What Kind of People Are We?

Posted on November 4, 2012 by Robert Sievers

The more I investigate Islam, the more spiritual reversals come leaping to the forefront. Sometimes these theological inversions are incredibly profound, and teaching me something new about Christ I had not seen before. Sometimes they teach me something about myself.

As a person reads the Bible, it becomes quite evident that as people, we have fallen way short of what God wants from us. Passages such as Jeremiah 17:9, Psalm 143:2, and Romans 3:12 leave no doubt as to our status before God. Of course, God’s sanctifying work allows us to receive a new heart, and to become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Yet when we examine ourselves, we have to be honest. Consider what Paul had to say about himself as he wrote to other believers. In one of the earliest epistles, the letter to the church at Corinth, Paul admits that he has some flaws. As an apostle, he garners a certain status, but he seems to feel unworthy of it and places himself at the bottom of the apostle’s ranking (1 Corinthians 15:9). Later, in the letter to the Ephesians (Ephesians 3:8), Paul doesn’t even mention his apostleship, but rather puts himself as the least of all those who call themselves believers in Jesus Christ. Yet Paul doesn’t stop here. In one of the latest books, Paul keeps lowering his self-appraisal, this time acknowledging that he considers himself the foremost of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15).

As time goes by, Paul’s view of himself continues to lessen. While such statements could be misused by taking them out of context, let’s stay focused and figure out where this self-deprecating attitude might come from. Jesus tells a parable that sheds some light on Paul’s statements. In Luke 14, Jesus tells a parable about how to position yourself relative to others.

8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place. 10 But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you.

In case there is any doubt about what this parable means, Jesus interprets it for us as well.

11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The command is clear. Don’t think too much of yourself. Don’t assume a position of honor, but rather, consider yourself the least of those present. For myself, I can testify that I should not try to make myself out to be somebody or something that I am not. While I enjoy writing these articles, I know full well that however God is using me, He is using a flawed and broken human. I rejoice that God can do so in whatever way He sees fit, just as Paul acknowledges in 1 Timothy 1:16.

So what is the Muslim view? As you might expect, it’s the exact opposite. Muslims are to regard themselves as the people most to be honored.

[3.110] You are the best of the nations raised up for (the benefit of) men; you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in Allah; and if the followers of the Book had believed it would have been better for them; of them (some) are believers and most of them are transgressors.

Should anyone think I am taking this verse out of context, consider what ibn Kathir says about this verse in his tafsir, “The meaning of the Ayah [verse] is that the Ummah [body of believers] of Muhammad is the most righteous and beneficial nation for mankind.” [i] As for Muhammad himself, “The Ummah of Muhammad achieved this virtue because of its Prophet, Muhammad, peace be upon him, the most regarded of Allah’s creation and the most honored Messenger with Allah.”

What we have again is a completely reversed way of thinking. Paul was humbled at the thought of being any kind of spokesman for God; Muhammad considered himself honored. As Christians, we are to take the place of least honor, recognizing that we are not to exalt ourselves, whereas the Muslims are to consider themselves the “best of the nations.” The attitude is the total antithesis of what Jesus commands.

http://www.quran4u.com/Tafsir%20Ibn%20Kathir/PDF/003%20Imran.pdf, p 179

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The Doves are in the Details

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Robert Sievers

In a previous article, I discussed how all of Jesus’ miracles were outwardly focused, and never benefited Himself. This was in contrast to Muhammad, whose miracle of the Qur’an often made his life on earth more pleasant. As I continue to study and read the gospels, there is another subtly different aspect to this phenomenon. Not only did Jesus never perform any miracles to make his human life any easier, he never did anything, whether miracle or mundane, that resulted in direct harm to others.

The aspect of Jesus’ miracles never benefiting Himself while also not performing any action harming others might seem to be two sides of the same coin, but is there any evidence of this? While reading the gospels, I was intrigued by the passage of Jesus cleansing the temple of moneychangers. I have heard people inappropriately cite this episode as proof of Jesus being angry, and therefore sinning. Of course this is a erroneous conclusion, as being angry is not in itself a sin (Ephesians 4:26).

Yet let’s probe a bit deeper by imagining an outraged Jesus as He overturned the tables of those selling the sacrificial animals. Of course, on further inspection, we note His zeal for the Father was not self-motivated, but was rather an indictment against the routine abuse of God’s law for profit. Not only that, the business was going on right in the outer court of the temple, where the God-fearing Gentiles would come to worship. Moreover, remember that the temple is the place specifically built to remind the Israelites of God’s holiness.

Yet the question remains of whether Jesus financially hurt those selling the animals. Didn’t the innocent fellow selling the sheep or oxen or doves get shafted as Jesus chased all the animals away? Interestingly enough, the Bible has an odd detail nestled within a broader passage that addresses this. Consider the larger animals, such as the sheep and oxen. The moneychanger would not lose his animal, as certainly the businessmen could track down a meandering cow or sheep after it had been set loose. The doves are a different story though. Once the doves are let loose, they will fly away, never to be corralled again. If Jesus flipped over tables, scaring the doves away, he financially hurts someone else, and perhaps it could be argued this was harming others. So let’s read John 2 carefully.

