Muslim Americans, what now? thoughts on the the impact of W.Deen Mohammed and the future

The death of Imam W.Deen Mohammed, long time fixture in the Muslim American community, sent shock waves nationwide, affecting not only his followers, but the wider Muslim community as well. He was widely seen as a source of stability and confidence for U.S.Muslims, particularly African-American Muslims, many of whom also saw in him a symbol of pride and independence.

His death has re-ignited interest in an oft-ignored African American Muslim community, and has also prompted questions as to the past, present and future image of Islam with a distinct American appearance.

Who was W.Deen Mohammed

Son of Elijah Muhammad, the founder of the 'Lost-found Nation of Islam' or simply Nation of Islam [NOI], a movement whose doctrines were a mixture of Islam, Christianity and a variety of race-based fictional accounts. It was founded in the days when discrimination and marginalization of Black Americans was a normal fact of life, also a time when various religious and political movements were vying for the Consciousness and loyalty of Blacks. Elijah Muhammad's interests were not religious alone. While he did view Christianity as a tool to put down Blacks, and Islam as a liberating religion for Blacks, he also had cultural, social and economic interests. He gave his followers the drive to be industrious, hard-working, and productive, opening a variety of restaurants, farms, and other business ventures. He advocated a rather unrealistis vision, complete separation of the races, that some land be set aside for Blacks only, for a Black nation!

It was this movement that produced well-known figures such as Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali. Although marginalized in historical accounts, this movement, despite its clearly odd patch job of a theology, played an important role in both the African-American struggle for human rights and the establishment of Islam in American life.


Upon the death of Elijah Muhammad in 1975, his son Wallace [also known as Imam Warith-Deen ] became the leader of the NOI, and almost immediatly embarked on a program that led in the direction of accepting Orthodox Islam. Prayer, fasting, uncompromising Monotheism, all ignored in the days of his father, became the norm for his supporters.

Eventually, W.D. Mohammed dissolved all organizational structures, having for himself essentially a symbolic presence only, with no direct control of his followers' affairs. His style had an unique American approach. He seems to have sought to allow Muslims to be Muslims, while at the same time be American! This is a different approach from other Muslim movements, which finds acceptance of all things Western anathema to Islam. He was among the first American Muslim figures to encourage voting, and his preferred style of dress was a suit and tie, rather than a Jalabiyyah.

Of course there were many issues we can disagree with him about, but his impact cannot be denied. He was a sincere worker for the Islamic cause, with a mind of his own.

The future

The passing of Imam W.D. Mohammed reflects the natural changing of the guard. No longer should religion revolve around personalities. That has also been a uniquely American experience, but in Islam our religion is suppose to be about obedience to God above all else, about the Qur'an, the words of God and acting in accordance with justice and fair-play.


Rather than circling around a leader, I think the Muslims will, and actually should, broaden their religious interests, pursuing for themselves the avenues of knowledge and building for themselves all the goodly things needed for their lives and the well being of their communities. This was very apparent to me at the funeral, which I attended, when I saw Minister Louis Farrakhan [ft.1]. It hit me that he was the only other prominent fugure from those past days still active, who himself carried a charisma that is felt by Muslim Americans of all shades and backrounds.


American Muslims are in the process of creating their own identity. Times have changed, and Islam is no longer seen as a protest movement among Blacks. It is spreading fast among Whites and Latinos. Together with second-generation Muslims from Arab and South Asian backrounds, we will create something new and unique.

Muslims here will create their own clothing, that will conform to Islamic requirements as well as Western styles, in the same way Baju Melayu in Malaysia and the Shalwar kameez for the unique identity of Subcontinent Muslims. The future is very promising.

We will ask our readers to respect this process, to participate in this process, contribute to it and do not denigrate the past. We have seen that with the passing of Imam Mohammed, many have taken the oppurtunity to attack his personal, theological and political positions. This is not the time for that, as all that will do is create unneeded enmity and hatred. We ask our readers to put aside differences and to remember the Islamic principle of not speaking ill of the dead, especially one whose good actions outweighted any [percieved] wrong ones.


