Clear Proofs of Mohammad

Many proponents of both Islam and nominal Christianity seem to believe that God is engaged in a titanic struggle against the forces of evil. They seem to believe that God will lose this struggle unless His followers do everything in their power to fight on His behalf; such ignorance and arrogance is almost beyond belief. In these latter-days of man’s futility the scourge of radical Islam is threatening to bring about the holocaust so feared by many; and to their eternal shame and damnation, they carry out their atrocities in the name of God. But what has any of this to do with God, or with the teachings of Mohammad?

From the recorded dissertations of the Prophet Mohammad (i.e. the Koran), he is quoted as saying: “Whoever will see, will see; whoever will be blind, will be blind; and he is not a keeper over you!” Nevertheless, many of the leaders and clerics of modern-day Islam teach a form of religious ruthlessness which in no way emulates the wisdom and mercy of Almighty God -- or the teachings of Mohammad. I readily admit that much of that which is recorded in the Koran can be very difficult to understand; but why should there be such confusion over the many plainly spoken words and teachings of Mohammad?

Sura 6.104 “Indeed there have come to you clear proofs from your Lord; whoever will therefore see, it is for his own soul and whoever will be blind, it shall be against himself and I am not a keeper over you.”

If the followers of Islam accept the truth of these words, why do they continue to show such virulent hatred towards those who do not (or cannot) believe? Has God not blinded the unbeliever because it His will that (at this time) they should not understand? If there are followers of Islam (or Christianity) who take it upon themselves to force their beliefs upon others, have they not placed their own will against the will of God?

Sura 6.25 “And of them is he who hearkens to you, and We have cast veils over their hearts lest they understand it and a heaviness into their ears; and even if they see every sign they will not believe in it; so much so that when they come to you they only dispute with you; those who disbelieve say: This is naught but the stories of the ancients.”

Now notice the parallel teaching from the Bible:

Isaiah 6:9-10 “And [the Lord] said, ‘Go, and tell this people, ‘Hear indeed, but understand not; and see indeed, but perceive not.’ Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and be healed.’”

Mohammad, the Holy Prophet of Islam, came to his people as an apostle of God to teach them in their own Arabic language the truths and mysteries of God as he (Mohammad) understood those truths. Nevertheless, he tells us time and time again in the writings of the Koran that at this time God is not trying to convert all of the people. God decides who shall understand; and God blinds the minds and hearts of those He does not want to understand -- may God forgive those who would force their own beliefs upon others.

Sura 14.4 “And We did not send any apostle but with the language of his people, so that he might explain to them clearly; then Allah makes whom He pleases err and He guides whom He pleases and He is the Mighty, the Wise.”

Sura 29.18 “And if you reject (the truth), nations before you did indeed reject (the truth); and nothing is incumbent on the apostle but a plain delivering (of the message).”

If you take time to search the teachings of the Koran you will find many such statements. Time and time again Mohammad tells us he is only an apostle of God/Allah, sent out to preach and teach God’s truths to his own people in their own Arabic language; and nothing is incumbent on the apostle but a plain delivering of the message.

What I also want to share with you is my belief that Mohammad tried to teach that which he had come to understand of the writings of the prophets and the Patriarchs; writings preserved for us in the Holy Scriptures of God and referred to in these latter days as the Bible.

Sura 29.16 to 29.27 “And We sent Ibrahim [Abraham], when he said to his people: Serve Allah and be careful of (your duty to) Him; this is best for you, if you did but know: and Lut [Lot] believed in Him, and he said: I am fleeing to my Lord, surely He is the Mighty, the Wise. And We granted [to] him [i.e. to Abraham] Ishaq [Isaac] and Yaqoub [Jacob/Israel], and caused the prophethood and the book to remain in his seed, and We gave him his reward in this world, and in the hereafter he will most surely be among the good.”

These words of Mohammad make the book of the Koran one of the major sources of confirmation for the legitimacy of Isaac! The Koran tells us many times that the inheritance passed from Abraham, through Isaac, then through Jacob/Israel to the children of Israel -- at no time do the promises of inheritance pass from Abraham through the line of Ishmael to the Arab peoples.

