How The Companions of Prophet Muhammad Received Ahaadeeth in Terms of Both Isnaad & Matn (Bassam Zawadi)

Did the critical methods of hadeeth verification come much later in Islamic history or were they implemented by the Sahabah themselves? The answer is the latter. 

Below, we will briefly look at some examples of how the Sahabah would critically test the veracity of ahaadeeth they received in terms of isnaad. This section will be broken down into the following subsections:

1) Comparing & Contrasting With Other Testimonies

2) Ensuring Their Best That They Heard The Hadeeth Themselves

3) Requesting the Reiteration of a Hadeeth out of Vigilance

4) Polite Confrontation 

5) Asking Narrators to Take Oaths

6) Ensuring they Know the Narrators

We will then take a brief look at some examples of how they would critically examine the ahaadeth in terms of matn. This section would be broken down into the following subsections:

1) Examining the Hadeeth in Light of the Qur'an

2) Examining the Hadeeth in Light of the Sunnah

Critical Verification of Isnaad:

1) Comparing & Contrasting With Other Testimonies

Below we could see examples of the Sahaabah verifying the statements of people with others for the sake of attaining a higher level of certainty…

Miswar b. Makhrama reported that 'Umar b. Khattab consulted people about the diyat of abortion of an unborn child. Mughira b. Shu'ba said:

I bear witness to the fact that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) gave judgment about it that a good quality of slave or female slave should be given for it. Thereupon 'Umar said: Bring one who may bear witness to you. Then Muhammad b. Maslama bore witness to him. [Saheeh Muslim, Book 16, Hadith 4174]

Nafi' narrated that it was said to Ibn 'Umar that Abu Huraira reported to have heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

He who follows the bier, for him is the reward of one qirat. Ibn 'Umar said: Abu Huraira narrated it too often. So he sent (a messenger to) 'A'isha to ascertain (the fact). She ('A'isha) testified Abu Huraira. Ibn 'Umar said: We missed so many qirats. [Saheeh Muslim, Book 4, Hadith 2066]

2) Ensuring Their Best That They Heard The Hadeeth Themselves

The Sahabah would at times take turns in going to listen to the Prophet (peace be upon him), as they valued the importance of hearing the hadeeth from the Prophet themselves...

Narrated `Umar:

My Ansari neighbor from Bani Umaiya bin Zaid who used to live at `Awali Al-Medina and used to visit the Prophet (ﷺ) by turns. He used to go one day and I another day. When I went I used to bring the news of that day regarding the Divine Inspiration and other things, and when he went, he used to do the same for me.[Saheeh Bukhari, Vol. 1, Book 3, Hadith 89]

3) Requesting the Reiteration of a Hadeeth out of Vigilance

The Sahabah would add times ask for a narrator to repeat the hadeeth he narrated once again in order to confirm that they heard the hadeeth accurately from him...

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Amr:

I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "Allah will not deprive you of knowledge after he has given it to you, but it will be taken away through the death of the religious learned men with their knowledge. Then there will remain ignorant people who, when consulted, will give verdicts according to their opinions whereby they will mislead others and go astray." I related it to 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Then 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr went on hajj later and she said, 'Nephew, go to 'Abdullah and ask him to confirm for me what you related from him.' I went and asked him and he related to me the like of what he had related before. I went back to 'A'isha and told her. She was surprised and said, 'By Allah, 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr has indeed remembered!'" [Saheeh Bukhari, Vol. 9, Book 92, Hadith 410]

4) Polite Confrontation 

The Sahabah would not shy away from politely confronting an individual in order to verify that person's transmission of a hadeeth...

Nafi' reported that Ibn 'Umar told him that a person of the tribe of Laith said that Abu Sa'id al-Kludri narrated it (the above-mentioned hadith) from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in a narration of Qutaiba. So 'Abdullah (b. 'Umar) and Nafi' went along with him, and in the hadith transmitted by Ibn Rumh (the words are) that Nafi' said:

'Abdullah (b. 'Umar) went and I along with the person belonging to Banu Laith entered (the house) of Sa'id al-Khudri, and he ('Abdullah b. Umar) said: I have been informed that you say that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade the sale of silver with silver except in case of like for like, and sale of gold for gold except in case of like for like. Abu Sa'id pointed towards this eyes and his ears with his fingers and said: My eyes saw, and my ears listened to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying: Do not sell gold for gold, and do not sell silver for silver except in case of like for like, and do not increase something of it upon something, and do not sell for ready money something, not present, but hand to hand.[Saheeh Muslim, Book 10, Hadith 3846]

5) Asking Narrators to Take Oaths

As an extra precaution, the Sahabah would sometimes ask narrators to take an oath in order to entice the narrator to be 100% sure of what's he saying before he narrates any hadeeth...

