In a message dated 1/8/02 12:43:53 PM Central Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
>
> On 7 Jan 2002, at 23:42, Jabou Joh wrote:
>
> > When people have forwarded anything that says non-muslims are non
> believers, it
> > is not something that was coined deliberately to make anyone feel bad. It
> is the
> > exact words that the Qur'an uses.
>
> Sister Jabou,
> The Quran is referring to some people as "The people of the book" (Jews) and
> "The Christians". Are these people also in the above category?
>
> I think the quran differentiates "Kafirun" from The People of the book and
> the
> Christians. The God that Muslims believe is the same God that the Jews and
> christians believe in.
>
>
> regards,
>

Brother Mo,

well, this is a touchy subject, but i will tell you what the Qur'an says.
Qur'an says that anyone who does not say "laillaha illalla, Muhammad
Rasululah, is not a believer, and anyone who worhips anything or anyone other
than Allah ( meaning his prophets or idols) has committed shirk, and is not a
believer.

Qur'an says the message through his prophets is continuous, and that the
Christians and  the Jews altered the message of the prophets sent to them,
otherwise, there would be one religion. This is why Soorah Al-Fatiha says
"those who have earned the wrath of Allah" and the Prophet said these were
the Jews, and "those who went astray" and he said these meant the Christians.

The children of Israel are still waiting for the Messiah, and he already came
in the person of Christ the son of Mary ( may the peace and blessing os Allah
be upon them both)

However, it stated in the old testament ( which is the Torah) the coming of
Christ, and gave a detailed describtion. Qur'an also says the coming of
Muhammed (SAS) is stated in the new testament by prophet Jesus and in the
Torah.

Teh children Of Israel hid the truth and refused to recognize Essa as the
Messiah, abnd when prophet Essa told the people about the advent of Muhammed,
the Christians said he was talking about the holy spirit.

Therefore, it says things were changed by men.
Inshallah, if all of us look at this as a learning opportunity to learn about
something that i think is worth listening to. it will be great.
Inshallah, i will try to provide references and relay what I can if given the
opportunity.

I really wish that i could be allowed to finish relaying my series on Islam
because it starts out with what islam is, goes into the sharia, and then i
will touch on why there are many religions according to the Qur'an, the
prophets including prophet Essa, his life, how his message was changed, by
whom and why?

It is a sequential story and it will explain all of these things hopefully.
I assumed it would be a learning experience for those of us who did not know
this, and for our  non-muslims brothers and sisters who I am sure do not know
everything about this religion either.

Infact, i would say that as Gambians, we muslims know more about Christianity
than our Christian counterparts know about Islam, and the reason is that both
at GHS and SAHS and ST Joseph's, there was a requirement to take religious
knowledge, and so we learned a lot about  Christianity. I was a star  RK
student of Mrs Cecilia Cole's because i was fascinated by the whole thing,
and we read both the old and new testaments.

I doubt that many of our Christian brothers and sisters have read the Qur'an
or if they have, whether they have done it in entirety. Then there is the
Sunna wherein is a wealth of information.Many Chriarians do not know that we
consider Jesus a prophet of Islam or that his story is told in the Qur'an or
that there is a chapter of the Qur'an (soorah) entilted "Sooratul Mariam"
referring to Mary the mother of Jesus (alaihi salaam)

In Kitaab Al-Fitan, it  gives a detailed describtion of prophet Jesus, what
he will be wearing when he returns, and  even how he will descend, and how he
will have his hands on the wings of the sanel he will descend on.

The message in the Qur'an, is that there is one religion for mankind, and
some people did some alterations of the prophet's messages along the way and
led a goodly portion of mankind off on a tangent.

Again, i repeat, i am not labelling anyone, just relaying what the Qur'an
says, and i think that it will be interesting for those who do not know to
find out exactly the reasons certain things are said and what they really
mean when theyare said.

I think it is an opportunity to learn what Islam really is so that the
misconceptions can be eliminated hopefully, and so that the truth is told
although it may not always be to everyone;s liking, but that is what is in
there along with  lot more.

It will also allow people to know what thye are talking about because it si
always a good idea to be well informed about anything before you set out to
criticize or comment about it.
How many of us will set out to delve into phylosophy or the sciences or any
academic subject wothout first educating ourselves on the subject lest we
become teh subject of ridicule? This subject matter should be treated the
same.
I have felt it a duty and an obligation to tell people in detail what i know
this religion to be in view of all the terible things that have happened
recently, and also in view of the fact that so may of our leaders, elders and
just people in general seem to use this religion as a tool for their own
purposes.
Let us take a close look and find out what it is in detail and whether it is
the tool of dictators and terrorists.
Let us learn together and then after that, at least all of will be armed with
exactly what Islam is, and we can then feel free to go on our merry ways and
follow what we see fit to follow, and when we criticize it, at least we will
do so wit hunderstnding instead of misconceptions that we just heard from
someone else.

Jabou Joh

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