Articles

Fasting: The Jesus Way

The traditions of Islam teach that during this month, God gives Muslims a chance to double their rewards to have a much wider chance of getting into paradise. Muslims ask for His pardon for their past sins and conduct other meritorious behavior. Every act of kindness, prayer, giving, fasting, and anything else a Muslim can do to please God is expected. Since there is no assurance of salvation by grace for the 1.8 billion Muslims on earth, they hope to do more work as prescribed in Islamic law to have more chances on the Day of Judgement.

Does Jeremiah 8:8 imply that the Bible is corrupted?

Does Jeremiah 8:8 imply that the Bible is corrupted?

Even though the Qur'an states there is “guidance and light” in the Torah (Sura 5:43), many Muslims often quote Jeramiah 8:8 as proof that the Torah has been “corrupted.” The text says: “How can you say, ‘We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD,’ when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely?” (Jeremiah 8:8)

It is important to look at the context. The above verses are part of Jeremiah's "Temple Address" in Jeremiah 7:1-10:25. The first important clue is that God through the prophet Jeremiah states in verse 7: "My people do not KNOW the requirements of the LORD.” He does NOT say that they do not HAVE them. Then in verse 8, he takes up the false security of those scribes who claim that they have the law, although they do not obey it and distort it with their false interpretations. The next verse gives us the context of how legitimate these scribes were: "The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what kind of wisdom do they have?” (Jeremiah 8:9)

Light of the World

Around Christmas, I often receive e-mails with comments to persuade me that I should not celebrate as it is a pagan celebration. Their criticisms remind me of a very dear Muslim friend’s question. He wrote: “As a Muslim, I see Christmas Tree and Christmas Eve celebrations as pagan rites. You used to be a Muslim. How do you now, as a Christian, make room for such a pagan celebration?”

Peace on earth and good will between men

It’s that time of year, once again, when we hear people saying, “Peace on earth and goodwill between men.” This constant refrain in songs and conversations is uttered by many from all quarters at this time of year. However, what's interesting is that many people don't know that this quotation is actually a passage from the Bible. And even many Christians, sad to say, don't know what it really means.

The Sacred Stone

What is the most precious stone of all? The Hajj pilgrimage was being shown live on T.V. Pilgrims were walking around the Ka’ba ceremonially. Many Muslims were kissing the special stone called Hajr al-Aswad, the black stone in one of the walls. It is said that Abraham and Ishmael used this stone to stand on while building the Ka’ba. According to some stories, the stone at a time could change its shape to help them construct the building.