Then there stood before him 'Abida Salmani who said: Commander of the Believers, by Allah, besides Whom there is no god but He, (tell me) whether you heard this hadith from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said: Yes, by Allah, besides Whom there is no god but He. He asked him to take an oath thrice and he took the oath. [Saheeh Muslim, Book 5, Hadith 2333]

It was narrated that ‘Ali bin Abu Talib said:

“If I heard a Hadith from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), Allah benefited me with it as much as He willed, and if I heard it from anyone else, I would ask him to swear me an oath, then if he swore an oath I would believe him. Abu Bakr told me and Abu Bakr spoke the truth that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘There is no man who commits a sin then he performs ablution and does it well, then he prays two Rak’ah,’ (one of the narrators) Mis’ar said: ‘then performs prayer and seeks the forgiveness of Allah, but Allah will forgive him.’ [Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 1, Book 5, Hadith 1395]

6) Ensuring they Know the Narrators

Speaks for itself...

Abū Ayyūb Sulaymān bin Ubayd Allah al-Ghaylānī narrated to us, Abū Āmir, meaning al-Aqadī, narrated to us, Rabāh narrated to us, on authority of Qays bin Sa’d, on authority of Mujāhid, he said Bushayr ul-Adawī came to Ibn Abbās then he set about narrating to him, saying:

‘The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, said…’, ‘the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, said…’. Then it seemed that Ibn Abbās was not listening to his Ḥadīth and not reflecting on them, so [Bushayr] said: ‘Oh Ibn Abbās, why is it that I see you not listening to my Ḥadīth? I narrate to you on authority of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, however you are not listening’. Ibn Abbās said: ‘Indeed once upon a time we would listen to a man saying, ‘the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, said…’ rushing towards him with our eyes and harkening towards him with our ears; then when the people took the difficult and the docile we no longer took from people except those whom we knew’. [Saheeh Muslim, Introduction]

Critical Verification of Matn:

1) Examining the Hadeeth in Light of the Qur'an

Here's an example of Aisha expressing skepticism of a statement attributed to the Prophet peace be upon him because she believed it conflicted with one of the verses in the Qur'an...

When 'Umar was wounded, Suhaib came walling: Alas, for the brother! alas for the companion! 'Umar said: O Suhaib, do you wail for me, whereas the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:" The dead would be punished on account of the lamentation of the (members of his family)"? Ibn 'Abbas said: When 'Umar died I made a mention of it to 'A'isha. She said: May Allah have mercy upon 'Umar! I swear by Allah that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) never said that Allah would punish the believer because of the weeping (of any one of the members of his family), but he said that Allah would increase the punishment of the unbeliever because of the weeping of his family over him. 'A'isha said: The Qur'an is enough for you (when it states):" No bearer of burden will bear another's burden" (vi. 164). Thereupon Ibn 'Abbas said: Allah is He Who has caused laughter and weeping. Ibn Abu Mulaika said: By Allah, Ibn 'Umar said nothing. [Saheeh Bukhari, Book 4, Hadith 2023]

2) Examining the Hadeeth in Light of the Sunnah

Here's an example of Aisha expressing skepticism of a statement attributed to the Prophet peace be upon him because she believed it conflicted with his Sunnah...

It was mentioned before 'A'isha that prayer is invalidated (in case of passing) of a dog, an ass and a woman (before the worshiper, when he is not screened). Upon this 'A'isha said: You likened us to the asses and the dogs. By Allah I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying prayer while I lay on the bedstead interposing between him and the Qibla. When I felt the need, I did not like to wit to front (of the Holy Prophet) and perturb the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and quietly moved out from under its (i. e. of the bedstead) legs. [Saheeh Muslim, Book 4, Hadith 1038]

Conclusion

Many of the basic modes of hadeeth verification were not invented by scholars who came later, but were rather adhered to by the Sahabah themselves. This demonstrated their sharp intellectual skills, in addition to their sincerity to obtain the truth and nothing but that. Muslim scholars from generation to generation have been carrying this blessed torch of intellectual honesty and continue to do so until this day.

Taken from: http://www.ahlalhdeeth.com/vbe/showthread.php?t=17863

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Prophet had more than 4 wives, why?

Why Did Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) Have More Than Four Wives? By Bassam Zawadi

 

Some Islamic critics tend to criticize Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) because he had more than four wives. They ask, "If the Quran limited each man to have 4 wives (Surah 4:3) then how come the Prophet was able to have more?"

 

Some people may see this as a privilege to the Prophet. However, with privileges did come restrictions as well. 