Footnote

[1] Louis Farrakhan broke away from W.D. Mohammed upon the latter's acceptance of orthodox Islam, and revived the teachings and program of Elijah Muhammad.

Obsession: a documentary of hate and fear

In the Sunday edition of the Toledo Blade, readers received a surprise in the middle section, a free DVD. The title of this free gift ['beware of the Greeks, even when they bear gifts'] is 'Obsession: Radical Islam's war against the West'. It's a one hour so called documentary.

As the day went on, I learned that this 'gift' had not just been given to the good people of Toledo, cities all over the nation, [in selected states, the swing states actually] had received this DVD. Our community held a meeting to plan a response, and it was revealed there that seventy-two newspapers carried this DVD nationwide, reaching an estimated audience of twenty-eight million!

This DVD placed together a variety of disparate clips of images and statements throughout the world in an attempt to show the audience that 'Radical' Islam is out there, ready and able to destroy the Western way of life, and as such the West, the fountain of civilization and freedom, must be on guard, against "them". "They are here, among us" one speaker on this production said.

The same good 'ol boys

Among the many individuals featured or shown in this production, the most prominent are Walid Shoebat, Brigitte Gabriel, Steve Emerson and Daniel Pipes. All of these individuals are directly involved in organizations that seek funds and support for their respective agendas, usually revolve around Pro-Israeli or Zionist interests, the defense industry, and Evangelical Christian circles, those who claim a monopoly on Biblical interpretation, whose figures earn quite a bit of money from speeches, books, etc.. [One web site claims Shoebat earns over $13,000 for each speech]. Thus, people such as those featured on the DVD cannot be relied upon to give reliable, unbiased and accurate information.

Another speaker, Lamar Marcus, of Palestinian Media Watch, implies that Muslims created the myth that Jewish ritual requires the blood sacrifice of a child, when in reality this idea was founded by Europeans, Christians, in the Middle Ages.

False implications

Mr. Shoebat made the laughable assertion that Jihad [ which means 'struggle' ], explained by him as 'self-struggle', is still a dangerous concept comparable to Adolph Hitler's Mein Kampf , which means 'My struggle'. This can be compared to a person making the wrong assumption that there is a conspiracy behind the fact that the word Ingerris [Melayu for 'English'] appears so close to the 'N' word used in the USA as an insulting reference to Blacks.

In any case, a common theme throughout the documentary is the 'similarities' between Islam and Nazism. One speaker said that radical Islam is more dangerous than Nazism, and of course there were many pictures of German troops and Hitler. Much was made of a 'close' relationship between Palestinian Mufti Ikrima Sabri and Nazi Germany, but the same assertions could very well be made of the relationship between Iranian Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi and the United states.

It was constantly repeated that 'moderate' Muslims need to speak out against terrorism. Yet, Muslims have been doing just that. Even the events of September 11, 2001 found condemnation from Hezbollah, Syria and Iran, all opponents of US policy in the Middle East, all of whom are designated Terrorists by the US! It is very easy to confirm that the religious and political institutions of Muslims worldwide have condemned violence and murder, regardless of the identity of the victims or the perpetrators. A simple Internet search would suffice to answer that challenge. All of this is well-documented.

Induces Amnesia

A clip from an Arabic language television program is said to be especially frightening for Western audiences, in which a child is kidnapped by Jews for the purposes of sacrifice in a religious ritual. The propaganda is horrible, says this DVD. Yet, the same can be said of Hollywood films such as Death before dishonor, Seige, or Delta Force!

Every community has its bad apples, its elements who are so filled with rage that anything they say will most certainly be shocking. So, clips of representatives of the British-based group Al-Muhajiroun as well as Abu Hamza Al-Misri, former fighter in Afghanistan and also formerly of Britian making shocking statements was to be expected. That these figures are ignored by the wider Muslim community is never mentioned.

