A SAUDI SHEIK SPEAKS TRUTH TO HIS SON

Father, I have never seen your face so sad.Since I am your firstborn son, please open your heart to me. Please tell me why you have lost the joy that you had when I was a young boy.

My sadness is like a dark cloud that is becoming darker.But ALLAH is Great!He can cause this dark cloud to contain the rain that will produce wonderful fruit. Or, if we – the people of Saudi Arabia -- continue in our rebellion against ALLAH, the dark cloud will produce a violent storm, which will bring us much suffering and destruction.

But father, what are you saying? There is no rebellion in our Kingdom of Saud.We have peace and prosperity. But I admit that many of our young people do things in secret, which are against the wishes of their parents and against Islam.But they will change and will become good citizens, good parents, and good Muslims when they get older.

But son, it is not the sins of the young people that are my main concern. It is we, the leaders, who have lost our way.If we do not soon admit that we have wandered far from ALLAH, then it is your generation that must save our people and our nation.For this reason I will open my heart to you now.But it is a long journey that we must travel together in order for you to be able to understand my deep concern.

Please speak, father, and may the Merciful help me to learn.

Son, I will often quote from our Holy Qur’an as I open my heart. There is a reason that you will soon understand of why I will sometimes read from an English translation that has been prepared by teachers here in our country to send to the West.They hope these translations or interpretations will help Christians in the West to become Muslims.Since you know English, this will not be a problem.This Qur’an is “Interpretations of the Meanings of the Noble Qur’an in the English Language.”Because you may wish to get your own copy, I will give you all the details. This is a summarized version of AT-Tubari, Al Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir, with comments from Sahih Al Bukhari, by Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al Hilali and Dr. Muhammed Muhsin Khan of Islamic University Al Munawwarah. The Publishers and Distributors are also here in our Kingdom.They are DARUSSALAM, of Riyadh.

Please listen carefully to the stern warning of Al Anam, Surah 6: “Those who reject Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) are deaf and dumb in the darkness.ALLAH sends astray whom He wills and He guides on the straight path whom He wills.”

My son, first we will look at how this verse exposes the serious disobedience of Muslims in Saudi Arabia today. We will apply this warning to Muslims even though this verse is usually used against persons who are not Muslims. It is those who are not Muslims who are usually thought by us to be deaf and dumb and in darkness. Of course many are. But it is ourselves whom I am worried about being deaf and dumb and in darkness.

You must be wrong, father. We Muslims of Saudi Arabia constantly say that we obey both ALLAH and the Qur’an.

Your last statement is correct, my son.We say we obey. But often our words are hollow and cheap.I will now show you how we Muslims totally reject one of the main teachings of the Qur’an.

But father, why would we reject any teaching of our Qur’an?

We Muslims reject some of the Qur’an’s important teaching because our leaders have taught us to do so. But if you ask our leaders if they have rejected a main teaching of the Qur’an, they will wonder why you are asking a strange question.They will proclaim that they have never rejected any teaching in the Qur’an.

WE CHANGE OUR QUR’AN

No matter what words we speak, if we insist that we have not rejected this teaching, we must admit that it is a changed Qur’an that we believe in. For if the Qur’an has a main teaching, and we reject that main teaching, with our tongues we have changed the Qur’an. But we have a clever way to avoid admitting that we have rejected this teaching.We cleverly change the teaching when we explain it to others in order to make its message fit our own ideas.We are so clever that we are able to convince others that it is actually our revision that is the Qur’an’s true message.Because people think we are experts, we are able to convince others and ourselves that the true message of the Qur’an is not its true message.But, we have allowed ourselves, as the Qur’an states, to be deaf and dumb and in darkness.This is truly our condition if we are not able to admit to ourselves and to ALLAH that we have changed a main teaching of the Qur’an. We must stop deceptively convincing everyone that others have changed their Book, while not admitting that it is actually us who have changed the message of our own Qur’an. We must finally admit that it is the message of our Qur’an which has been changed while the other Book has not been changed.

Father, you know that I love you. But have you become crazy? Our leaders would never be guilty of this serious crime against ALLAH and against our Qur’an.  I know that our leaders would never explain its message in an inaccurate way.

My dear son, in what we are discussing, I would rather be crazy than to be right. But I know deep in my heart that I am right. It is difficult for us to admit, but with our tongues we have changed a main message of the Qur’an. We openly teach that our Qur’an teaches that the earlier Scriptures have all been changed and corrupted and are not to be trusted.But the truth is that our Qur’an consistently confirms the earlier Scriptures and always assumes their reliability and dependability.However one or two verses in the Qur’an charge the Jews, not the Christians, with changing the meaning of Scriptures with their tongues. So we use these isolated verses to make people think that the Qur’an teaches that the previous Scriptures are all unreliable and not to be obeyed.When anyone reveals that we leaders have changed this important message about the reliability of the previous Scriptures, they are attacked for insisting that the Qur’an affirms the earlier Scriptures. Yet, we should not be surprised that people who defend ALLAH’S Scriptures are attacked for their message. The reputation of the Prophet himself was attacked many times for his message that GOD is One.

But it is a shame that the Islamic world stands silently by while Muslim leaders seriously distort an important message of the Qur’an.The Qur’an clearly teaches that the earlier Scriptures are to be believed and obeyed.It is like it would be if all Muslim leaders were to loudly proclaim that our world is flat. Would it not be a great shame if there were no Muslim to courageously say that our world is not flat but that it is round?

But father, all Muslim leaders are good, honest, and wise people.They would never proclaim the wrong message, nor would they ever misrepresent what the Qur’an teaches.

My son, most of those responsible for this wrong information have convinced themselves that they are right.They actually think that they are being true to ALLAH.Most are good husbands and good fathers and are responsible members of their communities.I don’t wish to hurt anyone.Yet I am convinced that both our government leaders and our religious leaders are involved in this serious crime.I say “serious crime” because this crime is not only against the ALMIGHTY and against the Holy Qur’an. It is also against ALLAH’S Holy Scriptures which existed before the Qur’an.

ALLAH KNOWS WHO IS NOT TELLING THE TRUTH

It is difficult for me to say this to you, my own father, but your words cannot be true.

Son, my words are true.To demonstrate how serious our crime is, I will compare our crime to another crime being committed in Saudi Arabia.The horrible crime that I will now describe is related very closely to our crime of rejecting ALLAH’S Holy Scriptures.In fact, if the crime of rejecting His Scriptures is solved, the foundation is laid for solving the crimes I will now describe.

There is published four times a year in the United States a scholarly journal called The Middle East Quarterly.In its September 1998 edition it carried a comprehensive interview with Mohammed Al Khilewi. Have you ever heard this name?

Yes. I heard his name mentioned in connection with the United Nations.But I also heard rumors that he has betrayed our country and is telling lies about our leaders.

Son, it is ALLAH who knows who is telling lies and who is not telling lies. But you are right that he was with the U.N.He was the former First Secretary of the Saudi Arabian Mission to the United Nations in New York. In May of 1994, he issued a declaration on embassy letterhead that declared King Fahd “despotic”, and called for our country to have a redistribution of wealth and power. Understandably, our government responded with great displeasure.He must have thought that he would be imprisoned or possibly killed, so he requested and was granted political asylum by the U.S. in August of 1994.

THIRTEEN THOUSAND DOCUMENTS

We have no way of knowing the total accuracy of all of Mr. Al-Khilewi’s charges. However, in support of his charges he is quoted as having brought from Saudi Arabia the amazing number of 13,000 documents.He tells us that in one-way or another each of these 13,000 documents reveals crimes against our country.If only a small percentage of his charges are true, he reveals a great crime against ALLAH, against ALLAH’S people and against His creation.If very few of Mr. Al-Khilewi’s charges are true, then my comparison is not correct, and I am wrong to make such a comparison.

Father, I am glad that we are speaking privately because I would not want anyone to hear you question our leaders’ honesty and integrity.

My son, all stealing and crimes against humanity are crimes against our Creator. It is He who will be our Final Judge on the Terrible Last Day and decide who is right and who is wrong. So I speak, knowing that ALLAH will be my Judge.But I also know that He will be the Judge of our government leaders and of our religious leaders.

ALLAH has delegated to different leaders the responsibility to lead His people. When leaders abuse their positions of authority to steal a good future from today’s infants and children, ALLAH sees their crimes.Also, the Qur’an tells us that His Angels keep records of both the wrong and the right that we do.

ALLAH Himself has provided that limited amount of oil which lies beneath our nation, from which our Kingdom has received great wealth. When money provided by ALLAH is used to provide extravagant and wasteful lifestyles for privileged families and all of their relatives, the future welfare of every person in our nation is being selfishly wasted.

What exactly did this former diplomat claim that our leaders are doing wrong?

Mr. Kilewi states that his 13,000 documents are concerning building nuclear weapons, unlawful intelligence activity, illegal commissions, human rights abuses, and corruption.He also estimates that the seven Sudayri brothers who have ruled our nation have stolen more than two hundred billion dollars from our people. This is fifty billion dollars more than our total national debt. He also states that the regime which was ruling when he gave his interview was holding thousands of political prisoners and that they were often tortured.

I have heard rumors of such torture but it is difficult for me to believe that our government tortures our own people.Also, I cannot believe that our government would steal from our people.

These crimes by our government are shocking.But the crime I will now describe is the root from which the other crimes grow. When this root crime is solved, a foundation is laid to solve a majority of the injustices in present day Saudi Arabia. The solution to this crime will also help eliminate similar crimes in numerous other nations, which are influenced by what occurs in our nation.

Father, how can we possibly solve our nation’s problems when an open democracy such as the U.S. cannot solve its own problems?

You are right to question whether we can solve our problems.No people can solve the problems of Saudi Arabia. But ALLAH can!If ALLAH provides us with wisdom and insight to guide us, then it is ALLAH and not any person who is the source of solutions.As the Qur’an assures us again and again, “All things are possible with ALLAH!” Because of ALLAH’S greatness, He sometimes uses insignificant persons to stimulate important changes. But I truly believe that significant change is more possible in our Kingdom than in the democratic U.S.

How can that be possible?

Saudi Arabia is a small nation when compared to the United States. Our leadership is centralized. When our small leadership has a major shift to a more just and wise attitude, major changes will occur.

There are also religious and cultural factors which will help us change. For example, the word “Islam” means “submission to ALLAH” and His Will.Our submission to ALLAH should cause us to fear Him when our actions are not pleasing to Him. Therefore, if a genuine fear of ALLAH develops in our nation, the way will be prepared for more justice to come to our Kingdom.Then, we will not need to fear judgment now or in the hereafter as punishment for the sin which now exists in Saudi Arabia.

Does the Qur’an truly teach us to fear the Merciful?

It certainly does! There are many serious warnings and even threats in our Qur’an of what will happen to those who foolishly disobey ALLAH’S standards and who reject His Scriptures, including the Scriptures previous to the Qur’an.So that the reader of the Qur’an will become wise enough to fear ALLAH and too wise to ignore Him, the Qur’an often uses shocking and vivid language, in order to help us take its warnings seriously.Its stern warnings should convince us that a person or nation is in extreme danger of ALLAH’S judgment if these warnings are ignored or disobeyed. The following is a short list of some of our Qur’an’s threats and warnings, which should cause each of us to tremble with fear if we not obey His Scripture.

TERRIFYING WARNINGS

The Qur’an states:

“taste the torment”

“all secrets exposed”

“the sky will be like the boiling filth of oil”

“be held over fire”

“destroyed by an awful cry”

“destroyed by a furious, violent wind”

“Fire which will rise up to people’s hearts…in towering columns”

“Verily, you will see the blazing Fire! (which will help many acknowledge their greed)”

“He will have his home in Hawiyah… a fiercely blazing fire!”

“They will be given to drink from a boiling spring”

“No food will be there but a poisonous thorny plant,

which will neither nourish nor avail against hunger.”

“Some faces that day will be humiliated”

“Announce to them a painful torment”

“He shall enter a blazing fire and made to taste its burning”

“Then verily, they will indeed enter the burning flame of hell.”

“Surely, they will be veiled from seeing their LORD that day.”

“And other faces, that Day, will be dust-stained”

“Darkness will cover them.”

“On the Day the earth and the mountains will shake violently.”

“Hearts that Day will shake with fear and anxiety.”