 

Qiyam Al Layl (prayers at two third of the night) are not compulsory on Muslims, however they were compulsory on the Prophet. 

 

Surah 17:79

 

And during a part of the night, pray Tahajjud beyond what is incumbent on you; maybe your Lord will raise you to a position of great glory.

 

This verse is directly addressed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). (See Tafsir of Ibn Kathir)

So here we see an example of God making exceptions to Prophet Muhammad in certain situations.

Back to the issue of the exception of why the Prophet was allowed to keep more than four wives. Well there was wisdom behind the marriage to each of the wives of the Prophet (see http://www.bismikaallahuma.org/archives/2005/why-was-the-prophet-polygamous/) 

Taken from http://www.messageonline.org/2002augsept/cover3.htm

It should be noted that the special exception to the prophet concerning the maximum number of wives [Qur'an, 33: 50] includes also special restrictions on him and his wives from privileges available to all others. For example, his wives as "mothers of the believers" were not allowed to remarry after him [Qur'an 33: 53]. If the Prophet were required to divorce wives beyond the maximum of four, it would have done them injustice; to be divorced and disallowed to remarry. Furthermore, for each of the Prophet's marriages there was a specific lesson, social or legislative. By divorcing some of his wives, those lessons are effectively negated, especially the unifying function of marrying women from different clans and backgrounds. This diversity allowed close observation of his private life and teachings and communicating them to their respective folks. Also, unlike any ordinary Muslim, the Prophet was not allowed to divorce any of his wives and marrying others [33:52].

People may ask why the Prophet's wives were not allowed to remarry. Well just think about how much fitna (corruption) would have occurred when people would want to fight over who is going to marry the Prophet's former wife. Also imagine the fitna that might occur when people might begin to idolize children being born from the Prophet's wives just like how Shias today do with the Prophet's grandchildren.

We can try and guess the wisdom behind Allah's rulings, however no one has any right to criticize the Prophet Muhammad for being a hypocrite in any way for having more than four wives.

Reason Why Prophet Muhammad Had Many Wives?

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False Prophecy by Paul 1 Thessalonians 4:17

Here's some material from Dr Shabir Ally and Bassam Zawadi in which they posit Paul made a false prophecy in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4.

What I'd like Christians to do is to ponder upon the points made by Dr Shabir Ally and Bassam Zawadi. At the end of the day, if Paul is making false prophecies then how can the average Christian deem him to be reliable?

Look into this and look into Islam. The Islamic view of Jesus (p) makes more sense than the Trinitarian view of Jesus p.

Dr Shabir Ally on the false prophecy attribute to Paul in Thessalonians 4:17



Bassam Zawadi's comments on 1 Thessalonians 4 and the claim of false prophecy is taken from here but is reproduced in full below:

Paul made a false prophecy about the coming of Jesus during his lifetime...

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

    ¹³Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. ¹⁴We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸Therefore encourage each other with these words.

Lets look at some of the commentaries regarding this passage...

"Prevent" means "having an advantage over." Those who live until the Lord comes won't have any advantage over those who died earlier.

Source: http://www.blueletterbible.org/tmp_dir/c/1139502792-6755.html

a. Paul emphasized the soon return of Jesus, and the Thessalonians believed it earnestly; this was part of the reason that they were the kind of church that Paul would compliment so highly. But after he had left, they wondered about those Christians who died before Jesus' return - did they miss out on that great event? Would they miss the victory and blessing of Jesus' coming?

b. The Thessalonians were afraid that the dead in Christ would miss out, but Paul assures them that those gone on before them won't feel cheated at not being on earth when Jesus comes back to this earth, because the dead in Christ will gain first benefit

a. Those alive and remaining until this coming of Jesus are caught up to meet Jesus in the air, together with the dead in Jesus who have already risen

Source: http://www.blueletterbible.org/tmp_dir/c/1139503168-6235.html

The "we" means whichever of us are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord.
Source: http://www.blueletterbible.org/tmp_dir/c/1139503752-1625.html

Christians may tend to argue back and quote...

Matthew 24:42

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

to show that Christians never knew about when Jesus was coming and therefore should always be expecting it. However, when we look at the way Paul is talking about the coming of Jesus we see that he is confident and sure that Jesus would be coming during his lifetime. He didn't say 'IF Jesus comes now then...". He was talking confidently and emphasized that Jesus was coming for sure during his lifetime in that passage. Obviously he was wrong. Paul wrote something wrong and wrote a failed prophecy. According to Christians all scripture is inspired (2Timothy 3:16). How could the Holy Spirit who was inspiring Paul, inspire Paul to write a false prophecy like that?

