Messages

Peace yahya.
Thank you for explaining.
Your explanation raises more questions,but may be you  have a good reason for it?
May GOD bless you and guide you.
Peace.

[here it says your women implying polygamy of of arabic culture. Also it is using again manly view of the women. Men were always dominant in arabic society at that time (still now i guess). From todays' point of view many might claim it is objectifying women or putting them in a second level after the men in the society.]

Peace relearning.
You say ,quote:
here it says your women implying polygamy of of arabic culture. Also it is using again manly view of the women. Men were always dominant in arabic society at that time (still now i guess). From todays' point of view many might claim it is objectifying women or putting them in a second level after the men in the society.

We cannot discuss polygamy here ,but verse 2:223 does not imply polygamy.
Verse 2:223 implies a "plural" for both men and women. the "Koum" and the verb "Faatu" in the verse indicates this plural .
So where is the polygamy?
GOD bless you.
Peace.

Peace yahya.
I noticed you started the conversation here,I discussed with you (my reply posts early in this thread) this topic.
Then sharon asked few questions( I noticed that the style of questioning is the same) .
During that time you stopped posting-you was inactive- for few months and when she stopped posting you started posting again.
This seems to me an odd coincidence,but may be it is not.
To me it felt like I was discussing with the same person ( yourself and sharon)?
Just asking if it is OK with you.
GOD bless you.
Peace.

[[Qoran 21:25] We did not send any messenger before you except with the inspiration: "There is no god except Me; you shall serve/worship Me alone." [Qoran 16:36] We have sent a messenger to every community, saying, "You shall serve/worship God, and avoid idolatry." Subsequently, some were guided by God, while others were committed to straying. Roam the earth and note the consequences for the rejectors.]

Thank you brother Hamzeh.
Basically this is what GOD  did/does throughout the humans existence:
[Qoran 21:25] We did not send any messenger before you except with the inspiration: "There is no god except Me; you shall serve/worship Me alone."
[Qoran 16:36] We have sent a messenger to every community, saying, "You shall serve/worship God, and avoid idolatry." Subsequently, some were guided by God, while others were committed to straying. Roam the earth and note the consequences for the rejectors.

This is the only religion authorized by God, representing the one message that is contained in all of His scriptures and has been delivered by all of His messengers: (3:19- Islam-):
[Qoran 2:136] Say, "We believe in God, and in what was sent down to us, and in what was sent down to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Patriarchs; and in what was given to Moses and Jesus, and all the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction among any of them. To Him alone we are "Muslimeen"."

Idolatry has been a pattern since the early generations. Humans have been shifting the focus of their belief away from" God alone"to some made up religion.
According to Qoran, both message and messenger perform the same sole duty of delivering the word of God. We support the prophets and the messengers  by embracing "Islam" to GOD Alone.
Our responsibility is to be careful and not create our own"sect" by inventing another religion to the generations that will follow.
Redefining true"Islam" or rather highlighting the misconception, is our duty.
GOD bless you.
Peace

Peace Hamzeh.
Very interesting and the right question to ask..
Qoran says there is no acceptable "deen" except "Islam" as far as GOD is concerned.
If we translate "Deen" as religion,this creates the problem I often talk about to people.
Please read this link:
https://lampofislam.wordpress.com/2014/09/15/the-first-commandment-of-islam-has-no-name-in-it-except-gods/

Often ,we point the finger at other religions and criticise them for taking other gods beside GOD",however we are as guilty ,we should pass on the same message given by all GOD s messengers and message that "Islam" ( I am not getting into the argument of capital letters or lower case letters,I do not care as long as one understands what is "Islam" ) is a state of mind /a way of life with GOD alone as the authority and submit/follow His system/heed His message alone.

My view is that this system is independent of the rules/rites given to various generations/people/races...All of them have this main point as the first commandment if you like i.e as common ground.
"Islam" is accepting GOD Alone as the authority and submitting to His "rules". It is like a "covenant" made between the individual and GOD Alone that you serve/worship/follow only GOD as far as our redemption to His kingdom is concerned.
This "Islam" can be done to/with GOD by any individual in any religion. GOD then will do the guiding.
GOD bless you.
Peace.

