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General Discussions / Brother Joseph, a little help here.. thanks!
« on: April 29, 2017, 04:16:11 AM »
As-salāmu 'alaykum brother Joseph!

I found this online, I would be grateful if you who have immense knowledge and have helped many people with your fabulous articles and of course, your time. Can you please read this and give some answers? JazakAllāh.



The aim of this article is to expose some ridiculous claims and failed challenges made by the Quran, and its constant appeal to human ignorance of science and worldly facts.

(I) Quran's self defeating challenge to find contradictions in it:

4:82 - Then do they not reflect upon the Qur'an? If it had been from [any] other than Allah , they would have found within it much contradiction.

The most interesting thing about this challenge is that one only needs to go back four verses to see how it fails miserably. Here we have back to back verses contradicting each other:

4:78 - Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, even if you should be within towers of lofty construction. But if good comes to them, they say, "This is from Allah "; and if evil befalls them, they say, "This is from you." Say, "All [things] are from Allah." So what is [the matter] with those people that they can hardly understand any statement?

In the above verse, Allah criticizes people for accepting that good is from Allah while blaming others for evil. Allah affirms that all things (good and evil) are from himself. However in the very next verse Allah contradicts this, claiming that any evil that befalls a person is from the person himself.

4:79 - What comes to you of good is from Allah, but what comes to you of evil, [O man], is from yourself. And We have sent you, [O Muhammad], to the people as a messenger, and sufficient is Allah as Witness.

Now let's go to another clear contradiction - whether intercession (the act of a person requesting forgiveness for the sins of another person to save the latter from hell fire) will be acceptable on the day of judgement.

The following three verses clearly say NO to ANY sort of intercession being acceptable on the judgement day:

2:48 - And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, nor will intercession be accepted from it, nor will compensation be taken from it, nor will they be aided.

2:123 - And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, and no compensation will be accepted from it, nor will any intercession benefit it, nor will they be aided.

6:51 - And warn by the Qur'an those who fear that they will be gathered before their Lord - for them besides Him will be no protector and no intercessor - that they might become righteous.

The following three verses however say YES to the idea that intercession is acceptable - to those whom Allah permits:

20:109 - That Day, no intercession will benefit except [that of] one to whom the Most Merciful has given permission and has accepted his word.

34:23 - And intercession does not benefit with Him except for one whom He permits.

53:26 - And how many angels there are in the heavens whose intercession will not avail at all except [only] after Allah has permitted [it] to whom He wills and approves.

(II) The challenge to bring a Surah (chapter) like one in the Quran:

2:23 to 2:24 - And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down upon Our Servant [Muhammad], then produce a Surah the like thereof and call upon your witnesses other than Allah, if you should be truthful. But if you do not - and you will never be able to - then fear the Fire, whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for the disbelievers.

10:38 - Or do they say [about the Prophet], "He invented it?" Say, "Then bring forth a surah like it and call upon [for assistance] whomever you can besides Allah , if you should be truthful."

Notice that Allah challenges those who doubt the Quran to produce a chapter like one in the book, claiming that this challenge cannot be ever met. Let's put aside all the magnificent poetries, philosophical writings, and delightful novels and stories that people have produced over the ages from time immemorial. The sheer stupidity of this challenge can be shown by simply looking at certain chapters in the Quran. Let's take a look at one of them - chapter 111 of the Quran:

111:1 to 111:5 - May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined, and ruined is he. His wealth will not avail him or that which he gained. He will [enter to] burn in a Fire of [blazing] flame. And his wife [as well] - the carrier of firewood. Around her neck is a rope of [twisted] fiber.

And that's it - the whole chapter. How beautiful! A whole chapter dedicated just to condemn some guy and his wife into hellfire and torture. Anyone can easily produce a much more valuable chapter than this. Nothing more needs to be added here.