“By those (Angels) who pull out with great violence.”

“They shall abide therein for ages. Nothing cool shall they taste therein, nor any drink

“Except boiling water, and dirty wound discharges -- an exact recompense.

“For verily, they used not to look for a reckoning.”

So the Qur’an describes terrifying consequences for those who ignore the teachings of ALLAH’S Scriptures. But it is not only the revelations, signs, and verses from the Qur’an that we are warned not to ignore.We are also warned that severe judgment awaits us if we reject any Sign, Revelation or Scripture which has ALLAH as its source. This includes Scripture preceding the Qur’an, which we wrongly say has been changed.We foolishly repeat again and again, “The previous Scriptures are corrupted and are not to be trusted or obeyed.”When we believe this deception, we reject the Qur’an’s teaching.The Qur’an consistently confirms the authority and reliability of these earlier Scriptures.

I know a Westerner who sought employment in our Kingdom so that he could more clearly understand Islam.He was shocked by one thing he observed.If he was watching an English television program or was talking with his Muslim colleagues at work, he constantly heard the same deceptive propaganda. He heard over and over that all the Scriptures preceding the Qur’an have been changed.

Why do we say this, father?

This self-deception provides us with an excuse to reject the authority from ALLAH that these Scriptures possess.Then we can claim that we are right not to obey them.So we wrongly proclaim that ALLAH’S Scriptures have been corrupted by scribes and translators.But, because these charges are not true, we call down severe judgment on ourselves when we make such charges.

But father, the Qur’an must teach that the earlier Scriptures have been changed, because I have heard many times that this is what the Qur’an teaches.

I also incorrectly assumed that if religious teachers repeated something enough times, then their statements must be true. But I searched the Qur’an to see what it said about the earlier Scriptures being changed. The closest I came to finding such a teaching is that the Qur’an criticizes the Jews for distorting the meaning of Scriptures with their tongues and for not obeying them.It definitely does not teach that the actual Scriptures have been changed. In fact, the reality is the opposite. When the whole Qur’an is read carefully, the Qur’an again and again confirms the authority and trustworthiness of the previous Scriptures.For instance, in Al-Maidah (the Table Spread) 5:68 the Qur’an states: “Say O people of the Book! You have no ground to stand upon unless you stand fast by the Taurat (Law) and the Injeel (Gospel) and all the revelation that has come to you from your Lord.”

This kind of statement would not be in the Qur’an again and again if the Qur’an did not assume the reliability of the previous Scriptures which were then in existence.

But father, how can all of the different versions of the Bible be true when they all contradict each other?

My son, you have been deceived by the false propaganda of our leaders. They have repeatedly told us that of the many different versions of the Bible now in existence, each contradicts the others. So they proclaim to us that they are all useless and unreliable.

Translation from one language to another is always a work of great complexity. But though there are different versions of these Scriptures, with differences in words, differences in sentence structures, and differences in style, they do not contradict each other. They agree in their main messages and are faithful to the meaning of the original language. They have not been changed.

Son, I will admit to you something that brings me great sadness. I do not understand how so many intelligent Muslims think that a false statement becomes true if it is repeated enough times by enough different people.The Scriptures do not magically become changed because our leaders say that they are changed. Also, the Qur’an does not suddenly state that these Scriptures have been changed simply because this is what our leaders say that this is what the Qur’an teaches.

How do our leaders convince themselves that ALLAH is unreliable? For it must be that the ALMIGHTY is unreliable, if the Scriptures that He promises to protect have been changed. Or, is He a wasteful God who wastes the hard work of all of the faithful prophets who recorded all of the Scriptures? Of course the ALMIGHTY was not, is not, and will never be unreliable, weak and wasteful, like our leaders expect us to believe. The dependableness of ALLAH is precisely what the Holy Qur’an teaches.There is no verse on any page of the Qur’an which teaches that the Scriptures preceding the Qur’an have lost their reliability and authority. Rather there are numerous verses which teach the exact opposite.Al-Kahf 18: 27 states: “None can change His words and none will you find as a refuge other than Him.”

But father, if things are as you say that they are, why do leaders in Islam remain silent about the authority of the earlier Scriptures?

Yes, it is regrettable that there are no courageous leaders who are willing to stand up for the clear message that the Qur’an affirms: that is, that the previous Scriptures are reliable and dependable.I believe that the fear of violent retaliation by a few Muslims is so great that it intimidates Muslim leaders from defending the true message of the Qur’an. It seems that every man in Islam has more fear of what a Muslim brother may do to him, or to his family, than he has fear of ALLAH.It appears that every Muslim has decided that the fearful warnings in the Qur’an against those who reject ALLAH’S Scriptures are not to be feared, but the unspoken threats of disobedient and confused men are to be greatly feared.

Father, what other reasons cause so many Muslims to believe the false tradition that the previous Scriptures are changed?

Son, I believe that there are many deep-rooted reasons for our rejection of the earlier Scriptures. Please be patient while I talk about these many reasons.

One major reason is that there is such a deep devotion and respect by millions for the Prophet Muhammad.Because of our sincere appreciation for our Prophet, we all think that it is on our shoulders to protect his status and reputation.We forget that his own accomplishments are such that his reputation needs no protection.Many of us fear that if we acknowledge truth contained in the Injeel, this will increase Muslim respect for the Messiah Isa and that the Prophet Muhammad may come in second place.

But did the Prophet Muhammad have this attitude?

No, he definitely did not.The Prophet himself never viewed himself as competing with ALLAH’S Messiah for honor, status or authority. If he had viewed himself as competing, he would not have faithfully recorded three comments about his own need for forgiveness, while recording that Isa is “faultless”. So ALLAH’S faithful Warner and nation builder does not need man to defend him, since he has ALLAH as his defender.

Another reason for our rejection of all of ALLAH’S truth contained in the earlier Scriptures concerns centuries of misunderstanding between the descendants of the first son of Abraham, Ishmael, and his second son, Isaac. Through the centuries an opinion began to be repeated again and again.It was said that the Old Testament portrayed the descendants of Abraham’s second son, Isaac, as ALLAH’S chosen people.The term “chosen people” does contain a seed of important truth. Abraham’s descendants through Isaac were definitely chosen to bring ALLAH’S Messiah into this world. But the term “chosen people” is often distorted to imply that the Scriptures previous to the Qur’an taught that Jews were created superior to all other people. It was also believed by many that the previous Scriptures taught that the Jews were more loved by ALLAH than their Semitic cousins.

For those Sons of Ishmael living among their Jewish cousins, these myths about the supposed teachings of the Old Testament or Torah made Muslims suspicious of the reliability of these Scriptures.

For many Muslims, if these Scriptures teach that the descendants of Abraham’s second son, Isaac, are superior to those of his first son, Ishmael, then those Scriptures must have been changed.Furthermore, if those Scriptures supposedly teach that the Jewish people are favored over the Arab people, this appears to be further proof that those Scriptures were changed.If ALLAH is Just, which He is, to favor the second-born son over the first firstborn is considered unworthy of a Just God.

Since it is not accurate to say that the previous Scriptures teach such concepts, the Muslim can trust these Scriptures.

Father, I have heard again and again that the Jews consider themselves God’s chosen people.

To get to the root of this tension, we will consider the word “chosen”, as people use it in reference to the descendants of Isaac.Of course ALLAH had to choose some family through whom His Messiah would physically come into this world. Also, the Messiah’s birth had to take place in some location chosen by ALLAH. Thus, these Scriptures teach that according to the Prophet Micah’s prediction centuries before it happened, Bethlehem on the West Bank would be the chosen location of the Messiah’s birth.

Most Arab’s do not realize that though Isaac’s descendants were chosen to bring the Messiah into the world, a large part of the Old Testament is an account of the disobedience of the Hebrew people and not a record of their obedience.

The Old Testament presents some similar views of the Children of Israel as the Qur’an does. There are ayat or verses in the Qur’an that speak of Israel very favorably, such as Al Baqarah 2:47 where God favored Israel in a special way.The same view is also presented in Al Baqarah 2:122. But the Qur’an also exposes Israel’s disobedience. The Qur’an, the Old Testament, and the New Testament each have much to say about the disobedience of the descendants of Isaac and Jacob.

In contrast to the rebellion of the people of Israel, both the Qur’an and the Old Testament emphasize the obedience and faithfulness of ALLAH’S Hebrew prophets. Significantly, the main message of most of these prophets was to expose the disobedience of the Hebrew people. These descendants of Abraham had a responsibility to be a positive example to others. Regrettably, the opposite often proved to be true. In fact they became such an example of disobedience that in severe judgment, the ALMIGHTY repeatedly scattered them among the nations.

Did the Messiah Isa ever confront his own people about their own disobedience to ALLAH?

MESSIAH’S STATEMENTS ENRAGED LISTENERS

When you read the Injeel, you discover how openly the Messiah spoke of Jewish disfavor with ALLAH. In his first public speech in his own home synagogue, his statements enraged his Jewish listeners so much that they tried to murder him.They strongly resented hearing his two examples of ALLAH choosing to favor a Sidonian and a Syrian rather than Jews.After his presentation, his listeners were so upset with what he said that they lost all control of their emotions.They had known him as a good young man, who had grown up in their village. But when he reminded them that ALLAH, through the prophets Elijah and Elisha had rescued and healed others when he did not rescue and heal Jews, this was too much for their narrow, prejudiced minds.But they did not stop with their hostile attitudes.They attempted to violently murder him in front of all the people of the synagogue, by trying to push him off of a cliff.But the strength of his character overwhelmed his enraged attackers. At the last second, he walked right through the crowd to safety.

 But father, what exactly did he tell his Jewish listeners that so filled them with rage?

It is important to realize that everything he told them was in their own Scriptures. In his first example he reminded them that the prophet Elijah miraculously rescued from certain starvation a widow and her young son from the non-Hebrew region of Sidon. Isa also reminded his Hebrew listeners that there were many widows in Israel whom ALLAH did not choose to rescue.

In His second example He reminded them of how ALLAH used the Prophet Elisha to heal a despised Syrian military officer of the much-feared disease of leprosy. Again Isa emphasized that while an outsider was being healed, lepers of Israel were not being healed. He said that there were lepers in Israel at that time, and not one of them was healed. It was only the despised Syrian man -- who was even further despised because he was a military officer -- whom the Merciful chose to heal.

From what you have explained, it seems like ALLAH often favored other groups instead of the Jews.

In numerous accounts in the Injeel, it is often “others”, and even the despised Roman conquerors, which are presented as positive examples of faith rather than Hebrew persons. In fact, on several occasions the Messiah Isa contrasts the sincere faith of persons who were not Hebrew with the lack of faith of his own people.So the false charge that Jewish Scribes changed either the Old Testament or the Injeel in order to favor the Jews is a ridiculous allegation. Would Jewish scribes allow Jews to again and again look so bad in the Scriptures if they had truly changed these Scriptures?!

I mention only Jewish Scribes as even potentially being involved in the changing of Scripture. On the few occasions where there is any mention of changing ALLAH’S message, it is the Jews who are mentioned. But the implication always is that they did it with their tongues or with their actions of disobedience, but not with their pens. No!The Qur’an does not in any way teach that the Old and New Testament Scriptures were changed. No! ALLAH’S Word has not been changed. “No one can change the Words of ALLAH…” The constant brainwashing campaign by Muslim leaders that ALLAH’S Scriptures have been changed is a deceptive and evil tactic.What they fail to realize is that they are not just attacking ALLAH’S precious Scriptures, but they are attacking ALLAH Himself when they attack His Scriptures.

The reality is that both the Old and New Testaments are consistently faithful in portraying the rebellion of the Hebrew people.For example, the Old Testament faithfully describes ALLAH’S threat to destroy the Jewish nation for their repeated rebellion against ALLAH’S purposes. But the man of GOD, Moses, pleaded for them not to be destroyed, and they were spared. This is described in Numbers 14: 10-24 of the Taurat and is discussed in Zabur (Psalms) 106: 13-23.If Jewish scribes would have dared to change any passages, it would have been passages like these, because they make the Jews look so bad.

