Read the Qur'an

[Darryl_B]

Hello,

I am Catholic and am wondering, is it o.k. for me to read a translation of the Qur’an to be able to interpret it for myself when discussing with Islamic friends? I do not know how to read Arabic currently so I would be reading it in English. I know that I must treat it with respect as Muslims treat the Qur’an (not writing in it, not damaging it, &c.,) Also, is there anything I should know besides a basic background of Islam before I read it?

Thank you and God bless!

I once bought a copy of the Koran and a Book of Mormon (and the Catechism of the Catholic Church for Junior Schools Books 1 and 2). I bought them because I was under the impression it is important to understand an opposing view for apologetic reasons.

I have never read the Koran nor Book of Mormon, I don’t see the point as I personally consider them works of fiction and therefore cannot hold them with the same regard as their adherents. (Much like the athiest regards the Bible).

I also no longer believe I need to know an opposing view for apologetic reasons, since apologetics should be presenting my own defense, it is more important to know what I believe not what someone else does. I don’t need to tell someone what is wrong with their religion, I need to tell them what is right about Christianity.

 

[shambles]

I think it is ok to read the Quran for the sake of knowledge. Personally I do not enjoy reading it so it is something I will not be indulging in.

Allah is the essence of all Gods names. There are 3000. 1000 known only to God. 1000 known to Gods Angels. 1000 known to Mankind through out the times.
124000 Prophets. 4 Main Prophets, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, The Seal. 104 Holy books. 4 Main, Torah, Psalms, Gospel, Quran. Before the Seal, each previous Prophet was for a certain time and people. Quran, for all Mankind, the confirmation of what was sent before it and the completion and perfection of your faith. Infiltrations brought out. Muhammad is the Last Messenger and the Seal of all Prophets, sent for Mankind, and to Whom all previous Prophets have sworn allegiance. Peace and blessings of Allah be upon then All.

Quran… The Table Spread… In the name of Allah Most Beneficient, Most Merciful…
This day are (all) good things made lawful for you. The food of those who have received the Scripture is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them. And so are the virtuous women of the believers and the virtuous women of those who received the Scripture before you (lawful for you) when you give them their marriage portions and live with them in honor, not in fornication, nor taking them as secret concubines. Whoso denies the faith, his work is vain and he will be among the losers in the Hereafter.

O people of the Scripture! Now has Our messenger come unto you, expounding unto you much of that which you used to hide in the Scripture, and forgiving much. Now has come unto you light from Allah and a plain Scripture.

O people of the Scripture! Now has Our messenger come unto you to make things plain after an interval (of cessation) of the messengers, lest you should say: There came not unto us a messenger of cheer nor any warner. Now has a messenger of cheer and a warner come unto you. Allah is Able to do all things.

Quran…The Children of Israel…

We gave unto Moses {Musa} the Scripture, and We appointed it a guidance for the Children of Israel, saying: Choose no guardian beside Me.
(They were) the seed of those whom We carried (in the ship) along with Noah. Lo! he was a grateful slave.
And We decreed for the Children of Israel in the scripture: You verily will work corruption in the earth twice, and you will become great tyrants.

Quran… The Family of Imran…

He has revealed unto you (Muhammad) the Scripture with truth, confirming that which was (revealed) before it, even as He revealed the Torah and the Gospel

And if they argue with you, (O Muhammad), say: I have surrendered my purpose to Allah and (so have) those who follow me. And say unto those who have received the Scripture and those who read not: Have you (too) surrendered? If they surrender, then truly they are rightly guided, and if they turn away, then it is your duty only to convey the message (unto them). Allah is Seer of (His) bondmen.

Quran…Mary…

(It was said unto him): O Zachariah! Lo! We bring you tidings of a son whose name is John; We have given the same name to none before (him).

(And it was said unto his son): O John! Hold the Scripture. And We gave him wisdom when a child.

