Friday, June 23




Alarming New Anti-Terrorism Laws (Australia)

In the last edition of Mecca News we wrote a brief introduction of the anti-terrorism laws in this country. We talked about the knee-jerk law-making habits of the Government. We quoted Mr Ruddock, as saying that Australia’s anti-terror regime is an “unfinished canvas”, and that more laws would come.

Merely one month later, we have been proved disappointingly correct. On 8 September, the Government announced its 12-point proposal to strengthen this country’s anti-terrorism regime; within a few weeks, at least three States have indicated they want to increase their state police powers; and on 27 September, they all agreed that the proposal would go ahead, having only negotiated a 10-year sunset clause, and a 5-year review.

So what are these proposals? And why should Muslims care? Mr Howard was quoted as saying that these laws don’t specifically target Muslims, they only target behaviour.

The problem is that the new laws don’t just affect terrorists. They affect all Australians, but will have a particularly difficult impact on Muslims.

If one looks at the existing legislation and how it has been applied, we see that dozens of homes have been raided, with only a few leading to arrests. These are Muslim families whose lives have been seriously disturbed.

There are even further causes of concern with these latest proposals. One example of this is the police “stop and search” powers, which would allow police to stop someone in the street and search them. In theory, these laws apply to everyone, but in practice, police will be affected by the stereotypes and it is far more likely that someone of Middle Eastern appearance will be searched. This is not mere speculation, but has been confirmed by the head of the Police Federation of Australia, Mark Burgess, who said that racial profiling will no doubt be used, and that he wanted police to be exempt from law suits.

The laws are yet to be drafted so no details of the proposals are available. However, we are very alarmed by what we have been told. It is important for us to understand what the implications of the proposed laws are.


Control orders

“Control orders” would allow the police to go before a closed court and ask for restrictions to be placed on someone who “poses a terrorist risk”. The restrictions can limit who they can talk to, where they can go and what devices they can use (e.g. phone and internet). They may also require the person to wear a tracking device such as a electronic foot bracelet, or report regularly to a certain place as if they were on bail. These restrictions can last for up to 12 months.

This treatment is not even imposed on convicted murderers, but it is now going to be imposed on people who haven’t even been properly tried, simply on the basis that they may “pose a terrorist risk”. The problem is that this phrase is very vague and many innocent people may be thought by police to pose such a risk even though they do not.


Where does your Zakat go?

They are also proposing that new systems be in place to make sure charities are not misused to channel funds to terrorists. This would likely increase surveillance of Muslim charities that collect money for the poor and the needy. Financial services are already expected to develop risk-assessment tools to identify “Politically Exposed Persons”.When similar laws were introduced in the United States, many legitimate Islamic charities had their assets frozen. This stopped them from continuing to operate Muslim orphanages around the world and many thousands of Muslim children suffered.


Preventative detention

Preventative detention powers would allow people to be detained without charge for up to 14 days. This actually violates the Australian Constitution so the Federal Government had to ask the States to help them with this part of the law.This means that if there was suspicion that a terrorist attack would occur, hundreds of people could be detained on very thin grounds. They would not be able to go to work, or to communicate with anybody, if the existing laws are any guide.


Tougher ASIO powers

The current ASIO powers would be toughened under new proposals. Search warrants would be valid for 3 months instead of only 28 days. Instead of having to get a warrant to gain access to your mail every 3 months, they would only need to do it every 6 months. This means that there is less oversight over these processes, and will open the door for police corruption. This is important as any student of Australian history knows, police have not always been free from corruption in Australia.


Loss of free speech

Under the proposed laws, it would be a criminal offence for someone to incite violence against the community “in support of Australia’s enemies”. So it would be a crime to say “Iraqis should resist the occupation by the US, UK and Australia”, and they could face up to seven years in prison.

This isn’t just about Iraq. It is about the right of Muslims to speak up about injustice anywhere in the world and to support nations who want independence from occupying forces, even if those are forces of Australia or its allies.

Furthermore, the laws would be extended to ban organisations that “advocate terrorism”. The problem is that “advocate terrorism” could be very broad. For example an organisation that said that Iraqis should resist occupation and fight to have Iraq free of Australian forces could be seen as “advocating terrorism”. If the organisation is listed as a terrorist organisation, all the members of that organisation could go to prison for 10 years, and under current laws it would be an offence to “associate” with any of its directors, promoters or members.


Potential profiling of Muslims with “stop, question and search” powers

The new laws would extend “stop, question and search” powers of the police. These would give the police the ability to stop anyone in the street, search them (possibly even including strip searches) and ask them questions when police suspect a person might be about to commit a terrorist offence. Studies have shown that laws like these are applied based on stereotypes and racial profiling. It is very likely that these laws would be applied to people of “a middle Eastern appearance” more than any other group.


Other changes

There are also other changes, including: “notice to produce” powers that allow police to ask for information, police having access to airline passenger information, and the laws around citizenship will be toughened. For the latest on what is happening with these laws, visit our website: amcran.org


This article was taken from the October edition of Mecca News

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Wednesday, June 21










The Bible Led Me to Islam

Abdul Malik LeBlanc tells how he discovered Islam within the pages of Bible!

During my Christian days there were many verses in the Bible that made me question the religion I was following (Christianity). There was one particular verse, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 which says; "pray without ceasing," that lingered heavily in my mind. I often wondered how a person (Christian) was supposed to pray (be in a state of worship) without ceasing? Without any biblical or divine guidance, the only way I thought this to be possible was to always do good deeds and keep the remembrance of God on my tongue and in my heart.