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Are Jews and Christians Really Punished for the Sins of Muslims?

The Hadith which states the sins of Muslims will be put on Jews and Christians is not meant to be taken literally according to Imam Nawawi.

I know Christian missionaries are using a literal understanding of the Hadith in order to build arguments for their polemical purposes.

Really, for the lay Muslim on the net, the major take home point is that it's not taken literally. That should be sufficient to rebuff the Christian polemics around such a narration.

For those who are interested, Sheikh Atabek Shukurov wrote a few points concerning this on his Facebook which has been presented below.

I've also added an excerpt from an article by Bassam Zawadi in which he touches on this too:

Its meaning is that Allah forgives the sins of the Muslims and removes it from them and places it on the Jews and Christians its same amount due to their disbelief and sins, so He places him in the hellfire due to their deeds and not the sins of the Muslims, and there cannot be any other explanation for this due to God’s statement: “None shall carry the burden of another’ (Surah 17:15)

 

And its possible that the sins being referred to (the ones that Allah will forgive from the Muslims) is because of the cause of the disbelievers, for if they caused it then it will be removed from the burden of Muslims by the mercy of Allah, and is placed on the disbelievers, for they instigated it, and whoever instigates a sin then he would receive a sin on his account for anyone that ever gets affected by it, and God knows best.

 

Let me give an example to clarify that. Lets say a non Muslim distributes drugs throughout the community. One Muslim happens to get his hands on these drugs and uses it. The Muslim gets a sin. However, the non Muslim gets a sin as well because it was his fault the Muslim is doing it. So if Allah on the day of judgment decides to forgive the Muslim for his sin, he would place it on the non Muslim. 

This does not guarantee that a Muslim who commits a sin because of a non Muslim will automatically get forgiven. No, it is only if Allah decides to forgive that Muslim. This also applies to Muslims who happen to be the cause of Muslims committing sins as well and does not only apply to the non Muslims.

 

From: http://www.answering-christianity.com/bassam_zawadi/rebuttal_to_injustice_of_allah.htm

 Sheikh Atabek Shukurov FB post on the subject matter:

Narrations that are conflicting with Quran.

Abu Musa narrated from the Prophet;

 There will be a people from my nation who will have a mountains of Sins, and God will forgive them, and put that sins on Jews and Christians...

 narrated by Muslim

I say

 - Imam Nawawi gave two interpretations to this hadeeth;

 1. God forgives Muslims, but He puts on Jews and Christian similar sins that he has forgiven for Muslims. But not the exact sins of Muslims but similar ones.

 2. God forgives Muslims, but doesn't forgive Jews and Christians who started off committing these sins. And Muslims only imitated them.

 - And Imam Nawawi said that we cannot take the hadeeth literally because it's conflicting with Quran.

- Ibn Hajar added one more interpretation;

 3. It means that Muslims will inherit the places of Jews and Christian in Paradise as Jews and Christians will inherit the places of Muslims in the Hell.

I say;

 - Interpretation of Ibn Hajar doesn't fit with the hadeeth, as hadeeth say; God will put the sins of Muslims on them.

 - Also in different narrations it says; Muslims will be given Jews and Christians and will be told; O Muslim here is your freedom from the Hell.

 - Means pay him and free your self.

I say;

 - Accordingly to Hanafi Mustalah hadeeth is rejecting for two reasons;

 1. Conflicting with Quran

 2. Attributing an oppression to God.

- More than that Hadeeth has few more defects;

 1. In some of the narrations it says; I think the sins of the Muslims will be put on Jews and Christians.

 Q. Who is saying this word? Whose thought is it?

 A. Hirami bin Umarah said; I don't know who is the one who said this!!!

 2. It's chain narrated in several way;

 - Once it says; Abu Burdah is from his father

 - Once it says; Abu Burdah from Abdullah bin Yazeeda

 - Once it says; Abu Burda is from some of the Ansaris from his father

 - Once it says; Abu Burdah from some of the Sahaba...

I say;

 - Hadeeth been in Saheeh Muslim cannot save it is conflicting with the Word of God!

 - Hakim, Dhahabi, and Albani said Authentic

 - Baihaqi, ibn Hajar and Albani in his different opinion said; Weak!!!

 

 

- This hadeeth is talking about aqeedah issue!

 - It would be better to not to narrate this type of narrations!

