Articles Deedat
WHAT IS HIS NAME?
At the end of my public talk on the subject- "MUHAMMED (S.A.W.) the Natural Successor to CHRIST (p.b.u.h.)"* at question time a Christian Missionary posed the question: "What is His Name?"
Meaning there by as to the name of God. I stood up to answer. But before I opened my mouth, he spoke into the mike, provided for questioning, that he would answer his own question
I said, "you posed the question so the obligation is on me to reply to your question." He said, "Yes, but I will answer the question". (Laughter in the audience). He was actually begging for an opportunity to be heard. Where else on earth would he get such a large audience, and that at the Muslim's expense, to preach. I said, "Carry on!" (Give him enough rope to hand himself).
After some rambling, he concluded that the name of God was "JESUS CHRIST!".
It was not the time, at that meeting; nor is it expedient here to discuss the subject fully - IS JESUS GOD?"* It is enough, for the moment, to say that in the language of Moses, Jesus and Muhammed (Peace be upon them all) the name of GOD Almighty is ALLAH! Proof will be provided in chapter 4.
Belief in God is ingrained in the nature of man. As long as man existed on earth, the knowledge of God Almighty also co-existed. As Professor Max Fuller in his Hibbert Lectures said:
"RELIGION IS NOT A NEW INVENTION. IT IS, IF NOT AS OLD AS THE WORLD, AT LEAST AS OLD AS THE WORLD WE KNOW. THERE NEVER WAS A FALSE GOD NOR WAS THERE EVER A FALSE RELIGION, UNLESS YOU CALL A CHILD A FALSE MAN. ALL RELIGION, SO FAR AS I KNOW THEM, HAD THE SAME PURPOSE. ALL WERE LINKS IN A CHAIN WHICH CONNECTS HEAVEN AND EARTH, AND WHICH HELD, AND ALWAYS WAS HELD, BY ONE AND THE SAME HAND".
This is truly a very charitable attitude; truly Islamic. Alla subha nahu wa ta-aala (God Almighty) tells us in the Holy Qur'an.
AND THERE NEVER WAS A PEOPLE WITHOUT A WARNER HAVING
LIVED AMONG THEM (In the past). Sura Fatir 35:24
AND TO EVERY NATION THERE WAS (sent) A GUIDE. Sura Ra'd 13:7
GOD NOT PARTIAL
If God Almighty is not partial to His creatures with regard to material blessing like fresh-air, rain, sun-shine etc., Why should He has not been partial! There is no nation or language group on earth who does not know God by some name. This knowledge was given by the Creator Himself through the lips of His chosen messengers. The names of a very few of these messengers we know, the rest have been lost or clouded in superstition.
Though all theology (knowledge of God) originated with God, mankind played fast and loose with those pure and holy concepts, adding frills and adornments where no embellishments was needed - it despoiled the language. In the words of Mrs. Ellen G. White, a "prophetess" of the 7th Day Adventist
Movement, in her Bible Commentary it is said:
"LEARNED MEN HAD IN SOME INSTANCES CHANGED THE WORDS, THINKING THAT THEY WERE MAKING IT PLAIN, WHEN IN REALITY THEY WERE MYSTIFYING THAT WHICH WAS
PLAIN."
In the Religious Annals of the world, the Jewish and Christian Scriptures called the Holy Bible abound with graphic examples of portraying God after man's own pattern:
IMPERFECT DISCRIPTIONS OF GOD LIKE A MAN
(Genesis 11:5)
"And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded."
MOSES SEES GOD'S BACK PARTS?
"And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen".
WRESTLES WITH JACOB
(Genesis 32:28)
"And He (God) said, thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and has prevailed."
LIKE ONE DRUNK
(Psalm 78:65)
"Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine."
REGRETS MAKING MAN
(Genesis 6:6)
"And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart".
SMELLS SWEET FLAVOUR
(Genesis 8:21)
"And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart..."
A CROUCHING LION
(Numbers 24:9)
"He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who sahll stir him up?"
DEVOURING FIRE
(Exodus 24:17)
"And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel."
RESTED AND REFRESHED
( Exodus 31:17)
"... in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested AND WAS REFRESHED."
Out of the encyclopaedia of 73 Books of the Roman Catholics and 66 Books of the Protestants called the "BIBLE' endless number of quotations can be pulled to fill a book large than this publication to illustrate man's various imperfect descriptions of God. The above examples will suffice, I hope.
In the realm of the spirit, no nation has had as much opportunities as the children of Israel. And despite repeated warnings to the effect that:
THY GOD IS A JEALOUS GOD, HE SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GOD BEFORE HIM, NOT EVEN OF THE LIKENESS OF THE THINGS ON EARTH, OR IN THE HEAVENS ABOVE, OR IN THE WATERS BENEATH THE SEA...' (Exouds 20:3-5), they took the golden calf for worship, and again and again reverted into idolatry. Nor is the bulk of Christen dom any freer from this taint.
Visit St. Paul's Cathedral in London, or St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome and you will have very little to distinguish them from the Temple of Sommath in India. It is a question of Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee. You do not really have to go to England or Italy to verify my statement. Why not as inspection in loco to an Anglican Or a Roman Catholic Cathedral in your own home town?
THE CONCEPTS
In the religious terminology of the world, we will find that every "son of man" in his own way, in his own dialect has given some beautiful attributive name for the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth.
THE ZULU CONCEPT
In our own coutnry, South Africa, the Zulus, a very virile and militant people - a nation akin to the qureish of pre-Islamic Arabia - have given a name of God Almighty - uMVELINQANGI. This word when properly articulated in its own dialect, sounds, identical to the Arabic word Walla-hu-gani, meaning - "AND ALLAH IS RICH" (Bounteous). It also sounds like "ALLEGANY" of the Red Indians of North America (Remember their ALLEGENY mountain). The origin or real meaning of the word "Allegany", is not commonly known to the American people. But ask any Zulu as to who or what this uMvelingangi is and he will surely explain to you in Zulu:
"HAWU UMNIMZANI! UYENA, OINGCWELE. AKAZLI YENA, FUTHI AKAZALWANGA; FUTHI, AKUKHO LUTHO OLU FANA NAYE."
Believe me, this is almost a word for word translation of Sura Ikhlas, Chapter 112 of the Holy Quran.
SAY: HE IS ALLAH
THE ONE AND ONLY;
ALLAH, THE ETERNAL ABSOLUTE;
HE BEGETTETH NOT,
NOR IS HE BEGOTTEN:
AND THERE IS NONE
LIKE UNTO HIM. Holy Qur'an 112:1-4
ALMOST ISLAMIC
Now, compare the above verse with my free translation of what the Zulu actually said:
"Oh Sir! He is a pure and holy Spirit, He does not beget and He is not begotten, and further there is nothing like Him."
Every African tribe, South of the Zambesi River, that is, in Southern Africa, have given different names to the Almighty-Tixo, Modimo, Unkulunkulu, etc., and each and every African language group will take pains to explain the same pure and holy concept as the Zulu. It is to the glory of the African nations that though they had no wirtten languages, and hence no written records, therefore not being able to recount the names of their respective prophets, yet not a single one of the tribes ever stopped down to worshipping idols or images of either of men or animals, until the White man first introduced his religion and gave the African his anthropomorphic concept of God the Father , God the Son and God the Holy Ghost, and brought the African down to bowing before the statues of Jesus, Mary, St. Christopher and so on.
Out of the dozens of African tribes inhabiting this part of the world, not a single one of them ever made "umfanegisos" (images) of their God. Yet they were capable of carving out of wood, elephants and lions, and reproducing men and women also, in caly. Besides, the Zulus also had some knowledge of metallurgy. When I questioned an old Zulu as to the reason, why the Africans did not make umfanegisos of their Gods, he replied, 'How could we make images of him (God Almighty) when we know that He is not like a man, He is not like a monkey, or an elephant or a snake: He is not like anything we can think of or imagine. He is a pure and Holy Spirit.
LIKE THE ARABS
The term, uUVELINQANGI, though well known to the Zulus, was not commonly used. Again they were like the pagan Qureish of Pre-Islamic Arabia who knew the name Allah, but passed Him by, because they felt that He was too High, too Pure, too holy to be approached, so they went for their substitutary and imaginary gods - their Al-Lats, Al-Uzzas and Al-Manats and a hundred besides. The Zulus too would not call upon uMvelinqangi directly, but he was better than the Arab of the Ayyam-ul-jahillyya (days of ignorance), because he did not got after false goods; he only invoked the spirits of his ancestors to intercede with uMvelinqangi on his behalf, exactly as the Catholics do in invoking the Virgin Mary and the Saints.
The more common term used by the Zulus for their God is uNKULUNKULU which literally means-the Greatest of the Great or the Mightiest of the Mighty (Almighty). More colloquially when taking oath, they would exclaim "iNkosi phe-Zulu!'. meaning - the Lord Above (Knows0, or the God in Heaven (knows), or Heaven knows, that I am speaking the turth. The word "Zulu" in the language of the Zulu literally means High Heaven, and they consider themselves t obe superior to the numerous other tribes of Southern Africa, being in this repect like the Querish among the dwellers of desert before Islam.
CONCEPT FROM THE EAST
The Hindi word for God Almighty is PRAMATMA. In Sanskrit, the language of ancient India, "Atma" means the soul, and "Pram-atma" meant the Great and Holy Soul, or the Holy Spirit, which is really a beautiful description of the "Father" in Heaven. The Bible says, "God is Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth" (John 4:21). Not in form, shape or size, but in SPIRIT.
