Eagle wrote:
It always takes more time to debunk nonsense than to spew it, on a ratio of about 100 to 1. Thankfully most of it has already been addressed, even on this very forum. If the author of the video wishes so, we could debate the various issues 1 on 1. Until then, the refutations:
Reason 1
Mohamed being asked to provide miracles to prove his prophethood
Miracles never force belief in a person. The HB (Deut29,Numb14), NT, and Quran all corraborate this reality. Miracles are subordinate to the moral and spiritual as well as reasonable evidences in the world around and inside man for the existance of God, and the truth brought by specific individuals. For example the clear signs spoken of in the Quran and displayed on earth do not create belief, they stimulate that already existing belief in the Unseen for the spiritually aware, the God-conscious 10:6, those who have inner certainty 10:5 but are devoid of any spiritual dimension to the spiritually blind. Miracles, in the sense of supernatural occurences, because of their temporary nature, quickly lose their lustre in the eyes of the majority of the audience of a prophet that finds itself asking each time for more, not realizing the tremendous responsibility that goes with such a request. The history of past nations and prophets, more particularily the Israelites, testifies to this reality. The Quran ushered an era of spiritual awakening through reasoning and observation, making the ones with insight capable of deriving the miraculous and divine presence in all things, regardless of time and space 2:118"Indeed We have made the communications clear for a people who are sure".
Only those people can reach the right conclusion from their observation, who are inclined to believe; as for the heedless people, who live like animals and the stubborn people who are resolved not to believe, the existence and the non-existence of the signs is equal. A God-conscious, believer in the unseen sees confirmation of a Day of Resurrection in the cycle of life and death around him 43:11. These kind of verses mentioning the obvious signs around man, almost always contain the same phrases explaining that the spiritual implications of these signs can only be perceived by those who already incline to the Truth, the spiritually aware, believers in the Unseen 3:190-1"in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day there are signs for men who understand, those who remember Allah standing and sitting and lying on their sides and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth". By definition, belief in something is a firm state of mind that does not require the manifestation of the thing in question, but this does not mean that the belief is beyond reason. For example it is much more unreasonable to assume that the world is the product of chance than of a purposeful design, especially when all the signs mentionned in the Quran, from those surrounding us every day and at each instant, down to those present in our own selves, do point in such a way to the inevitability of Judgement Day and of an afterlife, that it would be entirely unreasonable to think otherwise. There is a reason why almost every such verses are accompagnied by prases explaining that these signs are for those who use their intellect, or as stated in the Hebrew Bible in relation to the truthfulness of its message Prov8:9"They are all true to the understanding one, and straight to those who find knowledge".
Humans believe things everyday without seeing them so long as these things agree with their intellect and reason, only animals devoid of intelligence need to see to believe. For example most animals will never heed a warning until they see the threat and flee, while a human can reason and hearken the admonitions and prepare for all eventualities. But then, even some animals are capable of mental deductions based on perception, without actually seeing. Still, reasonable belief doesnt render it factual, and neither was belief ever meant to become so, so as to not compromise the whole purpose of life, as stated in the Quran; spiritual growth using one's own innate spiritual sense of perception. Bringing the unseen to the seen makes spiritual growth impossible. In the account of creation, God describes how it was precisely that aspect of human life, the capacity to translate material perception to spiritual language, then grow spiritually is what awed the angels and made them bow to Adam in acknowledgment of his potential superiority over them. The unseen isnt veiled from angels and are therefore compelled to accept these higher realities that are factual to them. That is why the Quran (and the HB, contrary to the Greek/New Testament) teaches that angels have no freedom of choice.
That belief in the unseen (God, angels, revelation, resurrection, hereafter) can never become factual doesnt make it unreasonable and in fact it is the disbelief in such concepts which is the weaker position from a rational perspective, for the reasons previously mentionned, including genetic (see "system 1").
Those who accepted the warners sent to them, firstly did it because they were not prejudiced but focused on the message that was being preached, noticing it agreed with elementary reason and their observation of the universe, transmitted by men who were obviously not deceitful charlatans motivated by any worldy pursuit since what they were comunicating could not be bought by any ammount of riches and favors, and were among the best of people in their nation 3:161,6:50,90,109,127,145,160,180,10:72,12:104,33:21,34:47,36:21,68:4,11:51,29,62"They said: O Salih! surely you were one amongst us in whom great expectations were placed before this; do you (now) forbid us from worshipping what our fathers worshipped? And as to that which you call us to, most surely we are in disquieting doubt". Simple observation also shows that had these men been seeking illegitimate profits under the guise of prophethood, they would be surrounded by the affluent, yet the contrary can consistently be seen with every prophet. It was in fact one of the common reproaches which the aristocrats use to issue against them and the Quran particularily depicts how the prophet Nuh and his poor assemblies were the target of such scorn 11:27-30.