This DVD absolves the West of any responsibility for the grievances felt by people worldwide. It seeks to oversimplify the situation as 'Muslims hating the freedoms and success of the West'. While such grievances are not the subject of this particular post, nonetheless it would be wise for the reader to remember that there is two sides to every story, and that images can be decieving.

Concluding thoughts

Obsession only reinforced the stereotypes held about Arabs and Muslims. It has the potential to create a backlash of violence, even terrorism from right-wing groups and militias, against Western Muslims. Whole families can be placed in great danger as a result of this DVD. Of course, the controvery will die down, and individual Mosques and community leaders will respond to it, but nonetheless it is our feeling that the intentions of the creators and backers of Obsession have less than honorable intentions.

To our Muslim readers, we advise patience, and most importantly- do not overreact. It's a safe assumption that the producers of this so-called documentary want us to do exactly that. The propaganda war against Islam and Muslims is nothing new. It happened in the time of the Prophet Muhammad and is recorded in the Qur'an. A succinct example is given in the following words;

Is this a message that you ridicule, and you earn your money by lying about it? [Q 56:81-82].

Our long term responses to propaganda of this nature is to be better Muslims, live as Islam teaches us. Have inviting, clean Mosques, be prepared to answer questions honestly, make Islamic literature [especially the Qur'an] available to your friends, co workers and neighbors. These sort of actions will cancel out the efforts of the hateful and, God-willing, create a safer situation for ourselves and plant the seeds for greater understanding.

Ramadan readings: the expansive message of the Qur'an.

As most of our readers are aware, reading or recitation of the Qur'an is very important in the month of Ramadan. While it is not our intention to go into the particulars of how this tradition has evolved, it is nonetheless a necessity to engage in its study while observing the fast.


The study of the Qur'an is never a boring experience for the believer, and it is our view that benefiting from it is especially heightened while fasting. It is my hope to share some observations of texts I read today.

Salvation

Just about every religious group has among its adherents those who believe that Heaven, paradise, Nirvana, or whatever label applied, is limited to themselves only. The Quranic position can be described in the following text:

And they say: None enter Jannah [paradise] unless they are Jewish or Christian. These [assertions] are their desires. Say: Produce your evidence, if you are truthful [Q 2:111]

This ayah summarizes the argument made by sects and religions as to the holders of salvation. God says to those holding such views to show their proof to the followers of the Prophet Muhammad, indeed, to all mankind.

Does anyone of us have keys to heaven? Can we look inside and find out exactly who is in it? Indeed, we cannot, and those who think otherwise are just speculating, following their own desires and prejudices.

Allah has told us- in the final revelation called the Qur'an, who will be in his paradise. The answer may surprise us all:

Nay! [the one who is] completly submissive to God, a doer of good, then he has his reward with his Lord, on them shall be no fear nor grief .{ Q 2112}

No label is given. Action is required. The word 'Nay' [Bal'] negates the argument of the prior sentence. Those who think they are the only ones blessed by God are indeed incorrect. In another place, Allah has said that those who are sincere in thinking they are God's exclusives, to the detriment of others, to kill themselves, return to God and his heaven faster{ Q 62:6].

Allah is the Provider and nourisher of all. While it is true that many of us hold to theological errors, can we really say that God made people, allowed them to make these mistakes in belief, just to send them to hell for misunderstanding? The Quranic message is this: Have the right understanding of God, and act accordingly. Label has not been given that much importance.

In this same section, we are shown again how labels have little bearing on one's status before God Almighty.

Jews and Christians will never be satisfied with you until you follow their Millah. Say: Surely God's guidance is the [real] guidance... [2:120].