Another reason for our Muslim brothers rejection of the Scriptures preceding the Qur’an is the understandable resentment and distrust that Muslims have toward the West. The cruel crusades, Western imperialism, exploitative colonialism, twentieth Century support of Zionism, and widespread moral depravity: each of these has caused much justified suspicion of anything identified with the West.Though Christianity has all of its roots in the Middle East, regrettably it is now mistakenly thought of as a Western religion.

You are right, father. I often forget that Christianity is from the Middle East and that it is not a Western religion. I must also admit that suspicion and resentment of the West negatively influences my attitude about anything that has any connection with Christianity.

There can be no serious argument about whether the West has treated the Middle East unjustly. So it is understandable that many Muslims feel that the Scriptures of those who conduct themselves unjustly must be unreliable Scriptures.But even though we may resent the actions and attitudes of the West, we are wrong to have resentment toward the previous Scriptures or resentment toward the Messiah of those Scriptures.

There is no way to explain away or excuse many behaviors of the West. Much of their inexcusable behavior has even been done in the name of Christianity. But Isa warned us that not everyone who claimed that he was their Lord would be telling the truth.Many of those who claim to be sincere followers of the Messiah have openly rebelled against the true meaning of much of the Scripture. But in fairness, most of us will acknowledge that we have met persons or groups of persons whose reading of the Scriptures have influenced their attitude and actions very positively. We can see that such people sincerely worship and serve ALLAH.Often their love and service for others causes us to respect both them and the Scriptures in which they believe.

But aren’t most Western Christians Zionists?

 No! Admittedly many Scripture-believing Christians have supported Zionism with little understanding of the injustice this has done to Palestinians. However, there are many Western Christians and Jews, both inside and outside of Israel, who are deeply disturbed by the injustice done to Palestinians through Zionism. The reality is that the Christian and Jewish communities which receive the most international publicity are those communities that have interpreted the Scriptures in a narrow way – a way that makes Israel always appear to be correct, no matter what injustice they are involved in. The Zionists, whether they are Christian or Jewish, seem to believe that the Scriptures teach that the Palestinians are obligated to turn over all of their land to Israel. This type of interpretation of the Scripture is what I believe the Qur’an refers to when it speaks of people changing the meaning of Scripture with their tongues. Understanding the Scripture in an irresponsible way and teaching distortions of the Scripture to others is one way of corrupting the meaning of Scripture without changing the written Scripture. In summary, the written Scriptures were never changed and the Qur’an does not teach that they were.

For example, all of us have our own opinions about the meaning of any document which we may read. When others criticize us for our wrong understanding of what we read, they are not accusing us of changing the written document itself.

 Father, let me summarize what you have just explained to me.Muslims must acknowledge that a careful reading of the Qur’an’s verses about Israel show that the Qur’an and the Old and New Testament Scriptures agree that the Hebrew people were often disobedient.Also, Muslims must admit that the Scriptures before the Qur’an do not teach that Israel is loved by ALLAH in a way that Arabs are not. Understanding these realities should help Muslims stop teaching and believing the evil and deceptive propaganda that the Scriptures preceding the Qur’an have been changed.

Thanks, son. You understand my main points. Another reason that Muslims insist that the Scriptures have been changed is the difference in perspective between Muslim and Christian regarding the term “son of God”. Most Christians have very little appreciation for the extent of the polytheism that the Prophet Muhammad battled against in the early days of Islam.Mecca itself, before Islam, was a central location for the worship of families of gods. Consequently, for the Qur’an to help the people of Arabia worship and serve the One-and-only True ALLAH, all of the people needed to acknowledge and understand that there is no ALLAH but ALLAH.

To truly grasp this truth, those who had previously been involved in polytheism had to put this belief in families of gods totally out of their minds. The idea of a father and mother god having a baby together is totally against the truth that there is no ALLAH but ALLAH.

Regrettably some of the persons who called themselves Christians used terminology to describe their faith in ALLAH’S Messiah which made it appear that they believed in families of gods.For example, calling Maryam “the mother of GOD” because she was the physical mother of Jesus was very misleading.Isa was GOD’S spiritual son though not His physical son.But the term “mother of God” appeared to imply that Maryam had borne GOD a physical son.The title “mother of God” was a title invented by man and cannot be supported by the teaching of Scripture.The Christians involved in that choice were not wise to choose this title for the mother of Jesus, and they caused much confusion.They had justified this title to themselves because of the Christian belief that Jesus is ALLAH’S spiritual son.But their choice misrepresented both Maryam and Jesus, because ALLAH most certainly has no mother, and Jesus was God’s spiritual son, not His physical son. By Christians unwisely using this term for Jesus’ mother, they opened the door for Muslim and Jewish suspicion that they were teaching the existence of more than one God. This teaching was the very error which Islam later fought so hard against at Mecca. So Muslims were determined not to allow their people to return to the wrong belief of pre-Islamic times.

Islam also concluded that polytheism and families of gods had entered into Christianity, because a term like “mother of God”, implied a physical relationship between ALLAH and Maryam to produce their son Jesus.This associated Christianity with the “families of God” arrangement which had been common in Mecca before Islam.Suggesting the possibility that the ALMIGHTY was involved in a sexual relationship was a concept that Islam and the Qur’an are correct to totally reject. But Christianity’s true teaching that Jesus was God’s spiritual son does not involve any sexual relationship. It was that clear teaching which became unclear when the term “mother of God” was used.

ALLAH be praised, because the Qur’an did a positive service to Christianity by opposing any Christian teaching that could be interpreted as advocating a family of gods. Maryam was not the mother of God. This term is not taught by the Scriptures.When Elizabeth, the mother of Yahya, (John the baptiser) called the pregnant Maryam “the mother of my Lord”, this was much different than saying, “Maryam, you are the mother of God” – which, of course, she did not say.

A SPECIAL HONOR FOR WOMEN

Yes, when ALLAH’S Word became flesh, he was brought into the world by ALLAH’S Spirit, through the godly virgin, Maryam.Thus, it was revealed to her relative Elisabeth by ALLAH’S Spirit that in a future day, the baby in Maryam’s womb would be so exalted by ALLAH that he would deserve the whole world’s allegiance.So it is significant that ALLAH has chosen to show great honor to all women by having the mother of Yahya be the first person to recognize that the Word of ALLAH in Maryam’s womb was her Lord, and should be recognized by each of us as our Lord.

But when that baby grew to be a man, and as the Injeel teaches, died upon a cross, ALLAH was not dead.Because great is the mystery of God revealing His Word to us through His Messiah! It is beyond man’s ability to fully comprehend or explain.And this is how it must be, because it can only be ALLAH Who fully understands all.

Father, thank you so much for your patience with me.Now I think that I am beginning to understand how Isa is ALLAH’S spiritual son, and from that perspective, can be known as ALLAH’S Son. For me, though, it is easier to understand him as “ALLAH’S Word who became flesh”.But father, can you help me understand the term “trinity”, like you have just helped me understand that Isa is ALLAH’S spiritual son?

With ALLAH’S help, I will try to explain.Man has made this difficult concept even more difficult by trying to reduce our GREAT GOD to man-made formulas – which is ultimately, of course, an impossibility! It is important to keep in mind that the term “Trinity” is never used in the previous Scriptures. But it is also necessary to understand that the “trinity” to which the Qur’an objects so strongly was not the same trinity that Christian religious leaders describe. The Qur’an was opposing the blasphemous concept that ALLAH became the physical father of Jesus in the same sense that Maryam became his true physical mother, and that Jesus became their son as a result of their sexual union. That is blasphemy which true Christians have never held.So the trinity that is strongly rebuked in the Qur’an is definitely not the Trinity of Christian belief: God as Father; Messiah or Word as Son; and God as revealed through His Eternal Spirit.

Adding to the confusion, there was once a meeting of Christian religious leaders who were attempting to express their understanding of ALLAH’S Unity also being revealed through His Word and through His Eternal Spirit. However, as they struggled to express this inexpressible Tri-Unity of ALLAH, they chose the term “Three Persons”. Their use of this term “Person” has led many Muslims and Jews to believe that Christians were wrongly compromising the absolute Unity of God. But however we may evaluate their choice of the term “Person”, I think that their intent was good: they wanted to proclaim the uniqueness of ALLAH’S Unity but without shutting their eyes to the magnificent Tri-Unity of His Being. Similarly, if we Muslims should ever decide together to define the Unity of ALLAH as He reveals Himself through His Eternal Word, and through His Eternal Spirit -- well, ALLAH is a definitely not three gods, but is One God, as both the Qur’an and the Scriptures so clearly teach.

The word “trinity’ originally reflected the two words, “Tri” and “Unity”, meaning “Three” and “Oneness”.It attempts to call our attention to the fact that the One true ALLAH has expressed Himself to man through His Word and through His Spirit -- this, while simultaneously asserting the equally important truth of His Inherent Eternal Oneness. Does this seem to be a contradiction? We hope not! But let me repeat: (1) The only way we can truly know ALLAH is through His Self-Revelation to us. (2) Only ALLAH Himself truly comprehends the Fullness of ALLAH!

So the “trinity” that is rebuked in the Qur’an is definitely not the trinity of Christian belief, where the Tri-Unity being spoken of is the-One-and-Only God expressing Himself as Father, the-One-and-Only God expressing Himself as Son (or Word), and the-One-and-Only God expressing Himself as Holy Spirit. As Eternal Father, He is said to Originate. As Eternal Son (or Word), He is said to Reveal. As Eternal Spirit, He is said to Implement. Thus we can say that creation is from the Father, through His Son (or Word), by His Holy Spirit.

 So father, how do we begin to resolve Islam’s and Christianity’s disagreement over the trinity?

Son, of course I will not be able to resolve this difference in perspectives. However, I think my perspective may reveal that Muslims and Christians are not so far apart as both groups assume we are.From ALLAH’S perspective, what “Christianity” declares as true or untrue – this is not the significant issue.The term “Christianity” itself is never used in the Scriptures.It too is a term invented by man to be a very large umbrella, under which they attempt to fit all the people of the world who choose to follow Jesus as their Messiah.In fact, the word “Christian” was not invented by those who were followers of the Messiah. Rather, it was invented by non-believing people who were trying to ridicule his followers. So the words “Christianity” and “Christian” are not what matters to ALLAH.Rather it is what is happening in the heart of a believer, not whether that person calls himself a “Muslim”, a “follower of Isa Al-Messiah”, or by some other term.

But since we are discussing what people who call themselves Muslim say they believe, and what people who call themselves Christians say they believe, let us try to resolve any unnecessary confusion caused by Islam’s emphasis on ALLAH’S Unity and Christianity’s emphasis on His Tri-Unity.

ALLAH’S ETERNAL WORD

The first step, as we have already discussed, is to realize that Isa (or Yesyua, or Jesus), is ALLAH’S spiritual son and not His physical son. The term “Son” is a much used term in the Injeel, but has resulted in confusion for Muslims, so it seems to be more helpful for Muslims -- as you yourself have already discovered -- to focus on the Messiah as ALLAH’S WORD.Of course ALLAH’S Word is eternal, because ALLAH is eternal. Therefore He has never been unable to speak His Word. Because ALLAH is able to do all things, He willed that for a short period of human history His Word should communicate to mankind as a Man who was actually ALLAH’S Living Word. Therefore the Qur’an speaks of Isa as ALLAH’S Word, but never speaks of Him as ALLAH’S Son, because of how the people of Mecca had worshipped families of gods before Islam.

But father, how did ALLAH give such power and authority to His Word?

THE ANGEL JIBRAIL IS NOT ALLAH’S ETERNAL HOLY SPIRIT

Son, you have asked a helpful question.Your question brings us to the third reality of what can be called the Tri-Unity of ALLAH. ALLAH’S Word is empowered by ALLAH’S Eternal Spirit, Who expresses the presence of ALLAH and the will of ALLAH. Even though ALLAH reveals Himself through His Eternal Word, and by His Eternal Holy Spirit, He is always One -- just as Islam, Judaism, and Christianity all teach, when each is correctly presented and correctly understood.In the Qur’an’s original Arabic, ALLAH’S Spirit, or His Holy Spirit is often mentioned.However it appears that Muslim teachers are reluctant to allow that ALLAH’S Spirit, or Ruh Ul Qudus, is in fact ALLAH’S Holy Spirit.Not to take any importance away from the mighty Angel Jibrail, but the Angel Jibrail is not ALLAH’S Holy Spirit, Who gave life to Jesus in Mary’s womb and Who empowered the man Jesus throughout His whole life on earth. To insist that every reference in the Holy Qur’an to Ruh Ul Qudus is actually the angel Jibrail – this shows an unwillingness to allow the Spirit of ALLAH to truly be Who He actually is: the Eternal Holy Spirit of the ALMIGHTY!

