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Continuing our discussion from part one, to begin with, allow me to offer you a few definitions of terms that are associated with Islam -- the religion that was promoted by Muhammad -- as I understand their usage in the Muslim holy book, the Qur'an:

1. Islam - the religion of Allah, as taught to the Arabs by the "prophet" Muhammad. In case you are wondering, I place the word "prophet" in quotes in order to emphasize the fact that I personally do not accept Muhammad as a true inspired Prophet of God; at least not the God who I have worshipped as a Christian believer for many decades now. My reasons for embracing this particular position will become clear to you as you continue reading this series.

2. Moslem or Muslim - an adherent of the Islamic faith. One who submits or yields himself to the will of Allah.

3. Infidel - one who is unfaithful to Islam -- the religion of Allah. In other words, non-believers.

4. Unbeliever - one who does not adhere to the beliefs and practices of Islam as taught in the Qur'an. This includes everyone outside of the Islamic world.

5. The Book - in most cases, this term refers to the Holy Scriptures of the Christians and the Jews. However, in some verses in the surahs, "the Book" also refers to the Qur'an itself, which, according to Islamic belief, is the final revelation of The Book, just as Muhammad is considered the final prophet of Allah.

6. WE - assumed to refer to the plural spiritual overseers found within Islam. Please note that even the Hebrew word for God in the Old Testament -- "Elohim" -- is also plural in nature; although it is translated as "God" instead of "Gods".

As a point of reference, excluding the previous verses from Surah 61 which I shared with you in part one of this series, please note that all of the surah excerpts henceforth used in this series are extracted from the English translation of the Qur'an performed by Maulvi Sher Ali, and edited by Malik Ghulam Farid, which you can find online at the following URL:

https://www.alislam.org/quran/app/

Similar to Bible references, the first number in the excerpts represents the surah -- a specific chapter or section of the Qur'an -- while the second number is the verse reference. To begin this study of the Qur'an, I believe it's important that we establish the foundation for what Muslims perceive to be the "true religion"; that, of course, being Islam, as we see by the following verse:

3: 20. "Surely the true religion with ALLAH is Islam. And those who were given the Book did not disagree but, after knowledge had come to them, out of mutual envy. And whoso denies the Signs of ALLAH, then surely ALLAH is quick at reckoning."

As you can plainly see, according to Islam and the teachings of Muhammad, we are to believe that Christians and Jews have rejected the "true religion" out of envy. This, of course, is by no means the truth. I can't speak for anyone else, but the reason why I personally reject Islam is because it outright denies the Divinity and the role of Messiah of Jesus Christ. My rejection of Islam and the Qur'an has absolutely nothing to do with envy. Following are a few excerpts which explain the definition of a "true believer" according to Islam:

8: 3-5. "They are only the true believers whose hearts tremble when the name of ALLAH is mentioned, and when HIS Signs are recited to them they increase their faith, and who put their trust in their Lord. Who observe Prayer and spend out of that which WE have provided for them. These it is who are true believers. They have exalted grades of rank with their Lord, as well as forgiveness and an honourable provision."

2:129. "'Our Lord, make us both submissive to THEE and make of our offspring a people submissive to THEE. And show us our ways of worship and turn to us with mercy; for thou art Oft-Returning with compassion, and art Merciful."

49: 16. "The believers are only those who truly believe in ALLAH and HIS Messenger, and then doubt not, but strive with their possessions and their persons in the cause of ALLAH. It is they who are truthful."

Thus, according to the teachings of Muhammad and the Qur'an, a "true believer" -- or Muslim -- is a person who submits himself to the will of Allah, and who likewise believes that Muhammad is his "prophet". As we saw previously, people who are not "true believers" -- such as adamant Christians and Jews -- are viewed by devout Muslims as being infidels and unbelievers. Muhammad argues that because we accept what God has given us through the Old Testament Prophets, as well as through the teachings of the New Testament, and yet reject "the truth" which Allah supposedly gave to Muhammad, we are unbelievers, as we see by these verses:

2: 92. "And when it is said to them 'Believe in what ALLAH has sent down,' they say 'We believe in what has been sent down to us;' and they disbelieve in what has been sent down after that, yet it is the Truth, fulfilling that which is with them. Say 'Why, then, do you seek to slay the Prophets of ALLAH before this, if you were believers."

