’s funeral prayer. When Allah made the Prophet wealthy through conquests, he said, “I am more rightful than other believers to be the guardian of the believers, so if a Muslim dies while in debt, I am responsible for the repayment of his debt, and whoever leaves wealth (after his death) it will belong to his heirs.”–(Bokhari Vol. 3, #495).
(ii) “Narrated Umar ibn al-Khattab: Malik ibn Aws al-Hadthan said: One of the arguments put forward by Umar was that he said that the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) received three things exclusively to himself: Banu an-Nadir, Khaybar and Fadak. The Banu an-Nadir property was kept wholly for his emergent needs, Fadak for travellers, and Khaybar was divided by the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) into three sections: two for Muslims, and one as a contribution for his family. If anything remained after making the contribution of his family, he divided it among the poor Emigrants”–(Abu Dawud #2961).
(iii) “Some of Muhammad’s companions also became wealthy: Narrated Abu Masud Al-Ansar: Whenever Allah’s Apostle (p.b.u.h) ordered us to give in charity, we used to go to the market and work as porters and get a Mudd (a special measure of grain) and then give it in charity. (Those were the days of poverty) and today some of us have one hundred thousand.”–(Bokhari Vol. 2, #497).

Answer: So what is your beef? Mohammad and his followers became “wealthy” because of his opponents stupidity and treachery. Had they left Mohammad to his preaching and not militate and schemed against Mohammad they would not have lost their wealth (and their lives). (See Ali Sina-challenges & Mohammad).

93. MOHAMMAD & WIFE BEATING: WikiIslam notes: “… He (Muhammad b. Qais) then reported that it was ‘A’isha who had narrated this: Should I not narrate to you about myself and about the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)? We said: Yes. She said: When it was my turn for Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) to spend the night with me, he turned his side, put on his mantle and took off his shoes and placed them near his feet, and spread the corner of his shawl on his bed and then lay down till he thought that I had gone to sleep. He took hold of his mantle slowly and put on the shoes slowly, and opened the door and went out and then closed it lightly. I covered my head, put on my veil and tightened my waist wrapper, and then went out following his steps till he reached Baqi’. He stood there and he stood for a long time. He then lifted his hands three times, and then returned and I also returned. He hastened his steps and I also hastened my steps. He ran and I too ran. He came (to the house) and I also came (to the house). I, however, preceded him and I entered (the house), and as I lay down in the bed, he (the Holy Prophet) entered the (house), and said: Why is it, O ‘A’isha, that you are out of breath? I said: There is nothing. He said: Tell me or the Subtle and the Aware would inform me. I said: Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be ransom for you, and then I told him (the whole story). He said: Was it the darkness (of your shadow) that I saw in front of me? I said: Yes. He struck me on the chest which caused me pain, and then said: Did you think that Allah and His Apostle would deal unjustly with you?…” –(Muslim #2127).

Answer: Clearly, this striking could hardly be taken as one of beating or to cause injury to ‘Aisha even though it caused her pain; it is obviously a reflexive action when two people are talking and one is somewhat disappointed.
The rest of the story confirms this: and then he, the Prophet said: Did you think Allāh and His Apostle will deal unjustly with you. This answer clearly shows that the prophet was disappointed that ‘Aisha believed he would sneak away to another of his wives when it was her turn to be with him, and thus may have gestured in disbelief with his hand and caught her on the chest.

In continuing the Hadith, the Prophet informed ‘Aisha that Gabriel came to him with Divine instructions to go and pray for the “inhabitants of Baqi’” and explained his reason for not waking her. The narration ended with ‘Aisha saying: “I said: Messenger of Allāh, how should I pray for them (how should I beg forgiveness for them)? He said: Say, Peace be upon the inhabitants of this city (graveyard) from among the Believers and the Muslims, and may Allāh have mercy on those who have gone ahead of us, and those who come later on, and we shall, God willing, join you.”
Clearly, any person with a shred of intelligence can discern that this hadith is not a case of “wife-beating” or of “domestic violence.”

That the Prophet never beat any of his wives is evidenced from this hadith in which Bokhari records a long narration in which ‘Umar’s wife told him that his daughter, Hafsa, “argues with Allāh’s Apostle (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) so much that he remains angry for a full day.” Whereupon ‘Umar went to Hafsa who admitted, “we argue with him.” To which her father advised her “Don’t be betrayed by the one who is proud of her beauty because of the love of Allah’s Apostle (peace be on him) for her (i.e. ‘Aisha).” (Bokhari, Vol. 6, # 435). It is doubtful that ‘Aisha and Hafsa would have “argued” with the Prophet and to the extent that “he remains angry for a full day” if he was “beating” them. (See Islam-wife beating).

