Thank you for your information, Abdallah.
1) Thank you, that clears up a bit.
2) Though I'd known about much of what you described, I wanted clarification from a Muslim. Appreciate it. Likewise with 3).
4) Though I may disagree about whether or not is has been accurately preserved, I appreciate the information. (Not attempting to get into a debate, merely stating my opinion)
5) and 6) - I will read those this week, thank you. As for the translation, that may help a bit more.
5) and 6) - I will read those this week, thank you. As for the translation, that may help a bit more.
If I may ask a few more questions?
To be sure, the reason my email response is rather short is due to the fact it is early in the morning and just returned home from a elsewhere, otherwise I may be sociable, so I apologize if my response seems short.
1) What can you tell me about Sikhism? From what I understand, Guru Nanak sought to create a hybrid religion of Hinduism and Islam, but ended up creating a separate religion. I know a few things about Sikhism, but perhaps you know a bit more about it.
2) What can you tell me about Baha'i? I understand it originally stemmed from Shi'ite Islam, but Mirza Husaym Ali declared himself to be the manifestation of God and proceeded to introduce a new religion, in which the followers believe that all religions are essentially equal. What do you know of it?
3) Can you tell me what the Qu'ran says about the attributes of Allah? For example, if someone were to ask me what the Old and New Testament said about God, I would point them to passages about being a God of love yet at the same time having the nature of a judge, to judge sin. In terms of the Qu'ran, what does it tell us about Allah?
4) What do you, all arguments aside, believe about Christianity and the Christian Jesus, and why?
5) This one may come across a bit odd: what do you know of/think about the Book of Mormon? I am not Mormon, merely seeking your opinion. It is not often I get to speak with a Muslim, not that you are the only one, but as I said, you are the only one I know who has a passion for what you believe.
Though I may also disagree about Christ as God, since from my Ministry you can determine that we defend the deity of Christ and the Trinity as one God (much like a pyramid - one, but three sides yet at the same time one), I understand that Islam views this as worship of three distinct gods, but that is not my view.
Again, I do not seek to enter into a debate about whether or not Jesus was God, claimed to be God, or the like, I am merely seeking your opinion/answers on the questions I asked. If you wish to discuss the deity of Christ, by all means, I am willing, but not at this point in time.
Thank you again for your reply, Abdallah, it means a lot that you are taking the time to answer my questions. As for overwhelming me, not to worry, write what you need to, I will read as much as you write. I am glad to know someone whom I can speak to about these things.
It seems this email has gotten a bit longer than I anticipated.
I do have one more question, however: what is the Muslim view of life after death? If there is Heaven and Hell, what determines whether or not you go to Hell, and what determines whether or not you go to Heaven, in the Muslim worldview? Thank you again for your time, Abdallah. I am merely seeking answers, and I certainly appreciate it. God bless you!
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Abdallah Reply:
Dear Friend,
I hope that I can answer on all your questions, but I will try my best:
1- Skihism, Baha’i, Mormon, etc.., I don’t know much more than what you’ve stated above, but I will tell you something else:
Once Prophet Muhammad was walking with his companions, then he stopped and drew on the sand a long straight line, then he drew small lines to the left and right of the straight line, then he said:
The straight line is the path of God and the small lines are the other ways, on each one there is a devil, then he recited the following:
"And verily, this (i.e. Allâh's Commandments) is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His Path. This He has ordained for you that you may become Al-Muttaqûn (the pious)." (6:153)
I wish that you can read the following article on my blog: Why Islam is different? It will show you the criteria that differentiate the right path from other paths:
Please bear in mind, that there must be ONE straight path between the human and his creator, it’s impossible that there are multiple paths, as ALLAH doesn’t want us to be diverted and fight each others. It’s possible that all religions in the world has a divine resource that came from but they were diverted from the straight path, due to the ignorance of the following generations and dying of the people who has the true knowledge, ALLAH says:
Lo! We have sent thee with the Truth, a bearer of glad tidings and a warner; and there is not a nation but a warner hath passed among them. [35:24]
And in one of Prophet Muhammad’s Hadith, he mentioned that even Zoroastrianism were people of scripture and they had book from God.