(III) How the Quran tries to validate itself, appealing to human ignorance:

13:2 - It is Allah who erected the heavens without pillars that you [can] see; then He established Himself above the Throne and made subject the sun and the moon, each running [its course] for a specified term. He arranges [each] matter; He details the signs that you may, of the meeting with your Lord, be certain.

Implies that the "heavens" or objects that we can see in the atmosphere or beyond like planets or stars (depending on how people translate the word heavens) have invisible pillars supporting them from Earth. For those who argue that it implies no pillars at all, then the verse conveys that the atmosphere or celestial objects just being there is something miraculous. Either way this verse directly appeals to human ignorance of the basics of how gravity works.

16:15 - And He has cast into the earth firmly set mountains, lest it shift with you, and [made] rivers and roads, that you may be guided.

Mountains are in fact formed in the least stable parts of the Earth, and such regions are more prone to earthquakes or landslides. The claim of mountains holding the Earth firm is hence a laughable one. Also notice how Allah claims that rivers and roads were made so that humans would be guided. This is a strange enough claim with rivers, but seriously was Allah unaware that it was humans who made the roads on Earth?

16:79 - Do they not see the birds controlled in the atmosphere of the sky? None holds them up except Allah. Indeed in that are signs for a people who believe.

Back then, people really didn't know the basics of aerodynamics. Hence the idea that it is God who holds the birds up in the sky from falling down would seem credible and wonderful to those who hear it. This is projected as a sign for people to validate the Quran.

31:31 - Do you not see that ships sail through the sea by the favor of Allah that He may show you of His signs? Indeed in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful.

Again, claiming that ships sailing through the sea and not sinking is by the favor of Allah. We can see one of the repeated attempts at self-validation over here. Of course, the ignorance of basic hydrodynamics can make this feel wonderful.

(IV) Some dubious claims that any believer should think about:

15:26 - And We did certainly create man out of clay from an altered black mud.

Claims that humans were created from clay by shaping black mud.

16:8 - And [He created] the horses, mules and donkeys for you to ride and [as] adornment.

Claims that horses, mules and donkeys were created by God for humans to ride and decoration or show.

CONCLUSION: I'm not stressing much on the scientific or factual inaccuracy here, but rather the ridiculous nature of these claims made by the Quran. I invite anyone who believes in the divine nature of the Quran to ponder over these claims and the failed attempts at self-validation. It should be pretty clear to anyone who reads over this article with an unbiased mind that the Quran cannot possibly be from a divine being, if at all a divine being exists.

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Discussions / Brother Joseph's article "What is the Injeel"
« on: May 19, 2016, 07:41:52 PM »
As-salaamu 'alaykum!

Brother Joseph mentions the following:

It is clear from the Quran that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was granted wisdom even as a child (19:29-30, 5:110). There is no proof from the Quran that he was bestowed with a separate book called the 'Injeel' at such a young age. In contrast, the Injeel seems to refer to the 'wisdom' that was granted to him. (http://quransmessage.com/articles/injeel%20FM3.htm)

However....

19:28   "O sister of Aaron, your father was not a wicked man, and your mother has never been unchaste!"
19:29   So she pointed to him. They said: "How can we talk to someone who is a child in a cradle?"
19:30   He said: "I am a servant of God, He has given me the Book and made me a prophet."
19:31   "And He has made me blessed wherever I am, and He has charged me with the contact prayer and purification as long as I am alive."

Doesn't 'the Book' allude to  the Injeel?

Wa as-salaam!

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General Discussions / The Apocalypse of Abraham
« on: April 11, 2016, 01:17:47 AM »
Whether it's authentic or not, I can't say. Perhaps, the scroll of Abraham didn't survive or maybe this was written by someone who knew Abraham. I'm not sure!

http://www.wizanda.com/modules/article/view.article.php/a194

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General Discussions / Thank you brother Joseph!
« on: March 22, 2016, 03:46:58 AM »
I want to give my gratitude to my dear brother Joseph. His website has assisted me a lot, especially in my earlier days when I was in extreme anguish about Islam. It would be great if I could meet the brother, but since he want to keep his identity a secret, I'd respect that. I still visit his website, read articles, share and do my own study.

