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Submission
a.k.a. "Islam" in Arabic and “Penyerahan” in
Indonesian
The Religion of Abraham Which
Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad Followed
And who is better in religion than one who … follows the
religion of Abraham ... (Quran: 4:125)
Then We revealed to you, [O Muhammad], to follow the
religion of Abraham ... (Quran: 16:123)
Nothing is said to you, [O Muhammad], except what was
already said to the messengers before you. ... (41:43)
He (God) has ordained for you of religion what He enjoined
upon Noah and that which We have revealed to you, [O
Muhammad], and what We enjoined upon Abraham and
Moses and Jesus - to establish the religion and not be
divided therein …. (42:13)
David
Copyright © 2018 David
All rights reserved.
ISBN-10: 1986185265
ISBN-13: 978-1986185264
DEDICATION
God expects you to use your God-given brain.
عند الله الصم البكم الذين لا يعقلون واب إن شر الد
Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allah are the
deaf and dumb who do not use their brains to think. (8:22)
I dedicate this book to people who use their brain.
Many people will make claims of many things.
هاتوا برهانكم إن كنتم صادقين - 2:111 ,27:65
SHOW YOUR PROOF, IF YOU ARE TRUTHFUL!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David is an American Muslim living in Silicon Valley, California. He has
lived in Indonesia and Egypt and has visited many other Islamic
countries throughout the Middle East. He is a graduate of the
University of California, Berkeley and holds a masters degree in
computer science. David is also familiar with and has performed Quran-
based Islamic exorcisms. Fascinated by the mystical powers of the
Quran to expel evil jinn living in human bodies and surprised by the
proliferation of victims of black magic, David began to examine the
Quran. To his surprise, he discovered that much of what the majority of
Muslims believe and practice either contradicts or is not even
supported by the Quran. His books on Islam are the results of this
discovery.
Following are all Islamic books written by David.
• Submission a.k.a. "Islam" in Arabic
The Religion of Abraham Which Moses, Jesus, and
Muhammad Followed
• Analysis of Validity of Prophet Muhammad?s Hadith
Is It Truly From Muhammad And Is It Valid Islamic Law?
• Quran-Based Islam
Much of what you've been taught about Islam is not
supported by the Quran
David has also created several online Islamic resources including:
DAVID
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DestroyBlackMagic.com
A website explaining black magic and various Quranic cures based on
the teachings of Ben Halima.
RemoteRuqyah.com
A website about a particular method of doing Islamic exorcisms
(ruqyah) remotely using a human medium.
RuqyahVerses.com
A website that provides step-by-step instructions on doing Islamic
exorcisms (ruqyah).
QuranDictionary.net
A website that shows Quran vocabulary, word-for-word English
translations, and Quranic topics.
QuranBasedIslam.com
A website for this book and other Islamic books I've written.
Quranic Clauses
A formatting of the Quran where each verse is divided into clauses.
CONTENTS
Chapter Page
1 READ ME FIRST! 1
2 TL;DR 3
3 THE RELIGION OF SUBMISSION / ISLAM 4
4 GOD’S RELIGION IS SUBMISSION (ISLAM) 4
5 THE RELIGION OF SUBMISSION (ISLAM) IS THE
ONLY ACCEPTABLE RELIGION
5
6 GOD’S NAME 5
El, Yahweh, Allah
7 YOU CAN CALL GOD BY ANY GOOD NAME 6
Prophet’s and Messengers Spread the Religion of
Submission (Islam)
Each messenger received a revelation to worship the
one God
A messenger was sent to every community
Each messenger spoke the language of his people
Each messenger was given the same message
8 QURANIC LIST OF PROPHETS AND MESSENGERS,
THEIR PEOPLE, AND BOOKS
8
List of prophets and messengers
9 PROPHET VS MESSENGER 10
Prophets and messengers are not the same thing
What is a prophet?
Muhammad was a messenger and the last prophet
Quran: The Last Scripture (Book)
DAVID
viii
Who are messengers?
Multiple messengers at any given time
Messengers relate God’s verses
A messenger was sent to every community / nation
Each messenger spoke the language of his people
The role of a messenger
Conclusion
10 ALL MESSENGERS ARE EQUAL 14
God gave some messengers higher ranks over others
However, believers in God and His Messengers must
consider all messengers equal.
Prophet Muhammad was not original or any more
special than the other messengers.
11 MUHAMMAD FOLLOWED ABRAHAM’S RELIGION 15
Abraham was the founding father of Submission
(Islam)
Muhammad was specifically told to follow the
religion of Abraham
Even followers of the Quran are told to follow the
religion of Abraham
12 SAME RELIGION, DIFFERENT WAYS AND
PRACTICES
16
Noah and the Semites
Abraham’s Family Tree and the Origin of Names
The religion of Noah, Muhammad, Abraham, Moses
and Jesus is the same
The message given to Noah, Muhammad, Abraham,
Moses and Jesus is the same
SUBMISSION
ix
Jews, Christians and Muslims Are All Muslims Who
Share the Same God
"Deen" (Religion) vs “Millat” (Ways / Practices of a
Religion)
Abraham’s Way is the Correct Way of God’s Religion
13 PEOPLE DIVIDED RELIGION INTO GROUPS AND
SECTS
21
The religion of Noah, Muhammad, Abraham, Moses
and Jesus is the same so don’t be divided
God tells people not to divide religion into sects
There is supposed to only be one people /
community who worships God but people (e.g. Jews,
Christians, Muslims) divided their affairs
14 JEWS AND CHRISTIANS ARE TO FOLLOW THE
QURAN
22
15 PROPHET MUHAMMAD 23
Muhammad’s sole mission was to deliver the
message (the Quran)
People Didn’t and Don’t Learn How to Pray from the
Hadith
The Quran is complete in truth and justice
16 THE RITUALS OF SUBMISSION (ISLAM) 25
The 5 Pillars
God taught Abraham the rituals of Submission
(Islam), not Muhammad
Corrupted practices and their correction
People already knew how to pray
New practices allowed in the Quran
17 CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE 28
DAVID
x
Idolaters (Mushriks / Mushrikeen)
Submitters (Muslims)
Believers (Mu’mins)
Prophet Moses Becomes a Believer
Disbelievers (Kafirs)
The Walking Dead
Idolaters (Mushriks) are not automatically
Disbelievers (Kafirs)
The People of the Book (Ahl e-Kitaab)
Some Jews and Christians are righteous
Can Believers (Mu’mins) Be Friends / Allies with Jews
and Christians?
At the time of Prophet Muhammad, some People of
the Book (Jews and Christians) were Believers
(Mu’mins) because they believed in the Quran and
Prophet Muhammad
Most people are Disbelievers (Kafirs)
Hypocrites (Munafiqs)
The hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of Hell
18 TESTIMONY (SHAHADAH) FOR A SUBMITTER
(MUSLIM) AND BELIEVER (MU’MIN)
35
Testimony to be a Submitter (Muslim)
Testimony to be a Submitter (Muslim) and a Believer
(Mu’min)
19 SUBMITTERS (MUSLIMS) EXISTED BEFORE
MUHAMMAD’S TIME
37
Prophet Nuh (Noah) was a Submitter (Muslim)
Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismail (Ishmael), Is’haq
(Isaac), Ya’kub (Jacob) and Ya’kub’s sons were
SUBMISSION
xi
Submitters (Muslims)
Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) was a Submitter (Muslim)
Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon) was a Submitter
(Muslim)
Prophet Isa (Jesus) and his disciples were Submitters
(Muslims)
People who believed in the previous scriptures
(Torah, Injil) were Submitters (Muslims)
God named people before Muhammad’s time
Submitters (Muslims)
20 PEOPLE PRAYED BEFORE MUHAMMAD’S TIME 40
Prophet Ibrahim, Lot, Isaac and Jacob prayed
Prophet Ishmael instructed his people to pray
The Children of Israel (Jews) prayed
Maryam (Mary), Mother of Prophet Jesus, prayed
Prophet Jesus prayed
People prayed at the Kaaba
Many other people before Muhammad’s time prayed
Example Prayer Form Before Muhammad’s Time
21 PEOPLE PAID DUES (ZAKAH) BEFORE
MUHAMMAD’S TIME
43
Prophet Ibrahim, Lot, Isaac and Jacob paid dues
(zakah)
Prophet Ishmael instructed his people to pay dues
(zakah)
The Children of Israel (Jews) paid dues (zakah)
Prophet Jesus paid dues (zakah)
22 PEOPLE FASTED BEFORE MUHAMMAD’S TIME 44
DAVID
xii
23 PEOPLE PERFORMED THE HAJJ PILGRIMAGE
BEFORE MUHAMMAD’S TIME
44
24 SECTS IN SUBMISSION (ISLAM) 45
25 PRIMARY CHRISTIAN DENOMINATONS 47
26 DESCRIPTION OF SCRIPTURES / BOOKS 49
27 ORAL TRADITION 54
1
READ ME FIRST!
The information presented in this book may come as a surprise to most
Muslims and probably Jews and Christians. At first glance, a reader might
think of it as blasphemy. However, all Muslims, whether Sunni, Shiah,
Druze, Alawi, Salafi, or whatever other sect, agree that the Quran is the
truth. Therefore, the information provided in this book is purely based
on the Quran with references to verses to prove each claim. After reading
this book with an unbiased and open mind, Muslims may wonder why
the global Muslim community, Islamic scholars, and they themselves
never realized the truth that this book proves. I believe the primary
reason for this stems from Quran chapter 47 verse 24.
م على قلوب أقفالهافلا يتدبرون القرآن أ
أ
Then do they not study / think deeply about / understand the
Qur'an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts? (47:24)
The key word here is “tadabbur” which means “study / think deeply
about to understand”.
Most Muslims are non-Arabic speakers. They read the Quran but don’t
understand what they are reading. They could read translations in their
own language but for some reason, they seem to think it’s better to read
the Arabic Quran without understanding the words. Since the Quran is
not written the way today’s books are written, even Arabic-speaking
readers have a hard time understanding the meaning of it. And anyone
who reads the Quran in their own language will still not necessarily
understand its meaning because most people don’t actually think deeply
to understand (tadabbur) each verse.
The purpose of this book is to help the reader understand various topics
about the religion of Submission (Arabic: Islam) and the Quran so that
they can use valid and logical arguments to make better decisions about
their beliefs. Before embarking on this journey to learn the truth, it is
highly recommended that you prepare yourself in the following ways.