When men invent any new teaching to replace ALLAH’S Truth, their invention may stand for awhile, but in the end ALLAH will make certain that His Truth triumphs over falsehood.

I have always wondered how Muslim translators justified putting in the translation and in the footnotes that the Angel Jibrail is ALLAH’S Spirit.

Son, this brings us to an important truth which needs to triumph in our hearts and minds. There is one key truth which is repeated over and over in the Qur’an, but which Muslims do not appear to believe. The truth is that “all things are possible with ALLAH.”Muslims seem to believe that everything is possible with ALLAH -- except for one thing: They teach that ALLAH is unable to cause His Living, Eternal Word, which has always been with Him, to become flesh on earth.When Muslims deny that ALLAH, for a period of time beginning about two thousand years ago, revealed His Word as a man, in three ways they totally disobey the Qur’an.

THREE WAYS MUSLIMS DENY THE QUR’AN’S TEACHING

1. They deny that ALLAH can do all things.

2. They also deny a main truth taught in the previous Scriptures that the Qur’an teaches them to believe. For in the Injeel, John 1:14, as the Disciple John was inspired to write, it clearly proclaims: “And the Word became flesh and lived among us.”This Word was Isa or Jesus or Yeshua.

3. They deny that the Qur’an confirms that the living Jesus was ALLAH’S Word, which had become flesh and Who lived among the people of the Middle East.In Al Imran 3:39 and 3:45, and in A Nisa 4:171 the Qur’an confirms the earlier Scriptures’ teaching that ALLAH’S Word had become flesh.For if Isa was not ALLAH’S own Word, whose Word was He? So when Muslims will finally acknowledge that even the Qur’an teaches that Isa was ALLAH’S Word, who lived for about thirty-three years of time on earth as a man, then we will discover a wonderful surprise. Our eyes will be opened to see that the Injeel’s portrayal of ALLAH as One and the Qur’an’s portrayal of ALLAH as One may have a different approach and use different terms, but they are not actually different.In Islam and in Christianity, ALLAH possesses His Eternal WORD, which is His communication with man.He also possesses His Eternal SPIRIT, who continuously represents ALLAH’S Will and Presence throughout the world.But ALLAH remains eternally One, though He reveals Himself to us through His Eternal Word by the power of His Eternal Spirit.

Some Muslims insist that the earlier Scriptures have been changed because of what appears to be differences in the teaching of the Qur’an and the earlier Scriptures. They are concerned that if they acknowledge that these Scriptures are reliable, that the apparent differences may cause Muslims to question the reliability of our Qur’an. Therefore it is necessary to remind ourselves that the Qur’an views itself as a confirmation of the Taurat, Zabur, and Injeel, and repeatedly confirms them.For example, Al-Baqarah 2:41 states: “And believe what I have sent down, (this Qur’an) confirming that which is with you {the Taurat, Zabur, and Injeel} and be not the first to disbelieve therein.”  

When the Qur’an was recorded, there were already thousands and thousands of copies of the previous Scriptures in widely scattered parts of the world: the Middle East, Northern Africa, most of Europe, and India.By what the Qur’an states, it is obvious that the Qur’an assumes that these copies were all reliable.Otherwise there would not have been multiple proclamations in the Qur’an that confirm the earlier Scripture.In the second Surah of the Qur’an (Al Baqarah) the phrase “confirming that which is with you” is repeated in almost the same words four times in the short span of sixty verses. They are 2:41, 2:89, 2:91, and 2:101. These examples and many others definitely reveal that the Qur’an views the Scriptures in circulation at that time as totally reliable.

Father, what explanation do Muslim leaders have for this teaching from the Qur’an about the reliability of the previous Scriptures?

 Many Muslim leaders almost acknowledge that the Qur’an does not teach that the Scriptures preceding it had been changed.But they say that if the Qur’an does not teach that the previous Scriptures had been changed before the Qur’an, and then they were changed after the Qur’an.

But father, practical circumstances make that impossible!How could all of those thousands and thousands of reliable Scriptures have been found and destroyed?

Son, you are absolutely right.Before the Qur’an was recorded, thousands of the unchanged Scriptures, later confirmed by the Qur’an, had been copied and scattered throughout the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and in parts of India and even in Russia.This leaves these leaders with an impossible puzzle to solve. Since not one of those Scriptures that were supposedly different from our present Scriptures has ever been found, what a very large group of changers it must have been who criss-crossed throughout the earth to locate and then destroy or change every copy of those original unchanged Scriptures!They could never have found all of those copies!Most of them would have been hidden as soon as their owners heard that someone wished to destroy their precious Scriptures. Many of the owners would have risked their lives to protect their copies.There is absolutely no possibility that most of these unchanged Scriptures could have been found and destroyed.To suggest this is ridiculous.To teach that this destruction occurred also mocks the ALMIGHTY, who was either unwilling or was unable to protect His Scriptures.Did He think that His own Scriptures had no value?! Did the One who promised to protect His Scriptures go to sleep while all of this destruction took place?Most certainly not!The truth is, that the unchanged Scriptures which existed before the Qur’an and the Scriptures which we have today are all the same unchanged Scriptures.

Realizing that the Qur’an clearly teaches that the previous Scriptures are reliable, leads us toward a solution about differences between the Qur’an and the earlier Scriptures. The Qur’an does not concern itself about minor differences in detail between the Scriptures preceding the Qur’an and the Qur’an itself.Although the Qur’an is now a universal Book and Islam is now a universal Religion, in its beginning Islam’s focus was much more specific than what it has now become. In its beginning the Qur’an was mainly focused on warning a desert people who were involved in idol worship and extreme polytheism of their terrible error in not worshipping God as One. They had very little knowledge of the teachings of the earlier Scriptures.So it was the Qur’an and the Prophet Muhammad’s teachings and warnings to these people that influenced them to become sincere worshippers of the One True ALLAH.

For years these revelations were shared through oral tradition. Thus the exact details of the revelations were not the main issue. The right attitude of the believer’s heart and mind toward ALLAH was the main emphasis. Since the Qur’an consistently considered the earlier Scriptures to be the final authority, the exact details of the Qur’an’s message did not become a major preoccupation until after the time of our Prophet. So the Qur’an’s original purpose was not to be an exact repetition of the names and the particular events which had already been described in more detail in the earlier Scriptures. In the Qur’an, obedience to ALLAH and His receiving the obedience and worship due Him as the One and Only God… this had priority over agreement in all the details. In the Qur’an, those who became focused on the differences in all small details were missing the importance of the great purposes of ALLAH. It is in this spirit that the Qur’an’s verse in Yunus (Jonah) 10: 94 reveals that if Muhammad or anyone else questioned the meaning of the Qur’an’s revelations, the final authority was the earlier Scriptures and those persons who were familiar with the content of those reliable Scriptures.

As we examine Yunus 10: 94, the editors’ comments in parentheses in some editions of the English translation attempt to convince us that the main purpose of this verse is to confirm that Muhammad’s name was actually written in the Taurat and Injeel (Gospel).But when the Arabic of this verse is read, the Arabic does not even hint that in this verse the Qur’an intends to say that Muhammad’s name was written in the Torat and Injeel. Most Muslims and others do not realize that a few Muslim leaders openly corrupt the meaning of the Qur’an with their pens, and definitely change the meaning of the Qur’an by their additions. But one reason that nobody notices that Muslim leaders are openly making these changes is because of the distraction they create with their loud and persistent proclamations that the previous Scriptures have been changed.So no one stops to give attention to the reality that it is not the previous Scriptures that have been changed, but that it is the message of the Qur’an which is being changed.

Regrettably, their added comments both hide and twist the true intent of Yunus (Jonah) 10: 94. This verse established that the final authority for the validity of revelations in the Qur’an, are the earlier Scriptures or the earlier Book.This verse is also one more proof that the Qur’an assumes that the Book which then in circulation was reliable because it uses the phrase, “those who are reading the Book before you.”

The English translation of the Arabic without added comment is: “So if you are in doubt concerning that which we have revealed unto you, then ask those who are reading the Book before you.Verily, the truth has come to you from your Lord.So be not of those who doubt.”

But with the additions made by the writers from our Islamic University at Madinah, this important verse now reads in English as follows: “So if you (O Muhammad) are in doubt concerning that which We have revealed unto you [that your name is written in the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel), then ask those who are reading the Book [the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] before you.Verily, the truth has come to you from your Lord.So be not of those who doubt (it).

In Arabic this verse is teaching that the previous Scriptures or Book are the final authority, and that all Muslims are to realize that the Qur’an recognizes them as the final authority.This teaching can be seen to be the emphasis -- unless the reader is strongly under the influence of official Islamic tradition.This official tradition dictates how Muslims and others are supposed to understand what this verse means, instead of understanding what it really teaches.

Some Muslims are worried that since the Qur’an gives the earlier Scriptures this amount of authority, this will cause Muslims to lose respect for the Qur’an. Actually, the opposite should be true. This understanding should cause Muslims to respect the Qur’an even more for the way it encourages Muslims to view the earlier Scriptures as the final authority. If the Qur’an was insecure about its own teaching, it would not direct Muslims to the earlier Scriptures.This integrity by the Qur’an to acknowledge the authority of the earlier Scriptures deserves respect rather than disrespect. Consequently, when a Muslim reads those earlier Scriptures, he increases his own background for understanding what is said in the Qur’an.

For an example, I will tell you about the experience of a friend who studied in the U.S. I will try to remember what he told me in his own words.He said: “While growing up in Saudi Arabia, I almost never read the Qur’an. It was mainly the attitudes and statements of religious leaders that discouraged me from reading it.They taught me that I would not be able to understand its true meaning unless I constantly consulted commentaries or religious authorities to tell me what each verse does or does not mean.In other words, I was told that I could not think about its meaning, but I would need others to tell me the official meaning of every verse.”

“All of this changed after I began to read the Taurat and Injeel. From the time I began reading what are called the Old and New Testaments, I have experienced almost no need for someone to tell me what either the Qur’an or the Kitab al Muqades mean. Their meanings are almost always obvious. Also reading the Scriptures that preceded the Qur’an gave me helpful background to understand the Qur’an’s meaning, whether I read it in English or in Arabic.So I soon developed a deep appreciation for something that I had not known previously about the Qur’an’s message.I now realized that the Qur’an urgently warns each of us of the severe punishment for ignoring ALLAH’S revelations, which include the earlier Scriptures. I soon became aware of my great loss for not only ignoring the teachings of the Qur’an, but also for ignoring the teachings of the Taurat, and Injeel.”

AL MAIDAH 5: 68

“Also, Al Maidah 5:68 in the Qur’an soon caught my attention. This verse warns the people of the Scripture that they have nothing if they do not observe and obey the Torah and the Gospel and that which was revealed to them from their Lord.Since those Scriptures are so often confirmed by the Qur’an as being reliable, and since the Qur’an teaches every Muslim to never ignore any revelation from ALLAH, I soon became convinced of a serious warning to me from the Qur’an. I was being warned by the Qur’an that I was losing something important and placing my present and future in serious jeopardy if I did not read and obey the Scriptures preceding the Qur’an.”

Father, what this friend told you has been very helpful to me.I now realize that when Muslim leaders unanimously teach us to deny the authority of these previous Scriptures, we are not only conspiring against ALLAH’S Scriptures.We are also conspiring against ALLAH Himself.For, to conspire against ALLAH’S Revelations is to conspire against Him. And to reject ALLAH’S Scripture is to reject Him, for ALLAH’S Scriptures are from Him. This means that large segments of Islam are in open rebellion against the ALMIGHTY.

A LEAF IN A RAGING STORM

Son, to reject what a salesman tells us probably will not have serious consequences. To reject what a lawyer or police officer tells us may have serious consequences. But, to openly reject what our Creator and Future Judge tell us is an extremely foolish and dangerous choice. In fact, it is a choice which influences our eternal future. Even though we invent excuse after excuse of why it is okay to reject ALLAH’S Scriptures, our best excuse is like an empty bag of air.At our final judgment, each of our excuses will be blown away like a leaf in a raging storm. Weak excuses presented to the ALMIGHTY will do nothing but increase our guilt.These weak excuses will show our Judge that we knew the right thing to do, but stubbornly refused to do it.For our own selfish reasons, we have chosen the path of rebellion and disobedience.