Allah created all people, he knows best who deserves his rewards and who does not. Also of interest is the following verse;

The Jews say: "The Christians have naught (to stand) upon; and the Christians say: "The Jews have naught (To stand) upon." Yet they (Profess to) study the (same) Book. Like unto their word is what those say who know not; but Allah will judge between them in their quarrel on the Day of Judgment. [Q 2:113]

In the end, God is the judge. Therefore, we should never judge someone's ideology and say that God will not given them anything. That's arrogance on our part.

Endnote

For a more in-depth study of some of these issues, the reader is referred to the work The language of revelation, in which this writer has explored the Quranic usage of Kaafir, Islam and Muslim. To obtain, email waheed79@yahoo.com

Lectures available online.

We have available Friday prayer lectures [Khutbahs] on CD for $10.00 each plus shipping and handling. Our titles include

[A] Quranic spirituality.

[B] Joseph and the New Egypt [mainly discussing a radical interpretation of the Qur'an Soorah 12].

[C] Khilaafah and 'Ibaadah . [ The Islamic teaching on the purpose of life, worship and concept of God]

[D] Allah's plan:Tauheed and Taqwa [ Thoughts on various trends in religious circles to force God's hand regarding Judgement, as well as a thorough discussion on 16:1]

[E] Follow the best thereof [Powerful explanation of the Quranic and Biblical Solomon, and priorities in Islam].

[F] Al-Faatihah and the Prophets [Detailed explanation of the Quran's first chapter, along with explanation of various Biblical topics and characters and their relation to Quran itself].

and much more.

To obtain, email waheed79@yahoo.com



Free online lectures

Jesus in Islam

Prayer and Morality:Dhikr and Suurah al -Faatihah

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Feedback welcome.

Human excellence

The above title is taken from a theme of a program which I was invited to address last winter. The organizers had in mind a multi-religious, multi-ethnic response to issues facing the urban centers such as drug use, street violence, the message to the youth to stay in school, etc....

The program itself was nice, and attracted mainly young people, Non-Muslims as well as a few Muslim activists. Although it took place in the wintertime {Feb. 2008}, nonetheless I wanted to share some of my thoughts on the issue of 'human excellence'. I would appreciate any feedback.

It seems to me that the word 'excellence' has different meanings to different people. Too many of us have been fooled into thinking that having a stereo system is the meaning and goal of life. We have seen too many times people who are willing to waste their lives and the lives of others, including their loved ones, in the pursuit of transitory things by committing robbery, selling drugs, prostitution, and so forth.


Because of the vagueness of the theme name, I have opted to address human dignity. This is more to my understanding of the intent of the organizers. In the end, dignity is not in material things, or in the 'party life'. It is in the single mother, who despite hardships, continues to support her family. She does so without help or complaint. She elevates herself and her family through hard work, patience and consistency. She becomes an example to others, even if she does not wish this.


Education is very important, it is very difficult to operate in this world today without it. I am not just talking about formal education, but also self-education and consistent improvement. Take every oppurtunity to learn something, take advantage of the Libraries, read more. For an inspirational example, read the autobiography of Malcolm X.


There was much more that I told the audience, and occasionally I made Biblical and Quranic references. I am interested in knowing the readers views; how can we become better? What more can we do about the problems in the urban centers? What does dignity imply to you>

Quranic abrogation: an examination of Naskh

Known as 'Naskh' ' in Arabic, this refers to the idea that one Quranic verse has been "canceled" for another, or, oddly enough, by AHadeeth [sayings attributed to the Prophet]. It is said that while the abrogated texts remain a part of the Qur'an and are even recited during prayers, the application thereof, or deriving knowledge or applicable information therefrom is inappropriate. It is our hope to examine briefly, but succinctly, this idea, its implications in our understanding and application of the Islamic faith, and whether this concept has a solid foundation.

We do not seek to create Fitnah [ft.1] for the Muslims, nor do we seek to simply engage in intellectual gymnastics, but rather my intention is to instigate conversations among students of religion, to share and to learn perspectives, and hopefully cause people to at least think about their positions. This is a very important position to take as people dedicated to religion and its understanding. We also hope to show that Islam is a religion of deep spirituality and a source for logic and truth, a light that stands on its own.