94. QUESTIONS FOR MUSLIMS: See Answering WikiIslam-2 questions for Muslims.

95. MOHAMMAD SAYS KILL DOGS
Critics try to malign the Prophet Mohammad for giving instructions to kill dogs. However one hadith clarifies which dog is to be killed. The hadith notes that when attention was brought to the Prophet that Muslims were killing dogs indiscriminately the Prophet forbade this killing and said that only a certain type of dog is to be killed: “It is your duty to kill the jet-black (dog) having two spots (on the eyes), for it is a devil”–(Muslim Vol. 3, #3813).

The explanation to the hadith states:
“The hadith gives us an idea why the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) commanded to kill dogs. There must have been an excess of stray dogs and thus the danger of rabies in the city of Medina and its suburbs. The Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him), therefore ordered to kill them. Later on when it was found that his Companions were killing them indiscriminately, he forbade them to do so and told them that only the ferocious beasts which were a source of danger to life should be killed. The word “devil” in the hadith clarifies the point. Here devil stands for ferocious. See also Kitab-al-Taharah, p.166, note 486” (i.e. Vol. 1, note 486).
And Kitab-al-Taharah, p.166, note 486” states in part: “Islam has declared the dog to be an unclean beast because its saliva has the germs of rabies in it.
The writer of the article on “dog” in the Encyclopaedia Britannica says: “It [rabies] is more common in dogs than in any other animal” (Vol. VII, p. 497). The dog is also responsible for the spread of “Canine Plague”. The virus causing this disease is airborne and affects the other dogs very quickly.”

The Prophet did not forbid the keeping of dogs. Dogs could be trained for hunting and guarding–(Muslim Vol. 3, #3812). In fact, the Prophet taught that a person who gave dog to drink will enter Paradise–(Bokhari Vol. 1, #174, Vol. 3, #551, 646).

While critics try to denigrate Mohammad for killing the “devil” dog. There are videos on the Internet showing wild dogs running rampant in Russia and even riding on subways. Also there are videos showing dogs attacking humans in Russia, London, and the U.S. And one shows a group of dogs attacking another dog, killing it. (There are feral dogs –dogs that were domesticated and abandoned– running wild in packs in the U.S. causing fear among people).
It is not surprising then that America, Britain, and Canada have, in part(s) of the country, banned or restricted certain breeds of dogs –as many as “75 breeds” according to the Internet. Obviously these laws were instituted to make the community safe from “potentially dangerous” or “violent” dogs.
Which Mohammad did for his community –which had no dart guns or pepper spray or animal nets or medicine to put them to “sleep” or rabies vaccine.
~~~***~~~

Muslims are not to be overwhelmed by critics’ onslaught. Critics of Islam are vast on text and void on substance. If you do not understand verse(s) of the Qur’an and/or Hadith leave it alone.
Without doubt, critics’ objective is to have Muslims apostatize from Islam though they cannot prove their own religion (or any other religion) superior to, or equal with, Islam!

Whereas the cardinal doctrines of Islam -Unity of Allah God, Prayer, Zakaat/Charity, Fasting and Hajj- are clearly expressed by Allah in the Qur’an and are conducive to reason and observed by Prophet Mohammad.
Muslims are to demand that other religionists show that the cardinal doctrines of their religion are clearly expressed by God in their Scripture and are conducive to reason and observed by the prophet(s)/leader/founder of their religion(s).
To remind: Muslims who apostatized from Islam have the grand opportunity while you are alive to repent and return to Allāh; when you die -and no one knows when he/she will die- this opportunity evaporates like dewdrop in Hell.

THE QUR’AN: MIRACLE OF ALL MIRACLES: by Dr. Zakir Naik: Though the two videos are similar there is additional info in one; and also in the question and answer section).

NOTES

1. Ali, Muhammad, Qur’an, preliminary notes, p. vi.

2. Paul Davies, God and the New Physics, p.

3. James Trefil, The Dark Side of the Universe, p. 8.

4. Abul A’la Mawdudi, An Introduction to the Qur’an, pp. 16, 17.

5. Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din, Introduction to the Study of the Holy Qur’an, pp. 25-26).

6. Ibid; Qur’anic comm. #5

9. Muhammad Husayn Haykal, The Life of Muhammad, p. 373.

10. Ibid; pp. 366-367.

11. Ibid; pp. 370-371.

12. Ibid; p. 373.

13. Ibid; p. 373.

14. Ibid; p. 374.

15. Muhammad Ali, The Religion of Islam, p. 568.

16. Allāh reveals in His Qur’an 33:6: “The Prophet is closer to the faithful than their own selves, and his wives are (as) their mothers. And the possessors of relationship are closer one to another in the ordinance of Allåh than (other) believers, and those who fled (their homes), except that you do some good to your friends. This is written in the Book.”
And Muhammad Ali comments: “The Prophet was indeed much more than a father to the believers. He had raised them to the dignity of manhood from a state of savagery, consequently the tie of love which united them to him was stronger than the ordinary ties of love and friendship. The statement that his wives are their mothers has reference to the spiritual relationship, because they were helpful in bringing up the faithful spiritually; see 33a and 34a.”

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