But the Satan and his followers divert them from the right path by his evil steps, one after one and through generations, such as:
Five pious men who were very well known, their people came to them asking to pray for them for healing or for profit or others, when they died later on, their people were used to visit their graves, but after generations, the devil came to them, and ask them why you have to go to their graves every time you want to pray, make images for them so you don’t forget them, and ask these images their spirits will hear you for sure, generations later on, they make statues instead of images, then they worshiped them, and by this way they were diverted to worship idols instead of God, and this what happened with people of Noah, it took 10,000 years by Satan to divert the people from praying to God to pray to idols from stones !!
The same could happen to other religions, like people saying fear God, fear from going into hellfire, after generations, they forget God, and remember only the fire, so they worshiped the fire.
Others were used to say fear God, who can see you from above, generations later, they forget the God and remembered from above alone, then they started to worship the moon and other planets.
Others were used to say worship God who knows everything, generations later, they forget the God, and thought that he is in everything, then they worshiped everything, every moving spirits, including cows and rats, and others.
Because of that ALLAH says:
O mankind! Eat of that which is lawful and wholesome in the earth, and follow not the footsteps of the devil. Lo! he is an open enemy for you. [2:168]
3- About ALLAH attributes:
The Quran is the book of God, and you will find almost in each page if not in each verse an attribute of God, you don’t need to search, just open any page and read it..
I wrote an article about God attributes on my blog, I wish if you can read it, it’s very interesting:
“ALLAH is the only God who is Worthy to Worship, by Name, by Definition and by Attributes” on
ALLAH is the only God and the sole Creator of the whole universe without any partner and with any help from any one, he is the ruler and the judge, I will paste to you a Hadith that describe God by his own words what he wants from us: Abu Dharr reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said:
“My servants, I have made oppression unlawful for Me and unlawful for you, so do not commit oppression against one another.
My servants, all of you are liable to err except one whom I guide on the right path, so seek right guidance from Me so that I should direct you to the right path.
O My servants, all of you are hungry (needy) except one whom I feed, so beg food from Me, so that I may give that to you.
O My servants, all of you are naked (need clothes, i.e. money) except one whom I provide garments, so beg clothes from Me, so that I should clothe you.
O My servants, you commit error night and day and I am there to pardon your sins, so beg pardon from Me so that I should grant you pardon.
O My servants, you can neither do Me any harm nor can you do Me any good.
O My servants, even if the first amongst you and the last amongst you and even the whole of human race of yours, and that of Jinn even, become (equal in) God-conscious like the heart of a single person amongst you, nothing would add to My Power.
O My servants, even if the first amongst you and the last amongst you and the whole human race of yours and that of the Jinn too in unison become the most wicked (all beating) like the heart of a single person, it would cause no loss to My Power.
O My servants, even if the first amongst you and the last amongst you and the whole human race of yours and that of jinn also all stand in one plain ground and you ask Me and I confer upon every person what he asks for, it would not, in any way, cause any loss to Me (even less) than that which is caused to the ocean by dipping the needle in it.
My servants, these are your deeds that I shall reward you for them, so he who deeds of yours which I am recording finds good should praise Allah and he who does not find that should not blame anyone but his ownself.”
4- What do I believe about Christianity and Jesus Christ?
Jesus Christ, is one of the mightiest messengers of God, and as all messengers of God they were muslims and call for Islam that to submit someone’s will to God’s will, and the proof he was a muslim is in the bible:
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. [Mathew 7:21]
He was not crucified as Christian claims but was saved by God and raised to 2nd heaven where he will be waiting for his second return, as ALLAH will not leave us alone in face of the Anti-Christ and all the devils with him (especially the beast).
About Christianity as religion:
I will be honest with you and tell you what I believe about Christianity and please don’t be angry from me; I will not answer diplomatically but very frankly.
Originally, Jesus had came with Islam to Children of Israel, but the diversion starts when Paul entered to the new religion, and first change was done when they agreed to cancel the “Circumcision” on the new converted people in the first council led by James brother of Jesus 20 years after him.