• Have the intention to discover the truth
• Set aside all existing bias and traditions that you may have
• Have an open mind to consider the arguments presented
• Pretend that you are new to Islam
DAVID
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• Have a sincere approach to the Quran by not imposing your
own interpretation of it so that it supports your own personal
desires
Proofs in this book that reference the Quran are shown in parentheses
such as (16:123) which means Quran chapter 16 verse 123. All English
translations are taken from Sahih International as I find them to be more
accurate compared to others I’ve read and it tries to keep the word order
more or less the same as the original Arabic text. However, the word
Allah has been translated to God since Sahih International either forgot
to or didn’t want to translate Allah to God even though they probably
knew that Allah in Arabic means God in English.
Do not read this book with the intention to contradict and refute it, nor
to believe and take it for granted, but to weigh and consider the proofs
detailed herein. And most definitely, do not judge this book based on
the length of my beard!
Sincerely,
David
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
3
TL;DR
• Prophet Abraham is the originator of the religion of Islam
• Prophets before Prophet Abraham were Submitters (Muslims)
but the religion with its specific rituals and practices had not
been prescribed until Abraham’s time
• Prophet Abraham asked God to teach him the rituals of
Submission (Islam)
• Islam is not the universal name of the religion
• Prophet Abraham did not speak Arabic but he was a Muslim
• "Islam" is only the Arabic translation of the name of Prophet
Abraham’s religion
• "Submission" is the English translation of the name of Prophet
Abraham’s religion
• "Penyerahan" is the Indonesian translation of the name of
Prophet Abraham’s religion
• Prophet Abraham’s religion is to worship the one, true God
• A follower of Prophet Abraham’s religion is called a
"Submitter" (English), “Muslim” (Arabic) or “Penyerah”
(Indonesian), depending on your language
• Jews and Christians (who only believe in the one, true God)
are technically Submitters (Muslims)
• Prophet Muhammad is not the founder of Islam
• Prophet Muhammad was told to follow Prophet Abraham’s
religion of Submission (Islam)
• The Prophet of the Jews (Moses) and the Prophet of the
Christians (Jesus) were Submitters (Muslims) following the
religion of Prophet Abraham
• Judaism and Christianity sound like different religions but they
are more like sects of the religion of Prophet Abraham
because they branched off from true Submission (Islam)
• Shiah is also a branch of Prophet Abraham’s religion of
Submission (Islam)
• People are not supposed to divide the religion of Prophet
Abraham but they did so anyway (21:92-93)
DAVID
4
THE RELIGION OF SUBMISSION / ISLAM
Most people think that Islam is the universal name of a religion.
However, Islam is a word in the Arabic language that has a meaning or
a description. As such, it can be translated. In English, "Islam" translates
to “Submission”. In Indonesian, “Islam” translates to “Penyerahan”.
Therefore, Islam or Submission or Penyerahan is a religion where one
believes in and submits to the one, true God. A person who submits to
this God is called a “Muslim” which is also just a word in the Arabic
language that means a person who follows Islam. The translation of the
word “Muslim” is “Submitter” in English and “Penyerah” in Indonesian.
Consequently, the word Islam is not the universal name of the religion.
It is only the description of the religion in the Arabic language. As such,
an English-speaking person can say that their religion is called
“Submission” and an Indonesian-speaking person can say that their
religion is called “Penyerahan” and, by definition, they have the same
religion as an Arabic-speaking person who calls their religion “Islam”.
Similarly, a “submitter” (English) and a “penyerah” (Indonesian) are also
Muslim because those words simply translate to “Muslim” in the Arabic
language. Regardless of what your language is, if you believe in and
submit to the one, true God, then you are, by definition, a Muslim /
Submitter / Penyerah, whether you want to call the name of your religion
“Islam” or not.
Since this book is in English, I will call the religion "Submission (Islam)"
and followers of the religion “Submitters (Muslims)”.
GOD’S RELIGION IS SUBMISSION (ISLAM)
فغير ه أ الل ين إن سلام الإ الل ه عند الد
Indeed, the religion in the sight of God is Submission (Islam). ...
(3:19)
SUBMISSION
5
THE RELIGION OF SUBMISSION (ISLAM) IS THE
ONLY ACCEPTABLE RELIGION
فغير في وهو منه يقبل فلن دينا الإسلام غير يبتغ ومن أ
ين من الآخرة الخاسر
And whoever desires other than Submission (Islam) as religion -
never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be
among the losers. (3:85)
GOD’S NAME
"Allah" is not the universal name of God. “Allah” is a word in Arabic that
means “God.” Therefore, Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians also call
God “Allah.” For example, they would saya “Insha Allah” which means
“God willing” even though they are Jewish or Christian. The Quran refers
to God as “Allah” because the Quran is in Arabic. Logically, therefore, if
the Quran were revealed in English, Allah would be called “God” and if
the Quran were revealed in Indonesian, Allah would be called “Tuhan”,
which is the Indonesian translation of the word “Allah.” However,
translators of the Quran, for some reason, only translate all other Arabic
words in the Quran and not the word “Allah”.
El, Yahweh, Allah
Prophets Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob knew God as "El". Prophet Moses
knew God as “Yahweh”. Prophet Muhammad knew God as “Allah”.
"And God spoke to Moses and said to him, I am the Lord (Hebrew:
Yahweh) and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God
Almighty (Hebrew: 'El Shaddai') but I was not known to them by my
name 'Yahweh'" (Exodus 6.2-3)
DAVID
6
YOU CAN CALL GOD BY ANY GOOD NAME
حمن ادعوا أو الل ه ادعوا قل ا أيا الر الأسماء فله تدعوا م
الحسنى
"Say: "Call upon Allah, or call upon Rahman: by whatever name you
call upon Him, (it is well): for to Him belong the most beautiful
names. …." (17:110 part)
Prophet’s and Messengers Spread the Religion of Submission
(Islam)
To inform people about the religion of Submission (Islam), God sent
human prophets and messengers.
Each messenger received a revelation to worship the one God
ه إليه نوحي إل ا ر سول من قبلك من لناأرس وما أنا إل ا إله لا أن
فاعبدون
And We sent not before you any messenger except that We
revealed to him that, "There is no deity except Me, so worship Me."
(21:25)
A messenger was sent to every community
ه واجتنبوا ولقد بعثنا في كل أم ة ر سولا أن اعبدوا الل
اغوت الط
And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying],
"Worship God and avoid Taghut." (16:36 part)
SUBMISSION
7
Each messenger spoke the language of his people
لهم ليبي ن قومه بلسان إل ا ر سول من أرسلنا وما
And We did not send any messenger but with the language of his
people, so that he might explain to them clearly; …. (14:4)
• Prophet Abraham was not a Jew or Christian (3:67). He
probably did not speak Arabic. He spoke the language of his
people.
• Prophet Moses probably spoke Coptic and/or Hebrew
because his people probably spoke Coptic and/or Hebrew.
• Prophet Jesus spoke Aramaic
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_of_Jesus) because
his people spoke Aramaic.
• Prophet Muhammad spoke Arabic because his people spoke
Arabic.
Arabic is not a holy language. It just happens to be the language of the
last revelation (the Quran) which was revealed to Arabic-speaking
people.
Each messenger was given the same message
The message that was revealed before the Quran is the same as what
was revealed in the Quran. This is proven in verse 41:43.
ا مغفرة لذو رب ك إن قبلك من للرسل قيل قد ما إل ا لك يقال م
أليم عقاب وذو
Nothing is said to you, [O Muhammad], except what was already
said to the messengers before you. Indeed, your Lord is a possessor
of forgiveness and a possessor of painful penalty. (41:43)
DAVID
8
QURANIC LIST OF PROPHETS AND MESSENGERS,
THEIR PEOPLE, AND BOOKS
List of prophets and messengers
Adam is often regarded as the first prophet but the Quran never
specifically says that he is a prophet. The list of names and books below
are based on the information available to use in the Quran. It may not
be complete.
1. Idris / Enoch
o He was a prophet (19:56)
2. Nuh / Noah
o He was a prophet (6:89, 4:163) and a messenger
(26:107)
o He was sent to the people of Noah (26:105)
3. Hud
o He was a messenger (26:125)
o He was sent to the people of Ad (7:65)
4. Saleh
o He was a messenger (26:143)
o He was sent to the people of Thamud (7:73)
5. Ibrahim / Abraham
o He was a prophet (19:41, 4:163) and a messenger
(9:70)
o He was sent to the people of Abraham (22:43)
o He was given the "Scrolls of Abraham" (87:19)
o Ibrahim was not a Jew or a Christian (3:67)
6. Lut / Lot
o He was a prophet (6:85-89) and a messenger
(37:133)
o He was sent to the people of Lot (7:80)
7. Ismail / Ishmael
o He was a prophet (19:54, 4:163, 6:85-89) and a
messenger (19:54)
8. Is’haq / Isaac
o He was a prophet (19:49, 4:163)
9. Ya’kub / Jacob / Israel
o He was a prophet (19:49, 4:163, 19:58)
10. Yusuf / Joseph
o He was a messenger (12:50)
11. Ayyub / Job
SUBMISSION
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o He was a prophet (4:163)
12. Shuaib / Jethro
o He was a messenger (26:178)
o He was sent to the people of Midian (7:85)
13. Musa / Moses
o He was a prophet (19:51) and a messenger (19:51)
o He was sent to Pharoah and his establishment
(43:46)
o He was given the Torah (53:36)
14. Harun / Aaron
o He was a prophet (19:53, 4:163)
15. Dhul-Kifl / Ezekiel
o He was a prophet (21:85-86 chapter of the
"prophets")
16. Dawud / David
o He was a prophet (17:55, 4:163) and a messenger
(4:163)
o He was given the Zabur (Psalms) (17:55)
17. Sulaiman / Solomon
o He was a messenger (4:163)
18. Ilyas / Elijah
o He was a messenger (37:123, 6:85-89)
o He was sent to the people of Ilyas (37:124)
19. Al Yasa / Elisha
o He was a messenger (6:85-89)
20. Yunus / Jonah
o He was a prophet (6:85-89, 4:163) and a
messenger (37:139)
o He was sent to the people of Yunus (10:98)
21. Zakariya / Zechariah
o He was a prophet (6:85-89)
22. Yahya / John
o He was a prophet (3:39, 6:85-89)
23. Isa / Jesus / The Messiah
o He was a prophet (19:30, 4:163, 6:85-89) and a
messenger (4:171)
o He was sent to the Children of Israel (61:6)
o He was given the Injil (Gospel) (57:27)
o His other name was The Messiah (3:45)
24. Muhammad / Ahmad
o He was a prophet (33:40) and a messenger (33:40)
o He was sent to the Arabs (42:7) for all of mankind
(7:158)
DAVID
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o His other name was "Ahmad" (61:6)
o He was given the Quran (42:7)
o The Quran was revealed in Arabic
a. because God wanted to make it easy for
Muhammad as an Arabic speaker (19:97)
b. so that Muhammad could warn his local
community of Arabs (42:7)
c. because if it was in another language,
the local Arabs would not believe in it
(41:44)
o The Arabic Quran was revealed to Arabs because if
it was revealed to non-Arabs, they would not have
believed in it (26:198-199)
PROPHET VS MESSENGER
According to verse 25:33, the Quran is its best explanation (ahsan tafsir).