Perhaps it is time the teachers of Islam began to more perfectly heed the words of their own Prophet: “We granted him Ishaq [Isaac] and Yaqoub [Jacob/Israel], and caused the prophethood and the book to remain in his seed!” ---- Mohammed was not of the seed of Isaac or of Jacob/Israel. It may be argued that whereas “the book” was passed down through the seed of Abraham through Isaac, then Jacob/Israel, then Judah (hence the Jewish people); the prophethood need not have exclusively followed that same path. It is possible that the prophethood may also have passed from Abraham through Ishmael (Abraham’s first-born son and father of the Arab peoples) as well as through Isaac and Jacob/Israel; nevertheless:

Sura 32.23 to 32.25 “And certainly We gave the Book to Musa [Moses] so be not in doubt concerning the receiving of it, and We made it a guide for the children of Israel. And We made of them Imams to guide by Our command when they were patient, and they were certain of Our communications. Surely your Lord will judge between them on the day of resurrection concerning that wherein they differ.”

Mohammed was speaking to his own people, in their own Arabic language, when he said; “We gave the Book to [Moses] ... and We made it a guide for the children of Israel.” Note this carefully: “…and We made it a guide for the children of Israel!” The proponents of modern-day Islam teach that God/Allah has assured the providence of the Koran; does He not offer that same assurance of providence to the words recorded in “the Book” (i.e. the Bible) as clear proofs from your Lord? Does Mohammad not speak in God’s name when he says: “...so be not in doubt concerning the receiving of it”?

Sura 33.7 “And when We made a covenant with the prophets and with you, and with Nuh [Noah] and Ibrahim [Abraham] and Musa [Moses] and Isa, son of Marium [Jesus, son of Mary], and We made with them a strong covenant.”

Throughout the Koran there is great importance placed on the Patriarchs of the Bible. Do the modern day followers of Islam ever reference the Bible in order to more fully understand who and what these Patriarchs were? To this point in time I have been unable to find anyone with whom I can openly and intelligently discuss the many questions I have about the Koran and the teachings of modern-day Islam. This is not surprising; to this point in time I have been unable to find even one Christian minister with whom I may openly and intelligently discuss the many questions I have about the Bible and the teachings of modern-day Christianity -- and in this I include the ministers of the many different and differing end-time Churches of God!

Preaching Jonah and the Whale

Sura 34.34 “And We never sent a warner to a town but those who led lives in ease in it said: We are surely disbelievers in what you are sent with.”

In sura 37.139 to 37.148 you will find the story of Jonah who was sent to the city of Ninevah with a warning. The Koran tells us that the people of Ninevah did indeed heed his warning; and they repented with sack-cloth and ashes. Therefore, contrary to the statement made in Sura 34.34 there was at least one town where the people repented of their sins, heeding the words of a warner. This is just one of several examples where a story recorded in the Koran seems to contradict other stories recorded in the Koran; even those relating to the same event. However, the possibility exists that only when Jonah first arrived did “those who led lives in ease” in the city of Nineveh tell Jonah “We are surely disbelievers in what you are sent with.”

Sura 37.139 to 37.148 “And Yunus [Jonah] was most surely of the apostles. When he ran away to a ship completely laden, so he shared (with them), but was of those who are cast off. So the fish swallowed him while he did that for which he blamed himself but had it not been that he was of those who glorify (Us), he would certainly have tarried in its belly to the day when they are raised. Then We cast him on to the vacant surface of the earth while he was sick. And We caused to grow up for him a gourd plant. And We sent him to a hundred thousand, rather they exceeded. And they believed, so We gave them provision till a time.”

I raise this account of Jonah and the great fish for a very specific purpose: Those who have a more perfect understanding of the biblical story of Jonah may see this Qur’anic rendition as overly simplistic. And yet, I challenge you to deny the truth that the story of Jonah as told by the Prophet Mohammad is no less perfect than that which may be heard each and every Sunday morning from the pulpits and/or Sunday Schools of thousands of nominal Christian Churches throughout the world.