2:102. "And now that there has come to them a messenger from ALLAH, fulfilling that which is with them, a party of the people to whom the Book was given have thrown the Book of ALLAH behind their backs, as if they know it not."

It may surprise you, and offend you, to know that throughout the Qur'an, Muhammad often refers to the unbelievers as being deaf, dumb and blind, ignorant, those who have gone astray, conscious deceivers, liars, losers, transgressors, (sinners), the worst of creatures and doomed to burn in Hell. Consider the following verses:

2:172. "And the case of those who disbelieve is like the case of one who shouts to that which hears naught but a call and a cry. They are deaf dumb and blind - so they do not understand."

3: 70. "A party of the People of the Book would fain lead you astray; but they lead astray none except themselves, only they perceive not."

3: 72. "O People of the Book ! Why do you confound truth with falsehood and hide the truth knowingly ?"

3: 79. "And, surely, among them is a party who twist their tongues while reciting the Book that you may think it to be part of the Book, while it is not part of the Book. And they say 'It is from ALLAH;' while it is not from ALLAH; and they utter a lie against ALLAH while they know."

3: 86. "And whoso seeks a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he shall be among the losers."

3:111. "You are the best people raised for the good of mankind; you enjoin good and forbid evil and believe in ALLAH. And if the People of the Book had believed, it would have, surely, been better for them. Some of them are believers, but most of them are transgressors."

5: 87. "And those who have disbelieved and rejected Our Signs, these are they who are the inmates of Hell."

98: 7. "Verily, those who disbelieve from among the People of the Book and the idolaters, will be in the Fire of Hell, abiding therein. They are the worst of creatures."

As I explain in a number of my articles, the Bible makes it very clear that Satan is truly the "father of lies" and the "accuser of the Saints". We might say that he is similar to a celestial Prosecuting Attorney. In exposing the sins of the unbelieving Jewish religious leadership of His day, Jesus had this to say concerning that old serpent:

". . . He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."


Furthermore, in the Book of Revelation, we find the following verse written by the Apostle John, which describes how Satan incessantly accused God's children in the Celestial Courtroom until he was finally cast out of Heaven:

"And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."


Because Christians and Jews reject the Qur'an as being the inspired Word of God, and because we don't accept Muhammad as a true prophet of God, Satan attempts to turn the tables on us, by accusing us of being the ones who have created the schism -- or division -- in the religious world. Consider the following verse:

2:138. "And if they believe as you have believed, then they are rightly guided; but if they turn back, then they are bent upon creating a schism, and ALLAH will surely suffice thee against them, for HE is All-Hearing, the All-Knowing."

If devout Muslims believe that the Qur'an is the only true word of God, then exactly what does the Qur'an have to say regarding the inspiration of the Christian Scriptures? Here are some clear examples for your consideration. Typical of Satan, there is a degree of truth in the following excerpt which exposes one particular sin of modern Christianity and Judaism. However, it is the overall lie and delusion with which this piece of truth is mixed that makes the verse so dangerous:

2: 80. "Woe, therefore, to those who write the Book with their own hands and then say, 'This is from ALLAH,' That they may take it for a paltry price. Woe, then, to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for what they earn."

While the previous verse exposes the blatant commercialism which has infiltrated and corrupted modern Christianity and Judaism -- a theme which I likewise discuss in a number of articles such as "Money-Making Bible Hucksters and Mammon" and "Abundant Life Doctrine: Scripturally Exposed!" -- it also clearly states that the Bible is not the Word of God, but merely the work of men. This is a clear example of how the teachings of Muhammad and Islam mix a bit of truth with a pack of lies; just like Satan. Contrasting the last verse, consider this next verse which tells us that because we the "unbelievers" have supposedly been given "the truth" in the Qur'an, but have rejected it, Muhammad curses us:

2: 90. "And when there came to them a book from ALLAH, fulfilling that which is with them - and before that they have prayed for victory over the disbelievers - yet when there came to them that which they knew to be the truth, they rejected it. The curse of ALLAH be on the disbelievers."

Concerning those people who have already accepted the Qur'an as being the words of Allah, Muhammad strongly warns them to stay away from believers in the Bible -- both Christians and Jews -- lest they abandon their faith in the Qur'an and turn into unbelievers, as we see by the following verses:

3:101. "O ye who believe ! if you obey any party of those who have been given the Book, they will turn you again into disbelievers after you have believed."