And make mention of Mary in the Scripture, when she had withdrawn from her people to a chamber looking East,
And had chosen seclusion from them. Then We sent unto her Our spirit and it assumed for her the likeness of a perfect man.
She said: Lo! I seek refuge in the Beneficent One from you, if you are God fearing.
19. He said: I am only a messenger of your Lord, that I may bestow on you a faultless son.
She said: How can I have a son when no mortal has touched me, neither have I been unchaste!
21. He said: So (it will be). Your Lord says: It is easy for Me. And (it will be) that We may make of him a revelation for mankind and a mercy from Us, and it is a thing ordained.
And she conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a place.
23. And the pangs of childbirth drove her unto the trunk of the palm tree. She said: Oh, would that I had died ere this and had become a thing of naught, forgotten!
24. Then (one) cried unto her from below her, saying: Grieve not! Your Lord has placed a rivulet beneath you,And shake the trunk of the palm tree toward you, you will cause ripe dates to fall upon you.
26. So eat and drink and be consoled. And if you meet any mortal, say: Lo! I have vowed a fast unto the Beneficent, and may not speak this day to any mortal.
27. Then she brought him to her own folk, carrying him. They said: O Mary! You have come with an amazing thing.Oh sister of Aaron! Your father was not a wicked man nor was your mother a harlot.
29. Then she pointed to him. They said How can we talk to one who is in the cradle, a young boy?
30. He spoke: Lo! I am the slave of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and has appointed me a Prophet,And has made me blessed wheresoever I may be, and has enjoined upon me prayer and almsgiving so long as I remain alive,
32. And (has made me) dutiful toward her who bore me, and has not made me arrogant, unblest.
33. Peace on me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive!
34. Such was Jesus, son of Mary: (this is) a statement of the truth concerning which they doubt.It befitts not (the Majesty of) Allah that He should take unto Himself a son. Glory be to Him! When He decrees a thing, He says unto it only: Be! and it is.
36. And lo! Allah is my Lord and your Lord. So serve Him. That is the right path.

 

[shambles]

It wouldn’t be wrong. St Thomas Aquinas was such a good apologetic because he studied his opponents views and even prepared better arguments than his opponents did so as to prepare himself against them. I think you’d be ok so long as you’re not converting ti Islam. I speak Arabic and French as second language and have read parts of the quraan to see what it says. Islam is certainly not a peaceful religion at heart, contrary to what many Muslims want you to believe.

Islam is peaceful, and realistic, and is the completion and perfection of the Faith of those who received the previous scriptures. The majority of the people of the Modern World know very little about the truth of their Religions, be it Muslim, Christians or Jews and so on. They have been copy catting and slumbering.
Now we approach the End times, all of that will change and has already started to change.
Anything you dislike in the Quran, you take up with the God of Christianity, since there is only One God, and if you like not what He communicates to you, then it is not for a Muslim to be offended, but an offence against your self and your Creator.
PROVE Quran is not the Word of God.
Quran Chapter Mary…
41.And make mention (O Muhammad) in the Scripture of Abraham {Ibrahim}. Lo! he was a saint, a Prophet.
51.And make mention in the Scripture of Moses {Musa}. Lo! he was chosen, and he was a messenger (of Allah), a Prophet.
54.And make mention in the Scripture of Ishmael {Isma’il). Lo! he was a keeper of his promise, and he was a messenger (of Allah) a Prophet.
56.And make mention in the Scripture of Idris. Lo! he was a saint, a Prophet;
58.These are they unto whom Allah showed favor from among the Prophets, of the seed of Adam and of those whom We carried (in the ship) with Noah, and of the seed of Abraham {Ibrahim} and Israel, and from among those whom We guided and chose. When the revelations of the Beneficent were recited unto them, they fell down, adoring and weeping.

(and this you do not enjoy reading???)