Another reason leaders reject the Scriptures which preceded the Qur’an is our subconscious fear of losing status in the eyes of our Jewish cousins. Up to this time most Arab Muslims and most of the Jews of Israel have stayed independent from what is considered Western Christianity.If we Muslims accept the authority of the Injeel, we wrongly think that we are accepting Western Christianity.Thus, we fear that the Jews will think of us as compromising. We fear that they will say that we have changed our religion because of pressure and propaganda from the West.

The reality is quite different from our perceptions.When we understand that our own Qur’an affirms the previous Scripture, of course millions will choose to become followers of ALLAH’S Risen Messiah. But how our obedience to our Messiah will work out in our lives will not be dictated by the West. Rather, it will be our choice. Israel will not feel superior to us when we follow him who is King of all kings. Instead, they will be envious. This was predicted by their own former Rabbi in the 11th chapter of his Letter to the Romans in the Injeel.Our new joy, liberty, and power in ALLAH’S Spirit are something for which Jews are yearning.But they will only experience these blessings when they choose to stop rebelling against the truth of ALLAH’S Scriptures.

In addition to rejecting ALLAH when we reject His Scriptures, we also must realize that we have committed another terrible crime.We have rejected the messages of each of ALLAH’S previous prophets when we reject the previous Scriptures.When we Muslims insist that all the previous Scriptures were changed, we force Muslims to reject each recorded statement and each recorded action of each of ALLAH’S earlier Prophets, except for those few narratives repeated in the Qur’an. To reject the messages of all of ALLAH’S previous Prophets, while we claim to honor all of those Prophets, is hypocrisy.And this is a serious crime against ALLAH for which we will be judged.

Another thing son, do you realize that when we reject ALLAH’S Scripture, we reject every recorded act that ALLAH has performed which display His Might and Glory? We callously cancel every revelation of ALLAH in the Old and New Testament when we choose to reject His Scriptures. Every recorded compassionate act of ALLAH in the Old and New Testament is cancelled by us when we refuse to accept His written accounts as reliable.We reject every account of ALLAH’S disciplining the rebellion of the Jewish people, except for those accounts which are repeated in the Qur’an. Our rejection of all of the acts of ALLAH recorded in the Scriptures will be seen as a serious crime by our Judge.

ALLAH’S WORD IS ETERNAL

To even suggest that ALLAH has ever been without His WORD, so that He has been unable to speak is ridiculous.He has never been without His WORD.Clearly, both the Qur’an and the Scriptures preceding the Qur’an proclaim that ALLAH’S very WORD is the Messiah who has always been with ALLAH. But son, what have we done with ALLAH’S precious Word Who is clearly revealed to us through the previous Scriptures?

Father, I am ashamed to say the words, but we have rejected ALLAH’S Word, our Messiah.

Yes son, by rejecting ALLAH’S previous Scriptures, every word spoken by ALLAH’S Word has been rejected by Islam.Every parable he told has been rejected.His every act of compassion we have ignored and rejected.Every compassionate act of healing he performed, we have rejected. Though he often exposed Jewish hypocrisy, it is all rejected by the rejecters of ALLAH’S Scriptures. This is an extremely serious crime against ALLAH, for to reject His Messiah is to reject Him.

Now son, my heart is heavy with sadness as I tell you about the most serious crime ever committed by a Muslim or by anyone else. But Muslims are not the only ones committing the serious crime of rejecting the death and resurrection of ALLAH’S Messiah. Millions calling themselves Christians, the majority of Jews, and millions of others refuse the vital place in ALLAH’S plan for Jesus’ sacrificial death and his victorious resurrection.

As you know, my son, Muslims are quick to point out that everyone who rejects the death of Jesus is correct.We have constantly been taught that neither Isa’s death nor his resurrection ever occurred. This is because Muslim leaders have convinced everyone that one verse of the Qur’an must be interpreted in a way that will deny Isa’s death.They incorrectly insist on a literal interpretation of this verse, even though the context of this verse suggests a symbolic and figurative interpretation.

THE UNWRITTEN LAW OF ISLAM

Also they insist on this literal interpretation even though their interpretation contradicts other verses in the Qur’an which speak of both Isa’s death and his resurrection. These leaders have invented a law which they insist must be obeyed by both the Qur’an and the Muslim Community. They have invented this law, not to please ALLAH, but to keep themselves in control of what others think that the Qur’an teaches.This is done so that they will have an excuse for not yielding to the Authority of ALLAH’S Messiah, or to the Authority of ALLAH’S previous unchanged Scriptures.

 Their unwritten law is this: If the true teaching of the Qur’an interferes with what is officially accepted as Islamic tradition, then the correct teachings of the Qur’an are cancelled by official Islamic interpretation.So, if it is truly correct to understand that the Messiah did die and did rise from death, then Islamic tradition cancels this true teaching of the Qur’an. Another way of stating this unwritten law of Islam is this: No matter what the Qur’an actually teaches, if its true teaching interferes with what Muslim leaders want the people to believe, then the official meaning of the Qur’an is changed. And they do this so that the Qur’an agrees with what the leaders want the Qur’an to teach.This way the leaders think that they can always stay in control of Muslim thinking, even though they are fighting against the ALMIGHTY when they do this.

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU REJECT

A major problem which these leaders must solve is this: When they decide that Al Nisa 4: 157 must be understood to teach that Isa did not die, the teaching of several other verses in the Qur’an about His death or resurrection have their meanings changed or cancelled.Also cancelled is the main teaching of the entire New Testament, which the Qur’an confirms as containing accurate teaching.This results in all of Islam callously rejecting the great personal agony and suffering of ALLAH’S Messiah.Also, we reject the historical fact that ALLAH gloriously raised him alive from his tomb.

When we reject these two events that ALLAH ordained to occur for our benefit, we have created for ourselves an extremely serious personal crisis. While we ourselves are in desperate need of forgiveness for our grievous sin of callously rejecting our Messiah’s personal sacrifice for us, we foolishly reject our only means of forgiveness. For the very sacrifice we have rejected is our only way of receiving forgiveness for our crime of rejecting ALLAH’S Messiah. Stated another way, the Messiah giving himself on the cross, as an atoning sacrifice for our own terrible crimes against him is our only way to experience forgiveness for those crimes.

But our deep rebellion does not leave us in a hopeless situation. For those of us who are able to receive the gift of humility from ALLAH and admit that we have made a terrible error in rejecting ALLAH’S Messiah, there is still available for us liberation and forgiveness.

But we must first recognize that rejecting the sacrificial death of ALLAH’S Messiah is an even more serious crime that rejecting the Scriptures. When Isa’s agony and suffering is rejected, then the most unselfish act of love that has ever been committed by any person in the history of the universe is arrogantly cast aside as worthless. We Muslims reject this loving sacrifice, even though the sacrifice was made by ALLAH’S Word, who was revealed to us as a vulnerable man of flesh and blood.

Father, why do Muslims insist that the ALMIGHTY did not give His Messiah the power to defeat death, since the Qur’an so clearly teaches that ALLAH is able to do all things?

Your question is excellent!Obviously the Qur’an prepares our minds for Isa’s amazing resurrection when it proclaims Isa as the only person in all history who was not given life by the semen of man. Instead the Qur’an clearly reveals that it was ALLAH’S own Spirit that brought life to the womb of Maryam.

Even though ALLAH’S Messiah had this unique start in life, his death and resurrection are rejected.Even though he is called faultless by the Qur’an, his death and resurrection are rejected. Even though he lived a perfect and compassionate life, his death and resurrection are rejected. Even though he exposed the hypocrisy of Jewish leaders, his death and resurrection are rejected.Even though he opened the eyes of those born blind, healed the sick, and raised the dead, his death and resurrection are rejected. Even though the Scriptures which the Qur’an affirms, clearly proclaim that these two events occurred, Muslim leaders continue to conspire together to deny his sacrificial death and his glorious resurrection. Even though other verses in the Qur’an when read in Arabic, refer to his death and resurrection, both events are stubbornly rejected by Islamic leaders.Even though Islamic tradition is forced to acknowledge that Isa is so important and unique that ALLAH has kept him alive for over two thousand years, his death and resurrection are stubbornly rejected.

Our rejection becomes even more foolish and illogical when the one verse in the Qur’an which at first appears to deny his death, is read carefully and understood properly. When closely analyzed with the other verses before it and after it, it turns out to be a brilliant proclamation that the Jews were defeated in their united effort to forever end the life of ALLAH’S Messiah!Since the whole intent of crucifixion and killing was the victim’s death forever and ever, in that sense Jesus was neither killed nor crucified, just as the verse tell us, because his life was not permanently ended. When the verse is understood this way, it confirms other verses in the Qur’an which speak of his death. Significantly, it also confirms the earlier Scriptures which describe his death in great detail.And it is these Scriptures which the Qur’an repeatedly affirms as authoritative and reliable.So there are numerous reasons that we Muslims should gratefully embrace the sacrificial death of ALLAH’S Messiah, and beg forgiveness for our calloused rejection of ALLAH’S love. We should realize that the animal which was sacrificed for Abraham’s son, was not the true Great Sacrifice. Instead that animal was pointing forward to the truly great sacrifice of ALLAH’S Messiah who would be ALLAH’S pure Lamb.He allowed himself to be sacrificed because of the rebellion against ALLAH of the entire world. But this most profound verse in the Qur’an has its true meaning denied.In contradiction of our Qur’an, our leaders demand that this verse must be understood in a superficial way.They refuse to understand its meaning in its relationship with other verses that are in other surahs of the Qur’an.They also refuse to understand its true meaning in its relationship to the verses immediately before it and the verses immediately after it. And they refuse to understand its true meaning in its relationship to the comprehensive and emphatic teaching of the earlier Scriptures whose reliability is confirmed repeatedly by the Qur’an.

FEAR OF MAN OR FEAR OF ALLAH

 Father, it must be the tremendous fear that Muslim leaders have of other Muslims that makes our leaders want to please others more than they want to please ALLAH. So is it fear that is the main factor which causes them to reject their Messiah’s death and resurrection?What other explanation is there that they continue to deny the truth of this profound verse and other verses in the Qur’an, which all confirm that Isa died and rose?

Son, I agree that it must be fear.Because there are many compelling reasons that we should definitely accept the fact of Isa’s resurrection and the fact of his death. For instance, at the time the Qur’an was first revealed, it was openly acknowledged by all God-fearing people throughout the Middle East – except for most God-fearing Jews – that ALLAH’S Messiah had defeated death by rising from the dead.Joined with this fact is the reality that not one verse in the entire Qur’an denies His glorious resurrection. And joined with that reality is the fact that other verses in the Qur’an make reference to both Isa’s death and his resurrection.Then we must add these facts to the additional reality that the Qur’an vigorously affirms the reliability of the earlier Scriptures which has whole pages about the details of our Messiah’s death and resurrection. Since the Qur’an had all of this overwhelming confirmation that the Messiah had both died and risen from the dead, therefore it is quite logical that in only one verse out of the entire Qur’an, Isa’s victory over death and over the plans of the Jews should be declared in a new and fresh way. Of course the Qur’an would not have risked confusing us by even one comment, if his death and resurrection had not been well known and established facts. Instead of repeating the already familiar facts of Isa’s death and resurrection, in this one verse the Qur’an chose to silence Jewish leaders.

“Shameful” is not a strong enough word to describe the way that the Jews had treated both the Messiah and his mother.But also shameful in the view of the Qur’an was other behavior by the Jews which the Qur’an lists before its statement about the Messiah’s death. Since there was this accumulation of such negative behavior which deserved a most severe rebuke, the Qur’an chose shocking words in order to make an everlasting impression on each of its readers.These shocking words were: “They killed him not, nor crucified him.”