Peace Hamzeh.
Thank you for your views.
My concern is "Islam" as a state of mind and being towards GOD, It has become a "religion" to most and there is a big misunderstanding among today s generation about "Islam".
What we call "islamic state" is also a big misconception .
We simply cannot know the inner thought of different individuals,hence we can only speculate who is a "muslim to GOD" .
Had relearning put the question to involve "believers" and disbelievers" ,that would have made sense in view of Qoran..
GOD bless you.
Peace.

[[Qoran 16:89] The day will come when we will raise from every community a witness from among them, and bring you as the witness of these people. We have revealed to you this book to provide explanations for everything, and guidance, and mercy, and good news for the muslimeen.]

Peace All.
Qoran comes as a whole package. GOD says it is a light to all mankind:
[Qoran 16:89] The day will come when we will raise from every community a witness from among them, and bring you as the witness of these people. We have revealed to you this book to provide explanations for everything, and guidance, and mercy, and good news for the muslimeen. [/size]
Can we really say some of it is irrelevant to us?
GOD chooses His words carefully and precisely:
[Qoran 25:1] Most blessed is the One who revealed the Statute Book to His servant, so he can serve as a warner to the whole world.
My understanding is everything in Qoran is useful to all the generations  except what GOD says it is not in it.
GOD bless .
Peace.

Peace relearning.
I was talking about the "islamic society " of today. Their religion is not the religion of the Qoran.
Do you think today s "islamic society" is  the same "islamic society"that Qoran gives you the feeling about?
I am sorry brother, I do not share your view either.The majority of those who claim to be "Muslims" are not following Qoran. They are following a "made up religion".
So how can they preach to other made up religions ?You will have the blind trying to guide another blind!
GOD bless you.
Peace.

Sorry relearning,that question is misleading. The" islamic society" is itself a made up religion.
As a believer, I may disagree with others, but I can only invite to GOD s way, I cannot control/allow or otherwise people s to have choices.
There is no  compulsion in "True Islam".
Hope that clarifies the issue with your question.
GOD bless you.
Peace.

[you consider a muslim in an islamic society converting to idolatry and then go on as if nothing happened in his/her life. if you accept idolators peacefully spread their religion and practising worshipping idols in islamic society you must also be prepared the consequences of it some muslim born people may at the end turn to them. So would it be very ok with you?]

Peace relearning.
When you say,quote:
you consider a muslim in an islamic society converting to idolatry and then go on as if nothing happened in his/her life. if you accept idolators peacefully spread their religion and practising worshipping idols in islamic society you must also be prepared the consequences of it some muslim born people may at the end turn to them. So would it be very ok with you?

Are you assuming "in an islamic society" there is no idolworship?
In that case which of the many denominations( Sunni,Shiia,Ahmadi,Sufi,Qoran centric,Submitter....etc) is the right "Islam"?
Although there are many different religions and denominations, a "true Muslim to GOD" can exist in all of them. Why not?
Also, how can one be born a "Muslim" from just a selected few? Is that fair?
One is born to go through the test of choosing to be a "Muslim" or not.
GOD bless you.
Peace.

[وَقَولِهِم إِنّا قَتَلنَا المَسيحَ عيسَى ابنَ مَريَمَ رَسولَ اللَّهِ وَما قَتَلوهُ وَما صَلَبوهُ وَلٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُم وَإِنَّ الَّذينَ اختَلَفوا فيهِ لَفى شَكٍّ مِنهُ ما لَهُم بِهِ مِن عِلمٍ إِلَّا اتِّباعَ الظَّنِّ وَما قَتَلوهُ يَقينًا]

Peace Brothers Joseph and Rafiqqq.
Thank you both for your contribution.
Brother Joseph I read your post reply . I am still worried about the context of 4:158.
The most important question to ask is:
Was Jesus crucified?
Historical texts (even from neutral sources as well as Christians and some Jewish writers) confirm a crucifixion.
Was it the body of Jesus on that cross?
Here is verse 4:157:

وَقَولِهِم إِنّا قَتَلنَا المَسيحَ عيسَى ابنَ مَريَمَ رَسولَ اللَّهِ وَما قَتَلوهُ وَما صَلَبوهُ وَلٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُم وَإِنَّ الَّذينَ اختَلَفوا فيهِ لَفى شَكٍّ مِنهُ ما لَهُم بِهِ مِن عِلمٍ إِلَّا اتِّباعَ الظَّنِّ وَما قَتَلوهُ يَقينًا
This verse seems to be saying the Jesus they say they killed,they have not really killed him. In fact for certain they did not kill him but (4:158) GOD "Rafaahu Ilayhi"...GOD raised him up to Him.
Both verses give the context along with 3:55:
إِذ قالَ اللَّهُ يٰعيسىٰ إِنّى مُتَوَفّيكَ وَرافِعُكَ إِلَىَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذينَ كَفَروا وَجاعِلُ الَّذينَ اتَّبَعوكَ فَوقَ الَّذينَ كَفَروا إِلىٰ يَومِ القِيٰمَةِ ثُمَّ إِلَىَّ مَرجِعُكُم فَأَحكُمُ بَينَكُم فيما كُنتُم فيهِ تَختَلِفونَ

GOD also says Jesus died and  Jesus was raised up to Him.
The question that follows here is: Did Jesus die? How?
Or  a more likely question: Which Jesus died and which Jesus was raised up?

For me ,the following quote from Lisa Spray  connects the verses without a contradiction :

The account of Jesus' death in the Quran is startling. It states: "they never killed Jesus; they never crucified him; they were only made to think that they did." : They claimed that they killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of God. In fact, they never killed him; they never crucified him; they were only made to think that they did. Indeed, those who speculate about him are full of doubt about their own accounts; they are never sure. They only conjecture. What is absolutely certain is: they never killed him. Instead, God raised him to Him. God is Almighty, Most Wise. [Quran 4:157-158]

Undoubtedly, this Quranic narration represents a new and profound account of the death of Jesus. It is bound to shock most people, so some explanation is in order.

The Quran consistently talks about the `real person,' i.e., the soul, when talking about anyone. The Quran differentiates between two human entities: a temporary entity, the body, and an eternal entity which is `the person.' The temporary entity is considered a shell or a garment worn by the lasting entity. The Quran does not regard this temporary shell as `the person.' The importance of the body, or the person's outer shell, is in serving the real person by effecting sufficient growth and development of the soul in preparation for the real, eternal life (of the Hereafter). If we look upon one's body as a wild horse, one attains the required growth and development by taming and controlling the whims of this horse. At the end of one's predetermined interim in this life, one sheds the shell and moves on towards the eternal Hereafter; the body's role ends.

Thus, when the Quran states that "they never crucified Jesus; they never killed him," the word "him" here refers to the real Jesus, not his body.

The body may be present somewhere, but the person may or may not be present with it. People who are familiar with `out-of-body experiences' know that the body is nothing more than a garment or a physical vehicle for the soul. In out-of-body experiences, the intellect remains with the person, not with the body. Those who practice out-of-body (or astral projection) experiments often describe the body as just laying there like an inanimate object.

The Quran explains clearly that Jesus, the real person, was `raised to God' prior to any torture or crucifixion. Those who believed that they were torturing or crucifying Jesus were in fact dealing with Jesus' body, an empty shell devoid of feelings and knowledge..

...In the case of Jesus, all these  verses show that God raised the real person, Jesus' soul, leaving his body for the torturers and crucifiers. Thus, they never tortured Jesus. They never crucified him. He was gone long before any torture or crucifixion of his body:

They plotted and schemed, but so did God; God is the best schemer. Thus, God said, "O Jesus, I am putting you to death; raising you to Me, and ridding you of the disbelievers. I will make those who follow you high above those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection. Then to Me is the ultimate destiny of all of you. Then I will judge among you concerning your disputes." [Quran 3:54-55]

It is astonishing to find this phenomenon, the separation of the real person from the still living body, indicated in the New Testament, and even more specifically stated in some apocryphal literature. There is an especially straightforward reference to this phenomenon reported by James Brashler in THE NAG HAMMADI LIBRARY (Harper & Row, 1977).