Within 3 centuries with continuous changes on this pure religion from God, it becomes completely different, it changed from worshiping one God to trinity, and they converted Jesus from “messenger of God” to “son of God”, copying what is in other pagan religions around Palestine and in Roman empire in this religion, and the First Council of Nicaea was a major step in this diversion to completely alter this religion.
As I said before, ALLAH will not leave his servants to get astray again by the devil so he sent to them his last messenger prophet Muhammad (PBUH), with preserved book for ever, and a promise of victorious religion.
Returning to Christianity, starting from 3rd century major changes had entered into religion, including Trinity and too much of evil beliefs, which costs the humanity a very expensive price to pay, every time I have to think in Christianity in medieval, the image of dark Europe which sank in blood, dirtiness, ignorance and sickness because of such beliefs, the People of religion tortured themselves by locking themselves in isolated monasteries with no women and families that really led them to madness, then they didn’t stop there but they imposed an insane laws on poor people and even on kings and princes of Europe, they killed many by their names and by their own interpretation of the bible.
I used to watch too many movies on such days, and I see the wars and the judgments done by the Church on its people, I really feel sad for what they’ve done, how much pain they caused for themselves and for their people, really feel sad…
God will never ask you to torture yourself, he is more merciful than a mother to her baby, and I’d like to tell the following Hadith describing the Mercy of God:
Once prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was walking with his campaigns and he saw a woman running like crazy, she lost her baby and she was searching for him, but then she found it, she hugged him, kissed him strongly, and then feed him from her breast with her love and passion.
The Prophet asked his campaigns, do you see this woman, will she throw her baby in fire?
They all answered: “NO, never, she loves her baby and never can do such thing !!”
Prophet says: “ALLAH is more merciful on his slaves, than this woman on her baby!!”
5- About the Book of Mormon?
I heard about Mormon, but I thought they were group of Christians, I watched once a movie about them, but it seems they push themselves too much over the human limit, and this against what ALLAH wants from us, he didn’t ask us to do such things or to be like Angels on Earth, even Angels can become angry sometimes.
About their book, it’s the first time that I hear that they have a book for them, but it will be very interesting to know one of them and start debating if we can, I will be very happy and it will be good experience for me too.
6- About Trinity?
ALLAH says clearly to all Christians:
O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning Allah save the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah, and His word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers, and say not "Three" - Cease! (it is) better for you! - Allah is only One Allah. Far is it removed from His Transcendent Majesty that He should have a son. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is sufficient as Defender. [4:171]
So, trinity is not from God..
About the pyramid, you mean an engineering structure which has 3 sides on ground and they all of the same nature “stones”.
But trinity is concept of having 3 different natures: God of divine, and Holy Ghost of spirit, and Jesus as human, all in One !!
Which impossible to be seen or even to imagine, can you imagine a creature which is half human, half animal and half tree !! These are 3 natures in One !!
Or even 3 from the same natures: such half lion, half fish, half bird, those are all animals, and you see how odd it will be, so how come it can be for GOD of 3 natures, divine, spirit and human !!
Believe me it’s just an extremely evil idea from Satan to divert people from worshiping really God.
If there is more than one God, then we have one of the following options:
- There is a big God who created the other smaller god or gods, as the others are being created then they are creatures like us, and never been Gods, as God is a creator NOT a created.
- If they were not created by one of them, and everyone has his own creation, so we will see such difference, they will show us, maybe they will divide us, this Earth for such human and other Earth for other humans or other kind of creation, but we never see such separation in creation.
- If there are different God, they must fight to control the universe for sure, similarly we can say: have you ever seen 2 presidents who both control the same country with same authority, or 2 CEO’s controlling the same company, or 2 Principals who are controlling the same school, so who will give the orders and who will obey, so how come we never see it or accept it in this life, so how we accept it to God !!
