Contents

Bab I Why am I Here ?................................................................................................ 2

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS................................................................................... 2
ARE YOU GRATEFUL?............................................................................................... 2
WHAT'S YOUR GOAL?............................................................................................... 3
GAME OVER?........................................................................................................... 4
Bab 2 The God Confusion........................................................................................... 4
DO WE NEED EVIDENCE FOR GOD?.........................................................................4
DESIGNED TO DISCOVER......................................................................................... 8
WHY DOES GOD ALLOW EVIL?.................................................................................9
Bab 3 The Prophet.................................................................................................... 13
WHO DO YOU LOVE?.............................................................................................. 13
LIAR, DELUDED OR TRUTHFUL?............................................................................. 32
Bab 4 The Quran...................................................................................................... 36
WHAT IS THE QURAN?........................................................................................... 36
What does the Quran teach?................................................................................37
THE QURAN AND SCIENCE..................................................................................... 39
THE QURANS IMPACT ON THE WORLD..................................................................43
Read the Quran..................................................................................................... 53
Bab 5 Islam............................................................................................................... 54
DONT HATE, DEBATE!........................................................................................... 54
AGAINST RACISM, AGAINST HATRED.....................................................................63
GLOBAL WARMING................................................................................................. 67
WHAT IS ISLAMIC SPIRITUALITY?............................................................................72
LIFE UNDER ISLAMIC VALUES................................................................................. 73
Bab 6 Interfaith........................................................................................................ 78
JESUS IN ISLAM...................................................................................................... 78
MUHAMMAD IN THE BIBLE..................................................................................... 82

Bab I Why am I Here ?

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
Most of us want to be happy. We want to be content, live in ease, enjoy the
company of our friends and family, and not be bogged down with the stresses and
strains of daily living. This is why if you were to ask the average person why they
want to get a good job, they would probably reply, to earn enough to live
comfortably. If you questioned them further and asked why they want to live
comfortably, they would say just like the rest of us because I want to be happy.
Happiness is an end, not a means. It is the final destination, not the journey. We all
want to be happy, and we seek ways to ensure that we achieve a happy state.
HappinessImageWhat makes people happy varies from one person to the next:
some work away for years to add degrees and career credentials to their names;
some work night and day to achieve that perfect figure; some want the comforting
love of a spouse or bustle of a family; some go wild with friends every weekend
after a tough week at work; some devour lifestyle magazines to get a home looking
up to standard; the list is endless. Whether its through money, status, other people
or just a good time everybody is involved in trying to get happy, live happy, and
eventually just BE happy. Which begs the question, what is true happiness? If it
exists, where does it lie and how do we get there?
To answer these questions consider the following. Imagine that while reading this
you have been sedated against your will. Suddenly you wake up and find yourself
on a plane. You are in first class. You have your own cabin. The food is heavenly. The
seat is a flatbed, designed for a luxurious comfortable experience. The
entertainment is limitless. The service is out of this world. You start to enjoy all of
the facilities. Think for a moment, and ask yourself this question: am I happy?
How can you be you need some questions answered first. How did you even get
on the plane? Where is it headed to? If these questions remain unanswered, how
can you ever be happy? Even if you started to enjoy all of the luxuries at your
disposal, you would never achieve true happiness. Would that frothy Belgian
chocolate mousse on your dessert tray be enough to drown out the questions? It
would be a delusion, a fake type of happiness, only achievable by deliberately
ignoring and suspending these critical questions.
Apply this to your life. Now ask yourself, am I happy?
Our coming into existence is no different to being sedated and thrown on a plane.
We never chose our birth. Yet some of us do not ask the questions or search for the
answers that will help us achieve our ultimate goal: happiness.

ARE YOU GRATEFUL?

There is something precious in your life that you do not earn and do not own, yet it
is freely given to you. Its something we all take for granted, not recognising its
importance or significance.

That thing is, this moment, and the next moment, and all of the moments of your
existence.
There are no good reasons to believe that you own these moments. You did not
create the world and the life that it contains and you played no role in bringing
yourself into existence.
There are no good reasons to show that you have earned these moments or that
you even deserve another moment in your life. Such a blessing can never be
acquired or repaid by someone who doesnt have the power to bring himself into
existence.
If someone has given you something precious that you havent earned and
something that you dont own, how does that make you feel? Grateful?
Shouldnt that instil an immense sense of gratitude in your heart? Of course it
should.
But - who should you be grateful to?
The answer is simple.
The One who created life and gave it to you.
So dont be like the one who has been given a gift, and starts thanking the gift
instead of the one who gave it to him. Be thankful for your life, this moment, this
second.
And be grateful to God, the One who created you and gave you life - and provides
you with every valuable moment of your existence.
It is God who brought you out of your mothers wombs knowing nothing, and gave
you hearing and sight and minds so that you may be grateful. The Quran, Chapter
16, Verse 78

WHAT'S YOUR GOAL?

Imagine you went to a football game and you saw there is no goal posts on the
pitch. Would there be any point in playing a game in which there is no goals? In the
same way it is meaningless to live life without a Goal!
I want you to imagine you wake up in front of you are a bunch of guys running
around kicking a ball. No goals, No lines, No rules!

What would you think? But is that your life? Surely every sport has its goal every
game has its end, it has its objective it has its rules. How about life? How about our
life? Isnt there a goal to life? Isnt there a purpose, an objective that we have to
reach? We think so! The Quran tell us that we exist in order to worship God and
worshipping God means knowing God.
Worship though is not some narrow small thing. Its wide its vast, it encompasses
everything that the human being does everything that you do, everything that you
think, everything that you feel can be done thought, said, felt in a way that is either
pleasing or displeasing to God.

The purpose of life is to try and do everything in a way that God loves and God is
pleased with.
That is your goal!

GAME OVER?
To the average person death is by no means a pleasant subject or topic for
discussion. It is something dismal and oppressive a veritable kill-joy, a topic fit for a
funeral house only. The average person, immersed as they are is in the self, ever
seeking after the pleasurable, ever pursuing that which excites and gratifies the
senses, refuses to pause and ponder seriously that these very objects of pleasure
and gratification will someday reach their end.
If wise counsel does not prevail and urge us to consider seriously that death can
knock at our door also, it is only the shock of a bereavement under our own roof,
the sudden and untimely death of a parent, wife or child that will rouse us up from
our delirious round of sense-gratification and rudely awaken us to the hard facts of
life. Then only will our eyes open, then only will we begin to ask ourselves why there
is such a phenomenon as death. Why is it inevitable? Why are there these painful
partings which rob life of its joys?
To most of us, at some moment or another, the spectacle of death must have given
rise to the deepest of thoughts and profoundest of questions. What is life worth, if
able bodies that once performed great deeds now lie flat and cold, senseless and
lifeless? What is life worth, if eyes that once sparkled with joy, eyes that once
beamed with love are now closed forever, bereft of movement, bereft of life?
Thoughts such as these are not to be repressed. It is just these inquiring thoughts, if
wisely pursued, that will ultimately unfold the potentialities inherent in the human
mind to receive the highest truths.
According to the Islamic way of thinking, death, far from being a subject to be
shunned and avoided, should be reflected upon and should bring about a positive
change in us. The Quran which is the book of the Muslims says on the topic:
"Everyone is going to taste death, and We shall make a trial of you with evil and
good, and to Us you will be returned." The Qur'an, Chapter 21 Verse 35
4

Reflecting upon death makes one think of their purpose in life.

Bab 2 The God Confusion

DO WE NEED EVIDENCE FOR GOD?
Does God exist? This is the question Ive constantly discussed with Atheist
academics. The discussion is often put forward in different guises but the premise is
always the same; does God exist and what evidence is there to support this belief?

In fact, I would argue that we dont need any evidence for Gods existence. So the
question itself needs debating. It shouldnt actually be does God exist?, but
rather what reasons do we have to reject His existence?
Now, dont get me wrong, I believe we have many good arguments which support a
belief in God. The point I am raising here, however, is that we dont require any
evidence for His existence: God is an axiomatic belief. In other words, Gods
existence is self-evidently true. Also known as a basic belief in the language of
philosophy.
The idea of self-evident truths are accepted by all. Take science for example:
science takes the worlds reality as a self-evident truth; it believes that the world is
real. In other words, the physical world is separate and external from our minds and
our thoughts.
So you may be thinking, I believe that the real world is real, as I can touch and feel
it. I believe the world is real because other people also say that the world is as
tangible to them as it is to me.
However, this doesnt prove anything. Touching and feeling something doesnt
prove that what you touch and feel is external to your mind. The thinking and
feeling could simply be happening by the workings of your brain. Consider this;
maybe your brain is in a jar on the Moon. There is an alien who has placed probes in
it, who is making you think and feel what youre feeling right now.
You dont actually have substantial evidence for the reality of the world you
experience. Evidence based on experience is unreliable as the experience could
simply be produced in the brain. Evidence based on philosophy or complex logic is
also a product of the mind. The external world may have no real existence apart
from what is going on in your skull.
On reading this you may demand proof, proof that the real world is external to the
brain but we dont have any proof. Actually, we dont need it. Thats why we call
the belief in the real world an axiom, a self-evident truth or a basic belief. Therefore,
5

I would argue, that rejecting Gods existence is equivalent to rejecting that the
world is real because they are both self-evident truths.
This is not a type of special pleading for God because there are a myriad of other
self-evident truths and axioms that we believe in. These include:
The existence of other minds
The existence of objective moral values
The existence of logical truths
The validity of our reasoning
The law of causality
Self-evident truths, axioms and basic beliefs are cross cultural in that they are not
culturally bound. They are also innate in that they are not acquired via any form of
information transfer, and they are also foundational. What is meant by foundational
is that they provide the basis for a coherent worldview. These aspects of self-evident
truths will be explained further while addressing the key objections to this
argument.
OBJECTION #1: WHAT ABOUT THE GREAT PUMPKIN, OR THE SPAGHETTI MONSTER?
There are some objections to this argument. Some atheists and sceptics will say:
What about the great pumpkin, or the spaghetti monster? They highlight that if
God is a self-evident truth, if God is axiomatic, then why cant the spaghetti
monster, or the great pumpkin be self-evident truths as well?
There are three ways of dealing with this false contention:
1. A Cross Cultural Belief: The spaghetti monster and the great pumpkin are not
natural tendencies.[1] There is not a broad natural tendency to believe in a
spaghetti monster or great pumpkin. These are not natural tendencies, they are
culturally bound. For example, if I believe in a spaghetti monster, I would have to
have been brought up in a culture in which you are taught about spaghetti and
monsters. However, the idea of God, the basic underlying idea of a creator, of a
supernatural cause for the universe, is cross-cultural. It is not contingent on culture
but transcends it, just like the belief in causality and the existence of other minds.
2. An Innate Belief: Properly basic beliefs, axiomatic beliefs, and self-evident truths,
do not require information transfer. For me to understand what a spaghetti monster
is, I require information to be transferred to me. For example, I require knowledge of
western cuisine and Italian culture. But when it comes to the idea of Gods existence
as the creator of the universe, you do not require any information transfer, whether
from culture, or education. This is why sociologists and anthropologists argue that
even if atheist children were stranded on a desert island, they would come to
believe that something created the desert island.[2]

This is very critical to understand because we frequently hear God is no different

than believing in the spaghetti monster. This is not true. If you understand selfevident truths, axiomatic and basic beliefs then you would see that they do not
require information transfer. The basic concept of God does not require information
6

transfer. The idea that monsters exist, or even that spaghetti exists, requires
information transfer. Therefore the spaghetti monster is not a self-evident truth.
3. A Foundational Belief: The third point is that basic and axiomatic beliefs are
foundational: they provide a basis for a coherent world view. They answer questions
and facilitate knowledge. For example, Gods existence, explains conscious
emergence, the fact that we have consciousness within a material world.[3] It
answers the questions for which we have no answer, like the question of language.
Currently, evolutionary paradigms cant explain the development of language.[4] It
also explains the existence of objective moral truths and offers a foundation for
explaining why things happen.
Lets apply this to another self-evident truth: the validity of our reasoning. Trusting
our minds and the very fact that we can reason to the truth is a basic belief. If we
did not hold such a belief then how could we trust our minds? How could we reason
to the truth? How could we understand the universe and ourselves? These questions
are indicative of the foundational nature of the validity of our reasoning.
Gods existence provides a foundation for a coherent world view, facilitates
knowledge and answers key fundamental questions. A belief in the spaghetti
monster or the belief in the great pumpkin, only provides the foundation for a few
laughs.
OBJECTION #2: WASNT THE BELIEF IN A FLAT EARTH ONCE SELF EVIDENTLY TRUE?
Another objection is the belief that the earth was flat. This was once a self-evident
truth, it was a basic belief. As science has progressed we have found that this is not
the case. We now know that the world is round. I dont want to get into a big
philosophical discussion about basic beliefs or self-evident truths and if they can be
changed by future scientific evidence but what I will say is this problem is not
applicable to Gods existence. God, by definition, is a non-observed being and is
outside of His universe. For example, if I made a chair, I obviously remain distinct
and disjoined from the chair. I am outside of the chair. Likewise, the creator is
distinct and external to the universe.[5] Therefore, the creator cannot be observed.
We cant observe whats outside of our universe. So, from this perspective, the
objection doesnt apply: it is only applicable to things which can be observed.
Science is based on a theory of knowledge called Empiricism. Empiricism stems
from the idea that you can only have knowledge of something from experience
based on direct or indirect observation.[6] An empirical rejection of God is
impossible as it requires evidence from observation to form conclusions. To deny
something that cannot be observed, by using the theory of knowledge that can only
form conclusions based on observations, is absurd. The scientific world can never
deny Gods existence because science can only deal with things that you can
observe. This is why the philosopher of science Elliot Sober, in his essay Empiricism
asserts that science is limited to questions which observation can explain,

At any moment scientists are limited by the observations they have at handthe
limitation is that science is forced to restrict its attention to problems that
observations can solve.[7]
God is not observed. How can you use the observed world to deny that which
cannot be observed? Its impossible. This is why science can never directly reject
Gods existence. It can only do one of two things:
1. Stay silent on the matter
2. Suggest some evidence that can be used to infer His existence
A common reply to this answer includes if it cannot be observed, you cannot
believe it. This is a misplaced assertion because observations do not encompass all
phenomena. There are many things we believe in that we cannot observe. The
Philosopher John Cottingham exposes this problem in his book Rationalism:
But what about all water at a given atmospheric pressure boils at 100 degrees
Celsius? Since this statement has the form of an unrestricted universal
generalization, it follows that no finite number of observations can conclusively
establish its truth. An additional and perhaps even more worrying problem is that
when we reach the higher levels of sciencewe tend to encounter structures and
entities that are not observable in any straightforward sense. Atoms, molecules,
electrons, photons and the like are highly complex theoretical constructshere we
seem to be very far removed from the world of direct empirical observation[8]
OBJECTION #3: THE BELIEF IN GOD IS NOT UNIVERSAL
A final key objection is that since self-evident truths must be universal, the
existence of millions of atheists worldwide suggests that the Gods existence is not
self-evident. There are two reason why this objection is false:
1. Self-evident truths do not have to be universal: Self-evident truths, basic beliefs
or axioms can be individualised and do not have to have universal appeal. Take for
example your mother; you have a basic belief that the lady that you call your
mother is the one that gave birth to you. You do not have a home DNA test kit and
accept the fact that she is your mother because for you it is self-evidently true.
However, to someone else, the lady that you call your mother could be your aunty,
step-mother or adopted guardian. Basic beliefs and self-evident truths do not have
to be universal. They can be individualised.
2. The belief in God is universal: In spite of the number of atheists in the world, the
belief in God is universal. A universal belief does not mean every single person on
the planet must believe in it. A cross cultural consensus is enough evidence to
substantiate the claim that Gods existence is a universal claim. Evidently there are
more theists than atheists in the world, and this has always been the case from the
beginning of recorded history.
In order for atheists and sceptics to effectively challenge this thesis, they will have
to explain that God is not a self-evident truth. They will have to explain that God is
not a foundational belief, is culturally bound and is only acquired via information
transfer.
8

DESIGNED TO DISCOVER
But then with me the horrid doubt always arises whether the convictions of man's
mind, which has been developed from the mind of the lower animals, are of any
value or at all trustworthy. Would anyone trust in the convictions of a monkey's
mind, if there are any convictions in such a mind?[1]
This is an excerpt from a letter written in 1881 by Charles Darwin. What troubled
him was the notion of trusting the human mind; if we evolved from lower life forms;
if we can be reduced down to random, non-rational physical processes, how can our
minds be rational?
Indeed, questions such as, Can we trust our minds?, Can we reason to the
truth?, and, Why and how have we acquired the ability to understand the
universe? have captured the minds of great thinkers throughout the ages. Our
minds are truly fascinating; we have mental faculties which outshine all other
creatures, and we seem to have cognitive abilities which surpass the requirements
of natural selection.
Natural selection is not concerned with truth value but rather survival value. Both
true, as well as false beliefs, can adequately result in survival. Take this as an
analogy: John and Mark are asked to run across a busy highway blindfolded. Johns
cognitive faculties are functioning perfectly; when he is asked to do this, he reasons
to the conclusion that this would be extremely dangerous and declines the offer. On
the other hand, Marks cognitive faculties are impaired, which result in him believing
that there is no traffic. At the same time, he holds the belief that someone has just
glued his feet to the ground, which results in him not running across the road. This
simple example illustrates that survival is not contingent on truth.
It isn't only our minds which are amazing, we also live in a rational universe.
Again, if everything was simply a by-product of non-rational, blind, random physical
processes, how have we ended up with a rationally ineligible universe? A universe
governed by distinctive laws and one which is mathematically coherent. Many have
been mesmerized by the rational nature and order of the universe; this is captured
in the statement of Einstein, when he said, What is inconceivable about the
universe is that it is at all conceivable.[2] We live in an ordered rational universe!
Order does not come from disorder; we wouldn't expect scrabble pieces thrown into
the air at random to land spelling a concise sentence. Rationality does not come
from non-rationality,; believing such a thing would be absurd. It would be the
equivalent of claiming that something could arise from nothing.
As a race, humans have progressed in leaps and bounds in the sciences, yet the two
fundamental requirements to do sciencea rational mind and a rational universe
have gone unaccounted for. Having one without the other would render science
non-existent. Both need to work uniquely together in a complementary way to make

science possible. An analogy which comes to mind is of a lock and a key: the
rational mind being the key which has the potential to unlock the rational universe.
Here arises another problem for atheism: how is it that we have a mind which can
comprehend the order and rationality of the universe? Keys do not just fit locks by
chance, they are designed to fit. This makes sense of Gods existence. If rationality
cannot come from non-rationality, and since we cannot trust our minds if they are
just a result of blind, non-rational forces, then what best explains the fact that we do
trust our minds and that rationality can only come from rationality? An All-Knowing
and All-Wise being (God) that created the universe with the ability for sentient
beings to have rational faculties is the best explanation for this.
In the Quran, seldom does God engage humanity in attempting to prove His
existence. Instead, He takes us from His existence, which is self evidently true, to
His worship. One way God does this is by directing us towards His creation;
encouraging us to look into creation wherein lie His signs. It is through pondering
and reflecting over these signs that we can appreciate His majesty and creative
power, which naturally leads us to knowing and affirming that He deserves to be
worshipped.
God says in the Quran, Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and
the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding.[3] We
can draw a beautiful conclusion from this: God gave us a rational mind and a
rational universe so we can reflect over this creation and through this, fulfil our
purpose which is to worship God: the One who made us and gave us everything.
Indeed, the One who made everything and gave us everything deserves to be
worshipped.

WHY DOES GOD ALLOW EVIL?

The Islamic position concerning lifes trials and tribulations is one that is extremely
empowering. Calamities, disasters, and tragedies all forms of suffering and
hardshipare viewed as divinely-sent tests. This life is not meant to be one giant
party, rather, we have been created with a noble purpose to worship God. Tests
are an inevitable part of this purpose. These tests serve as a reminder of our
greater purpose, as a means of purification, and, ultimately, as a way to draw closer
to God. Tests are actually seen as a sign of Gods love. In fact, the Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) said,
When God loves a servant, He tests him.[1]
Why would God test those He loves? Trials and tribulations are an avenue to
achieving Divine mercy; a means to entering the eternal bliss of paradise. God
clearly states this in the Quran, saying,
Do you suppose that you will enter the Garden without first having suffered like
those before you? They were afflicted by misfortune and hardship, and they were so
shaken that even [their] messenger and the believers with him cried, When will
Gods help arrive? Truly, Gods help is near.[2]
10

The beauty of this is that God has empowered us with all the necessary means to
overcome these trials. Indeed,
God does not burden any soul with more than it can bear.[3]
Generally speaking, any evil or suffering experienced in life is the exception and not
the rule. Illness is relatively short-lived in comparison to good health, as are
earthquakes in comparison to the age of the earth. Moreover, just because we may
not be able to understand the wisdom behind something, doesnt mean it isnt
there. For instance, in some cases, sickness results in the buildup of immunity;
earthquakes relieve pent up pressures within the earth; and volcanoes spew out
minerals resulting in rich fertile soil for agriculture. There is an ancient wisdom that
states, Out of the snakes poison comes the antidote. How else can one
appreciate ease without having first experienced hardship? Would it be possible to
appreciate good health if illness did not occur? It is said that,
evil in the world is like the shaded spaces in a painting; if you come close to it
youll see these as defects, but if you draw back to a distance you will discover the
shaded areas are necessary in fulfilling an aesthetic function within the artwork.[4]
Sceptics may focus on the negative aspects, claiming that evil and suffering do not
serve a greater purpose. Muslims, on the other hand, believe that trials and
tribulations are an inevitable part of establishing their ultimate purpose. The Quran
emphasizes this concept, stating,
The One who created death and life, so that He may put you to test, to find out
which of you is best in deeds; He is The Almighty, The All-Forgiving.[5]
In some religions, a persons good status in the world is seen as an indication that
God is pleased with him or her. For instance, if a person has a good job or a nice
house the inference made is that God loves him or her. However, in Islam, health,
wealth, poverty, sickness, etc., are not signs of success or failure: they are a means
of testing the individual to determine his or her response to a particular situation.
FALSE ASSUMPTIONS
There is no denying the amount of evil and suffering that exists in the world, and we
should all be concerned with how we can make the human experience more
peaceful. Some argue that the existence of all of this evil and suffering undermines
Gods existence. However, putting emotions aside, is this a convincing argument?
The argument can be summarised in the following way:
It is unbelievable that a good, all-powerful God exists with all the evil and suffering
in the world.
In its logical form:

A good, all-powerful God exists

Evil and suffering exist
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Therefore a good, all-powerful God doesnt exist

A basic lesson in logic will make one realise that this argument is not deductive. The
conclusion doesnt necessarily follow from the previous two statements. Rather, the
conclusion is probably true; essentially, it is a probabilistic argument. The problem
of evil argument is a very weak one due to it being based on two major false
assumptions.
These are:
God is only good and all-powerful
God has not given us any reasons to why He has permitted evil and suffering
GOD IS ONLY GOOD AND ALL-POWERFUL?
The problem of evil argument misrepresents the Islamic concept of God. God is not
just good and all-powerful; rather, He has many names and attributes, all of which
are understood holistically. For example, one of His names is The-Wise. Since the
very nature of God is wise, it follows that whatever He wills is in line with wisdom. If
something has wisdom behind it, theres a purpose for it. In response, sceptics
typically reply in the following way:
Why does he have to test us in such evil ways?
This response misrepresents the Islamic position and commits the fallacy of arguing
from ignorance. The point here is that just because the wisdom cannot be
understood, doesnt mean there isnt one. This reasoning is typical of toddlers.
Many toddlers get told off by their parents for something they want to do. For
example, wanting to drink an enticing brown-gold liquid, also known as whisky. The
toddlers may cry or have a tantrum because they are thinking how bad Mummy and
Daddy are for not letting them drink it. They dont yet realise the wisdom behind
them not being allowed to consume it.
The Quran uses profound stories and narratives to instil this understanding in the
readers mind. Take for instance the story of Moses and Al-Khidr:
And they found a servant from among Our servants to whom we had given mercy
from us and had taught him from Us a [certain] knowledge. Moses said to him, May
I follow you on [the condition] that you teach me from what you have been taught
of sound judgement? He said, Indeed, with me you will never be able to have
patience. And how can you have patience for what you do not encompass in
knowledge? [Moses] said, You will find me, if Allah wills, patient, and I will not
disobey you in [any] order. He said, Then if you follow me, do not ask me about
anything until I make to you about it mention. So, they set out, until when they had
embarked on the ship, Al-Khidr tore it open. [Moses] said, Have you torn it open to
drown its people? You have certainly done a grave thing. [Al-Khidr] said, Did I not
say that with me you would never be able to have patience? [Moses] said, Do not
blame me for what I forgot and do not cover me in my matter with difficulty. So
they set out, until when they met a boy, Al-Khidr killed him. [Moses] said, Have you
killed a pure soul for other than [having killed] a soul? You have certainly done a
deplorable thing. [Al-Khidr] said, Did I not tell you that with me you would never be
able to have patience? [Moses] said, If I should ask you about anything after this,
12

then do not keep me as a companion. You have obtained from me an excuse. So

they set out, until when they came to the people of a town, they asked its people for
food, but they refused to offer them hospitality. And they found therein a wall about
to collapse, so Al-Khidr restored it. [Moses] said, If you wished, you could have
taken for it a payment. [Al-Khidr] said, This is parting between me and you. I will
inform you of the interpretation of that about which you could not have patience. As
for the ship, it belonged to poor people working at sea. So I intended to cause
defect in it as there was after them a king who seized every [good] ship by force.
And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared that he would
overburden them by transgression and disbelief. So we intended that their Lord
should substitute for them one better than him in purity and nearer to mercy. And
as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it
a treasure for them, and their father had been righteous. So your Lord intended that
they reach maturity and extract their treasure, as a mercy from your Lord. And I did
it not of my own accord. That is the interpretation of that about which you could not
have patience.[6]
Commenting on the above verses, the classical scholar of Qur'anic exegesis, Ibn
Kathir, explained that Al-Khidr was the one to whom God had given knowledge of
these realities, and He had not given it to Moses. With reference to the statement:
Indeed, with me you will never be able to have patience,
Ibn Kathir writes that this means,
You will not be able to accompany me when you see me doing things that go
against your law, because I have knowledge from Allah that He has not taught you,
and you have knowledge from Allah that He has not taught me.[7]
In essence, Gods wisdom and knowledge are unbounded and complete, whereas
we as human beings have its particulars: in other words, limited wisdom and
knowledge. Hence, Ibn Kathir explains that the verse:
And how can you have patience about a thing which you know not,
means,
For I know that you will denounce me justifiably, but I have knowledge of Allahs
wisdom and the hidden interests which I can see but you cannot.[8]
The view that everything that happens is in line with a Divine wisdom is
empowering and positive. This is because Gods wisdom does not contradict other
aspects of His nature, such as His perfection and goodness. Therefore, all evil and
suffering is ultimately part of a greater Divine plan. This evokes positive
psychological responses from believers, because in the end, all evil and suffering
serves a purpose that is both wise and good. The 14th century classical scholar Ibn
Taymiyya summarises this point, saying,
If God exalted is He is the Creator of everything, He creates good and evil on
account of the wise purpose that He has; in that by virtue of which His action is
good and perfect.[9]
13

HAS GOD NOT GIVEN US REASONS?