It is only after such persons, recognized for their nobility of character, start exposing the evils and falsehood of their societies that they are demeaned, rejected and fought 11:87"They said: O Shuaib! does your prayer enjoin you that we should forsake what our fathers worshipped or that we should not do what we please with regard to our property?". And as Jesus said Jn7:14-18"Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him". Like the prophets of old, the prophet Muhammad never asked for any compensation or reward for the priceless mission he was undertaking 6:90, his reward being with Allah 34:47. Although told to never compromise the honnor and exaltedness of the revelation he was to convey 80:11-16 and much less his own self-respect in doing so -in 2:104 believers are urged to approach the Prophet with respect and to subordinate their personal desires and expectations to the commandments of the Faith revealed through him-, when he demanded money it was for charity and he even used his notoriety for that purpose 58:12"when you consult the Messenger, then offer something in charity before your consultation; that is better for you and purer; but if you do not find, then surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful". What the verse also reveals is that precedence is given to the poorest elements of society in approaching and consulting with the prophet since no pre-condition is required of them, contrary to the affluent. Traditions reflect how the injunction reduced the number of requests by the richer elements who were often seeking privileges in vain, leading to less counsels and the purification of the intellectual and social milieu of the Muslim community.
The teachings they brought forth were beautiful in their own right, they practiced what they preached and did not allow for themselves what they were asking others to abandon 40:41-43,25:57"Say: I do not ask you aught in return except that he who will, may take the way to his Lord" 11:88"..and I do not desire that in opposition to you I should betake myself to that which I forbid you..I desire nothing but reform so far as I am able" and the character of their followers, was obviously that of people following 'the right course' 36:21. Further, the very nature of their message was that of reason. It could not on any level, conflict with their inner moral intuition, and its tennets, coming from the Source of creation should be observable within patterns in the creation itself. Hence the constant appeals throughout the Quran, for the believer to seek confirmation for divine unity, resurrection and ultimate justice in the universe and within his own self.
Besides his moral attributes, the message of a prophet, in form as well as in contents, is the primary criteria for judging his truthfulness, not whether someone saw him receiving revelation, a purely personal experience 53:12"do you then dispute with him as to what he saw?" 16:105"Only they forge falsehood who do not believe in Allah’s signs and they themselves are liars".
Those who rejected their prophets did so, not because of absence or presence of miracles but because of their stubborness and attachement to a system devoid of decent moral codes, on every level; political, economical, social and spiritual, and whose sinfulness was the way by which they maintained their order 28:57"And they say: If we follow the guidance with you, we shall be carried off from our country" 23:70"and most of them are averse from the truth. And should the truth follow their low desires, surely the heavens and the earth and all those who are therein would have perished". The wealthy and the leaders of a community were therefore almost always at the forefront of that opposition and rejected the moral reforms brought by the prophets, as in the prophet Muhammad's time, as well as in the times of Nuh, Shuayb or Moses, fearing for the immoral economical and tyranical political order they had established and became dependent upon 43:51-4,11:87" O Shuayb! does your prayer enjoin you that we should forsake what our fathers worshipped or that we should not do what we please with regard to our property?" accusing the prophets of seeking to destroy their equilibrium and cause chaos 7:127 while their sole aim was the return of humankind to its awareness of God and the higher spiritual truths. In addition they wrongly thought that them being economicaly and socially privileged meant they were on the right spiritual path and used this superficial observation as an argument to steer the dominated classes of society on whom such rethoric could vastly appeal 43:23,34:34-5, as well as on the prophets themselves and their assemblies who both led humble ways of life. All this led them to accuse the callers to reform of acting under the guise of prophethood and exploiting religion to gain dominion in the land 7:90,110,123,10:78,20:57,23:24,11:88"He (Shuayb) said: ‘O My people! Bethink you’ If I be upon a clear proof from my Lord, and He has provided me with fair sustenance from Him? And I desire not, in opposition to you, to do that which I forbid you from it. I desire naught save reform so far as I am able. My success is only with Allah. On Him do I rely and unto Him I turn". As here stated by the prophet Shuayb who was faced with such attempts at discrediting his intentions, neither he nor any other prophet ever asked for any wordly reward in return of spiritual and moral reforms. The prophets however were always known among their addressees as men of great integrity and what these accusations revealed was the deep corrupt selves of the slanderers who projected their own condition upon others. Since they only had lowly expectations from fellow humans they opined that for such claims to be valid, then they could not come from the mouth of a mortal but only a supernatural being, above human limitations 23:33"This is nothing but a mortal like yourselves, eating of what you eat from and drinking of what you drink" beyond the banal normality of a family man 13:38 or at least be a man of emminent social status within their community who in their view would be eligible to communicate with the divine realm 43:31. In addition, such a person should support his credibility by bending the natural laws whenever they demanded it, performing miracles according to their whims, transforming a mountain into a pile of gold, or answer any question relating to the unseen that might come up 6:50"Say: I do not say to you, I have with me the treasures of Allah, nor do I know the unseen, nor do I say to you that I am an angel; I do not follow aught save that which is revealed to me". The prophet is told to answer that he is only following, like them, what has been revealed to him and his evidence of the realm of the unseen is that of an eye witness while his opponents do not have any real certainty and only follow conjecture and the blind speculations of others "Say: Are the blind and the seeing one alike? Do you not then reflect?"
