Opposing Slander Against The Quran – OpEd
Christian missionaries are always interested in proving the superiority of the Christian Bible to the Qur’an. They say that the Old Testament and the New Testament are the true word of God: and the Qur’an is not. They try to prove this by asserting that when the Qur’an’s narratives differ from the Bible’s narratives about the same event; the Qur’an must be wrong.
It is sad that these missionaries, who claim to be the disciples of Jesus, ignore his teaching to love not only your neighbors, but also your enemies. They would reply that the search for God’s truth is so important that it justifies insulting other peoples prophets and sacred texts; even when they also teach monotheism. These Christian missionaries are ignorant of, or simply reject, two very important Ahadith, that I, a Reform Rabbi who considers himself to be an Islamic Jew, always respect.
I am an Islamic Jew i.e. a faithful Jew submitting to the will of God, because I am a Reform Rabbi. (Reform Jews are now the largest of the Jewish denominations in the U.S. In the U.K..Reform Judaism is called Liberal Judaism.)
As a Rabbi I am faithful to the covenant that God made with Abraham, the first Islamic Jew, and I submit to be bound by the covenant and commandments that God made with the people of Israel at Mount Sinai. As a Reform Rabbi I believe that Rabbis should modify Jewish traditions to prevent them from making religion to hard to practice.
This is an important teaching in the Qur’an (7:157) and one that Prophet Muhammad taught 12 centuries before the rise of Reform Judaism in the early 19th century. As Abu Huraira related: The Prophet said, “Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded.” (Bukhari book 2 #38)
The two Ahadith that every Christian missionary should learn and abide by, teach respect for the Sacred Scripture and the Prophets of other monotheistic religions. A hadîth Narrated by Abu Huraira says, “The people of the Book used to read the Torah in Hebrew and then explain it in Arabic to the Muslims. Allah’s Apostle said (to the Muslims). “Do not believe the people of the Book, nor disbelieve them, but say, ‘We believe in Allah, and whatever is revealed to us, and whatever is revealed to you.’ ” (Bukhari book 92 #460 and book 93 #632)
Following Muhammad’s teaching I also neither believe nor disbelieve in the Qur’an. I do respect the Qur’an very much as a kindred revelation, first given to a kindred people, in a kindred language. In fact, the Arab people, the Arab language and Muslim theology are closer to my own people, language and theology than that of any other on earth.
Islam teaches clearly that God does not have just one people or one true religion. Rather, God chose not to create human beings as one nation or with only one religion so that each religion could compete with all the others in order to see which religion produces the highest percentage of moral and loving people; and which people best embody in their personal and communal lives the moral teachings of their prophet.
As it is written in the Qur’an [5.48] “For every one of you did We appoint a law and a way. If Allah had pleased He would have made you one people, but (He didn’t) that He might test you in what He gave you. Therefore compete with one another to hasten to virtuous deeds; for all return to Allah, so He will let you know that in which you differed.”
This is a wonderful further development of the teaching of the Biblical prophet Micah (4:5) that in the end of days (the Messianic Age), “All people will walk, each in the name of their own God, and we shall walk in the name of the Lord our God forever.”
In terms of respect for the prophets of other religions I have not seen the equal of the following hadith: Narrated Abu Huraira: Two persons, a Muslim and a Jew, quarreled. The Muslim said, “By Him Who gave Muhammad superiority over all the people! The Jew said, “By Him Who gave Moses superiority over all the people!” At that the Muslim raised his hand and slapped the Jew on the face.’
The Jew went to the Prophet and informed him of what had happened. The Prophet sent for the Muslim and asked him about it. The Muslim informed him of the event. The Prophet said, “Do not give me superiority over Moses, for on the Day of Resurrection all the people will fall unconscious and I will be one of them.”
I will be the first to gain consciousness, and I will see Moses standing and holding the side of the Throne (of Allah). I will not know whether (Moses) had also fallen unconscious and got up before me, or Allah has exempted him from that stroke.” (Bukhari book 76 #524)
All the people of the book; Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, should learn humility from this profound teaching of Prophet Muhammad.”
Parts in Quotes are from text above
“” “Christian missionaries are always interested in proving the superiority of the Christian Bible to the Qur’an. They say that the Old Testament and the New Testament are the true word of God: and the Qur’an is not” “”
No, the Bible is the INSPIRED word of God, its Islam that says that the Quran is the literal word of God. So anything inconsistent in the Qur’an makes the belief that the Quran is the literal word of God….. difficult.
“” “They try to prove this by asserting that when the Qur’an’s narratives differ from the Bible’s narratives about the same event; the Qur’an must be wrong.” “”
And every Dawah member says the bible is corrupt and wrong and that Jesus did not die on the cross.