 

[Reuben_J]

Islam is peaceful, and ** realistic**, and is the completion and perfection of the Faith of those who received the previous scriptures. The majority of the people of the Modern World know very little about the truth of their Religions, be it Muslim, Christians or Jews and so on. They have been copy catting and slumbering.
Now we approach the End times, all of that will change and has already started to change.
Anything you dislike in the Quran, you take up with the God of Christianity, since there is only One God, and if you like not what He communicates to you, then it is not for a Muslim to be offended, but an offence against your self and your Creator.
PROVE Quran is not the Word of God.
Quran Chapter Mary…
41.And make mention (O Muhammad) in the Scripture of Abraham {Ibrahim}. Lo! he was a saint, a Prophet.
51.And make mention in the Scripture of Moses {Musa}. Lo! he was chosen, and he was a messenger (of Allah), a Prophet.
54.And make mention in the Scripture of Ishmael {Isma’il). Lo! he was a keeper of his promise, and he was a messenger (of Allah) a Prophet.
56.And make mention in the Scripture of Idris. Lo! he was a saint, a Prophet;
58.These are they unto whom Allah showed favor from among the Prophets, of the seed of Adam and of those whom We carried (in the ship) with Noah, and of the seed of Abraham {Ibrahim} and Israel, and from among those whom We guided and chose. When the revelations of the Beneficent were recited unto them, they fell down, adoring and weeping.

(and this you do not enjoy reading???)

I have stopped reading after this.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

.

 

[MartinJordan]

I have stopped reading after this.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

.

Amen! God is Great and He is Our Father. A Loving and Merciful God, slow to anger, abounding in Mercy.

Plus God was made known by His Only Son Jesus Christ Our Lord and Saviour 650 years and then some before Islam.

MJ

 

[TheSufi]

Islam is certainly not a peaceful religion at heart, contrary to what many Muslims want you to believe.

I think depends with whom you study Islam with. When I first studied Sunni Islam, I was attracted to the Wahabi, Salafi version of Sunnism. A rigid and Protestant form of Islam, which lead me away from this group. This lead me to studying Traditional Sunni Islam which has Sufism as part of it. It wasn’t until I delved deeply into Sufism that I began to see the beauty of Islam.

I mean, Sufism has its root in saying of Prophet Muhammad, Ihsan, spiritual excellence, which is to worship God as though you see Him, because you see Him. As though you see Him because it is not the seeing with the physical eyes, because you see Him, because it is the seeing with the spirit, which some have called the eye of the heart, the eye of the intellect (nous).

Sufism is about directly experiencing the divine and receiving direct knowledge from Him, who sustains all the worlds. One of the early Muslims says, knowledge is not what narrates but a light that God places in the heart of the believers.

 

[ClearWater]

I saw that you are in RCIA. I would encourage you to read the Bible and focus on it, first.

 

[nafrez]

I think with reading Quran, you can confirm your faith. The differences between İslam and Christianity should not scare and confuse you. İf you have your own trues than you can evaluate other thoughts without forsaking your own’s.

I have red Bible some and get benefits a lot although ı do not accept something. Forexample Bible term Jesus as Son of God. Quran also entitle Jesus as Son but of whom? Ofcourse Son of Mary but not Son of God. So ı know a fact that Jesus is a prophet and Son of Mary. Bible says Jesus is Son of God but that does not confuse me. Because, even Muslims interpret verses of Quran in different ways. So God call the Jesus as “Son” and Christian interpret that Jesus is Son of God indeed i interpret Jesus is Son of Mary.

Bible says “Holy Spirit” and Christians considered that as an other God. But ı comprehend this as in Quran that a Spirit but is Holy because of God created but there is no an other holy God or Spirit.

I mean ı see same facts in Bible that confirm my faith. İn anyway may be some can benefit from Quran without being damaged in his faith. Because Quran is accurate knowledge of God/Allah that gives Muslims an ability to understand other(Christian and Jews) faiths without rejecting them at all.