That is why they were rejecting the calls to reform and discrediting the Messengers, many times all the while having the inner sentiment that it is the Truth, just like Pharao and the obdurate disbelievers in his nation who continued in their rejection all the while knowing that the signs could only be coming from God, going as far as pursuing the escaping Israelites after all signs were displayed Exodus8-10,Quran7:134,27:14"And they denied them unjustly and proudly while their soul had been convinced of them; consider, then how was the end of the mischief-makers". This shows that miracles or not, the issue to the obdurate and senseless rejecters was never about a prophet's truthfulness but rather about the message itself. They not only rejected the message but also did their utmost to 14:3,11:18-22"make it crooked" ie corrupt it through vehement denigration in front of any person showing interest in it, or by attempting to change it 41:40"Those who misconstrue Our Revelations are not in any way hidden from Us" that it might create confusion or even lead to the belief it conforms to their principles. As they could not but realize the interest of the people in it, they tried corrupting the message bearers themselves that they might compromise some of the revealed principles with theirs as was the case in the days of the prophet Muhammad and prophets before him as depicted in the HB. The frustration of the opponents of Truth would reach its highest as they found themselves unable to influence the minds of the people, so they would finally resort to death threats or expulsion from the land 14:13.
In 6:111,10:95-101 Allah speaks of those who continuously reject His communications, they will not believe no matter what sign is shown to them. All scriptures speak of such rejectors bent on denying revelation no matter what. In fact if they truly wanted a sign and werent instead seeking excuses for their disbelief, they would have at least considered the surrounding signs that point to the realities of which the Quran speak of but the fact is these obdurate disbelievers see the Truth only when the promised divine torment in this earth or death overtakes them, just as Pharao came to believe only when he was drowning. Allah then says in 10:99 that He could have forced all humanity to believe, but He does not simply because it must be done out of freewill of which man will have to answer on Judgement Day, and further it would go against the principle of no coercion in religion 2:256,18:29. Just as He could force all people to believe, none could have believed if it wasnt for Him: He sent humanity its guidance to the straight path by making a clear distinction between right and wrong 16:9,92:12, as pledged to Adam 2:38-39 and He could, but does not due to His mercy, take it away anytime He wishes 17:86-7 as He temporarily did to the undeserving nation of Israel that kept on rejecting, persecuting and killing the prophets in their midst Ezek3:26,24:27 or erase parts of it from the prophet's own memory without him noticing it 87:6-7, nothing passes out of His control. Finally, when Allah says that He "casts uncleanness on those who will not understand", the uncleanness ie spiritual degeneration is the natural result of such behavior of blind denial and not using the reason when the communications of Allah are recited and clearly explained.
The gift of guidance belongs to God alone, and He bestows it on whoever is deemed fit to receive it, based upon the internal condition of the person, those with a sense of responsibility. The repeated arrogant arent deemed worthy. When Jesus was challenged by the wicked Pharisees to display supernatual wonders as he did in his ministry, he answered them Mk8:11-13"Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it." Jesus categorically denied them the performence of Signs, and effectively, Jesus never appeared to those very people who demanded him a miracle after his alleged resurrection despite the later gospel of Matt12:39 saying that the only sign these disbelievers will witness is Jesus' resurrection (yet even according to that Gospel they still did not witness it). In fact the risen Jesus never appears to anyone but believers. Those stubborn disbelievers demanded miracles to excuse their unbelief. The demand of a sign in itself is not condemnable when it is motivated by a desire of assurance of an already existing, sincere belief. Even prophets requested such signs from God, seeking to know the reality of certain hidden phenomenos like the resurrection 2:259-60. However when such demand is but a reflection of disbelief and denial, a mere display of mockery, skepticism then God either rejects the demand through His prophets or immidiately punishes the culprits for their insolence as was the case with the Jews who, after witnessing all sorts of signs and wonders in Egypt and during their journey, still demanded to see God whom Moses claimed he conversed with 2:55,4:153.
When they protested that no sign has descended to the prophet Muhammad as one of the reason of their disbelief, they were answered that their disbelief is not due to the lack of signs, but rather the lack of any desire in them to seek right guidance. For Allah does not force one to follow the Right Way, if he deliberately turns away from it. He lets such persons wander on the wrong ways they choose to wander 13:27 and in the NT Jesus reiterates the principle that miracles were only granted to those who desired them to confirm their faith, as Abraham or Gideon (Judges6), and to grant satisfaction to those that already incline to truth 6:109"And they swear by Allah with the strongest of their oaths, that if a sign came to them they would most certainly believe in it. Say: Signs are only with Allah; and what should make you know that when it comes they will not believe?" such as the magicians who were gathered and compelled by Pharao to challenge Moses yet they disputed about the matter showing how reluctant they were in going forth 20:58-73.
This was Thomas and Philip's case in Jn14 for example, who believed and inclined to the truth but wanted satisfaction and clearing of some remaining doubts. Jesus used the miracle argument to comfort them, he is not addressing unbelievers and trying to convert them using miracles, he is addressing believers and reminding them of his miracles as a support to some specific claim. Same in Jn11:1-44. In fact we even read in Mk10:46-52,Matt9:27-30 how it is faith that actually causes Jesus' miracles to succeed. In Nazareth, Jesus was unable to do "powerful works" because he was not believed in. In Luke24 Jesus, after his alleged resurrection, encounters 2 men who declare their disbelief in the one whom they thought had failed in his mission and instead of revealing his identity which would have been a compelling evidence for them to believe, scolds them for their disbelief in scriptures which he claimed he fulfilled, meaning his demand was to have faith in scriptures without the need to resort to supernatural evidence. Jesus alludes to this reality again in a parable where a disbeliever put in hell requests the performence of a miracle to his people -who possess and know the scriptures- still on earth that they might believe Lk16:19-31"If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead".