In what way does Mohammad portray this story any differently than the stories told by ministers and teachers of the so-called “Christian” Churches? Perhaps the difference lies in the fact that Mohammad has a more perfect understanding of the coming resurrection than do most so-called “Christian” ministers. Notice: “...but had it not been that he was of those who glorify (Us), he [Jonah] would certainly have tarried in [the belly of the great fish] to the day when they are raised.”

Forced Conversion of the Infidel

Whoever submits himself wholly to Allah fulfills the definition of the word “Muslim” i.e. a follower of “Islam.” Unfortunately, in many ways the modern teaching of Islam is in contradiction to the teachings of God as those teachings are recorded in the Koran. Anyone who would deny this need only read and consider the following passage:

Sura 31.22 to 31.23 “And whoever submits himself wholly to Allah and he is the doer of good (to others), he indeed has taken hold of the firmest thing upon which one can lay hold; and Allah’s is the end of affairs. And whoever disbelieves, let not his disbelief grieve you; to Us is their return, then will We inform them of what they did; surely Allah is the Knower of what is in the breasts.

It is God/Allah who will teach disbelievers the error of their ways in the day of His own choosing. It is not the business of any man to take upon himself that which Allah has taken for himself: “And whoever disbelieves let not his disbelief grieve you.” Many modern day followers of Islam, in their own self-righteous indignation, have taken it upon themselves to condemn others for the way they do or do not follow God’s teachings -- this is a right which belongs to no one but God!

Sura 35.23 to 35.25 “You are naught but a warner. Surely We have sent you with the truth as a bearer of good news and a warner; and there is not a people but a warner has gone among them. And if they call you a liar, so did those before them indeed call (their apostles) liars; their apostles had come to them with clear arguments, and with scriptures, and with the illuminating book.”

How many times did Mohammed try to convince his people without them being able to understand? How many times does Mohammed try to teach his followers today, through the words of the Koran, without them being able to understand? Listen carefully to the words of Mohammed: “…their apostles had come to them with clear arguments, and with scriptures, and with the illuminating book.”

The clear arguments of the apostles were being offered long before the preaching of Mohammed! The scriptures being used to produce those clear arguments were being used long before the preaching of Mohammed! The illuminating book used to produce those clear arguments was being used long before the preaching of Mohammed. And all that Mohammad refers to in this passage took place long before the Qur’anic record of his preaching!

Sura 39.18 “Those who listen to the word, then follow the best of it; those are they whom Allah has guided, and those it is who are the men of understanding. Allah has revealed the best announcement, a book conformable in its various parts, repeating, whereat do shudder the skins of those who fear their Lord, then their skins and their hearts become pliant to the remembrance of Allah; this is Allah’s guidance, He guides with it whom He pleases; and (as for) him whom Allah makes err, there is no guide for him.

The apostles of the early “church” of God were taught directly by the man we know as Jesus. They warned against men who would claim divine authority and said, as did the Apostle Paul to the people of Corinth, that even the apostles themselves did not have “dominion” over the people’s faith but were instead to be helpers of their joy. Look it up at Second Corinthians 1:23-24 and read it for yourself.

Sura 2.62 Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Last day and does good, they shall have their reward from their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve.

Mohammed and the Koran certainly make allowance for those who are followers of Christ, those who are Jews, those who believe in the Last Day, and those who try to do good [works] in their lives. Is Mohammad not telling his people there are Jews and/or Christians who’s devotion and obedience to God is such that their forced conversion to Islam is unnecessary? In fact, is he not suggesting that there are Jews and/or Christians who conform to the very definition of the word “Islam” in that they have chosen to submit themselves and their very lives to God?

Note: Over the next two weeks I hope to discuss the question of the Elijah to come; did the spirit and power of John’s ministry fulfill this prophecy? Some present-day ministers of God actually believe and teach that Herbert Armstrong fulfilled the prophecy of the end-time Elijah; but can this be true? It is my belief that we still await the return of the prophesied Elijah -- but will we be able to recognize him when he does appear? I truly believe in the possibility that nothing I have thus far published to this blogsite is as important to our collective understanding than the true identification of the one who came (and shall yet come) in the “Spirit and Power of Elijah.”