Therefore, in order to understand the difference between a prophet and
a messenger, we should look at the various verses that mention the
words "prophet" (nabi) and "messenger" (rasul).
Prophets and messengers are not the same thing
This is proven based on the wording used in verse 22:52.
رسلنا من قبلك من رسول ولا نبي ... وما أ
And We did not send before you any messenger or prophet ...
(22:52)
What is a prophet?
In verse 2:213, it’s clear that prophets were given scriptures (books).
Similar verses are 6:89, 3:79, and 3:81.
اس أم ين كان الن ين ومنذر ر بي ين مبش ه الن ة واحدة فبعث الل
اس فيما اختلفوا فيه وأنزل معهم الكتاب بالحق ليحكم بين الن
...
SUBMISSION
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Mankind was [of] one religion [before their deviation]; then Allah
sent the prophets as bringers of good tidings and warners and sent
down with them the Scripture in truth to judge between the people
concerning that in which they differed. ... (22:52)
Muhammad was a messenger and the last prophet
The Quran never says that there will be no messengers after Muhammad.
ه وخاتم جالكم ولكن ر سول الل ن ر با أحد م ا كان محم د أ م
بي ين الن
Muhammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is]
the Messenger of Allah and last of the prophets. ... (33:40)
Quran: The Last Scripture (Book)
Since prophets get scriptures (books) and Muhammad was the last
prophet, therefore the Quran, which is the scripture (book) given to
Muhammad must be the last scripture (book).
Like "Islam" which is an Arabic word that means “Submission”, the word
“Quran” is an Arabic word that means “reading” or “recitation.” Based on
Arabic grammar, some may argue that it means intense or continuous
reading / recitation.
Who are messengers?
Be definition, a messenger is someone who brings or shares a
"message". In the context of the Quran, a messengers shares or relates
the message of the Quran.
Multiple messengers at any given time
In Quran verse 23:51, God tells multiple messengers to do right. By the
use of the plural form of the word "messenger", this cannot refer to just
prophet Muhammad. It also indicates that Muhammad had helpers
around him who were messengers.
DAVID
12
بات واعملوا صالحا ... ي يها الرسل كلوا من الط يا أ
[God said], "O messengers, eat from the good foods and work
righteousness. ... (23:51)
We also see plurality of messengers who came to other communities /
nations.
"The people of Noah rejected the messengers" (26:105) “The Ad
(people) rejected the messengers” (26:123) “The Thamud (people)
rejected the messengers” (26:141) “The people of Lut rejected the
messengers” (26:160)
Messengers relate God’s verses
In verse 7:35, God tells the Children of Adam (all of mankind) that there
will be multiple messengers from among humans rehearsing God’s
verses. There is no mention of an end of the messengers. Therefore,
certain people who rehearse God’s verses after prophet Muhammad can
be a messenger.
نكم يقصون عليكم آياتي فمن كم رسل م ا يأتين يا بني آدم إم
قى وأصلح فلا خوف عليهم ولا هم يحزنون ات
O children of Adam, if there come to you messengers from among
you relating to you My verses, then whoever fears Allah and
reforms - there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.
(23:51)
A messenger was sent to every community / nation
Verse 16:36 indicates that messengers are sent to every community /
nation. Since new communities / nations existed after Muhammad’s
time, then there must be messengers after Muhammad died.
SUBMISSION
13
واجتنبوا الل ه اعبدوا أن ر سولا أم ة كل في بعثنا ولقد
اغوت الط
And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying],
"Worship God and avoid Taghut." (16:36 part)
Each messenger spoke the language of his people
Verse 14:4 indicates that a messenger speaks the language of his people.
Prophet Muhammad only spoke Arabic and he was sent as a messenger
for his Arabic-speaking people. Since there are many other languages
besides Arabic, there must be many other messengers besides
Muhammad, both before and after Muhammad died.
لهم ليبي ن قومه بلسان إل ا ر سول من أرسلنا وما
And We did not send any messenger but with the language of his
people, so that he might explain to them clearly; …. (14:4)
The role of a messenger
According to verse 6:48, a messengers job is to only "give good news"
and to “warn”.
رين إل ا المرسلين نرسل وما ين مبش وأصلح آمن فمن ومنذر
يحزنون هم ولا عليهم خوف فلا
And We send not the messengers except as bringers of good
tidings and warners. So whoever believes and reforms - there will
be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. (14:4)
Conclusion
Based on the analysis above, we can summarize as follows:
• A prophet is shares good news, warns, and is given a book
(scripture)
• A messenger only shares good news and warns by relating
verses in books (scriptures) given to prophets
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• Muhammad is the last prophet
• Multiple messengers can exist for any given community /
nation both before, during, and after Muhammad’s time
ALL MESSENGERS ARE EQUAL
Christians celebrate Prophet Jesus’ birthday and they consider him
superior to all other prophets. Likewise, some of today’s Submitters
(Muslims) celebrate Prophet Muhammad’s birthday and almost all
Submitters (Muslims) consider Muhammad superior to all other
prophets. Although God favored some messengers over others, God
expects everyone to see all messengers as equal including Prophet
Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad.
God gave some messengers higher ranks over others
ه م الل نهم من كل تلك الرسل فضلنا بعضهم على بعض م
يم البي نات وأيدناه ورفع بعضهم درجات وآتينا عيسى ابن مر
بروح القدس ...
We have made some of these messengers to excel the others
among them are they to whom God spoke, and some of them He
exalted by rank / degrees; and We gave clear miracles to Jesus son
of Mary, and strengthened him with the Holy spirit. … (2:253)
ماوات والأرض ول قد فض لنا بعض وربك أعلم بمن في الس
بي ين على بعض وآتينا داوود زبورا الن
And We have made some of the prophets exceed others [in various
ways], and to David We gave the book [of Psalms]. (17:55)
However, believers in God and His Messengers must consider all
messengers equal.
ه وما أنزل إلينا وما أنزل إلى إبراهيم وإسماعيل ا بالل قولوا آمن
يعقوب والأسباط وما أوتي موسى وعيسى وما وإسحاق و
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نهم ونحن له ب هم لا نفر ق بين أحد م بيون من ر أوتي الن
مسلمون
Say: We believe in God and that which had been revealed to us, and
that which was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and
Jacob and the tribes, and that which was given to Moses and Jesus,
and that which was given to the prophets from their Lord, we do
not make any distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims
[in submission] to Him. (2:136)
Related verses: 2:285, 3:84, 4:152, 17:55
Prophet Muhammad was not original or any more special than the
other messengers.
ن بدعا كنت ما قل إن بكم ولا بي يفعل ما أدري وما الرسل م
بع مبين نذير إل ا أنا وما إلي يوحى ما إل ا أت
Say (O’ Muhammad), "I am not something original among the
messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I
only follow that which is revealed to me, and I am not but a clear
warner." (46:9)
MUHAMMAD FOLLOWED ABRAHAM’S RELIGION
Contrary to popular belief, the religion of Submission (Islam) did not
begin with Muhammad but rather with Abraham.
Abraham was the founding father of Submission (Islam)
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ة ل ذا وفي قبل من المسلمين سم اكم هو إبراهيم أبيكم م ه
اس على شهداء وتكونوا عليكم شهيدا الر سول ليكون الن
مولاكم هو بالل ه واعتصموا الز كاة وآتوا الص لاة فأقيموا
الن صير ونعم المولى نعم ف
… [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. God named you
"Submitters" ("Muslims") before [in former scriptures] and in this
[revelation (the Quran)] that the Messenger may be a witness over
you and you may be witnesses over the people. So establish prayer
and give zakah and hold fast to God. He is your protector; and
excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper. (22:78)
Muhammad was specifically told to follow the religion of Abraham
بع أن إليك اأوحين ثم ة ات من كان وما حنيفا إبراهيم مل
المشركين
"Then we inspired you (O Muhammad) to follow the religion of
Abraham, monotheism; never was he an idol-worshiper." (16:123)
Even followers of the Quran are told to follow the religion of
Abraham
م ن دينا أحسن ومن ه وجهه أسلم م بع محسن وهو لل مل ة وات
خذ حنيفا إبراهيم ه وات خليلا إبراهيم الل
And who is better in religion than one who submits himself to God
while being a doer of good and follows the religion of Abraham,
inclining toward truth? And God took Abraham as an intimate
friend. (4:125)
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ة إبراهيم إل ا من سفه نفسه ولقد ل ومن يرغب عن م
نيا و ه في الآخرة لمن الص الحين اصطفيناه في الد إن
And who would be averse to the religion of Abraham except one
who makes a fool of himself. And We had chosen him in this world,
and indeed he, in the Hereafter, will be among the righteous.
(2:130)
ة إبراهيم وقالوا كونوا هودا أو نصارى تهتدوا قل بل مل
حنيفا وما كان من المشركين
They say, "Be Jews or Christians [so] you will be guided." Say,
"Rather, [we follow] the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth,
and he was not of the polytheists." (2:135)
SAME RELIGION, DIFFERENT WAYS AND
PRACTICES
Many people nowadays think of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as three
completely different religions that all originate from Abraham. However,
Judaism and Christianity are actually just versions of Islam (Submission).
Noah and the Semites
Prophet Noah had 3 sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. After the Great
Flood, each son went to different lands thereby creating different
societies. Ham went to North Africa, Japheth went to Europe and Shem
went to Asia (Arabia). Jews and Arabs are considered descendants of
Shem which is why are called S(h)emites. According to the Torah, after
the Great Flood everyone died except Noah and his family and since
then, the entire human race descended from Noah.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generations_of_Noah
Abraham’s Family Tree and the Origin of Names
Prophet Abraham had a wife, Sarah, and two concubines, Hagar and
Keturah.