 

[dronald]

I think with reading Quran, you can confirm your faith. The differences between İslam and Christianity should not scare and confuse you. İf you have your own trues than you can evaluate other thoughts without forsaking your own’s.

I have red Bible some and get benefits a lot although ı do not accept something. Forexample Bible term Jesus as Son of God. Quran also entitle Jesus as Son but of whom? Ofcourse Son of Mary but not Son of God. So ı know a fact that Jesus is a prophet and Son of Mary. Bible says Jesus is Son of God but that does not confuse me. Because, even Muslims interpret verses of Quran in different ways. So God call the Jesus as “Son” and Christian interpret that Jesus is Son of God indeed i interpret Jesus is Son of Mary.

Bible says “Holy Spirit” and Christians considered that as an other God. But ı comprehend this as in Quran that a Spirit but is Holy because of God created but there is no an other holy God or Spirit.

I mean ı see same facts in Bible that confirm my faith. İn anyway may be some can benefit from Quran without being damaged in his faith. Because Quran is accurate knowledge of God/Allah that gives Muslims an ability to understand other(Christian and Jews) faiths without rejecting them at all.

How do you interpret Christ’s death, resurrection, ascension and the historical accuracy of Christ’s death on the cross which is indisputable?

I think it’s false to say Muslims can look to the Bible to confirm their faith, as all four Gospels have Jesus’s resurrection. Paul, James and Peter also go into it.

 

[shambles]

It is not a competition. One Word, One God. As a Muslim, I get blessings from Allah Almighty for not only reciting Quran, but also from reciting His previous Written Words in the form of Gospel and Torah and Psalms. As of yet, I have not read the previous scriptures because I don`t know which is the unaltered version. I have heard a little that the Bible that was found buried with St Barnabas is the real true copy and that it is now hidden in the Vatican along with other proofs, hidden because the Church had gained so much power control and momentum that, to now accept this Bible would mean giving up the Curch as you know it and becoming level with Islam. These proofs are due out soon, God Willing with the advent of the coming of the Massiah Christ peace and blessings be upon Him, and Imaam Mahdi, may Allah be pleased with them both. This is what will bring the Masses into the correction and completion of their Faith.
QURAN In the name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful
English Translation by Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall:[2][3]

When Allah’s succour and the triumph cometh [1] And thou seest mankind entering the religion of Allah in troops. [2] Then hymn the praises of thy Lord, and seek forgiveness of Him. Lo! He is ever ready to show mercy. [3]

 

[shambles]

Yes He is abounding in Mercy which is why He hasnt left you in the dark about Christ and the Cross, and which is why He doesnt require a brute savage sacrifice of someone so beautiful, so pure, so Noble. The story of Abraham and His son should confirm this for you.
Look at Pagan history and Folk that used to sacrifice humans to their Gods to appease them and have their sins transferred. How awful for you to compare such a thing to the Almighty. Why are you not happy that your Lord has corrected you? Did Christ not give you the glad tidings of The Comforter that was to come?
Children are innocent and nearer to truth, and very natural, what do you suppose they think of a God that requires savage sacrifice for the faults of others?! Their little innocent minds must be screaming out “But thats not fair!!!”
And they are right. And the proof comes when Allah, the God Of Christ, tells you in Quran, through Archangel Gabriel, through Muhammad (The Comforter), pbu them
QURAN>
Let’s look at verse 4:156-159 “That they rejected Faith; That they uttered against Mary A grave false charge; That they said (in boast): ‘We killed Christ Jesus The son of Mary, The Messenger of Allah.’ But they killed him not, Nor crucified him,but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge but only conjunction to follow, for of a surety they killed him not. Nay, Allah raised him up Unto Himself; and Allah Is Exalted in Power, Wise. And there is none of the people of the book (Jews and Christians) But must believe in him (Jesus) Before his death; And on the Day of Judgment He (Jesus) will be a witness Against them.”