The Nag Hammadi Library is a collection of ancient documents unearthed at Nag Hammadi, Egypt. They are described as containing "the sacred scriptures of the Gnostic movement that emerged and rapidly grew in the cradle of civilization at the time of Jesus and early Christianity. Its codices are a priceless periscope into the tumultuous world of ideas brewing during one of civilization's great turning points."

James Brashler describes a vision seen by the apostle Peter, in his introduction to the Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter (Ibid., p. 339):

The first visionary scene, is depicting the hostile priests and people about to kill Jesus (72,4-9)....The second scene (81,3-14) describes Peter's vision of the crucifixion of Jesus. The accompanying interpretation by Jesus makes a distinction between the external physical form and the living Jesus; the latter stands nearby laughing at his ignorant persecutors. A clear distinction is thus made in this ancient literature, very close to the time of Jesus, between "the external physical form," i.e., the body of Jesus, and "the living Jesus." According to this narration, the real person of Jesus was unphased by the torturers and persecutors of his soulless body.

Looking at the translation of the Apocalypse of Peter itself (Ibid., p. 344), we find the startling vision of Peter:

When he had said those things, I saw him seemingly being seized by them. And I said, "What do I see, O Lord, that it is you yourself whom they take, and that you are grasping me? Or who is this one, glad and laughing, on the tree? And is it another one whose feet and hands they are striking?" The Savior said to me, "He whom you saw on the tree, glad and laughing, this is the living Jesus. But this one into whose hands and feet they drive the nails is the fleshy part." [Apocalypse of Peter, VII, 3, 81]

A careful examination of the Gospels of Mark and Luke reveals that Jesus was in fact gone prior to crucifixion. He did not respond to the surrounding chaos. This confirms the apocryphal account reported in the Nag Hammadi Library, and agrees with the mathematically authenticated account of the Quran:

The chief priests, meanwhile, brought many accusations against Jesus. Pilate interrogated him again: "Surely you have some answer? See how many accusations they are leveling against you." But greatly to Pilate's surprise, Jesus made no further response. [Mark 15:3-5]

Herod was extremely pleased to see Jesus. From the reports about him he had wanted to see him, and he was hoping to see him work some miracle. He questioned Jesus at considerable length, but Jesus made no answer. The chief priests and scribes were at hand to accuse him vehemently. Herod and his guards then treated him with contempt and insult.... [Luke 23:8-11]

Putting all these accounts together, this possible picture emerges:

1. The human being consists of two main distinct entities:

a. the body, which serves as a mere shell or garment, and

b. the soul, which is the real person.

2. In accordance with a predetermined plan, the time came for Jesus to complete his mission as God's messenger to the Children of Israel and as the Messiah. This coincided with the scheme of Jesus' adversaries to crucify him. Just before executing their plot, God's plan was implemented, and Jesus the real person was summoned or "raised to God."

3. Jesus' body was left for his persecutors to torture and crucify; they were dealing with an empty shell devoid of all feelings or understanding.

4. Thus, the Quran's  statements that "they never killed Jesus, they never crucified him; they were led to believe that they did," are accurate  facts.

Of course much study will be needed to  confirm such a version.
In fact the questions about Jesus will only increase.
Thank you both for your time and effort.
GOD bless you both.
Peace.

Peace wanderer.
Brother Rafiqqq was asking also about "raised you to me"and "raised him up to Himself" ( 03:55 and 04:158) .They cannot mean raised him to a high position/ high status .

Therefore questions 1,2 and 3  have not been answered satisfactorily?
If so,,please clarify/explain  thank you.
GOD bless you.
Peace.

Yes brother.
In some jobs ,you get this insurance as part of the package including the pension.
GOD bless you.
Peace

Sorry Rashid I will finish my post.
Even Though I take some insurances ,I keep GOD in mind and rely on His insurance only.
Hope that makes sense.
So ,in my opinion, there is nothing wrong with taking insurances.
GOD bless you.
Peace

Peace Rashid.
We take home,car,health insurances whether willing or unwilling in some cases like everyone should take car insurance.
Qoran has not forbid such a thing. So the same with life insurance.
However I prefer to take all my insurances with my Lord,even when I take other insurances. I believe nothing can harm us or benefit us except the Lord.So I