Despite his pantheistic* interpretation of the Divinity, the name of Hindu gives the Supreme Being, in his calssical language, is OM (Aum), which means Guardian or Protector. A very suitable attribute about which the Muslim can have no misgivings.
CONCEPT FROM THE WEST
The Anglo/Saxon and the Teuton in their own and other allied european languages call their object of worship "GOD" or words of similar sound and import, i.e.
God* in English;
Got in afrikaans (the language of the descendants of the Hollandse people in South Africa);
Gott in German; and
Gudd in Danish, Swedish and Norwegian languages.
The ancient Phoenicians called their God-ALON- (not far from Allah if we could only hear it articulated) and the Canaanites ADO. The Israelites not only shared the word EL with the original people of Palestine, but borrowed the name of their chief deity - ADO and turned it not ADONAL, and everywhere the four-letter word YHWH occured in their Holy Scriptures, they read 'Adonal" instead of "Yahuwa." You will not fail to notice the resemblance between the Jewish Adonai and the heathen adonis. ADONIS was a "beautiful godling loved by Venus" in the Greek pantheon.
THE LATIN CONCEPT
In the Latin-dominated languages of Western Europe, where Latin had remained dominant in learning and diplomacy for centuries, the chief term used for God is DEUS:
Deuse in Portuguese;
Dieu in French;
Dio in Italian;
Dios in Spahish;
Dia in Scotch and Irish; and
Duw in Welsh.
Surprisingly in all the languages above, Deus and all the similar sounding words mean heaven.
Moulana Vidyarthi, in his monumental work- Muhammad in World Scriptures,"* devotes a hundred pages to the names of God in the different languages. And out of a list of 155 attributive names over 40 of them use the word "Heaven' or the 'Above," in their language in describing God. Though the Muslim chants the Asma-ul-husna (the most beautiful names), 99 as derived from the holy Qur'an with the crowning name, ALLAH; 'Heaven' is not one of those ninety-nine attributes. Symbolically, heaven may be described as the above of God, and in the words of Wordsworth in Tintern Abbery:
WHOSE DWELLING IS THE LIGHT OF SETTING SUNS, AND THE ROUND OCEAN AND THE LIVING AIR, AND IN THE BLUE SKY, AND IN THE MIND OF MAN: A MOTION AND SPIRIT THAT IMPELS ALL THINKING THINGS, ALL OBJECTS OF ALL THOUGHTS, AND ROLLS THROUGH ALL THINGS.
CONCEPT FROM BEYOND THE FAR EAST
Among all the 155 tantalising names of God in the various tongues, the one that tickled me most was- " A-T-N-A-T-U!" - and this I have adopted as a title of my book, instead of the orginal title promised - "What is His Name?' for this present publication.
Bible says about Muhammad (S.A.W.)
Ahmed Deedat
SAY: "DO YOY SEE? WHETHER THIS MESSAGE BE FROM
ALLAH (God Almighty), AND YET YOU REJECT IT, AND A
WITNESS FROM AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL BORE
WITNESS OF ONE LIKE HIM...." (Holy Quran 46:10).
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The subject of this evening's talk - "What the BIBLE says about
MOHAMMAD(S.A.W.)" -will no doubt come as a surprise to many of you
because the speaker is a Muslims. How does it come about that a
Muslims happens to be expounding prophecies from the Jewish and
Christian Scriptures?
As a young man, about 30 years ago, I attended a series of religious
lectures by a Christian theologian, a certain Re. Hiten, at the "Theatre
Royal", Durban.
Pope or Kissinger?
This Reverend gentleman was expounding Biblical prophecies. He went on to prove that the Christian Bible foretold the rise of Soviet Russia, and the Last Days. At one stage he to the extent of proving that his Holy Book did not leave even the Pope out of its predictions. He expatiated vigorously in order to convince his audience that the "Beast 666" mentioned in the Book of Revelation- the last book of the New Testament - was the POPE, who was the Vicar of Christ on earth. It is not befitting for us Muslims to enter into this controversy between the Roman Catholics and the Protestants. By the way, the latest Christians scholars are ingenious and indefatigable in their efforts to prove their case.
Rev. Hiten's lectures led me to ask that if the Bible foretold so many things- not even excluding the "Pope" and Israel", - then surely it must have something to say about the greatest benefactor of mankind- the Holy Prophet Mohammad (may the peace of Allah be with him).
As a youngster I set out to search for an answer. I met priest after priest, attended lectures, and read everything that I could lay my hands relating to the field of Bible prophecies. Tonight I am going to narrate to you one of these interviews with a dominee of the Dutch Reformed Church.
Lucky Thirteen
I was invited to the Transvaal to deliver a talk on the occasion to the Birthday celebration of the Holy Prophet Muhammed(S.A.W.). Knowing that in that province of the Rebublic, the Africans language is widely spoken, even by my own people, I felt that I ought to acquire a smattering of this language so as to feel a little "at home" with the pople.
I oped the telephone directory and began phoning the Africans-speaking churches. I indicated my purpose to the priests that I was interrested in having dialogue with them, but they all refused my request my request with "plausible" excuses. No. 13 was my lucky number. the thirteenth call brought me pleasure and relief. a dominee Van Heerden agreed to meet me at his home on the Saturday afternoon that I was to leave for Transvaal.
He received me on the verandah with a friendly welcome. He said if I did not mind, he would like his father-in-law from the Fee State (a 70-year old man) to join us in the discussion. I did not mind. the three of us settled down in the dominee's library.
Why Nothing?
I posed the question: "What does the Bible say about Muhammed(S.A.W.)?" Without hestition he answered, "Nothing!" I aksed: "Why nothing? According to your interpretation the Bible have so many things to say about the rise of Soviet Russia and about the Last Days and even about the Pope of the Roman Catholics?" He said, "Yes, but there was nothing about Muhammad(S.A.W.)!" I asked again, "Why nothing? Surely this man Muhammed(S.A.W.) who had been responsible for the bringing into being a world-wide community of millions who, on his authority, believe in
1) the miraculous birth of Jesus
2) that Jesus is the Messiah,
3) that he gave life to the dead by God's permission, and that he healed those born blind and the lepers by God's permission.
Surely this book ( the Bible) must have something to say about this great Leader of men who spoke so well of Jesus and his mother Mary?"
The man from the Free State replied, "My son, I have been reading the Bible for the past 50 years, and if there was any mention of him I would have known it?"
Not One by Name!
I enquired: "According to you, are there not hundreds of prophecies regarding the coming of Jesus in the Old Testament." The dominee interjected: "Not hundreds, but thousands!" I said, " I am not going to despute the 'thousand and one' prophecies in the Old Testament regarding the coming of Jesus Christ, because the whole Muslim-world has already accepted him without the testimony of any Biblical prophecy.
We Muslims have accepted the de facto Jesus on the authority of of Muhammad(S.A.W.) alone, and there are in the world to-day no less than 1500,000,000 followers of Muhammed(S.A.W.) who love, respect and revere this great Messenger of God -Jesus Christ- without having the Chirstians to convince them by means of their Biblical dialectics.
Out of the 'thousands' of Prophecies referred to, can you please give me just one signel prophecy where Jesus in mentioned by name? The term 'Messiah', translated as 'Christ', is not a name but a title. Is there a single prophecy where it says that the name of the Messiah will be JESUS, and that his mother's name will be MARY, and that his supposed father will be JOSEPH THE CARPENTER; that he will be born in the reign of HEROD THE KING, etc. etc? No! There are no such details! Then how can you conclude that those 'thousand' prophecies refer to Jesus?"
What is Prophecy?
The dominee replied: "You see, prophecies are word-prophecies are word-pictures of something that is going to happen in the future. When the thing actually comes to pass, we see vividly in these prophecies, the fulfilment of what had been predicted in the past." I said: "What you actually do is that you deduce, you reason, you put two and two together." He said: "Yes." I said: "If this is what you have to do with a 'thousand' prophecies to justify your claim with regard to the genuineeness of Jesus, why should we not adopt the very same system for Muhammed(S.A.W.)?" The dominee agreed that if was a fair proposition, a reasonable way of dealing with the problem.
I asked him to open up deuteronomy, chapter 18 verse 18, which he did. I read from memory the verse in Africaans, because this was my purpose in having a little practice with the language of the ruling race in South Africa.
'n PROPFEET SAL EK VIR HULLE VERKUIT DIE MIDDE VAN HULLE BROERS, SOOS JY IS, EN EK SAL MY WOORDE IN SY MOND LE, EN HY SY SAL AAN HULLE SE ALLES WAT EK HOM BEVEEL. Deut. 18: 18.
The english translation reads as follows:
I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and I will put my words in his mouth; and he sahll speak unto them all that I shall command him.
Prophet Like Moses
Having recited the verse in Africans, I a apologised for my uncertain pronunication. The dominee assured me that I was doing fine. I enquired: "To whom does this prophecy refer?" Without the slightest hestiation he answered: "Jesus!" I asked: "Why Jesus- his name is not mentioned here?" The dominee replied: "Since prophecies are word-pictures of some thing that is going to happen in the futre, we find that the wordings of this verse adequately describe him.
You see the most important words of this prophecy are 'SOOS JYIS' (like unto thee), - LIKE YOU- like Moses, and Jesus in like Moses. I questioned: " In which way is Jesus like Moses?" The answer was: "in the first place Moses was a JEW and Jesus was also a JEW; secondly, Moses was a PROPHET and Jesus was alos a PROPHET- therefore Jesus is like Moses and that is exactly what God had foretold Moses- "SOOS JYIS." "Can you think of any other similarities between Moses and Jesus?" I asked. The dominee said that he could not think of any.