A sufficient response to the second assumption is to provide a strong argument that
God has justified reasons to permit suffering and evil in the world. The intellectual
richness of Islamic Theology provides us with many reasons, some of which include:

The primary purpose of the human being is not to enjoy a transitory sense of
happiness, but to achieve a deep internal peace through knowing and worshipping
God. This fulfilment of the Divine Purpose will result in everlasting bliss and
happiness. If this is our primary purpose, other aspects of the human experience are
secondary. God states: I did not create either jinn or man except to worship
Me.[10]
As already mentioned, God created us for a test; an inevitable part of this is being
tested with suffering and evil. The Quran mentions, The One who created death
and life, so that He may put you to test, to find out which of you is best in deeds: He
is the Almighty, the All-Forgiving.[11]
Having hardship and suffering enables us to realise and know Gods attributes such
as The Victorious and The Healer. For example, without the pain and suffering of
illness, we would not appreciate the attribute of God being The Healer. Knowing
God is a greater good, and worth the experience of suffering or painas it will mean
the fulfilment of our primary purpose.
Suffering allows 2nd order good. 1st order good is physical pleasure and happiness,
and 1st order evil is physical pain and sadness. 2nd order good is elevated
goodness, such as courage. Courage is appreciated in the presence of cowardice.
God has given us free will, and free will includes choosing evil acts. This explain
personal evil, which is evil or suffering committed by a human being. One can argue
the following: why doesn't God give us the choice to do good or evil but always
ensures that we choose good?
The problem here is that good and evil would lose their meanings if God were to
always ensure we chose good. Take the following example into consideration:
someone always points a loaded gun to your head and asks you to give charity. You
obviously give the charity, but does it have any moral value? It doesnt.
CONCLUSION
A number of responses to the perceived problem of evil have been discussed herein.
Ultimately, the absence of any evil or suffering would point towards absolute
perfection, but this is something that is reserved for God alone. Life on earth cannot
ever be a flawless paradise: this state can only be earned by those who pass the
test of this worldly existence.

14

Bab 3 The Prophet

WHO DO YOU LOVE?
When pen is put to paper and writes about love, it breaks in two. Love is truly a
powerful, unique and irresistible force or feeling. When we try and express our love,
we find it very hard to find the right words. The expressions we use do not fully
represent what is burning deep down inside our hearts. This may explain why we
associate love with actions and not just words. We embrace each other, buy our
loved ones gifts, send our partners a bunch of flowers, or take them out for a
romantic dinner. Love is not just an internal feeling; it is also a way of being, a way
of behaving. The psychologist Erich Fromm aptly described love in the following
way:
Love is an activity, not a passive effect; it is a standing in, not a falling for. In
the most general way, the active character of love can be described by stating that
love is primarily giving, not receiving.[1]
There are many levels and types of love. Various thinkers, philosophers and
psychologists have spoken about love. The terms they have used and the
approaches they have taken differ, but we can generally understand the different
types of love in the following way:
Natural Love: We all experience natural love. This type of love relates to loving our
family. We love our families due to shared personal, private and familial
experiences. This love is also built on a sense of identity and belonging.
Friendly Love: This love is the type of love we experience amongst friends. We fall in
love with our friends due to our shared experiences, common interests, beliefs,
passions and activities.
Passionate Love: Love between partners is considered a passionate type of love.
This type of love can be found between husband and wife, and it is not to be
confused with lust. This love sees the beloved as the source of their pleasure,
comfort and security. Passionate lovers tend to see their pleasure and happiness in
the pleasure and happiness of their beloved. The ancient Greek philosopher
Aristotle referred to this type of love as two bodies and one soul.
Selfless Love: Another type of love is a love that is not based on circumstances and
is freely given regardless of context. This type of love is associated with the love we
receive from our mothers. Their love is not based on us loving them back or on the
way we behave. Mothers simply love without being loved back. A mothers love is
selfless; she sacrifices many of her desires and needs for her children.
WE LOVE LIFE, NOT BECAUSE WE ARE USED TO LIVING BUT BECAUSE WE ARE
USED TO LOVING. FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE
Imagine a life without love or being loved. Is that a life worth living? Everything is
barren if we dont feel love or give love. Without love, our lives become like the dry,
lifeless earth. With love, our lives are like a lush green garden enjoying growth,
fruits and harmony.
Love gives us life, and a life without love is a not a life at all.

15

LOVING OURSELVES, LOVING GOD

Another type of love includes self-love. This love occurs due to the desire to prolong
our existence, feel pleasure and avoid pain, as well as the need to satisfy our
human needs and motivations. We all have this natural love for ourselves because
we want to be happy and content. The psychologist Erich Fromm argued that loving
oneself is not a form of arrogance or egocentricity. Rather, self-love is about caring,
taking responsibility and having respect for ourselves. This type of love is necessary
in order to love others. If we cannot love ourselves, how then can we love other
people? There is nothing closer to us than our own selves, if we cannot care for and
respect ourselves, how then can we care for and respect others? Loving oneself is a
form of self-empathy. We empathise and connect with our own feelings, thoughts
and aspirations. If we cannot empathise and connect with our own selves, how then
can we empathise and connect with others?
The idea expressed in the biblical Love thy neighbour you as love thy self!
implies that respect for ones own integrity and uniqueness, love for an
understanding of ones own self, cannot be separated from respect and love and
understanding for another individual.[2]
If a persons love for himself is necessary, this should lead him to love the One who
made him. Why? Because it is God who created the physical causes and means in
order for human beings to achieve happiness, pleasure and to avoid pain. It is God
who has freely given us every precious moment of our existence, yet we do not earn
or own these moments.
Given that the English word for love encompasses a range of meanings, the best
way to elaborate on the Islamic conception of Gods love is to explain His mercy
(rahmah) and His special love (muwadda).
1. Mercy: It is said that another word for love is mercy. One of Gods names is TheMerciful; the Arabic word used is Ar-Rahman. The translation does not fully
represent the depth and intensity that the meaning of this word carries. The name
Ar-Rahman has three major connotations: the first is that Gods mercy is an intense
mercy; the second is that His mercy is an immediate mercy; and the third is a mercy
so powerful that nothing can stop it. Gods mercy encompasses all things and He
wants people to be guided. In Gods book, the Quran, He says:
but My mercy encompasses all things The Quran, Chapter 7, Verse 156
It is the Lord of Mercy who taught the Quran. The Quran, Chapter 55, Verses 1-2
In the above verse, God says He is The-Merciful, which can be understood as the
Lord of Mercy, and that He taught the Quran. This is a linguistic indication to
highlight that the Quran was revealed as a manifestation of Gods mercy. In other
words, the Quran is like one big love letter to humanity. Just like with true love, the
lover wants good for the beloved, and warns them of pitfalls and obstacles, and
shows them the way to happiness. The Quran is not different: it calls out to
humanity, and it also warns and expresses glad tidings.

16

2. Special Love: According to the Quran, God is The-Loving. The Arabic name is AlWadud. This refers to a special love that is apparent. Hence it comes from the word
wud, which means expressing love through the act of giving.
And He is the Forgiving, The Loving. The Quran, Chapter 85, Verse 14
Gods love transcends any of the types of love mentioned previously. His love is
greater than all worldly and human forms of love even motherly love. God is an
independent being who is self-sufficient and perfect. He doesnt need or require
anything. A mothers love, although selfless, is based on her internal need to love
her child. It completes her and through her sacrifices she feels whole and fulfilled.
However, Gods love is not based on a need or want; it is therefore the purest form
of love, because He gains absolutely nothing from loving.
In this light, how can we not love the One who is more loving than anything we can
imagine? The Prophet Muhammad said,
God is more affectionate to His servants than a mother to her young ones.[3]
If God is the most loving, and His love is greater than the greatest worldly love we
have experienced, this should instil in us a deeper and further love for God.
Significantly, this should make us want to love Him by being one of His servants.
The eleventh century theologian, Al-Ghazali, aptly said,
For those endowed with insight, there is in reality no object of love but God, nor
does anyone but He deserve love.[4]
From a spiritual perspective, Gods love is the greatest blessing anyone can ever
achieve, as it is a source of internal tranquillity, serenity, and eternal bliss in the
hereafter. Not loving God is not only a form of ingratitude, but the greatest form of
hate. Not loving the One who created love and is the source of love itself is a
rejection of that which enables love to occur and fill our hearts.
God cannot force His special love on us. Although, via His mercy, He lovingly gives
us every moment of our lives, to fully embrace Gods love and be recipients of His
special love, one must enter into a relationship with Him. It is as if Gods love is
waiting for us to embrace it. However, we have closed the door and put up the
shutters. If God were to force His special love on us, love would lose all meaning. We
have the choice; to follow the right path and thereby gain Gods special love, or
reject His guidance and face the spiritual consequences.
The most loving Being wants to love you with His special love, but in order to fully
embrace that love, and for it to be meaningful, you have to love Him and follow the
path that leads to His love.
LOVING GOD, LOVING THE PROPHET
How do we fully embrace and earn Gods special love? The Quran makes it very
clear on how to love God. It is to follow and love the Prophet Muhammad :
17

Say to them: If you love God, follow me, and God will love you. The Quran,
Chapter 3 verse 31
Following and loving the Prophet Muhammad is necessary because embodied in
his life, teachings and actions is the path to God. His life reveals the application of
the Quran and its teachings, through which we attain Gods love.
Through the teachings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad , we are taught how
to worship and have a relationship with God. He taught that worshipping God
involves loving, knowing and obeying Him. Worshipping God includes praying five
times a day, fasting, reading and pondering over the meanings of the Quran,
remembering God, giving charity, taking care of others and loving for others what
we love for ourselves. These acts of worship are categorised as obligatory and
supererogatory. Essentially they are spiritual tools that facilitate closeness with God
and Divine love. The Prophet Muhammad said that God said:
My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more beloved to Me than the
religious duties that I have imposed upon him; and My servant continues to draw
closer to Me with supererogatory works so that I would love him. [5]
God is telling us that to come close to Him and love Him we must worship Him.
Understanding how to worship Him requires that we follow the Prophet .
Therefore, following the Prophet is a gateway to Gods special love.
The fourteenth century theologian Ibn al-Qayyim said:
There is no doubt that perfect servitude to God is part of perfect love, and perfect
love is connected to the perfection of the Beloved in and of Himself, for Allah, may
He be glorified, is completely and absolutely perfect in all aspects, and could not
possibly have any imperfections whatsoever. For one who is like this, nothing can be
dearer to peoples hearts than Him; so long as their basic nature and reason are
sound, it is inevitable that He will be the dearest of all things to their hearts.
Undoubtedly love of Him leads to submission and obedience to Him, seeking His
pleasure, doing ones utmost in worship of Him and turning to Him. This is the best
and strongest motive to do acts of worship. [6]
Following Gods guidance by following the Prophet is therefore a means to
paradise, eternal bliss and Divine mercy. A man once asked the Prophet about the
Day of Judgment saying:
When will the hour be?
The Prophet replied,
What have you prepared for it?
The man replied,
Nothing, except that I love God and His Apostle.

18

The Prophet said,

You will be with those whom you love. [7]
Hence, faith cannot be complete without loving the Prophet more than anything
in this world:
No, by Him in Whose Hand my soul is, (you will not have complete faith) till I am
dearer to you than your own self. [8]
How can we not love the man that is the means to Divine love and eternal
happiness? Fundamentally, how can we not love a man that God loves?
To love God we have to love what He loves.
A MERCY TO MANKIND
Muslims love all the Prophets because of who they were. They were the closest to
God and a means to Gods mercy and love. They had the best of characters and
sacrificed so much in order for us to be recipients of this spiritual and moral
guidance. All of the prophets, including Jesus, Moses, Abraham and David, are
loved, honoured and respected. However, the Prophet Muhammad is specifically
described by God as having an exalted character, being the best of examples, and a
mercy to humanity.
It was only as a mercy that We sent you to all people The Quran, Chapter 21,
Verse 107
And you (stand) on an exalted standard of character. The Quran, Chapter 68,
Verse 4
The messenger of God is an excellent model for those of you who put your hope in
God and the Last Day and remember Him often. The Quran, Chapter 33, Verse 21
When you consider the teachings and the qualities of the character of the Prophet
Muhammad, you would agree with why God described him in that way.
Here are some examples of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad :

MERCY & COMPASSION

The Merciful One shows mercy to those who are themselves merciful (to others).
So show mercy to whatever is on earth, then He who is in heaven will show mercy
to you.[9]
God is compassionate and loves compassion.[10]
He is not of us who has no compassion for our little ones and does not honour our
old ones.[11]

19

May God have mercy on a man who is kind when he buys, when he sells, and when
he makes a demand.[12]
CONTENTMENT & SPIRITUALITY
Richness is not having many possessions. Rather, true richness is the richness of
the soul.[13]
Indeed, God does not look towards your bodies nor towards your appearances. But,
He looks towards your hearts.[14]
Do not talk too much without remembrance of God. Indeed excessive talking
without remembrance of God hardens the heart. And indeed the furthest of people
from God are the harsh-hearted.[15]
Be mindful of God, you will find Him before you. Get to know God in prosperity and
He will know you in adversity. Know that what has passed you by was not going to
befall you; and that what has befallen you was not going to pass you by. And know
that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and ease with hardship.[16]
Islam has been built on five [pillars]: testifying that there is no deity worthy of
worship except God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God, establishing the
prayer, paying the obligatory charity, making the pilgrimage to the House, and
fasting in Ramadan.[17]
God, the Exalted, has said: O son of Adam, I forgive you as long as you pray to Me
and hope for My forgiveness, whatever sins you have committed. O son of Adam, I
do not care if your sins reach the height of the heaven, then you ask for my
forgiveness, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, if you come to Me with an earth
load of sins, and meet Me associating nothing to Me, I would match it with an earth
load of forgiveness.[18]
God said: I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention
of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself. And if
he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly
better than it. And if he draws near to Me a hands span, I draw near to him an
arms length. And if he draws near to Me an arms length, I draw near to him a
fathoms length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.[19]
LOVE
By the one who has my soul in His hand, you will not enter the Garden until you
believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I point out to you
something, which will make you love one another if you do it? Make the greeting of
peace be widespread among you.[20]
The servant does not reach the reality of faith until he loves for the people what he
loves for himself of goodness.[21]
Love for the people what you love for yourself and you will be a believer. Behave
well with your neighbours and you will be a Muslim.[22]

20

There have come to you the diseases of the nations before you: envy and hatred,
and hatred is the razor. It shaves the religion and it does not shave hair. By the one
in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, you will not believe until you love one
another. Shall I tell you something which, if you did, you would love each other?
Spread peace between yourselves.[23]
None of you has faith until he loves for the people what he loves for himself.[24]
When a man loves his brother he should tell him that he loves him.[25]
Love for the people what you love for yourself.[26]
COMMUNITY & PEACE
What sort of deeds or traits of Islam are good? The Messenger of God replied: To
feed others, and to greet those whom you know and those whom you do not
know.[27]
He who makes peace between the people by inventing good information or saying
good things, is not a liar.[28]
By God, he does not (truly) believe! By God, he does not (truly) believe! By God, he
does not (truly) believe! Someone asked: Who, o Messenger of God? He said: He
whose neighbour is not safe from his mischief.[29]
All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor
a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a
black nor a black has any superiority over a white except by piety and good
action.[30]
The believer is not he who eats his fill while his neighbour is hungry.[31]
CHARITY & HUMANITARIANISM
God said: Spend (i.e. on charity), O son of Adam, and I shall spend on you.[32]
Charity does not diminish wealth.[33]
Visit the sick, feed the hungry and free the captives.[34]
Make things easy, and do not make them difficult, and give good tidings and do not
make people run away.[35]
Give the labourer his wages before his sweat dries.[36]
Every act of goodness is charity.[37]
CHARACTER & MANNERS
The believers who show the most perfect faith are those who have the best
character, and the best of you are those who are best to their wives.[38]

21

(God) has revealed to me that you should adopt humility so that no one oppresses
another.[39]
Neither nurse grudge nor sever (the ties of kinship), nor nurse enmity, and become
as fellow brothers and servants of God.[40]
He who truly believes in God and the last Day, should speak good or keep
silent.[41]
The best among you is he who has the best manners.[42]
Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false tale.[43]
The strong man is not the one who is strong in wrestling, but the one who controls
himself in anger.[44]
ENVIRONMENT AND ANIMALS
If the Hour (the day of Resurrection) is about to be established and one of you was
holding a palm shoot, let him take advantage of even one second before the Hour is
established to plant it.[45]
If a Muslim plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal
eats from it, it is regarded as a charitable gift (sadaqah) for him.[46]
Removing harmful things from the road is an act of charity.[47]
The companions asked the Prophet Muhammad , O Gods Messenger! Is there a
reward for us in serving the animals? He replied: There is a reward for serving any
living being.[48]
Whoever kills a sparrow or anything bigger than that without a just cause, God will
hold him accountable on the Day of Judgment.[49]
A prostitute saw a dog lolling around a well on a hot day and hanging his tongue
from thirst. She drew some water for it in her shoe, so God forgave her.[50]
Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al-`Aas (may God be pleased with him) reported that the
Prophet passed one day by Sa`d ibn Abi Waqas (may God be pleased with him)
while he was performing wudu (ritual ablution). The prophet asked Sad, Why is
this wastage? Sad replied Is there wastage in wudu also?" The Prophet said, Yes,
even if you are at a flowing river.[51]
Here are some examples of the qualities of the character of the Prophet Muhammad
:
FORBEARANCE, FORGIVENESS AND COMPASSION
It was related that when the Prophet had his tooth broken and his face cut during
one of the battles when he was defending the Muslims and non-Muslims under his
protection, his companions asked him to curse the aggressors. However he replied,

22

I was not sent to curse, but I was sent as a summoner and as a mercy. O God,
guide my people for they do not know.[52]
Anas Ibn Malik said,
I served the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, for ten
years and he never said Uff! to me. He did not say about anything I had done,
Why did you do it? or about anything I had not done, Why didnt you do it?[53]
Anas said,
I was with the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, when he was
wearing a thick cloak. a bedouin pulled him so violently by his cloak that the edge of
the cloak made a mark on the side of his neck. Then he said, Muhammad! Let me
load up these two camels of mine with the property of God you have in your
possession! You will not let me load up from your property or your fathers property.
The Prophet was silent and then he said, Shall I take retaliation from you, bedouin,
for what you have done to me? He repled, No. The Prophet asked, Why not? The
bedouin replied, Because you do not repay back a bad action with a bad action.
The Prophet laughed and ordered that one camel be loaded up with barely and the
other with camel dates.[54]
Once a man demanding repayment for a debt seized hold of the Prophet
Muhammad and behaved very badly. The Prophets companion was present and
chased him off and spoke harshly to him. However the Prophet said,
He and I needed something else from you. Command me to repay well and
command him to ask for his debt well.
The Prophet repaid the loan and added more to it due to the fact that his companion
alarmed him.
The man, known as Zayd Ibn Sana, later became a Muslim. Zayd explains,
There were only two remaining signs of Prophethood which I had not yet
recognised in Muhammad or notice: forbearance overcoming quick-temperedness
and extreme ignorance only increasing him in forbearance. I tested him for these
and I found him as described.[55]
Anas Ibn Malik recalls the compassion of the Prophet Muhammad towards
children:
I never saw anyone who was more compassionate towards children than Gods
Messenger. [56]
The Prophets companions were killed and tortured. He was boycotted, starved and
abused. There were so many injustices and wrong committed against the Prophet
and his followers. However when he peacefully took Mecca, known as the conquest
of Mecca, he delivered a universal forgiveness and pardon. He described the day as
a day of,
23

...piety, faithfulness and loyalty.[57]

APPEARANCE AND APPROACHABILITY
The Prophet Muhammads companions narrate about his appearance:
Abdullah Ibn al-Harith said:
I did not see anyone who smiled more than the Messenger of God.[58]
Al-Baraa Ibn Aazib narrated:
The Messenger of God was the most handsome of all people, and had the best
appearance.[59]
Jaabir Ibn Samurah narrated:
I saw the Messenger of God on a brightly moonlit night wearing a red garment.
Then I started looking at him and at the moon. And for me, he was more beautiful
than the moon.[60]
Ali Ibn Abi Talib narrated:
Those who saw him suddenly stood in awe of him and those who shared his
acquaintanceship loved him. Those who described him said they had never seen
anyone like him before or since. [61]
Umm Mabad Al-Khuzaiyah described to her husband what the Prophet (peace be
upon him looked like:
He was innocently bright and had broad countenance. His manners were fine.
Neither his belly bulging out nor was his head deprived of hair. He has black
attractive eyes finely arched by continuous eyebrows. His hair glossy and black,
inclined to curl, he wore long. His was extremely commanding. His head was large,
well formed and set on a slender neck. His expression was pensive and
contemplative, serene and sublime. The stranger was fascinated from the distance,
but no sooner he became intimate with him than this fascinations was changed into
attachment and respect. His expression was very sweet and distinct. His speech
was well set and free from the use of superfluous words, as if it were a rosary of
beads. His stature was neither too high nor too small to look repulsiveHe was
always surrounded by his Companions. Whenever he uttered something, the
listeners would hear him with rapt attention and whenever he issued any command,
they vied with each other in carrying it our. He was a master and commander. His
utterances were marked by truth and sincerity, free from all kinds of falsehoods and
lies.[62]
HUMILITY AND MODESTY
Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians praised the son of Mary, for I
am only a Slave. So, call me the Slave of God and His Apostle.[63]

24

The Prophets wife, Aishah (may God be pleased with her) was asked:
What did Gods messenger do at home?
She said:
He was like any other human being, cleaning and mending his garment, milking
the goat, mending his shoes, serving himself, and be of service to his family, till he
hears the call to prayer, then he goes out [to pray in the mosque].[64]
I am but a man like yourselves. I am prone to forget just as you are.[65]
When the Prophet saw a man trembling with fear when he saw him, he said to
him:
Relax I am not a king, I am the son of a woman from Quraysh [an Arab people] who
would eat dried/jerked meat.[66]
The Prophet would invoke his lord saying:
O God, make me live humbly and make me die humbly, and gather me among the
humble on the day of resurrection.[67]
Abu Saeed al-Khudri said,
I saw the messenger of God prostrating in mud and water such that I saw the
marks of mud on his forehead.[68]
Anas said,
The Prophet would be invited to eat barley bread and rancid fat and he would
accept it.[69]
Aisha (may God be pleased with her) said,
At our home (that is, the home of the Holy Prophets household), fire would not be
kindled (sometimes) for a whole month; we subsisted merely on water and
dates.[70]
THE TRUTH OF HIS MESSAGE
What ties all of what has been mentioned so far is the truth of the Prophet
Muhammads message. If what he called for was based on a lie, then loving him
and appreciating his character has no real basis. It just becomes another legend,
fairy-tale or fiction. Conversely, if we can show that the Prophets message was a
truthful one, then not only must we follow him, but we must love him too. Following
him and loving him is a window to Gods love, and the one who has attained Gods
love is the one whose heart reflects Divine mercy, guidance and tranquillity.