As a Muslim Girl in a Christian Country, I was well pleased when I found out God did not allow such an awful thing to happen to such a perfect, beautiful man. Made more sense.
Religion that is accurate is always natural and common sense, anything else, needs investigating.
For you guys, its upsetting being told this, because it means you answer for your own sins and Christ was not brutally murdered for your sins.
Guidance does not come from us trying to convert one another, but from God, to your heart. Your conscience is from Heaven, Follow it.
Nothing can contain God, but the heart of a believer.
Its time for all of us lovers of God to unite against Godlessness that is suffocating Mankind and the Planet.

 

[dronald]

It is not a competition.

It actually is a competition. God vs Satan; Satan being the father of lies. Jesus said that He would build His Church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. He also predicted His death, and His Church claimed that Jesus truly did die. Not only this, but history is completely against you.

As of yet, I have not read the previous scriptures because I don`t know which is the unaltered version.

Textual criticism (and Early Church Father commentaries) have proven that the Bible is unaltered. Especially in regards to Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension. Also, it was the only belief that came from the earliest Apostles. Take a look at Paul writing in the late 40’s early 50’s:

1 corin 15:3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

He then confirms why it’s so important to believe in this:

12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; **you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.
**

I have heard a little that the Bible that was found buried with St Barnabas is the real true copy and that it is now hidden in the Vatican along with other proofs, hidden because the Church had gained so much power control and momentum that, to now accept this Bible would mean giving up the Curch as you know it and becoming level with Islam. These proofs are due out soon, God Willing with the advent of the coming of the Massiah Christ peace and blessings be upon Him, and Imaam Mahdi, may Allah be pleased with them both. This is what will bring the Masses into the correction and completion of their Faith.
QURAN In the name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

I understand your passion for God, which is wonderful; and I also understand you do not believe the Bible to be the truth. However, basing these beliefs on conspiracy theories is not rational. Base your beliefs on your faith, and not on silly untrue conspiracy theories. What more would Satan want to do then make you believe that which has not been proven?

Yes He is abounding in Mercy which is why He hasnt left you in the dark about Christ and the Cross, and which is why He doesnt require a brute savage sacrifice of someone so beautiful, so pure, so Noble. The story of Abraham and His son should confirm this for you.
Look at Pagan history and Folk that used to sacrifice humans to their Gods to appease them and have their sins transferred. How awful for you to compare such a thing to the Almighty. Why are you not happy that your Lord has corrected you? Did Christ not give you the glad tidings of The Comforter that was to come?
Children are innocent and nearer to truth, and very natural, what do you suppose they think of a God that requires savage sacrifice for the faults of others?! Their little innocent minds must be screaming out “But thats not fair!!!”
And they are right. And the proof comes when Allah, the God Of Christ, tells you in Quran, through Archangel Gabriel, through Muhammad (The Comforter), pbu them
QURAN>
Let’s look at verse 4:156-159 “That they rejected Faith; That they uttered against Mary A grave false charge; That they said (in boast): ‘We killed Christ Jesus The son of Mary, The Messenger of Allah.’ But they killed him not, Nor crucified him,but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge but only conjunction to follow, for of a surety they killed him not. Nay, Allah raised him up Unto Himself; and Allah Is Exalted in Power, Wise. And there is none of the people of the book (Jews and Christians) But must believe in him (Jesus) Before his death; And on the Day of Judgment He (Jesus) will be a witness Against them.”

This is not proof, what you’ve done here is accept the Qur’an as true and then explain that because the Qur’an says it, it’s proof. That’s not how proof works.

To prove something we must first look at the historical details. I would recommend that you read the Gospel of John, then the Gospel of Luke, then the Acts. Then read what James, Peter, John, and Jude had to say about Jesus who they knew personally. Then look at the Early Church Fathers. I assure you, you will find nothing that says Jesus was removed from the cross. The proof is not there for Muslims. In order to accept Islam, one must reject history and also assume Christianity is a giant conspiracy theory, and I assure you it’s not.