I replied: "If these are the only two criteria for discovering a candidate for this prophecy of Deuteronomy 18:18, then in that case the criteria could fit anyone of the following Biblical personages after Moses: - Solomon, Isaiah, Esehiel, daniel, Hosea, Joel, Malachi, John the Baptist etc., because they were also ALL Jews as well as Prophetd. Why should we not apply this prophecy to any one of these prophets, and why ony to Jesus? Why should we make fish of one and fowl of another?" The dominee had reply. I continued: "You see, my conclusions are that Jesus is most unlike Moses, and if I am wrong I would like to correct me."
Three Unlikes
So saying, I reasoned with him: In the FIRST place Jesus is not like Moses, because, according to you- 'JESUS IS A GOD', but Moses is not God, Is this true?" He said: "Yes, I said: "Therefore Jesus is not like Moses!" Secondly according to you- 'JESUS DIED FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD' but Moses did not have to die for the sins of the world. Is this true?" He again said: "Yes." I said: "Therefore Jesus is not like Moses!" "THIRDLY, according to you- JESUS WENT TO HELL FOR THREE DAYS'. but Moses did not have to go there. Is this true? He answered meekly: "Y-e-s." I concluded: "Therefore Jesus is not like Moses!"
"But dominee," I continued: "these are not hard facts, solide facts, tangible facts; they are mere matters of belief over which the little ones can stumble and fall. Let us discuss something very simple, very easy that if your little ones are called into hear the discussion, would have no difficulty in following it, shall we?" The dominee was quite happy at the suggestion.
Father and Mother
(1) "Moses had a father and mother, Muhammed also had a father and a mother. But Jesus had only a mother, and no human father. Is this true?" He said: "Yes." I said: "EAAROM IS JESUS NIE SOOS MOSES NIE, MAAR MUHUMMED IS SOOS MOSES!" Meaning: "Therefore Jesus is not like Moses, but Muhammed is like Moses! (By now the reader will realize that I was using the Africans language only for practice purposes. I shall discontinue its use in this narration).
Miraculous Birth
(2) "Moses and Muhammed were born in the normal, natural course, i.e. the physical association of man and woman; but Jesus was created by a special miracle. You will recall that we are told in the Jospel of St. Matthew 1:18" '...BEFORE THEY CAME TOGETHER, (Joseph the Carpernter and Mary) SHE WAS FOUND WITH CHILD BY THE HOLY GHOST.'
And St. Luke tells us that when the good news of the birth of a holy son was announced to her, Mary reasoned: '...HOW SHALL THIS BE, SEEING I KNOW NOT MAN? AND THE ANGEL ANSWERED AND SADI UNTO HER, THE HOLY GHOST SHALL COME UPON THE, AND THE POWER OF THE HIGHEST SHALL OVERSHADOW THEE...' (Luke 1:35).
The holy Quran confirms the miraculous birth of Jesus, in nobler and sublimer terms. In answer to her logical question: 'O my Lord How shall I have a son when no man hath touched me?' the angel says in reply: 'Even so: Allah createth what He willeth: when He hath decreed a plan, He but saith to it"Be," and it is!' (Holy Quran 3: 47) It is not necessary for God to plant a seed in man or animal. He merely wils it and it comes into being. This is the Muslim conception of the birth of Jesus." (When I compared the Quranic and the Biblical versions of the birth of Jesus to the head of the Bible Society in our largest city, and when I eqquired "Which version would you prefer to give your daughter, the QURANIC version or the BIBLICAL version?" The man bowed his head and aswered: "The Quranic.)
In short, I said to the dominee: "Is it ture that Jesus was born miraculously as against the natural birth of Moses and Muhammed?" He replied proudly: "YES" I said: "Therefore Jesus is not like Moses, but Muhammed is like Moses. And God says to Moses in the Book of Deuteronomy 18:18 "LIKE UNTO THEE" (like You, Like Moses) and Muhammed is like Moses."
Marriage Ties
(3) "Moses and Muhammed married and begat children, but Jesus remained a bachelor all his life. Is this true?" The dominee said: "Yes." I said: "Therefore Jesus is not like Mose, but Muhammed is like Moses."
Jesus Rejected by his People
(4) "Moses and Muhammed were accepted as prophets by their people in their very lifetime. No doubt the Jews gave endless trouble to Moses and they murmured in the wilderness, but as a nation, they acknowledged the Moses was a Messenger of God sent to them. The Arabs too made Muhammed's life impossible. He suffered very badly at their hands.
After 13 years of preaching in Mecca, he had to emigrate from the city of his birth. But before his demise, the Arab nation as a whole accepted him as the Messenger from Allah. but according to the Bible - 'He (Jesus) CAME UNTO HIS OWN, BUT HIS WON RECEIVED NOT.' (John 1:11) And even today, after two thousand years, his people - the Jews, as a whole, have rejected him. Is this true?" The dominee said: "Yes." I said: "THEREFORE JESUS IS NOT LIKE MOSES, BUT MUHAMMED IS LIKE MOSES."
"Other-worldly" Kindgdom
(5) "Moses and Muhammed were prophets as well as kings. By prophet I mean a man who receives Divnine Revelation for the Guidance of Man and this Guidance he conveys to God's creatures as received without any addition or deletion. A king is a person who has the power of life and death over his people. It is immaterial whether the person wears a crown or not, or whether he was ever addressed as king or monarch: if the man has the prerogative of inflicting capital punishment - HE IS A KING.
Moses possessed such a power. do you remember the Israelite who was found picking up firewood on Sabath Day, and Moses had him stoned to stead? (Numbers 15:36) there are other crimes also mentioned in the Bible for which capital punishment inflicted on the Jews at the behest of Moses. Muhammed too, had the power of life and death over his people. there are instances in the Bible of persons who were given gift of prophecy only, but they were not in a position to implement their directive.
Some of these hly men of God who were helpless in the face of stubborn rejection of their message, were the prophets Lot, Jonah, Daniel, Ezra, and John the Bapits. They could only deliver the message, but could not enforce the Law. The Holy Prophet Jesus unfortunately also belonged to this category. The Christian Gospel clearly confirms this: when jesus was dragged before the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, charged for sedition, Jesus made a convincing point in his defence to refute the false charge:
JESUS ANSWERED, 'MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD': IF MY KINGDOM WERE OF THIS WORLD, HEN WOULD MY RFIGHT, THAT I SHOULD NOT BE DELIVERED TO THE JEWS; BUT NOW IS MY KINGDOM NOT FROM HENCE," (John 18:36) This convinced Pilate (A Pagan) that though Jesus might not be in full possession of his mental faculty, he did not strike him as being a danger to his rule. Jesus claimed a spiritual kingdom only; in other words he only claimed to be a prophet. Is this true?" The dominee answered: "Yes." I said: "Therefore Jesus in not like Moses but Muhammed is like Moses."
No New Laws
(6) "Moses and Muhammed brought new laws and new regulations for their pwople. Moses not only gave the Ten Commandments to the Israelities, but a very comprehensive ceremonial law for the guidance of his people. Muhammed comes to a people steeped in barbarism and ignorance. They married their step-mothers; they buried their daughters alive; drunkenness, audltery, odolatry, and gambling were the order of the day.
Gibbon describes the Arabs before Islam in his "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire", 'THE HUMAN BRUE, ALOMOST WITHOUT SENSE, IS POORLY DISTINGUISHED FROM THEREST OF THE ANIMAL CREATION.' There was hardly anything to distinguish between the "man" and the "animal" of the time; they were animals in human form.
"From this abject barbarism Muhammed elevated them, in the word os Thomas Carlyle, 'into torch-bearers of light and learning.'
'TO THE ARAB NATION IT WAS AS A BITH FROM DARKNESS INTO LIGHT. ARABIA FIRST BECAME ALIVE BY MENAS OF IT. A POOR SHEPHERD PEOPLE, ROAMING UNNOTICED IN ITS DESERTS SINCE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD. SEE, THE UNNOTICED BECOMES WORLD NOTABLE, THE SMALL HAS GROWN WORLD-GREAT. WITHIN ONE CENTURY AFTERWARDS ARABIA WAS AT GRANDADA ON ONE HAND AND ATDELHI ON THE OTHER. GLANCING IN VALOUR , AND SPLENDOUR AND THE LIGHT OF GENIUS, ARABIA SHINES OVER A GREAT SECTION OF THE WORLD...' The fact is that Muhammed gave his people a Law and Order they never had before.
"As regards Jesus, when the Jews felt suspicious of him that he might be an imposter with designs to pervert their teachings, Jesus took pains to assure them that he had not come with a new religion - - no new laws and no new regulations. I quote his own words: 'THINK NOT THAT I AM COME TO DESTORY THE LAW , OR THE PROPHETS: I AM NOT COME TO DESTROY, BUT TO FULFIL. FOR VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, TILL HEAVEN AND EARTH PASS, ONE JOT OR ONE TITLE SHALL IN NOWEISE PASS FROM THE LAW, TILL ALL BE FULFILLED.'
(Matthew 5:17-18). In other words he had not come with any new laws or regulations; he came only to fulfil the old law. This is what he gave the Jews to understand -unless he was speaking with the tongue in his cheek trying to bluff the Jews into accepting him as a man of God and by subterfuge trying to ram a new religion down their throats. No! This Messenger of God would never resort to such foul means to subvert the Religion of God. he himself fulfilled the laws.