Allah says:
Allah hath not chosen any son, nor is there any god along with Him; else would each god have assuredly championed that which he created, and some of them would assuredly have overcome others. Glorified be Allah above all that they allege. [23:91]
Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Have ye thought on all that ye invoke beside Allah? Show me what they have created of the earth. Or have they any portion in the heavens? Bring me a scripture before this (Scripture), or some vestige of knowledge (in support of what ye say), if ye are truthful. [46:4]
7- About Heaven?
I will paste you the following answer that I wrote once for an atheist who asked me about Heaven:
“of course you know that we live in the “seen universe” which is around 13 billion years light long of the 95 billion years light long that was created on big bang time, this unseen universe is divided into 6 universes too, and Jesus is in the second one waiting his second return to Earth time (which is very close to our days time).
About the form of human body in heaven, it will be in a new form adapted to the new universe (paradise) laws physically, chemically & biologically..
Allah created this universe with certain laws and he is able to create another universe with different laws, and of these laws in heaven:
That our bodies do not generate waste from any food that we may eat in heaven, similarly to this life:
Our food = generates Energy + waste + restore some fat..
In Heaven food = generates Energy only..
About recreational activities, if you know the heaven wide is like the whole 7 universes, means it’s 95 billion years long, knowing that our Earth is only 0.014 second light long only, so imagine what there will be for each person inside the heaven and how much time you will spend just to see it all and roam inside it, and it’s divided in 100 degrees levels, between each 2 steps is like Earth and Stars, average 10,000 years light in height per each step..
Each “good” creation on Earth has a sample in heaven but completely different, when you will see in heaven it may remind you about what you have seen in Earth, but you will be much happy with it than before, it will be in much pleasant and more happiness, including wine..
In this life, wine = generates pleasure + destroy mind + destroy lever.
In Heaven wine = generates pleasure only and it will be running in rivers there, so you can swim and drink of it as much as you want..
Whatever you want or you wish or even more, the thing that can’t expect you will find it heaven, it’s enough to know that when Adam had descended to Earth he cried for his sin and for leaving the Heaven for 300 years, because of such loss..
Allah says about the people of Heaven that they don’t want ever ever to be out of it:
"Verily! those who believe and do righteous deeds, shall have the Gardens of Al-Firdaus (the Paradise) for their entertainment. (107) "Wherein they shall dwell (forever). No desire will they have for removal therefrom." (108) [Kahaf]
So, imagine how much happiness and pleasure there is…
About Sex, yes there will be as much as you want, but in which form, nobody knows but for sure much better than in this life.
8- About Hell?
I wrote once an article and I name it: “The way to hell” it includes most of what mentioned about hell in Quran, you can read it on:
9- Whether going to hell or heaven?
The answer is very simple, we are creatures who were created by a Creator..
Who is the one, the Creator?
Did Jesus ever say that he created the universe and created us the human? No, never..
Ok, Buddha? No, Krishan? No, Ba’al, No, etc…
He is Only ALLAH who said so, and he wrote that in his book too.
If you want you can check my blog again http://debatewithatheist.blogspot.com/ , there are many posts that describe how ALLAH described the creation of:
Universe, Earth, mountains, Oceans, winds, storms, clouds, day and night, Sun and moon, metals, iron, Oil, plants, and how all such descriptions match perfectly with science findings, which lead that ALLAH is the creator of this universe without any doubt.
Whether I am going to hell or to heaven?
For sure I don’t know, because my destiny is in God’s hands and nobody knows except him, but I hope and ask him always and a lot to include me among the accepted ones.
In general, Muslim faith must be within 2 limits: Hope & Fear.
Hope: that will be forgiven, and Fear: from being punished for our bad deeds in this life.
But, ALLAH promises that he may forgive anything except one thing only:
Verily, Allâh forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills; and whoever sets up partners with Allâh in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin. [4:48]
And to check that being Muslim is the safest side, please check my article too:
Finally, I would like to end my long reply with a Hadith that describes ALLAH mercy on the last muslim who never did good thing in his life, and is going to be purified in hell for his sins before going to heaven:
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105 Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: “The people asked the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him): Messenger of Allah, will we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection?
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) asked: Do you feel any trouble in seeing the moon on the night when it is full?
They said: Messenger of Allah, no.