 

[dronald]

As a Muslim Girl in a Christian Country, I was well pleased when I found out God did not allow such an awful thing to happen to such a perfect, beautiful man. Made more sense.
Religion that is accurate is always natural and common sense, anything else, needs investigating.
For you guys, its upsetting being told this, because it means you answer for your own sins and Christ was not brutally murdered for your sins.
Guidance does not come from us trying to convert one another, but from God, to your heart. Your conscience is from Heaven, Follow it.
Nothing can contain God, but the heart of a believer.
Its time for all of us lovers of God to unite against Godlessness that is suffocating Mankind and the Planet.

It’s not upsetting, it was actually prophesied about 700 years before Jesus came, I suggest you read the entire thing:

Isaiah

53 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression[a] and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.**
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes[c] his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge[my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,[g]
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.

Also, the difference between how we as Christians are justified, and you as Muslims is that we believe that we should do good because God has already done so much for us. We don’t do good things to get a reward, we have already been rewarded and in turn are good people.

 

[shambles]

It wasn’t until I delved deeply into Sufism that I began to see the beauty of Islam.

I mean, Sufism has its root in saying of Prophet Muhammad, Ihsan, spiritual excellence, which is to worship God as though you see Him, because you see Him. As though you see Him because it is not the seeing with the physical eyes, because you see Him, because it is the seeing with the spirit, which some have called the eye of the heart, the eye of the intellect (nous).

Sufism is about directly experiencing the divine and receiving direct knowledge from Him, who sustains all the worlds. One of the early Muslims says, knowledge is not what narrates but a light that God places in the heart of the believers.

Alhamdolillah, couldnt agree more. I find Sufiism to be the essence of Islam. My favourite teacher in the World at the moment is Sheikh Nazim Al Haqqani. Beautiful Mashallah. The Prophet did say, Hold on to my Family, they will not lead you astray.
Nowhere in my 37 years have I learnt anything new about Islam, just repeats droning on from copy cats, until Allah drew me to these Sufi Saints. God Almighty what a show! The sciences behind what we know and dont know and think we know and the Oceans of knowledge and love and pearls of Wisdom, and answers to stuff we pondered on for years, this is Whom Allah chose to put in front of me to confirm what my heart was already telling me. I quite often think aloud or tell people things regarding Allah and deen that I then later on hear Sheikh Saab and His delegates telling folk as well. Obviously, Im made up then, cuz I feel Im on the right track. I have heard that Catholics are that bit closer to us than other denominations of Christianity. I suppose when you regard the Rosary beads, the way they remember the Saints, the dress of their Nuns, you can see why. In fact I do believe my toes are shaped like Mother Teresas! Lol.
Allah rest her Soul.

 

[shambles]

It’s not upsetting, it was actually prophesied about 700 years before Jesus came, I suggest you read the entire thing:

He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression[a] and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.**
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes[c] his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge[my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,[g]
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors
Also, the difference between how we as Christians are justified, and you as Muslims is that we believe that we should do good because God has already done so much for us. We don’t do good things to get a reward, we have already been rewarded and in turn are good people.