THANK YOU BROTHER JOSEPH, MAY ALLAH THE EXALTED BLESS YOU AND REWARD YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS
Your brother,
Ijaz Ahmad

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Islamic Duties / I did 'umrah... some questions to brother Joseph
« on: March 13, 2016, 05:53:01 AM »
As-salaamu 'alaykum!

So, I went to 'umrah (Alhamdulillah) with my mother (we were with a massive group - 100 people). We first went to Madinah (I don't know for what purpose). I was unfortunately, forced to say as-salaamu 'alayka ya rasulAllah, as-salaamu 'alaika ya abu bakr and so forth when I saw their graves. I'm a Qur'an-centric Muslim and I was frightened that they would know, so I had to do it :(. We stayed four days in Madinah, I got distressed for the reason that this country has so much money yet there were women begging for money. And, I thought to myself, what kind of country is this? Are they really following the guidance of the Qur'an? I felt pain in my heart and did my best to give something to these poor women. So, after four days staying in Madinah, we got ready to travel to Mecca. I had my ihram and after some kilometres we stopped in a masjid (meeqat), did niyyat for 'umrah and then continued to travel to Mecca.

When we arrived to our hotel, we went to our rooms and after two hours the entire group went together to do 'umrah. Wallahi, We did 'umrah and while doing tawaf, the people got crazy because they wanted to kiss the black stone. The people were scratching, screaming at each other and so forth. So, after tawaf I went to sa'y (safa wa marwah) -- So, the 'umrah was complete.

Some questions to brother Joseph:

1. Is it necessary to do niyyat? Doesn't Allah the Exalted know everything? Doesn't he know my intention? What I'm about to do? So, why do Ahlus Sunnah do niyyat for everything?

2. Many did 3-4 'umrah, is it permissible to do as many as you like?

3. Is it obligatory to travel to a meeqat? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miqat

4. After the tawaf, the Muslims pray two nawafil behind the maqam ibrahim - is it obligatory to do that?


Wa as-salaam!

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General Discussions / Fragments of the world's oldest Koran
« on: August 31, 2015, 06:31:30 PM »
Fragments of the world's oldest Koran, found in Birmingham last month, may predate the Prophet Muhammad and could even rewrite the early history of Islam, according to scholars.

The pages, thought to be between 1,448 and 1,371 years old, were discovered bound within the pages of another Koran from the late seventh century at the library of the University of Birmingham.
Written in ink in an early form of Arabic script on parchment made from animal skin, the pages contain parts of the Suras, or chapters, 18 to 20, which may have been written by someone who actually knew the Prophet Muhammad - founder of the Islamic faith

Keith Small, from the University of Oxford's Bodleian Library, added: 'This gives more ground to what have been peripheral views of the Koran's genesis, like that Muhammad and his early followers used a text that was already in existence and shaped it to fit their own political and theological agenda, rather than Muhammad receiving a revelation from heaven.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3216627/Koran-Birmingham-thought-oldest-world-predate-Prophet-Muhammad-scholars-say.html#ixzz3kNpv0DvZ


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General Discussions / What's the different between 'ibn' and 'walad'?
« on: August 16, 2015, 07:21:59 PM »
As-salaamu 'alaikum br. Joseph & friends!

What's the difference between ibn and walad?

The Jews said: "Ezra is the son of God," and the Nazarenes said: "The Messiah is the son of God." Such is their utterances with their mouths, they imitate the sayings of those who rejected before them. God will fight them. They are deluded from the truth!

وقالت اليهود عزير ابن الله وقالت النصارى المسيح ابن الله ذلك قولهم بأفواههم يضاهئون قول الذين كفروا من قبل قاتلهم الله أنى يؤفكون
(9:30)

And to warn those who say, “God has begotten a son.”

وَيُنذِرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا اتَّخَذَ اللَّـهُ وَلَدًا
(18:4)

Assertion by a Christian:

 I have shown many times these verses refer to heretical groups, not mainstream Christianity. No Christian believes God had sex with Mary. ‘Ibn' (ابْنِ) is the broader term which often can have a figurative, non-biological meaning, as in "sons of the road" (ibn-alssabeeli, ابْنِ السَّبِيلِ, Qur'ān 2:215). This is the correct Arabic translation of the concept "Son" used of Jesus in the Bible (‘υἱός'), related to the Hebrew word "bin, בּן."

‘Walad' (وَلَد) denotes a son born of sexual relations, rather like the English term "offspring." This term is utterly inappropriate as a description of Jesus' relationship to God (God forbid!).

Now let us look at the verses in the Qur'ān which deal with this topic:

"And they say: "(Allah) Most Gracious has begotten offspring (وَلَد, walad)." Glory to Him! they are (but) servants raised to honour." (Sura Anbiya 21:26)
"Had Allah wished to take to Himself a son (وَلَد, walad), He could have chosen whom He pleased out of those whom He doth create: but Glory be to Him! (He is above such things.) He is Allah, the One, the Irresistible." (Sura Zumar 39:4)

"And Exalted is the Majesty of our Lord: He has taken neither a wife nor a son (وَلَد, walad)." (Sura Jinn 72:3)

"To Him is due the primal origin of the heavens and the earth: How can He have a son (وَلَد, walad) when He hath no consort? He created all things, and He hath full knowledge of all things." (An'am 6:101, 2:116, 10:68, 17:11, 18:4, 19:35,88,91-92; 23:91; 25:2,)

Wa as-salaam!

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General Discussions / What's the meaning of the arabic term 'lamasa'?
« on: August 12, 2015, 06:42:03 AM »
As-salaamu 'alaikum!

In several translations of the Qur'an, the word 'lamasa' in 4:43 and 5:6 is translated as 'touch'. Hadith-centric Muslims will assert that 'lamasa' means to touch women, that is, shaking hands. Thus, if someone shake hands with a woman, then he has to do ablution. So what's the defintion of the word 'lamasa'?

Best wishes, Ijaz A.

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Why is "WE" used for Allah in Quran By Nouman Ali Khan Q&A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIXxkWmw_yI

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Salamun 'alaikum my dear brothers and sisters!

This is a question that traditional Muslims will undoubtedly answer with a big NO Does the Qur'an give some guidelines about this issue? Of course, nobody knows how the Prophet (upon him be peace) looked like, but what if someone wants to make a movie? Sadly, many traditional Muslims become angry when he is depicted.

So is it allowed?

Wasalaam!
Ijaz, A.



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Discussions / The use of 9:100 to "authorize" ahadith
« on: March 21, 2015, 06:28:52 AM »
Salamun 'alaika br. Joseph!

Traditionalists sometimes use 9:100 to "authorize" ahadith, they claim:

Why don't we have any record of early Muslims completely rejecting hadith?

The hadith rejecter might argue back by saying "we don't blindly follow people; you are committing the appeal to tradition fallacy". 
However, you answer back that Allah says in the Quran...

 

Surah 9:100

The vanguard (of Islam)- the first of those who forsook (their homes) and of those who gave them aid, and (also) those who follow them in (all) good deeds,- well- pleased is God with them, as are they with Him: for them hath He prepared gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein for ever: that is the supreme felicity.

 

In this verse, Allah is saying that the Muhajirin (those who migrated from Mecca to Medina) and the Ansar (the people of Medina) and those righteous people that came after them have been promised heaven.

Now, how can Allah promise heaven to these people when they are the very same ones who transmitted the hadith to us? As a matter of fact they are the same people that passed the Qur'an down to us. The Quran is passed on to us by "Mutawattir" narrations. Mutawattir narrations are narrations that have been transmitted by so many people that it would be impossible for all of the transmitters to fabricate such a narration. However, we have an enormous amount of Mutawattir hadith. We have a list of Mutawatir hadith http://hadith.al-islam.com/bayan/Index.asp?Lang=ENG&Type=3 that teach things that are not taught in the Quran. How can you reject their authenticity with no objective evidence?

