bestcurrentnews 2016 Ramadan Prayer

10 Qur’anic Passages That Are Hostile Toward Christians

2016 Ramadan GraphicIn Ibn Warraq ‘s book, Why I Am Not a Muslim, he writes:

Muhammad was not an original thinker; he did not formulate any new ethical principles, but merely borrowed from the prevailing cultural milieu. The eclectic nature of Islam has been recognized for a long time. Even Muhammad knew Islam was not a new religion and the revelation contained in the Quran merely confirmed the already existing scriptures. The prophet always claimed affiliations with the great religions of the Jews, Christians and others.

Many Qur’anic passages reflect Muhammad’s attempts to claim relationships with Jews and Christians, but despite his efforts, there were many inaccuracies about Christianity and Judaism in Muhammad’s revelations. As Christians and Jews pointed out the inaccuracies, Muhammad’s attitude toward them became hostile.

Here are 10 Qur’anic passages critical of Christians and their faith.

  1. Christians hid and overlooked their scriptures.

O People of the Scripture, there has come to you Our Messenger making clear to you much of what you used to conceal of the Scripture and overlooking much. There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book. – Sura 5:15

  1. Christians believe in three gods.

They have certainly disbelieved who say, ” Allah is the third of three.” And there is no god except one God. And if they do not desist from what they are saying, there will surely afflict the disbelievers among them a painful punishment. – Sura 5:73

  1. Christians believe in idols and false gods.

Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture, who believe in superstition and false objects of worship and say about the disbelievers, “These are better guided than the believers as to the way”? -Sura 4:51

  1. Allah has cursed Christians.

Those [Christians and Jews] are the ones whom Allah has cursed; and he whom Allah curses – never will you find for him a helper. – Sura 4:52

  1. Christians must believe what Allah has revealed to Muhammad; if not, Allah obliterate their faces or curse them as He did to the Sabbath-breakers by turning them into apes.

O you who were given the Scripture, believe in what We have sent down [to Muhammad], confirming that which is with you, before We obliterate faces and turn them toward their backs or curse them as We cursed the sabbath-breakers. And ever is the decree of Allah accomplished. – Sura 4:47

  1. Allah has stirred up hatred and animosity among Christians.

And from those who say, “We are Christians” We took their covenant; but they forgot a portion of that of which they were reminded. So We caused among them animosity and hatred until the Day of Resurrection. And Allah is going to inform them about what they used to do. – Sura 5:14

  1. Christians will burn in hell.

They have certainly disbelieved who say, ” Allah is the Messiah, the son of Mary” while the Messiah has said, “O Children of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.” Indeed, he who associates others with Allah – Allah has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers. – Sura 5:72

  1. Muslims cannot be friends of Christians.

O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you – then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people. – Sura 5:51

  1. Christians are deluded.

The Jews say, “Ezra is the son of Allah “; and the Christians say, “The Messiah is the son of Allah.” That is their statement from their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved [before them]. May Allah destroy them; how are they deluded? – Sura 9:30

  1. Christians are defiantly disobedient.

Say, “O People of the Scripture, do you resent us except [for the fact] that we have believed in Allah and what was revealed to us and what was revealed before and because most of you are defiantly disobedient?” – Sura 5:59

Since Muhammad’s time, Muslims have had a view shaped by the rejection of Muhammad’s message by Jews and Christians. These ten hostile Qur’anic passages have shaped the way Muslims see Christians and Jews, even today.

It also helps to affirm the Qur’anic command to . . .

“Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture – [fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled (Sura 9:29)”

Prayer Point:

God, the Father of Christians, dearly loves all Muslims but they don’t realize it. Pray that God will reveal His Truth regarding the accuracy of Jewish and Christian scriptures to Muslims so they may see that Muhammad’s interpretations of Biblical passages were incorrect.

bestcurrentnews 2016 Ramadan Prayer

Are Judaism and Christianity as Violent as Islam?

2016 Ramadan GraphicIn an attempt to refute the statement, “Islam is a religion of violence,” a Christian website made the following statement, “Reality: Islam as a religious system has not been any more violent than Christianity or Judaism.”

This is an argument often used by Muslim apologists in the West to divert conversation regarding the violence in the Islamic texts. Far too often this puts an end to the discussion and those who are unfamiliar with history and the foundational texts tend to believe that all three religions are equally as violent.

Often quoted passages from the Bible that Muslim apologists use to prove Judaism’s violence and intolerance are found in the story of the military conquest of Canaan by Israel.

“But of the cities of these peoples which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive, but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the Lord your God has commanded you, lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 20:16-18).

“So Joshua conquered all the land: the mountain country and the South and the lowland and the wilderness slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded” (Joshua 10:40).