• With Hagar, Abraham had a son named Ishmael.
• With Sarah, Abraham had a son named Isaac.
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Ishmael is believed to be a patriarch of Islam as he built the Kaaba with
Abraham (2:127)
Isaac is believed to be a patriarch of the Jews. Isaac had a son named
Jacob. According to Genesis 32:28, God changed Jacob’s name to Israel.
Israel had 12 sons. All of his 12 sons and their descendants are the
“Children of Israel”, not because they live in a land called “Israel” but
because their father’s name was literally “Israel.” The 12 sons represent
12 tribes. One of the 12 sons is named Yehuda (Judah). He is the founder
of the Israelite Tribe of Judah. The word “Jew”, the land of “Judea” and
the “Kingdom of Judah” originate from this son’s name. The Arabic word
for Jew is “yahudi”. Though the word Jew or Jewish originates from one
Israelite tribe, all descendants of the 12 Israelite tribes consider
themselves Jews.
Jesus was born in Judea but his home town was Nazareth which is why
he is often referred to as Jesus of Nazareth.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus
People from Nazareth are called Nazarenes. The Quran mentions the
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“nasaara” which could be a reference to the Christians living in Nazareth,
i.e. Nazarenes. It’s also possible that the word “nasaara” comes from the
Arabic word meaning “to help” and therefore, the “nasaara” could be a
reference to Christians as helpers of God (3:52; 61:14).
Christianity is named as such because it is based on the name of its
leader, Jesus Christ.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity
Christianity grew out of Judaism and began as a Second Temple Judaic
sect in the mid-1st century.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity
The word Christ in English is “Messiah” and in Arabic is “Al Maseeh”.
Therefore, Christians in Arabic is Maseehiyeen”.
Unlike Judaism and Christianity, Islam (Submission) is not named after a
kingdom such as Saudi Arabia or a person such as Muhammad. If it did,
it might be called Saudi Arabianism or Muhammadism.
As explained above,
• Islam is a word that has a meaning which is "to submit (to one
true God)."
• As a meaningful word, Islam can be translated as "Submission"
in English and “Penyerahan” in Indonesian.
• Jesus Christ (Prophet Jesus) was a Muslim (3:52)
• The People of the Book (Jews and Christians) were actually
followers of Islam (Submission) as they were also called
Muslims (Submitters). (28:52-53)
• Jews and Christians wrongfully divided their original religion
of Submission (Islam) (21:92-93)
Jews and Christians in the Quran
The Quran always references Jews and Christians as
• Jews (Yahuud) (e.g. 5:82)
• Christians / Nazarenes (Nasaara) (e.g. 5:82)
• Children of (Prophet) Israel (aka Jacob) (e.g. 17:2)
• People of the Book (Ahli-l-kitaab) (e.g. 3:199)
The Quran never mentions that the Jews follow a separate religion called
Judaism and that the Christians follow a separate religion called
Christianity.
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Most Jews don’t believe that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah and most
Christians don’t believe that Muhammad is the final messenger of God.
However, at the time of Muhammad, there were some Jews and
Christians who did believe in Muhammad and the revelation to him (the
Quran).
ه وما أنزل إليكم وما أنزل وإن من أهل الكتاب لمن يؤمن بالل
إليهم خاشعين ...
And there are, certainly, among the People of the Book, those who
believe in God, in the revelation to you (Muhammad), and in the
revelation to them (Torah, Injil), bowing in humility to God ….
(3:199)
Though Judaism and Christianity originally were no different than
Abraham’s religion of Submission (Islam) Quran (4:171), they have
changed a lot, e.g. Christians now believe that Jesus is the son of God,
which is clearly a violation of Submission (Islam).
The religion of Noah, Muhammad, Abraham, Moses and Jesus is the
same
وحينا إليك وماين ما وص ى به نوحا وال ذي أ ن الد ع لكم م شر
ين ولا وص ينا به إبراهيم وموسى وعيسى أن أقيموا الد
تتفر قوا فيه
He has ordained for you of religion (Arabic: Deen) what He enjoined
upon Noah and that which We have revealed to you, [O
Muhammad], and what We enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and
Jesus - to establish the religion and not be divided therein ….
(42:13)
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The message given to Noah, Muhammad, Abraham, Moses and
Jesus is the same
ا يقال لك إل ا ما قد قيل للرسل من قبلك إن رب ك لذو م
مغفرة وذو عقاب أليم
Nothing is said to you, [O Muhammad], except what was already
said to the messengers before you. Indeed, your Lord is a possessor
of forgiveness and a possessor of painful penalty. (41:43)
Jews, Christians and Muslims Are All Muslims Who Share the Same
God
ذين إل ا أحسن هي بال تي إل ا الكتاب أهل تجادلوا ولا ظلموا ال
ا وقولوا منهم هنا إليكم وأنزل إلينا أنزل بال ذي آمن وإل
هكم مسلمون له ونحن واحد وإل
And do not argue with the People of the Scripture except in a way
that is best, except for those who commit injustice among them,
and say, "We believe in that which has been revealed to us and
revealed to you. And our God and your God is one; and we are
Muslims [in submission] to Him." (29:46)
"Deen" (Religion) vs “Millat” (Ways / Practices of a Religion)
Many Muslims use verse 2:120 to infer that the Jews and Christians
follow a different religion.
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بع حت ى الن صارى ولا اليهود عنك ترضى ولن تهم تت إن قل مل
ه هدى بعت ولئن الهدى هو الل جاءك ال ذي بعد أهواءهم ات
ه من لك ما العلم من نصير ولا ولي من الل
And never will the Jews or the Christians approve of you until you
follow their form of religion (Arabic: Millatahum). Say, "Indeed, the
guidance of Allah is the [only] guidance." If you were to follow their
desires after what has come to you of knowledge, you would have
against Allah no protector or helper. (2:120)
However, you will see a difference between verse 42:13 and 2:120 in that
42:13 uses the word "deen" whereas verse 42:13 uses the word
“millatahum”.
The word "deen" means “religion” whereas the word “millat”, in the
context of verse 2:120, means “way of belief or form of religion.”
According to the Edward Lanes Lexicon, we see this definition as follows:
The word "millat" is also in verse 16:123 where prophet Muhammad was
told to follow Abrahams “form of religion” (millat).
بع أن إليك أوحينا ثم ة ات من كان وما حنيفا إبراهيم مل
المشركين
Then We revealed to you, [O Muhammad], to follow the form of
religion (Arabic: millat) of Abraham, inclining toward truth; and he
was not of those who associate with Allah. (16:123)
Abraham’s Way is the Correct Way of God’s Religion
In other words, people can be part of the same "deen" (religion” but their
way / form “millat” may be different. The correct way, according to verse
16:123, is the way of Prophet Abraham. This “way”, according to this
verse, is to not join anything with God including partnerships, idols, and
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intercessors. This “way” applies to Muslims, Christians and Jews.
PEOPLE DIVIDED RELIGION INTO GROUPS AND
SECTS
The religion of Noah, Muhammad, Abraham, Moses and Jesus is the
same so don’t be divided
وحينا إليك وما ين ما وصى به نوحا والذي أ ن الد ع لكم م شر
ين ولا تتفرقوا وصينا به إبراهيم وموسى وعيسى أن أقيموا الد
فيه ...
He has ordained for you of religion what He enjoined upon Noah
and that which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what
We enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus - to establish the
religion and not be divided therein. ... (42:13)
God tells people not to divide religion into sects
ما ذين فر قوا دينهم وكانوا شيعا ل ست منهم في شيء إن إن ال
ه ثم ينب ئهم بما كانوا يفعلون مرهم إلى الل أ
Indeed, those who have divided their religion and become sects -
you, [O Muhammad], are not [associated] with them in anything.
Their affair is only [left] to God; then He will inform them about
what they used to do. (6:159)
There is supposed to only be one people / community who worships
God but people (e.g. Jews, Christians, Muslims) divided their affairs
عوا تكم أم ة واحدة وأنا ربكم فاعبدون وتقط ذه أم إن ه
مرهم بينهم كل إلينا راجعون أ
Indeed this, your religion, is one religion, and I am your Lord, so
worship Me. And [yet] they divided their affair among themselves,
[but] all to Us will return. (21:92-93)
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مرهم بينهم زبرا كل حزب بما لديهم فرحون عوا أ فتقط
But the people divided their religion among them into sects - each
faction, in what it has, rejoicing. (23:53)
Despite the clear proof in the Quran, many Jews, Christians and Muslims
divide their religion into groups and sects, e.g. Sunni, Shiah, Druze, Alawi,
Salafi, etc.
JEWS AND CHRISTIANS ARE TO FOLLOW THE
QURAN
Even though Jews and Christians are technically Submitters (Muslims)
and that their books (Torah and Injil) were revelations from God, their
books have been replaced by the Quran and they are told to believe in
and follow the Quran.
ذين أيها يا قا نز لنا بما آمنوا الكتاب أوتوا ال ما مصد معكم ل
ن دبارها على فنرد ها وجوها ن طمس أن قبل م كما نلعنهم أو أ
ا بت أصحاب لعن ه أمر وكان الس مفعولا الل
O you who were given the Scripture, believe in what We have sent
down [to Muhammad], confirming that which is with you, before
We obliterate faces and turn them toward their backs or curse them
as We cursed the sabbath-breakers. And ever is the decree of God
accomplished. (4:47)
ا كثيرا لكم يبي ن رسولنا جاءكم قد الكتاب أهل يا م كنتم م
يعفو الكتاب من تخفون ن جاءكم قد كثير عن و نور الل ه م
مبين وكتاب
O People of the Scripture, there has come to you Our Messenger
making clear to you much of what you used to conceal of the
Scripture and overlooking much. There has come to you from God a
light and a clear Book. (5:15)
This is similarly mentioned in verses 3:67-68.