He (the Messenger) further asked: Do you feel any trouble in seeing the sun, when there is no cloud over it? T
hey said: Messenger of Allah, no.
He (the Holy Prophet) said: Verily you would see Him like this (as you see the sun and the moon).
Allah will gather people on the Day of Resurrection and say: Let every people follow what they worshipped. Those who worshipped the sun would follow the sun, and those who worshipped the moon would follow the moon, and those who worshipped the devils would follow the devils. This Ummah (of Islam) alone would be left behind and there would be hypocrites too among it. Allah would then come to them in a form other than His own form, unrecognizable to them, and would say: I am your lord. They would say: We take refuge with Allah from you. We will stay here till our Lord comes to us, and when our Lord would come, we will recognize Him. Subsequently Allah would come to them in His own Form, recognizable to them, and say: I am your Lord. They would say: You are our Lord. And they would follow Him, and a bridge would be set over Hell; and I (the Holy Prophet) and my Ummah would be the first to pass over it; and none but the messengers would speak on that day, and the Prayer of the messengers on that day would be: O Allah! grant safety, grant safety!
In Hell, there would be long grapples like the thorns of Sa'dan. He (the Holy prophet) asked: Have you seen Sa'dan? They replied: Yes, Messenger of Allah. He said: Verily those (hooks) would be like the thorns of Sa'dan, but no one knows their size except Allah. These would seize people for their misdeeds. Some of them would escape for their (good) deeds, and some would be rewarded for their misdeeds till they get salvation.
When Allah would finish judging His bondsmen, and decide, out of His Mercy, to take out of Hell such people as He pleases. He would command the angels to bring out those who had not associated anything with Allah; to whom Allah decided to show mercy among those who would say: There is no god but Allah. They (the angels) would recognize them in the Fire by the marks of prostration, for Hell-Fire will devour everything (limb) of the sons of Adam except the marks of prostration. Allah has forbidden the Fire to consume the marks of prostration. They will be taken out of the Fire having been burnt, and the water of life would be poured over them, and they will sprout as seed does in the silt carried by flood. Then Allah would finish judging among His bondsmen; but a man who will be the last to enter Paradise will remain facing Hell and will say:
O my Lord! turn my face away from Hell, for its air has poisoned me and its blaze has burnt me. He will then call to Allah as long as Allah would wish that he should call to Him. T
hen Allah, Blessed and Exalted, would say: If I did that, perhaps you would ask for more than that. He would say: I would not ask You more than this, and he would give his Lord covenants and agreements as Allah wished, and so He would turn his face away from the Fire When he turns towards Paradise and sees it, he will remain silent as long as Allah wishes him to remain so.
He will then say: O my Lord! bring me forward to the gate of Paradise. Allah would say to him: Did you not give covenants and agreements that you would not ask for anything besides what I had given you. Woe to you! O son of Adam, how treacherous you are!
He would say: O my Lord! and would continue calling to Allah till He would say to him: If I grant you that, perhaps you will ask for more. He will reply: No, by Your greatness, and he will give His Lord promises and covenants as Allah had wished. He would then bring him to the gate of Paradise, and when he would stand at the gate of Paradise, it would lay open before him, and he would see the bounty and the joy that is in it.
He would remain quiet as Allah would desire him to remain silent. He would then say: O my Lord, admit me to Paradise. Allah, Blessed and Exalted, would say: Did you not give covenants and agreements that you would not ask for anything more than what I had granted you? Woe to you! son of Adam, how treacherous you are!
And he would say: O my Lord, I do not wish to be the most miserable of Your creatures. He would continue calling upon Allah till Allah, Blessed and Exalted, would laugh. When Allah would laugh at him, He would say: Enter Paradise. When he would enter, Allah would say: State your wish. He would express his wishes till Allah would remind him (the desire of) such and such (things). When his desires would be exhausted Allah would say: That is for you and, besides it, the like of it also. “
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Please take your time for reading what you can from the references that I forwarded to you and from Quran, and then take your time to think in what you’ve known till now about the Truth.
Take care my friend,
Abdallah,
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