14 And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15 And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; 16 and to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business.”

I have read John 2 dozens of times and never noticed this. He drives the owners out of the temple with their sheep and oxen They could coral them easily enough. However, those with the doves he orders to leave. They are given the opportunity, (and apparently took it) to take them away of their own volition. In this way, the dove sellers were not directly hit with a loss of merchandise.

It’s possible that I might be making more out of this passage than is there, but I don’t think so. The gospels contain the most unusual details, and I believe they are there for a reason. As the Word of God, the depth of the Bible is never ending. Tucked away as a seemingly irrelevant detail, here we see yet another example of Jesus’ way of operating. It’s true this article doesn’t deal directly with Islam, but it just expands on an aspect of who Jesus is when considering how His actions affected others.

Even in this indignant state of removing the sacrificial animals, he does so in such a way as to avoid harming others. This is the Jesus whose actions, whether miraculous or mundane, always point outwardly, and never occur for his own self-satisfaction.

“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

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The Worship of Muhammad – Part Four

Posted on October 14, 2012 by Robert Sievers

In the past three articles, I have discussed how Muslims unwittingly deify Muhammad. Some readers may be tired of this line of discussion, but it is so important, I felt it necessary to expose how the Hadith discuss Muhammad, and therefore how Muslims are to revere him. The Hadith offer an interesting picture that goes beyond the pale of treating Muhammad as a mere man. The following Hadith makes it more clear how early Muslims viewed Muhammad.

In this first Hadith, consider how a Muslim would feel had he possessed a lock of Muhammad’s hair.

Narrated Ibn Sirrn: I said to ‘Ablda, “I have some of the hair of the Prophet which I got from Anas or from his family.” ‘Abida replied. “No doubt if I had a single hair of that it would have been dearer to me than the whole world and whatever is in it.” [i]

Here we see the hair of a dead man’s head was considered more valuable than the entire earth and its contents. If this is not worship, what is?

Many Hadith on seemingly unrelated topics contain information about Muhammad and his importance. A well-known Hadith called the “law laaka” deals with Adam’s first trespass, and his subsequent request for forgiveness. The Hadith claims that when Adam repented of his sin, he did so for the sake of Muhammad, who of course was not even born yet! [ii} In other words, it was because of Muhammad that Allah chose to forgive Adam. For those readers confused by the anachronism of how Adam could have known about Muhammad, see the source cited.

Perhaps one of the boldest claims comes from the words of a Muslim author from the same cited source discussing this particular Hadith. We find that Muhammad is the entire reason for creation itself!

“Indeed the Prophet of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) is the reason for the creation of Adam ‘alaihis salam and the universe. If the Prophet of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was not in existence, then the ‘Arsh and Kursi, Lawh and Qalam, the Skies and the Earth, Heaven and Hell, the trees and stones and all other creatures would not exist.” (emphasis mine)

How can a man be the sole reason causing God to create the universe? Not only is Muhammad deemed the reason for creation itself, but perhaps most astoundingly, even Muhammad himself claimed a unique capability relative to his followers. In another Hadith, Muhammad describes five things given to no other prophet but himself. The 4th one is that “I have been given the right of intercession (on the Day of Resurrection).” [iii] There are other Hadith which claim Muhammad as intercessor for Muslims such as this,

Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: I shall be pre-eminent amongst the descendants of Adam on the Day of Resurrection and I will be the first intercessor and the first whose intercession will be accepted (by Allah). [iv]

In this Hadith, Muhammad is seen to be above all other humans, and indeed all other prophets, with regard to his status in relation to Allah. Muslims disagree about exactly how much authority this Hadith shows Muhammad to have. However, what is agreed upon is that Muhammad has a special role at the time of judgment, thus elevating him to a unique status in relation to the rest of humanity.

Yes, Christians believe judgment has been granted to Jesus Christ, but since Jesus is God the Son, it is still God and God alone who has the ultimate say.

How ironic that Muslims revile at the idea of Jesus as intercessor, yet Muhammad, who never claimed deity as such, did claim to have special and unique powers of intercession for Muslims.

To recap this series, the shahada requires Muslims submit and believe in “a man”. The Qur’an equates Allah and Muhammad in ways that a man cannot be equated with God. Finally, the Hadith give Muhammad supremacy in ways no man could ever have. What conclusion is ultimately to be drawn? Muslims can continue to claim that they don’t worship Muhammad, and that is what is stated over and over again. Yet their creed, the Qur’an, their actions, and the Hadith tell a very different story.

[i} Sahih Bukhari: Volume 1, Book 4, Number 171

[ii] http://www.sunnah.org/msaec/articles/hadith_of_lawlaak.htm

[iii] Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 7, Number 331

[iv] Sahih Muslim, Book 30, Number 5655

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