Qur'an: the last revelation

As a matter of undisputed principle, it is accepted by all Muslims that the Qur'an is the word of God, conveyed in a complete and uncorrupted manner to the Prophet Muhammad over a twenty-three year period of his life. It is also accepted that there will be no other scripture after it, that it serves as a correction and a clarification for the many ideas societies hold about God, prophets, scriptures, etc..! Unlike the rhetoric of other religious traditions, the Qur'an is a scripture for all mankind, and is not limited to a particular race, nation or tribe. [ft.2]

Among its many titles, we have the name Al-Furqaan, meaning a criterion for judging the right from the wrong [Q 25:1]. It is therefore clear that the nature of the Qur'an is that of clarity and direct guidance, and yet we assert that it contains verses that had to be "canceled", that in some manner God Almighty changes his mind? Does that not make God seem unreliable? Indeed, the idea that the last revelation contains texts that had to be removed or simply not taken into consideration any longer puts a dent in the fundamental Islamic teachings as to the Quranic purity and role, leaving Islam itself more open to attack. [ft.3]

Evolution, not abrogation

Examples usually given of abrogation in practical action are apparently evolutionary steps in the early Muslim community. Even today, using the example of cigarette smoking, when a person wants to stop, it is generally impossible to stop 'cold turkey'. Many use medicine or nicotine patches to gradually release the body from the addiction, the need, to smoke. Allah used the same sort of method. It had been revealed in the Qur'an that, when it comes to alcohol, a person should not "approach prayer while drunk" [Q 4:43]. Now, the Muslims were offering daily prayers, and usually in a communal setting {Jamaa'ah]. In addition to the mandatory prayers, most offered voluntary devotions as well, so, we ask, when would the observant Muslim have much time to become drunk? Once the habit was gradually out of the Muslims' system, then comes the verse[Q 5:93] which says that alcohol [as well as gambling] is a vice that is completely forbidden to Muslims.

Such evolution is very different from the idea of abrogation.

Basis for abrogation

This concept has been mainly extrapolated from two Quranic texts. It will be seen that these interpretations are in fact unsupported by the texts themselves.

What We [Allah] cancel of 'Ayaaat' or made forgotten, We replace it with something better than it, or at least similar. Do you not know that truly, Allah is powerful over everything? { Q 2:106}.

The word 'Ayaaat' used in the above text, means "signs". Throughout the Qur'an, this word is used for a variety of meanings, and is not limited to the Quranic verses [see 30:21, for example].

In this verse, the meaning is apparently this; the situation or circumstances that God allows a person or community to encounter are in constant change. The message is that in what ever occurs to us, be it the gain or loss of a job, spouse, etc...God allowed it to happen, to have faith and patience, as God is in charge. This is also seems to be the implication in 16:101.

The context of this passage continues to illustrate this important lesson clearly.

Do you not know that truly, to Allah belongs the dominion of the Heavens and the Earth, and that besides him you have no protector, nor anyone to grant victory? {Q 2:107]

The second passage usually referred to as the basis for Quranic abrogation is the following:

We [Allah] will relate to you [knowledge], so do not forget, except what Allah wills. Surely, he knows what the apparent and the hidden. { Q 87:6-7]

These two verses appear in a Chapter that contains only nineteen verses. The entire Soorah speaks of God's power insofar as having created the world and all it contains, providing the tools needed by humans to reach their full potential, both physically [vv.4-5] and spiritually [vv.8-18]. Nothing in the texts here suggests that Quranic verses are 'forgotten'. {ft.4}

Concluding thoughts

Without doubt, everything contained in the Qur'an has a usage, whether it be a command to obey, a prohibition to avoid, or of historical or inspirational purposes. It is the ultimate guide, and the most reliable source of information.

The priorities of Allah, as outlined in the Qur'an, are extremely broad, more so than usually imagined.