25

The Prophet Muhammad claimed prophethood over 1400 years ago with the
following simple yet profound message:
There is none worthy to be worshipped but God, and the Prophet Muhammad is the
final messenger of God.
The Prophet Muhammad became a prophet at the age of 40 after spending some
time meditating and reflecting in a cave outside of Mecca. The dawn of prophethood
began with the revelation of the first verses of the Quran. The Qurans message
was simple: our ultimate purpose in life is to worship God. Worship is a
comprehensive term in the Islamic spiritual tradition. It means to love, know and
obey God.
There is no one to worship and no one to love other than Him.[71]
To test whether his claim to prophethood and his message was true, we must
rationally investigate the historical narratives and testimonies concerning the life of
the Prophet . Once we do this, we will be in a position to come to a balanced
conclusion in this regard.
DID HE LIE?
His Trustworthiness
Early historical sources on the Prophet Muhammads life illustrate and emphasise
the integrity of his character. He was not a liar and to assert as much is
indefensible. The reasons for this abound, for instance he was known even by the
enemies to his message as the Trustworthy[72].
The Prophet Muhammads message undermined and challenged the economic and
power structures of society. Seventh century Meccan society was based on trade
and commerce. The leaders of Meccan society would attract these traders with the
360 idols they had in the Kabah the cube-shaped structure built by Abraham as a
house of worship. The Prophets message was simple yet it powerfully challenged
seventh century Arabian polytheism. The leaders of that society initially mocked
him, thinking the Prophet would not have an impact. However, as his message
was gradually taking root with high profile conversions, the leadership started to
abuse the Prophet, both emotionally and physically.
He was persecuted for his beliefs; boycotted and exiled from his beloved city
Mecca. He was starved of food and stoned by children to the point where blood
drenched his legs. His wife passed away and his beloved companions were tortured
and persecuted.[73] Further proof of the Prophets reliability and credibility is
enforced and substantiated by the fact that a liar usually lies for some worldly gain.
Muhammad suffered tremendously for his message[74] and outrightly rejected the
riches and power he was offered to stop promulgating his message. He was
uncompromising in his call to Gods oneness.
Montgomery Watt, the late Emeritus Professor in Arabic and Islamic Studies explores
this in Muhammad at Mecca:

26

His readiness to undergo persecution for his beliefs, the high moral character of
the men who believed in him and looked up to him as a leader, and the greatness of
his ultimate achievement all argue his fundamental integrity. To suppose
Muhammad an impostor raises more problems than it solves.[75]
WAS HE DELUDED?
His Life Experiences
There were many experiences during the prophetic career of the Prophet
Muhammad that, if he were deluded, he would have used to support his delusion.
One example is the passing away of the Prophets son, Ibrahim. The young boy
died at an early age and the day he died there was a solar eclipse. Many of the
Arabs thought that it was God that had made the eclipse happen because His
prophets son passed away. If the Prophet was deluded, he would have used such
an experience to reinforce his claim. However, he did not and rejected the peoples
assertions. The Prophet replied to them in the following way:
The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of the death of someone from the
people but they are two signs amongst the signs of Allah. When you see them stand
up and pray.[76]
His Prophecies
If someone is deluded, they have a strong conviction in a belief despite there being
evidence to the contrary. The teachings of Muhammad are not that of someone
who is deluded. Amongst many of his teachings, he taught how to perfect good
character and be of service to others. Another way of looking at the issue of
delusion is that when someone is deluded they speak falsehood whilst believing it to
be true. To undermine this claim, the Prophet foretold of many things that would
occur to him and his community after him, pertaining to victory, and the removal of
tyrannical kingdoms. These events occurred exactly as Muhammad foretold, and
this is not something that is congruent with a deluded individual. There were a
number of instances when this occurred. For example:
His daughter Fatima (may God be pleased with her) would join him first of all after
his death:
Before his death, the Messenger called his daughter Fatima to his bedside and
informed her that she would be the first among his family to join him after his
death. Fatima joined her father, the pride of mankind, six months later.[77]
The Mongol invasion:
The Hour will not be established till you fight with the Khudh and the Kirman from
among the non-Arabs. They will be of red faces, flat noses and small eyes; their
faces will look like flat shields, and their shoes will be of hair.[78]
Competing in the constructing tall buildings:
Now, tell me of the Last Hour, asked the man.
27

The Prophet replied, The one asked knows no more of it than the one asking.
Then tell me about its signs, said the man.
The Prophet replied, That you see barefoot, unclothed bedouins competing in the
construction of tall buildings.[79]
Notice the detail in the prophecy, a specific people (the Arab bedouins of the region)
were identified. Prophet Muhammad could have easily played it safe by using
more general language such as That you see competition in the construction of tall
buildings which of course would be flexible enough to be applied to anyone in the
world. Today we find in the Arabian Peninsula, the Arabs who used to be
impoverished herders of camels and sheep are competing in building the tallest
tower blocks. Today the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is the world's
tallest man-made structure at 828 metres.[80] A short time after it was finished, a
rival family in Saudi Arabia already announced that they will build a taller one (1000
metres) the Kingdom Tower currently estimated to be completed in 2019 and
thus literally competing with each other over who can build the tallest building.[81]
Now whats remarkable is that up until only 50 or 60 years ago, the people of the
region hardly had any houses at all. In fact, most of them were still Bedouins, living
in tents. It was only the discovery of oil in the 20th century that led to the prosperity
and transformation of the region. Were it not for oil, chances are the region would
still be the barren desert that it was at the time of the revelation of the Quran. If
this were mere guesswork on his part, the discovery of oil would represent a
massive stroke of luck. Moreover, if Prophet Muhammad were merely guessing,
wouldnt it have made more sense to relate this prophecy to the superpowers of his
time Rome and Persia who (unlike the Arabs) already had a tendency to
construct extravagant buildings and palaces?[82]
WAS HE BOTH DELUDED AND A LIAR?
It is not possible for an individual to be both deluded and a liar. Lying is something
done with intent, whereas a delusion stems from an individuals belief of an altered
reality. The two are diametrically opposed phenomena. So it is logically impossible,
as the Prophet Muhammad could not have been convinced that he was speaking
the truth and yet it was based on falsehood, and at the same time pretend to be
speaking the truth but yet it being based on a lie!
WAS HE SPEAKING THE TRUTH?
Dr. William Draper in History of Intellectual Development of Europe wrote:
Four years after the death of Justinian, A.D. 569, was born in Mecca, in Arabia, the
man who, of all men, has exercised the greatest influence upon the human race
To be the religious head of many empires, to guide the daily life of one-third of the
human race, may perhaps justify the title of a Messenger of God.[83]
In light of addressing the other options, it can be argued the quote above represents
the most rational conclusion.

28

IN THEIR WORDS
Thinkers, philosophers and commentators have studied the life of the Prophet
Muhammad and this is what they had to say:
Hans Kung (Swiss Christian philosopher and ecumenical Catholic theologian)
We must affirm that he acted as a prophet and that he was a prophet. we must
correct our attitude toward Islam.[84]
Jules Masserman (psychoanalyst and professor of the Chicago University)
Perhaps the greatest leader of all times was Mohammad, who combined all the
three functions . To a lesser degree Moses did the same.[85]
Alphonse de Lamartine (French writer, poet and politician)
If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astounding results are the three
criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare any great man in modern
history with Muhammad? The most famous men created arms, laws and empires
only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often
crumbled away before their eyes. This man moved not only armies, legislations,
empires, peoples and dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of the then
inhabited world; and more than that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions,
the ideas, the beliefs and souls... the forbearance in victory, his ambition, which was
entirely devoted to one idea and in no manner striving for an empire; his endless
prayers, his mystic conversations with God, his death and his triumph after death;
all these attest not to an imposture but to a firm conviction which gave him the
power to restore a dogma. This dogma was twofold, the unit of God and the
immateriality of God; the former telling what God is, the latter telling what God is
not; the one overthrowing false gods with the sword, the other starting an idea with
words.
Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of
rational dogmas, of a cult without images; the founder of twenty terrestrial empires
and of one spiritual empire, that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which
human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater
than he?[86]
John William Draper (American scientist, philosopher, and historian)
Four years after the death of Justinian, A.D. 569, was born at Mecca, in Arabia the
man who, of all men exercised the greatest influence upon the human race
Mohammed.[87]
David George Hogarth (English archaeologist and author)
Serious or trivial, his daily behaviour has instituted a canon which millions observe
this day with conscious mimicry. No one regarded by any section of the human race
as Perfect Man has been imitated so minutely. The conduct of the Founder of
Christianity has not so governed the ordinary life of His followers. Moreover, no
29

Founder of a religion has been left on so solitary an eminence as the Muslim

Apostle.[88]
Washington Irving (American author, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat)
He was sober and abstemious in his diet, and a rigorous observer of fasts. He
indulged in no magnificence of apparel, the ostentation of a petty mind; neither was
his simplicity in dress affected, but the result of a real disregard to distinction from
so trivial a sourceIn his private dealings he was just. He treated friends and
strangers, the rich and poor, the powerful and the weak, with equity, and was
beloved by the common people for the affability with which he received them, and
listened to their complaintsHis military triumphs awakened no pride nor vain
glory, as they would have done had they been effected for selfish purposes. In the
time of his greatest power he maintained the same simplicity of manners and
appearance as in the days of his adversity. So far from affecting regal state, he was
displeased if, on entering a room, any unusual testimonial of respect were shown to
him.[89]
Annie Besant (British theosophist and nationalist leader in India. President of the
Indian National Congress in 1917)
It is impossible for anyone who studies the life and character of the great Prophet
of Arabia, who knows how he taught and how he lived, to feel anything but
reverence for that mighty Prophet, one of the great messengers of the Supreme.
And although in what I put to you I shall say many things which may be familiar to
many, yet I myself feel whenever I re-read them, a new way of admiration, a new
sense of reverence for that mighty Arabian teacher.[90]
Bosworth Smith (Schoolmaster and author)
He was Caesar and Pope in one; but he was Pope without Popes pretensions,
Caesar without the legions of Caesar: without a standing army, without a
bodyguard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue; if ever any man had the right
to say that he ruled by the right divine, it was Mohammed, for he had all the power
without its instruments and without its supports.[91]
Montgomery Watt (Scottish historian, and Emeritus Professor in Arabic and Islamic
studies)
His readiness to undergo persecutions for his beliefs, the high moral character of
the men who believed in him and looked up to him as leader, and the greatness of
his ultimate achievement all argue his fundamental integrity. To suppose
Muhammad an impostor raises more problems than it solves. Moreover, none of the
great figures of history is so poorly appreciated in the West as Muhammad.[92]
George Bernard Shaw (Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of
Economics)

30

He must be called the Saviour of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to
assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its
problems in a way that would bring it much needed peace and happiness.[93]
Mahatma Gandhi (leader of Indian independence movement)
I wanted to know the best of one who holds todays undisputed sway over the
hearts of millions of mankind....I became more than convinced that it was not the
sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid
simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for his
pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his
fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the
sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle. When I
closed the 2nd volume (of the Prophets biography), I was sorry there was not more
for me to read of the great life.[94]
Michael H. Hart (professor of astronomy, physics and the history of science)
My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons
may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only
man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular
level.[95]

QUOTES ON LOVE
Immature love says: I love you because I need you. Mature love says I need you
because I love you. Erich Fromm
Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers
are dead. Oscar Wilde
Where there is love, there is life. Mahatma Gandhi
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply
gives you courage. Lao Tzu
Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies. Aristotle
The first duty of love is to listen Paul Tillich
Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often
hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts
mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable. Bruce Lee
Blessed is the influence of one true, loving human soul on another. George Elliot
Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness.
Kindness in giving creates love. Lao Tzu

31

Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love. Albert Einstein

The course of true love never did run smooth. William Shakespeare
What force is more potent than love? Igor Stravinsky
Dont forget to love yourself. Soren Kierkegaard
The basis of reasoning, after faith in God, is loving kindness toward the people.
Prophet Muhammad

APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1: SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
HE NEVER WROTE A BIOGRAPHY, YET MORE HAS BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT HIM THAN
ANY OTHER PERSON
The Prophet Muhammad could not read or write, and he did not author any piece
of work, including a biography. However, there are more biographies about his life
that any other person, living in the past or present.
HE IS THE MOST PRAISED AND MENTIONED PERSON IN THE WORLD (AND IT WILL
ALWAYS BE THAT WAY)
It is estimated that every micro-second someone is mentioning and praising the
Prophet Muhammad . His name actually means the praised one.
Due to global time zones Muslim prayer times differ around the world. When the
time for prayer comes in, the call to prayer is announced. The call to prayer
mentions the Prophets name:
God is great, God is great. God is great, God is great. I bear witness that there is no
deity worthy of worship but God, I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of
worship but God. I bear witness Muhammad is the messenger of God, I bear witness
Muhammad is the messenger of God. Come to prayer, come to prayer. Come to
success, come to success. God is great, God is great. There is no deity worthy of
worship but God.
The call to prayer is always being called, and therefore the Prophets name is
always being mentioned.
In addition to this, Muslims around the world mention, pray for, and praise the
Prophet in their sermons, prayers, and supplications. It is estimated that
someone is always mentioning his name in the above context.
He is indeed the most praised and remembered person in the world.
WE HAVE MORE BIOGRAPHIES ABOUT THE PROPHET MUHAMMADS COMPANIONS
THAN ANY OTHER PERSONS
32

In Islamic history we have recorded biographies of around 10,000 companions of

the Prophet Muhammad . These biographies are available for anyone to read, and
they form part of Islamic historical criticism called ilm ul-rijaal (the knowledge of
people). This historical criticism was vital to ensure that what people attributed and
said about the Prophet Muhammad was authentic.
HE WAS DESCRIBED AS THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSON TO HAVE LIVED
Michael H. Hart a Professor of astronomy, physics and the history of science in his
book The 100: A Ranking Of The Most Influential Persons in History argues that the
Prophet Muhammad should top the list of the most influential people in the world:
My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons
may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only
man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular
level.[96] [The 100: A Ranking Of The Most Influential Persons In History, New York,
1978, p. 33]
APPENDIX 2: IF GOD IS THE-LOVING, CAN HE HATE?
Before this question is answered we must understand that when we attribute
anything to God, we have to remove any anthropomorphic connotations. God in the
Islamic tradition is unique and transcendent. The Quran affirms:
There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing. The Quran,
Chapter 42, Verse 11
Say: He is God, the Uniquely One. The Quran, Chapter 12, Verse 1
Therefore, when we attribute things like hate or pleasure, it has to be understood in
the context of His transcendence and uniqueness.
Addressing the question about whether God hates, the answer is explained in the
following points:
Logically speaking love necessitates hate. If one were to love everything, including
that which denies love, and prevents love, and removes it, then that would not be
love at all. In order to love you have to dislike that which prevents love.
If one loves, can they love evil or capriciousness? What does it mean to love
murder, arrogance, ingratitude or a rejection of the truth? Surely, loving those
things is not love at all, but opposes love.
God is The-Loving and therefore hating that which is a barrier to His love or that
which contradicts His love is necessary. Otherwise it wouldnt be love at all.
This however is not to be confused with Gods loving compassion for people. God
via His mercy can love those who are malevolent. But God explains the traits of
those who deserve His special love, some include:
And God loves the patient. The Quran, Chapter 3, Verse 146
For God loves those who are fair (and just). The Quran, Chapter 49, Verse 9
33

Certainly, God loves those who put their trust (in Him). The Quran, Chapter 3,
Verse 159
God loves kindness in all matters. Prophet Muhammad
Truly, God loves those who turn unto him in repentance. The Quran, Chapter 2,
Verse 222
For God loves the righteous (the pious). The Quran. Chapter 9, Verse 4
Truly, God loves the good-doers. The Quran, Chapter 2, Verse 195
God is All-Generous and He loves generosity in sale, purchase and judgment.
Prophet Muhammad
If two individuals love each other for the sake of God, the stronger in love to his
brother will be more loved by God. Prophet Muhammad
The best loved deeds to God are the ones that are continuous even if they are not
very many. Prophet Muhammad
God also explains what takes someone away from His special love, some of these
things include:
God does not love those who overstep the limits. The Quran, Chapter 2, Verse
190
God does not love evil doers. The Quran, Chapter 3, Verse 140
He does not love the wasteful. The Quran, Chapter 7, Verse 31
God does not love arrogant or boastful people. The Quran, Chapter 31, Verse 18
The key question we need to ask ourselves is, what do I need to be enveloped with
Gods special love? The answer as aforementioned in this book is simple: love and
follow the Prophet Muhammad , and by doing so, you will attain the traits of
those who God blesses with His special love.

LIAR, DELUDED OR TRUTHFUL?

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) claimed prophet-hood over 1400
years ago. His message was simple:
There is none worthy to be worshipped but God, and he (Prophet Muhammad) is the
final messenger of God
To test whether this claim is true we must rationally investigate the historical
narratives and testimonies concerning the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

34

Once we do this, we will be in a position to come to a balanced conclusion in this

regard.
In epistemology (which is narrowly defined as the study of knowledge and belief)
testimony is considered to be one of the sources of knowledge, and when applied
correctly, can form justified beliefs. Testimony is a valid source of knowledge only
when it comes from a reliable source, especially if there are multiple sources in
agreement. Obviously there are conditions as to how we can use testimony, but in
the majority of cases, testimony is considered a valid source of knowledge.
Lets take a look at the universally accepted, non-violence based philosophy of
Mohandas Gandhi (better known as Mahatma Gandhi). The majority of the worlds
population did not have the opportunity of meeting with him, eating with him or
even joining him for a peaceful protest. Imagine for a moment, a claim is made that
for a short period of time, Mahatma Gandhi was a prison officer and was involved in
the torture over 2000 people. For anyone to take this claim seriously, evidence
would be necessary to prove the slurs on his character. In fact, a claim such as this
actually undermines our understanding of how Gandhi could have led India to
independence based on his philosophy of non-violence and civil right movements.
Conversely, if we examine why we have such a high level of certainty that Mahatma
Gandhi was a pacifist, we will conclude that it is due to recurrent testimony that is,
when a large number of people have reported a claim to knowledge such that it is
impossible for them to agree upon a lie or to simultaneously lie. This is accentuated
by the fact that most of these people never met one another and lived in different
places, during different time periods. Therefore to claim they have lied is
tantamount to claiming a mass conspiracy in which people across countries and
time periods colluded to ensure its propagation.
In light of the above, accepting the slurs on Muhammads (peace be upon him)
character and rejecting his prophet-hood, could be equated to accepting these fickle
and unfounded claims on Mahatma Gandhi and rejecting his pacifist philosophy! In
order to assess Muhammads (peace be upon him) claim to prophethood, let us
discuss the possible options:
1. DID HE LIE?
Early historical sources on the Prophet Muhammads (upon whom be peace) life
illustrate and emphasise the integrity of his character. He was not a liar and to
assert as much is indefensible. The reasons for this abound, for instance he was
known even by the enemies to his message as the Trustworthy[1].
Further proof of the Prophets (peace be upon him) reliability and credibility is
enforced and substantiated by the fact that a liar usually lies for some worldly gain,
but the Prophet (peace be upon him) rejected all worldly aspirations, and suffered
tremendously for his message [2]. He rejected the riches and power he was offered
to stop promulgating his message. Significantly, he was persecuted for his beliefs;
boycotted and exiled from his beloved city Makkah; starved of food; and stoned by
children to the point where his blood drenched his legs. His wife passed away and
his beloved companions were tortured and persecuted [3]. The psychological profile
of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was obviously incongruent with a liar, and to
35

maintain that he was dishonest is tantamount to making bold claims without any
evidence.
The late Emeritus Professor in Arabic and Islamic Studies W. Montgomery Watt in,
Muhammad at Mecca, explores this:
His readiness to undergo persecution for his beliefs, the high moral character of the
men who believed in him and looked up to him as a leader, and the greatness of his
ultimate achievement all argue his fundamental integrity. To suppose Muhammad
an impostor raises more problems than it solves.[4]
It was the Prophets (peace be upon him) truthfulness that was a key aspect of his
success on both political and religious levels. Without his trustworthiness, which was
an integral part of his moral behaviour, he could not have achieved so much in a
relatively short space of time. This view is addressed by the historians Edward
Gibbon and Simon Oakley in, History of the Saracen Empire:
The greatest success of Mohammads life was effected by sheer moral force.[5]
2. WAS HE DELUDED?
If someone is deluded, they have a strong conviction in a belief despite there being
evidence to the contrary. The teachings of Muhammad (peace be upon him) are not
that of someone who is deluded. Amongst many of his teachings, he taught how to
perfect good character and be of service to others. Another way of looking at the
issue of delusion is that when someone is deluded they speak falsehood whilst
believing it to be true. To undermine this claim, the Prophet (upon whom be peace)
foretold of many things that would occur to him and his community after him,
pertaining to victory, the removal of the tyrannical kingdoms of Chosroes [the royal
title for the Zoroastrian kings of Persia] and Caesar. These events occurred exactly
as Muhammad (peace be upon him) foretold, and this is not something that is
congruent with a deluded individual. There were a number of instances when this
occurred. For example:
The Messenger predicted Ammars martyrdom in a civil war:
What a pity O Ammar, a rebellious group will kill you. [6]
The Prophet foretold that Fatima would join him first of all after his death:
Before his death, the Messenger called his daughter Fatima to his bedside and
informed her that she would be the first among his family to join him after his
death. Fatima joined her father, the pride of mankind, six months later.[7]
The Prophet predicted the Mongol invasion:
The Hour will not be established till you fight with the Khudh and the Kirman from
among the non-Arabs. They will be of red faces, flat noses and small eyes; their
faces will look like flat shields, and their shoes will be of hair. [8]
3. WAS HE WAS BOTH DELUDED AND A LIAR?
It is not possible for an individual to be both a liar and be deluded. Lying is
something done with intent whereas a delusion stems from an individuals belief of
an altered reality. The two are diametrically opposed phenomena. So it is logically
impossible, as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) could not have been

36

convinced that he was speaking the truth and yet it was based on falsehood and at
the same time pretend to be speaking the truth but yet it being based on a lie!
4. WAS HE WAS SPEAKING THE TRUTH?
Dr. William Draper in History of Intellectual Development of Europe wrote:
Four years after the death of Justinian, A.D. 569, was born in Mecca, in Arabia, the
man who, of all men, has exercised the greatest influence upon the human race
To be the religious head of many empires, to guide the daily life of one-third of the
human race, may perhaps justify the title of a Messenger of God.[9]
Thomas Carlyle in his On Heroes and Hero Worship and The Heroic History wrote:
The mans words were not false, nor his workings here belowa fiery mass of Life
cast up from the great bosom of Nature herself. To kindle the world; the worlds
Maker had ordered it so.[10]
In light of addressing the other options it can be argued the quotes above represent
the most rational conclusion.
Therefore in summary, the evidence leads us to the following sequential statements
and conclusion:
The Prophet could have been a liar, deluded, both or speaking the truth
He wasnt a liar, deluded or both
Therefore he was speaking the truth
RESPONDING TO THE MAIN CONTENTION
The main contention against Muhammads (peace be upon him) prophet-hood is
that the narratives concerning his life are not valid sources of knowledge. These
narratives are referred to as ahadith (singular: hadith). A hadith is a saying or an act
or tacit approval or disapproval ascribed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him). This contention however, is self-defeating in various ways. If the narratives of
the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) are rejected, then all other established
historical narratives must be rejected, including World War One, the battle of
Hastings and the Norman invasion of Britain! The reason for this is that the
historical science adopted by Islamic scholarship is far more nuanced and precise
than the methods used by many of the worlds historians.
The science of hadith is very thorough and is achieved through precise attention to
the words narrated, as well as the detailed biographies of the reporters of the
hadith.
A hadith is made of two parts:
The actual text of the narration (in Arabic: matn)
The chain of narration (in Arabic: isnad)
Both are vital parts of narrating a hadith because the chain of narration acts as the
mark of validity and authenticity of the hadith. Abdullah b. al-Mubarak, the teacher
of Imam Bukhari (the most notable compiler of hadith), said:
The isnad is part of the religion: had it not been for the isnad, whoever wished to
would have said whatever he liked.[11]

37

The science of hadith is so precise, that it gives due consideration to whether a

hadith has been reported by a single person, or several people; by people who were
known to be honest, or by those who were known to lie on occasion; by individuals
living in the same city, or those residing in different locations. All these factors are
considered before giving a hadith a particular classification.
To summarise a vast science, the following broad classifications clearly show the
depth and thoroughness of the science of hadith. Thus, hadith can be classified:
[12]
1. According to the reference to a particular authority
Further subdivided into:
Marfu elevated a narration from the Prophet e.g. I heard the Prophet saying.
Mauquf stopped a narration from a companion e.g. we were commanded to.
Maqtu severed a narration from a successor
2. According to the links of isnad (chain of narration) interrupted or uninterrupted.
Further subdivided into:
Musnad supported
Muttasil continuous hadith with uninterrupted chain of narration going back to
a companion or successor
Mursal hurriede.g. when a successor says The Prophet said
Munqati broken a hadith whose link anywhere before the successor is missing.
Muadal perplexing reporter omits two or more consecutive reporters in the
chain of narration
Muallaq hanging a hadith whose reporter omits the whole chain of narration
and quotes the Prophet directly.
3. According to the number of reporters involved at each stage of the chain of
narration. Further subdivided into:
Mutawatir consecutive a hadith which is mass narrated
Ahad isolated a hadith which is narrated by people whose number does not
reach mutawatir. This category is further subdivided into another 3 categories:
Mashhur Famous reported by more than 2 reporters
Aziz rare at any stage only 2 reporters found to narrate the hadith
Gharib strange only one reporter found relating it
4. According to the nature of the text and chain of narration
Munkar denounced reported by a weak narrator and whose narration goes
against another authentic hadith
Mudraj interpolated if an expression or statement is proved to be an addition
by a reporter to the text
5. According to the reliability and memory of the reporters
Further subdivided into:
Sahih sound
Hassan good one where its source is known & its reporters are unambiguous
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Daif weak hadith which fails to reach the status of hasan

Maudu fabricated hadith whose text goes against the established norms of the
Prophets sayings or its reporters include a liar.
In light of the above, to reject the narratives that elucidate on the life of the Prophet
Muhammad (upon whom be peace) would be tantamount to rejecting all known
historical truths because the science of hadith is far more thorough than the
methodologies used is western history.