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مسلما حنيفا كان ولكن يانصران ولا يهوديا إبراهيم كان ما
اس أولى إن المشركين من كان وما بعوه لل ذين بإبراهيم الن ات
ذا بي وه ذين الن ه آمنوا وال المؤمنين ولي والل
Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was one inclining
toward truth, a Muslim [submitting to Allah ]. And he was not of the
polytheists. Indeed, the most worthy of Abraham among the people
are those who followed him [in submission to Allah ] and this
prophet (Muhammad), and those who believe [in his message]. And
Allah is the ally of the believers. (3:67-68)
PROPHET MUHAMMAD
Muhammad’s sole mission was to deliver the message (the Quran)
ما عليك ين ك فإن و نتوف ين ك بعض ال ذي نعدهم أ ا نر وإن م
البلاغ وعلينا الحساب
And whether We show you part of what We promise them or take
you in death, upon you (O Muhammad) is only the [duty of]
notification (of the Quran), and upon Us is the account. (13:40)
البلاغ إل ا عليك إن حفيظا عليهم أرسلناك فما أعرضوا فإن
ا ا الإنسان أذقنا إذا وإن ح رحمة من ئة تصبهم وإن بها فر بما سي
م يديهم ت قد كفور الإنسان فإن أ
But if they turn away - then We have not sent you, [O Muhammad],
over them as a guardian; upon you is only [the duty of] notification
(of the Quran). And indeed, when We let man taste mercy from us,
he rejoices in it; but if evil afflicts him for what his hands have put
forth, then indeed, man is ungrateful. (42:48)
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ا ه البلاغ إل ا الر سول على م تكتمون وما تبدون ما يعلم والل
Not upon the Messenger is [responsibility] except [for] notification
(of the Quran). And God knows whatever you reveal and whatever
you conceal.(5:99)
People Didn’t and Don’t Learn How to Pray from the Hadith
Many people argue that Islam originated with Muhammad and that the
hadith of the Prophet Muhammad are necessary to explain the details of
prayer which are missing from the Quran. However, as we have proven
above,
• (Submission) Islam originated with Abraham
• Muhammad was instructed to follow the religion of Abraham
• People prayed ever since the time of Prophet Abraham
Logically, God didn’t go into detail to describe how to pray because
people already knew how to pray ever since Abraham’s time. Just like
people nowadays learn to pray from the practice being passed on from
generation to generation, that too happened since Abraham’s time. No
one both past and present learn to pray by reading the hadith.
Did you learn to pray from reading the hadith or did you learn from your
parents or teachers?
The Quran is complete in truth and justice
ل ل ا وعدلا صدقا رب ك كلمت وتم ت ميع وهو لكلماته مبد الس
العليم
And the Word of your Lord is complete in truth and justice; there is
none to change His Words; He is the All Hearing, the All Knowing.
(6:115)
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أمم إل ا بجناحيه يطير طائر ولا الأرض في داب ة من اوم
ا أمثالكم رب هم إلى ثم شيء من الكتاب في فر طنا م
يحشرون
And there is not an animal moving in the earth nor a bird flying on
its wings, but they are a nation like you; We have left out nothing in
this Book – then towards their Lord they will be raised. (6:38)
Since God says the Quran is "complete" and He “left out nothing”, then
followers must accept this and not argue that it is incomplete and
therefore the hadith are necessary.
THE RITUALS OF SUBMISSION (ISLAM)
The 5 Pillars
The Quran doesn’t specifically say that there are 5 pillars but Submitters
(Muslims) consider the following to represent the 5 pillars of Islam:
1. Declare submission to the one, true God (Arabic: shahadah)
2. Perform daily prayers (Arabic: salah)
3. Pay dues (Arabic: zakah)
4. Fast (Arabic: sawm)
5. Perform the pilgrimage (Arabic: hajj), if possible
God taught Abraham the rituals of Submission (Islam), not
Muhammad
Prophet Abraham asked God to teach him these pillars (2:128) and God
taught them to him (21:73).
ي تنا ومن لك مسلمين واجعلنا رب نا وأرنا ل ك مسلمة أم ة ذر
اب أنت إن ك علينا وتب مناسكنا و حيم الت الر
(Abraham said) Our Lord, and make us Muslims [in submission] to
You and from our descendants a Muslim nation [in submission] to
You. And show us our rites and accept our repentance. Indeed, You
are the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful. (2:128)
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إقام و الخيرات فعل إليهم وأوحينا بأمرنا يهدون أئم ة وجعلناهم
عابدين لنا وكانوا الز كاة وإيتاء الص لاة
And We made them leaders guiding by Our command. And We
inspired to them the doing of good deeds, establishment of prayer,
and giving of zakah; and they were worshippers of Us. (21:73)
Although Prophets before Abraham were Submitters (Muslims), there is
no evidence that they had to perform these pillars except for pillar #1.
Since God told Muhammad to follow the religion of Abraham (16:123,
22:78), it’s clear that the religion of Submission (Islam) with its five pillars
began with Abraham, not with Muhammad. Muhammad was not told to
follow the religion of Moses or Jesus as they were just followers of
Abraham.
Later, we will see proof that people before Muhammad performed these
pillars, or were at least instructed to.
Corrupted practices and their correction
The Quran points out how the Jews, Christians and others corrupted the
correct way of performing the rituals of the religion of Submission
(Islam). Therefore, the Quran corrected these incorrect practices by
reminding people, via the Quran, how to perform them correctly.
فيه اختلفوا ال ذي لهم لتبي ن إل ا الكتاب عليك أنزلنا وما
قوم ورحمة وهدى يؤمنون ل
And We have not revealed to you the Book, [O Muhammad], except
for you to make clear to them that wherein they have differed and
as guidance and mercy for a people who believe. (16:64)
Some of the corrupted practices that the Quran corrects are:
• don’t say Jesus is the son of God (4:171),
• make ablution (wudu) in four steps (5:6)
• etc.
People already knew how to pray
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Many Muslims argue that the Quran is incomplete because it doesn’t
explain how to pray and therefore the hadith are required. This argument
is invalid because
1. God says the Quran is complete (6:115) (6:38)
2. God says the Quran is fully detailed of all things (6:114)
(12:111) (41:3) (11:1)
3. God says the Quran is clarification of all things (16:89)
4. God taught Abraham how to pray (21:73). Ever since then,
people already knew how to pray and therefore God didn’t
need to explain in the Quran how to do it again.
5. God told Muhammad to establish prayer and give zakah in
Quran chapter 73. This is the 3rd chapter that was revealed to
Muhammad. The first and second chapters that were revealed
to Muhammad were chapters 96 and 68. Neither one of these
three chapters explain to Muhammad how to pray. That
makes sense because people at the time (and since prophet
Abraham) already knew how to pray.
New practices allowed in the Quran
Some of the practices that were not part of the original practices taught
to Abraham were subsequently allowed in the Quran such as:
• Sexual relations at night during Ramadan (2:187)
• Performing tawaf between Safa and Marwa (2:158)
يام ليلة لكم أحل كم لباس هن نسائكم إلى الر فث الص وأنتم ل
هن لباس ه علم ل عليكم فتاب أنفسكم تختانون كنتم أن كم الل
ه كتب ما وابتغوا باشروهن فالآن عنكم وعفا لكم الل
It has been made permissible for you the night preceding fasting to
go to your wives [for sexual relations]. They are clothing for you and
you are clothing for them. Allah knows that you used to deceive
yourselves, so He accepted your repentance and forgave you. So
now, have relations with them and seek that which Allah has
decreed for you. (2:187 part)
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اعتمر أو البيت حج فمن الل ه شعائر من والمروة الص فا إن
ف أن عليه جناح فلا و بهما يط
Indeed, as-Safa and al-Marwah are among the symbols of Allah . So
whoever makes Hajj to the House or performs 'umrah - there is no
sin upon him for walking between them (performing tawaf). …
(2:158 part)
THE RITUALS OF SUBMISSION (ISLAM)
The Quran describes different types of people as follows:
• Submitters (Muslims)
• Believers (Mu’mins)
• Idolaters (Mushriks)
• People of the Book (Ahl E-Kitaab)
• Disbelievers / Rejectors (Kafirs)
• Hypocrites (Munafiqs)
Idolaters (Mushriks / Mushrikeen)
They are polytheists (people who worship more than one God).
Mushrikeen comes from the Arabic word "shirk" which, in general, means
“to share”. With respect to the Quran, “shirk” means sharing others as
partners besides God.
Submitters (Muslims)
They are monotheists (people who submit to one, true God). They are
not necessarily Believers as true belief may not have entered into their
hearts yet. Being a submitter is a prerequisite to being a believer.
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31
ا م تؤمنوا ولكن قولوا أسلمنا ولم ا قل ل قالت الأعراب آمن
ه ورسوله لا يدخل الإيمان في قلوبكم وإن تطيعوا الل
حيم ه غفور ر ن أعمالكم شيئا إن الل يلتكم م
The desert Arabs say, "We believe!" Say, "Do not say you believe;
but only say, 'We have submitted our wills to God (as Submitters /
Muslims),' as belief has not yet entered your hearts. But if you obey
God and His Messenger, He will not deprive you anything of your
deeds: for God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (49:14)
Believers (Mu’mins)
They believe in God, His angels, His books, and His messengers and
don’t differentiate between any of His messengers.
ه ب ه والمؤمنون كل آمن بالل آمن الرسول بما أنزل إليه من ر
ن رسله وقالوا حد م ق بين أ وملائكته وكتبه ورسله لا نفر
سمعنا وأطعنا ...
"The messenger believes in that which has been revealed to him
from his Lord and (so do) believers. Each one believes in God and
His angels and His scriptures and His messengers - We make no
distinction between any of His messengers - and they say: We hear,
and we obey. …. " (2:285)
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Prophet Moses Becomes a Believer
Prophet Moses was a Submitter (Muslim) and after seeing a sign from
God, he became a Believer (Mu’min)
أرني أنظر إليك مه ربه قال رب ولم ا جاء موسى لميقاتنا وكل
كن انظر إلى الجبل فإن استقر مكانه قال لن تراني ول
ى ربه للجبل جعله دكا وخر ا تجل موسى فسوف تراني فلم
ل المؤمنين فاق قال سبحانك تبت إليك وأنا أو صعقا فلم ا أ
"And when Moses came to the place appointed by Us and his Lord
spoke to him, He said: "O my Lord! show (Yourself) to me, that I
may look upon You." God said: "By no means can you see Me; But
look upon the mount; if it remains in its place, then shall you see
Me." But when his Lord manifested His glory on the Mount, He
made it crumble to dust. And Moses fell down in a swoon /
unconscious. When he recovered his senses he said: "Glory be to
You! to You I turn in repentance and I am the first to believe."