The Quran, after mentionning the various miracles of Jesus, points that these were signs for the believers 3:49. Simon, Peter, James and John did not need the slightest miracle to believe in Jesus' prophethood Matt4,Jn1:35-51 but all are said to "believe" in Jesus a second time after they saw his miracles and that is because it strengthened their already existing belief Jn2:11. When Moses was sent to announce the future deliverance of the Israelites, he was strenghtened with miracles and sent to the elders of the community, those grounded in knowledge, devoted to study, already inclined to the truth and knew God Ex4. They were those who would first and foremost believe Moses' words and this is because they had preserved the knowledge that God would remember them and lead them out of Egypt into the land promised to Abraham Gen50:24-25. The sign would be that one would come to them with the words matching exactly that promise and therefore Moses was commanded to remind them of it with the same words as sufficient proof of his prophethood Ex3:15-18. From a purely comparative viewpoint, supposing Moses or Jesus' miracles were productive and crucial in supporting their missions as well as gathering followers, which they clearly were not (as seen from how readily the Israelites strayed from the path during and after Moses, as well as the very few followers of Jesus in his lifetime). The fact remains that, like every action, they were only temporary in nature and could not be seen twice, disappearing and becoming history as soon as performed, leaving those that did not see them to rely at best on those claiming to have seen them. This issue in itself isnt really problematic so long as the line of prophethood hasnt been discontinued yet, since the subsequent prophet will perform his own miracles and endorse the prophet who preceded him.
With Muhammad, the case was different. He was the Final of the prophets. He could not rely on any miraculous action, because no action can last long enough to be seen by other generations. Nor could he rely on the endorsement of a subsequent prophet. The nature of his miracle therefore had to be of a different type. It had to be lasting in order to be witnessed and tested by the future generations as well as by his contemporaries. For that pupose, nothing was more adapted to the technology of the time than a miraculous speech recorded in writing so that its superiority be witnessed and tested at any time by any generation.
It is also to be noted that miracles serve as an assurance to prophets themselves who are always of very humble, sometimes secluded character, and are suddenly tasked with completing a mission of momentous importance, on a road covered with difficult obstacles. Miracles serve the purpose of uplifting them and giving them courage and confidence in their own selves, to face the staunch opposition of the people and their powerful leaders.
6:33 speaks of the prophet grieving over his people's disbelief as well as their persecution of him and his followers. Allah then tells him that as was done with previous messengers, His help comes in due time and there is none that can change these words of promises by Allah 6:34. The prophet should therefore be patient 6:67"For every prophecy is a term, and you will come to know it" he must understand that miracles are not manifested to conform to the whims and wishes of the disbelievers, but to warn a nation that it might mend its evil ways, to make the people mindful of the fact that the prophecies of punishement in this world conveyed by the prophets, let alone the Hereafter, will eventually unfold at some point should the people persist in their rejection of God's messengers and the signs sent with them. This means signs are in fact manifestations of God's mercy 17:59"and We do not send signs but to make (men) fear". When God judges that every possible warning has been properly conveyed and that a nation's respite during which it was given sufficient time to reflect on the signs and message brought by the prophets has expired, and that nothing more can be done to make them mend their ways, He imposes His judgement on the rejecters of His prophets in this world.
The Quran, through the stories of Muhammad who presented the surrounding signs attesting to the truth of his message, the miraculous Quran along with its prophecies whose rejection by Muhammad's nation despite their unfolding eventually resulted in their defeat and destruction when their appointed time of respite expired, or the stories of prophets of the past who presented signs and prophecies to their people with the aim of warning them but to no avail, which brought about their ultimate destruction, confirms that principle.
When the disbelievers request signs, it is only because they are seeking excuses for their disbelief, or to side-track the issue of worshipping only One God and rejecting their false gods 6:36"Only those accept who listen". Such people are heedless of the fact that signs cause the destruction of those that request then reject them. Their time of respite during which they are given opportunities to mend their evil ways expires and they are destroyed because such manifest sign leaves no more room for speculation.
So, as denoted in 17:59, it clearly is God's Mercy that prevents him from sending a miracle as per their immidiate request. The second part of the verse 17:59 says what kind of "ancients" reject signs. They were the Thamud who were destroyed when they transgressed in the matter of the she-camel, a sign they had requested then denied, regarding it to be mere intimidation and a pressure tactic 14:9-10,26:154-5. The prophecied punishement that befell them all of a sudden, while in their homes that consequently became their tombs, came as an overly exceeding 69:5 loud blast/sayha or lethal noise/saaiqa that caused a rajfat/shaking in them (shaking from a sound) 7:78,11:65-7,41:17.
A few generations later the people of Madyan to whom Shuayb was sent would suffer a similar fate 11:94,29:36-7. The ruins of the people of Thamud can still be seen up to this day 27:52,29:38 despite the passing of civilisations over them, including the Nabataeans who would later put their dead in these very homes once carved in mountains by the Thamud 26:149, thus extending upon these latter's original constructions. The Thamud themselves inherited the land from the nation of Aad to whom Hud was sent, and who were also visited by divine punishement in the form of an extreme windstorm, killing them, and that kept on blowing for several days and nights until their once imposing but now lifeless bodies in which they prided themselves were torn apart along with their achievements and possessions 7:73-4,11:50-60,41:13-18,51:41-2,54:19-20,69:6-7. Contrary to the devastation caused by nature or humans, when divine destruction is sent upon a people, it leaves no chance to anyone or anything meant to be annihilated, as here stated regarding the nations of Madyan and Thamud 11:95-100"As though they had never dwelt there...This is of the tidings of the towns (which) We relate to you; some of them are still standing and some have been mown down".
