Articles

The doctrine of Lying in Islamic Jurisprudence

In Islamic theology, the terms kitman, taqqiyya / tuqya, etc. stand for telling a lie, concealing the true intention or misleading for a greater purpose. In general, Muslims have used it since the 7th century to confuse and split their enemies. A favored tactic is “deceptive triangulation” to persuade the enemy that Jihad is not aimed at them but rather at another enemy. It also refers to how a Muslim may lie, mislead or avoid truthfulness to achieve a purpose if the goal is for the benefit of the Muslim community.

The Bible is changed - Really?

The Bible is Changed – Really?

Some Muslims believe that Christians have corrupted the Bible, whereas their book, the Qur’an, upholds the same Bible, treating it as the word of God.

God revealed them

The Qur’an uses the following terms to refer to parts of the Bible: -

Tawrat – Torah, the first five books of the Bible

Zabur – the Psalms

Injil – the Gospel

Saha’if – the books of the prophets

The Tawrat, the Zabur, and the Saha’if are known as the Holy Scriptures of the Jews. Christians call them the Old Testament. The Injil referred to as the Holy Scriptures of the Christians is the New Testament. The Qur’an accepts them as God’s revelation: ‘... confirming that which was (revealed) before it, even as He revealed the Torah and the Gospel’ (Sura 3:3).

Is the Bible unknown to the Qur'an?

When Christians use the testimony of the Qur’an to support the Bible’s integrity, some Muslims argue that the references in the Qur’an do not relate to present-day versions of the Torah and the Gospel. They say that the “Scriptures” of the Jews and the “Scriptures” of the Christians at the time of Muhammad, 571-632 AD, were different than those available today.

The Momentous Sacrifice - Is it the celebration of Eid Al-Adha?

God chose Abraham for a particular special purpose. The Bible states that God told him, “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you, all the families of the earth shall bless themselves” (Genesis 12.1-3). The Qur'an also confirms that God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations: “Lo: I have appointed thee a leader for mankind” (Sura 2.124). Almost every sincere Muslim in the world celebrates the festival of Eid al-Adha with great feeling. This festival is observed in memory of the sacrifice that Abraham offered God. Muslims believe that God put Abraham to the test by asking him to sacrifice his son. At the right moment, God provided a ram to be sacrificed. In the Quran, we read of Abraham that God “gave him tidings of a gentle son. And when his son was old enough to walk with him, Abraham said: O my dear son, I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice thee” (Surah 37.100-102). Muslim exegetes claim it was Ishmael, not Isaac, as the Bible states in Genesis 22. However, the Qur’an does not state whether that son was Ishmael or Isaac. Among early Muslims, several key figures believed it was Isaac, not Ishmael.

The night when angels and the Spirit come down ... Really?

In Islam, ‘Laylat Al Qadr’ – the night of power, is traditionally celebrated during the last nights of the month of Ramadan, particularly on the odd nights (ie. the 23rd, 25th and 27th). Muslims worldwide spend the last ten nights of Ramadan in solid devotion, retreating to the mosque to read the Qur'an (i'tikaf) and reciting special supplications (du'a). Many Muslims pray continuously during the night to God for mercy, forgiveness, and salvation. This practice is also sometimes called Ihya’ – (revival, and to spend the night in prayer).