6/30/09

Mother and Son

Mary Honoured

The second above mentioned topic - "his birth" - are described in two places - Sura 3 and Sura 19. Reading from the beginning of his birth, on page 134 of the translation under reference, we come across the story of Mary, and the esteemed position which she occupies in the house of Islam before the actual annunciation of the birth of Jesus is given:

"Behold! The angels said: "O Mary! God hath chosen thee and purified thee- chosen thee above the women of all nations." (Holy Quran 3:42)

"Chosen thee above the women of all nations." Such an honour is not be found given to Mary even in the Christian Bible! The verse continue:

"O Mary! Worship thy Lord devoutly: prostrate thyself, and bow down (in prayer) with those who bow down." (Holy Quran 3:43)

Divine Revelation

What is the source of this beautiful and sublime recitation which,in its original Arabic, moves men to ecstacy and tears? Verse 44 below explains

"This is part of the tidings of the things unseen, which we reveal unto thee (O Apostle!) by inspiration: Thou wast not with them when they cast lots with arrows, as to which of them should be charged with the care of Mary: nor wast thou with them when they disputed (the point)." (Holy Quran 3:44)

Mary's Birth

The story is that the maternal grandmother of Jesus, Hannan,had hitherto been barren. She poured out her heart to God:If only God will grant her child, she would surely dedicate such a child for the service of God in the temple.

Anti-Climax

God granted her prayer and Mary was born. She was disappointed. She was yearning for a son, but instead she delivered a daughter; and in no way is the female like the male, for what she had in mind. What was she to do? She had made a vow to God. She waited for Mary to be big enough to fend for herself.

When the time came, Hannah took her darling daughter to the temple, to hand over for temple services. Every priest was clamouring to be the god father of this lovely child. They cast lots with arrows for her - like the tossing of the coin - head or tail ? Eventually she fell to the lot of Zakariya, but not without a dispute.

The Source of His Message

This was the story. But where did Muhummed (pbuh) get this knowledge from? He was an Ummi (unlettered). He did not know how to read or write. He is made by God Almighty to answer this very question in the verse above, by saying that it was all "by divine inspiration" "No!" says th controversialist. "This is Muhummed'sown concoction. He copied his reve-lations from the Jews and Christians. He plagiarised it. He forged it."

Knowing full-well, and believing as we do, that the whole Quran is the veritable Word of God, we will nevertheless agree, for the sake of argu-ment, with the enemies of Muhummed (pbuh) for a moment, that he wrote it We can now expect some cooperation from the unbeliever.

Ask him, "Have you any qualms in agreeing that Muhummed (pbuh) was an Arab?" Only an opinionated fool will hesitate to agree. In that case there is no sense in pursuing any discussion. Cut short the talk. Close the book!

With the man of reason, we proceed. "That this Arab, in the first ins-tance, was addressing other Arabs. He was not talking to Indian Muslims, Chinese Muslims, or Nigerian Muslims. He was addressing his own people - the Arabs. Whether they agreed with him or not, he told them in the most sublime form - words that were seared into the hearts and minds of his listeners that Mary the mother of Jesus - A JEWESS - was chosen above th women of all nations. Not his own mother, nor his wife nor his daughter, nor any other Arab woman, but a Jewess! Can one explain this? Because to everyone his own mother or wife, or daughter would come before any other women.

Why would the Prophet of Islam honour a woman from his opposition! and a Jewess at that! belonging to a race which had been looking down upon his people for three thousand years? Just as they still look down upon their Arab brethren today.

Sarah and Hagar

The Jews get their cock-eyed racism from their Holy Bible, where they ar told that their father, Abraham, had two wives - Sarah and Hagar. They say that they are the children of Abraham through Sarah his legitimate wife; that their Arab brethren have descended through Hagar, a "bond-woman" and that as such, the Arabs are an inferior breed. (In fact, Hager was not a bond-woman but an Egyptian princess )

Will anyone please explain the anomaly as to why Muhummed (pbuh) (if he is the author) chose this Jewess for such high honour? The answer is sim ple - HE HAD NO CHOICE - he had no right to speak of his own desire. "It is no less than an inspiration sent down to him." (Holy Quran 53:4)

Sura Maryam

There is a Chapter in the Holy Quran, named Sura Maryam "Chapter Mary" (XIX) named in honour of Mary the mother of Jesus Christ (pbuh); again, such an honour is not to be found given to Mary in the Christian Bible. Out of the 66 books of the Protestants and 73 of the Roman Catholics, not one is named after Mary or her son. You will find books named after Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul and two score more obscure names, but not a single one is that of Jesus or Mary!