(7:143)
Disbelievers / Rejectors (Kafirs)
Disbelievers (Kafirs) are people who, after understanding the message of
truth (worship the one, true God), deny the truth. They intentionally
disbelieve in the one, true God. Kafir comes from the Arabic word "kufr"
which means to hide. Kafirs hide the truth and refuse to accept it. They
will go to Hell.
ذين كفروا سواء عليهم أأنذرتهم أ م لم تنذرهم لاإن ال
ه على قلوبهم وعلى سمعهم وعلى يؤمنون ختم الل
أبصارهم غشاوة ولهم عذاب عظيم
"As for the Disbelievers, Whether you warn them or you warn them
not it is all one for them; they believe not. God has sealed their
hearing and their hearts, and on their eyes there is a covering.
Theirs will be an awful doom" (2:6-7)
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The Walking Dead
Even if Prophet Muhammad asks God to forgive disbelievers, God will
not forgive them. They are walking dead because they’re just waiting to
go to Hell
و لا تستغفر لهم إن تستغفر لهم سبعين مر ة استغفر لهم أ
ه لا ه ورسوله والل ه لهم ذلك بأن هم كفروا بالل فلن يغفر الل
يهدي القوم الفاسقين
"Ask forgiveness for them (O Muhammad), or ask not forgiveness
for them; though you ask forgiveness for them seventy times God
will not forgive them. That is because they disbelieved in God and
His messenger, and God guides not wrongdoing folk" (9:80)
Idolaters (Mushriks) are not automatically Disbelievers (Kafirs)
In verse 9:6, the idolaters were not branded as disbelievers because they
did not know they were wrong. If an idolater wanted protection, Prophet
Muhammad was instructed to protect them so that they could learn
about Submission (Islam) and become a Submitter (Muslim). An idolater
only becomes a disbeliever if they’ve seen the truth about the one and
only God yet the still refuse to believe.
ن المشركين استجارك فأجره حت ى يسمع كلام حد م وإن أ
هم قوم ل ا يعلمون الل منه ذلك بأن بلغه مأ
ه ثم أ
"And if anyone of the idolaters seeks thy protection (O
Muhammad), then protect him so that he may hear the Word of
God, and afterward convey him to his place of safety. That is
because they are a folk who do not know" (9:6)
The People of the Book (Ahl e-Kitaab)
They are people who received the former scriptures (Torah, Injil). They
are Jews and Christians. Jews and Christians who submit to one, true God
are Submitters (Muslim).
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Some Jews and Christians are righteous
ه آناء ن أهل الكتاب أم ة قائمة يتلون آيات الل ليسوا سواء م
يأمرون ه واليوم الآخر و يل وهم يسجدون يؤمنون بالل الل
يسارعون في الخيرات ينهون عن المنكر و بالمعروف و
ئك من الص الحين و أول
"Not all of them are alike: Of the People of the Book are a portion
that stand: They rehearse the verses of God all night long, and they
prostrate themselves in adoration. They believe in God and the Last
Day; they enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong; and they
hasten in good deeds: They are in the ranks of the righteous"
(3:113-114)
Can Believers (Mu’mins) Be Friends / Allies with Jews and
Christians?
According verse 5:51, God instructs believers to not be allies with the
Jews and Christians.
خذوا اليهود والن صارى أولياء بعضهم ذين آمنوا لا تت يا أيها ال
ه لا يهدي ه منهم إن الل نكم فإن ولياء بعض ومن يتول هم م أ
المين القوم الظ
O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians
as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an
ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed,
Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.
However, when read in context, we see from verse 5:57 that the
prohibition is only against being friends / allies with Jews and Christians
who ridicule Islam.
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خذوا دينكم هزوا ولعبا ذين ات خذوا ال ذين آمنوا لا تت يها ال يا أ
قوا الل ه ار أولياء وات ذين أوتوا الكتاب من قبلكم والكف ن ال م
ؤمنين إن كنتم م
O you who have believed, take not those who have taken your
religion in ridicule and amusement among the ones who were
given the Scripture before you nor the disbelievers as allies. And
fear Allah, if you should [truly] be believers.
At the time of Prophet Muhammad, some People of the Book (Jews
and Christians) were Believers (Mu’mins) because they believed in
the Quran and Prophet Muhammad.
ه وما أنزل إليكم وما أنزل وإن من أهل الكتاب لمن يؤمن بالل
ه ثمنا قليلا أولئك ه لا يشترون بآيات الل إليهم خاشعين لل
يع الحساب ه سر جرهم عند رب هم إن الل لهم أ
"And there are, certainly, among the People of the Book (Arabic:
Ahli-l-kitabi), those who believe in God, in the revelation to you,
and in the revelation to them, bowing in humility to God: They will
not sell the Signs of God for a miserable gain! For them is a reward
with their Lord, and God is swift in account" (3:199)
Most people are Disbelievers (Kafirs)
As of 2018, despite Islam being the 2nd largest religion after Christianity
and being projected to become the largest religion some time between
2051 and 3000, verse 12:103 indicates that most people may still call
themselves Muslims (Submitters) or Believers (Mu’mins) when in reality
they are actually disbelievers (kafirs).
اس ولو حرصت بمؤمنين وما أكثر الن
And most of the people, although you strive [for it], are not
believers. (12:103)
It is possible, however, that verse 12:103 may mean that most people
during the time of prophet Muhammad will be disbelievers, rather than
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most people throughout life in this world. Nevertheless, verse 12:103 is
in agreement with 17:62 whereby Satan says he will destroy all but a few
of among mankind, even though 17:62 simply indicates what Satan said
and doesn’t necessarily mean what he said will actually happen.
رتن إلى يوم خ ذا ال ذي كر مت علي لئن أ يتك ه
قال أرأ
ي ته إل ا قليلا القيامة لأحتنكن ذر
[Iblees / Satan] said, "Do You see this one whom You have honored
above me? If You delay me until the Day of Resurrection, I will
surely destroy his descendants, except for a few." (17:62)
Verse 25:30, similarly, seems to indicate that most of Muhammad’s
followers will have abandoned the Quran. This verse describes what
Muhammad will say on the Day of Judgment.
ذا القرآن مهجورا خذوا ه إن قومي ات وقال الر سول يا رب
And the Messenger has said, "O my Lord, indeed my people have
taken this Qur'an as [a thing] abandoned." (25:30)
As of 2018, it appears true that many people are indirectly abandoning
the Quran by
• Reading it in Arabic despite not understanding Arabic
• Focusing on and following the hadith instead of the Quran as
God’s law
Hypocrites (Munafiqs)
They are people who say they are believers (Mu’mins) but they are lying.
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ه يعلم إذا ه والل جاءك المنافقون قالوا نشهد إن ك لرسول الل
ه يشهد إن المنافقين لكاذبون إن ك لرسوله والل
When the hypocrites come to you, [O Muhammad], they say, "We
testify that you are the Messenger of God." And God knows that
you are His Messenger, and God testifies that the hypocrites are
liars. (63:1)
The hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of Hell
ار ولن تجد لهم نصيرا رك الأسفل من الن إن المنافقين في الد
Indeed, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire - and
never will you find for them a helper. (4/145)
TESTIMONY (SHAHADAH) FOR A SUBMITTER
(MUSLIM) AND BELIEVER (MU’MIN)
People who convert to Submission (Islam) are told to say the following
sentence:
أشهد أن لا إله إلا هللا و أشهد أن محمد رسول هللا
I bear witness that there is no god but God and I bear witness that
Muhammad is God’s messenger.
While it is true that Muhammad was a messenger of God, we must not
forget that he was not the only messenger of God and that all
messengers of God are to be treated equally (2:136). Many Submitters
(Muslims) today think of Muhammad exclusively or as a superior
messenger compared to all other messengers. For example, in mosques
you will often find Muhammad’s name next to God’s name and nowhere
will you find the names of the other messengers including Abraham, the
founder of Submission (Islam). When Submitters (Muslims) pray, near
the end of the prayer they often ask for blessings on both Muhammad
and Abraham. However, this too seems limiting considering that true
believers must treat all messengers equally. According to verse 3:13, God
tells us how to bear witness in submission to Him.
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ه إل ا هو والملائ ه لا إل ه أن كة وأولو العلم قائماشهد الل
يز الحكيم ه إل ا هو العز بالقسط لا إل
Allah witnesses that there is no deity except Him, and [so do] the
angels and those of knowledge - [that He is] maintaining [creation]
in justice. There is no deity except Him, the Exalted in Might, the
Wise. (3:18)
This verse doesn’t mention Muhammad. This makes sense since we know
from 22:78 that Submitters (Muslims) existed before Muhammad
existed, e.g. Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and many of their followers.
In verse 27:44, we see an example of how the ruler of Sheba converted
to Submission (Islam) and become a Submitter (Muslim). All she said
was, “I submit to God, Lord of the Worlds.”
ة وكش ح فلم ا رأته حسبته لج فت عنقيل لها ادخلي الص ر
إن ي ير قالت رب ن قوار ح ممر د م ه صر ساقيها قال إن
العالمين ه رب ظلمت نفسي وأسلمت مع سليمان لل
She was told, "Enter the palace." But when she saw it, she thought it
was a body of water and uncovered her shins [to wade through]. He
said, "Indeed, it is a palace [whose floor is] made smooth with
glass." She said, "My Lord, indeed I have wronged myself, and I
submit with Solomon to God, Lord of the worlds." (27:44)
We also know from 49:14 that one can be a Submitter (Muslim) before
being a Believer (Mu’min).
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ا م تؤمنوا ولكن قولوا أسلمنا ولم ا قل ل قالت الأعراب آمن
ه ورسوله لا يدخل الإيمان في قلوبكم وإن تطيعوا الل
حيم يلتكم م ه غفور ر ن أعمالكم شيئا إن الل
The desert Arabs say, "We believe!" Say, "Do not say you believe;
but only say, 'We have submitted our wills to God (as Submitters /
Muslims),' as belief has not yet entered your hearts. But if you obey
God and His Messenger, He will not deprive you anything of your
deeds: for God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (49:14)
Therefore, becoming a Submitter (Muslim) only requires belief in one
God regardless of their belief in God’s angels, messengers, and
scriptures. Verse 2:285 gives us the requirements for one to be a Believer
(Mu’min).