Archeology isnt conclusive regarding the Thamud, or as the Quran states concerning them in other ancient nations 14:9"None knows them but Allah". According to the encyclopedia britannica they are a people who probably originated in southern Arabia, with some moving northward and settling on the slopes of Mount Athlab while others remained towards the center as suggested through numerous Thamudic rock writings and pictures not only on Mount Athlab but also throughout central Arabia.
The example of Thamud is very relevant here because it is exactly the same scenario as with the Quraysh who were tauntingly demanding the prophet Muhammad for a sign. The verse isnt speaking of the sending of signs in general, but of the sending of signs as per the disbelievers' request. The verse is saying "We will not answer your request for a sign because people like you in the past did the same and when they got what they wanted they remained in denial so We had to destroy them as per the requirements of divine justice" ie "We are being merciful in not answering your request".
The Thamud had to leave her to drink freely in the intervals of time decreed for her, and then take their turn along with their cattle 54:27-9,17:59"and We gave to Samood the she-camel-- a manifest sign-- but on her account they did injustice". The camel was sent after a long time of respite and continuous taunting of their prophet, and when they rejected that sign which they themselves requested, they were destroyed. Before that, during their time of respite, they kept mockingly asking for the punishement to befall them and were urged to ask for forgiveness instead. As per the divine law concerning the prevailing of God's messengers and destruction of the die-hard rejecters, they were bound to perish at the expiration of their time of respite. This means they were bound to be destroyed whether or not their request for a sign was granted, so God used those people who were doomed in all case as an example for the following generations by accepting their request for a sign.
It is thus a mercy to these very people to whom prophets of all times were confronted, that God does not answer their request immidiately. Thus, it is in Quraysh's own interest that they do not emulate the preceding nations by keep demanding the prophet to send them a sign, instead of pondering on the message and the numerous signs observable daily that attest to the truth of his message. If Allah accepts their request, they may be subject to severe punishment - this subtly alludes to the gradual unfolding of the Quranic miracle, and His mercy in giving them respite to contemplate on the message and signs He sends or directs them at.
This is an important aspect of miracles. If God chooses to manifest one through his prophets or by other means, it establishes the tremendous responsibility of those that witness it because its rejection causes God's retribution to inevitably descend at the appropriate time by those who persist in their denial, if not immidiately on those who made the request for a sign then rejected it. In the context of reminding the ISraelites for the signs they were shown, the Quran states 44:33"And We gave them of the signs that in which there was an obvious trial".
God therefore clearly warns those who demand it as a challenge or mockery, that they are in fact inviting their own doom 40:78"and it was not meet for a messenger that he should bring a sign except with Allah's permission, but when the command of Allah came, judgment was given with truth, and those who treated (it) as a lie were lost". When the tables descended for Jesus and the Apostles 5:112-5, God warned the Apostles, through Jesus, that if they turned away after this, they would face a punishment unlike what others would normally face because it came at their own request. This is an observable reality through the history of the Jewish people and the severity of their punishements that were collective and at the height of the miracles they witnessed and sometimes requested as a community. As Jesus said, the entire nation will be held accountable for the death of the prophets although not all of them physically took part in their murder Matt14:10,17:l2,Lk11:47-51. It is even reported that the Jews arrogantly and defiently accepted that concept of collective punishment Matt27:25.
The prophet Muhammad is thus told that if he could not bare patiently for a miracle to manifest itself then let him go up himself to the skies if he can, and bring them the sign they demand for them to have faith as they alledge 6:35"seek an opening (to go down) into the earth or a ladder (to ascend up) to heaven so that you should bring them a sign and if Allah had pleased He would certainly have gathered them all on guidance". That purpose of raising a new community to be the living spiritual torch of mankind succeeded towards the end of the prophet's life, when the pagan Arab tribes professed faith almost in one body after the peaceful conquest of Mecca, when the Kaaba was cleansed from the rule of the polytheists and another people raised in their stead 14:13-14,6:133-4"Surely what you are threatened with must come to pass and you cannot escape it". That is because in a universal system based on Truth, falsehood is bound to perish 34:49,21:16-8,14:19"Do you not see that Allah created the heavens and the earth with truth? If He please He will take you off and bring a new creation".
Ultimately this new people, the Muslims, were made successors in the land while being warned that if they transgress they will be swiftly requited and replaced by the One encompassing them as He encompasses the whole earth, capable of establishing a better creation instead of them, if not just as good as they regard their own make, implying the ease with which He could reproduce man in his original form 6:165,70:40-1,76:28. Similar warnings were issued to the Israelites should they brake the covenant after He established them in the land and made them to inherit all of what their oppressors were enjoying ungratefully, including their lands 7:137,26:57-9,Deut8:19-20,Deut28-31, even causing them to forcefully replace powerful people in their own lands because of their wickedness Deut9 just as some of the previous nations that rejected their prophets were destroyed and another nation raised in their stead as trustees of God's favors 10:71-3,44:26,7:69,74,137,100"Is it not clear to those who inherit the earth after its (former) residents that if We please We would afflict them on account of their faults".