From: https://www.facebook.com/atabek.shukurov?fref=pymk


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Abu Musa' reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: When it will be the Day of Resurrection Allah would deliver to every Muslim a Jew or a Christian and say: That is your RESCUE from Hell-Fire. (Sahih Muslim, Book 037, Number 6665)

Abu Burda reported on the authority of his father that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: No Muslim would die but Allah would admit IN HIS STEAD a Jew or a Christian in Hell-Fire. 'Umar b. Abd al-'Aziz took an oath: By One besides Whom there is no god but He, thrice that his father had narrated that to him from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). (Sahih Muslim, Book 037, Number 6666)

Abu Burda reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: There would come people amongst the Muslims on the Day of Resurrection with AS HEAVY SINS AS A MOUNTAIN, and Allah would FORGIVE THEM and He would PLACE IN THEIR STEAD the Jews and the Christians. (As far as I think), Abu Raub said: I do not know as to who is in doubt. Abu Burda said: I narrated it to 'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz, whereupon he said: Was it your father who narrated it to you from Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him)? I said: Yes. (Sahih Muslim, Book 037, Number 6668)

10 Christian Arguments For Christianity Refuted by Bassam Zawadi

Here is Muslim apologist, Bassam Zawadi, refuting 10 different arguments that Christians present in order to support their beliefs in Christianity. Bassam Zawadi, upon the conclusion of his presentation, states there's no reason for a Muslim to become a Christian and nor is there any reason for a Christian to remain a Christian. It's interesting listening!




Christians having dreams and converting to Islam:http://thefactsaboutislam.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/christians-are-having-dreams-and.html

Learn about Islam:http://www.thedeenshow.com

Email: yahyasnow@yahoo.co.uk

'Pluralism in Islam' Arguments Refuted by Bassam Zawadi

 A Brief Response to Arguments Made by 'Radical Muslim Pluralists'

 

My definition of "radical Muslim pluralist" for the sake of this short piece is a Muslim who believes in many paths to God and that Islam isn't the only one. 

A number of years ago, we addressed some of the logical arguments put forth by radical pluralists in general. In this piece, we will address the scriptural arguments radical Muslim pluralists utilize to push forth their deviated views. 

Argument #1: In Surah 2, Ayah 62, Allah says that Christians and Jews could enter heaven if they believe in Allah and the Last Day and do righteous deeds.

What does "belief" in Allah mean though? If we define "belief" to merely entail "acknowledgement of existence", then even Satan "believes in Allah". 

Rather, to have faith in Allah is to submit to and accept Him for who He truly is and how He revealed Himself to us (e.g. not in a Trinity and not as a God of any false religion). If we don't get the "identity" of God correctly, then anyone can just point to anything and call it "God" and "believe in it" and believe in a judgement day and do good works and then go to heaven! This is surely absurd. 

The Prophet (peace be upon him) made it clear that acceptance of him is mandatory for Christians and Jews:

By Him in Whose hand is the life of Muhammad, he who amongst the community of Jews or Christians hears about me, but does not affirm his belief in that with which I have been sent and dies in this state (of disbelief), he shall be but one of the denizens of Hell-Fire. [Saheeh Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 284]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) made it clear that Christians and Jews aren't on the Fitrah:

No baby is born but upon Fitra. It is his parents who make him a Jew or a Christian or a Polytheist. [Saheeh Muslim, Book 33, Hadith 6426]

The Qur'an makes it clear that they have committed shirk and are misguided:

And never will the Jews or the Christians approve of you until you follow their religion. Say, "Indeed, the guidance of Allah is the [only] guidance." If you were to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, you would have against Allah no protector or helper. - Surah 2, Ayah 120

They say, "Be Jews or Christians [so] you will be guided." Say, "Rather, [we follow] the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth, and he was not of the polytheists." - Surah 2, Ayah 135

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

They have taken their scholars and monks as lords besides Allah , and [also] the Messiah, the son of Mary. And they were not commanded except to worship one God; there is no deity except Him. Exalted is He above whatever they associate with Him. - Surah 9, Ayah 31

The list of evidences for the kufr of the Jews and Christians are endless. 

So how do we then understand 2:62? The reasonable way to understand this verse is by understanding the verse to be referring to the Jews truly following the way of Prophet Musa 'alayhi assalam and to the Christians truly following the way of Prophet Isa 'alayhi assalam. 

To understand it as referring to Christians and Jews who reject Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is ridiculous and one could only wonder why God bothered to send a prophet to a people when their situation seems to already be fine supposedly. 

For a more in depth look at this verse, one could read pages 239-292 of Ibn Taymiyyah's تفسير آيات أشكلت على كثير من العلماء. 

Argument #2: The Qur'an says in Surah 49, Ayah 13 that we were created in order to "know one another".

This part of the verse is emphasizing that one shouldn't be arrogant and look down on others because of race. 