Bab 4 The Quran

WHAT IS THE QURAN?
iStock_000006151969SmallThere have been many incredible works of literature,
such as Shakespeares plays and fantasy epics like Lord of the Rings. What ties
these works together is that they are the product of great human minds. As
amazing as these works are, can you imagine how much more amazing a book
would be if God Himself authored it, surely it would be the greatest book ever
produced. Moreover, imagine that God answers all the important questions that
human beings have about life, such as why we are here and what happens to us
after we die. Finally, imagine if God authored this book with you in mind, a book that
addresses you as an individual. Wouldn't you want to read such a book? The Qur'an
is exactly that book.
The word "Qur'an" is Arabic for "recitation". Indeed one of the many things that
make the Qur'an unique is that it claims to be the literal speech of God. Muslims
believe that the Qur'an was dictated to Prophet Muhammad, may Gods peace be
upon him (or pbuh for short), by God Almighty through the angel Gabriel over 1,400
years ago. The Qur'an was not revealed all at once but rather gradually over a
period of 23 years during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). It may surprise
readers to learn that the Qur'an contains the same core message as other divinely
revealed Scriptures, such as the Torah of Moses and Gospel of Jesus (peace be upon
them) and Muslims believe that in their original form, these previous Scriptures
were also sent from God. The Qur'an informs us that Muhammad (pbuh) is the final
Messenger in a long line of Messengers that God sent before him, such as Abraham,
Moses and Jesus. This is another of the unique aspects of the Qur'an; it
acknowledges all of the Abrahamic faiths and all of the Prophets sent by God.
The Qur'an is also unique in history in terms of the revolutionary impact it had on
society. Pre-Islamic Arabia was not a very pleasant place to live in. Given the tribal
structure of Arab society, any disputes often led to blood feuds between tribes that
would consume whole generations. Slavery was an economic institution of the
Arabs. Male and female slaves were sold and bought like animals, and they formed
the most depressed class of the Arabian society. Arabia was a male-dominated
society to say the least. A man could marry any number of women and when a man
died, his son inherited all his wives except his own mother. Women, as a general
rule, had virtually no legal status: fathers sold their daughters into marriage for a
price and women had little or no property or succession rights. The most powerful
class of the Arabs was made up by the capitalists and money-lenders who took 100
39

per cent interest on loans. Infanticide, particularly the burying alive of female
infants, was a norm. Finally, illiteracy was common among the Arabs, as were
alcoholism and adultery. I think you can appreciate why this period of Arab history
before the dawn of Islam is known as the period of ignorance!
Can you imagine being tasked with reforming such a society? Have a think about
how long it would take one person to cure all these social ills. One generation?
Perhaps several generations? You may even view it as an impossible task. Just to
give you an idea of the scale of the challenge, let's look at an attempt in recent
Western history to eradicate just one of these social ills, alcoholism. In 1920 the
United States government passed a nationwide law to ban the sale, production,
importation, and transportation of alcoholic beverages for moral and health reasons.
This is commonly known as Prohibition and although consumption of alcohol fell at
the beginning of Prohibition, it subsequently increased and led to other problems
such as corruption and organised crime. The law was repealed in 1933. The failure
of one of the most powerful governments in the world to tackle just a single social ill
should make us reflect on the Qur'an. The Qur'an managed to completely reform
not only alcoholism but all the social ills of Arabian society in a single generation,
just 23 years! This was a revolution the likes of which the world has never
witnessed.
The impact of the Qur'an on the world is not just historical. What must be noted is
that although the Qur'an was revealed in 7th century Arabia, its message is meant
for the whole of mankind. In fact there are over 1.5 billion Muslims in the world
today because of the Qur'an. Just to give you a practical demonstration of just how
many Muslims there are in the world, at any given moment on any day someone,
somewhere, is praising God by reciting the Qur'an in their prayers. You must be
wondering to yourself, what is it about the Qur'an that has made such an imprint on
the hearts of over a billion Muslims?

What does the Quran teach?

There is a profound question that each and every one of us
reiStock_000006778240Smallflects on at some point during our lives:
"Why am I here, what is my purpose?"
The Quran puts forward a simple but powerful argument with regards to our origins:
Were they created without any agent? Were they the creators? [52:35]
The Quran engages its audience by inviting us to ponder some rational, logical
questions which we can use to arrive at a conclusion about our origins. The first
question that the Quran poses to us is: were we created by nothing? Can
something really come from nothing? This is impossible, as we know from our own
personal experiences of life as well as the laws of the universe that we couldnt
have come out of nothing, because out of nothing, nothing comes!
This leads us to the next possibility that the Quran proposes: did we create
ourselves? Can something create itself? This is a self-contradiction, because for you
to create yourself you would have to already exist, and you can't exist and not exist
at same time. This would be like saying that your mother gave birth to herself!
40

Since something cannot come from nothing, and self-creation is absurd, this leaves
one final possibility: we have a creator. This is the best explanation not only for our
origins but also the universe and everything in it, because it is intuitive and also
agrees with reality: whatever begins to exist has a cause or a creator.
This cause or creator must itself be uncaused due to the absurdity of a never ending
chain of causes. To illustrate this better, if the cause of the universe had a cause
and that cause had a cause and so on and so forth forever, then there wouldnt be a
universe to talk about. For example, imagine if you were told that you couldnt read
this book until you handed it to someone else, and then this other person would also
have to give it to someone else, and this went on forever, then would anyone ever
read this book? The answer is no. If we apply this principle to the universe then we
would have to conclude that the cause behind it is uncaused out of rational
necessity. The Quran confirms the uncreatedness of the creator:
He begot no one nor was He begotten. [112:3]
Now, having a creator is one thing, but how do we know we have a purpose?
Everything in this universe has a purpose. Even simple things like a chair, a bowl
and even the book you are holding in your hands serves a purpose. Wouldn't it be
sad if we didn't too have a purpose? If we reflect and look at the world around us,
we can easily come to the conclusion that we must have a purpose. Think about the
vastness of our universe with all its billions of galaxies and trillions of planets. The
Qur'an tells us that God did not create all this for no reason:
We did not create the heavens and the earth and everything between them
playfully. [21:16]
The sun gives us warmth, the clouds give us rain and the trees and animals give us
food. Since a lot of the systems that God has put in place in our universe are to
ensure our survival and wellbeing then God must have a purpose in mind for us,
too. This is what the Quran tells us:
It is God who created the heavens and earth, who has sent down water from the
sky and with it brought forth produce to nourish you; He has made ships useful to
you, sailing the sea by His command, and the rivers too; He has made the sun and
the moon useful to you, steady on their paths; He has made the night and day
useful to you and given you some of everything you asked Him for. If you tried to
count Gods favours you could never calculate them [14:3234]
So that nagging question comes up again, what is our purpose? Again the Qur'an
has the answer:
I created jinn [spirits] and mankind only to worship Me [51:56]
Now, what do you understand about 'worship'? Most will say prayer. This is correct,
however in the Qur'an, worship is much more comprehensive than just praying. It
includes all acts of obedience that are pleasing to our Creator. Even exercise and
eating can be an act of worship if our intention is to stay healthy as we cant stand
up and pray if we are ill!
Why perform worship? It's important to understand that our Creator does not need
our worship. In fact the Qur'an tells us this; it is us who are in need of worship. We
41

as human beings are more than just flesh and bone, we have a spiritual side that
also needs nourishing. Many people are wealthy materially speaking but unhappy
with their lives because they neglect their spiritual wellbeing. In order for us to
experience true peace both our bodies and soul need to be in tune with our Creator:
Truly it is in the remembrance of God that hearts find peace [13:28]
So by converting every aspect of our lives into pleasing our Creator, then we will be
in a state of constant remembrance of God and our hearts will be at peace. This is a
revolutionary way of thinking but practically, if someone were to do this, a lot of
their actions wouldnt change; however their thought process behind their actions
would and they would find the inner peace so needed in todays society!
So, the question arises - what is the best way to worship God? Let's think about
mobile phones. Mobile phones are obviously not as sophisticated as human beings,
but we share many things in common. We both have a life span, we both require
energy to function correctly, and we can both be damaged if we are not taken care
of properly. When mobile phones develop a problem, the first thing most people do
is to refer to the instruction manual for the mobile phone. Why? Because it has been
made to show us the best way of using it and we rightly listen to the experts! The
creator of the phone knows the best way to use that phone and they have imparted
their knowledge to us in the form of instruction manuals. Similarly then, the Quran
is like an instruction manual for humanity as it is from the one who made us. God,
our Creator, knows us better than we know ourselves and this is why His knowledge,
His guidance for how we should live will always surpass any human invented
philosophies and ways of life.

THE QURAN AND SCIENCE

Science has changed the world. From medicine to telecommunications, science has
improved our lives and well-being in ways that no other field of study has achieved.
Simply put, science continually elevates our lives, and our understanding of the
world and the universe.
Thus, it is not surprising that many of us see science as the yardstick for truth, or as
the only way to establish the truth about man, life and the universe. Although
science is phenomenal, it cant answer all the questions. It has limitations. It cannot
be our only way to understand reality.
The Limitations of Science
The claim that science is the only method to find out the truth about man, life and
the universe is wrong. Science cannot prove moral truths, like what is right and
wrong. Science tells us what is, not what ought to be. In this sense science is
amoral; it is not an appropriate means of making moral decisions. Whilst it may be
used to support our moral decisions, ethical choices are beyond science.
Science cannot prove logical truths. For example, take the following into
consideration:
All unmarried men are bachelors.
42

John is a bachelor.
Therefore, John is an unmarried man.
The conclusion here necessarily follows. Its truth is established using our
understanding of logical connections. These connections are extremely important
when we make conclusions. The bachelor syllogism above is true because it
logically follows that it is true, however science cannot show how these logical
connections are true. .
Science Doesnt Lead to Certainty
Not only is science limited by its inability to address all the questions about life and
reality, but it also does not provide certainty. Certainty is not a word that scientists
like to use due to the process of induction. Induction is used in science to form
conclusions from the data captured in experiments. Induction essentially takes a
finite, limited set of observations and concludes on a pattern which may help to
understand the next observation or entire set of observation. Immediately we see
that induction does not provide certainty: we cannot guarantee the next observation
will concur with our conclusion. This is because there is always the possibility of new
observations that contradict the previous observations or conclusions. This is why
science continually changes. One day youll read in a popular magazine or
newspaper that coffee is good for your heart, and in another that coffee is bad for
your heart.
Thus, we cannot use science alone to establish religious truths. Science changes
and improves, whereas religious claims are static, unchanging and timeless. This
doesnt mean, however, that religion and science contradict each other.
Islam and Science
Take Islam as an example. Islam never suffered the same historical issues as
Christian Europe. It is well established that during medieval European history, the
Church in power would struggle against any science that contradicted its doctrines
and beliefs. In contrast, Islam facilitated science.
David C. Lindberg, a historian of science, asserts that it was a Muslim scientist, Ibn
al- Haytham that developed the scientific method as we know it today.[1] Professor
Thomas Arnold, an Arabist and a historian, made the claim that Muslim Spain
facilitated the European renaissance:
Muslim Spain had written one of the brightest pages in the history of Medieval
Europe. Her influence had passed through Provence into the other countries of
Europe, bringing into birth a new poetry and a new culture, and it was from her that
Christian scholars received what of Greek philosophy and science they had to
stimulate their mental activity up to the time of the Renaissance. [2]
So what is the relationship between Islam and science? Specifically, what is the
relation between the book of God the Quran and science?
The Quran is a book that makes us reflect upon ourselves, and the world around us.
The Quran mentions knowledge over 100 times. It encourages profound thought:

43

The example of this worldly life is but like rain which We have sent down from the
sky that the plants of the earth absorb those from which men and livestock eat
until, when the earth has taken on its adornment and is beautified and its people
suppose that they have capability over it, there comes to it Our command by night
or by day, and We make it as a harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do
we explain in detail the signs for a people who give thought. [3]
However, this doesnt mean that science can prove the Qurans Divine origins. Due
to the tentative conclusions created by induction, this cannot be the case.
The Remarkable Quran
The Quran addresses various levels of intellect. Each particular word it employs to
describe the natural world has many meanings. These words can relate to past and
present understanding of the natural world, and they can relate to the non-scientific
areas of spirituality and morality..
We need to appreciate what the main purpose of Quranic verse, before we can
explore examples of how the Quran appeals to varying intellects with its profound
range of meanings.
These verses are signposts pointing us towards God as the only being worthy of
worship. They also serve to aid our understanding and appreciation of Gods
Majesty, Power, Glory, Mercy and Love. They are not there to provide details on
science, this is not their purpose. The sub-continent thinker and scholar Amn
Asan Il in his Tadabbur-e-Qurn elaborates on this point:
The reference to the creation of the heavens and the earth indicates and
demonstrates the tremendous power and might of their Creator. The way they are
fashioned testifies to the uniqueness of His handiwork and astounding wisdom. It
also refers to the beneficial nature of the creation and its harmony with human life
and needs, the benefits and advantages we gain and depend upon. All these are
indicative of the grace and Mercy of the Creator and His providential care for His
servants. Besides, these also clearly demonstrate that there is a higher purpose
behind the creation of this life and the universe. [4]
Examples in the Quran
So how does the Quran address various levels of intellect at various times? To
answer this question delve into some remarkable verses and words in the Quran.
We will see how they relate to many levels of understanding for different people
across different times.
Orbits (including the Suns Orbit?!)
And it is He who created the night and the day and the sun and the moon; all
[heavenly bodies] in an orbit are swimming (yasbana). [5]
In the 7th century, at the time of revelation, the word yasbana, meaning to
swim or float, was used to describe solar and lunar motion. These movements could
be confirmed by the naked eye of a desert Arab. But the word also makes sense to
us in the 21st century: it can relate to our contemporary scientific understanding of
celestial mechanics.
44

Mustansir Mir, Professor of Islamic Studies at Youngstown State University, also

makes this point:
The word yasbana (swim or float) in the verse And He is the One Who created
the night and day, and the Sun and Moon each swimming in an orbit (Q 21:33)
made good sense to seventh-century Arabs observing natural phenomena with the
naked eye; it is equally meaningful to us in light of todays scientific findings [i.e.
celestial mechanics]. [6]
Interestingly, the above verse also mentions that the sun is floating or swimming in
an orbit. This ostensibly conforms to the 7th century understanding of the
geocentric universe. But a closer inspection of the language used in the Quran
suggests that it also compatible with 21st century science: it describes the Suns
own orbit of the Milky Way. According to scientists, it takes 226 million years for the
sun to complete its orbit around the Milky Way. [7]
The Human Embryo
Then We made the sperm-drop into a clinging clot [calaqah].[8]
The Qurn uses the word calaqah, meaning a both a clinging substance, such as a
leech or a worm, and a blood clot, or blood in a general sense.[9] This word
describes a stage of the development of the human embryo.
The embryo as a clinging substance and a blood clot concurs with the descriptions
of embryos by ancient Greek and Hebrew physicians, predating Qurnic revelation.
[10] Thus it concurs with the science of the period.
Remarkably, the word calaqah also refers to a worm or a leech. This can relate to
the external and internal appearance of the leech. [11] This view of the embryo
could only have been discovered after the 15th century. Although the embryo
during days 22 to 25 can be seen with the naked eye, it is about the size of a wheat
kernel and such details cannot be seen without a microscope, [12] which was
discovered in the 15th century. [13] See some of the images below:
Figure 1: External Structure of a Leech compared to the Embryo
ScienceQuranFig11
Figure 1 A, shows a lateral view of an embryo (size 2.5-3.0mm) at days 24 to 25.
(Modified from Moore & Persaud: The Developing Human 8th Edition) B, Hirudo
medicinalis, medicinal leech (modified from The HumanBody. The Incredible Journey
from Birth to Death, BBC Worldwide Ltd, 1998) C, Scanning electron micrograph
of an embryo at Week 4, 26 30 days. (Professor Kathy Sulik, The University of
North Carolina). Note the leech-like appearance of the human embryos at this stage.
Figure 2: Internal Structure of a Leech compared to the Embryo
ScienceQuranFig21

45

Figure 2 A, Ventral dissection showing the internal anatomical structure of a leech.

(From J.G. Nicholls and D. Van Essen. The nervous system of the leech, 1974,
Scientific American 230:38-48.) B, Dorsal view of a 13-somite embryo at
approximately 24 days, actual size 3.0mm. (From Professor Hideo Nishimura, Kyoto
University, Kyoto, Japan). Note the remarkable similarity in appearance between the
human embryo and the internal structure of the leech.
Another notable and interesting the embryo can be liked to a leech. A leech acts like
a parasite: it clings on to its host and starts to suck its blood. The embryo similarly
drains the resources of its mother. Hence, we should lower the wing of humility, and
show mercy to our parents, especially our mothers: they willingly sacrificed their
resources to enable our birth, This reminds us that we are not truly independent,
self-sufficient or free. Even in the womb we are dependent on our mothers. This
should create a sense of humility, and an understanding that we all dependent upon
each other. We are ultimately dependent on God.
Interestingly, this comparison between the leech and the embryo has also been
made by Lord Robert Winston, who is Professor of Science and Society, and
Emeritus Professor of Fertility Studies, at Imperial College:
[The leech] takes whatever it needs to live by sucking the blood of whatever it can
latch onto; in this case thats me. As it sucks my blood, it takes from it all that it
needs to live, it literally lives off me and the whole of pregnancy is shaped by a
similar kind of parasitic relationship. Unlike the leech, the developing embryo
doesnt suck the maternal blood but t does raid her blood for the raw materials it
needs to grow. From the word go both leech and embryo are out for themselves.
[14]
The expansion of the universe
And the heaven We constructed with strength, and indeed, We are [its] expander
[lamsi na]. [15]
The Qurn explains that God created the universe with a power or strength and
that He is the one who expands it. The word used is lamsina which means (are)
surely its expander. [16]
From a classical 7th century perspective, this word suggests that God created a vast
and fecund universe to sustain us. [17] This was easily appreciated and understood
by the 7th century listeners. However, what is remarkable, is that the word
lamsina can also mean that God is continuously expanding the universe, or that
He expanded it.[18] This is surprisingly in line with modern discoveries about the
expansion of the universe. [19]
A Note on Future Findings
When we cannot find a link between the meaning of a particular word or verse and
scientific fact, the verse can be a motivation to find new data and develop
innovative scientific solutions.
If we cannot produce a meaningful correlation or reconciliation between science and
the Quran, we find an open window of opportunity for a future scientific discovery
46

or conclusion to provide a meaningful analysis. This exposes the assumption that

the Qurn is not inaccurate or wrong, regardless of what science says. This is not
an unjustified assumption. There are a myriad of arguments indicating that the
Qurn is a Divine signpost. Although it is not within the scope of this piece to
discuss the matter in detail, one simple example of the Qurns Divine origins is the
miraculous nature of its complex language.
Conclusion
The Quran is a book which encourages reflection. Many of the statements in the
Quran concerning nature and science have the ability to engage various audiences
and appeal to their knowledge, whether a 7th century or 21st century audience. Yet,
it remains valid and agreeable, with an ultimate established truth at its centre. This
should surely make one think about who its author was.
The Quran contains knowledge about the physical natural world, and about the
inner dimensions of our souls. It relates to our feelings, wants and needs. The
Quran informs us that we have a purpose in life, and that following Gods guidance
will lead us to inner peace in this life, and Paradise in the hereafter. A rejection of
His message will lead to depression in this life and Hellfire after death.
We shall show them our signs in the universe and within themselves, until it
becomes clear to them that this is the truth. Is it not enough that your lord is the
witness of all things? [20]

THE QURANS IMPACT ON THE WORLD

Before the coming of Islam the world was in a state of oppression and injustice. PreIslamic Arabia was a dreadful place to live in as the Arabs were a people without
any set moral values. Slavery was an economic institution of the Arabs. Male and
female slaves were bought and sold like animals, and they formed the most
depressed class of the Arabian society. Illiteracy was common among the Arabs, as
were alcoholism and adultery. Those with power and money took advantage of the
poor by charging 100 per cent interest on loans. Arabia was a male-dominated
society, men could marry any number of women and when a man died, his son
inherited all his wives except his own mother. Women had virtually no legal
status, for example they had no right to possess property and had little to no
inheritance rights. Female infanticide was widely practiced as they used to bury
their daughters alive. I think you can appreciate why this period of Arab history
before the dawn of Islam is known as the period of ignorance!
Can you imagine being tasked with reforming such a society? Have a think about
how long it would take one person to cure all these social ills. One generation?
Perhaps several generations? You may even view it as an impossible task. Just to
give you an idea of the scale of the challenge, let's look at an attempt in recent
Western history to eradicate just one of these social ills, alcoholism. In 1920 the
United States government passed a nationwide law to ban the sale, production,
importation, and transportation of alcoholic beverages for moral and health reasons.
This is commonly known as Prohibition and although consumption of alcohol fell at
the beginning of Prohibition, it subsequently increased and led to other problems
47

such as corruption and organised crime. The law was repealed in 1933. The failure
of one of the most powerful governments in the world to tackle just a single social ill
should make us reflect on the Qur'an. The Qur'an managed to completely reform
not only alcoholism but all the social ills of Arabian society in a single generation,
just 23 years! This was a revolution the likes of which the world has never
witnessed.
Now perhaps you might be thinking to yourself, these social ills of Arabia were a
result of the tribal nature of society and the harsh desert environment the Arabs
dwelt in. But the fact is that even the super powers of the world at the time, the
Byzantine and Persian Empires, who ruled much of the world between them, were
also in a state of oppression and injustice. Pope Gregory I, head of the Catholic
Church and a contemporary of Prophet Muhammad, had this to say:
"What is there now, I ask of delight in this world? Everywhere we observe strife;
fields are depopulated, the land has returned to solitudeAnd yet the blows of
Divine justice have no end, because among the blows those guilty of evil acts are
not corrected"[1]
Gregory was referring to the oppression and tyranny he was facing at the hands of
the Germanic Lombards and he was bemoaning the pitiful condition of his world, the
world of the city of Rome. The Pope was not alone in his grief, as almost every
society in the world was experiencing some oppression and injustice. Syrian
Orthodox Christians were witnessing heavy persecution due to their differences with
the ruling Byzantine Church. The Egyptian Coptic Church was also under the
persecution of the Byzantines and Jews were on the brink of extinction at the hands
of the Catholic Church in Spain.
It was against this backdrop that the Quran was revealed, transforming not only
Arabia but also the rest of world. One of the reasons for the revelation of the Quran
was to bring mankind out of this state of oppression and injustice. The Quran
proclaimed loud and clear:
"[This is] a Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that you might
bring mankind out of darknesses into the light by permission of their Lord - to the
path of the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy." The Qur'an 14:1
Peace and justice was not only delivered to the Arabs, but the whole world reaped
the fruits of this blessing from God. As we will see, the peace and justice emanating
from the Islamic system produced some of the most civilised societies in the history
of mankind.
HOW THE QURAN BROUGHT JUSTICE TO THE WORLD
Just how did the Quran and early Muslims go about reforming society? This is the
testimony of Jafar bin Abi Talib, who was a contemporary of Prophet Muhammad.
Here he informed the king of Abyssinia about the condition of his people and the
positive change Islam had brought for them:
"O King, we were an uncivilised people, worshipping idols, eating corpses,
committing abominations, breaking natural ties, treating guests badly, and our
strong devoured our weak. Thus we were until God sent us an apostle whose
48

lineage, truth, trustworthiness, and clemency we know. He summoned us to

acknowledge Gods unity and to worship him and to renounce the stones and
images which we and our fathers formerly worshipped. He commanded us to speak
the truth, be faithful to our engagements, mindful of the ties of kinship and kindly
hospitality, and to refrain from crimes and bloodshed. He forbade us to commit
abominations and to speak lies, and to devour the property of orphans, to vilify
chaste women. He commanded us to worship God alone and not associate anything
with him, and he gave us orders about prayer, almsgiving, and fasting. We
confessed his truth and believed in him, and we followed him in what he had
brought from God, and we worshipped God without associating aught with him..."[2]
The people of Arabia were transformed within few decades and they became the
torch bearers of a new civilisation in the world, a civilisation that would change the
course of human history forever. Prophet Mohammad and his followers liberated not
only their own people from tyranny; they also brought freedom to the neighbouring
world. The Quran stipulated that Muslims must help the oppressed at all cost,
regardless of whom and where they are:
And what is [the matter] with you that you fight not in the cause of God and [for]
the oppressed among men, women, and children who say, "Our Lord, take us out of
this city of oppressive people and appoint for us from Yourself a protector and
appoint for us from Yourself a helper?" The Qur'an 4:75
The Muslims were thus charged to help oppressed people of the world. History
testifies to the fact that the early Muslims rescued the populations of Syria, Egypt
and Spain from a reign of tyranny:
SYRIA RESCUED FROM BYZANTINE EMPIRE
Following the death of Prophet Muhammad, in the reign of the second Caliph, Umar
bin Khattab, the Muslim armies began liberating the people of Syria from the
Byzantines (Romans). The Christians of Syria were divided in many different
denominations, such as Monophysites, Jacobites and Nestorians, and almost all of
them were facing severe persecution at the hands of the ruling Byzantine Church.
Dionysius of Tel-Mahre, a Jacobite patriarch from 818 to 845 CE, stated in his
chronicle that the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius sent an army to expel the Muslims
out of Syria and recapture the land. The Muslim forces decided to withdraw from
Syrian cities in order to fight an open pitch battle with the Byzantines. Whilst pulling
back, the Muslims decided, out of fairness, to refund the money which they had
taken as tribute from the Syrian Christians:
Abu Ubaydah, whom Umar had put in command of the Arabs, ordered Habib b.
Maslama to return to the Emesenes the tribute which he had exacted from them
with this message: "We are both bound by our mutual oaths. Now we are going to
do battle with the Romans. If we return, this tribute is ours; but if we are defeated
and do not return, we are absolved of our oaths."[3]
This was an unprecedented demonstration of honesty and justice. The non-Muslims
pay a poll tax to the Islamic state so that their lives, religion and property are
protected under the rule of the Muslims. In this case the Muslims knew that they
were unable to protect the Christians of Syria due to an imminent attack by
Heraclius, and therefore it was not fair to keep the money if they couldnt protect
the masses. Also, one must note that this was taking place in seventh century Syria
where plunder, robbery and injustice were a common occurrence and the Muslims
49

had shocked the Syrians with their merciful conduct. Another point worth
mentioning is that this incident is narrated by a ninth century Christian source,
which testifies that the Muslims did not abuse power and they did not betray the
trust that the Christians had bestowed upon them. Why did the Muslims return such
big sums to the Christians? Why didnt they keep this wealth when they needed it
the most, as they were facing a much larger army than themselves? The response
to all these perplexing questions is that these Muslims obeyed God and followed His
injunctions in the Quran:
"God commands you [people] to return things entrusted to you to their rightful
owners, and, if you judge between people, to do so with justice: Gods instructions
to you are excellent, for He hears and sees everything." The Qur'an 5:58
The Christians of Syria preferred the Muslim rule over the oppressive Byzantines, as
the Muslims had brought justice and good governance. Moreover after the Muslims
defeated the Byzantine army and returned to Syria, they were welcomed back as
heroes. Dionysius confirms this:
"So the Arabs left Damascus and pitched camp by the river Yarmuk. As the Romans
marched towards the Arab camp every city and village on their way which had
surrendered to the Arabs shouted threats at them. As for crimes the Romans
committed on their passage, they are unspeakable, and their unseemliness ought
not even to be brought to mindThe Arabs returned, elated with their great victory,
to Damascus; and the Damascenes greeted them outside the city and welcomed
them joyfully in, and all treaties and assurances were reaffirmed."[4]
One cannot imagine the conquered welcoming the conqueror joyfully. Yet it
happened in Syria once upon a time.
EGYPT SAVED FROM BYZANTINE PERSECUTION
Like Syria, Egypt was also governed by the Byzantines. The ruling Byzantine Church
was utterly against the existence of any doctrinal dissent. The Egyptians were
mostly Jacobite Christians and did not agree with the Byzantine version of
Christianity. The result of this disagreement was heavy persecution at the hands of
the ruling elite. The eminent British orientalist and historian Thomas Arnold
summarised the situation as follows:
"The Jacobites, who formed the majority of the Christian population, had been very
roughly handled by the Orthodox adherents of the court and subjected to indignities
that have not been forgotten by their children even to the present day. Some were
tortured and then thrown into the sea; many followed their Patrirach into exile to
escape from the hands of their persecutors, while a large number disguised their
real opinions under a pretended acceptance of the Council of Chalcedon."[5]
When the Muslims arrived in Egypt, lead by Amr bin al-Aas, a contemporary of
Prophet Muhammad and close companion of his, they were greeted as liberators
and the Egyptian Coptic Christians even supported their intervention. John of Nikiu
(690 CE), a Coptic bishop in Nikiu (Egypt), asserted that one of the reasons for the
Muslim success in Egypt was the hatred of the masses for the Byzantines and that
the Egyptians not only refused to fight the Muslims, they actually supported the
conquest:

50

"When Muslims saw the weakness of the Romans and the hostility of the people to
the emperor Heraclius because of the persecution wherewith he had visited all the
land of Egypt in regard to the orthodox faith at the instigation of Cyrus the
Chalcedonian Patriarch [in office 631/2-41], they became bolder and stronger in the
warAnd people began to help the Muslims."[6]
It is to be noted that these are contemporary Christian sources testifying that the
Muslims were actually supported by the Egyptian Coptic Christians against the
Byzantine Christians. If the Byzantines had treated the masses justly, then wouldnt
the Coptic population of Egypt have fought alongside the Byzantines against the
Muslims? It was the tolerant attitude of the Muslims and the barbarity of the
Byzantines which facilitated the rapid downfall of the Byzantines in the land of the
Pharaohs.
If the oppression and injustice as exhibited by the Byzantines was just the norm for
ruling powers, then why didnt the Muslims act in the same way? Like with all
matters in life, Muslims are bound to act according to the code of conduct laid out in
the Quran, and war is no exception. If Muslims happen to be at war, then even
when they might be facing severe opposition, Muslims must be righteous and are
prohibited from going to extremes:
"Fight in Gods cause against those who fight you, but do not overstep the limits:
God does not love those who overstep the limits." The Qur'an 2:190
For example, Muslims are not allowed to harm innocent men, women and children.
This can be seen in the instructions given to the Muslim army by their leader Abu
Bakr, the first successor of Prophet Muhammad:
"I advise you ten things: Do not kill women or children or an aged, infirm person. Do
not cut down fruit-bearing trees. Do not destroy an inhabited place. Do not
slaughter sheep or camels except for food. Do not burn bees and do not scatter
them. Do not steal from the booty, and do not be cowardly."[7]
The Quran also instructs Muslims with regard to those non-Muslims who do not
fight them:
"God does not forbid you to deal kindly and justly with anyone who has not fought
you for your faith or driven you out of your homes: God loves the just." The Qur'an
60:8
Muslims are not supposed to fight anyone who desires peace and co-existence and
in the absence of any religious hostility and persecution, they are commanded to be
kind to all. Alfred J. Butler, whose work on the Arab Conquest of Egypt is to this day
an authoritative reference point, studied the relevant chronicles and made many
profound statements pertaining to the Islamic leaderships tolerance and protection
of the Christian population in Egypt:
"After all that the Copts had suffered at the hands of the Romans and the Patriarch
Cyrus, it would not have been unnatural if they had desired to retaliate upon the
Melkites [the Romans]. But any such design, if they cherished it, was sternly
discountenanced by Amr, [the Muslim conqueror of Egypt] whose government was
wisely tolerant but perfectly impartial between the two forms of religion. Many facts
might be cited in proof of this contentiontwo forms of Christianity must be

51

imagined as subsisting side by side under the equal protection of the

conquerors."[8]
This is exactly what had occurred in Syria as we saw in the previous section. The
Syrians preferred the rule of the Muslims, just like the Egyptians. It was the justice
of Islam that appealed to both populations. Moreover the Coptics not only welcomed
the Muslims, they facilitated the conquest by joining the ranks of the conquerors.
SPAIN LIBERATED FROM TYRANNY
Muslims landed in Spain in 711 CE and many sources testify that they were
welcomed by the population, as their reputation preceded them. This was, again,
due to the severe persecution certain communities were facing therein. Under the
Catholic Churchs rule, the Jewish community, in particular, was severely oppressed.
The Catholic hierarchy in Spain held many councils to solve political and religious
disputes and in these councils, severe edicts were issued against the Jews of Spain.
One of the clauses in the text of the proceedings of the Fourth Council of Toledo
(633 CE) states:
"We decree that the sons and daughters of the Jews should be separated from the
company of their parents in order that they should not become further entangled in
their deviation, and entrusted either to monasteries or to Christian, God fearing
men and women, in order that they should learn from their way of life to venerate
the faith and, educated on better things, progress in their morals as well as their
faith.'[9]
Hence, the children of the Jews were to be forcefully converted to Catholicism. Jews
werent the only ones facing tyranny but they were easy targets due to them being
a minority and having a way of life that was distinct from their Christian
persecutors. So, when the Muslims arrived, Jews were the first people to greet them
as saviours. Zion Zohar, a Jewish American historian, confirms the appreciation that
Jews felt for the Muslim arrival:
"Thus, when Muslims crossed the straits of Gibraltar from North Africa in 711 CE and
invaded the Iberian Peninsula, Jews welcomed them as liberators from Christian
Persecution."[10]
This was the beginning of the Golden Age as far as the Jews were concerned. The
behaviour of the Muslims in Spain was no different to their conduct in Syria and
Egypt. They facilitated freedom of religion for all people regardless of any
differences. This was a golden opportunity for the Jews to flourish and make
progress. Prior to the Muslim arrival, the Jews couldnt imagine having religious
freedom, as they were facing extinction at the hands of the Catholic Church. Zion
Zohar summarised the benefits Jews reaped from the Muslim protection as follows:
"Born during this era of Islamic rule, the famous Golden Age of Spanish Jewry (circa
900-1200) produced such luminaries as: statesman and diplomat Hasdai ibn
Shaprut, vizier and army commander Shmuel ha-Nagid, poet-philosophers Solomon
Ibn Gabriol and Judah Halevi, and at the apex of them all, Moses Ben Maimon, also
known among the Spaniards as Maimonides."[11]
Heinrich Graetz, a nineteenth century Jewish historian expressed similar sentiments
regarding Islamic rule:

52

"It was in these favourable circumstances that the Spanish Jews came under the
rule of Mahometans [Muslims], as whose allies they esteemed themselves the
equals of their co-religionists in Babylonia and Persia. They were kindly treated,
obtained religious liberty, of which they had so long been deprived, were permitted
to exercise jurisdiction over their co-religionists, and were only obliged, like the
conquered Christians, to pay poll tax..."[12]
Thus the Islamic rule proved to be one of the best things in the history of Jewry. The
Spanish Jews reached such a high level of learning and progress that they could now
claim to be the leaders of the world Jewry. The Jews were certainly saved from
extinction by the Muslim conquest of Spain. Moreover for the first time the three
Abrahamic faiths were able to co-exist alongside one another in peace and
harmony. Maria Rosa Menocal, one of the authorities on medieval European
literature, authored a book to pay her respect to the peaceful co-existence between
three Abrahamic faiths in medieval Spain and she titled it the Ornament of the
world. Indeed, Spain had become an Ornament of the World but sadly this
ornament was destroyed upon the departure of the Muslims, as Spanish historian
Ulick Burke puts it painfully:
"The institutions that had flourished under the Moslem, died when the Moslem
departed; and after four centuries of light and learning, Andalusia fell back, under
the Christian rule, into a condition of ignorance and barbarism , nearly, if not quite,
equal to that of the north western provinces of the peninsula..."[13]
This culminated with the Spanish Expulsion of 1492, an edict issued by Catholic
Monarchs of Spain ordering the expulsion of Jews from the lands. From the 13th to
the 16th centuries many European countries expelled the Jews from their territory
on at least 15 occasions.
It is abundantly clear from the evidence seen above that the Muslim conquest of
Spain initiated one of the brightest periods in the history of man. The darkness of
oppression and injustice reigned over Spain prior to the Muslim arrival and it was
the mercy of Islam that liberated the Jewish population. This behaviour of the
Muslims was not accidental; the previous examples of Syria and Egypt serve to
demonstrate the consistency of their conduct in different lands and in different
times. Thus the laws of the Quran are a mercy from God to mankind, Muslim and
non Muslim alike, when they are implemented as intended by God, in accordance
with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad:
"And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds." The
Qur'an 21:107
THE CONSEQUENCES OF JUSTICE, TOLERANCE AND PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE
Much of Western philosophy and science finds its basis in the thoughts and
teachings of the ancient Greek philosophers. In the 6th century BCE the ancient
Greeks broke away from a mythological approach to understanding the world, and it
initiated an approach based on reason and evidence (what we call "rational
thinking" today). It is defined largely by three great thinkers: Socrates, Plato and
Aristotle. Plato founded the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher
learning in the Western world, in around 387 BC which helped to lay the foundations
of Western philosophy and science. The Academy endured for nearly 1,000 years as
a beacon of higher learning, until it was closed by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian
53

in 529 CE in an effort by the Catholic Church to suppress the heresy of pagan

thought. The Greek ancient chronicler John Malalas recorded:
"During the consulship of Decius [529 CE], the Emperor issued a decree and sent it
to Athens ordering that no one should teach philosophy nor interpret the laws."[14]
Following the closure of the Greek schools of philosophy, Europe entered into a
1,000 year period of intellectual slumber. Thus the "lights went out" on rational
thinking and Europe entered into the Dark Ages. Indeed, Europes creative energies
and inventiveness are acknowledged much later, only from the dawn of the
scientific revolution in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. A good example
that is characteristic of this era is that of the astronomer Galileo. In 1610 he
published a work which promoted heliocentrism, which is the idea that the Earth
and planets revolve around a relatively stationary Sun at the centre of the Solar
System. Today science has confirmed that this model of the universe is correct,
however at that time it conflicted with the prevailing theological belief that the
Earth was the centre of the universe and that all heavenly bodies revolved around
the Earth, known as geocentrism, a view which the Catholic Church held due to its
literal interpretation of the Bible. Galileo's discoveries were met with opposition
within the Catholic Church, and in 1616 the Church formally declared heliocentrism
to be heretical. Heliocentric books were banned and Galileo was ordered to refrain
from holding, teaching or defending heliocentric ideas. Later the Church found him
"gravely suspect of heresy", sentencing him to indefinite imprisonment. Galileo was
kept under house arrest until his death in 1642.
This intellectual slumber of Europe is in stark contrast to the Islamic world. The
coming of the Quran in the seventh century not only transformed Arabia but also
the lands that were under the control of the Muslims. The peace and sense of
security that Islamic rule brought about consequently produced one of the most
successful civilisations in the history of the world. While Europe was in the Dark
Ages it was the Muslims that produced some of the best known scholars and work.
Victor Robinson, a historian of science, eloquently summed up the contrast between
medieval Europe and Islamic Spain:
"Europe was darkened at sunset, Cordova shone with public lamps; Europe was
dirty, Cordova built a thousand baths; Europe was covered with vermin, Cordova
changed its undergarments daily; Europe lay in mud, Cordovas streets were paved;
Europes palaces had smoke-holes in the ceiling, Cordovas arabesques were
exquisite; Europes nobility could not sign its name, Cordovas children went to
school; Europes monks could not read the baptismal service, Cordovas teachers
created a library of Alexandrian dimensions."[15]
Some examples of Muslim advances in science are the mathematician AlKhawarizmi who played a significant role in the development of algebra. He also
came up with the concept of algorithms which is why he is called the grandfather of
computer science. The physician Az-Zahrawi is considered the greatest medieval
surgeon and is described by many as the father of modern surgery. He made
pioneering discoveries in surgical procedures and instruments, for example the
material he utilised for internal stitching is still used in surgery today. The
astronomer Al-Sufi made the earliest recorded observation of the Andromeda
Galaxy. This was the first galaxy other than the Milky Way to be observed from
Earth. The philosopher Ibn Sina is considered one of the greatest thinkers and
54

scholars in history. He provided the first descriptions of bacteria and viral

organisms. He also discovered the contagious nature of infectious diseases and
introduced the concept of quarantine to limit the spread of disease. He has been so
influential in medicine that he is referred to as the father of modern medicine [16].
You may be surprised to learn that many of the scientific words and terms we use
today are taken from the Arabic language; this is a legacy of the discoveries of
Muslim scientists. For example, the word algebra comes from the Arabic word aljabr, taken from the title of one of the books by the Muslim mathematician alKhwarizmi. The word algorithm is taken from al-Khwarizmis name itself. The word
alchemy comes almost unchanged from the Arabic al-kimya. One of the
greatest contributions made by Arab scholars was their development of the science
of astronomy. If you look at a modern star chart, youll find hundreds of stars whose
names derive from Arabic: Altair, Aldebaran, Betelgeuse, Vega, Rigel and Algol, to
name a few. Finally, we owe the decimal number system that we use for counting to
Arab mathematicians. In fact the most common symbolic representation of numbers
in the world today (1, 2, 3 etc.) are actually Arabic numerals.
You may be wondering, what is it about the Quran that inspired Muslims to go from
the depths of ignorance of the pre-Islamic era to being leaders of the world in the
sciences? Many of these scientists were excellent Islamic theologians and it was the
Quran which drew their attention to inquire into the natural world and showed them
the path to knowledge and enlightenment:
"Read! In the name of your Lord who created: He created man from a clinging form.
Read! Your Lord is the Most Bountiful One who taught by [means of] the pen, who
taught man what he did not know." The Qur'an 96:1-5
These verses make up the first passage revealed to Prophet Muhammad. It is
interesting that of all the things which God could have began His revelation with,
the actions of reading and writing were chosen. Notice how the very first word
revealed was a commandment to read. Thus the Quran attaches great
importance to knowledge and education.
"And Allah has extracted you from the wombs of your mothers not knowing a thing,
and He made for you hearing and vision and intellect that perhaps you would be
grateful." The Qur'an 16:78
God created man and provided him with the tools for acquiring knowledge, namely
hearing, sight and wisdom. Thus the Quran reminds us that we should be grateful
to God for these tools which give us the means to obtain knowledge.
"...How can those who know be equal to those who do not know? Only those who
have understanding will take heed." The Qur'an 39:9
Here the Quran highlights the noble status of the one who has knowledge; they are
superior to those who lack knowledge, as one who is knowledgeable has greater
understanding. This encourages Muslims to continually seek knowledge.
"Then do they not look at the camels - how they are created? And at the sky - how it
is raised? And at the mountains - how they are erected? And at the earth - how it is
spread out?" The Qur'an 88:17 - 20

55

The Quran draws our attention to many natural phenomena by encouraging us to

observe the world around us.
"There truly are signs in the creation of the heavens and earth, and in the
alternation of night and day, for those with understanding, who remember God
standing, sitting, and lying down, who reflect on the creation of the heavens and
earth..." The Qur'an 3:190-191
Moreover this observation of the world around us should not be aimless but rather
we should ponder and reflect on what we see.
"If you have doubts about the revelation We have sent down to Our servant, then
produce a single chapter like it enlist whatever witnesses you have other than
God if you truly [think you can]." The Qur'an 2:23
The concept of putting ideas to the test is encouraged by the Quran. So too is the
use of witnesses in order to validate conclusions. It must be noted that no other
religious text challenges its reader in such ways; the use of falsification tests is
unique to the Quran.
Lets summarise these concepts that the Quran puts forward with regards to
knowledge: using our senses to observe the world around us, thinking and reflecting
on what we observe, putting ideas to the test and providing witnesses to validate
our conclusions. If these concepts seem familiar to you its because they resemble
the modern scientific method. Today, it is understood to students of science that
everything must be proven. You cannot make claims about scientific theories based
on assumption without experimentation. The scientific method is the process by
which science is carried out and involves observing some natural phenomenon,
making a hypothesis based on the observations and then putting the hypothesis to
the test by carrying out experiments to determine whether the original hypothesis is
correct. If the hypothesis turns out to be correct then it becomes a theory (a proven
hypothesis), and if it isnt correct then further observation will be performed, the
original hypothesis will be updated and the whole process will repeat itself. For
example, a fun anecdote we are taught in school is that an apple fell onto the head
of the scientist Sir Isaac Newton when he was sitting under a tree. Based on this
observation he then came up with the hypothesis that there must be some force or
attraction that makes the apple fall to the ground, he tested his hypothesis and this
is how he devised the law of gravity.
Now whether or not an apple really did fall onto Sir Isaac Newtons head isnt
important, what matters is that it is the scientific method which allowed him to
validate his ideas about how gravity works. Now you can appreciate why this
experimental approach to science is perhaps one of the greatest ideas ever
conceived of by mankind, it is the basis of all scientific progress and without it we
wouldnt have devised laws of physics such as gravity. It is theories such as this that
have allowed mankind to create the automobile, computer and travel into space.
You may be wondering, who came up with such an important idea? Before Islam, the
ancient Greek philosophies of science were predominant in Western civilisation. The
Greeks believed that knowledge should be advanced through deduction, which
means that you rely on reason alone without taking evidence into consideration.
The development of a scientific process resembling the modern method was
56

developed by the Muslim scholar Ibn al-Haytham. He is regarded as the father of the
scientific method and was the first scientist in history to insist that everything be
proven through induction which uses observations and experimentation to
challenge previously held theories. His process involved the following stages:
Observation of the natural world.
Stating a definite problem.
Formulating a robust hypothesis.
Test the hypothesis through experimentation.
Analyse the results.
Interpret the data and draw conclusions.
Publish the findings.
Ibn al-Haytham first studied theology, the Quran, and he stated that it was the
Quran that inspired him to study philosophy and science:
"I decided to discover what it is that brings us closer to God, what pleases Him
most, and what makes us submissive to His ineluctable Will."[17]
Using his revolutionary scientific method, Ibn al-Haytham made leaps and bounds in
the field of optics. In his book, The Book of Optics, he was the first to disprove the
ancient Greek idea that light comes out of the eye, bounces off objects, and comes
back to the eye. He delved further into the way the eye itself works and using
dissections he was able to begin to explain how light enters the eye, is focussed and
is projected to the back of the eye.
The translation of The Book of Optics had a huge impact on Europe. From it, later
European scholars were able to understand the way light works and devices such as
eyeglasses, magnifying lenses, telescopes and cameras were developed. Without
Ibn al-Haytham's scientific method, we may still be living in a time when
speculation, superstition, and unproven myths are the basis of science. It is not a
stretch to say that without his ideas, the modern world of science that we know
today would not exist.
THE ORIGINS OF THE EUROPEAN ENLIGHTENMENT AND RENAISSANCE
In the thirteenth century the seeds of Muslim learning began to germinate in
Europe. Thus Europe awoke from the Dark Ages and entered a new era of
enlightenment known as the Renaissance. Translations of Arabic works on science
were made for almost three centuries starting from the tenth to the thirteenth
century and gradually spread throughout Europe. Professor George Saliba penned a
book on this very topic and stated that:
"there is hardly a book on Islamic civilization, or on the general history of science,
that does not at least pretend to recognize the importance of the Islamic scientific
tradition and the role this tradition played in the development of human civilisation
in general."[18]
Professor Thomas Arnold was of the opinion that the European Renaissance
originated in Islamic Spain:
"Muslim Spain had written one of the brightest pages in the history of Medieval
Europe. Her influence had passed through Provence into the other countries of
57

Europe, bringing into birth a new poetry and a new culture, and it was from her that
Christian scholars received what of Greek philosophy and science they had to
stimulate their mental activity up to the time of the Renaissance."[19]
The classical Greek works referenced in the above quote were lost to Europe during
its Dark Ages. It was Muslim scholars who rescued these works by translating and
preserving them in the Arabic language, and they subsequently found their way
back into Europe by being translated from Arabic into Latin. Moreover Muslims
didnt just preserve them; they built upon them by studying the ancient Greek
works in detail, carried out experiments, wrote commentaries on them and
corrected the theories where necessary in the form of their own independent works.
A few such examples are Al-Birunis criticism and correction of Aristotles philosophy
in a work called Questions and Answers; Al-Khwarizmis correction of Ptolemys
geography in his work Face of the Earth; Ibn al-Haythams correction and
refutation of Galens optics based upon practical experiments; Al-Khazinis work on
measures of weights and densities surpassed his Greek predecessors [20].
In fact Europe took far more from the Muslim world than this book can do justice.
Among other things: windmills, soap, perfume, sugar, irrigation, spices, universities,
street lights, the paper industry, mass literacy, freedom of thought, architecture,
poetry, hygiene, libraries and ceramics. New Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3...) in particular
revolutionised the mathematics of Medieval Europe and consequently had a lasting
effect on architecture. Cathedrals, castles, palaces, gardens and many more
structures were built in medieval Europe by the help of Islamic Spains architectural
techniques.
Finally, lets perform a thought experiment: if the Quran had never been revealed,
then what would be the likely state of the world today? Lets think this through step
by step. From the Quran emerged the justice of Islamic law; from that justice came
peace and co-existence; with that peaceful co-existence came free intellectual
activity in Muslim lands and from this freedom of literacy originate the knowledge
that took Europe out of the Dark Ages and ushered in the Renaissance. Thus isnt it
reasonable to conclude that the modern world, with all of its advanced technology
like the internet and mobile phones, is a direct consequence of the revelation of the
Quran?

Read the Quran

The Noble Quran is a book of guidance and spiritual progress.
This book outlines the values and beliefs that can make you the best person you
can be. It teaches a way of thinking that is positive, progressive and solutionoriented. Any person who adopts the worldview of this book becomes aperson who
believes in justice for all, equality for all and personal responsibility.
The Quran is a book of persuasion it is a book that speaks to you like a friend.
Stories of famous people are given only as a way to prove a point, laws are few and
are connected with trying to make you a better person. Poetic phrases become
beautiful ways to remember sound advice and good teachings. You can open the
book at any page, start reading and learn something useful.
58

In short, the Quran is a personal letter from God to you, asking you to become
something more than you thought you could be, someone whom God loves and
someone who loves His world so much that he or she will do everything in their
power to take good care of it.
This translation of the meaning of the Quran is not the same as the original Arabic
Quran. You can use translations to get at the meanings and message of the Quran,
but it is the original Arabic text where the message truly resides.
May your search bear fruit and may the message of the Quran guide your way for
all the rest of your days.