It is true the Israelites conquered Canaan, but the commands to annihilate other people groups were recorded in the Bible as history. The events were for a specific time and place, and never became part of Jewish law. While the Biblical accounts described the events, the violent conquest never became part of every day Jewish life.

Conversely, certain aspects of Islamic violence and conquest commanded in the Qur’an were not only historical battles that Muhammad led, but they also became part of Islamic law.

“Fight those who do not believe in God, nor in the Last Day, nor forbid what God and His Messenger have forbidden, nor abide by the religion of truth-from among those who received the Scripture-until they pay the due tax, willingly or unwillingly” (Sura 9:29).

Modern Islamists demonstrate that they still believe this passage is a command from their god. “Those who know nothing of Islam pretend that Islam counsels against war. Those who say this are witless. Islam says: ‘Kill all the unbelievers just as they would kill you all! Kill them, put them to the sword and scatter their armies’” – The Ayatollah Khomeini (Iranian Supreme Leader 1979-1989).

When one looks at Christianity, it is impossible to find verses inciting violence in the New Testament. In fact, Christians are commanded to “love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

Have their been atrocities perpetrated in the name of Christianity? Sadly, yes, but violence is never commanded by the teachings of Jesus or others in the New Testament.

Prayer Point:

Pray that both Muslims and non-Muslims will see the clear difference between the historical violence in the Bible and the theological violence in the Qur’an.

 

 

bestcurrentnews 2014 Ramadan Prayer

Over 1400 Years of Hate

2014 Ramadan Prayer Day 11Muhammad is considered the perfect example for Muslims to follow. The Qur’an states over 90 times that Muhammad’s life – his words and actions are to be the pattern for humanity.

In Islam, the term “People of the Book” refers to Christians and Jews. They consider portions of the Bible as divine guidance, but they believe it has been corrupted. They emphasize that Muslims, Christians and Jews are brothers in the Abrahamic faith, however in order to be brothers, Christians and Jews must believe in an Islamic view of their own scriptures.

Because Islam has a dualistic nature there are verses that speak positively about Christians and Jews, but there are also verses written later that call for Muslims to make war on Christians and Jews. In Islam the verses that Muhammad received later in his revelations abrogate or rescind the previous verses.

When Muhammad began to supposedly receive his “revelations” in Mecca, the revelations came through the angel, Gabriel – an angel from Jewish scriptures. Therefore Muhammad considered himself in the lineage of Jewish prophets.

When Muhammad moved to Medina, the city was half Jewish. Muhammad saw himself as a reformer of Judaism, however Muhammad had most likely picked up bits and pieces of Jewish scriptures on the trade routes in ancient Arabia so the Jews were able to easily point out World Religionssome of the contradictions in Muhammad’s revelations and their scriptures. The rabbis in Medina, quite correctly, did not accept him as a Jewish prophet. Because the Jews refused to accept Muhammad, he developed a hatred for the Jews and eliminated most of them either by death, enslavement or expulsion.

The Qur’an retells many of the stories of Moses, Noah, Adam and other characters in Jewish scriptures, but they are twisted to show that all people who deny any of the prophets of Islam are ultimately destroyed. Therefore anyone that denied Muhammad, as a prophet of Allah should be destroyed.

The early Qur’an accepts Christians and Jews, “Those who believe and those who are Christians and Jews and Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and Judgment Day shall have their reward with the Lord” (Quran 2:62). But the later Qur’an states, “Make war on those who have received the Scriptures [Jews and Christians] but do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day. They do not forbid what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden. The Christians and Jews do not follow the religion of truth until they submit and pay the poll tax [jizya] and they are humiliated” (Qur’an 9:29).

Certainly not all Muslims wish to see the Jews and Christians destroyed, but the “People of the Book” can trace the root of the hatred against them to the rejection of Muhammad’s teachings, which were contrary to Jewish and Christian scriptures.

Prayer Points:

Pray that Muslims and non-Muslims will both begin to question a religion whose scriptures encourage hatred and the destruction of people of other religions.

Because Muslims believe Allah gave the Bible and man corrupted it, they believe most of it is abrogated (annulled) and that the Qur’an and the Hadith are the only books that are now “pure”. Fortunately in 2014 most Muslims can download a Bible from the Internet in their native language. Ask the Lord to draw them to Himself and give them an insatiable hunger to read the words of Jesus in their own language.

Muslims who have read the Bible are so touched with the sincerity and love of Jesus in our scriptures. Many, however, are afraid to read it believing Allah has cursed it. Pray that Muslims will have discernment and the courage to read the Bible and discover the truths that are contained in it.