ب ه والمؤمنون كل آمن بالل ه آمن الر سول بما أنزل إليه من ر
حد م ق بين أ ن رسله وقالواوملائكته وكتبه ورسله لا نفر
... سمعنا وأطعنا
"The messenger believes in that which has been revealed to him
from his Lord and (so do) believers. Each one believes in God and
His angels and His scriptures and His messengers - We make no
distinction between any of His messengers - and they say: We hear,
and we obey. …. " (2:285)
Therefore, better testimonies that don’t violate verses 2:136 and 2:285
are:
Testimony to be a Submitter (Muslim)
I bear witness that there is not god but God.
Testimony to be a Submitter (Muslim) and a Believer (Mu’min)
I bear witness that there is not god but God. I bear witness to the
existence of God’s angels. I bear witness that God revealed scriptures
including, but not limited to, the Torah, Injil, and the Quran. I bear
witness that Muhammad and many others before him including
Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, were messengers of God.
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SUBMITTERS (MUSLIMS) EXISTED BEFORE
MUHAMMAD’S TIME
The Quran proves that the following people were Submitters (Muslims)
before Prophet Muhammad.
Prophet Nuh (Noah) was a Submitter (Muslim)
وأمرت أن أكون من المسلمين ….. واتل عليهم نبأ نوح
And recite to them the news of Noah, when he said to his people, ...
I have been commanded to be of the Submitters (Muslims)." (10:71-
72)
Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismail (Ishmael), Is’haq (Isaac), Ya’kub
(Jacob) and Ya’kub’s sons were Submitters (Muslims)
And who would be averse to the religion of Abraham? … When his
Lord said to him, "Submit", he said "I have submitted [in Islam] to
the Lord of the worlds." And Abraham instructed his sons [to do the
same] and [so did] Jacob, [saying], "O my sons, indeed God has
chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you are
Muslims." Or were you witnesses when death approached Jacob,
when he said to his sons, "What will you worship after me?" They
said, "We will worship your God and the God of your fathers,
Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac - one God. And we are Submitters
(Muslims) [in submission] to Him." (2:130 - 133)
Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) was a Submitter (Muslim)
ني مسلما…. قال أنا يوسف نيا والآخرة توف أنت ولي ي في الد
وألحقني بالص الحين
…. I am Joseph, …... My Lord …. You are my protector in this world
and in the Hereafter. Cause me to die a Submitter (Muslim) and join
me with the righteous." (12:90-101)
Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon) was a Submitter (Muslim)
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ا مسلمين .… وأوتينا العلم من قبلها وكن
…. [Solomon said], "And we were given knowledge before her, and
we have been Submitters (Muslims). (27:42)
Prophet Isa (Jesus) and his disciples were Submitters (Muslims)
ه قال ا أحس عيسى منهم الكفر قال من أنصاري إلى الل فلم
ا ب ه آمن يون نحن أنصار الل ا مسلمون الحوار ه واشهد بأن الل
But when Jesus felt [persistence in] disbelief from them, he said,
"Who are my supporters for [the cause of] God?" The disciples
said," We are supporters for God. We have believed in God and
testify that we are Submitters (Muslims). (3:52)
People who believed in the previous scriptures (Torah, Injil) were
Submitters (Muslims)
ذين آتيناهم الكتاب من قبله هم به يؤمنون وإذا يتلى ال
ه الحق من ر ا به إن ا كن ا من قبله عليهم قالوا آمن ب نا إن
مسلمين
Those to whom We gave the Scripture before it - they are believers
in it. And when it is recited to them, they say, "We have believed in
it; indeed, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed we were, [even]
before it, Submitters (Muslims)." (28:52-53)
God named people before Muhammad’s time Submitters (Muslims)
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ذا اكم المسلمين من قبل وفي ه ة أبيكم إبراهيم هو سم ل م
اس ليكون الر سول شهيدا عليكم وتكونوا شهداء ع لى الن
ه هو مولاكم فأقيموا الص لاة وآتوا الز كاة واعتصموا بالل
فنعم المولى ونعم الن صير
… [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. God named you
"Submitters" ("Muslims") before [in former scriptures] and in this
[revelation (the Quran)] that the Messenger may be a witness over
you and you may be witnesses over the people. So establish prayer
and give zakah and hold fast to God. He is your protector; and
excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper. (22:78)
PEOPLE PRAYED BEFORE MUHAMMAD’S TIME
Prophet Ibrahim, Lot, Isaac and Jacob prayed
God said, "O fire, be coolness and safety upon Abraham." … And
We delivered him (Abraham) and Lot to the land which We had
blessed for the worlds. And We gave him Isaac and Jacob in
addition, and all [of them] We made righteous. And We made them
leaders guiding by Our command. And We inspired to them the
doing of good deeds, establishment of prayer, and giving of zakah;
and they were worshippers of Us. (21:69 - 21:73)
Prophet Ishmael instructed his people to pray
وأقيموا الص لاة وآتوا الز كاة واركعوا مع … يا بني إسرائيل
الر اكعين
And mention in the Book, Ishmael. Indeed, he was true to his
promise, and he was a messenger and a prophet. And he used to
enjoin on his people prayer and zakah and was to his Lord pleasing.
(2:40 - 2:43)
The Children of Israel (Jews) prayed
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وأقيموا الص لاة وآتوا الز كاة واركعوا مع … يا بني إسرائيل
الر اكعين
O Children of Israel, … establish prayer and give zakah and bow
with those who bow [in worship and obedience]. (2:40 - 2:43)
Maryam (Mary), Mother of Prophet Jesus, prayed
يم اقنتي لرب ك واسجدي واركعي مع الر اكعين يا مر
"O Mary! Be obedient to your Lord and prostrate and bow down
with those who bow down" (3:43)
The phrase "bow with those that bow" is clearly a reference to
congregation prayer such as the Friday Dhuhr prayer.
Prophet Jesus prayed
ا كنت وأوصاني بالص لاة والز كاة ماوجعلني مباركا أين م
دمت حيا
And He has made me (Jesus) blessed wherever I am and has
enjoined upon me prayer and zakah as long as I remain alive.
(19:31)
People prayed at the Kaaba
أنا لإبراهيم م ر وإذ بو كان البيت أن ل ا تشرك بي شيئا وطه
جود ائفين والقائمين والرك ع الس بيتي للط
And [mention, O Muhammad], when We designated for Abraham
the site of the House (Kaaba), [saying], "Do not associate anything
with Me and purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and
those who stand [in prayer] and those who bow and prostrate.
(22:26)
Many other people before Muhammad’s time prayed
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In verses 19:58-59, we are told that God blessed many prophets before
Muhammad and that after them, some generations stopped praying.
This indicates that they did know how to pray.
ي ة آدم ومم ن بي ين من ذر ن الن ه عليهم م ذين أنعم الل ئك ال أول
ي ة إبراهيم وإسر ائيل ومم ن هديناحملنا مع نوح ومن ذر
دا وبكيا حمن خروا سج واجتبينا إذا تتلى عليهم آيات الر
هوات بعوا الش فخلف من بعدهم خلف أضاعوا الص لاة وات
فسوف يلقون غيا
Those were the ones upon whom God bestowed favor from among
the prophets of the descendants of Adam and of those We carried
[in the ship] with Noah, and of the descendants of Abraham and
Israel, and of those whom We guided and chose. When the verses
of the Most Merciful were recited to them, they fell in prostration
and weeping. But there came after them successors who neglected
prayer and pursued desires; so they are going to meet evil. (19:58-
59)
Example Prayer Form Before Muhammad’s Time
In 2:43, the Children of Israel (Jews) were told to pray. According to
Hayim H. Donin in his book titled "To Pray As A Jew", we see diagrams
as shown below describing the ancient way Jews prayed. Unsurprisingly,
the way they prayed is very similar to how Muslims today pray, even
though Jews today no longer pray the way ancient Jews prayed.
It is interesting to learn from this book that Jews also wash before
praying (like ablution / wudhu for Muslims) and have a call for prayer
(like the adhan for Muslims).
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PEOPLE PAID DUES (ZAKAH) BEFORE
MUHAMMAD’S TIME
Prophet Ibrahim, Lot, Isaac and Jacob paid dues (zakah)
يناه ولوطا… قلنا يا نار كوني بردا وسلاما على إبراهيم أ ونج
تي باركنا فيها للعالمين ووهبنا له إسحاق إلى الأرض ال
ة يهدون يعقوب نافلة وكلا جعلنا صالحين وجعلناهم أئم و
وحينا إليهم فعل الخيرات وإقام الص لاة وإ يتاء بأمرنا وأ
الز كاة وكانوا لنا عابدين
God said, "O fire, be coolness and safety upon Abraham." … And
We delivered him (Abraham) and Lot to the land which We had
blessed for the worlds. And We gave him Isaac and Jacob in
addition, and all [of them] We made righteous. And We made them
leaders guiding by Our command. And We inspired to them the
doing of good deeds, establishment of prayer, and giving of zakah;
and they were worshippers of Us. (21:69 - 21:73)
Prophet Ishmael instructed his people to pay dues (zakah)
وأقيموا الص لاة وآتوا الز كاة واركعوا مع … يا بني إسرائيل
الر اكعين
And mention in the Book, Ishmael. Indeed, he was true to his
promise, and he was a messenger and a prophet. And he used to
enjoin on his people prayer and zakah and was to his Lord pleasing.
(2:40 - 2:43)
The Children of Israel (Jews) paid dues (zakah)
وأقيموا الص لاة وآتوا الز كاة واركعوا مع … يا بني إسرائيل
الر اكعين
O Children of Israel, … establish prayer and give zakah and bow
with those who bow [in worship and obedience]. (2:40 - 2:43)
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Prophet Jesus paid dues (zakah)
وجعلني مباركا أين ما كنت وأوصاني بالص لاة والز كاة ما
دمت حيا
And He has made me (Jesus) blessed wherever I am and has
enjoined upon me prayer and zakah as long as I remain alive.
(19:31)
PEOPLE FASTED BEFORE MUHAMMAD’S TIME
Verse 2:183 of the Quran proves that fasting was instructed upon people
before the Quran.
ذين آمنوا كت ذين يا أيها ال يام كما كتب على ال ب عليكم الص
قون كم تت من قبلكم لعل
O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was
decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.
(2:183)
PEOPLE PERFORMED THE HAJJ PILGRIMAGE
BEFORE MUHAMMAD’S TIME
People prayed and performed circumambulation (tawaf) at the Kaaba
ر أنا لإبراهيم مكان البيت أن ل ا تشرك بي شيئا وطه وإذ بو
جود ائفين والقائمين والرك ع الس بيتي للط
And [mention, O Muhammad], when We designated for Abraham
the site of the House (Kaaba), [saying], "Do not associate anything
with Me and purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and
those who stand [in prayer] and those who bow and prostrate.