5: 52, 58-60. "O ye who believe ! take not the Jews and the Christians for friends. They are friends of each other. And whoso among you takes them for friends is indeed one of them. Verily ALLAH guides not the unjust people . . . O ye who believe ! take not those for friends who make a jest and sport of your religion from among those who were given the Book before you, and the disbelievers. And fear ALLAH if you are believers; And who, when you call people to Prayer, take it for a jest and sport. This is because they are people who do not understand. Say, 'O people of the Book ! do you find fault with us because we believe in ALLAH and what was sent down to us and what was sent down previously ? Or is it because most of you are disobedient to ALLAH ?'"

". . . Take not the Jews and the Christians for friends." Can Muslim sentiment be stated any clearer than that? Considering this strong bias against Christians and Jews that is plainly promoted by Islam and the Qur'an, should it really surprise us that anti-American sentiment is so strong in some Muslim and Arab countries? Let me remind you that this mentality has been promoted in Islamic mosques and madrasas for more than thirteen hundred years, and attitudes change very slowly in the Arab and Muslim nations of the Middle East. What I find even more disturbing, is the fact that according to certain mainstream media news reports, this same hateful mentality continues to be nurtured in some Muslim mosques and madrasas today; even in the United States of America.

This begs some very serious questions. For example, if this is truly how a lot of Muslims feel concerning our Christian faith, how can they possibly make good friends, neighbors and work associates? Why should they even be allowed to enter and remain in a country -- such as the United States -- which for the most part still recognizes and embraces Christianity as the primary faith of the majority of its citizens? If these Muslims feel such inward animosity towards people who don't belong to their faith, how can they make good citizens, when in their hearts they despise the very people who surround them? If they are just arriving in order to take advantage of the economic and educational advantages that the nation has to offer, then isn't this an abusive and dishonest practice? If a person has no real intentions of integrating with their host society, then why should they even be allowed to remain in the country?

If one really stops to think about it, he will recognize that there is a considerable amount of hypocrisy on display here. For example, are you aware of the fact that in certain Muslim nations -- such as Saudi Arabia -- the overt practice of non-Muslim faiths is strictly prohibited? Saudi Arabia is governed according to the Qur'an, which means that Sharia -- or Islamic law -- rules the land. Equally important are the sayings and traditions of Muhammad, which are referred to as the Sunnah. Due to the fact that Saudi Arabia is governed by a very strict form of Sunni Islam known as Wahhabi, there are very rigid restrictions placed on non-Muslims who enter the country, such as Christians. Thus, in light of the huge controversy which surrounded the proposed Muslim mosque and center in New York City, the following startling facts may cause your jaw to drop:

* Christian proselytizing and public preaching in Saudi Arabia is illegal.

* It is illegal to distribute Bibles in Saudi Arabia.

* No Christian churches are permitted in Saudi Arabia, even though approximately 30,000 Americans currently reside in the nation, many of whom are Christian.

* It is illegal for Christian clergy to enter Saudi Arabia for the purpose of conducting religious services, not even in private.

* Christians who are detained for practicing their religion may suffer imprisonment, be punished with lashes, and ultimately be deported. Some are even tortured.

* Even wearing Christian symbols in public may result in attracting the wrath of the Saudi religious police.

It isn't very difficult to see the obvious disparity between these two situations. We have Muslim nations who absolutely despise our Christian faith, while at the same time, Muslims arrive in the United States and feel that they have the right to construct their mosques wherever and whenever they please. Do you get the sense that there is something seriously wrong?

While I have highlighted the restrictions that Christians may experience in certain Muslim nations, in all fairness, allow me to also point out -- as I've mentioned before -- that the nation of Israel -- whoich is supposedly a friend of the USA -- also prohibits public Christian evangelism. This is based on the so-called Anti-Missionary Law -- or Bill 5738-1977 as it is technically known -- which the Israeli Knesset passed decades ago on December 25, 1977. Even the date of its passage seems to have been intentional, as if to mock our Christian faith. Based on this law, if the Israeli government chooses to enforce it, a Christian can be faced with up to a five-year prison term if he or she endeavors to convert a Jew to the Christian faith, particularly if there is any evidence that any form of persuasion was used. Even distributing Christian tracts will attract the ire of orthodox Jewish authorities.