If Muhummed (pbuh) was the author of the Holy Quran, then he would not have failed to include in it with MARYAM, the mother of Jesus, his own mother - AMINA, his dear wife - KHADIJA, OR HIS BELOVED daughter-FATIMA. But No!No! this can never be. The Quran is not his handiwork!

6/29/09

Jesus in the Qur'an Christians Unaware




The Christian does not know that the true spirit of charity which the Muslim displays, always, towards Jesus and his mother Mary spring from the fountainhead of his faith- the Holy Quran. He does not know that the Muslim does not take the holy name of Jesus, in his own language, withou saying Hazrat Eesa (meaning revered Jesus) or Eesa alai-hiss-salaam i.e. ( Jesus peace be upon him).

Every time the Muslim mentions the name Jesus (pbuh) without these words of respect, he would be considered disrespectful, uncouth or barbaric. The Christian does not know that in the Holy Quran Jesus (pbuh) is men-tioned by name five times (5x) more than the number of times the prophet of Islam is mentioned in the Book of God. To be exact - twenty five time as against five. For example:

"..We gave Jesus the son of Mary clear signs and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit" (HOLY QURAN 2:87)

"..O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary.." (Holy Quran 3:45)"

"..Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an apostle of God.." (Holy Quran 4:171)

"..and in their (the previous Prophets') footsteps we sent Jesus the son of Mary.. (Holy Quran 5:49)"

"..and Zakariya and John, and Jesus and Elias: all in the ranks of the righteous" (Holy Quran 6:85)

Jesus - His Titles

Though Jesus is mentioned by name in twenty-five places in the Holy Quran he is also addressed with respect as: "Ibn Maryam", son of Mary; as "Masih" (Heb) Messiah - translated as Christ; "Abd-ullah" servant of Allah; "Rasuullah" - Messenger of Allah.

He is spoken of as "the word of God", as "the spirit of God", as a "Sign of God", and numerous other epithets of honour spread over fifteen diffe rent chapters. The Holy Quran honours this mighty Messenger of God, and the Muslims have not fallen short over the past fourteen hundred years i doing the same. There is not a single disparaging remark in the entire Quran to which even the most jaundiced among the Christians can take exception.

"Eesa" Latinised to Jesus

The Holy Quran refers to Jesus as "Eesa", and this name is used more times than any other title, because this was his "Christian"1 name. Actu ally, his proper name was "Eesa" (Arabic), or "Esau" (Hebrew); classica "Yeheshua" which the Christian nations of the West Latinised as Jesus. Neither the "J" nor the second "s" in the name Jesus is to be found in the original tongue - they are not found in the Semitic languages.

The word is very simply - "E S A U" - a very common Jewish name, used more than sixty times in the very first booklet aloneof the Bible, in th part called "Genesis" There was at least one "Jesus" sitting on the"ben ch" at the trialof Jesus before the Sanhedrin. Josephus the Jewish histo rian mentions some twenty five Jesus' in his "Book of Antiquities" The New Testament speaks of "Bar-Jesus" a magician and a sorcerer, a false prophet (Act 13:6); and also "Jesus-Justus" - a Christian missionary, a contemporary of Paul (Colossians 4:11). These are distinct from Jesus the son of Mary. Transforming "Esau" to (J)esu(s) - Jesus - makes it unique. This unique (?) name has gone out of currency among the Jews and the Christians from the 2nd century after Christ. Among the Jews, becaus it came to be the proper name of their God(?) - their God incarnate. The Muslim will not hesitate to name his son - "Eesa" - because it is an honoured name, the name of a righteous servant of the Lord.

Many References

At the end of the most popular translation of the Holy Quran in English, i.e. by A.Yusuf Ali (2), there is a very comprehensive index. While browsing through (3), we will discover, on page 1837, i.e:

Jesus, a rightenous prophet, vi.85;

birth, iii. 45:47; xix. 22-33;

apostle to Israel, iii. 49-51;

disciples, iii. 52-53; v.114-118

taken up, iii. 55-58; iv.157-159;

like Adam, iii.59;

not crucified, iv.157;

no more than apostle, iv.171; v.78;

xliii 59, 63-64;

not God, v.19,75;

sent with Gospel, v.49;

not son of God, ix.30;

Message and miracles, v.113; xix.30-33;

prays for Table of viands, v.117;

taught no false worship, v.119-121;

disciples declare themselves Muslims, v.114;

mission limited, n.1861 to xiii.38;

followers have compassion and mercy, lvii.27:

disciples as God's helpers, lxi.14;

as a Sign, xxiii. 50; xliii.61;

prophesied Ahmad, lxi.6.

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