Bab 5 Islam
DONT HATE, DEBATE!
Imagine this article began by calling you names. Actually, imagine it used the most
vile language to curse you or the person you love most.
Would you continue reading?
Even if you did, would you take seriously what it had to say? Would you have an
open mind to try and understand what was written? Of course you wouldnt!
You would probably throw this booklet in the bin.
No human being should be expected to tolerate uncivilised, degrading language,
deliberate abuse and repugnant expressions.
As humans, we qualify ourselves through the use of our language, our manners and
our sensibilities. We are careful about how others perceive us; what we say is how
we present ourselves to the world.
The philanthropist and anti-apartheid revolutionary Nelson Mandela once said:
If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk
to him in his language, that goes to his heart.
No one prides themselves on the language of insults. Insults never appeal to
anyones mind or heart. In reality, insulting behaviour and speech is a throwback to
the worst part of our childhood. In the playground we would see bullies using
abusive language to belittle others weaker than them. Good parents, teachers and
communities expend great efforts to inculcate in children kindness, listening skills,
empathy and teaching them not to be abusive or offensive. How then, and
according to what logic, does it become a right to offend, and how can such
behaviour be deemed in any way appropriate, let alone civilised?
We only need to look back to the 1930s when the free language of bigotry was
used against a minority group to demonise them, which led to the horrific events of
59

the holocaust. As shocking as this may sound, it highlights a very important point;
whether we like it or not, what we say can make or break our world.
Despite this, there are those who claim that we can say whatever we want in
whichever way we want.
Every free-thinking person will say that they believe in the freedom of speech. If we
didnt, we wouldnt be free to discuss politics, religion, the evil of bigotry and
racism, and much more. Our freedom to speak about these things is what makes us
human lets not use that humanity to dehumanise others.
THE HISTORY OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH
When we examine the historical circumstances of freedom of speech, we will see
that it emerged as a result of a specific problem. Christian Europe was under the
control of the Church and the Divinely chosen Kings and was subjugated to
centuries of authoritarian rule, absent of transparency and accountability. This is
why people demanded the freedom to take the oppressive state to account,
establish justice and learn about the truth of the world. Hence, freedom of speech
was a concept that was born out of the European Enlightenment in order to account
those in power, establish justice in society, and as a means for seeking the truth
and facilitating human progression.
The inception of the modern concept of freedom of speech as we know it today,
arose under this particular context. However, this notion of freedom was never
intended to insult, offend or defame any social group. This is why the 19th century
British philosopher, and one of the founders of the free speech movement, John S.
Mill, argued that for truth and justice we must be cautious with our language.
FREEDOM TO INSULT AND DEGRADE?
In light of the above, youre probably thinking that something has seriously gone
wrong.
Youre right.
We are now far removed from the civilised discourse of the likes of John S. Mill,
Aristotle, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill and William
Shakespeare.
Think about it.
There are many news outlets, publications, websites and other media corporations
that have contradicted the fundamental objectives of freedom of speech by
conflating it with the right to degrade, insult and defame. We have all seen and
experienced the lies, hate and defamation of many in the media.
Sadly, it has led to more lies, hatred and mistrust. It does not help form a
harmonious society, where intellectual and rational dialogue between different
communities can take place. The unfortunate reality today is that freedom of
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speech is politicised in practice, absent of the most basic human civility to respect
others ideas, beliefs and values.
Do we want to live in such a society?
A society that is free to curse, rather than converse?
The post-modern philosopher, Sren Kierkegaard, aptly said,
People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought
which they seldom use. Sren Kierkegaard
To illustrate this point, here are some reasons why being free to degrade and insult
actually goes against the objectives of free speech:
Firstly, from the perspective of truth and progress: in order to acquire the truth and
facilitate progress, reasoned and well mannered argumentation and discussion is
required, and this must be couched in human language. Insulting and degrading
language or imagery does not facilitate truth and progress. Imagine the prominent
physicist Stephen Hawking explaining one of his famous theories. What would
happen if he then used pornographic imagery to denounce others who opposed it,
or continually swore at them during his presentation? Would that expressionism
facilitate discussion? It is more likely to create a barrier to knowledge and
understanding.
Secondly, from the aspect of accountability and justice, accounting governments
and individuals also requires good, polite and reasoned dialogue. If one was to
approach a dictator, cursing them and using the most vile language, would one
successfully bring them to account? That is very unlikely. In order to do so, it would
be better to articulate a positive case against their crimes and injustices.
These examples show that insult and degradation defeat the very objective of the
freedom of speech.
There is, however, a fine line between deliberate and unintended insults. After all,
one persons insults can be anothers form of dialogue. So it is not as simple as
saying dont insult or degrade each other. Rather than just allowing ourselves to
be free to hate, curse and degradethereby not achieving the objectives of free
speechthe onus is for us to try and understand each others sensitivities so that
we can better convince, educate and express ourselves. Weve heard it before: with
freedom comes great responsibility. We have a responsibility to engage with each
other in ways that are best.
THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF INSULTING AND DEGRADING OTHERS
With freedom comes responsibility. We cannot simply say whatever we like. Imagine
screaming bomb! in the middle of a crowded bus. Such expressions lead to chaos,
harm and disorder. The British Philosopher, John. S. Mill, argued that speech should
be restricted if it leads to harm. Mill used 19th century corn dealers as an example:
he argued that a mob should incur punishment if they expressed that corn dealers
are starvers of the poor when assembled before the house of a corn dealer.
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Clearly, some speech not only facilitates harm but causes unthinkable calamities.
There is a broad consensus that the Nazi cartoons and imagery depicting the Jewish
community as evil, greedy, and selfish, led to the social engineering of perceiving
that they were less than human, and deserved to be punished and killed. The
function of anti-semitic imagery in Hitlers Mein Kampf gradually initiated the wider
parts of the German population to racism and dehumanisation of the Jewish
community. This consequently led to the erroneous belief that the Jewish people
were an illness and the cure was their extermination. This free speech was the
blueprint for genocide.
The 20th century philosopher George Santayana famously wrote:
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
Despite all the holocaust memorials and remembrances, have we truly learned from
the past? A similar discourse is being touted in some of the more sensationalist
media outlets today, with there being a striking similarity between the anti-semitic
satire from the Nazi-era, and that aimed at Muslims today. Many argue that this has
facilitated a growing hatred against Muslims.
In an article analysing survey results that focussed on Muslims and Islam post 2001,
Charles Kuzman, the Professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina,
concluded that the data indicates how:
American attitudes toward Muslim Americans have grown more negativea
growing segment of the population is willing to express negative views about
Muslim-Americans in recent years.
This growing negativity towards Islam and Muslims is not only an American problem,
but a European one too. In its 2004 annual report, The European Commission
against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) found:
Islamophobia continues to manifest itself in different guises. Muslim communities
are the target of negative attitudes, and sometimes, violence and harassment. They
suffer multiple forms of discrimination, including sometimes from certain public
institutions. ECRI is worried about the current climate of hostility against persons
who are or are believed to be Muslim.
Unfortunately, recent surveys, polls and publications are indicating a stark rise in
hate crimes against Muslims.
Fear, anxiety and hate will continue to exist unless communities make the effort to
understand each other. Not only by sharing our commonalities but by discussing
and understanding our differences God willing.
We need to stop the hate and start to debate in a language conducive to positive,
respectful and compassionate engagement.
DOES FREEDOM OF SPEECH EXIST?
Putting all of this aside, lets talk about whether freedom of speech even exists.

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Free speech has never existed in an absolute sense. It has always been restricted to
the dominant values and laws of a society, and this is evident in Europe where race,
treason, defamation, and public disorder laws dictate what someone can or cannot
say. Taking this into consideration, it is shocking to see the media, an institution that
is supposed to protect the oppressed and account those in power, justify the slander
of revered figuresincluding God, Prophets and religionunder the banner of
freedom of speech, often creating an atmosphere of hate.
Whats worse is that freedom of speech is not applied fairly to all. There have been
many examples of the media degrading and insulting Islam and the Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh), yet the same media outlets have censored expression when it
involved others. This hypocrisy creates animosity and a sense of injustice.
Here are just a few of many examples:
Political cartoonist Maurice Sinet, who worked for the French satirical magazine
Charlie Hebdo for 20 years was fired in 2009 for his cartoons mocking the
relationship of former French President Sarkozys son with a wealthy Jewish woman.
A French court injunction banned a Jesus based clothing advert mimicking Da Vincis
Last Supper. A French judge ruled that the display was ruled a gratuitous and
aggressive act of intrusion on peoples innermost beliefs.
In 2005, Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published caricatures of the Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) but rejected the publication of cartoons mocking Jesus (pbuh)
because they would provoke an uproar!
This is why many Muslims today consider the media to have double-standards. Why
the hypocrisy?
Isnt it time we stopped the hate and started to debate?
Islam encourages polite, warm and compassionate discussion. Even if we dont
agree with each other, we can still talk. Islam rejects senseless violence, vigilante
justice and the killing of innocent people. The Quranthe book Muslims consider to
be the word of Godmentions the word jidal, meaning debate, discussion, and
dialogue, many times. So theres no need to fear, Muslims want to talk. They always
have!
THE ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE ON THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH
Islam has always welcomed open dialogue and scrutiny. It is theologically engrained
through the Qurans encouragement to question, seek and establish the truth
through ones own rationale. Looking back in history, Islamic civilisations were the
epicentres of intellectual discourse between different sects, theologies, schools of
jurisprudence, and religions. However, this discourse was carried out in a manner
which respected the opposing sides views, beliefs and principles. It very rarely
entailed derogatory or satirical statements as the premise of sincere dialogue,
because of the destructive repercussions it could have in society. This positive
coexistence was due to the nature of what is expounded in the Quran, the Muslim
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holy scripture that is considered Gods word. It is a book that reasons and argues to
the truth, as the academic, Rosalind Gwynne, asserts,
Reasoning and argument are so integral to the content of the Quran and so
inseparable from its structure that they in many ways shaped the very
consciousness of Quranic scholars.
- Rosalind Ward Gwynne, Logic, Rhetoric and Legal Reasoning in the Quran: Gods
Arguments
ISLAMIC VALUES
The values of Islam emanating from the Quran and the words of the Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) pave the pathway to progress, truth and accountability, while
maintaining good etiquette and upholding the best of all manners in dialogue and
discussion.
The Islamic values evoke the search for truth:
And mix not truth with falsehood, nor conceal the truth while you know it.
The Quran, Chapter 2 Verse 42
and enjoin on each other truth.
The Quran, Chapter 103 Verse 3
Concerning accountability, Islam promotes accounting the unjust ruler and
preventing evil:
The best of all struggles is a word of truth to a tyrant ruler.
Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be peace)
Let there be among you people that command the good, enjoining what is right
and forbidding the wrong. They indeed are the successful.
The Quran, Chapter 3 Verse 104
God commands His noble Prophets Moses (pbuh) and Aaron (pbuh) to speak mildly
to the oppressive and unjust Pharaoh while discussing with him:
And speak to him (Pharaoh) mildly, perhaps he may accept admonition.
The Quran, Chapter 20 Verse 44
The 13th century scholar, Imam al-Qurtubi, said, concerning this verse:
If Moses was commanded to speak mildly to Pharaoh then it is even more
appropriate for others to follow this command when speaking to others and when
commanding the good and forbidding the evil.
Imam al-Qurtubi. 13th Century Islamic Scholar
Islamic values promote sincere debate, dialogue and discussion:
People, We created you all from a single man and a single woman, and made you
into races and tribes so that you should get to know one another. In Gods eyes, the
most honoured of you are the ones most mindful of Him: God is all knowing, all
aware.
The Quran, Chapter 49 Verse 13
And do not insult those they invoke other than God , lest they insult God in enmity
without knowledge.
The Quran, Chapter 6 Verse 108

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Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and debate with
them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed
from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided.
The Quran, Chapter 16 Verse 125
I guarantee a house in paradise for the one who gives up insincere and useless
arguments, even if he is in the right; and I guarantee a home in the middle of
paradise for the one who abandons lying even for the sake of fun; and I guarantee a
house in the highest part of paradise for the one who has good manners.
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
When the Islamic values were implemented in the Muslim lands progress was an
inevitable product of the Islamic civilisation. For instance, the historian, Robert
Briffault, in The Making of Humanity explains how progress was not only evident in
Islamic history, but European growth was facilitated by the Islamic civilisation:
For although there is not a single aspect of European growth in which the decisive
influence of Islamic culture is not traceable, nowhere is it so clear and momentous
as in the genesis of that power which constitutes the permanent distinctive force of
the modern world, and the supreme source of its victory, natural science and the
scientific spirit.
Robert Briffault, The Making of Humanity
Professor Thomas Arnold was of the opinion that the European Renaissance was
rooted in Islamic Spain:
Muslim Spain had written one of the brightest pages in the history of Medieval
Europe. Her influence had passed through Provence into the other countries of
Europe, bringing into birth a new poetry and a new culture, and it was from her that
Christian scholars received what of Greek philosophy and science they had to
stimulate their mental activity up to the time of the Renaissance.
Thomas Arnold, The Preaching of Islam
In the Islamic paradigm, all of these objectives of freedom of speech are achieved
within a framework of morality and decency. The Quranic values speak for
themselves,
and they shall enjoy honour and dignity
The Quran, Chapter 37 Verse 42
Believers, no one group of men should jeer at another, who may after all be better
than them; no one group of women should jeer at another, who may after all be
better than them; do not speak ill of one another; do not use offensive nicknames
for one another. How bad it is to be called a mischief-maker after accepting faith!
Those who do not repent of this behaviour are evildoers. Believers, avoid making
too many assumptions some assumptions are sinful and do not spy on one
another or speak ill of people behind their backs: would any of you like to eat the
flesh of your dead brother? No, you would hate it. So be mindful of God: God is ever
relenting, most merciful.
The Quran, Chapter 49 Verses 11-12
A true believer is not involved in taunting, or frequently cursing or in indecency or
abusing.
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
Spy not and defame not others
The Quran, Chapter 49 Verse 12
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God does not love the public utterance of evil speech

The Quran, Chapter 4 Verse 148
Do you not see how God sets forth a parable? A good word is like a good tree,
whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches reach to the heavens It brings forth its
fruit at all times, by the leave of its Lord. So God sets forth parables for mankind, in
order that they may receive admonition. And the parable of an evil Word is that of
an evil tree: It is torn up by the root from the surface of the earth: it has no
stability.
The Quran, Chapter 14 Verses 24-26
In Islam, God has given guidance from His perfect knowledge to help people live in
peace and harmony, informing us to use care and compassion with one another, not
argument and harshness to cause discord.
WHY BLASPHEMY IS WRONG: HOW CAN WE CURSE A MAN WE SHOULD ALL LOVE?
Imagine that someone cursed, degraded, insulted and dishonoured the very person
you love the most. Youd be quite upset. Now imagine someone drew a vile and
degrading picture of that person and shared it with the whole world. How would you
feel?
Wouldnt you try and get the picture removed? Wouldnt you at least seek an
apology?
The obvious answers to the above questions are exactly the type of responses
Muslims have when God and His Prophets are degraded and defamed. As already
highlighted in this booklet, the Islamic teachings are very clear on cursing and
defaming anyone. They are also very specific when it comes to loving and
respecting the Prophets (peace be upon them all).
The reason Muslims get very upset when the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is
degraded and defamed is because they love and revere him more than any other
person. Indeed, it is an indication of true faith, as the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh)
once explained that this was part of the sweetness of faith, that:
God and His Apostle becomes dearer than anything else.
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
No Muslim will disagree that loving the Prophet (pbuh) is a part of a Muslims faith.
None of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father, his children and all
of mankind.
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
In fact, loving the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is to follow him, which ultimately
leads to the love of God:
Say, [O Muhammad], If you should love Allah (God), then follow me, [so] Allah will
love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
The Quran, Chapter 3, Verse 31
Therefore, there is a direct link between loving the Prophet (pbuh) and Gods love.
From a spiritual perspective, in Islam, Gods love is the greatest blessing anyone can
ever achieve, as it is a source of internal tranquillity, serenity, and eternal bliss in
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the hereafter. One of Gods names is al-Wadud, meaning The-Loving. God is the
source of love and His love transcends any love we can imagine. The Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) taught that God loves us more than our own mothers. The
greatest worldly love we can think of is a mothers love, and if Gods love is greater
than this, it shows how transcendent and great His love is. Hence, a Muslims faith
cannot be complete without loving the Prophet (pbuh) more than anything in this
world:
No, by Him in Whose Hand my soul is, (you will not have complete faith) till I am
dearer to you than your own self.
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
Loving God and His Prophet (pbuh) is a means to paradise, eternal bliss and Divine
mercy. A man once asked the Prophet (pbuh) about the Day of Judgment saying,
When will the hour be? The Prophet (pbuh) replied, What have you prepared for
it? The man replied, Nothing, except that I love God and His Apostle. The Prophet
said, You will be with those whom you love.
Finally, Muslims love all the Prophets because of who they were. They were the
closest to God and a means to Gods mercy and love. They had the best of
character and sacrificed so much for us to be recipients of this spiritual and moral
guidance. Just consider the teachings and integrity of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
The Prophet Muhammads (pbuh) life illustrates the integrity of his character. He
was not a liar and to assert as much is indefensible. The reasons for this abound; for
instance, he was known even by the enemies to his message as the Trustworthy.
Further proof of the Prophets (pbuh) reliability and credibility is enforced and
substantiated by the fact that a liar usually lies for some worldly gain, but the
Prophet (pbuh) rejected all worldly aspirations, and suffered tremendously for his
message. He rejected the riches and power he was offered to stop promulgating his
message. Significantly, he was persecuted for his beliefs; boycotted and exiled from
his own beloved cityMakkah; starved of food; and stoned by children to the point
where his blood drenched his legs. His wife passed away and his beloved
companions were tortured and persecuted. The psychological profile of the Prophet
(pbuh) was obviously incongruent with that of a liar, and to suggest that he was
dishonest is to make unfounded claims without any evidence.
The late Emeritus Professor in Arabic and Islamic Studies, W. Montgomery Watt,
explores this in Muhammad at Mecca, explores this:
His readiness to undergo persecution for his beliefs, the high moral character of
the men who believed in him and looked up to him as a leader, and the greatness of
his ultimate achievement all argue his fundamental integrity. To suppose
Muhammad an impostor raises more problems than it solves.
W. Montgomery Watt, Muhammad at Mecca
It was the Prophets (pbuh) truthfulness that was a key aspect of his success on
both political and religious levels. Without his trustworthiness, which was an integral
part of his moral behaviour, he could not have achieved so much in a relatively
short space of time. This view is addressed by the historians Edward Gibbon and
Simon Oakley in History of the Saracen Empire:

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The greatest success of Mohammads life was effected by sheer moral force.
Edward Gibbon and Simon Oakley, History of the Saracen Empire
This sheer moral force is witnessed in the Prophets teachings. Here are a few
examples:
You must be compassionate. Whenever there is compassion in something, it adorns
it, and when it is removed from something it disgraces it.
God is compassionate and loves compassion.
Whoever fails to show mercy to our children and honour to our elders is not one of
us.
Those who show mercy will be shown mercy by the Most Merciful (God). Show
mercy to those who are on earth and the One Who is in heaven will show mercy to
you.
The best among you is he who has the best manners.
The most perfect in faith among the believers are those who possess the best
morals and the best among you are those who are kindest to their wives.
The Prophet (pbuh) was asked, What sort of deeds or traits of Islam are good? The
Prophet said: To feed others, and to greet those whom you know and those whom
you do not know.
He who makes peace between the people by inventing good information or saying
good things, is not a liar.
By the one who has my soul in His hand, you will not enter the Garden until you
believe, and you will not believe until you love one another.
Islam is to testify that there is no deity of worship but God and Muhammad is the
messenger of Allah, to perform the prayers, to pay the zakat, to fast in Ramadhan,
and to make the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to do so.
In light of the above, would any of us wish to curse and defame someone elses
mother? Of course we wouldnt. Therefore, how can we justify degrading the
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who is more beloved than their own mothers to a
population of 1.6 billion people worldwide. So is it not worth learning about the
Prophet (pbuh) rather than reading the propaganda? Maybe, just maybe, youll fall
in love with him like so many others before you.
FAMOUS QUOTES ON FREE SPEECH
Some peoples idea of it [free speech] is that they are free to say what they like,
but if anyone else says anything back, that is an outrage.
Winston Churchill, British wartime Prime Minister
We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and
actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.
Martin Luther King, Jr,
Christian Pastor & African-American Civil Rights Leader
Four hostile newspapers are more to be feared than a thousand bayonets..
Napolon Bonaparte, Historic French Military and Political Leader
When widely followed public figures feel free to say anything, without any factchecking, it becomes impossible for a democracy to think intelligently about big
issues.
Thomas L. Friedman, US Journalist
Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one.
Do You Belong in Journalism? New Yorker, 4 May 1960

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People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought

which they seldom use.
Sren Kierkegaard, 19th Century Danish Philosopher
You cannot provoke. You cannot insult the faith of others. You cannot make fun of
the faith of others. There is a limit.
Pope Francis, Sovereign of Vatican City State since 2013
DEFINITIONS OF ISLAMIC TERMS USED
Pbuh Peace be upon him
Whenever a prophet or messengers name is mentioned, it is deemed part of
Islamic manners to show respect by stating peace be upon him.

AGAINST RACISM, AGAINST HATRED

The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or
qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior
to another race or races: theories of racism.
(The definition of racism, Oxford Dictionary)
Take a moment to think back to your school days and see if you remember an
incident when someone you knew was racially mocked. Most likely you do maybe
it was a gesture, a joke or even a physical attack. The reality is that this type of
bullying can affect the life and self esteem of the victim for the rest of their life.
But this behaviour doesnt stop with children but continues on into adulthood with
many people. The Independent recently highlighted a shocking poll which revealed
that 1 in 3 Brits had thoughts and feelings which would be considered as racist [1].
Whats alarming is that previous such reports [2] have suggested that many
peoples feelings of hostility towards foreigners was passed down from previous
generations.
This might seem obvious, since we know that racism isnt genetic so it must be
taught. Just like a child is taught manners, morals or right from wrong, a parent or
carer can nurture feelings of racial resentment in a child. You may have witnessed
very young children in playgrounds. Children too young to be tainted by such
nurturing. When left with other children of a different colour, they will happily play
together, as naturally as they would with children of their own colour. For such
children, colour doesnt come into the equation - because racism isnt part of their
natural disposition.
RosaparksMost people may think that we have moved into the 21st century without
the racial tensions and prejudices that have plagued our world in the past. Following
the victory of the second world war in the 40s, the U.S. Civil Rights Movements of
the 60s, the disintegration of past apartheid states in the 90s, and the
appointment of a black U.S. president in the new century, we do see greater
integration in the world todaybut the disease of racism continues to dwell
amongst us, as many will testify:
Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have
to meet, and, hopefully, we shall overcome.
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Rosa Parks, American Civil Rights Activist

So racism still exists in societies today. Maybe its more hidden and subtle but the
effects of it are still present, requiring us to educate ourselves on how to deal with
it. So please join together Against Racism.
As one famous man once said;
To me the earth's most explosive and pernicious evil is racism, the inability of
God's creatures to live as One, especially in the Western world."
Malcolm X - El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz
ISLAM'S STANCE AGAINST RACISM
There are many groups and individuals that still hold abhorrent views of other
people who are of a different race or caste. An arrogant hatred stemming from
feelings of racial superiority. We, as Muslims, are calling people to stand up against
such views, whether held within our circle of friends, families, colleagues or
communities - Against Racism, Against Hatred.
ISLAM'S VIEW ON RACISM
Islam teaches that all people are equal and the only difference between people is
their level of piety and god consciousness. In the Quran, it clearly states:
"Oh Mankind, We (God) created you from a single pair of a male and a female
(Adam and Eve), and made you into tribes and nations so that you may know one
another (not so that you despise each other). Verily, the most honoured of you in
the sight of Allah (God) is he who is most righteous of you."
The Quran, Chapter 49, Verse 13
So all humans descend from Adam and Eve. In that sense, we are all essentially
brothers and sisters. Our differing colours and diversity is not there to cause division
but as a method of recognising one another. Such traits do not elevate a persons
status but rather our status with God is based on our level of piety and
righteousness. In a further verse from the Quran:
"And amongst his signs is the creation of heaven and the earth, and the diversity of
your language and colours; Verily, in these are signs for those who have
knowledge."
The Quran, Chapter 30, Verse 22
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him - pbuh) is authentically reported to
have said:
"Allah does not look at your appearances or wealth but looks at your actions".
The Prophet (pbuh) also reiterated this point in his last sermon to the people, as can
be seen from the following excerpt:
O people, Remember that your Lord is One. An Arab has no superiority over a nonArab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a black has no
superiority over white, nor a white has any superiority over black, except by piety
and good action (Taqwa). Indeed the best among you is the one with the best
character (Taqwa).
The Prophet's Last Sermon as reported in Baihaqi

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As can be seen from the above quote, Islam is the antidote to racism, since in Islam
there is no tolerance for racism. Muslims feel it is a duty to convey these messages
within our wider society and work towards the common good, both in word and
deed.
WHAT DO MUSLIMS BELIEVE?
A Muslim means one who submits (in obedience) to God. The Muslim values are
based around a firm belief in One God, a single Creator. Some essential tenets of a
Muslims belief include:
BELIEF IN ONE GOD
Allah is the name used by Muslims for God. Allah is considered to be the same name
used by previous Prophets of God and can be found in other semitic languages and
past scriptures (old testament), often translated as Elah. The name itself does not
directly translate as God but is a much more comprehensive meaning referring to
the all powerful Creator, who is unique, separate and not comparable to His
creation. Unlike other orthodox religions, Muslims believe that God is unseen, all
knowing and .
There are many other names for God in Islam, including The Most Merciful, The Most
Forgiving, The Loving, The All Knowing etc. Although we cannot understand the true
nature of God, such names help to comprehend some of His attributes like mercy
and love.
WORSHIPPING GOD ALONE
Muslims do not believe in worshipping idols or making pictorial representations of
God. These are considered sacrilegious. Rather, they believe in worshipping God
alone without any intermediaries or saints. Worship is the essence of mans nature,
allowing man to fulfill his true purpose in this world.
REVELATION
The Quran is the holy scripture of the Muslims. It is considered to be the
unadulterated word of God as transmitted by the archangel Gabriel to the Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) over 1400 years ago. The Quran was revealed gradually over a
period of twenty three years and, as confirmed by historians, has been unchanged
since its revelation.
Muslims believe that scriptures were sent to people in the past but that much of
these scriptures have been lost and changed over time. Some of these past
scriptures have been named in the Quran such as the gospel, the taurat and the
songs of David. However the Quran is seen as the final revelation to all of mankind,
preserved by God since it was first revealed.
PROPHETHOOD
Muslims believe that Allah sent prophets and messengers to all nations throughout
time. Prophets of Islam include those similar to the Jewish and Christian religion
such as Adam, Noah, Jacob, Joseph, John and others (may Gods peace be upon
them all). The true followers of these prophets were therefore also considered
Muslims.
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is considered to follow in the line of these historic
prophets and is believed to have been foretold by these prophets. The Prophet
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Muhammad (Pbuh) is also considered to be a messenger as well as a prophet, as

were Jesus, Moses, Abraham and David (peace be upon them all).
Unlike others, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is considered to be the final prophet
and messenger. For this reason, unlike prophets of the past who were sent to a
specific people and time, the Prophet Muhammad is regarded as a messenger sent
to the whole mankind, with the message Islam being the final religion sent from
God.
MALCOLM XS LETTER FROM HAJJ
Malcolm_XIslam also promotes racial integration through its practices. For example,
the Islamic Hajj (pilgrimage to the first house of worship built by Abraham - the
Kabba (a)), which takes place every year, is attended by millions of people of
different races and colours. As in other Islamic practices, it encourages people to
mix freely together in performing the pilgrimage rites and to pray side by side as
one community.
Through such unity, the pilgrimage can have a profound effect on people. One such
example of this was in 1967, when Malcolm X travelled to perform his pilgrimage. At
the time, Malcolm X was still considered a black supremacist. He had been a former
member of the Nation of Islam (NOI), a black-racist group established in 1950s
America, which had no ties or resemblance to orthodox Islam (elements of orthodox
Islam were practised by the group but others were developed by its leader who was
a former convict and self-proclaimed prophet).
On travelling to Mecca, Malcolm X was astounded at the racial integration and
equality that he witnessed, which he had never experienced elsewhere. Here is an
excerpt of a letter from Malcolm X after he attended the hajj in 1967:
"There were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over the world. They were of all
colors, from blue-eyed blondes to black-skinned Africans. But we were all
participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my
experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white
and non-white."
"America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases
from its society the race problem. Throughout my travels in the Muslim world, I have
met, talked to, and even eaten with people who in America would have been
considered white - but the white attitude was removed from their minds by the
religion of Islam. I have never before seen sincere and true brotherhood practiced
by all colors together, irrespective of their color."
"During the past eleven days here in the Muslim world, I have eaten from the same
plate, drunk from the same glass, and slept on the same rug - while praying to the
same God - with fellow Muslims, whose eyes were the bluest of blue, whose hair
was the blondest of blond, and whose skin was the whitest of white. And in the
words and in the deeds of the white Muslims, I felt the same sincerity that I felt
among the black African Muslims of Nigeria, Sudan and Ghana."
"We were truly all the same (brothers) - because their belief in one God had
removed the white from their minds, the white from their behavior, and the white
from their attitude."
Al-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X)
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(On returning from hajj, Malcolm X became an orthodox practising Muslim,

renouncing his black supremacist beliefs of the past.)
FAMOUS QUOTES
Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn't matter which color
does the hating. It's just plain wrong.
Muhammad Ali, Former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion
...with nothing but the sky overhead I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers
and I learned that pilgrims from every land - every color, and class, and rank; high
officials and the beggar alike - all snored in the same language.
El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X)
African-American Muslim Minister & Human Rights Activist (1925 to 1965)
We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and
actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.
Martin Luther King, Jr,
Christian Pastor & African-American Civil Rights Leader (1929 to 1968)
"The extinction of race consciousness as between Muslims is one of the outstanding
achievements of Islam, and in the contemporary world there is, as it happens, a
crying need for the propagation of this Islamic virtue."
Professor A.J. Toynbee,
Historian (1889 - 1975)
Achievement has no color
Abraham Lincoln,
16th President of the United States (1809 - 1865)
Our true nationality is mankind.
H.G. Wells,
Writer (1866 - 1946)
Racism is a weapon of mass destruction
Unknown
At the heart of racism is the religious assertion that God made a creative mistake
when He brought some people into being
Friedrich Otto Hertz,
Writer (1878 to 1964)
Racism is a cancer. It doesnt matter if you have a lot or a little, its still cancer!
Unknown
AGAINST RACISM, AGAINST HATE
Racism has existed as far into history as we know and still exists through to our
present time today. We see it in old biblical stories like that of Moses and Pharaoh
and weve witnessed it in the modern-day scenes of genocide in places like Rwanda
and Burma.
2.5MB PDF DOWNLOAD
DEFINITION OF ISLAMIC TERMS USED
Kabah:
kabahThe Kabah is the first place of worship built by Abraham (peace be upon him)
and his son Ishmael and is situated in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. According to Islamic and
biblical history, it is a region in the desert where Abraham left Hagar and his new
born son Ishmael to reside.