If we are expected to believe that ALL the Muslims could have corrupted Islam by introducing the Hadith then to maintain consistency we must also conclude that it was very likely for them to have corrupted the Qur'an as well. The Hadith rejecter will respond back by saying that Allah promised to preserve the Qur'an (Surah 15:9) but not the hadith. However, this is circular reasoning. The Hadith rejecter is basically saying "The only evidence that the Qur'an is preserved is that the Qur'an says so." No objective person will take such an answer seriously.

Source: http://www.call-to-monotheism.com/questions_that_the_quranites_have_no_good_logical_responses_to

Wasalaam!

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General Discussions / Gradually or All at once?
« on: March 18, 2015, 04:45:13 PM »
Salamun 'alaika!

Was the Qur'an revealed gradually or all at once?

The month of Ramadan, in which the Quran was brought down, a guidance for the people, and clarification of the guidance and the criterion. Therefore, those of you who witness the month shall fast it. And those who are ill or travelling, then an equal number of other days. God wants ease for you, and He does not want hardship for you, and so that you may complete the count, and to exalt God for guiding you, and that you may be thankful. (2:185)

Those who deny/conceal the truth, say: “Why was the Qur’an not sent down to him all at once?This is how We sent it in stages, in order to strengthen your heart with it and We read it slowly, in stages. (25:32)

Wasalaam!

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Salamun alaika!



Sahih International
That you [people] may believe in Allah and His Messenger and honor him and respect the Prophet and exalt Allah morning and afternoon.

Muhsin Khan
In order that you (O mankind) may believe in Allah and His Messenger (SAW), and that you assist and honour him (SAW), and (that you) glorify (Allah's) praises morning and afternoon.

Pickthall
That ye (mankind) may believe in Allah and His messenger, and may honour Him, and may revere Him, and may glorify Him at early dawn and at the close of day.

Yusuf Ali
In order that ye (O men) may believe in Allah and His Messenger, that ye may assist and honour Him, and celebrate His praise morning and evening.

Shakir
That you may believe in Allah and His Messenger and may aid him and revere him; and (that) you may declare His glory, morning and evening.

Dr. Ghali
That you may believe in Allah and His Messenger, and (readily) rally to Him, and reverence Him, and extol Him before sunrise and before sunset.

(48:9)

I'm confused...

Regards,
Ijaz

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Islamic Duties / What is the difference between Salaat and Du'a?
« on: February 25, 2015, 10:17:24 PM »
As-salaamu 'alaikum br. Joseph!

What is the difference between Salaat and Du'a? Some Muslims assert that Salaat can't mean prayer because the word Du'a means prayer...

Regards,
Ijaz

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General Discussions / 2:62, 5:69, 22:17 and 48:13
« on: January 29, 2015, 08:07:31 PM »
"Those who Believe, and those who are Jews, and Christians/Nazarenes, and Sabaeans – whoever believe in God and the Last Day and do right/righteous deeds – surely their reward is with their Lord, and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve." (Qur'aan 2:62)

"Those who believe, and those who are Jews, and Sabaeans, and Christians/Nazarenes – Whosoever believe in God and the Last Day and do right/righteous deeds – there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve." (Qur'aan 5:69)

"Surely those who believe; and those who are Jewish, and the Sabians, and the Christians/Nazarenes, and the Majoos; and those who were polytheists; God will separate between them on the Day of Resurrection. For God is witness over all things." (Qur'aan 22:17)

However, this is in direct conflict with the following:

And if any believe not in Allah and His Messenger, We have prepared, for those who reject Allah, a Blazing Fire! (Qur'aan 48:13)

Regards,
Ijaz, A.

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