We can understand the development of the idea of Naskh in the following manner; commentators were perplexed in understanding seemingly contradictory verses, especially in matters relating to legal issues. Add to that the various practices that are labeled as practices of the Prophet and the first generations of Muslims, and much confusion would naturally arise. Values that are timeless end up being ignored for verses of a limited application. For example, many are of the view that Q 8:61, which commands Muslims to remain in a peaceful setting with those who maintain a similar stance, has been replaced with 9:73, which reads as follows

O Prophet, fight against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be harsh upon them. And their refuge is Hell, and wretched is the destination [Q 9:73, Saheeh International translation]

By ignoring 8:61 in light of the above verse, which was clearly of a limited scope, given to the Prophet at a time of great upheaval, when he was under constant attack from his foes, a foundation for constant conflict is created. This is not the intent of the verse, or any verse of the Qur'an. The Book speaks to realities, and while sometimes those realities are not pretty, it is also acknowledged that all is not equal, various societies and peoples face different situations. Texts such as 9:73 were cited by Jihadi groups in Egypt as justification for launching attacks on Christian Coptic civilians, Western tourists and "lapsed" Muslims in the early 1990's.

Another issue to consider is our unwillingness to accept the 'other'. This is perhaps a natural tendency, but not one that is supported by the words of Allah. Look at 2:62 as the perfect example. It, along with 5:69, actually names some Non-Muslim religious groups as being rewarded by God for their faith and deeds. These verses are said by the defenders of abrogation to have been canceled by Q 3:85 [ and other texts, such as 5:3], or are said to refer to nations prior to Muhammad's time. [ft.5-6]

Thus, the Qur'an is more open and factual than we like to acknowledge. It does not play into our prejudices and fears. It speaks the truth, consistently, and we should be thankful for that. It deserves more of our attention and research.

Footnotes

[1] The author has conducted extensive research on the Quranic usage of Fitnah, and has been published in the form of a series of appendixes in The language of revelation. To obtain this volume, which comes with two cds, email the author at waheed79@yahoo.com.

[2] An example of religious language that is exclusive to one group of people can be found in the fact that the Bible consistently uses phrases such as "The God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob, the God of our fathers.." [Acts 3:13]

[3] In a debate with the late Ahmad Deedat, a Christian opponent used abrogation as a reason for dismissing the validity of Islam. The title of this debate was "Crucifixion or Crucifiction". It is still widely available.

[4] Also of interest is Muhammad Asad's interpretation of Soorah 87, in which he argues that the verses here refer to accumulated human knowledge being forgotten in light of greater and more useful information. See his The message of the Qur'an [pp. 946-947 Dar Al-Andalus, Gibraltar].

[5] It is amazing that 2:62 is seen as abrogated, when the verse starts with "Inna" [Certainly]. With such a strong phrase, which actually affects the sentence in Arabic grammar [Ism Inna wa khawaatihaa], it should be very clear that Allah does not mean for this statement to simply vanish!

[6] This verse has been explained in great detail in our "Deen in the presence of God". See http://islaminviewforum.com/index.php?showtopic=343

The continuity of God's message

All people, regardless of religious label, are guilty of holding the idea of exclusivity when it comes to their faith. Even if their practice is nonexistent, they would feel that their religious label is above those of other people, and become greatly disturbed when a family member leaves the faith and enters another one. One rather bizarre example of this can be found in an example related to me by a Muslim sister. Upon her acceptance of Islam, the sister's aunt became upset, and even struck her in the head with a Bible. Obviously, the Aunt had forgotten the various teachings in the book [aka the weapon] she yielded about forgiveness and mercy, this emotional reaction has little to do with religious sincerity, but rather family honor, embarrassment, and amazement that the Muslim sister had enough faith in God and the faith she has adopted to actually take steps to change her life from the prior manner in which she had been living.