Son, I am now going to give you some of the background for why the Qur’an states that the Messiah was neither killed nor crucified.But when I use my own strong language to describe this negative circumstance, please do not think that any of us are better than the Jews when they did the things the Qur’an portrays them as doing.Because all of us -- whether we be Muslims, Christians, or Jews -- are in some way in rebellion against the ALMIGHTY.I am convinced that the previous Scriptures teach that the Jews were symbolically representing us all when they committed their crimes against ALLAH’S Messiah.So it is each one of us who should have great sorrow over what happened to the Messiah on that one dark day outside the walls of Jerusalem.

The clear plan and the precise intention of Jewish leaders were to blot out permanently the brilliant light of Isa’s life.In their total submission to darkness and evil, they conspired to manipulate the Romans to execute him by the torture of crucifixion. This method of execution was intended to maximize the suffering of the victim.It also openly displayed his suffering so that others would both fear and obey whatever authority had such power to cause the victim to die in extended agony. Though we here in our Kingdom receive criticism for our method of execution, it is merciful in comparison to the crucifixion that our Messiah endured.

The Qur’an’s purpose was not to deny the well-established fact of Isa’s death by crucifixion. Rather, it was to mock the Jews for their total failure to accomplish their purpose of forever ending his life.

Of course the Injeel had told the Jews that they had failed to end his life, because ALLAH had raised him from the tomb.But from the perspective of the Qur’an, this clear, factual teaching by the Injeel had not had enough impact on the arrogance of the Jews. Even the Jews of the Prophet Muhammad’s time remained convinced that their forefathers had been justified in crucifying the man who they thought had falsely represented himself as God’s son. Not only this, but he backed up the authority he claimed to have, by giving life to dead people – which only God can do. He even spoke of being alive before Abraham, which meant that either he was over 2200 years old… or else he shared ALLAH’S attribute of eternity!But, when the Jews actually boasted of their forefather’s involvement in the killing of the one whom they were convinced had misrepresented ALLAH, the Qur’an spoke out strongly.

No! They had not even partially succeeded in their rebellion against ALLAH and His Messiah. An amazing Book from the desert courageously proclaimed that ALLAH viewed this horrible crime differently. From the Qur’an’s perspective, Jewish leaders had been absolute failures.Yes, from the Qur’an’s perspective they had failed to “kill” Isa, because the Jewish intent “to kill” and “to crucify” him did not mean death for three days, but death forever and ever.They had failed to bring about his permanent death.

Therefore the Qur’an magnified and ridiculed their failure. It triumphantly stated that they had neither killed nor crucified the Son of Maryam.Thus it humiliated those who deserved to be humiliated.Jewish pride should have been crushed.The Jewish leaders were exposed as those who were unable to successfully commit a crime, even with the help of the Roman Empire.  How could the Qur’an proclaim with such certainty that the Messiah had not been killed or crucified? It was because he did not remain dead. For, as the next verse triumphantly proclaims, ALLAH gloriously raised him up.

There has been one major problem that has hindered Muslims and others from understanding the true meaning of this magnificent verse.Since this verse shocks people and grasps so much of our attention by what it proclaims, it becomes isolated in our thinking from the content contained in the verses before it.So we neglect to understand its meaning in relationship to the additional Jewish evil deeds listed before the statement about Jesus’ crucifixion.

THEY SLANDERED THE MESSIAH’S MOTHER

When we do shift our focus to the preceding verses, we see numerous compelling reasons for the Qur’an to mock the wickedness of Jewish leaders for their various crimes. Of course the final culmination of all their crimes was their manipulating the Romans to execute ALLAH’S Messiah. But the Qur’an emphasizes their guilt, by portraying them as shamelessly boasting about their success in killing the Messiah.Their crimes also include another additional compelling motive to ridicule these leaders: Shamelessly, they had even dared to attack the honor of Jesus’ mother.

Possibly no culture in the world honors mothers more than the Arab culture. Also, no group puts a higher value on virginity before marriage than do the Arabs. Yet the Qur’an indicates that there were Jews who were maliciously slandering the character of Jesus’ mother. Anyone who circulated shameful false gossip directed against the pure mother of ALLAH’S Anointed deserved a humiliating rebuke. For them to state or even imply that this pure woman engaged in sexual intercourse with other men before the birth of her first son was the most disgusting false charge that they could make against this pure woman.Every Muslim was convinced that she had no intercourse with even her husband until after Jesus was born.With great emotion the Qur’an describes this as a “grave” false charge. And remember that the Qur’an also lists other serious charges against the Jews for other crimes, before describing this crime against his mother.It speaks of their breaking covenants, which is serious violation of ALLAH’S law. In Islam the crime of rejecting ALLAH’S messengers was as terrible a crime as could be committed. In Islam the crime of rejecting ALLAH’S signs was a way of rejecting ALLAH.After each of these crimes is listed, their malicious attack on Mary is exposed. After such a serious list of crimes, including the attack on Isa’s mother, there are two more evils that are added.

The Jews proudly boasted that they had crucified ALLAH’S Apostle. For anyone to boast about such a reprehensible act was beyond the imagination of Muslims.The final crime listed was the murder itself.It was indeed murder, because to kill an innocent person, even when it was done by government officials, is murder.

EVIL BOASTING FOREVER SILENCED

This murder was so horrible and unjust that the Qur’an made a shocking proclamation that would no longer allow the Jews to boast: the Messiah was not killed nor crucified. In the Qur’an’s view, evil boasting about an evil crime must forever be silenced. Since the Messiah was raised from death, in the Qur’an’s view, his resurrection justified making a concise statement that he was not crucified.So the way to stop the evil boasting was to boldly proclaim the one thing which would always remind readers of the Qur’an that the boasting of certain arrogant Jews had been forever silenced: They had not killed nor crucified him, because death had been defeated when ALLAH took him up alive.

It is important to realize that these leaders whom the Qur’an was silencing did not believe that their forefathers had committed any crime. They only viewed themselves as defending the Unity of ALLAH. Because of the exact way that the Jews understood ALLAH to be One, they considered it their duty to kill an innocent man who revealed ALLAH in a new way that their minds could not understand. As occurred at Nazareth when they had tried to throw him off a cliff, the light of ALLAH shined so brightly through His Messiah that His light blinded their eyes and drove them to rage. When the Roman governor, Pilate, tried to release him because of his innocence, the priests manipulated the crowds to cruelly shout: “Crucify Him!Crucify Him!”Yet, the Jews of Muhammad’s time remained convinced that their forefathers had done something good by executing the man whom they considered to be a false Messiah. So they felt justified in boasting about the fact that their forefathers had crucified him.

But the Qur’an viewed the Jews as rebelling against ALLAH when they crucified His Messiah. This makes it clear why the Qur’an made an extreme statement about the Messiah not being crucified, in order to deny the Jews any excuse to continue their boast. From the Qur’an’s perspective the earlier Scriptures had already taught that by ALLAH’S power Jesus had totally defeated death by walking out of and away from his tomb.These Scriptures even revealed that he showed himself alive to his eleven disciples, to several women who had followed him, and to as many as five hundred others all at one time. This had occurred over a period of forty days.Many of his followers had conversations with him.He had even eaten with some of them.So there was no need for the Qur’an to repeat what had been so clearly and comprehensively portrayed in the earlier Scriptures. Therefore, to forever silence Jewish boasting, the Qur’an boldly stated the triumph of Isa over the plans of the Jews and over death itself. But it did so in a totally different way than the previous Scriptures have.

Because of the new way of describing Isa’s triumph over death, the Jews could no longer have a basis to ever boast again to Muslims or to anyone else about their success in killing the one who claimed to be their Messiah. Their successful killing of the Messiah would not even be acknowledged.The Qur’an used this fact that the Jews had been unable to permanently end his life to silence their false boasting.This one concise statement would now give all Muslims a way to silence any Jews who might have the audacity to still boast about this “accomplishment” of their forefathers.

ONE MAGNIFICENT VERSE

In one magnificent verse, the Qur’an eliminates all possibility for pride by any Jew. In the Qur’an’s view, beyond any doubt, they had failed to achieve their goal of the Messiah’s permanent death. Anyone who failed to grasp this perspective, or would not accept its validity, was pursuing a conjecture. Evaluated in the light of their evil intent, and in the light of his glorious resurrection, the result was the same as if they had neither killed nor crucified him.

Son, I have said enough about the crime of certain Jews.We must now talk about a terrible crime we Muslims are committing. We use as our excuse, this one verse that brilliantly silences all Jewish boasting about Isa’s murder. On the basis of our misunderstanding of this verse’s true meaning, we commit our own serious crime. Shamefully, we attempt to cancel all of the agony and suffering that ALLAH’S Messiah endured for all mankind.

We presumptuously try to change the ALMIGHTY’S plan: that is, for Jesus to be accepted as the Lamb of ALLAH who spiritually takes away the sin of the world. For us to ignore so much evidence, and then continue to insist that the Qur’an teaches that Jesus did not suffer a cruel crucifixion – this is to fight against truth and against ALLAH! Therefore the time has now come for An-Nisa 4:157 to no longer be read and understood in isolation. Rather we must now understand that this verse is a final, stern rebuke for each of the shameful crimes committed by the Jews as listed in the Qur’an. When the Qur’an lists these multiple crimes, it is not attempting to be anti-Semitic, nor am I being anti-Semitic in discussing them.But to understand the true meaning of this controversial verse, we must get a clear view of what the Qur’an is intending to convey.

So we must no longer attempt to understand the meaning of the statements about Isa’s crucifixion in isolation from their context.Rather, we must understand these statements in their relation to the other crimes that had just been listed.Immediately after the controversial statement, the Qur’an provides the justification for boldly proclaiming that the Messiah was not killed or crucified. The next verse is to clearly remind us that because of ALLAH’S Wisdom and Might, He took the Messiah up alive. So symbolically and figuratively it was as though he had not been killed or crucified, because the words “killed” and “crucified” each impart the meaning that his life was permanently ended. Because ALLAH took him up alive after his death, and because most Jews would not acknowledge that fact, it definitely appeared to the Jews that he was now forever dead. That was not true, but to them it appeared to be true because they did not believe that ALLAH took him up alive after his death.So it was their conjecture that they had totally ended his life by crucifying him. But their conjecture was wrong.

Let me give you a vivid example of how far some of our sincere leaders are willing to go, in their sincere but misguided efforts to make this verse teach what they want it to teach.Without realizing the seriousness of their deception, they are willing to add to a translation so that it denies that Isa was crucified or that he defeated death.

I will quote again from the English version of the Qur’an approved by Al-Madina’s Islamic University.Even though it is clear that the Qur’an affirms the Injeel, which so clearly teaches about Isa’s death and resurrection, this approved version of the Qur’an uses this verse in an attempt to totally deny the agony and suffering Jesus willingly endured. They do not realize it, but they rebel against ALLAH in teaching that another person was crucified instead of Jesus.It must be realized that the original Arabic Qur’an contains no such teaching. But their false teaching is firmly believed by a majority of Muslims, due to how successful our leaders have been in convincing our minds that something false is actually true.

Father, isn’t this ability of one group of people to convince others that what is false is actually true, often called “brainwashing”?

You are right! So to accomplish this, this group of translators have changed the meaning of this verse so it now reads like this in English:

“And because of their (the Jews) disbelief and uttering against Maryam (Mary) a grave false charge” (that she had committed illegal sexual intercourse); “157. And because of their saying (in boast), ‘We killed Messiah Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), the Messenger of ALLAH,’ – but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but the resemblance of Isa (Jesus) was put over another man (and they killed that man), and those who differ therein are full of doubts.They have no (certain) knowledge; they follow nothing but conjecture. For surely; they killed him not (i.e. Isa [Jesus]), son of Maryam (Mary): 158. But ALLAH raised him [Isa (Jesus)] up (with his body and soul) unto Himself (and He is in the heavens).And ALLAH is Ever All-Powerful, All Wise.

A much more objective translation of the Qur’an that I obtained in here Saudi Arabia, translated by the respected Arabic translator, Marmaduke Pickthall, correctly presents this verse as stating that it appeared to the Jews that they had crucified Jesus.It states absolutely nothing about the appearance of Jesus being put on another person.

“And because of their saying: We slew the Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, ALLAH’S messenger – They slew him not nor crucified him. But it appeared so unto them, And Lo! And those who disagree concerning it are in doubt thereof; they have no knowledge thereof save pursuit of a conjecture; they slew him not for certain, 158 But ALLAH took him up unto Himself.ALLAH is ever Mighty, Wise.”