He observed the commandments of Moses, and he respected the Sabbath. At no time did a single Jew point a finger at him to say 'why don't you fast' or why don't you wash your hands before you break bread', which charges they always levied against his disciples, but never against Jesus. This is because as a good Jew he honoured the laws of the prophets who preceded him . In short, he had created no new religion and had brought no new law like Moses and Muhammed is this true?" I asked the dominee, and he answered: "Yes." I said: "Therefore, Jesus is not like Moses but Muhammed is like Moses."
How they Departed
(7) "Both Moses and Muhammed died natural deaths, but according to Christianity, Jesus was voilently killed on the cross. Is this true? The dominee said: "Yes." I averred: "Therefore Jesus is not like Moses but Muhammed is like Moses."
Heavenly Abode
(8) "Moses and Muhammed both lie buried in earth, but according to you, Jesus rests in heaven. Is this true?" The dominee agreed. I said : "Therefore Jesus is not like Moses But Muhammed is like Moses."
Ishamael The First Born
Since the dominee was helplessly agreeing with every point, I said "Dominee, os far what I have done is to prove only one point out of the whole prophecy- that is proving the phrase 'LIKE UNTO THEE- 'like you'-'like Moses'. The prophecy is much more than this single phrase which reads as follows: "I WILL RAISE THEM UP A PROPHET FROM AMONG THEIR BRETHREN LIKE UNTO THEE..." The emphasiz is on the words-- "From among their brethren."
Moses and his people, the Jews are here addressed as a racial entity , and as such their 'brethren' would undoubtedly be the Arabs. You see, the Holy Bible speaks of Abraham as the "Friend of God". Abraham had two wives - Sarah and Hagar. Hagar bore Abraham a son- HIS FIRST-BORN- ".....And Abrahm called HIS SON'S name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.' (Genesis 16: 15). And Abraham took Ishmael HIS SON..." (Genesis 17:23).
'And Ishmael HIS SON was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskind.' (Genesis 17:25) Upto the agoe THIRTEEN Ishmael was the ONLY son and see of Abraham, when the convenant was ratified between God and Abraham. God grants Abraham another son through Sarah, named Isaac, who was very much the junior to his brother Ishmael.
Arabs and Jews
If Ishmael and Isaac are the sons of the same father Abraham, then they are brothers. And so the children of the one are the BRETHREN of the children of the other. The children to one antoher. The Bible affirms, 'AND HE (ISHMAEL) SHALL DWELL IN THE PRESENCE OF ALL HIS BRETHREN.' (Gensis 25: 18). The children of Isaac are the brethren of the Ishmaelities. In like manner Muhammed is from among the brehtren of the Israelities because he was a descendant of Ishmael, the of Abraham.
This is exactly as the prophecy has it- "FOM AMONG THEIR BRETHREN'. (Deut. 18:18). There the prophecy distinctly mentions that the coming prophet who would be like Moses, must arise NOT from the ' children of Israel' or from 'among themselves', but from among their brethren. MUHAMMED THEREFORE WAS FROM AMONG THEIR BRETHREN!
Words in the Mouth
The prophecy proceeds further: ' ...... AND I WILL PUT MY WORDS INTO HIS MOUTH...' What does it means when it is said 'I will put my words in your mouth'? You see, when I asked you (the dominee) to open Deuteronomy, chapter 18, verse 18, at the beginning, and if I had asked you to read, and if you had read, would I be putting my words into your mouth? The dominee answered: "No." But I continued:
"If I were to teach you a language like Arabic about which you have no knowledge, and if I asked you to read or repeat after me what I utter i.e.
SAY: HE IS ALLAH THE ONE AND ONLY;
ALLAH, THE ENTERNAL ABSOLUTE;
HE BEGETTETH NOT , NOR IS HE BEGOTTEN;
AND THERE IS NONE LIKE UNTO HIM.
Would I not be putting these unheard words of a foreign tongue which you utter, into your mouth?" The dominee agreed that it was indeed so. In an identical manner, I said, the words of the Holy Quran, the Revelation vouchsafed by the Almight God to Muhammed, were revealed.
History tell us that Muhammed was forty years of age. He was in a cave some three miles north of the City of Mecca.
It was the 27th night of the Muslim moth of Ramadaa. In the cave the Archangel Gabriel commands him in his mother tongue: ÇÞÑÇð which means READ! or PROCLAIM! or RECITE! Muhammed : I AM NOT LEARNED! The angel commands him a second time with the same result. For the third time the angel continues:
Now, Muhammed grsps, that what was required of him was to repeat ! or rehearse! And he repeats the words the words as they were put into his mouth:
"READ! IN THE NAME OF THE LORD AND CHERISHER, WHO CREATED-
CREATED MAN, FROM A (MERE) CLOT OF CONGEALED BLOOD:
rEAD! AND THEY LORD IS MOST BOUNTIFUL,-
HE WHO TAUGHT (THE USE OF ) THE PEN,-
TAUGHT MAN THAT WHICH HE KNEW NOT." (Holy Quran 96:1-5)
These are the first five verses which were revealed to Muhammed which now occupy the beginning of the 96th chapter fo the Holy Quran.
The Faithful Witness
Immediately the the angel had departed, Muhammed rushed to his home. Terrified and sweating all over he asked his bloved wife Kahdija to cover him up! He lay down and she watched by him. When he had gained his composure, he explained to her what he had seen and heard. She assured him of her faith in him and that Allah would not allow such a terrible thing to happen to him. Are these the confessions of an imposter?
Would imposters confess that when an angel of the Lord confronts them with a Message from on High, they get fear-stricken, terrified, and sweating all over, run home to their wives? Any critic can see that his reactions and confessions are that of an honest, sincere man, the man of Truth- 'AL AMIN'- The Honest, the Upright, the Truthful.
During the next twenty-three years of his prophetic life, words were 'put into his mouth', and he uttered the. They made an indelible impression on his heart and mind: and as the volume of the Sacred Scripture (Holy Quran) grew, they were recorded on palm-leaf fibre, on skins and on the shoulder-blades of animals; and in order in which we find them today in the Holy Quran.
The words (revlation) were actualy put into his mouth, exactly as foretold in the prophecy under dis cussion; 'And I will put my words in his mouth.' (Deut. 18:18)
Un-lettered Prophet
Mohammed experience in the cave of Hira, later to be known as Jabal-un-Noor- of another Biblical prophecy. In the Book of Isaiah, chapter, 29, verse 12, we read; "AND THE BOOK" (al-Kitaab, al-Quran- the 'Reading', the 'Recitation') "IS DELIVERED TO HIM THAT IS NOT LEANRED," ÇáäÈí ÇáÇãí the unlearned Prophet, (Holy Quran 7: 158) "SAYING, READ THIS, I PRAY THEE:' (the words "I pray thee", are not in the Hebrew manuscripts; compare with the Roman Cathlics' Douay Version" and also with the "Revisied Standard versions") AND HE SAITH, I AM LEARNED." ( "I am not leaned, " is the exact translation of the wordsãÇÇäÇ ÈÞÇÑÆ which words Muhammed uttered twice to the Holy Ghost - the Archangel Gabriel, when he was commanded "READ!").
Let me quote the verse in full without a break as found in the "Kind James version, " or the "Authorised Version" as it is more popularly known "AND THE BOOK IS DELIVERED TO HIM THAT IS NOT LEARNED, SAYING READ THIS , I PRAY THEE: AND HE SAIDTH, I AM NOT LEARNED." (ISAIAH 29:12)
It may be noted that there were no Arabic Bibles in existence in the 6th Century of the Christian Era when Muhammed lived and preached ! Besides, he was absolutely unlettered and unlearned. No human had ever taught him a word. His teacher was his
creator-æãÇíäØÞ Úä ÇáåæÇí
HE DOES NOT SPEAK (AUGHT), OF ( HIS OWN) DESIRE
IT IS NO LESS THAN INSPIRATION SENT DOWN TO HIM:
HE WAS TAUGHT BY ONE MGHTY IN POWER,"
Without any human learning, ' he put to shame the wisdom of the learned'.
Grave Warning
"See! I told the dominee, 'how the prophecies fit Muhammed like a glove. We do not have to strtch prophecies to justify their fulfilment in Muhammed.'
The Dominee replied: "All your exposition sound very well, but they are of no real consequence, because we Chritians have Jesus Christ the incarnate" God, who has redeemed us from the Bondage of sin.
I asked: "No important?" God did not think so! He went to a great deal to trouble to have His warnings recorded. God knew that there would be people like you who will flippantly, light-heartedly discounout his words, so he followed up deuteronomy 18:18 with a dire warning: "AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS," (it is going to happen) "THAT WHOSOEVER WILL NOT HEARKEN UNTO MY WORDS WHICH HE SHALL SPEAK IN MY NAME, I WILL REQUIRE IT OF HIM."
(In the Catholic Bible the ending words are- "I will be the revenger", - I will take verngeance from him- I will take revenge "Does not this terrify you? God Almighty is threatening revenge! We shake in our plants if some hoodlum threatens us, yet you have no fear of God's warning?"
"Miracle of miracles! in the verse 19 of Deuteronomy Chapter 18, we have a further fulfilment of the prophecy in Muhammed! Note the words -' MY WORDS WHO HE SHALL SPEAK IN MY NAME". In whose name is Muhammed speaking?' I opened the Holy Quran- Allama Ysusf Ali's translation, at chapter 114- Sura Nas, or Mankind- the last chapter , and showed him the formula at the head of the chapter: ÈÓã Çááå ÇáÑÍãä ÇáÑÍíã and the meaning:
IN THE NAME OF GOD,MOST GRACIOUS, MOST MERCIFUL. "And the heading of cahpter 113: ÈÓã Çááå ÇáÑÍãä ÇáÑÍíã and the meaning: 'IN THE NAME OF GOD, MOST GRACIOUS, MOST MERCIFUL"And every chapter downwards 112 111, 110... was the same forula and the same page each.