The HB uses a very appropriate metaphore to describe that reality, picturing a sacred land becoming sick of its inhabitants' practices to the point it cannot contain them anymore Lev18:24-8"Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants..." Lev20:22-3"And you shall observe all My statutes and all My ordinances, and fulfill them, then the Land, to which I am bringing you to dwell therein, will not vomit you out. You shall not follow the practices of the nation that I am sending away from before you, for they committed all these [sins], and I was disgusted with them".
The prophet Solomon Prov2:21-22 and before him David spoke of that reality Ps37:9-11"evildoers shall be cut off, and those who hope for the Lord-they will inherit the land. A short while longer and the wicked man is not here, and you shall look at his place and he is not there. But the humble shall inherit the land, and they shall delight in much peace".
The heritage of the earth in this worldly life is neither permanent nor everlasting. It is merely bestowed as a trial for different communities. On the other hand, the ultimate and everlasting heritage of the "land" will only be bestowed in the Hereafter to the righteous believers 21:105,39:73-4.
The Quran contains information about previous prophets and their nations, divine realities which were often unknown to Muhammad and/or his addressees, and many times forgotten for long by all people previously to the revelation of the Quran 3:44,4:113,11:49,12:102,19:34. The final revelation has remained preserved as prophecied 15:9, which is actually the reverse that one would normally expect considering the history of tampering, corruption and neglect of religious scriptures, let alone the fact that the Quran was introduced by an illiterate, to an equally illiterate nation that overwhelmingly stood against him and his book, and on top of all had no tradition of written transmitted text. Not only has it not perished and disappeared as per the prophecy, it has survived in its pristine form, again, as predicted 41:41-42. The necessary fulfilement of that pledge is directly linked to the prophecied discontinuation of prophethood after Muhammad 33:40. This prediction, a negative prediction thus much more difficult to be truthful, like many others in the Quran goes against what is normally expected, which is that God should continue sending His prophets to mankind as He did many times before. There are no reasons to assume that the generations and nations that preceded Muhammad were more entitled to heavenly messages than those after him, especially considering the overwhelming place materialism has taken in our age versus spirituality. The more time passes, the more it is proven true, if we bear in mind the maximum gap of years between prophets of the past.
The Quran successfully prophecises events that have already occured, such as the unthinkable defeat of the Romans and their revenge afterwards 30:2-4, the prophet's victorious return to Mecca following his exile at a time when none could have imagined for such an outcome to materialize 28:85,48:27 as is the case with the early predictions of overall triumph and establishement of Islam 24:55 no matter the intensity and will to extinguish its light (including by a combined assault from the hostile elements within Arabia as well as the 2 adjacent superpowers of the time -the Byzantine and Persian empires- which were all defeated soon after the prophecy. Islam reigned supreme within a century later, from the Atlantic Ocean to India) 9:32-3,48:28,61:8-9, the unflinshing divine protection of the prophet who is in addition urged to continue transmitting the message in the midst of the turmoil 5:70. In what seems to be referring to the future event where the believers will be standing in ranks (either in prayer or in war, but in all cases, the word implies a high number), repelling evil (of oppression and sin) and reciting the Reminder, the Quran makes a forcefull prophetic statement of victory which is in itself testimony to the gist of the Quranic message; divine unity 37:1-4. This prophetic oath is later reinforced in the same sura, as well as in many other Quranic passages, when referring to God's promise of divine assistance to His messengers and their followers, opposite the destruction of their enemies and rejecters, placing Muhammad inside a well-known established pattern in the prophetic history 37:171-182,54:9-45etc.
The Quran also predicted the severe divine chastisement of the Jewish nation in a similar manner as was twice done in antiquity 17:4-7. This could only be refering to their near-decimation during the 2nd world war.
The Quran has pointed and explained the implications of many signs which exist in the world around and within man 2:115,12:105,31:20 continuously unfolding themselves before him -as denoted with the present progressive tense 41:53- calling him to ponder on the smallest details which are the true miracles happening everyday under his eyes and proof of divine presence. This is the particularity of the Quranic argument, to grasp things, concepts, phenomena which the human sees and experiences on a near daily basis, and teaches him the right angle from which to perceive them. Therefore a person who never views a supernatural wonder, per the Quran, can attain a much higher superiority in the eyes of God that those that did, because they believed only through their intellect and reason 2:118"Indeed We have made the signs clear for a people who are sure". When such signs fail to convince people's hearts and set right their vision, then it means such people cannot perceive the divine presence 10:101"Consider what is it that is in the heavens and the earth; and signs and warners do not avail a people who would not believe". Therefore, and as Jesus stated regarding the wicked Pharisees, why would God manifest a sign to those who reject the innumerable wonders evidence of His existence and whose hearts are devoid of faith 6:109-110"And they swear by Allah with the strongest of their oaths, that if a sign came to them they would most certainly believe in it. Say: Signs are only with Allah; and what should make you know that when it comes they will not believe? And We will turn their hearts and their sights, even as they did not believe in it the first time, and We will leave them in their inordinacy, blindly wandering on".
The Quran confirms and upholds the miracles performed by past prophets as signs of God's power, mercy, wisdom, and reitirates the fact that God exalted some prophets above others in certain particular fields. The Quran does not denigrate or deny these miracles and the exalted status of some prophets, in order to justify the fact that Muhammad like many other prophets even of the HB did not perform great wonders such as those of Moses or Jesus.