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One of the historic names for Mecca is also Bacca (3), as it is referred to in the Bible.
It is recognised as a holy place where the archangel Gabriel came down and
quenched the thirst of the baby Ishmael by God allowing for the creation of a spring.
This spring is known as the well of Zam-Zam near the Kabah and still exists today,
providing water to millions of pilgrims annuallly.
It is often misunderstood that Muslims believe that God resides in the Kabba. This is
not correct. God in Islam is unseen and is outside of creation, in a manner befitting
His majesty, presiding over everything.

GLOBAL WARMING
Climate change is the most severe problem we are facing today- more serious even
than the threat of terrorism.
This is according to Sir David Anthony King, the former Chief Scientific Adviser to
the British Government and Head of the Government Office for Science from
October 2000 to 31 December 2007.
The potential human suffering brought about as a direct consequence of the effects
of global warming are catastrophic!
The warming of the worlds oceans is expanding their volume, while polar ice sheets
have started to melt and glaciers around the world are shrinking. The combination
of these changes is increasing sea level. Coastal systems and low lying areas will
increasingly experience adverse impacts such as submergence, coastal flooding and
coastal erosion .
Extreme weather events like heat waves, droughts, heavy rain and snow, storms
and floods are becoming more frequent or more intense.
In Europe the Mediterranean area is becoming drier, making it even more
vulnerable to drought and wildfires. Northern Europe, meanwhile, is getting
significantly wetter, and winter floods could become common and are expected to
cause significant changes in the quality and availability of water resources.
The lack of fresh drinkable water is set to become the major source of conflict on
our planet, with the potential for untold levels of human suffering. Many poor
developing countries are among the most vulnerable to climate change but also
have the least resources to cope with its impacts.
Global warming is likely to be the greatest cause of species extinctions this century.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says a 1.5C average rise may put
20-30% of species at risk. If the planet warms by more than 3C, most ecosystems
will struggle.
Some even believe that the rabid melting of ice sheets will have a dramatic knock
on effect on the earths delicate crust and lead to an increase in earthquakes and
volcanic activity.

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According to many media outlets you might imagine that the premise that humans
have caused climate change and global warming is controversial or even imagined.
This is not the position of the vast majority of scientists and experts in the field.
From a scientific perspective we are as certain that humans are responsible for our
recent climate change as we are that cigarettes kill. Climate scientists agree that
climate change is happening here and now. Based on well-established evidence,
around 97% of climate scientists have concluded that human-caused climate
change is happening.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science, has issued an
uncharacteristically blunt call to action on climate change. As climatologist Lonnie
Thompson explained back in 2010:
Climatologists, like other scientists, tend to be a stolid group. We are not given to
theatrical rantings about falling skies. Most of us are far more comfortable in our
laboratories or gathering data in the field than we are giving interviews to
journalists or speaking before Congressional committees. Why then are
climatologists speaking out about the dangers of global warming? The answer is
that virtually all of us are now convinced that global warming poses a clear and
present danger to civilisation.
Others have postulated that the whole issue of climate change is invented or
exaggerated by governments as a pretext to raise stealth taxes and pass laws to
reduce civil liberties and to impose further state control. Although many
governments have done exactly that, it does not mean that the threat of global
warming in not real. In fact the consequences of global warming are indeed likely to
cause further world wide instability and unrest and itself act as a catalyst for
increased government control, which should motivate all freedom loving people to
try and halt it.
There are two reasons why global warming is not likely to be some conspiracy.
Firstly, the almost complete consensus of scientists in the field. Although science is
not beyond being influenced and controlled, the method of peer reviewing theories
and data and the general openness of the scientific community still makes this an
unlikely scenario when applied to a virtual consensus.
Secondly, the issue of climate change has been warned about for well over thirty
five years, mostly by people who were often very much anti-establishment. In fact
there is evidence that a well-coordinated, well-funded campaign by contrarian
scientists, free-market think tanks and industry has created a paralysing fog of
doubt around climate change. Through advertisements, op-eds and lobbying, the
media attention has by and large been funded by the energy industry! Indeed, an
analysis conducted by The Carbon Brief in 2011 found that 9 out of 10 of the most
prolific authors who cast doubt on climate change or speak against it have ties to
ExxonMobil.
Greenpeace have said that Koch industries, a major player in the fuel industry and
one of the largest private companies in America, invested more than US$50 million
in the past 50 years on spreading doubts about climate change. This is hardly
surprising since the major catalyst of man made climate change has been identified
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as the burning of fossil fuels. Changes in agriculture with extensive deforestation

and increased desertification as well as the increase in livestock, are considered to
be major contributors to the emission of greenhouse gases, particularly methane.
SO WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS?
I remember some years back when I was working as a cabbie in South London, I
came to find out that one of my passengers was part of the senior management
team of Greenpeace. I remember the conversation clearly:
I have to say, I really respect you guys. Some of the stuff you do to raise awareness
is amazing.
Well, thanks, thats nice of you to say so.
No I mean it. The environment is such an important issue. The way our planet is
being destroyed with Global warming, pollution of seas and atmosphere, destruction
of speciesits an issue we have to deal with.
Of course, thats what Greenpeace is all about!
Yea, sure, but you know I actually think you guys are part of the problem not part of
the cure!
Up until this moment my passenger had been relaxedly sitting in the back of my
cab, but now he sat up. I could see the shock on his face.
What do mean?
He looked puzzled.
Well all the stuff you guys do, as brave as it is, is just dealing with issues. Save the
whale, save the rainforest, stop dumping hazardous chemicals, but these are
symptoms of the disease. You make people think that by stopping these things they
are going to make a difference. So they donate some money, think they are doing
something for the environment, but all the while the real disease, the cancer is still
eating away. Youre part of the problem because you cover the symptoms, but it
means the root problem is ignored.
Well, what is the real problem?
Its the way we live. Its the ideal of consumerism, that by and through material
things, we are taught, that this is the way to happiness. This is the real disease.
Well I agree, in fact we are beginning to discuss exactly these issues, but what is
your solution then?
Well I know that this is going to sound unlikely, but I believe that the solution is the
religion of Islam!
Go on
Its because we have turned away from our Creator, lost our purpose our souls seek
satisfaction in the material. But we can never find it there, so we consume more and
more, hoping that if I just have this or that then Ill be happy, but we are never
fulfilled. Im sure you know better than me that its our Western consumer societies
that are destroying the world, causing the pollution and destruction. Its only when
we understand the true purpose of our life and surrender to the will of our Creator
can we find true happiness. Just see how everything follows the laws and patterns
and systems laid down for them by the wise Creator. They all submit to God. It is
only when we too follow the guidance and system and patterns laid down for us by
the Creator can we also be in harmony with the Universe and world around us.

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Also, Islam teaches that we are responsible and accountable for everything we do.
Our bodies, our health, our lives, our wealth, the planet and all that is in it has been
entrusted to us, and Allah is going to ask us about what we did with it. This is the
real solution. We have to completely change the way we think!
We arrived at the airport.
I wish you we driving me up to Scotland because I could really talk to you all day!
He said.
And thats where we left it.
Coming back to the point, just by being Muslim you are already on the first and
most important step to being in tune and living in harmony with your environment.
The whole universe is in a state of submission to the laws of its creator. The very
word Muslim means someone who submits to God. In this profound spiritual sense
a Muslim is in harmony with the universe.
The Muslims knows that this world is a test, a prison for the believer. You know that
in good deeds and obeying your Lord and seeking His pleasure is the real path to
happiness and success, and as you live and feel that, you become content with
what Allah has provided you with and are happy with what suffices your bare needs.
This is the way we can think in a completely different way from the enslavement of
consumerism that is in part destroying our world.
We have been warned by Allah and His messenger against waste and excess:
Verily spendthrifts are brothers of the Evil Ones; and the Evil One is to his Lord
(himself) ungrateful. The Quraan, 17:27
Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al-`Aas reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him) passed one day by Sa`d ibn Abi Waqas while he was performing wudu
(ritual washing of body parts in preparation for prayer). The prophet asked Sa`d,
Why this wastage? Sa`d replied Is there wastage in wudu also? The Prophet
said, Yes, even if you are at a flowing river. (Ahmad)
So even when there is plenty we should take care not to be wasteful! Part of being a
Muslim is being conscious, aware and realising that one is accountable.
Ultimately all the problems besting humanity come from sick hearts. Hearts that are
detached from their real purpose which is knowing and remembering Allah, for in
this alone do hearts find rest. So it is inevitable that when humanity is distant from
their Lord, evils will emerge:
Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands
of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what
they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness]. The Quraan, 30:41
When we turn to other than Allah and set up false objects besides Him, in which we
place our hope, trust and love, our hearts become corrupted and the earth on which
we dwell also falls into corruption.

77

The solution then is to return to our Lord and to single Him out alone for our
obedience and adoration. The hearts are then filled with the peace and tranquility
for which they long.
It is empty corrupt hearts that are destroying our world and it is only whole and
fulfilled hearts that can mend it.
The cure for the hearts is a living, vibrant and real connection with our Creator, not
merely some passive ritualistic emulation of it.
Of course many point out that the most excessive consumers and producers of
carbon fuels are in fact Muslims. This is not however the correct manner in which to
judge Islam itself. There are many reasons for this discrepancy between the claim to
be Muslim and Islamic and the reality of what it entails. Part of the problem that
besets the Muslim world is following a hollow ritualistic shadow of Islam. If we
merely go through motions of the outer acts of worship without imbibing their inner
dynamics we will not change anything. We will be just like the cargo cult of the
South Pacific islanders who had witnessed Japanese and Americans building airstrips
and flying in cargoes of food and clothing and machines. These islanders build
imitation airstrips and control towers and even aircraft thinking that by mimicking
these outer appearances they would cause this wealth to arrive as if by ritualistic
magic! Many Muslims have a similar approach to the rituals of Islam. They perform
prayers without understanding a word. They fast by abstaining from food and drink
but do not leave the evil in their words and deeds. The Prophet (peace and blessings
be upon him) said:
Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it and offensive speech and
behaviour, Allah has no need of his giving up his food and drink. [Sahih al-Bukhari]
This is a very profound statement, that we should reflect upon in respect to all of
the rituals of Islam. These outer rituals have an inner purpose. Islam needs to lived
inwardly and outwardly. Only then will it become the cure for the ills besetting our
world.
SOME PRACTICAL STEPS:
We have the cure, but that doesnt mean we should forget to clear up the
symptoms! We should never allow the vastness of an issue overwhelm us into
inaction and apathy. A Muslim should realise that Allah has power over all things
and that what He wants from us is the effort, and it is never too late to make that
effort however small!
Although the real solutions lie in us making real and significant changes in the way
that we think, small practical actions should never be overlooked. Anas (May Allah
be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
said,
If the Hour (the day of Resurrection) is about to be established and one of you was
holding a palm shoot, let him take advantage of even one second before the Hour is
established to plant it.
This is a simple, small practical step, and even knowing that the end is imminent
should not prevent one from doing it. This is because ultimately we are accountable
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to Allah, and it is our sincere efforts and intentions that are important. We should
not always expect to see the fruits of our efforts straightaway.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has invited world leaders, from government,
finance, business, and civil society to the Climate Summit 2014 this 23 September
to galvanise and catalyse climate action. He has asked these leaders to bring bold
announcements and actions to the Summit that will reduce emissions, strengthen
climate resilience, and mobilise political will for a meaningful legal agreement in
2015. Climate Summit 2014 provides a unique opportunity for leaders to champion
an ambitious vision, anchored in action that will enable a meaningful global
agreement in 2015.
On September 21st thousands of organisations from unions to faith groups, and
hundreds of thousands of people already signed up are aiming to launch the biggest
climate change mobilisation in history, with marches from New York to Paris to Rio.
Its an opportunity for Muslims to let people know about the true solution to Climate
Change and other evils besetting our world and share our insights, as well as taking
physical steps to do what we can to prevent this disaster.
So fear Allah as much as you are able and listen and obey and spend [in the way of
Allah]; it is better for yourselves. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of
his soul it is those who will be the successful. The Quraan, 24:16
(Abdurraheem Green is the founder and Chairman of The Islamic Education and
Research Academy, which is a signatory organisation for the Avaaz)

WHAT IS ISLAMIC SPIRITUALITY?

Islam doesnt view spirituality separately from everyday activities. In Islam
everything is spiritual because all actions must be in accordance with Gods
pleasure. This view comes from the Islamic creed and the Muslims understanding of
tawhid (the oneness of God).
There is no deity worthy of worship except God this conviction creates a world
view, a perspective and a unique behaviour. It essential means that all actions
from having a shower to picking up litter from the floor should be referred to the
Creator. This establishes a constant awareness, mindfulness and consciousness of
God in everything that the Muslim says or does.
The understanding of spirituality in Islam is unlike the secular understanding. It is
the constant reference to God and ensuring that everything he or she does is in
accordance with Gods pleasure.
This consciousness is not static, it is dynamic. The level of God consciousness is
dependent upon how close the Muslim is with His Lord. This personal relationship is
established and strengthened by following a unique programme of activities that
have been prescribed by God Himself. This spiritual programme is also an effective
means to change the negative traits and habits of the Muslim. Some of these
activities include remembrance of God, prayer, giving charity, fasting, reflecting on
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creation, meditation, reading and reflecting upon the Quran, memorising the
Quran and daily supplications.
The Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be peace) emphasised on developing a good
character by engaging a constant practice of prayer, meditation, remembrance of
God and other activities, as these actions change the heart and thereby bring one
closer to God.
Verily in the body there is a piece of flesh. If it is sound, the body is all sound. If it is
corrupt, the body is all corrupt. Verily, it is the heart.
God consciousness is an essential element in Islamic spiritual practice, without it,
the Muslims behaviour and attitude are corrupted. The benefits of God
consciousness as derived from the Quran are:
Guidance: because of His words guidance for the muttaqeen (the people of God
consciousness)
Help: because of His words Truly, Allah is with the people who have taqwa (God
consciousness)
Closeness with God: because of His words, Allah is the close friend of the
muttaqeen
Love: because of His words, Truly Allah loves the muttaqeen
A way out from unhappiness, and provision from where one does not expect:
because of His words, Whoever has taqwa of Allah He will make a way out for him
and provide him from where he does not expect
Facilitation of affairs: because of His words, Whoever has taqwa of Allah He will
make ease for him in his affair
Full covering over of wrong actions and magnification of rewards: because of His
words, Whoever has taqwa of God He will cover over his wrong actions and
magnify a reward for him
Islam has a unique view on spirituality as it encompasses all aspects of the Muslims
life. All actions that are referred to God are spiritual, and these actions include the
supplications we utter before we go to bed to the type of bank account we hold.
God has prescribed certain actions that develop positive characters as well as
bringing the Muslim closer to God thereby attain God consciousness. This state
achieves many things including Gods love, closeness and divine assistance.

LIFE UNDER ISLAMIC VALUES

In light of recent events, it is important to shed some light on what life under Islamic
governance should look like as witnessed by over a thousand years of history.
ISLAMIC VALUES IN PRACTICE
Islamic governance is fundamentally based on justice and compassion. These are
the central values of Islam that are expressed through a sincere belief in the
existence of one God and by seeking to act in a way that is pleasing to Him. By
singling Him out for worship and being conscious of ones accountability, a Muslim is
encouraged to act fairly and justly. The Qur'an clearly states in this regard:
O you who believe, be steadfast in your devotion to God and bear witness
impartially: do not let the hatred of others lead you away from justice, but adhere to
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justice, for that is closer to being God conscious. Be mindful of God: God is well
acquainted with all that you do.[1]
O you who believe, uphold justice and bear witness to God, even if it is against
yourselves, your parents, or your close relatives. Whether the person is rich or poor,
God can best take care of both. Refrain from following your own desire, so that you
can act justly if you distort or neglect justice, God is fully aware of what you do.[2]
Mass murder, ethnic cleansing, sectarianism, intolerance, killing journalists,
kidnapping and other evils are the very opposite of the compassionate and merciful
behaviour that is the hallmark of a true Islamic state. As the Quran states:
What will explain to you what the steep path is? It is to free a slave, to feed at a
time of hunger an orphaned relative or a poor person in distress, and to be one of
those who believe and urge one another to steadfastness and compassion.[3]
MINORITIES UNDER ISLAMIC GOVERNANCE
In the past, when these values were practiced and internalised, the Muslims who
had political authority created a society that was unmatched in history. Consider the
treatment of minorities such as the Jews and the Christians. The prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the treaty of Medina said:
It is incumbent on all the Muslims to help and extend sympathetic treatment to the
Jews who have entered into an agreement with us. Neither an oppression of any
type should be perpetrated on them nor their enemy be helped against them.[4]
The popular historian Karen Armstrong points out how these values established an
unprecedented coexistence:
The Muslims had established a system that enabled Jews, Christians, and Muslims to
live in Jerusalem together for the first time.[5]
The Jewish academic Historian Amnon Cohen illustrates the practical application of
Islamic values, and how the Jews of Ottoman Jerusalem were free and contributed to
society:
No one interfered with their internal organisation or their external cultural and
economic activitiesThe Jews of Ottoman Jerusalem enjoyed religious and
administrative autonomy within an Islamic state, and as a constructive, dynamic
element of the local economy and society they could and actually did contribute
to its functioning.[6]
Umar Ibn al-Khattab, the companion of the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him) and the second Caliph of Islam, granted the Christians of Palestine religious
freedom, security and peace. His treaty with the Palestinian Christians stated:
This is the protection which the servant of Allah, Amir al-Mumineen (Leader of the
faithful), grants to the people of Palestine. Thus, protection is for their lives,
property, church, cross, for the healthy and sick and for all their co-religionists. In
this way that their churches shall not be turned into dwelling houses, nor will they
be pulled down, nor any injury will be done to them or to their enclosures, nor to
their cross, and nor will anything be deducted from their wealth. No restrictions
shall be made regarding their religious ceremonies.[7]
In 869 CE, patriarch Theodosius of Jerusalem confirmed the Muslims adherence to
the treaty of Umar:

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The Saracens [i.e. the Muslims] show us great goodwill. They allow us to build our
churches and to observe our own customs without hindrance.[8]
These historical narratives are not historical accidents but are grounded in the
timeless Islamic values of tolerance and mercy.
FORCED CONVERSION
Forced conversion is utterly forbidden in Islam and the Muslims are not allowed,
under any circumstances, to forcefully convert anyone. This is due to the following
Quranic verse:
There is no compulsion in religion: true guidance has become distinct from error...
[9]
Michael Bonner, an authority on the history of early Islam, explains the historical
manifestation of the verse above:
To begin with, there was no forced conversion, no choice between Islam and the
Sword. Islamic law, following a clear Quranic principle (2:256), prohibited any such
things: dhimmis [non-Muslim under Islamic rule] must be allowed to practice their
religion.[10]
One of the leading historians of Islam, De Lacy O Leary, exposes the myths
attributed to Islamic teachings:
History makes it clear, however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping
through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races
is one of the most fantastically absurd myths that historians have ever repeated.
[11]
NON-MUSLIM TAX: JIZYA
The Islamic governing authority, based on various scriptural injunctions, would levy
the non-Muslims a type of citizen tax. This tax - known as jizya - was not a burden,
and it was usually less than what the Muslims had to pay as tax. The tax was
incumbent upon all adult males, however, women, children, the ill and poor were
exempt. It was payable at the end of each year and the wealthy non-Muslims would
have to give 48 dirhams (which equates to around 500 per year), and the
moderately wealthy non-Muslims would pay much less.[12] If anyone could not
afford this tax, they would not have to pay anything.[13]
In actual fact, it was incumbent on the authorities to ensure that the non-Muslim
citizen had enough to feed their families and maintain a decent standard of living.
For example, Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, one of the Caliphs of Islam, wrote to his agent
in Iraq:
Search for the people of the covenant in your area who may have grown old, and
are unable to earn, and provide them with regular stipends from the treasury to
take care of their needs.[14]
A practical manifestation of the non-Muslim tax can be found in the following letter
written by a Rabbi in 1453. He was urging his co-religionists to travel to Muslim
lands after Europes persecution of the Jews, and that they were economically
emancipated:

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Here in the land of the Turks we have nothing to complain of. We possess great
fortunes; much gold and silver are in our hands. We are not oppressed with heavy
taxes and our commerce is free and unhindered. Rich are the fruits of the earth.
Everything is cheap and everyone of us lives in peace and freedom[15]
SAFETY AND PROTECTION
The prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in authentic narrations attributed to
him said:
He who harms a person under covenant, or charged him more than he can, I will
argue against him on the Day of Judgement.[16]
He who hurts a dhimmi [a non-Muslim under Muslim protection] hurts me.[17]
The thirteenth-century jurist, al-Qarafi practically explains the above Prophetic
teachings:
The covenant of protection imposes upon us certain obligations toward the ahl aldhimmah [non-Muslims under Muslim protection]. They are our neighbours, under
our shelter and protection upon the guarantee of Allah, His Messenger, and the
religion of Islam. Whoever violates these obligations against any one of them by so
much as an abusive word, by slandering his reputation, or by doing him some injury
or assisting in it, has breached the guarantee of Allah, His Messenger (peace be
upon him), and the religion of Islam.[18]
In light of the above, it is no wonder the Qur'an describes the Prophet (peace be
upon him) as "a mercy for the worlds" [19], and that Gods mercy "encompasses all
things"[20].
When these values were realised in history, minorities were protected, experienced
peace and would praise the Muslim authorities. For example, Bernard the Wise, a
pilgrim monk, visited Egypt and Palestine in the reign of al-Mutazz (866-9 CE), and
he had the following to say:
the Christians and the Pagans [i.e. Muslims] have this kind of peace between
them there that if I was going on a journey, and on the way the camel or donkey
which bore my poor luggage were to die, and I was to abandon all my goods without
any guardian, and go to the city for another pack animal, when I came back, I would
find all my property uninjured: such is the peace there.[21]
The unprecedented impact and effect of Islamic values made people prefer the
mercy and tolerance of Islam. Reinhart Dozy, an authority on early Islamic Spain,
explains:
the unbounded tolerance of the Arabs must also be taken into account. In
religious matters they put pressure on no manChristians preferred their rule to
that of the Franks.[22]
Professor Thomas Arnold, the British historian and orientalist, commenting on an
Islamic source, states that Christians were happy and at peace with Islam to the
point where they "called down blessings on the heads of the Muslims." [23]
ISLAM AND INTER-RACIAL CO-OPERATION
Far from being a source of racial conflict, Islam offered a viable model of inter-racial
co-operation based on Islamic teachings. The Quran eloquently states:

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People, We created you all from a single man and a single woman, and made you
into races and tribes so that you should recognize one another. In Gods eyes, the
most honoured of you are the ones most mindful of Him: God is all knowing, all
aware.[24]
The prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) made it clear that racism has no
place in Islam:
All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a
non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a
black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action.
[25]
As Hamilton A. R. Gibb, the historian on Orientalism, stated:
But Islam has a still further service to render to the cause of humanity. It stands
after all nearer to the real East than Europe does, and it possesses a magnificent
tradition of inter-racial understanding and cooperation. No other society has such a
record of success uniting in an equality of status, of opportunity, and of endeavours
so many and so various races of mankind...Islam has still the power to reconcile
apparently irreconcilable elements of race and tradition. If ever the opposition of the
great societies of East and West is to be replaced by cooperation, the mediation of
Islam is an indispensable condition. In its hands lies very largely the solution of the
problem with which Europe is faced in its relation with East. If they unite, the hope
of a peaceful issue is immeasurably enhanced. But if Europe, by rejecting the
cooperation of Islam, throws it into the arms of its rivals, the issue can only be
disastrous for both.[26]
The respected historian A.J. Toynbee also confirms:
The extinction of race consciousness as between Muslims is one of the outstanding
achievements of Islam and in the contemporary world there is, as it happens, a
crying need for the propagation of this Islamic virtue...[27]
Perhaps one of the most poignant summaries of the greatness of Islamic civilisation
was in a speech by the former CEO of Hewlett Packard, Carli Fiorina:
There was once a civilization that was the greatest in the world. It was able to
create a continental super-state that stretched from ocean to ocean, and from
northern climes to tropics and deserts. Within its dominion lived hundreds of
millions of people, of different creeds and ethnic origins. One of its languages
became the universal language of much of the world, the bridge between the
peoples of a hundred lands. Its armies were made up of people of many
nationalities, and its military protection allowed a degree of peace and prosperity
that had never been known.
And this civilization was driven more than anything, by invention. Its architects
designed buildings that defied gravity. Its mathematicians created the algebra and
algorithms that would enable the building of computers, and the creation of
encryption. Its doctors examined the human body, and found new cures for disease.
Its astronomers looked into the heavens, named the stars, and paved the way for
space travel and exploration. Its writers created thousands of stories. Stories of
courage, romance and magic.
When other nations were afraid of ideas, this civilization thrived on them, and kept
them alive. When censors threatened to wipe out knowledge from past civilizations,
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this civilization kept the knowledge alive, and passed it on to others. While modern
Western civilization shares many of these traits, the civilization I'm talking about
was the Islamic world from the year 800 to 1600, which included the Ottoman
Empire and the courts of Baghdad, Damascus and Cairo, and enlightened rulers like
Suleiman the Magnificent.
Although we are often unaware of our indebtedness to this other civilization, its gifts
are very much a part of our heritage. The technology industry would not exist
without the contributions of Arab mathematicians. Leaders like Suleiman
contributed to our notions of tolerance and civic leadership. And perhaps we can
learn a lesson from his example: It was leadership based on meritocracy, not
inheritance. It was leadership that harnessed the full capabilities of a very diverse
population that included Christianity, Islamic, and Jewish traditions. This kind of
enlightened leadership - leadership that nurtured culture, sustainability, diversity
and courage - led to 800 years of invention and prosperity.[28]
CONCLUSION
The key reason Muslims were able to achieve such tolerant and compassionate
societies was because affirming the Oneness of God and pleasing and worshipping
Him was the spiritual and moral basis of their lives. This provided timeless, universal
and objective moral grounding to achieve, what the eighteenth-century economist
Adam Smith claimed, "the first state under which the world enjoyed that degree of
tranquillity which the cultivation of the sciences requires..."[29]
It is hoped that this brief insight into the values that underpin Islamic political
activity show how the actions attributed to some Muslim groups are not in line with
normative Islam. Significantly we hope this short introduction will help foster a more
balanced perspective on what is Islamic and what is not.