But as I have explained before, Jewish hostility against any Christian who dares to proselytize in the name of Christ is not limited to Israel alone. As you may already realize, the United States is home to a number of Jewish-controlled groups whose primary goal seems to be to stop Christian evangelism in its tracks, and to make the USA as antichrist as Israel is. These groups include the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Jewish Congress, the Anti-Defamation League Of B'nai B'rith, the People For The American Way, and others. These organizations were either founded by Jews, are run by Jews, or are funded by Jews. Under the . Rguise of supposedly upholding American law -- such as the grossly misinterpreted separation clause that's found in the Bill of Rights -- they are slowly turning America into a secular nation.

So consider the facts. While Jewish synagogues and Muslim mosques paint the American landscape from one coast to the other in increasing numbers, crucifixes, monuments of the Ten Commandments, manger scenes, and other symbols of our Christian faith are being removed from government offices and government-owned land. Restrictions are being placed on prayer and other Christian activities within the American public education system. Some hard-working people are being reprimanded or dismissed from their jobs when they refuse to do things which they find contrary to their Christian faith. When Christians raise their voices in protest against this obvious hostile discrimination against our faith, we are reminded of the so-called separation of Church and State by the groups that I mentioned a moment ago.

In short, some Muslims and Jews appear to be saying to us: "Yes we can, but you must not!"; meaning that it is okay for them to restrict our Christian faith in their countries, but if we dare to protest against the encroachment of Islam and Judaism in our country, or strive to protect our freedom to publicly express our Christian faith in our own country, we are smacked down by liberal judges who claim that our actions are unconstitutional. So it is rather obvious to me that we American Christians are being subjected to a double standard, and this is hypocritical to say the least.

While we have taken a small detour from the primary emphasis of this series in order to add a certain degree of balance to my comments, let's return to our main discussion concerning Islam, Muhammad and the Qur'an. Because we Christians accept the Bible as being the inspired Word of God, instead of the Qur'an, Satan -- through the words of Muhammad -- has just one word of instruction for his followers: Fight against the Christians and the Jews -- "the people of the Book" -- as we see here:

9: 29. "Fight those from among the people of the Book, who believe not in ALLAH, nor in the Last Day, nor hold as unlawful what ALLAH and HIS Messenger have declared to be unlawful, nor follow the true religion, until they pay the tax considering it a favour and acknowledge their subjection."

Following the same technique of mixing a small bit of truth with his lies, Satan -- through the words of Muhammad -- then proceeds to expose how some branches of modern Christianity have elevated their spiritual leaders, as if they were gods themselves. For example, such is obviously the case with the Roman Catholic pope, who Catholics view as the so-called "Vicar of Christ". But you see, that small bit of truth is just a hook for the big lie that Muhammad throws in next, when he insists that through our exaltation of Jesus as the Son of God, we Christians are guilty of doing the exact same thing. In other words, what this next verse is saying, is that there is no god but God, and He has no son; which, as you will see later, is a theme that runs throughout the Qur'an.

9: 31. "They have taken their priest and their monks for lords besides ALLAH. And so have they taken the Messiah, son of Mary. And they were not commanded but to worship the One God. There is no God but HE. Holy is HE far above what they associate with Him !"

Not content with just demoting Jesus Christ from His rightful position by His Father's right side, or with criticizing us for accepting Jesus as the Savior of the world, Muhammad then seeks to exalt himself as the "true Messenger" of God who has the only "religion of truth". Furthermore, Muhammad makes it clear that his goal is for Islam to prevail over all other religions, as we see here:

9: 33. "HE it is Who has sent HIS Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, that HE may make it prevail over every other religion, even though the idolaters may resent it."

A little earlier, we discovered that Muhammad instructed his followers to "Fight those from among the people of the Book, who believe not in ALLAH". Exactly what does Muhammad mean by this comment? Is he just referring to verbally refuting the Christian and Jewish faiths? Absolutely not! Despite multiple attempts by some Muslims over the past few decades since the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks occurred, to downplay the negative, violent image that Islam has acquired, it is still a fact that the Qur'an teaches that it is an honorable thing for a Muslim to defend and kill for the Islamic faith. Even a cursory examination of Islamic history will validate this point. There are a variety of verses in the Qur'an which instruct Muslims to not be the aggressor, but rather to kill only when it is a matter of self-defense, such as when they are attacked during a war. Following is an example for your consideration:

2:191-192. "And fight in the way of ALLAH against those who fight against you, but do not transgress. Surely, ALLAH loves not the transgressors. And slay these transgressors wherever you meet them and drive them out from where they have driven you out; for persecution is worst than slaying. And fight them not in and near the Sacred Mosque until they fight you therein. But if they fight you, then fight them. Such is the requital for the disbelievers."