(22:26)
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SECTS IN SUBMISSION (ISLAM)
Most people understand 21st century Islam (the religion of Submission)
to have multiple sects such as Sunnah, Shiah, Wahabi / Salafi, etc.
These sects all have one thing in common which is that they are based
on the Quran. With the information in previous chapters, we know that
Islam is independent of the Quran and Islam began at least as early as
Prophet Abraham. We also know that Moses and Jesus were Muslims
(Submitters) and that they along with, at least some of, their followers
practiced the form of Islam we are familiar with today, e.g. praying,
fasting, etc. One key difference, however, between the followers of
Moses (Jews) and the followers of Jesus (Christians / Nazarenes), is that
almost all of them don’t believe in the Quran. Furthermore, most
Christians have an very unusual understanding of God in that they
think that Jesus is either the son of God or a third of God or God
himself. Some denominations of Christianity that don’t believe in the
doctrine of the Trinity are the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses. In
any case, one can argue, based on the fact that all of these groups
originate from Abraham, who is arguably the founder of Islam
(Submission) which all of these groups originate from, that all of these
groups are sects or subsects of Islam. Therefore, one way of looking at
Islam is as follows.
Judaism
Judaism is a sect of Submission (Islam). Its leader is Moses. Most
followers only believe and follow the Torah (and some other books that
make up the Jewish bible)
Christianity
Christianity is a sect of Judaism. Its leader is Jesus. Most followers only
believe and follow the Torah and the Jewish bible (Old Testament) and
the Injeel (New Testament)
Quran-Based Islam
Quran-based Islam is Submission (Islam) based on the Quran. Most
people believe its leader to be Muhammad even though the Quran
tells Muhammad and Muslims to follow Abraham. Followers believe in
the Torah, Gospel and the Quran but only follow the Quran.
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PRIMARY CHRISTIAN DENOMINATONS
DESCRIPTION OF SCRIPTURES / BOOKS
The Quran mentions various scriptures including
Torah
(Arabic: Tauraat)
a book which was communicated by God to Moses
on Mount Sinai in 1280 BCE over the course of 40
days
Injeel / Gospels Injeel is likely wisdom given to Jesus which was
later likely written by his apostles and became
known as the Gospels
Psalms
(Arabic: Zabuur)
given to David
Quran a book which was communicated by God via the
Holy Spirit Gabriel to Muhammad gradually from
610 CE when Muhammad was 40 years old until his
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death in 632 CE. The first revelation came when
Muhammad was in a cave called Hira on the
mountain Jabal Al-Noor near Mecca.
What scriptures Jews, Christians, and Muslims follow
Jews Jews follow the Jewish Bible. The Jewish Bible is also called
the Tanakh which includes the Torah.
Christians Christians follow the Christian Bible. The Christian Bible
consists of 2 parts:
1. Old Testament
2. New Testament
The Old Testament includes the Jewish Bible / Tanakh and,
depending on Christian denomination, some other books.
The New Testament includes various books including the
Injeel (Gospels).
Muslims Muslims follow the Quran.
Torah
The Torah is part of the Jewish Tanakh. The Tanakh is also the Christian
Old Testament. Tanakh is an acronym of the first Hebrew letter of the 3
subdivisions of the Masoretic texts which are
1. Torah (which means “teachings”, also known as the 5 Books of
Moses or Pentateuch)
2. Nevi’im (which means “prophets”)
3. Ketuvim (which means “writings”)
As such, Tanakh is often spelled as TaNaKh. Tanakh is also called “mikra”
which means “that which is read”.
The 10 Commandments
The 10 Commandments are a set of principles followed by Jews and
Christians. They appear twice in the Torah. They were also written on
stone tablets which Moses had when he came down from spending 40
days on Mt. Sinai.
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Tanakh
The Tanakh was mostly written in Hebrew. Following is the list of books
in each subdivision of the Tanakh.
Torah (teaching) – 5 books
1 Genesis
2 Exodus
3 Leviticus
4 Numbers
5 Deuteronomy
Nevi’im (prophets) - 8 books
The former prophets
1 Joshua
2 Judges
3 Samuel
4 Kings
Latter Prophets
1 Isaiah
2 Jeremiah
3 Ezekiel
12 Minor Prophets (considered one book)
1 Hosea
2 Joel
3 Amos
4 Obadiah
5 Jonah
6 Micah
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7 Nahum
8 Habakkuk
9 Zephaniah
10 Haggai
11 Zechariah
12 Malachi
Ketuvim (writings) – 11 books
Poetic books
1 Psalms
2 Book of Proverbs
3 Book of Job
Five Scrolls
1 Song of Songs or Song of Solomon (Passover)
2 Book of Ruth
3 Lamentations
4 Ecclesiastes
5 Book of Esther
Other Books
1 Book of Daniel
2 Book of Ezra—Book of Nehemiah
3 Chronicles
Old Testament
The Old Testament is the first part of the Christian Bible and mostly
matches the Jewish Bible. It was written by various authors over a period
of centuries.
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New Testament
The New Testament is the second of two parts of the Christian Bible. The
New Testament discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as
events in first-century Christianity. It was written in Greek and completed
before 120 AD. The books in the New Testament consist of 4 parts as
follows.
Gospels (good news / glad tidings) – 4 books
Narratives of the life, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus
1 The Gospel of Matthew
Ascribed to the Apostle Matthew. This gospel begins with a
genealogy of Jesus and a story of his birth that includes a visit
from magi and a flight into Egypt, and it ends with the
commissioning of the disciples by the resurrected Jesus.
2 The Gospel of Mark
Ascribed to Mark the Evangelist. This gospel begins with the
preaching of John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus.
3 The Gospel of Luke
Ascribed to Luke the Evangelist, who was not one of the Twelve
Apostles, but was mentioned as a companion of the Apostle Paul
and as a physician.[17] This gospel begins with parallel stories of
the birth and childhood of John the Baptist and Jesus and ends
with appearances of the resurrected Jesus and his ascension into
heaven.
4 The Gospel of John
Ascribed to John the Apostle. This gospel begins with a
philosophical prologue and ends with appearances of the
resurrected Jesus. It is about Jesus's miracles.
Acts of the Apostles
A narrative of the apostles' ministry and activity after Christ's death
and resurrection, from which point it resumes and functions as a
sequel to the Gospel of Luke.
Epistles – 21 letters
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21 letters, often called "epistles" from Greek "epistole", written by
various authors, and consisting of Christian doctrine, counsel,
instruction, and conflict resolution;
Apocalypse (The Book of Revelation)
A book of prophecy, containing some instructions to seven local
congregations of Asia Minor, but mostly containing prophetical
symbology, about the end times.
Earliest Jewish Bible (Tanakh) Manuscript
The Aleppo Codex (c. 920 CE) and Leningrad Codex (c. 1008 CE) were the
oldest Hebrew language manuscripts of the Tanakh. In 1947 CE the
finding of the Dead Sea scrolls at Qumran pushed the manuscript history
of the Tanakh back a millennium from the two earliest complete codices.
Before this discovery, the earliest extant manuscripts of the Old
Testament were in Greek in manuscripts such as Codex Vaticanus and
Codex Sinaiticus. Out of the roughly 800 manuscripts found at Qumran,
220 are from the Tanakh. Every book of the Tanakh is represented except
for the Book of Esther; however, most are fragmentary. Notably, there
are two scrolls of the Book of Isaiah, one complete (1QIsa), and one
around 75% complete (1QIsb). These manuscripts generally date
between 150 BCE to 70 CE.
Earliest Christian Old and New Testament Manuscript
There are two manuscripts that are considered to be the oldest.
Codex Vaticanus
(The Vatican
Book)
Text: Old and New Testament
Date: c. 300–325
Script: Greek
Found: At the Vatican
It lacks most of the book of Genesis, Hebrews 9:14
to the end, the Pastoral Epistles, and the book of
Revelation.
Codex Sinaticus
(The Sinai Book)
Text: Old and New Testament
Date: c. 330–360
Script: Greek
Found: In Sinai in1844 at St. Catherine’s Monastery
About half of the Old Testament survived along
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with a complete New Testament. A digital copy is
available online at http://www.codexsinaiticus.org.
Earliest Quran Manuscript
One of the earliest Quran manuscripts is the Birmingham manuscript. It
only contains parts of chapters 18 and 20. It was radiocarbon dated to
568 and 645. For comparison, prophet Muhammad lived from 570 to
632. Following is a part of the Birmingham manuscript on the right and
the equivalent 21st century Quran on the left. The text matches almost
perfectly.
However, notice also that the Birmingham manuscript doesn’t include
short vowel markings or harakaat.
The 7 Laws of Noah (Noahide Laws)
These are a set of laws which, according to the Jewish Talmud, were
given to Noah’s three sons for all of humanity (Children of Noah). They
are similar to the 10 Commandments.
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ORAL TRADITION
Hadeeth
Many Muslims believe that the Quran must be supplemented by the
hadeeth or oral sayings / tradition of the prophet Muhammad.
Ḥadīth is the Arabic word for speech, report, account, narrative. Unlike
the Qur'an, not all Muslims believe Ahadith accounts (or at least not all
ahadith) are divine revelation, and ahadith were not written down by
Muhammad's followers immediately after his death but several
generations later (at least 200 years later) when they were collected,
collated and compiled into a great corpus of Islamic literature. A small
minority of Muslims called Quranists reject all Ḥadīth.
Oral Torah and the Talmud
Similarly, Jews believe that the Torah consists of two parts, the written
Torah which make up the 5 Books of Moses, and the oral Torah which
are sayings of Moses.
According to Jewish tradition, the Oral Torah was passed down orally in
an unbroken chain from generation to generation until its contents
were finally committed to writing following the destruction of the
Second Temple in 70 CE, when Jewish civilization was faced with an
existential threat.
The major repositories of the Oral Torah are the Mishnah, compiled
between 200–220 CE by Rabbi Yehudah haNasi, and the Gemara, a
series of running commentaries and debates concerning the Mishnah,
which together are the Talmud, the preeminent text of Rabbinic
Judaism. In fact, two "versions" of the Talmud exist: one produced in
Jerusalem c. 300–350 CE (the Jerusalem Talmud), and second, more
extensive Talmud compiled in Babylonia and published c. 450–500 CE
(the Babylonian Talmud).
Not all Jews recognize the Talmud.