Bab 6 Interfaith
JESUS IN ISLAM
jesus-in-islamJesus is a figure who is loved and revered by billions of people the
world over. Yet there is so much confusion surrounding the status of this colossal
personality. Muslims and Christians both hold Jesus in high regard but view him in
very different ways.
The questions raised in this article aim to get to the heart of the issues surrounding
Jesus: Was Jesus God? Or was he sent by God? Who was the real historical Jesus?
Some ambiguous verses of the Bible can be applied erroneously to show that Jesus
is in some way divine. But if we look at the clear, direct verses of the Bible, we see
again and again that Jesus is being referred to as an extraordinary human being and
nothing more. What emerges, when we consider the historical and logical facts
about Jesus life, is conclusive proof not only that Jesus cannot be God, but that he
never claimed to be either.
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What follows are five lines of reasoning which clarify this subject for us through the
Bible itself and thereby allow us to discover the real Jesus.
1. JESUS NEVER CALLS HIMSELF GOD
The Bible contains many verses in which Jesus speaks of God as a separate person
to himself. Here are just a few of them:
When a man addressed Jesus as Good Teacher, he replied Why do you call me
good? No one is good except the one God. [Mark 10:18]
In another instance he says:
I cant do anything by myself. Whatever I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just. I
dont seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me. [John 5:30]
Jesus speaks of God as a separate being to himself:
Im going up to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. [John 20:17]
In this verse he affirms that he was sent by God:
This is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent.
[John 17:3]
If Jesus was God he would have told people to worship him, but he did the opposite
and disapproved anyone worshipping him:
And in vain they worship Me [Matthew 15:9]
If Jesus claimed to be God than there should be hundreds of verses in the Bible
which would have mentioned it. But there is not a single verse in the entire Bible in
which Jesus says I am God, worship me.
2. JESUS AS SON AND LORD?
Jesus is sometimes referred to as Lord in the Bible and at other times as Son of
God. God is called the Father, so putting these names together it could be claimed
that Jesus is the son of God. But if we look at each of these titles in context we will
find that they are symbolic and not to be taken literally.
Son of God is a term used in ancient Hebrew for a righteous person. God calls
Israel his son: This is what the LORD says: Israel is my oldest son [Exodus 4:22].
Also, David is called the Son of God: The LORD has said to Me, You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You. [Psalm 2:7]. In fact anyone who is righteous is referred
to as Gods son: All who are led by Gods Spirit are Gods sons and daughters
[Romans 8:14].
In the same way, when the word Father is used to refer to God it shouldnt be
taken literally. Instead its a way of saying God is the creator, sustainer, cherisher
etc. There are many verses for us to understand this symbolic meaning of the word
Father, for example: one God and Father of all. [Ephesians 4:6].
Jesus is sometimes called Lord by the disciples. Lord is a term used for God and
also for people who are held in high esteem. There are many examples of the word
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Lord being used for people in the Bible: So they (Josephs brothers) went up to
Josephs steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. We beg your
pardon, our lord, they said. [Genesis 43:19-20]. Also, in other parts of the Bible,
Jesus is even called a servant of God by the disciples: the God of our fathers, has
glorified his servant Jesus. [Acts 3:13]. This clearly shows that when Lord is used to
refer to Jesus, it is a title of respect not of divinity.
3. THE NATURE OF JESUS
The nature of Jesus was totally different to that of God. There are many parts of the
Bible that highlight this difference in nature:
God is All-Knowing but Jesus by his own admission was not All-Knowing. This can be
seen in the following passage when Jesus says But nobody knows when that day or
hour will come, not the heavenly angels and not the Son. Only the Father knows.
[Matthew 24:36]
God is independent and he doesnt need sleep, food or water. Jesus however ate,
drank, slept and depended on God: As the living Father sent me, and I live because
of the Father. [John 6:57]. Another sign of Jesus dependence on God is that he
prayed to God: Going a little farther, he (Jesus) fell with his face to the ground and
prayed [Matthew 26:39]. This shows that Jesus himself sought help from God. God,
being the one who answers prayers does not need to pray to anyone. Also, Jesus
said: I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than me. [John 14:28].
The Bible is clear that God is unseen and is not a man: for no one may see me and
live. [Exodus 33:20], God is not a man [Numbers 23:19]. Jesus on the other hand
was a man who was seen by thousands of people, so he could not be God.
Furthermore, the Bible makes it clear that God is too great to be inside his creation:
But how could God possibly live on earth with people? If heaven, even the highest
heaven, cant contain you [2 Chronicles 6:18]. According to this verse Jesus cannot
be God living on the earth.
Also the Bible calls Jesus a Prophet [Matthew 21:10-11], so how could Jesus be God
and be Gods Prophet at the same time? That wouldnt make sense.
Additionally the Bible informs us that God does not change: I the Lord do not
change. [Malachi 3:6:]. Jesus however went through many changes in his life such
as age, height, weight etc.
These are just some of the proofs within the Bible, which make it clear that the
nature of Jesus and God is completely different. Some people may claim that Jesus
had both a human and a divine nature. This is a claim that Jesus never made, and is
in clear contradiction to the Bible which maintains that God has one nature.
4. THE MESSAGE OF JESUS
The Prophets of the Old Testament such as Abraham, Noah and Jonah never
preached that God is part of a Trinity, and did not believe in Jesus as their saviour.
Their message was simple: there is one God and He alone deserves your worship. It
doesnt make sense that God sent Prophets for thousands of years with the same

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essential message, and then all of a sudden he says he is in a Trinity and that you
must believe in Jesus to be saved.
The truth is that Jesus preached the same message that the Prophets in the Old
Testament preached. There is a passage in the Bible which really emphasises his
core message. A man came to Jesus and asked Which is the first commandment of
all? Jesus answered,
The first of all the commandments is Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is
one. [Mark 12:28-29]
So the greatest commandment, the most important belief according to Jesus is that
God is one. If Jesus was God he would have said I am God, worship me, but he
didnt. He merely repeated a verse from the Old Testament confirming that God is
One.
Some people claim that Jesus came to die for the sins of the world. But consider the
following statement of Jesus:
This is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent.
I have glorified you on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. [John 17:3-4]
Jesus said this before he was caught and taken to be crucified. It is clear from this
verse that Jesus did not come to die for the sins of the world, as he finished the
work God gave him before he was taken to be crucified.
Also Jesus said salvation is of the Jews [John 4:22]. So we dont need to believe in
the Trinity or that Jesus died for our sins to attain salvation since the Jews dont
have these beliefs.
5. THE EARLY CHRISTIANS
Historically there were many sects in early Christianity who had a range of beliefs
regarding Jesus [1]. Some believed Jesus was God, others believed Jesus was not
God but partly divine, and yet others believed he was a human being and nothing
more. Trinitarian Christianity which is the belief that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit
are one in three persons became the dominant sect of Christianity, once it was
formalised as the state religion of the Roman Empire in the 4th Century. Christians
who denied Jesus being God were persecuted by the Roman Authorities [2]. From
this point onwards the Trinitarian belief became widespread amongst Christians.
There were various movements in early Christianity which denied the Trinity, among
the more well known of them is Adoptionism and Arianism.
Dr Jerald Dirks who is an expert on early Christianity had this to say on the subject:
Early Christianity was quite conflicted about the issue of the nature of Jesus. The
various Adoptionist positions within early Christianity were numerous and at times
dominate. One can even speculate that Arian and Nestorian Christianity might well
be an extremely sizable source within Christianity today, if it were not for the fact
that these two branches of Christianity, which were located primarily in the middle
east and in North Africa were so similar to the Islamic teaching regarding the nature
of Jesus that they quite naturally were absorbed into Islam at the beginning of the
seventh century.[3]
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Since there were so many sects in early Christianity, each with different beliefs
about Jesus and with their own versions of the Bible, which one can we say was
following the true teachings of Jesus?
It doesnt make sense that God sends countless Prophets like Noah, Abraham and
Moses to tell people to believe in one God, and then suddenly sends a radically
different message of the Trinity which contradicts his previous Prophets teachings. It
is clear that the sect of Christianity who believed Jesus to be a human Prophet and
nothing more, were following the true teachings of Jesus. This is because their
concept of God is the same as that which was taught by the Prophets in the Old
Testament.
JESUS IN ISLAM
The Islamic belief about Jesus demystifies for us who the real Jesus was. Jesus in
Islam was an extraordinary individual, chosen by God as a Prophet and sent to the
Jewish people. He never preached that he himself was God or the actual son of God.
He was miraculously born without a father, and he performed many amazing
miracles such as healing the blind and the lepers and raising the dead all by Gods
permission. Muslims believe that Jesus will return before the day of Judgement to
bring justice and peace to the world. This Islamic belief about Jesus is similar to the
belief of some of the early Christians. In the Quran, God addresses the Christians
about Jesus in the following way:
O People of the Book, do not commit excesses in your religion, and do not say
anything about God except the truth: the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was nothing
more than a messenger of God, His word, directed to Mary and a spirit from Him. So
believe in God and His Messengers and do not speak of a Trinity stop [this], that is
better for you. God is only one God, He is far above having a son, everything in the
heavens and earth belongs to Him and He is the best one to trust. [4:171]
Since it has clearly been shown that Jesus is not God both according to the Bible
and for historical and rational reasons what is the next step for you?
We invite you to look further and investigate Islam. Islam is not just another religion.
It is the same message preached by Moses, Jesus and Abraham. Islam literally
means submission to God and it teaches us to have a direct relationship with God.
It reminds us that since God created us, no one should be worshipped except God
alone. It also teaches that God is nothing like a human being or like anything that
we can imagine. The concept of God is summarised in the Quran as:
Say, He is God, the One. God, the Absolute. He does not give birth, nor was He born,
and there is nothing like Him*. [112:1-4]
Becoming a Muslim is not changing or losing your Christian identity. But its going
back to the original teachings of Jesus. Guidance ultimately comes from God. We
ask God to guide us and you. May Gods peace and blessing be upon you for the
rest of your days.
*God is not male or female, the word Him when used for God does not refer to
gender

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MUHAMMAD IN THE BIBLE

1 INTRODUCTION
The idea that the Bible contains prophecies about the coming of Muhammad (peace
be upon him), may surprise many people. It isnt difficult to understand why, since
the general perception people have of Muhammad is that of a man with no
connection to Biblical Prophets or prophecies. However, taking a closer look at
Muhammads life, it becomes clear that he upheld the basic tenets that the Biblical
Prophets came with, and led millions to do the same. Indeed it is because of the
teachings of Muhammad that billions of Muslims, since his time and until today,
have revered the persons of Jesus, Moses and Abraham (peace be upon them all).
In this article, you will discover how the Bible foretells the coming of an Arabian
prophet, specifically Prophet Muhammad. Although there are numerous prophecies
about Muhammad scattered throughout the Bible, we are going to focus primarily
on the 42nd chapter of the Book of Isaiah in the Old Testament. Please note that all
verses referenced from the Bible have been taken from the New International
Version.
2 WHAT IS ISAIAH 42 ABOUT?
The 42nd chapter of the Book of Isaiah describes itself as a prophecy about the
future. Isaiah states that:
the former things have taken place, and new things I declare... [Isaiah 42:9]
Isaiah starts the chapter by drawing our attention to a very special person that God
will send. He describes this person as:
my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight... [Isaiah 42:1]
At least three of the names of Prophet Muhammad are mentioned - servant,
chosen one and in whom I delight.
Prophet Muhammad is known as Gods Servant, in Arabic abd - ullah.
Chosen one is Mustafa in Arabic. This is another of the names of Prophet
Muhammad.
The one in whom God delights in shows that this person is beloved to God.
Habibullah in Arabic, which means Beloved of God, also happens to be one of
Prophet Muhammads names.
3 THE LOCATION OF THIS SPECIAL PERSON
Isaiah also reveals the location of this special person. He states:
Let the wilderness and its towns raise their voices; let the settlements where Kedar
lives rejoice. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the
mountaintops. [Isaiah 42:11]
The two key words used are Kedar and Sela which together pinpoint an exact
location for this special person. Out of all the places on earth that Isaiah mentioned,
he chose to highlight Kedar and Selas location so we should pay special attention.
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Who is Kedar, and where did he settle? The Old Testament tells us that Kedar was
one of the sons of Ishmael:
These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth:
Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam [Genesis 25:13]
Ishmael is one of the sons of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh). The Old Testament tells
us that Ishmael dwelt in a place called Paran:
While he (Ishmael) was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him
from Egypt. [Genesis 21:21]
Many Christian interpreters of the Bible hold that Paran is in Arabia. From Clarkes
Commentary on the Bible:
He dwelt in the wilderness of Paran This is generally allowed to have been a part
of the desert belonging to Arabia Petraea, in the vicinity of Mount Sinai; and this
seems to be its uniform meaning in the sacred writings.
Moreover Strongs Bible Dictionary also tells us:
H6290 paran From H6286; ornamental; Paran, a desert of Arabia: Paran.
We can also place the location of the descendants of Ishmael, known as Ishmaelites,
to Arabia. According to Harpers Bible Dictionary [1] the term Ishmaelites is used
synonymously with the term Midianites. We can see this from the story of Joseph in
Genesis:
Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaohs
officials, the captain of the guard. [Genesis 37:36]
Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of
Pharaohs officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who
had taken him there. [Genesis 39:1]
So these two groups, the Midianites and Ishmaelites, are used interchangeably. We
know that geographically, Biblical Midian is located in modern day Western Saudi
Arabia, compare a typical Bible map with a modern day map:
muhammed-bible-map
Kedar and his own sons are also specifically linked to Arabia:
The oracle about Arabia. In the thickets of Arabia you must spend the night, O
caravans of Dedanites. all the splendor of Kedar will terminate [Isaiah 21:13-16]
Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your favored dealers in lambs, rams, and
goats; in these they did business with you. [Ezekiel 27:21]
The Old Testament scholar Charles Foster says about Kedar:
Namely, of the land of Kedar; which every reader conversant with Arabian
geography will recognise as a most accurate delineation of the district of Hedjaz
[Western Saudi Arabia], including its famous cities of Makkah and Madina. [2]
In summary we have established that Ishmael and his descendants, specifically
Kedar, settled in modern day Saudi Arabia.

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Whilst its true that Saudi Arabia represents a wide geographic region, the use of
the word Sela pinpoints an exact location. The place being spoken of is actually the
city of Madinah because Sela is the name of a famous mountain in Madinah.
Madinah was the city of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh):
muhammed-sela-mountain
It is worth mentioning that Prophet Muhammads lineage can also be traced back to
Prophet Abraham (peace be upon them all). This is through Kedar:
muhammed-kedar
4 THE JEWISH TRIBES OF MADINAH
Its important to note that historically we know there was a presence of various
Jewish tribes in Madinah before the advent of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Both
Jewish Historians and Islamic history records this fact. The American historian Salo
Baron, the most noted historian of the Jews of his generation, recorded the following
in his book Social and Religious History of the Jews:
Judaic presence and influence throughout the region burgeoned steadily throughout
the first few centuries of the Common Era. The process is substantiated by solidly
sympathetic references to Jews and Judaism in pre-Islamic Arabic literature. By the
sixth century, it is clear that Jewish tribes dominated Yathrib (Medina) [3]
The question then arises, why were there numerous Jewish tribes within Madinah?
The answer is that the learned Jews were aware of this prophecy in Isaiah and were
anxiously awaiting the coming of a new prophet. Islamic history records the fact
that whenever a dispute arose between the Jews and Arabs in Madinah, the Jews
used to taunt their pagan Arab neighbours, by saying that:
when our prophet arrives we shall obliterate you. [4]
The Quran also affirms this. God says:
Is it not a sign to them that the learned men of the Children of Israel knew it (as
true)? [Chapter 26, verse 197]
5 WHAT THIS SPECIAL PERSON WILL BRING
Isaiah informs us that this special person will bring something new. Mankind is told
that we will:
Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth [Isaiah 42:10]
The statement a new song means a new law, a new way of worship. This is
exactly what Islam represents. The emphasis on the new song here is singing the
praise of God all over the earth. The Quran opens with the statement Praise be to
God, Lord of the worlds and is recited by Muslims all over the world during prayers
every day.
Some Christians believe that Isaiah is a prophecy about Jesus. When we analyse the
life of Jesus as portrayed in the New Testament, we will see that this cannot be the
case. The new song cannot refer to Jesus, because he obeyed and followed the Law
of Moses throughout his life. Jesus didnt sing a new song; he sang the same song of
Moses, the Torah. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said:
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For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the
least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is
accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands
and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but
whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom
of heaven. [Matthew 5:18-19]
Moreover the disciples of Jesus also followed the Law of Moses, even after Jesus
departed.
6 WHO HE WILL BE SENT TO
Isaiah emphasises the universal mission of the coming person by mentioning that
he will be made a:
...covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles [Isaiah 42:6]
Gentiles means non Jews. The Quran confirms that Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) was sent to the whole of mankind, Jews and Gentiles alike. In the Quran
God tells us:
We have sent you [O Prophet] as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner for the whole
of mankind, but most people have no knowledge. [Chapter 34, verse 28]
The verse in Isaiah cannot apply to Jesus because in the Gospel of Matthew Jesus
said:
I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. [Matthew 15:24]
Isaiah further states that God will:
lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide
them... [Isaiah 42:16]
The pagan Arabs at the time of Prophet Muhammad fit this description perfectly
because they had not been sent a messenger prior to Muhammad. The Quran
bears witness to this, God states that Muhammad was sent to:
... warn a people to whom no warner has come before... [Chapter 32, verse 3]
The verse in Isaiah cannot apply to Jesus because his people, the Israelites, had
already received the Torah and a multitude of Prophets from God. Here are just
some of the Prophets that the Israelites were sent, up to and including Jesus:
Moses
Aaron
Joshua
Samuel
Nathan
David
Solomon
Micaiah
Hoshea
Amos
Micah
Elijah
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Elisha
Jonah
Isaiah
Joel
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Jeremiah
Ezekiel
Daniel
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Jesus
Isaiah emphasises that this special person will be sent to:
...those who trust in idols, who say to images, You are our gods,... [Isaiah 42:17]
The whole of Arabia at the start of Muhammads Prophethood consisted of idol
worshippers.
Again, this cannot be a reference to Jesus because his people, the Israelites, were
monotheists and not idol worshippers.
Moreover, Jesus explicitly told his disciples to stay away from the idol worshipping
Gentiles, the exact opposite of what Isaiah prophesied. The Gospel of Matthew tells
us that:
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: Do not go among the
Gentiles [Matthew 10:5]
7 A WARRIOR WHO WILL FIGHT GODS ENEMIES
Isaiah states that this special person will be a warrior and will:
...go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry,
yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies. [Isaiah 42:13]
Throughout history God has dealt sternly with those who are sent guidance and
persist in disbelief. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had to engage in many
battles with the idol worshipping enemies of God and ultimately prevailed against
them.
By comparison, Jesus did not triumph over his enemies, according to Christians he
was crucified by them. Moreover Jesus wasnt interested in fighting, he was not a
man of war, he was a pacifist according to the New Testament. He said such things
as:
for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. [Matthew 26:52]
And:
My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my
servants fight [John 18:36].
8 WHAT HE WILL ACHIEVE
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Isaiah gives us a list of momentous achievements for this special person. Chief of
these is that the idol worshippers:
...will be turned back in utter shame... [Isaiah 42:17]
Not only did Prophet Muhammad conquer Mecca, the Pagan capital of Arabia, but by
the end of his life, in just 23 short years of Prophethood, Arabia had shunned idol
worship and now worshipped the One true God of Abraham.
This cannot apply to Jesus as it was Christians themselves who were humiliated
(and greatly ashamed) for hundreds of years after Jesus. They were persecuted at
the hands of the Roman Empire who were idol worshippers. They executed some of
the followers of Jesus such as Peter and Paul. Christians were tortured and even fed
to lions.
9 A WARNING FROM GOD
Finally, Isaiah closes with an admonishment:
Hear, you deaf; look, you blind, and see
You have seen many things, but you pay no attention; your ears are open, but you
do not listen
Which of you will listen to this or pay close attention in time to come? [Isaiah
42:18-23]
It seems clear that the deaf and blind Isaiah is talking about in this verse are
those who reject Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Who among you will
heed God by acknowledging him, who will listen and pay close attention in time
to come?
10 SOME COMMON OBJECTIONS ANSWERED
Some Christians might raise the objection that Muslims shouldnt be using the Bible
as evidence in support of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) because we also make the
claim that the Bible is corrupted in other words we cant have it both ways.
The main proof of Muhammads Prophethood (pbuh) is and forever will be the
miraculous Quran which was revealed by God to him through the angel Gabriel.
God Almighty, out of His mercy for the Jews and Christians (respectfully referred to
in the Quran as the People of the Book) also provided an additional proof to
mankind of his Prophethood. As this booklet has demonstrated, this can be found in
their very own Scriptures , such as the Book of Isaiah.
It must be noted that Muslims believe that many Prophets, such as Moses and Jesus
(peace be upon them), were given Scripture by God. Whilst its true that not all of
the Bible we have today is still the original word of God, the sheer number of
different versions of the Bible in existence today is proof of this, Muslims have no
doubt that Muhammad (pbuh) is mentioned in the Bible because God says in the
Quran:
I shall ordain My mercy for those who are conscious of God and pay the poor due;
who believe in Our Revelations; who follow the Messenger (Muhammad) the
unlettered prophet they find described in the Torah that is with them, and in the
Gospel [Chapter 7, verses 156-157]
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Indeed one of the names of the Quran is Al Furqan, meaning the criterion
between truth and falsehood, and as such the Quran represents the ultimate
authority for truth. It is the most reliable religious Scripture in existence today
thanks to its flawless preservation throughout history. Thanks to the discovery of the
Dead Sea Scrolls, we know that the Book of Isaiah is perhaps the most reliable book
(in terms of textual preservation) in the entire Old Testament. The Dead Sea Scrolls
are a collection of texts discovered between 1946 and 1956 inside caves near the
Dead Sea in Jordan. The texts are of great religious significance because they
include the earliest known surviving manuscripts of the Old Testament, dated to as
early as 408 BCE [5]. Many manuscripts are fragmentary; however the Book of
Isaiah can be found in its entirety and is virtually identical to what we have of the
Book of Isaiah today so we can be confident in quoting from it [6].
So in summary, the Bible that we have today is unreliable as a whole, but the Book
of Isaiah in particular is reliable. Readers are encouraged to reflect on why out of all
the books of the Old Testament it is the Book of Isaiah, containing a very clear
prophecy about Muhammad that has been preserved. Perhaps God intended for this
to be a sign to mankind.
11 CONCLUSION
This article analysed in detail Isaiah 42, a chapter from a book of the Old Testament
that clearly foretells the coming of Muhammad (pbuh). Many Christians and Jews
have accepted Islam (Islam literally means submission to God) by recognising
Muhammad (pbuh) from the Bible. One of those is the late Reverend David
Benjamin Keldani, the author of Muhammad in the Bible [7].
'I must remind the Christians that unless they believe in the absolute unity of God,
and renounce the belief in the three persons, they are certainly unbelievers in the
true God ... The Old Testament and the Qur'an condemn the doctrine of three
persons in God; the New Testament does not expressly hold or defend it, but even if
it contains hints and traces concerning the Trinity, it is no authority at all, because it
was neither seen nor written by Christ himself, nor in the language he spoke, nor
did it exist in its present form and contents for at least - the first two centuries
after him.' Rev. David Benjamin Keldani, B.D. (1867-1940)
Since it has clearly been shown that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is mentioned in the
Bible, as a next step, we invite you to look into Islam by reading a translation of the
Quran and learning more about Muhammad (pbuh). Many people are attached to
their identity, and dont want to look into another religion. But Islam is not just
another religion; its the same core message of monotheism preached by Moses,
Jesus and Abraham (peace be upon them). It is the final instalment of the same
message sent by God over the centuries.
Guidance ultimately comes from God. We ask God to guide us and you. May Gods
peace and blessing be upon you for the rest of your days.

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