Reason 2
Historical error: Mohamed mixes up Miriam and the Virgin Mary in the Bible
There are no records in scriptures of the past as to who Mary's parents were. The Quran says Mary's mother was married to a man named Imran 3:35. There is an absurd accusation that the Quran makes an anachronistic error because it names Mary's father Imran, who also happens to be the father of another Mary that lived centuries prior in the Bible. As if people within a tribe dont share the same names, or that for example Zechariah is the only prophet to hold that name or that Joseph who is believed by Christians to be Mary's husband was the first man ever among Israel to bear that name? Or was Mary actually married to the Joseph who ruled Egypt? There are many instances within the Bible to corroborate for example Jethro's 7 different names are shared by other people too, some of them were his contemporaries and others came after him. Same thing with Elihu ben Barachel, whose name many people share over different generations for example the prophet Samuel's great-grandfather 1Sam1:1, a brother of the prophet King David 1Chron27:18, a chief of the Manasheh tribe 1Chron12:20 and a descendant of Korah 1Chron26:7.
In her pregnancy, Imran's pious wife vowed to offer what was in her womb to the devotion of God 3:35 as denoted with "muharraran" to mean that the child is free of any other obligation or attachment. She desired a male whom she wanted to follow in the footsteps of the priestly family, living in devotion to God and serving Him in the Temple. This religious function was prescribed exclusively for the male descendants of the Levites branch. It was Harun/Aaron who is said to have initiated that function for the Israelites Ex28:1,29,40:13,Lev8,1:3,Num3:10,18:4-7 and renewed again by Phinehas Numbers25:13.
But when she brought forth a female whom she thought wouldnt be able to live up to her spiritual expectations and duties in the Temple, she was explained that her excellence would go far beyond any hopes and desires she had entertained 3:36"God had been fully aware of what she would give birth to, and [fully aware] that no male child [she might have hoped for] could ever have been like this female". She named her Maryam and invoked Allah's protection on her and her offspring 3:36. Maryam was orphaned early on which is why she was given at a young age to one of God's prophets, Zakariyya, for care 3:37,44.
God received Mary's mother's prayers and manifested them in the best way; under Zakariya's close guardianship, she was taken care of to develop physically and spiritually. The Arabic in 3:37 uses a beautiful imagery saying literally "her nurturing Lord accepted her with beautiful reception, and made her planted a good planting, and He made Zachariah to take care of her". Mary remained in total devotion to God, mostly practicing worship in seclusion in her own private area of prayers, almihrab (the root H-R-B means war or distancing and separation. It also means the person’s money or the most important place in the house. ALMIHRAB is used to mean the most private part of the house, or the most important part of the house and the place of prayer is included within that meaning).
A priest's daughter or "Bat-Kohen" is considered unique compared to the other Israelite daughters. A uniqueness due -amongst other attributes such as scrupulous modesty thereby portraying the values of maintaining a life dedicated to holiness- to her inherent ability to cope with above average and even intense levels of spirituality due to her upbringing by a Kohen/priest, whose life is dedicated to God's service.
Since Mary belonged to the priestly caste, whose founder was the renowned Harun, she was associated to him with the metaphorical phrase "sister of Harun" by the slanderers 19:27-28. This was to stress the shamefulness of her act in relation to the illustruous names in her family, most relevant to her status as a priest's daughter.
There has been a claim that the Quran made an anachronistic error by mistaking Mary/Miriam Jesus' mother with Mary/Miriam Aaron's and Moses' sister spoken of in the Bible in and who lived long before. Putting aside the fact that such critics, mainly from a Judeo-Christian background forget that such phraseologies have always been used by Israelites, including Jesus when he stated that, regardless of time and space Mk3:35"Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother". What these critics need to consider is that, had this been true, why does the verse not depict these Jewish slanderers as resorting to the weigthiest of all arguments by singling out her other alleged brother, Moses who is mentionned in the same sentence together with Aaron, as Miriam's brother in the text from whence the Quran's author supposedly copied from Num26:59? He in addition is the sole prophet who, according to the Jewish tenets of faith up to this day, they must recognize as the greatest of all. Jewish tradition and scriptures repeatedly describe him as having superior authority, prestige and prophetic experience as echoed even in the Quran, and here are those very Jews pointing to Harun instead, a mere support and assistant of Moses, who lacked authority among his people to the point they rebelled against him in Moses' absence and even indulged in polytheism under his watch, with their scriptures even painting him as among the instigaters of the transgression?
The mentionning of Harun instead of the greater names in Mary's alleged contemporary family such as Moses, demonstrates it cannot be speaking of her literal, physical sisterhood but rather to her metaphorical descendency from a specific branch whose founder was Harun, and who had established a cast inside which a woman was supposed to represent the highest standards of chastity and piety through her spiritual devotion and impeccable upringing by a priest.
The other attack against the Quran, that it should have said "daughter of Harun" as is usally done when speaking of the descendant of an illustruous character is nonsensical in that context since the verse also speaks in one breath of her biological parents who have passed away. Had the Quran used "daughter of Harun" instead it would have confused the sentence and implied that Harun was her biological FATHER "O DAUGHTER of Harun! Your FATHER was not an evil human, nor was your mother unchaste". That argument not only is nonsensical syntactically but also shoots down the critics' own argument since it invalidates their claim that the Quran confounded Mary/Miriam (Jesus' mother) with the Miriam who was Aaron's biological SISTER and lived long before.