"And what did the prophecy demand?'... WHICH HE SHALL SPEAK IN MY NAME ,' and in whose name does Muhammed speak? "IN THE ANEM OF GOD, MOST GRACIOUS, MOST MERCIFUL.' The Prophecy is being fulfilled in Muhammed to the letter!
"Every chapter of the Holy Quran except the 9th, begin with the formula: : ÈÓã Çááå ÇáÑÍãä ÇáÑÍíã IN THE NAME OF GOD , MOST GRACIOUS, MOST MERCIFUL.' The muslim begins his every lawful act with the Holy formula. But the Christian begins: "In the name of the Father, son and holy ghost.'"
Concerning Deuteronomy chapter eighteen, I have given you more than 15 reasons as to how this prophecy refers to Muhammed and NOT to Jesus.
Bapist Contradition Jesus
In New Testament times, we find tat the jews were still expecting the fulfilment of the prophecy of 'ONE LIKE MOSES,' refer John 1: 19-25. When Jesus claimed to be the Messiah of the Jews, the bgan to enquires as to where was Elias? The jews had a parellel prophecy that before the coming of the Messiah, Elias must come first in his second coming. Jesus confirms this Jewish belief:
..ELIAS TRULY SHALL FIRST COME, AND RESOTRE ALL THINGS. BUT I SAY UNTO YOU, THAT ELIAS IS COME ALREADY, AND THEY KN EW HIM NOT, THEN THE DISCIPLES UNDERSTOOD THAT HE SPEAKE UNTO THEM OF JOHN THE BAPAPTIST." (Matthew 17:11-13)
According to the New Testament the Jews were not the ones to swallow the words of any would-be messiah. In their investigations they underwent intese difficulties in order to find their true Messiah. And this the Gospel of Hohn confirms: "AND THIS IS THE RECORD OF JOHN," (the Baptist) "WHEN THE JEWS SENT PRIESTS AND LEVITES FROM JESUSALEM TO ASK HIM, WHO ART THOU? ART THOU ELIAS? AND HE SAITH, I AM NOT."
(Here John the Baptist contradicts Jessu! Jesus says that John is "Elias' and John denies that he is what jesus ascribes him to be. One of the TWO (Jesus or John), God forbid1 is definitely not speaking the TRUTH! On the testimony of Jesus himself, John the Baptist was the greatest of the israelite prophets:
"VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, AMONG THEM TAHT ARE BORN OF WOMEN THERE HAS NOT RISDEN A GREATER THAN JOHN THE BAPTIST..." (Mattehew 11:11)
We Muslims know John the Baptist as Hazrat YAHYA Alai-his-salaam (peace be upon him). We revere him as a true prophet of Allah. The Holy Prophet Jesus known to us as Huzrut IAA Alia-his-salaam (peace be upon him), is also esteemed as one of the mighteist messengers of the Almighty. how can we muslims impute lies to either of thier sacred scriptures abound in discrepencies which they have been glossing over as the "dark sayings of Jesus". * We muslims are really interested in the last question posed to Hohn the Baptist by the jewish elite- "ART THOUGH THAT PROPHET? AND HE ANSWERED, NO." (John 1:21)
Three Questions
Please nothe that three different and distinct questions wer posed to John the Baptist and to which he gave three emphatic "NO's" as answers. To recapitulate:-
1) Art though the Christ?
2) Art though Elias?
3) Art thou that prophet?
But the learned men of Christendom somehow only see two questions implied here . To make doubly clear that the jews definitely had T-H-R-E-E separate prophecies in their minds when the were interrogating John the Baptist, let us, read the remonstrance of the Jews in the versus following:-
"AND THEY ASKED HIM, AND SAID UNTO HIM WHEY BAPTISEST THOUGH THEN, IF THOUGH BE
(a) NOT THAT CHRIST,
(b) NOT ELIAS,
(c) NEITHER THAT PROPHET?" (John 1:12)
The Jews were waiting for the fulfilment of THREE distinct prophecies: One, the coming of CHRIST. Two, the coming of ELIAS, and three, the coming of THAT PROPHET.
"That Prophet"
If we look up any Bible which has a concordance or coss-references, then we will find in the marginal nte where the words "the prophet", of "that prophet" occur in John 1:25, that these words refer to the prophecy of Deuteronomy 18 : 15 and 18. and that ' that prophet'- 'the prophet like Moses' - "LIKE UNTO THEE", we hav e proved through overwhelming evidence that he was MUHAMMED and not Jesus!
We Muslims are not denying that Jesus was the "Messiah", which word is translated as "Christ".* We are not contesting the "thousand and one prophecies" which the Christians claim abound in the Old Testament fordetelling the coming of the Messiah. What we say is that Deuteronomy 18:18 does NOT refer to Jesus Christ but is an explicit prophecy about the Holy Prophet Muhammed!"
The dominee, very politely parted with me by saving that it was very interesting discussion andhe would like me very much to come one day and address him congregation on the subject. A decade and half has passed since then but I am still awaiting that privilege.
I believe the dominee was sincere when he made the offer, but prejudices die hard and who would like to loose his sheep?
The Acid Test
To the lambs of Christ I say why not apply that acid test which the Master himself wanted you to apply to any would be claimant to prophethood? He had said: "BE THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM. DO MEN GATHER GRAPES FROM THE THORNS, OR FIGS FROM THE THISTLES? EVERY GOOD TREE WILL BEARGOOD FRUIT AND EVERY EVIL TREE WILL BEAR EVIL FRUIT... BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM. (Metthew 7:16-20)
Why are you afraid to apply this test to the teachings of Muhammed? You will find in the Last Testament of God - the Holy Quran- the true fulfilment of the teachings of Moses and Jesus which will bring to the world the much-needed peace and happiness. "IF A MAN LIKE MOHAMMED WERE TO ASSUME THE DICTATORSHIP OF THE MODERN WORLD, HE WOULD SUCCEED IN SOLVING ITS PROBLEMS THAT WOULD BRING IT THE MUCH NEEDED PEACE AND HAPPINESS."
The Greatness!
The Weekly Newsmagazine "TIME" date July 15, 1974, carried a selection of opinions by various historians, writers, military men, men , businessmen and others on the subject: "Who Were History's Great Leaders?" Some said it was Hitler; others said _Gandhi, Buddha, Lincolm and the like. But Jules Masserman, a United States psychoanalyst put the standards straight by giving the correct cristeria wherewith to judge: "LEADERS MUST FULFIL THREE FUNCTIONS:-
1) Provide for the wel--being of the led,
2) Provide a social organization in which people feel relatively secure, and
3) Provide them with one set of beliefs."
With the above three criteria he searches history and anlyses - Hitler, Pasteur, Caesar, Moses, Confucius and the lot , and ultimately concludes:-
"PEOPLE LIKE PASTEUR AND SALK ARE LEADERS IN THE FIRST SENSE. PEOPLE LIKE GANDHI AND CONFUCIUS, ON ONE HAND , AND ALEXANDER, CAESAR AND HITLER ON THE OTHER , ARE LEADERS IN THE SECOND AND PERHAPS THE THIRD SENSE. JESUS AND BUDDHA BELONG TO THE THIRD CATEGORY ALONE. PERHAPS THE GREATEST LEADER OF ALL TIMES WAS MOHAMMED, WHO COMBINED ALL THREE FUNCTIONS. To a lesser-degree, MOSES DID THE SAME."
According tot he objective standards set by the Prfessor of the Chicogo University, who I believe to be Jewish, - JESUS and BUDDHA are nowhere in the picture of the "great leaders of mankind", but by a queer coincidence groups Moses and Muhammed together thus adding further wight to the argument that JESUS is not like MOSES, but MUHAMMED is like MOSES: Deut. 18:18 "LIKE UNTO THEE"- LIKE MOSES!
In conclusion, I end with a quotation of a Christian Reverend the commentator of the Bible , followed by that of his Master:
"THE ULTIMATE CRITERION OF A TRUE PROPHET IS THE MORAL CHARACTER OF HIS TEACHINGS. "Prof. Dummelow)."
"BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM." (Jesus Christ)
Come let us reason together
SAY: "O PEOPLE OF THE BOOK!
COME TO COMMON TERMS AS BETWEEN US AND YOU:
THAT WE WORSHIP NONE BUT GOD;
THAT WE ASSOCIATE NO PARTNERS WITH HIM; THAT WE ERECT NOT, FROM AMONG OURSLEVES, LORDS AND PARTONS OTHER THAT GOD".
IF THEN THEY TURN BACK,
SAY: 'BEAR WITNESS THAT WE (ATLEAST)
ARE MUSLIMS (BOWING TO GOD'S WILL). Holy Quran 3: 64
"PEOPLE OF THE BOOK" is the respectful title given to the Jews and the Christians in the Holy Quran. The Muslim is commanded to invite _"O PEOPLE OF THE BOOK!" - O Learned People! who claim to be the recipients of Divine Revelation, of a Holy Scripture; let us gather together onto a common platform - "that we worship none but God," because none but God is worthy of of worship, not because "
THE LORD THEY GOD IS A JEALOUS GOD VISTING THE INIQUITY OF THE FATHERS UPON THE CHILDREN UNTO THE THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATION OF THEM THAT HATE ME." ( Exodus 20:5) ,but because He is our Lord and Cherisher, our Sustainer and Evolver, worthy of all praise, prayer and devotion.