This is not to say Muslims don't have these tendencies as well, indeed, these traits can be found among all people. The reason, in my view, is that we don't want to acknowledge that God's guidance is not restricted to "our own". The following Biblical verse is often cited to dissuade acceptance or even investigation of faiths other than the Christian sects.

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. "

Certainly this verse has been variously interpreted among Christians, but even accepting it at face-value, it does not negate God's message being continued and perfected by other teachers, Prophets and Messengers from Almighty God. If we accept one legitimate messenger of God, then we must accept them all. As Jesus was sent by God [that much can be accepted by Christians and Muslims alike], then the Biblical statement[if it's an authentic statement of Jesus] would still show the truth of our assertion above. Common sense should also come into play, if we believe in God, and accept him as the creator of the universe, of all peoples in our world, how can we say that God has favored one group of people over another, that he is un willing to send revelation, or communication, if you will, to figures other than those among the Jewish tribes in Palestine? That would indeed be senseless, especially in a world which, at that time, contained nations and peoples isolated from each other.

The Qur'an: the universal gospel

An honest reading of the Judeo-Christian texts and traditions show that its focus is mainly the Jewish people. The Old Testament, accepted by Jews and Christians as God-inspired, is mainly a collection of semi-historical narrative of varying accuracy. It does not seem to even allow the possibility of God giving spiritual guidance and assistance to those outside th Jewish people. While Monotheism [known as the 'Shema' to Jews and 'Tauheed' to Muslims] is certainly an important theme in the O.T., it still restricts God, whom they acknowledge as the creator of all nations, as a tribal or national deity!

The Qur'an, on the other hand, has from the earliest texts revealed acknowledged that God has sent guidance, in the form of messengers, Prophets and scriptures, to people everywhere. It has made acceptance of all messengers a fundamental principle, using very strong language regarding those whose acceptance is limited to one or two personalities.

Those who deny Allah and his messengers and [those who ] wish to separate Allah from his messengers, saying 'We believe in some but reject others', [those who] wish to take a course midway. Truthfully, they are Rejectors [of God] [Kaaferoon]....to those who believe in Allah and his messengers, and do not make any differences between anyone of the messengers, We [Allah] shall give their [due] rewards. Allah is forgiving, merciful [Q 4"150-152]

The above Quranic verse goes to the core of Kufr. That core is using religion as a national or cultural label, or viewing God as always being on their side. They don't want to be on God's side! This is not what God wants, and such behavior displays an actual rejection of God, their proclamation as believers is shown to be utterly hypocritical.

Muslim polemics often involve attempting to 'prove' that the Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be peace, is mentioned or predicted in the Bible. Numerous books and tracts have been produced expounding on this point. While, as a Muslim, I do believe much of these assertions to be accurate, it should not be necessary to prove it through these means. I hate to say it, but sometimes Christians have a point when they ask us the motive for our usage of Biblical texts while rejecting the bulk of it as inauthentic. Instead of focusing on the similarities between Moses and Muhammad, or explaining that the 'spirit of truth' [John 16:13] refers to him, we should convey the message itself. That message is that of a pure and uncorrupted monotheism, one that serves as a clarification and a correction of prior assertions as to the reality of God, his messengers, and the Divine message. For example, the Old Testament actually has a narration in which God wrestled with Jacob, in human form, and lost [Gen. 32:25]. We should be asking 'How can God loose? More importantly, does it make sense for the Creator of the entire universe to be engaged in a wrestling match, in human form, in the first place'?

The answers are all there, in the Qur'an! It asserts that God does not take human form, that God is a force that has neither beginning nor end, that God is dignified and Noble, and that God is the nourisher of all. [ft.1]

To have respect for God means to see his laws, his creation, in a much broader light. It means examining the message rather than scrutinizing the messenger! It means following what is right and true, regardless of the source. It means placing God as the uppermost priority in our lives, and by that we will receive blessings and support that is unimaginable.

Footnote

[1] This issue has been dealt with in great detail in the Book The language of revelation. To obtain this volume, email waheed79@yahoo.com.