That sounds like a nice sad poem. Why past tense if it was 700 years b4 Christ, pls forgive me my ignorance.
There you are with that competitive streak again.
Muslims are Those who submit Their Will to God. Salvation is promised to the God fearing, but when a lover of God grows in his relationship with God, then he or she no longer performs just to get to Paradise, but to gain the Pleasure of our Lord, quite simply because we love Him and are appreciating Him, and the Soul then yearns to bask in the sight of its Creator, becoming annihilated in His presence.
You cannot make random sweeping comments about Muslims, because they come in all shapes and sizes, as do you guys.
Prophecy tells it that you guys are going to be guided to Islam by Christ, because Islam is Salvation, and Christ is Muslim and submits His Will to God Almighty and believes in Shahada which is engraved on the Throne, which interprets There is No God, but Allah (ONE) and Muhammad is His Messenger. All Previous Prophets have sworn allegiance to the last Messenger who is also known as the Interceder, which Christ has already taught you, and on the day of Questioning every nation shall be with their Prophet, but they will not intercede for you because they have their heads down in worry of their own possible discrepancies, (even though they are perfect and pure) thats just how humble they are, Mashallah, and the intercession will be taken on by Muhammad, from Whos light we were are created, for Mankind.
It isnt you versus us. Its Us verses the armies of Satan. For guidance comes from Allah (God) only, and although they plan, you plan, I plan, it is God Who is the best of planners. Do you suppose that any of us should die with all that love and faith, in vain??? I s that what you want out of this competition?

 

[dronald]

That sounds like a nice sad poem. Why past tense if it was 700 years b4 Christ, pls forgive me my ignorance.

This was actually written by Isaiah and uses the Prophetic perfect tense which is commonly used in Hebrew. To simplify, when Prophets would write their words in Hebrew, they would often write about the future in the past tense. Here are some examples:

Genesis 6:18. In Genesis 6, God told Noah to build the ark. After telling him how to build it, the Hebrew text reads that God said, “And you have come into the ark.” The ark was not even built at that time, and when it was built God told Noah, “Go into the ark” (Gen. 7:1). The prophetic perfect in Genesis 6:18 makes it clear that Noah would absolutely enter the ark.

Genesis 15:18. The Hebrew text reads, “To your descendants I have given this land.” This promise was made to Abraham before he even had any descendants to give the land to. Nevertheless, God states His promise in the past tense to emphasize the certainty of the event.

Genesis 18:26. Abraham was bargaining with God to save Sodom. God told Abraham that if fifty righteous people could be found in the city, He would spare it. To make His point clear, God used the prophetic perfect. He literally said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous people, I have spared the whole place.”

Numbers 21:34. When Israel was coming out of the wilderness, Og, the king of Bashan, and his army came out to fight them. God wanted to assure Moses that Israel would win the battle, so He said, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you”

I can give you many more examples.

There you are with that competitive streak again.
Muslims are Those who submit Their Will to God. Salvation is promised to the God fearing, but when a lover of God grows in his relationship with God, then he or she no longer performs just to get to Paradise, but to gain the Pleasure of our Lord, quite simply because we love Him and are appreciating Him, and the Soul then yearns to bask in the sight of its Creator, becoming annihilated in His presence.
You cannot make random sweeping comments about Muslims, because they come in all shapes and sizes, as do you guys.

I apologize for my generalization about Muslims and ask your forgiveness.

Prophecy tells it that you guys are going to be guided to Islam by Christ, because Islam is Salvation, and Christ is Muslim and submits His Will to God Almighty and believes in Shahada which is engraved on the Throne, which interprets There is No God, but Allah (ONE) and Muhammad is His Messenger. All Previous Prophets have sworn allegiance to the last Messenger who is also known as the Interceder, which Christ has already taught you, and on the day of Questioning every nation shall be with their Prophet, but they will not intercede for you because they have their heads down in worry of their own possible discrepancies, (even though they are perfect and pure) thats just how humble they are, Mashallah, and the intercession will be taken on by Muhammad, from Whos light we were are created, for Mankind.

I understand that you believe this based on the Qur’an and Hadith, but again I must appeal to history and say that what you’re saying is historically inaccurate.

It isnt you versus us. Its Us verses the armies of Satan. For guidance comes from Allah (God) only, and although they plan, you plan, I plan, it is God Who is the best of planners. Do you suppose that any of us should die with all that love and faith, in vain??? I s that what you want out of this competition?

I don’t necessarily believe that I’m against Muslims, for I love Muslims very much. However, if they have been misguided by a false Prophet that the Bible warns against, then I must help turn them away from that.