In the abstract the Jews and the Christains would agree to all the three prepositions contained in this Quranic verse. In practice they fail. Apart from doctrinal lapese from the unith of the One True God, (Allah subhanahu wata-ala) there is the question of a consecrated Priesthood (among the Jews it was hereitary also), as ifa mere human being - Cohen, or Pope, or Priest, or Brahman, - could claim superiority apart from his learning and the purity of his life or could stand between man and God in some special sense.
ISLAM DOES NOT RECOGNIZE PRIESTHOOD!
The Creed of Islam is given to us here in a nutshell:
SAY YE: "WE BELIEVE IN ALLAH
AN D THE REVELATION GIVEN TO US,
AND TO ABRAHAM , ISMAIL, ISAAC,
JACOB, AND THE TRIBES,
AND THAT GIVEN TO MOSES AND JESUS
AND THAT GIVEN TO (ALL)
PROPHETS FROM THEIR LORD:
WE MAKE NO DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN ONE AND ANOTHER OF THEM:
AND WE HOW TO ALLAH (IN ISLAM)."
Holy Quran 2: 136.
The Muslim position is clear. The Muslim does not claim to have a religion peculiar to himself. Islam is not a sect or an ethnic religion. In its view all Religion is one, for the Truth is one. IT WAS THE SAME RELGIGION PREACED BY ALL THE EARLIER PROPHETS. (Holy Quran 42:13) It was the truth taught by all the inspired Books.
In essence it amounts to a consciousness of the Will and Plan of God and a joyful submission to that Will and Plan. IF ANYONE WANTS A RELGION OTHER THAN THAT, HE IS FALSE TO HIS OWN NATURE, AS HE IS FALSE TO GOD'S WILL AND PLAN. Such a one can not expect guidance, for he has deliberately renounced guidance.
The "God" That Never Was
Islam is the only religion which teaches the existence of a PERFECT God. A perfect God means that there is not sharer in His Nature and His Attributes: "Say: He is God, the One and Only : God, the Eternal, Absolute, He begetteth not, nor is He begotten, and there is none like unto Him, " (Quran, 112: 1-4)
There has appeared a man in Benoni. he is not qualified in theology, but is fondly cherishing the self-delusion that he is an apostle of Christ, appointed by God to convert Muslims to Christianity. Because he is a lawyer by profession, he is adepte at juggling with words and quoting the Holy Quran totally out of context without knowing a word of Arabic. He wants Muslims to believe that Jesus was also a God, a belief that is abhorrent to us, because it is an antithesis of the Absolute perfection of Allah Subhaanahoo Wa Ta 'Aala!
Thus intent upon reversing the process of Truth, which is : "And Say: The Truth has come and falsehood vanished. Surely false hood is ever bound to vanish." Qurban, 17:81). In this he will never succeed because the process of Truth is irreversable.
Two Reasons
He has given to reasons to prove that Jesus is God, vis: (I) "When we say Jesus is deity (or even God for that matter), we do not make him the Father! He is one with the Father and therefore HE SHARES HIS NATURE" nad (ii) "HE IS IN EVERY WAY LIKE THE FATHER but he is not the Father".
In short, according to him, jesus is God because HE SHARES THE NATURE OF GOD, and HE IS IN EVERY WAY LIKE GOD. These tow reasons given by him to prove the divinity of jesus are so puerile that they speak volumes of his elgal training.
Numerous quotations from the Bible are given below to prove that Jesus neither SHARED THE NATURE GOD, NOR IS HE IN EVERY WAY LIKE GOD. He can , therfore, NEVER be God. We have given the quotations from the Bible without comment, because the Bible speaks for itself! TO SAY THAT JESUS IS GOD IS NOT ONLY A MOCKERY OF GODHOOD, BUT BLASPHEMY OF THE LOWEST ORDER AND AN INSULT TO THE INTELLIGENCE OF MEN! (Note: Unless otherwise stated, all quotations from the Bible are given from the Authorized Version. In our headings and subheadings we have referred to Jesus as "God" in inverted commas in order to show the ABSURITY of the claim of this man that Jesus is God
THE BIRTH OF "GOD"
"God Was Created From The Seed of David: "Concerning of the Seed of David according to the flesh. " (Romans. 1:3)
"God" was The Fruit of the Loins of David: "Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of fruit of his loins, according to the flesh , he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne." (Acts. 2: 30)
The Ancestors of "God: " The generations of Jesus Christ , the son fo David, the son of Abraham," (Matthew, 1:1)
The Sex of "God": "And wheneight days were accomplished for the circumcising f the child, his name was called Jesus." (Luke 2:21)
How Mary Conceived and Delivered "God" Mary conceived Jesus like any other woman: "The days were accomplished that she went through all the normal stages of pregnancy. Nor was her delivery any different from other expectant mothers: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered." (Revelation, 12:2)
"God Sucked The Paps of Woman: And came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which though hat sucked." (Luke, 11,27)
The Country of Origin of "God" jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the kind. (Mathew, 2:1)
The Occupation of "God" Jesus was a carpenter by trade (mark, 6:3), and the son of a carpenter. (Matthew. 13:55)
The Transport of "God" Behold , thy king cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass." (Matthew, 21:5).
"And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon." (John, 12:14)
The Winning and Dining "God" The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibebber, a friend of publcans and sinners, (Matthew, 11:19 luke, 7, 34)
The poverty of "God" And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests: but the Son of man hath not where to aly his head." (Mathew, 8:20)
The Meagre Possessions of "God": "Shoes" of Jesus. (Luke, 3, 16).
"Garments" and "coat of Jesus. (19:23)
"God" Was a Loyal Subject: Jesus was a good citizen; he was loyal to Caesar. he said; "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's :and unto God the things that are God's. "Matthew, 22,21).
He paid his tax regularly. (Matthew. 17:24-27)
Resurrection Or Resuscitation?
Ahmed Deedat
In lesson No.2- "Who Moved the Stone?"*
I had promised to deal with the anomaly, where believers were reading simple English, yet were so conditioned that they were understanding exactly the OPPOSITE of what they were reading. The following story from real life will not only illustrate the point but will also elucidate our present case - "RESURRECTION OR RESUSCITATION?"
I was about to leave for the Transvaal on a lecture tour, so I phoned my friend hafiz Yusuf Dadoo of Standerton, informing him of my impending visit, as well as to enquire whether he needed anything from Durban. He said that as he was taking up Hebrew, I should try and obtain a Bible in the Nebrew language with a translation in English side by side.
I went to the "BIBLE HOUSE" in Durban. Without any difficulty I found the appropriate Bible for my friend, the "Authorised Version," also known as the "King James Version," looking for one with the best print and at the cheapest price, I noticed the lady behind the counter had lifted up the telephone to speak to someone. I was out of hearing distance, nor was I interested, but after an exchange with the preson on the other side of the line she put her hand on the mouthpiece and addressed me.
"Excuse me, sir, are You Mr Deedat?" I siad, "yes." She said, "The Supervisor of the Bible Society would like to speak to you." "It would be my pleasure," I answered. She spoke a few more words into the telephone and replaced the receiver. I said with a smile, "I thought that you were ringing the police." (perhaps because of the number of bibles I was handling) - She laughed and said, "No, it was the Rev. Roberts, the Supervisor, who wishes to speak to you."
WINNING A CONVERT
Presently, Rev. Roberts approached me and after introducing himself, he gestured to me to hand over to him the Bible which I was holding in my hand. I handed the book. He opened it and began reading to me - "and this is life eternal that they should know Thee the only True God and Jesus Christ whom Thou has sent." (John 17"3). (Subsequently, I checked up the Gospel references of his quotations).
After having listened to his reading of this scripture, I responded with the words: "I accept!" - meaning the implication of the Message he was trying to convey to me. I did not tell him then that what he was trying to convey to me was the same as the Holy Qur`an was telling mankind for the past fourteen hundred years - that all must believe in the 'ONE AND ONLY GOD ALMIGHTY AND JESUS CHRIST is only a MESSENGER OF GOD.' The words of the Holy Qur`an are as follows:-
"MOST CERTAINLY THE MESSIAH, JESUS THE SON OF MARY,
WAS AN APOSTLE OF ALLAH* AND HIS WORD,
WHICH HE BESTOWED ON MARY AND A SPIRIT PROCEEDING FROM HIM.:
SO BELIEVE IN ALLAH AND HIS APOSTLES..." Holy Qur`an 4:171
LOVE ONE ANOTHER
Rev. Roberts must have been elated to hear my words - "I ACCEPT," to his first quatation. He quickly opened the Bible in another place and began reading these words attributed to Jesus:-
"A new commandment I give unto you. That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love for one another." John 13:34-35
A NEW CONVERT?
When he had finished reading these verses, I remarked - "very good!" He was greatly encouraged with my comment. I sincerely menat what I said, and there was no pretence. The Reverend found yet another quotation to clinch a convert for Christ. He began:-
"Judge not that ye be not judged." "For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." Matthew 7:1-2
To this quotation I responded with the words, "I agree!" My only reason for agreeing and accepting everything that the Reverend was reading to me was not of the "special discount" I was getting from the Bible Society on my purchases, but because these particular quotations were conveying the same message and ideals which Allah Subhanahoo Wa Ta`aala was commanding the Muslims to preach and practice.