So the phrase that the Saudi publishers extend to mean that someone else was on the cross instead of Jesus is simply translated: “it appeared so unto them” in the Pickthall translation.The most obvious explanation of what “it appeared so unto them” means is that it had appeared to the Jews that they had been successful in their purpose of totally ending Messiah’s life.But they had not been successful because, as the next verse states, “ALLAH raised him up.” In the Arabic the whole phrase, “it appeared so unto them” consists of only two Arabic words: “shubbiha” and “lahum”.“Shubbiha” means, “it appeared so” or “had the appearance of being so”. “Lahum” simply means “unto them”.

Though it appeared to the Jews that they had successfully killed and crucified ALLAH’S Messiah, appearances are often deceiving.Because ALLAH raised him up, it was only their conjecture that they had forever ended his life.For the other translators to insert into a verse what is not presented in the original language is what it truly means to corrupt Scripture.This is an obvious example of translators attempting to present their own personal opinions as fact.This example offers strong evidence of the lack of reliability on the part of some translators.They loudly proclaim that the teaching of the Qur’an is that the Injeel has been corrupted. There is no evidence in the Qur’an that the Injeel was corrupted by Christians.So, here is a strong example where the accusers of others are the ones who are corrupting their own Qur’an.

But there is a serious complication.Muslims and even Christian Arabs have been taught for centuries that the Arabic verb “shubiha” means that one person takes on the appearance of another person. So now many have actually become convinced that this is what this verb is intended to mean. But to say that this is what this verb must mean in this verse is to stretch its meaning far beyond what was ever intended.

Let me put things in perspective by asking this: Do you think it would take the great wisdom and might of the ALMIGHTY to make one person take on the appearance of another person?

THE C.I.A., THE MOSSAD, AND HOLLYWOOD

No, father. Intelligence agencies such as the C.I.A. or the Mossad often make one person appear to be another. Also, both Hollywood filmmakers and professional magicians engage in that kind of deception.

Son, we both realize that it is no major achievement to make one person take on the appearance of another.But man does not have the Wisdom and Might of ALLAH.So it is only ALLAH’S Wisdom and Might that can raise a man up alive who has been dead for three days.

Father, it is exactly as the next verse in the Qur’an teaches: ALLAH raised Isa up alive, by His Wisdom and Might.

Son, I have such deep sadness and regret that our Islamic leaders continue to demand that Women 4:157 must be understood in a contradictory and superficial way. They do this even though there are so many compelling reasons which all show that this verse was always intended to be understood in a figurative and symbolic way rather than in a literal way.

Now let me summarize the reasons I have already told you about and also add some others.

Reason 1: That it appeared to the Jews that they had killed Isa whereas they had not truly achieved their goal, because they had only temporarily ended His life on earth.That being so, it appeared to them that they had ended his life forever -- is a reasonable way to understand “shubbiha lahum – it appeared so unto them.” But the clever invention by man that it means that someone else was on the cross who appeared to be Jesus, but was not Jesus – this is not a reasonable way to understand this verse. Also, it is an explanation which contradicts many facts.

MUTAWAFIKA

Reason 2 – Other verses in the Qur’an speak of the death of Jesus such as Al-Imran 3:55. Though the root of the Arabic verb “mutawafika’ which includes the suffix for “you”, has the meaning of “cause you to die”, it fits the purpose of most Muslim translators to translate it as “take you” or “gather you” or “bring your term to an end”. But when this verse is translated in a way that is faithful to the Arabic and clearer in the English, it is “…O Isa (Jesus)! I will cause You to die and raise You to Myself and clear You of those who disbelieve…” Also, in Al Maidah 5:117, the same verb root which relates to death is used again of Jesus, but instead of being translated into English as relating to his death, the translators avoid reference to his death, and it is translated as “take me up” “…and I was a witness over them while I dwelt among them; when Thou didst take Me up…”

Significantly, the same Arabic verb root is also used in Al Baqarah 2:240. But here it is accurately translated as relating to death, because in this verse there is no connection with the death of Jesus, which Muslim translators wish to avoid: “and those of you who die and leave behind wives…”

So, when there is a statement in the Qur’an which makes reference to Jesus’ death, his death is usually disguised in the English translation. This is done so that other verses in the Qur’an will not appear to contradict the way that leaders have wrongly interpreted AN-Nisa 4:157. But when AN-Nisa is understood, -- that he defeated both the plans of the Jews and death itself, which is the way it was originally intended to be understood -- then all the Qur’an’s verses which mention Jesus’ death now agree with each other. Then there is no further need to disguise or to deny his death in any verse.This new transparency eliminates all need for an agenda which continues to deny the sacrificial death and glorious resurrection of ALLAH’S Messiah. Also, ALLAH’S Messiah is no longer portrayed as a coward who needed ALLAH to help him escape, so that he could avoid suffering a cruel execution.

Reason 3. Muslim leaders believe that they must insist on a literal interpretation of this verse, even when it contradicts facts presented in the Qur’an: This, in order to keep Islam as independent as possible from the influence of the West. They consider the West to be immoral, and since they think that most of the West believes that Jesus died and rose, so to be independent of Western beliefs, they reject these two events. In this way they think that they can have a religion that is as different as possible from the Christian religion. But our practical and psychological needs to be different and independent cannot change history and must not oppose ALLAH’s Truth.Also, the majority of the immorality in the West is not committed by those who consider the death and resurrection of the Messiah to be important to them.

EMBARRASSED LEADERS

Reason 4. It is obvious that this verse has a partially hidden meaning.To admit that for centuries Muslim leaders have missed the way that AN Nisa uses ridicule of Israeli leaders as a way to silence their boasting… This would embarrass these respected leaders.To save face and avoid admitting to a mistake is more important to these leaders than to admit the truth.But actually they should rejoice that they have a Book which has such depth. It should be expected that in such a Book there are hidden meanings which can only be fully understood when the ALMIGHTY provides the extra help that is needed. And when that time arrives, His Will cannot be resisted.

FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE QUR’AN

Reason 5. The figurative meaning of this verse about Isa not being killed is in total agreement with the figurative teaching in two other verses in the Qur’an.Two eloquent verses command Muslims to not think of those who are killed in the cause of ALLAH as dead:

Al-Baqarah 2:154 “And say not of those who are killed in the Way of ALLAH, ‘They are dead.’Nay, they are living, but you perceive (it) not.” And Al-Imran 3:169 uses almost the same words: “Think not of those who are killed in the way of ALLAH as dead. Nay, they are alive with their Lord…”

There is a strange phenomenon existing in Muslim leaders’ minds. When we encounter Women 4:157, which contains teaching that follows the precise instructions of these two verses; a strange thing happens. In disobedience we demand that this amazing verse of Women 4:157 be interpreted in a way that rebels against the instructions contained in the verse in Al Baqarah and in the verse in Al Imran.An Nisa 4:157 does not think of Isa as dead but as being alive, which precisely follows the exact command contained in Al Baqarah 2:154 and in Al Imran 3:169, which command us to think of Isa as not having been killed even though he was killed. So the one verse out of the entire Qur’an which speaks about Isa’s death, while proclaiming him as not having died, but as being alive; Muslims will not accept its intended teaching. Therefore, instead of obedience to the Qur’an, it is disobedience to the Qur’an which is temporarily guiding our interpretation of An Nisa 4:157.

But father, why do you say that this rebellious interpretation is only temporarily guiding us? Are we about to change our interpretation of An Nisa 4:157 so that it will be in agreement with what these two other verses reveal?

Son, since it is ALLAH’S will that we obey what is revealed, we have no choice but to change our understanding of what An Nisa 4:157 truly teaches. It is only a matter of time before very many of us will obey.Of course, some of those who are at heart disbelievers, will continue to rebel against the true meaning of An Nisa 4:157.

Reason 6. If the previous Scriptures or Book in existence at the time the Qur’an was recorded had been considered by the Qur’an to have been changed or corrupted, the Qur’an would not have consistently used the term “People of the Book” as a term of respect. Instead the Qur’an would have forced an exposure of the error and used such a term as “People of the Changed Book” or “People of the Corrupted Scripture”.

This may sound almost humorous but the point is this: It is obvious that the Qur’an would not have constantly referred to the previous Scriptures with such respect and reverence if it had considered those Scriptures to have been changed. Therefore the clear teaching in those previous Scriptures about the atonement of Jesus which cleanses us from our disobedience is to be believed, and their teaching about his glorious resurrection, which validates his authority to be our Judge, is to be believed.Therefore An Nisa 4:157 in the Qur’an must also affirm Isa’s death and resurrection, which it definitely does do when understood correctly.

Therefore we must all finally acknowledge that scribes did not change the Injeel to make it now read that Jesus died and rose.If it originally taught that he did not die nor rise again – that much changing would have been totally impossible, no matter how many scribes there may have been! Even massive changes by many, many scribes would never have been able to accomplish that deception.In reality, it would have required writing a whole new Injeel. But that did not occur. Emphatically, the historical truth is that Isa both died and rose from death.This is what both the Qur’an and the New Testament teach. They are both in agreement. It is only the sincere but deceptive tradition of man, and not the will of ALLAH, that impels us to hold to an interpretation of An Nisa or Women 4:157 that is contradicted by so many facts.

Reason 7. It is obvious from the teaching of many verses in the Qur’an, that the Qur’an expected Isa to die. As we have discussed, the correct and more reasonable understanding is that he has already fulfilled these expectations by dying and then rising from death.Since this interpretation only fits ALLAH’S plan and does not fit the agenda of Muslim leaders, we leaders reject both his death and resurrection. But in order to satisfy the Qur’an’s references to his death, we have put ourselves into a contradictory position, so that we have needed to invent a bizarre scenario, which has absolutely no support from either the Qur’an or from the earlier Scriptures. The strange scenario that we have invented says that Isa will return to earth in the last days, to live out the remainder of his life, die a natural death, and then finally be raised at the final resurrection with everyone else.

With at least ten nations already possessing nuclear weapons, we must be reasonably close to those last days. Yet, we do not hear multitudes of Muslims discussing his soon return to earth, so that he can live out the remainder of his life. This is because it is much more reasonable to accept that what the previous Scriptures teach is absolutely true.To believe that Jesus has already died and has already risen from the dead as the previous Scriptures teach is reasonable.To believe the man-made Muslim myth that our Messiah will finally return sometime in the distant future, so that he can finally experience a death from accident or disease or old age – this after having lived at least one thousand nine hundred and sixty five total years in the glorious presence of ALLAH – that is just not reasonable!

Reason 8. In Islam, fear of man and fear of punishment by others prevents open discussion.For this one key verse to be understood in a way that is consistent with the facts, many men and women must first say to themselves and then to each other, “It is wrong that we allow our fear of others to cause us to put tradition above truth.”Up to this present time there is so much psychological, religious, and social pressure for all Muslims to conform to official tradition, that fear of man prevents an open consideration of any viewpoint that breaks with the law of tradition. But, with the partially anonymous nature of the Internet, the needed discussion of what is false and what is true will finally occur.The time of a totally closed society, so that we have no opportunity but to believe what is false, is over.We do have a choice. ALLAH is showing men and women throughout the Muslim world that His risen Messiah will soon triumph.

ALLAH WILL USE MUSLIM WOMEN

For this verse to continue to be interpreted in a way that disagrees with historical facts and with the authoritative teaching of the previous Scriptures is a serious sin.When fear instead of facts dictate the belief of millions of Muslims, a very sad situation exists. But ALLAH will soon take steps, making certain that He finds honest and courageous Muslims who will correct this shameful circumstance.If He does not find enough male Muslims who have the courage to make a change, He will call female Muslims to step forward.

Father, I don’t wish to interrupt you, but do you realize what you just said? Are you saying that the ALMIGHTY would actually use Muslim women to be leaders in helping our Muslim peoples understand that Isa truly did die and rise? Would He trust such an important task to women? And how could women have that much influence on men?

Son, by your questions I can see that my mentioning women in connection with the mighty purposes of ALLAH caught you by surprise. I can also see that you not only underestimate the power, intelligence, courage, and creativity of women.But you also underestimate the power and compassion of ALLAH.