However, at the same time, there are also quite a few other verses in the Qur'an which clearly encourage the killing of anyone who disagrees with the Islamic faith. As we learned earlier, in Surah five, Muhammad instructs his followers to make no friends with either Christians or Jews. He says the same thing in Surah four, and then takes it a step further by insisting that they should be killed if they refuse to embrace Islam. Furthermore, Muhammad slyly employs a degree of intimidation by warning his followers that any Muslim who refuses to kill others for Allah and the Islamic faith, will be punished severely by Allah, as we see by these verses:

4: 90. "They wish that you should disbelieve as they have disbelieved, so that you may become alike. Take not, therefore, friends from among them, until they emigrate in the way of ALLAH. And if they turn away, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them; and take no friend nor helper from among them;"

5: 34. "The only reward of those, who wage war against ALLAH and HIS Messenger and strive to create disorder in the land, is that they be slain or crucified or their hands and feet be cut off on account of their enmity, or they be expelled from the land. That shall be a disgrace for them in this world, and in the Hereafter they shall have a great punishment;"

8: 66. "O Prophet, urge the believers to fight. If there be of you twenty who are steadfast, they shall overcome two hundred; And if there be a hundred of you, they shall overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they are a people [who] do not understand."

9: 5. "And when the forbidden months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever you find them and take them captive, and beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they repent and observe Prayer and pay the Zak.t, then leave their way free. Surely, ALLAH is Most Forgiving, Merciful."

9: 39. "If you will not go forth to fight in the cause of ALLAH, HE will punish you with a painful punishment, and will choose in your stead a people other than you, and you shall do HIM no harm at all. And ALLAH has full power over all things."

9: 73. "O Prophet ! Strive hard against the disbelievers and the Hypocrites. And be firm against them. Their abode is Hell, and evil destination it is."

2:217. "Fighting is ordained for you, though it is repugnant to you; but it may be that you dislike a thing while it is good for you, and it may be that you like a thing while it is bad for you. ALLAH knows and you know not."

2:245. "And fight in the cause of ALLAH and know that ALLAH is All-Hearing, All-Knowing."

To be honest, as ironic as it may seem -- and my next comment will undoubtedly irritate and offend some red-white-and-blue Americans -- there really isn't that much of a difference between Muhammad's proclamation to kill for Islam, and former U.S. president George W. Bush promoting the false belief that it was unpatriotic to not support the illegal and foolish war in Iraq. These two religions -- Islam and Christianity -- may indeed be quite different, but the intimidation tactics that are used by some of their leaders are exactly the same. It is a well-known fact that George W. Bush was heavily supported by Conservative American Christians -- to their own shame -- who apparently convinced Bush that it was his divine destiny to change the Middle East through dangerous, ill-conceived, destructive acts of war. Welcome to the modern Crusades!

But concerning Islam, if some Muslim spiritual leader were to arrive on the scene at some point in the future claiming to be a great prophet of God -- for examples, an influential mullah or an Iranian ayatollah -- then it may be verses from the Qur'an, such as the previous verses, which he may use as a tool to stir up the Arab and Muslim nations, so that they will begin their bloody slaughter across the Middle East. I mean, think about this. If Hamas can infiltrate Israel, and slaughter over a thousand people all on their own, consider what could possibly happen if such a false Islamic prophet were to arrive on the scene.

The Qur'an also offers advice regarding when it is time for faithful Muslims to cease from war. As we learn from the following verse, it is only when the unbelievers have been converted to Islam, or when they desist in their attacks against Islam:

2:194. "And fight them until there is no persecution, and religion is professed only for ALLAH. But if they desist, then remember that no hostility is allowed except against the wrongdoers.

Please go to part three for the continuation of this series.

⇒ Go To The Next Part . . .

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