I would be spiritually jaundiced totake exceptions to what was common to both of us - The MUSLIM and the CHRISTIAN. For me to say that an identical message from my Book (the Holy Qur`an) was VERY GOOD, but the same message in his Book (the Holy Bible) was VERY BAD would be hypocritical in the extreme. It would be soul shaming untruth.
THE PURPOSE
What was the real purpose of the Reverend's reading the Scripture to me? Indeed, I was getting a special discount on all my purchases from the Bible Society and I was perhaps the only non-Christian to get such a discount, though it was depending purely on a business transaction, and this information must have been passed on to the Reverend as the Head of the Bible Society; that I was a Muslim there was no mistaking my identity, for my beard and my deadgear were the badges of Faith, easily recognised as such in this part of the world; and that, despite my numerous purchases of the Bibles in English (various versions), in Zuly, Afrikaans, Jrdu, Arabic and other languages, I was not yet "converted" Perhaps, what I really needed was a gentle push, the Supervisor must have been told. Hence the recitation of the preceding quotations to me. The implication of this reading was that I had probably not read those beautiful passages; how else was it possible, then, that I had not yet embrached Christianity?
A PROBLEM
The Reverend gentleman had taken the role of a teacher who wanted to teach, who wanted to impart new knowledge to his pupil.
Since I am commanded by my Prophet (peace be upon him) to "SEEK KNOWLEDGE FROM THE CRADLE TO THE GRAVE," and "SEEK KNOWLEDGE EVEN IF IT BE IN CHINA," I wanted to learn. I said, "I agree with all that you have read to me, but I have a problem with you Bible," "What problem have you got? he asked, I said, "please opne the Gospel of St. Luke, Chapter 3 verse 23." This he did. I said, "please read." He read:- "And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli," Luke 3:23
I drew the Reverend's attention to the words - "(AS WAS SUPPOSED)' I said, "Do you see that the words 'as was supposed' are written within brackets?" He said that he saw that. I asked him, "why are the brackets there?" He acknowledged, "I don't know, but I could find out for you from some Bible scholars." I admired his humility. Though I knew that all Supervisors of Bible Houses in South Africa are retired reverends, it was possible that this aspect of Bible knowledge was beyond their sphere. I said, "If you do not know then let me tell you what the brackets are doing there in this verse. You do not have to take the trouble of looking for a Bible scholar."
I explained that in the "most ancinet' manuscripts of Luke, the words (AS WAS SUPPOSED)' are not there. Your translators felt that without this interpolation the "little lambs" not well grounded in faith, might slip and fall into the error of believing that JOSEPH the Carpenter was the actual physical father of Jesus. So they took the precaution of adding their own comment in BRACKETS to avoid any misunderstanding. I said, "I am not trying to find fault with your system of adding words in brackets to assist the reader, but what intrigues me is that in all translations of the Bible in the African and Eastern languages you you have retained the words "as was supposed" but have REMOVED THE BRACKETS, Couldn't the nations of the Earth besides the English understand the meaning and purpose of the brackets?
What is wrong with the Afrikaner? Why have you eliminated the brackets from the Afrikaans Bible? The supervisor protested, " I didn't do it." I said, " know that you personally did not do it but why have the Bible Society that you represent and your Bible scholars been playing with the "Word of God?" If God Almighty did not see fit to preserve Luke from error, what right has anybody to add to or delete from words in the "Book of God?" What right have you to manufacture 'GODS WORDS?"
INTERPOLATIONS
The translators' own addition of words in brackets can easily be put into the mouth of St. Luke by merely removing the brackets, and by implication, if Luke was imspired by God to write what he did, then the interpolations automatically become the WORD OF GOD, which really is not the case. (More will be said on this subject in the forthcoming publication - "is the Bible God's Word?)* I concluded my explanation with the words - "Your theologinas of the day have succeeded where the alchemists of youre failed - of turning beser metal into shining gold."
THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
At this stage the Reverend introduced irrelevancies into the discussion and the subject chagned. He made some claims which made me say, "You see, sir, you English people do not know your own language." (With apologies to my readers whose mother tongue is English.) He quickly retorted, "You mean to say that you know my language better than I do?" I said, "It would be presumptuous on my part to tell - an Englishman - that I understand your language better than you do."
"Then what do you mean that we English people do not know our own language?" he demanded. I said again, "You see, Sir, you read your Holy Scripture in your mother tongue, like every Christian belonging to a thousand, different language groups, and yet each and every Christian language group understands that facts, OPPOSITE to what he is reading." What are you refering to?" he asked.
A GHOST
I contiuned: "Do yu remember the occasion when Jesus returend to that upper room after his alleged crucifixion 'and saith unto them, his (disciples), Peace be unto you' (Luke 24:36) and his disciples were terrified on recognising him?" He answered that he remembered that incident. I enquired, "Why should they be terrified? When one recongnises one's long-lost friend or one's beloved, the natural reaction is to feel overjoyed, elated and one wants to embrace and kiss the hands and feet of the beloved. Why did they get terrified?"
The Reverend replied that, "They (the disciples) thought that they were seeing a ghost." I asked, "Did Jesus look like a ghost?" He said, "No." "Then why did they think that they were seeing a ghost when he did not look like a ghotst?" I queried. The Reverend was clearly puzzled. I said, "Please allow me to explain.
DISCIPLES NOT EYE WITNESSES
"You see, sir, the disciples of Jesus were not EYE-witnesses, or EAR-witnesses to the actual happenings of the previous three days, as vouched for by St. Mark who says that at the most critical juncture in the life of Jesus, "they all forsook him and fled," (Mark 14:50).
All the knoweldge of the disciples regarding their Master was from hearsay. They had heard that their master was HANGED ON THE CROSS they had heard that he had GIVEN UP THE GHOST they had heard that he was DEAD AND BURIED FOR THREE DAYS. If one is confronted by a person with such a reputation then the conclusion is inescapable; they must be seeing a GHOST. Little wonder these ten brave men were petrified."
"To disabuse their minds from the fear that gripped them, Jesus reasoned with them. He said, 'Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: To put it in colloquial English, this is how he told them: WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU FELLOWS, CAN'T YOU SEE THAT I AM THE SAME PERSON- who walked and talked with you, broke bread with you-flesh and blood in all respects.
Why do doubts enter you minds? 'Handle me and see, for a spirit has no flesh and bones as you see me have.'(Luje 24:39). In other words he is telling them: If I have FLESH and BONES, then I am not a GHOST, not a SPOOK and not a SPIRIT!" "Is that right?" I asked. "Yes," he replied. I continued that, Jesus is telling them, as recorded in this verse, in Basic English, that what the disciples were asked to "HANDLE AND SEE' was not a translated body, not a metamorphosed body and not a resurrected body, because a RESURRECTED body, is a SPIRITUALISED body.
He is telling them in the clearest language humanly possible that he is NOT what they were thinking. They were thinking that he was a SPIRIT, a RESURRECTED body, one having been brought back from the dead. He is most emphatic the HE IS NOT!"
SPIRITUALIZATION
'But how can you be so sure that the resurrected body cannot materialise physically as Jesus had obviously done?" murmured the Reverend. I replied: "Because Jesus ahd himself pronounced that the resurrected bodies get spritualised." When did he say any such thing?" enquired the Reverend. I answered, "Do you remember the incident as recorded in the Gospel of St. Luke, Chapter 20, where the learend men of the Jews- "the chief priestsand the scribes with the elders'- had come to him with a number of posers, and among them was one about a Jewess who had seven husbands in turn, one after another according to a Jewish custom, and in time all seven husbands and the woman too died?" The Reverend sadi that he did remember the occasion.
I continued: "The trap that the religious meirachy was trying to spring on him was; which one of the seven husbands was going to possess the woman on the 'Other side' - at the resurrection? - since they reasoned with Jesus that the seven brothers "had her." There was no problem while they fulfilled their obligation of trying to give her a child, because they had possessed her one by one in turn, and it was after the death of one that the other had taken her to wife.
But since at the resurrection all seven will be brought to life simultaneously, there will be strife in heaven because all seven would want to get at her at the same tiem, specially if they had pleasure with her."
"Jesus debunked their false notion of the resurrection, by saying that at the resurrection 'neither shall they die any more:' (Luke 20:36) meaning that the resurrected persons will be IMMORTALISED.
They will not be subject to death any more, no more hunger or thirst, no more fatigue. In short, all the instruments of death will be powerless against the resurrected body. Jesus continues to explain: "for they (the resurrected bodies) are equal unto the angles," that is, that they will be ANGELISED - spiritualised, that they will become spirit-creature, i.e. SPIRITS; and the children of God, for such are the
children of the resurrection.' (Luke 20:36)
JESUS NOT SPIRITUALISED
I was taken off from the theme I was expounding two paragraphs above by the Reverend with the challenge, "But how can you be so sure...?" To continue from where I had deviated above - 'HE IS NOT' what they were thinking, that he was not a SPIRIT, not a GHOST, not a SPOOK. To assure them further after having offered his hands and feet for inspection and verification that his was a material, physical body, and that all their bewilderment and disbelief was unjustified, he asked his disciples: "Have you here any meat?" (Meaning something to eat). 'And they gave him a place of brolled fish and of a honeycomb, and he took it, and did eat before them.' (Luke 24:41-43)
A DRAMA?
What was Jesus trying to prove by all his demonstrations of wanting his hands and feet to be handled and chewing and masticating broiled fish and honeycomb?