Son, every person, who has ever been born in our world had their birth because of some woman’s enduring the pain of childbirth.The Scriptures that we say have been changed have many, many examples of ALLAH using women to carry out His purposes. Let’s look at only two small periods of history to observe the magnificent ways when ALLAH used women to carry out His purposes.

At the time the wicked Pharaoh ruled in Egypt, he gave the evil order that all of the male Hebrew babies were to be killed as soon as they were born. Who was it that the Scriptures describe as having the courage to resist the wicked orders of this evil ruler? Two humble women who were midwives would not obey his orders.They made certain that the male babies lived and they were rewarded by ALLAH for their courage and compassion.

Then there was the courageous mother of the Prophet Musa. When she gave birth to baby Musa, she knew that he might be killed by Pharaoh’s soldiers, so she hid him until she thought of a clever plan to save his life.By finding out where Pharaoh’s own daughter went for her daily bath on the banks of the Nile river, Musa’s mother put her baby boy into a floating basket there, so that Pharaoh’s daughter would “find” him.She also had Musa’s older sister there to “help” with the “finding”! Pharaoh’s daughter loved the little baby.She took him home to the palace and raised him as her own son – but also hired Musa’s mother as nursemaid. So the Prophet Musa grew up with all the advantages of an Egyptian prince, but also with a clear understanding of whom he really was!So ALLAH used the courageous mother of Musa to save her son, in order that he could deliver the Hebrew people from their slavery in Egypt.

Now we will move ahead to the time of the Messiah.In addition to Maryam, the mother of Isa, and Elisabeth, the mother of Yahya, there are many other women who have prominent roles in the Injeel. For instance, it was wealthy women who provided most of the money to Isa and his disciples, so that he could go about the country teaching, and healing, and doing well. Also, it was a despised Samaritan woman who was one of the first to discover that Isa was indeed ALLAH’S Messiah. Then she openly proclaimed this news to all the people of her village.

From all Isa’s followers, who was it that first showed the love and courage to go to the tomb where his body had been buried, which was under guard night and day by Roman soldiers?The Scriptures, though all written by men, honestly tell us that it was devoted women who first discovered that he had risen from the dead.The very first one was a woman named Maryam (but from Magdala, not Nazareth) who had previously been delivered from demon possession by Isa. And the next two friends to meet Isa were also women: one named Joanna (or Salome) and the other also named Maryam (the mother of Yakob and Joses). So it was first of all from the women that the male followers of Isa learned of his resurrection.Then over the next forty days Isa began to meet with all of his followers! At one meeting there were five hundred of them present!

Then there was another woman who had played an important role on the day that Isa was crucified. This woman was the wife of the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate.The Jewish leaders were determined to force the Roman government into pronouncing the death sentence on Isa, so that they themselves would not be blamed by the people for killing him.Throughout that whole day of the most deadly injustice that this world has ever seen, ALLAH Himself spoke only one direct Word – and that was through a dream He gave to the Governor’s wife.

“While Pilate was sitting in the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: ‘Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him’.”

 Did her warning do Pilate any good? Not directly, because like too many husbands, in the end he chose to ignore his wife’s feelings! But indirectly, Yes!

“When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood’ he said.‘It is your responsibility!’All the people answered, ‘Let his blood be on us and on our children!’

So the primary guilt of that greatest injustice ever done by mankind rested on the guiltiest party, the Jewish leaders themselves!This one woman’s obedience to a message from ALLAH to confront her powerful husband with truth had a major impact on history.It insured that the right group of people would acknowledge their accountability for manipulating the unjust execution of ALLAH’S Messiah.

So, you see, my son, Muslim men are very foolish to think that the ALMIGHTY will not use Muslim women to carry out His own mighty purposes. This becomes all the more true when men are afraid to stand for ALLAH’S truth.Son, remember these words: If ALLAH wills, the ALMIGHTY and one courageous woman are able to defeat a multitude of men who oppose His purposes.

So the important consideration is not whether men listen to women. The key is that ALLAH does hear the prayers of women, just as He heard the prayers of Hagar, mother of the Prophet Ishmael.He not only honors women’s prayers, but He also honors their actions of faith which are in pursuit of justice and truth.

Now I will return to my last explanation for our refusal to acknowledge what An Nisa 4:157 truly teaches us about Isa’s defeat of Israeli leaders and death itself.

Reason 9. Many of us are afraid to believe truth when that truth contradicts comfortable-but-wrong beliefs that we have held for a long period of time.Subconscious and conscious voices say to us, “This cannot be true, because I have always believed in a different way, and I have always been certain in the past that my belief was true.”

Millions of us have been so strongly taught that the Scriptures were changed, and that Isa did not die and rise – taught this by respected authority figures such as our fathers, our mothers, our teachers, our government leaders, and our religious leaders -- that it is a major adjustment for us to believe the truth. Wrong information has been driven so deeply into our minds and hearts that a very strange thing occurs. When we consider whether to believe the truth, we are afraid that ALLAH will be angry with us for believing something different than the false belief that we have long believed. We also are afraid that ALLAH will punish us for believing something different from what we have previously believed, even though we now know that our former belief was based on wrong information. But it is not truly the Merciful Whom we are fearing.We are afraid of punishment and rejection by those we view as Islamic authority figures. Also, we are fearing the rejection and criticism of our friends.So, it will take much work in our lives by ALLAH’S comforting Spirit of Truth for many of us to triumph over our false fears.But we will finally triumph.Truth will prevail!

One day on a hill outside the walls of Jerusalem a good man who loved to help others, but who openly criticized the way Jewish leadership treated ALLAH’S people, was led to a Roman cross.There, nails were driven into his hands and feet, and he was cruelly and unjustly executed. Many religious leaders stood around him, mocking him as the nails held him to that cross. They said, “Since he saved others, why doesn’t he save himself?

DENIAL BY MILLIONS CANNOT CHANGE HISTORY

The event of Jesus’ execution did occur.No matter whether millions or billions say it never happened, it did happen. History cannot be changed by large numbers of people who disagree with facts.It happened on a particular day.That day was just as real to the people then as this day is to us. It happened. To think differently about it, since it did happen, is to deny the reality of a shocking, unjust event.

Our denial cannot change history.But our denial of truth does change us.It turns us into persons who willingly sell our souls to those who put the most pressure on us. But as long as the ALMIGHTY is the Supreme Ruler on earth and in Paradise, falsehood will not ultimately triumph. Truth will triumph.

Speaking of truth finally triumphing, tell me, what recent well-known Muslim leader who is now deceased, has had the most influence on Islam throughout the world?

Father that it must be Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.When he took over in Iran, his influence on Islam had a major impact on millions of Muslims.

Son, now tell me the name of Iran’s leading Islamic philosopher. He was the man that Khomeini himself appointed to the Committee of the Cultural Revolution, to conform all university curricula to Islam.

Father, I do not know the answer to this question.But this man’s name must be known to every educated Muslim in Iran.

You are correct about this influential philosopher’s fame both in Iran and beyond. His name is Abdul Karim Soroush. Over the past five years this one man has fueled a public debate in Iran about blending Islam and democracy. It may seem strange that a former close follower of Ayatollah Khomeini would be advocating democracy, but this is what he is now teaching.

IMPERFECT HUMAN BEINGS

One of Soroush’s main proclamations is: Islamic law is not static. Rather, he teaches that it is flexible and adaptable because it has only begun to be understood by imperfect human beings. Son, my point is this: This respected Islamic teacher helps us realize that since we are all imperfect, we must revise our understanding of Islamic law as it is proclaimed to us by Islam. Therefore, since it is totally true that we are all imperfect; it is quite reasonable that we must also revise our understanding of how ALLAH’S Eternal Living Word is proclaimed to us by imperfect Islamic leaders.

Son, we leaders cannot fully understand a finite subject like law. Therefore, who do we think that we are, that we claim to fully understand ALLAH’S Infinite Eternal Living Word? Even if we disagree with other things that this highly respected Islamic philosopher teaches, we should be able to agree with him, that we are both imperfect leaders and imperfect human beings. Our acknowledging that we are imperfect should help prevent us from presumptuously and arrogantly forcing on others our own views about supposed limitations of ALLAH’S Eternal Living Word. Also, since we are imperfect, we must finally acknowledge that we do not fully understand the great authority He has given His Living Messiah, both in this world and in the next. And when we can admit that we are imperfect, we can also acknowledge that we have had an incomplete understanding of whether ALLAH’S Messiah secretly escaped death or triumphantly defeated it.

There is another important subject we must now discuss.

Father, it seems like we have discussed so much already.

Son, the issues we are talking about are not superficial.They deserve much discussion.

Go ahead, father.

FILLED WITH FALSE INFORMATION

Bringing further potential judgment on us, many Muslims throughout the world have supported a document that contains great falsehood, but mixed with a small amount of truth.This false document is known as the “Gospel of Barnabas”.Son, be careful not to confuse this false document with the Catholic Church’s “Epistle of Barnabas”. Also, its author should not be confused with the Apostle Paul’s travelling companion, Barnabas, who is introduced in this false “gospel” as an influential disciple – one of the twelve disciples of Jesus.Even the true Barnabas of the New Testament was not one of the twelve disciples. He became involved with them after Isa had ascended to ALLAH.

This counterfeit “gospel” presents itself as written during the lifetime of Jesus. It attempts to totally replace Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – the four inspired gospels of the Injeel, which the Qur’an affirms.This false “gospel of Barnabas” has deceived millions.It is obviously under the Judgment of ALLAH for presenting the betrayer, Judas, as substituting for Jesus on the cross.With great evil it puts false statements into the mouth of ALLAH’S Messiah, which totally contradict statements made in the true Injeel.

I will not mention each historical, geographical, and cultural error contained in this false book, which conclusively prove that this document is a fraud. Nor will I attempt to expose all of its superstitious, unreasonable teachings. Nor will I attempt to list all of its many contradictions of the holy Qur’an.I will begin by discussing briefly only some samples of its numerous cultural and historical errors.

It mentions Pilate as a Roman ruler in Palestine at the time of Jesus’ birth. Historians have established that Pilate did not rule in this area until Jesus was approximately thirty years old. Isa is portrayed as quoting to his disciples the Islamic Shahada, saying it appeared in the air over Paradise as bright as the sun.This false Barnabas says that the first part of the creed was printed on the right thumbnail of the first man, Adam.On his left thumb nail was supposedly printed the second half of the Shahada: “Muhammad is the Messenger of ALLAH.” Then, as Adam was driven from Paradise, the false Barnabas presents Jesus again, quoting the Shahada. This time Jesus is falsely represented as saying that just as Adam was being driven out of Paradise, he looked back and there was the Islamic creed printed above the outer gate of Paradise.

It is obvious that the Barnabas writer was inventing myths to be read by people whom he assumed to be gullible and uneducated.In the false Barnabas’ zeal to place Islam in the same time period of the first man, Adam, he reveals his total ignorance of Middle Eastern culture and customs. Therefore his writing blatantly violated accepted Arab social conduct.Barnabas desires us to believe that Jesus said that the name of the Prophet Muhammad was inscribed on Adam’s left thumb.

In the Middle East and especially in Saudi Arabia where the Qur’an was revealed, it is an accepted tradition among many that it is the left hand which is to be used to take care of personal toilet needs.In the days when running water was not available, it was understood in many parts of the Middle East that a person should keep his right hand clean, while his left hand was reserved for use when food was eliminated from his body. So in many areas, the left hand is still considered symbolically unclean, even though modern plumbing now offers the opportunity for both hands to be clean.

Son, on the basis of this cultural reality, I will now tell you several reasons why this story about Adam could not have been written by a true servant of ALLAH.

1. It is ridicule of the Messiah Jesus to state that he described something as happening which was so culturally insensitive..

2. It is ridicule of the Islamic creed to say that part of it was inscribed on Adam’s traditionally unclean left hand, which is considered as being used for toilet needs.

3. It is ridicule of the first man, Adam, to say that he would request that the part of the Shahada which included the Prophet Muhammad’s name be inscribed on the hand that is understood to be used for toilet needs.

4. It is open ridicule of the Prophet Muhammad to suggest that his respected name was inscribed on the traditionally unclean left thumbnail of the first man Adam.

5. It is ridicule of ALLAH’S Holy Scriptures to teach that they would contain such misrepresentation of his truth as the Gospel of Barnabas presents.

FLYING TO A STAR IN A BATHTUB

No sincere Mu