“” “It is sad that these missionaries, who claim to be the disciples of Jesus, ignore his teaching to love not only your neighbors, but also your enemies.” “”
Part of that love is to point out the difficulties as Muslims are taught to believe the Qur’an actually says. Do you not admonish and correct your children when they make inconsistent claims.
“” “They would reply that the search for God’s truth is so important that it justifies insulting other peoples prophets and sacred texts; even when they also teach monotheism.” “”
But Islamic scholars, constantly insult Christianity and Christians by saying the Bible is corrupt without any evidence other than the tiny bits that scholars of the Bible are known about.
They say that Jesus is just a human and never died on the cross. Their book calls for the subjugation of Christians and Jews and to never have a Christian or Jew as a friend, ever. The Quran also insults women saying that they have half the worth of a man and that their testament is only worth half that of a man’s testament and that the wife must subjugate to her husband else he had the right to strike her.
“” “These Christian missionaries are ignorant of, or simply reject, two very important Ahadith, that I, a Reform Rabbi who considers himself to be an Islamic Jew, always respect.”” ”
Since the Ahadith say more or less the same as God and Jesus. I think they take priority.
This is an important teaching in the Qur’an (7:157) and one that Prophet Muhammad taught 12 centuries before the rise of Reform Judaism in the early 19th century. As Abu Huraira related: The Prophet said, “Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded.” (Bukhari book 2 #38)
Fantastic, but in Christianity, all is encapsulated in two sentences from the new testament
Love God worth all you heart mind and soul me love others you love yourself.
That’s so easy unlike the thousands of laws and hundreds of thousands of fatwa about minute parts of Sharia law.
“” “The two Ahadith that every Christian missionary should learn and abide by, teach respect for the Sacred Scripture and the Prophets of other monotheistic religions. A hadîth Narrated by Abu Huraira says, “The people of the Book used to read the Torah in Hebrew and then explain it in Arabic to the Muslims. Allah’s Apostle said (to the Muslims). “Do not believe the people of the Book, nor disbelieve them, but say, ‘We believe in Allah, and whatever is revealed to us, and whatever is revealed to you.’ ” (Bukhari book 92 #460 and book 93 #632)”” ”
Lovely except that Muslims are right to be hostile, even if it’s subconcious towards Christians Unless there is a chance to win them over to Islam.
“” “Following Muhammad’s teaching I also neither believe nor disbelieve in the Qur’an. I do respect the Qur’an very much as a kindred revelation, first given to a kindred people, in a kindred language. In fact, the Arab people, the Arab language and Muslim theology are closer to my own people, language and theology than that of any other on earth.”” ”
Which had no bearing on anything.
” “” Islam teaches clearly that God does not have just one people or one true religion. “” ”
No it does not, it goes on and on and on about not believer the Jews and Christians but to only believe in Allah. To not even take us as friends.
You will find Muslims that are fantastic and lively and wonderful but the full teaching of idleness, those people are not followed is Islam they are in effect apostates and we all know what the fate of apostates is from the Qur’an and hadith.
“” “Rather, God chose not to create human beings as one nation or with only one religion so that each religion could compete with all the others in order to see which religion produces the highest percentage of moral and loving people; and which people best embody in their personal and communal lives the moral teachings of their prophet.
Only Islam follows a prophet, we follow A God.
As it is written in the Qur’an [5.48] “For every one of you did We appoint a law and a way. If Allah had pleased He would have made you one people, but (He didn’t) that He might test you in what He gave you. Therefore compete with one another to hasten to virtuous deeds; for all return to Allah, so He will let you know that in which you differed.””” ”
Again lovely but the compete to Islam is to conquer by the sword if necessary.
“” “This is a wonderful further development of the teaching of the Biblical prophet Micah (4:5) that in the end of days (the Messianic Age), “All people will walk, each in the name of their own God, and we shall walk in the name of the Lord our God forever.””” ”
This is happening now.
“” “In terms of respect for the prophets of other religions I have not seen the equal of the following hadith: Narrated Abu Huraira: Two persons, a Muslim and a Jew, quarreled. The Muslim said, “By Him Who gave Muhammad superiority over all the people! The Jew said, “By Him Who gave Moses superiority over all the people!” At that the Muslim raised his hand and slapped the Jew on the face.’
The Jew went to the Prophet and informed him of what had happened. The Prophet sent for the Muslim and asked him about it. The Muslim informed him of the event. The Prophet said, “Do not give me superiority over Moses, for on the Day of Resurrection all the people will fall unconscious and I will be one of them.””” ”
Lovely but the Muslim was not admonished by Muhammad but was allowed to get away with the violence towards another religion. Just look at what a Muslim imam said about covid. He was so happy that covid, in the early days, was only attacking the West. He thanks Allah for the disease. Its that really a peaceful nature?
“” “All the people of the book; Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, should learn humility from this profound teaching of Prophet Muhammad.”” “”
Yes learn humility but not from Muhammad. From God and Jesus, true, real love, not one with strings attached.