Although I will not do that here, for it is against the rules, you must understand that the Bible is clear that Salvation is only attained by Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This was denied by Muhammad 600 years later and then again, i must appeal to history.

 

[dronald]

Also, in regards to your objection to Christ dying for the sins of mankind because, “it’s not fair.” I would like it if you could address some Hadith passages for me.

Sahih Muslim 6665—Abu Musa reported that Allah’s Messenger said: When it will be the Day of Resurrection Allah would deliver to every Muslim a Jew or a Christian and say: That is your rescue from Hell-Fire.

Sahih Muslim 6666—Allah’s Apostle said: No Muslim would die but Allah would admit in his stead a Jew or a Christian in Hell-Fire.

Sahih Muslim 6668—Allah’s Messenger [said]: There would come people amongst the **Muslims on the Day of Resurrection with as heavy sins as a mountain, **and Allah would forgive them and He would place in their stead the Jews and the Christians.

Here it seems as if Muslims with sins the size of mountains are being placed on the backs of Jews and Christians.

 

[Chemosh]

I am Catholic and am wondering, is it o.k. for me to read a translation of the Qur’an to be able to interpret it for myself when discussing with Islamic friends? I do not know how to read Arabic currently so I would be reading it in English. I know that I must treat it with respect as Muslims treat the Qur’an (not writing in it, not damaging it, &c.,) Also, is there anything I should know besides a basic background of Islam before I read it?

I find it surprising that no one’s replies took any issue with any logical problems with the initial question.

1. If what you have is really truth, there can be nothing to lead you away from it. Read as much as you possibly can from as many varied sources as you can, and don’t allow anyone to tell you what you can’t or “shouldn’t” read. How could any new argument or information cause you to change a belief you already consider to be correct, unless your belief itself is without foundation or logic?
2. Why should you treat an inanimate object with respect? Particularly when your current religion takes great issue with idols, and in essence states that there is only one way to heaven/god/righteousness — thus making any contradictory material essentially “evil” since it leads those who follow it astray?

 

[TheSufi]

How do you interpret Christ’s death, resurrection, ascension and the historical accuracy of Christ’s death on the cross which is indisputable?

I think it’s false to say Muslims can look to the Bible to confirm their faith, as all four Gospels have Jesus’s resurrection. Paul, James and Peter also go into it.

Historically it should show that Jesus died on the Cross, because that is how it appeared.

 

[Reuben_J]

Historically it should show that Jesus died on the Cross, because that is how it appeared.

Then this makes him (allah) a god who lies. And we know who the Father of Lies is!

allah lied by making somebody else appeared like Jesus who, agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane, was flogged by Roman soldiers, carried the cross, died on it, buried in a tomb, rose on the third day and showed his disciples his wounds, and this person was not Jesus.

The consequence of all these protracted lies led the disciples to believe what Jesus said before he died was true and as a result they became Christians, people who believed the divinity of Jesus for God cannot die, only man can (Jesus rose from the dead, he conquered death, death could not defeat him). As a result, according to your allah, he has led this people into sin by his lie.

We know this could not be an act of God for God never lies. He would not deceive people with a consequence that led them into sin.

Moreover, for allah to make it appeared like Jesus died on the cross was not logical. If allah wanted to save Jesus, he could simply just make him disappeared. He did not; but resort to deceit. God who knows best does not deceive.

It is not logical too for Jesus who could calm the storm and stop the wind, Jesus who could raise the dead to life, Jesus who deliver the demons and especially Jesus who could just disappear into the thin crowd when people wanted to stone him.

The fact is: Jesus could save himself if he wanted to. That he allowed himself to die on the cross was NOT because he could not save himself from his enemies but because he allowed it to happen. And it was for a purpose.

But is there any surprise in Islam? Does not Islam allow lying? Does not Islam allow deceit especially when it is to save one’s life?