The verse also continues on to say:

Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa.
And at-Taqwa can't be devotion to a false God! Those who are truly devoted to God are the most honourable. So in that sense, not all human beings are equal in the sight of Allah. 

Argument #3: The Qur'an says in Surah 5, Ayah 82: "...and nearest among them in love to the Believers will you find those who say 'We are Christians' "

Let's not quote out of context please. Read the next verse:

And when they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of what they have recognized of the truth. They say, "Our Lord, we have believed, so register us among the witnesses.

Are there any Trinitarian Christians today who match such a description?

Also, why did you ignore the first part of the verse which mentioned the Jews...

You will surely find the most intense of the people in animosity toward the believers [to be] the Jews

You ignore this and try to appeal to 2:62 in order to demonstrate that Jews would enter heaven. This is sheer academic dishonesty. 

Argument #4: The Qur'an in Surah 22:40 says: "Did not God check one set of people by means of another, there would surely have been pulled down monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, in which the name of God is commemorated in abundant measure." This shows that God is not only worshiped in mosques.

First of all, the burden of proof is on the claimant who says with a certainty that "name of God is commemorated" applies to monasteries, churches and synagogues in the verse along with mosques. There are scholars who said that it only connects back to mosques. 

Secondly, scholars who said that it does also apply to monasteries and churches, said that this is only applicable when worship was done right. 

Thirdly, mere mention of Allah's name doesn't mean anything. One may claim to believe in Allah, yet still be deluded (see 29:61 & 39:3).

Argument #5: Muslims through time have been accustomed to regarding themselves as constituting “a middle” or “moderate nation/community” (Ar. umma wasat) on the basis of Qur’an 2:143, which applies this designation to them. This designation has been enthusiastically adopted by Muslims both as an indication of divinely conferred distinction upon them and as a divine mandate to avoid extremes in one’s beliefs and conduct. What is less well known, however, is that this verse has its parallel in Qur’an 5:66 in which righteous Jews and Christians are also described as constituting a “balanced” or “moderate” community” (Ar. umma muqtasida). The Qur’an thus clearly suggests in these two verses that moderation inheres in righteous conduct independent of theological doctrine or denominational affiliation. Such a view transcends sectarianism and paves the way for Muslims to retrieve a divine mandate for religious pluralism from the Qur’anic text and its exegeses.

But what is a "righteous" Jew or Christian? Well the verse itself clarifies when it says:

And if only they upheld [the law of] the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to them from their Lord, they would have consumed [provision] from above them and from beneath their feet. Among them are a moderate community, but many of them - evil is that which they do.

The Torah was revealed to Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) and the Injeel was revealed to Prophet Isa (peace be upon him). Today the Jews follow the Pentateuch (not revealed to Prophet Musa) and the four Gospels (not revealed to Prophet Isa). The verse also says that they should have followed "what has been revealed to them from their Lord" and that is surely the Qur'an. Do the Jews and Christians of today follow the Qur'an? The answer is obviously no. Since they don't, that means that they don't have a leg to stand on as Allah says two verses later in 5:68:

Say, "O People of the Scripture, you are [standing] on nothing until you uphold [the law of] the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to you from your Lord." And that which has been revealed to you from your Lord will surely increase many of them in transgression and disbelief. So do not grieve over the disbelieving people.

These people aren't "moderate" until they do. In fact, the Qur'an calls them extreme (see 4:171) and so does the Prophet (peace be upon him) when he said: "Do not praise me excessivelyas Jesus, son of Marry was praised" (Saheeh Bukhari, Vol. 8, Book 82, Hadith 817)

Any mention of righteous people from the People of the Book needs to be understood as entailing that they accepted the Prophet (peace be upon him). Surah 7, Ayah 157 says:

Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them what is right and forbids them what is wrong and makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them the evil and relieves them of their burden and the shackles which were upon them. So they who have believed in him, honored him, supported him and followed the light which was sent down with him - it is those who will be the successful.

Argument #6: In Saheeh Bukhari, we read that the Prophet stood up for the funeral of a Jew. He said "Was he not a living soul?". 

First of all, just because Islam recognizes the sanctity of a person's life that doesn't mean that it also recognizes that he's on the right path. 

Secondly, the Prophet (peace be upon him) didn't stand up in honor of the Jew in order to hold him in high regard.