What all this a pretence, make-beliefe, an act or drama? "No!" Said Schleliermacher in 1819, a hundred years before I was born. Albert Schweizer records him saying, "IF CHRIST HAD ONLY EATEN TO SHOW THAT HE COULD EAT, WHILE HE REALLY HAD NO NEED OF NOURISHMENT, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A PRETENCE - SOMETHING DOCETIC" ("In Quest of the Historical Jesus, "page 64)
I had not know of Schieliermacher and other Christian scholars who over a hundred years ago doubted the death of Jesus on the cross as recorded by Albert Scheweizer, when I was discussing this subject with the head of the Bible Society.
NO RESURRECTION
"What is wrong with you (Christian) flok?" Jesus is telling you in the most unambiguous language that he is not a SPIRIT - not spiritualilsed, not a RESURRECTED person, and yet the whole christian world believes the he was RESURRECTED, i.e. SPIRITUALISED. Who is lying, you or him? How is it possible that you (each and every Christian) are reading your Holy Bible in your own mother tongue and yet EACH AND EVERY LANGUAGE GROUP IS MADE TO UNDERSTAND THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT THEY ARE READING? If you read the bible, say, in Hebrew, and pleaded that you did not understand what you were reading,
I can appreciate this fact. If you read it in Greek and pleaded that you did not really understand the implications of what was written; I can appreciate this fact, also. But the anomaly is that you are reading the Book, each and every one, IN HIS OWN MOTHER TONGUE, and are trained to understand the OPPOSITE of what is written. How have you been brainswashed, or rather ,how have you been 'programmed," as the Americans would put it.
"Please tell me as to who is lying? Is it Jesus or a thousand million Christians of the world? Jesus says, "NO!" to his being, resurrected, and all of you say "YES!" Whom are we Muslims to believe, Jesus or his so called disciples? We Muslims would rather believe the master. Did he not say, "The disciple is not greater than the Master." (Matthew 10: 24)
This was nore than the Reverend had bargained for. He politely excused himself by saying that as he had to get ready to close his office, he would look forward to meeting me again. This was sheer evasive politeness!
With the Bible Society, I won the DEBATE but lost the DISCOUNT! No more discount for me from the Bible Society. But let my loss be your gain. If you dear reader, can remove a few cobwebs from your thinking on the subject of the 'CRUCIFIXION,' I will be amply rewarded.
Those of you who have already mastered Lesson No. 1 and 2 from "What was the Sign of jonah?" and "Who Moved the Stone?" will do well to memorise the following verses for your Lesson NO. 3 if you have not yet recieved your FREE copies of the foregoing literature, please do not hesitate to write. We will also forward you a more comprehesnive work on the subject "WAS CHRIST CRUCFIED?" also absolutely FREE on request.
"Jesus himself stood in their midst, and said unto them, Peace be unto you.
"But they were terrified, and supposing that they were seeing a spirit.
"And he said unto them,...
"Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones, as you see me have.
"And showed them his hands and feet.
"And while they yet believed not for joy and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?
"And they gave him a piece of brolled fish, and of a honeycomb.*
"And he took it, and did eat before them.
* The words: "AND OF AN HONEYCOMB" are now expunged from the 'Revised Standard Version" of the Bible and from other translations in the African Languages Why? Our publication, "IS THE BIBLE GODS WORD? explains. If you have not received your FREE copy, write for yours NOW!
THE FAMILY OF "GOD"
"God" Was the Son of Joseph: "Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him We have found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, THE SONS OF JOSEPH,." (John, 1:45)
Brothers and Brothers-in-law of "God" And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty workds? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary ? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Judas? And his sisters, are
they not all with us? Whence hath this man all these things? (Matthew, 13:54-56).
THE DEVELOPMENT OF "GOD"
Spiritual Development of "God" And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom. " (Luke, 2: 40)
Mental, Phusical and Moral Development of "God".
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." (Luke, 2:52)
"God" Was Twelve Years Old When His Parents Took Him to jerusalem: "Now his parents
went to Jerusalem ever year at the feast of the passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to jerusalem after the custom to the feast." (Luke, 2:41-42)
The Powerless "God" Jesus said, I can of mine own self do nothing." (John, 5: 30)
"God" Was Ignorant of the Time: Jesus said: "But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." (Mark, 13: 32)
"God Was Ignorant of the Season: "And on the morow, when they were come from Bethany, He (Jesus was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.' (mark, 11-13)
"God" Was Unlettered: "Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught, And the jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? (John, 7: 14-15)
"God" Learnt Through Experience: "Learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. (hebrews, 5:8)
THE TEMPTING OF "GOD"
The Devil Tempted "God" For 40 Days : " And immediately the spirit driveth him into the wilderness. And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan," (Mark, 11 12-13)
The Devil Tempted "God" Continuously: And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a reason." (Luke, 4, 13)
Like The Sinner, "God" Was Tempted In All Things: "But (he) was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews, 4:15)
True God Cannot be Tempted With Evil: "God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man." (James, 1: 13)
Only The Ungodly Are tempted With Evil: But every mani s tempted , when he id drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." (James, 1:14)
THE MISSION OF "GOD"
The Confession and Repentance of "God" Before the beginning of his public ministry, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist (Matthew, 3:13), which signified the confession of sins (Matthew, 3:6) and repentance from his sins (Matthew, 3:11)
"God" Did Not Come to Save the Sinners: "And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. And he said unto them, unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things done in parables: That seeing they may see and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; LEST AT ANY TIME THEY SHOULD BE CONVERTED, AND THEIR SINS SHOULD BE FORGIVEN THEM."
THE RACIAL "GOD"
"God" Was A Tribal Jew: "The Loin of the tribe of Juda." Revelation, 5:5)
"God" Came For The Jews Only: But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel; " (Matthew, 15: 24)
Racial Discrimination of "God": "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying: God not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Matthew, 10:5-6)
According to "God" The Gentiles Are Dogs: "it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. (Matthew, 15: 26)
The Kingdom of "God": And he (Jesus) shall reign over THE HOUSE OF JACOB for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke, 1: 33)
The Title of "God" "The King of the Jews" (Matthew, 2:2); The King of Israel" (John, 1:49: 12: 13)
A "GOD" UNLIKE THE GOD
A Hungry "God" And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an Hungered." (Matthew, 4:2) "Now in the morning as he returned into the city , he HUNGERED," (Matthew 21:18) "and on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was HUNGRY," (Mark, 11:12)
A Thirsty "God" ("He saith, I THIRST." (John, 19: 12) A Sleepy "God". He was ASLEEP." (Matthew, 21:18) "he fell ASLEEP)" (Luke, 8: 23) And he was in the hinder part of the ship, ASLEEP on a pillow." (Mark, 4: 38)
A . Weary "God": Jesus therefore , being WEARIED WITH HIS JOURNEY , SAT THUS ON THE WELL." ( John, 4: 6)
A Groaning "God" : "He GROANED in the spirit, and was TROUBLED." (John, 11: 33).
Jesus therefore again GROANING IN HIMSELF COMETH TO THE GRAVE." (JOHN, 11: 38)
A Weeping "God" "Jesus WEPT " (John, 11: 35)
A Sorrowing "God" And (he) began to be SORROWFUL: and VERY HEAVY." (Matthew, 26: 37)
"Then saith he unto them, My soul is EXCEEDING SORROWFUL, even unto death." (Matthew, 26: 38)
A hesterical "God" " And (he) began to be SORE AMAZED and to be VERY HEAVY." (Mark, 14: 33)
A Weak "God" "And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, STRENGTHENING him." (Luke , 22:43)
THE WARRING "GOD"
The Strong-Arm method of "God" "And he went into the temple, and began TO CAST OUT them that sold therein, and them that bought . (Luke 19: 45) And the Jews' Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a SOURGE of small cords, HE DROVE THEM ALL out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and POURED OUT the changers' money and OVERTHREW the tables" (John, 2:13-15)
The "God" of War: Jesus Said: Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a SWORD." (Matthew 10:34)
"God" Was Panic-Stricken." After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he could not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him." (John, 7:1)
"God" Walked in Fear of the Jews: "Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him death. Jesus therefore waled no more openly among the Jews>" (John, 11: 53-54)
"God Fled in Disguise: Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by," (John, 8:59)
THE CAPTURE OF "GOD"
A Friend Betrayed The Secret Hiding Place of "God" "And Judas also which betrayed him , knew the place: for Jesus oft-times resorted thither with his disciples. Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priest and Pharisees, comet thither with lanterns and torches and weapons." (John, 18: 2-3)
"God" Was Arrested. Bound and Led Away: "then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him and led him away." (john, 18:12:13)
"God" Was Humiliated: "And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face." (Luke, 22: 63-64) "The did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands." (Matthew, 26:64)
"God" Was Defenseless: "One of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand", he said, "Why smitest thou me? (John, 18:22-23)
"God" Was Condemned to Death: "And they all condemned him to be guilty of death." (mark, 14:64). "They answered and said, He is guilty of death." (Matthew, 26:66)
The Dumb and docile "God" "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his sharer, so opened he not his mouth." (Acts, 8:32)
THE SUPPOSED END OF "GOD"
The Dying "God": "And Jesus Cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost." (Mark, 15:37)
The "god" That was supposed Dead and Defunct: "Christ died." (Romans, 5:6) "he was dead". (John, 19:33)
The supposed Corpse of "God": "he (Joseph of Arimathaea) went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered." (matthew,27:58)
The "Shroud" of "God": And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth." (Matthew, 27:59)
The "Obituary" of the "Late" and Lamented "God" "Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God saying saying, Certainly this was righteous man." (Luke,23:47)
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