Also, the Quran speaks of Mary and Jesus as coming after Moses, clearly in a context where countless generations of messengers succeeding eachother seperates them 2:87,3:50,5:43-46,etc which again negates the claim it thought they were all contemporaries due to the supposed mixing of Maryam the mother of Jesus with Maryam the sister of Aaron and Moses mentionned in the Bible. Further, in the Quranic accounts surrounding Moses, Aaron, Jesus and Mary, the circumstances and locations are entirely different for the first 2 and the last 2, and the characters of both groups are never mixed in the same space and time nor do they interract, while they do interract among characters of the same group. For instance, Jesus and Mary are many times interracting, as is the case with Moses and Aaron yet we never see Jesus interracting with Moses or Aaron with Mary. Nor are Jesus and Mary ever seen in the same context and background as Moses and Aaron, and vice versa. Also, the Quran repeatedly speaks of Moses' sister, during the account of his infancy, without ever naming her Mary 20:40. Besides the contexts and timframes clearly seperating between Moses and Jesus, how could this already grown up "Mary" during Moses' infancy, be the same young Mary to give birth to Jesus many years later? There simply are too many converging factors, on a macro or micro-level, all indicating that the Quran was perfectly accurate, correct and aware of the usage of the phrase "sister of Harun" and its implications.
More importantly, contrary to Miriam the sister of Aaron and Moses in the Bible from where critics claim the Quran copied from, Mary the mother of Jesus was orphanned very early on per the Quran meaning that her relatives spoken of during her early years and beyond are those of people who have passed away. In 19:28, the slanderers appeal to her parents' righteousness in the past tense, because they have passed away at the time. Because of this, she had to be put under someone elses' guardianship namely the prophet Zakariya. Mary was orphaned so young and abruptly, and her importance to the eyes of the elders of the comunity so great, that her entourage, after casting lots to decide who would be her guardian, still obected and contended with one another 3:44. Such measures would've been useless had her close relatives, such as her alleged brothers Moses and Harun been alive in her early years, even outliving her as stated in the Bible.
As an aside, the guardianship spoken of 3:37 is the same as the one spoken of seven verses later 3:44 ending the passage relating the circumstances of Mary's birth, her re-location in the Temple under Zakariya's guardianship, and as he saw Mary's pious dedication and the manner in which God favored her, it created in him the desire for a righteous progeny, and the manner in which the angels would encourage Mary to elevate herself spiritually. The verse 3:44 is a parenthetic statement in a flowing discourse, as is found in many places within the Book, or in oral speeches in general, serving as a reminder that what was said earlier was unknown until now including the additional information that there was contention and dispute until the issue of Mary's guardianship was settled. The verse also serves as a leap forward in time, a transition from the earlier period of her life to the moment when the angels came to announce her future pregnancy 3:44"This is of the announcements relating to the unseen which We reveal to you. And you were not with them when they cast their pens (to decide) which of them should have Marium in his charge, and you were not with them when they contended one with another".
This common Quranic pattern of stressing the truthfulness of its own version of an event, mostly appears in regards to past occurences or issues transmitted in a convoluted, partial or obscured manner, or sometimes entirely forgotten, as is the case with the story of Yusuf and others 3:44,11:49,28:44,12:3,102"This is of the tidings of the unseen (which) We reveal to you, and you were not with them when they resolved upon their affair, and they were devising plans".
Fernando wrote:Thank you Eagle, for that mammoth work. I'm afraid it's far too much for me to study in detail at the moment but perhaps it will be the source for many discussion to come.
So I'll just pick up on one point that interested me straight away: you say
"ayyam/indefinite period of time" and quote for example 7:54. When I look this up, the translations I find have it meaning days. Obviously, it makes your apologitics more effective if it really does mean an indefinite period, but why should that be accepted in preference to days?
Fernando wrote:Thank you Eagle, for that mammoth work. I'm afraid it's far too much for me to study in detail at the moment but perhaps it will be the source for many discussion to come.
So I'll just pick up on one point that interested me straight away: you say
"ayyam/indefinite period of time" and quote for example 7:54. When I look this up, the translations I find have it meaning days. Obviously, it makes your apologitics more effective if it really does mean an indefinite period, but why should that be accepted in preference to days?
Well, if he will pour salt into his wound...Centaur wrote:Fernando wrote:Thank you Eagle, for that mammoth work. I'm afraid it's far too much for me to study in detail at the moment but perhaps it will be the source for many discussion to come.
So I'll just pick up on one point that interested me straight away: you say
"ayyam/indefinite period of time" and quote for example 7:54. When I look this up, the translations I find have it meaning days. Obviously, it makes your apologitics more effective if it really does mean an indefinite period, but why should that be accepted in preference to days?
yeah if you are interested in a deceptive post copy posted from somewhere which does not address the main points made in the video. The video is good and irrefutable only a muslim who wants to shoot himself on the foot would post it here.
Hombre wrote: trying to justify every none sense written in the Quran
Eagle wrote:Hombre wrote: trying to justify every none sense written in the Quran
It is a good occasion to point 1 nonsensical propostion in the Quran
It took 500 years and endless scientific research by many people to derive the theory of the big bang and subject of Astrophysics.Eagle wrote:Hombre wrote: trying to justify every none sense written in the Quran
It is a good occasion to point 1 nonsensical proposition in the Quran
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