It was narrated from Anas that:

a funeral passed by the Messenger of Allah and he stood up. It was said: "It is the funeral of a Jew." He said: "We stood up for the angels." [Sunan an-Nasa'i, Vol. 3, Book 21, Hadith 1931]

We read another reason why the Prophet (peace be upon him) stood up:

It was narrated from Ja'far bin Muhammad from his father that: Al-Hasan bin 'Ali was sitting when a funeral passed by. The People stood until the funeral had passed, and Al-Hasan said: "The funeral of Jew passed by when the Messenger of Allah was sitting in its path, and he did not want the funeral of a Jew to pass over his head, so he stood up." [Sunan an-Nasa'i, Vol. 3, Book 21, Hadith 1928]

In another narration, there was once a funeral of a Jewess and the Prophet (peace be upon him) stood up because he was bothered by the strong scent (most likely incense) coming out of her (see Silsilat al-ahaadeeth as-Saheeha, no. 3349 by Sheih Nasr ud-Deen al-Albani).

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said one should stand up in order to recognize the enormity of death:

It was narrated that Jabir bin 'Abdullah said: "A funeral passed by us and the Messenger of Allah stood up and we stood with him. I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, it is a Jewish funeral.' He said: 'Death is something terrifying, so if you see a funeral, stand up,"' This is the wording of Khalid. [Sunan an-Nasa'i, Vol. 3, Book 21, Hadith 1923]

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said: “A funeral has passed by the Prophet and he stood up and said: ‘Stand up out of recognition of the enormity of death.’” [Sunan ibn Majah, Vol. 1, Book 6, Hadith 1543]

The point is not be heedless of death and undermine its significance. This is why the Prophet (peace be upon him) emphasized on the soul of the Jew and not in honor of the Jew himself. 

Argument #7: The Qur’an states that Jews and Christians argue against each other, each claiming that the other is wrong, even though they read the same Scripture, which is the Tanakh or the Old Testament. Today, many Muslims also make a similar claim that both Jews and Christians are wrong. Actually, the Qur’an specifically denounces such claims from anybody and calls those who make such claims as people without knowledge. “The Jews say: “The Christians have nothing (to stand) upon; and the Christians say: “The Jews have nothing (to stand) upon.” Yet they (profess to) study the (same) Book. Like unto their word is what those say who know not; but Allah will judge between them in their quarrel on the Day of Judgment.” [Qur’an 2:113] This is yet another proof from the Qur’an showing that anyone who thinks that either Jews or Christians have nothing to stand upon has no knowledge.

This is a very strange and odd inference from the passage. 

In fact, what the passage is pointing out is the irony of the Jews and Christians differing with one another so fundamentally despite them reading the same book. 

It also says "Like unto their word is what those say who know not" and the majority of commentators say that this is referring to the pagans of Mecca, for they also said that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had "nothing to stand on" along with the Jews and the Christians. 


Argument #8: The Qur'an says in 5:48 "so race to [all that is] good. " The Qur’an does not take a narrow sectarian view as many theologians tend to do. It possesses a very broad humanitarian view and lays emphasis not on dogma, but on good deeds. And it strongly condemns evil deeds which harms the society and humanity at large. In this respect also it makes no distinction between Muslims and non-Muslims.

Anyone who has read the Qur'an knows that the emphasis is always on "faith and good deeds" and not good deeds alone. Allah makes it clear that without faith, one's good deeds could go to waste:

It is not for the polytheists to maintain the mosques of Allah [while] witnessing against themselves with disbelief. [For] those, their deeds have become worthless, and in the Fire they will abide eternally. - Surah 9, Ayah17

Argument #9: The Qur'an says in 5:48, "For each one of you We have appointed a law and a way". The Qur’an acknowledges that plurality is a fact of life and part of the order of the world. This plurality manifests in, among other things, religious diversity. God had given different revelations which led to the founding of different religions to see who is more obedient to Him

Yes, it's true that different Messengers had different divine laws which they followed. The laws in the Torah differed from those found in the Gospel which differed from those found in the last revelation (i.e. Qur’an and Sunnah). Nevertheless, all these Messengers preached the same message of monotheism and that is something one needs to have corrected in order to be saved. 

Argument #10: Islam in 3:19 and 3:85 could mean submission in the wider sense and not necessarily referring to the institutionalized Islam as we know it today. The Qur’an also calls the sorcerers of Moses, once they were defeated, to have become Muslims [Qur’an 7:126]. The Qur’an portrays that Moses requested the Children of Israel to become Muslims [Qur’an 10:84]. The Qur’an also shows that when Pharaoh was drowning, he too prayed that he has become a Muslim, while the Qur’an then shows that it was only when his drowning was imminent did he realize the true G-d [Qur’an 10:90–92]. Even when Solomon sends a message to the Queen of Sheba, he requests her and her people to become Muslims [Qur’an 27:31, 38, 42, 44]. Lot’s household is even called by the Qur’an as a Muslim household [Qur’an 51:36]. The Qur’an also shows that the religion of G-d is for people to become Muslims, since everyone in the heavens and the earth is a Muslim, willingly or unwillingly [Qur’an 3:83]. The Qur’an also calls all the prophets to the Children of Israel as Muslims [Qur’an 5:44]. When looking at it from an overall perspective, it seems obvious that the term for Muslim that is used in the Qur’an does not necessarily mean to be the follower of the religion known today as Islam. The term for Muslim used in the Qur’an may be understood as anyone who has surrendered his soul to G-d and submitted to the Will of God. 

A Muslim is anyone who submits to God, but what does "submitting to God" mean? It must entail submitting to the true God. Do Jews and Christians today who deny the God who sent Muhammad (peace be upon him) "submit to God"? Surely not. 

Muslims surely existed before Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), since there were prophets before him and they had their followers. So during their time, they were submitting to God. Right now, the only divine message left with us is the final one which Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent with. That could only be found in the "institutionalized" Islam of today.

Argument #11: ِAllah says in Surah 10:99 "And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed - all of them entirely." This shows the pluralism of Islam.

Rather this shows that people have the free will to believe or disbelieve and it's all under Allah's Will. The verse in no way, shape or form is saying that all religions are acceptable to Allah.

__________________

Taken from: http://ahlalhdeeth.com/vbe/showthread.php?t=17510

 

People having dreams and converting to Islam:
http://thefactsaboutislam.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/christians-are-having-dreams-and.html

Learn about Islam:
http://www.thedeenshow.com

'Obliterating Bassam Zawadi' - A Dying Apologetics Career and Deteriorating Mental State?

'Obliterating', it's a big word isn't it? It's a powerful word, here's the definition

 

obliterate

əˈblɪtəreɪt/

destroy utterly; wipe out.

A chap, who has been trolling my blog of late, leaves that comment, ('Obliterating Bassam Zawadi'), then insults Islam and leaves a link or two or even more (I can't be bothered to check how many).

Here's the thing, if you are going to leave comments on a Muslim blog claiming to have 'obliterated' Islam while Islam has outlasted all its critics and is the fastest growing religion in the world then you're telling me that you are insincere and/or deluded. 

And the silliness doesn't stop there once you think about it a tad more. Bassam Zawadi is respected by top Christian apologists as an informed and scholarly person yet you have some chap (Mr Shamoun) who trolls my blog claiming to have obliterated him. The mind boggles.

My message to Mr Shamoun is in the style of James R. White, here's something for Mr Shamoun to ponder upon the next time he has an urge to claim he obliterated somebody who is on a different scholarly planet to him:

When you’re talking about scholarship that is on a level that you that you yourself cannot even begin to analyze it, you don’t have the language background, you don’t have the historical background, and you dismiss such things and fashion….. doesn’t speak very well for you…..at all.

Some advice I received from a comment on this blog:

Great Job brother Yahya, Sam is desperate asking for the attention, because his apologist career is dying and he knows that very well. He has no academic credentials, So he is so desperate for the spotlight. Leave him, Let his apologist career die.

It's ironic the bloke tries to use me to revive his career and grab a few crumbs of attention. 2/3 years ago he was crying out for attention, he got it from me. The result? Well the result is a ton of videos disseminated over the internet showing him to be a dishonest, unscholarly and unworthy man - not to mention all those blog posts.

Here's the opinion of professional in the field of psychology, this is somebody who has met and knows Sam Shamoun. Here's what this professional thinks about Sam Shamoun's mental state:

Sam is straight bi-polar with narcissistic personality traits.

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The Islamophobes around this chap pat this guy on the back and his situation deteriorates - those who promote him actually compound the situation. I ask anybody out there who feels they can reason with Sam in order to help him to pursue more productive and wholesome endeavours, please try to speak to him.Thanks

The Sam Shamoun section:
http://thefactsaboutislam.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Sam%20Shamoun


Jesus taught people to do the Will of God (according to Mark 3:35) in order to become his brothers, mothers or sisters. A Muslim means one who submits to the Will of God. Do you want to become a brother of Jesus? If yes, become a Muslim. Now is the time.

Learn about Islam:
http://www.thedeenshow.com

Email: yahyasnow@yahoo.co.uk

 

james white, alpha and omega ministries, Pakistan, india, iran, ahmed deedat, shabir ally, sheikh awal, yahya snow, answering islam, answering muslims, Samuel green, david wood, zakir naik, brother Imran, Yusuf ismail, dividing line, ijaz ahmad, sam shamoun, zakir hussain, mdi, Abdullah al andalusi, paul Williams, blogging theology, shaksi apologetics, nabeel qureshi, debates,