However, I found this to be impossible to do as a human being. But when I was introduced to Islam in 1987, and began to read and learn more about this way of life, I found that Islam provided divine guidance both from God (Allah) and Prophet Muhammad (SAW) by which a person could pray (be in a state of worship) without ceasing, if it was the Will of God.

Whether waking up, eating, sleeping, putting on clothes, being in the presence of a woman, looking at a woman, going shopping, going to the bathroom, looking in the mirror, traveling, visiting the sick, sitting in a non-religious meeting, taking a bath, having sexual intercourse with one’s wife, yawning, cutting you nails, sneezing, greeting people, talking, hosting guests at home, walking, exercising, fighting, entering one’s house, praying and many other acts, Islam and the guidance therein of the Quran, and the acts and sayings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), provided ways in which I could observe 1 Thessalonians 5:17. In addition, it allowed me to be at peace with myself and in submission to the one True God - Allah (SWT).

This divine guidance of Islam taught me greatly about my duties, responsibilities and birthright to my Creator (Allah), and more about the religion of Christianity as a Muslim, I [By the Will of Allah (SWT)] felt it necessary to share with you how the Bible led me to Islam.

Christianity

Given the fact that there has never been in the history of the Torah (Old Testament) the religion of God to be named after a Prophet (i.e. Adaminity, Abrahamity, Mosanity, etc.), I hope to explain that Jesus did not preach the religion of Christianity, but a religion that gives all Praise and Worship to The One God.

One of the questions I asked myself as I took an objective (second) look at Christianity was; where did the word Christianity come from and was the word ever mentioned to Jesus? Well, I did not find the word Christianity in the Bible, not even in a Bible dictionary. Specifically, I did not find in the Bible where Jesus called himself a Christian.

The word Christian was first mentioned by a pagan to describe those who followed Jesus. It is mentioned one of three times in the New Testament by a pagan and Jew in Antioch about 43 AD, (Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28 and 1 Peter 4:16) long after Jesus left this earth. To accept the words of pagans as having any value or association with divinity, Jesus or God is contrary to the teachings of all Prophets.

Jesus prophesied that people would worship him uselessly and believe in doctrines made by men (Matthew 15:9).

"But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." This verse, Matthew 15:9, is further supported by these words of the Quran:

"And (remember) when Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection): "O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you say unto men: "Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allah?" He will say: "Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known it. You know what is in my inner-self though I do not know what is in Yours, truly, You, only You, are the All-Knower of all that is hidden and unseen.

Never did I say to them aught except what You (Allah) did command me to say: ‘Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.’ And I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them, but when You took me up, You were a Witness to all things. (This is a great admonition and warning to the Christians of the whole world)." (Al-Ma’idah 5:116-117)

I found that Biblical verses like John 5:30, John 12:49, John 14:28, Isaiah 42:8 and Acts 2:22 support the above mentioned verses of the Quran.

Before leaving the subject of Christianity, I should mention one small point of observation. If Christians are Christ-like, why are they not greeting each other with the words; Peace be with you (Salamu Alaikum), as Jesus did in Luke 24:36. As you may be aware, the greeting from one Muslim to another Muslim is Assalamu Alaikum; a Christ-like saying.


Various Holy Bibles

It is worth mentioning that the Bible references cited might not be exactly as the Bible you are using. There are MANY Bibles on the market that are used by different Christian sects and all of these sects say that their book, though different, is the word of God. Such Bibles are: The Revised Standard Version 1952 & 1971, New American Standard Bible, The Holy Bible; New International Version, the Living Bible, New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures used by Jehovah Witnesses, Roman Catholic Version and the King James Version. A special note: I have not found in any of these Bibles where the "New Testament" calls itself the "New Testament," and nowhere does the "Old Testament" call itself the "Old? Testament." Also, the word "Bible" is unknown within the pages of the Bible.

In addition to the many different Christian sects and Bibles, I have learned that there are also different men, not Prophets, who founded these sects and are using various interpretations of the Bible and/or man-made doctrines as their creed.

I would like to share with you some thoughts that you may not have read or known about the Bible being the word of God. Briefly, let me mention that on September 8, 1957, the Jehovah’s witnesses in their "Awake" magazine carried this startling headline - 50,000 Errors in the Bible. If you ask a Jehovah’s witness about this headline, it may be said that today most of those errors have been eliminated. How many have been eliminated, 5,000? Even if 50 remain, would one attribute those errors to God?

Let me pose another question: if a "Holy" book contained conflicting verses would you still consider it to be Holy? Most likely you will say of course not. Let me share with you some conflicting verses both in the Old and New Testaments:


II Samuel 8:4 (vs)
II Samuel 8:9-10
II Kings 8:26
II Samuel 6:23
Genesis 6:3
John 5:37
John 5:31
I Chronicles 18:4
I Chronicles 18:9-10
II Chronicles 22:2
II Samuel 21:8
Genesis 9:29
John 14:9
John 8:14

Only two contradictions of the New Testament have been mentioned, but others will be referenced when the Trinity, Divinity of Jesus Christ, Divine Sonship of Jesus, Original Sin and Atonement are reviewed.

How could the "inspired words" of God get the genealogy of Jesus incorrect (See Matthew 1:6-16 where it states 26 forefathers up to Prophet David, and Luke 3:23-31 says 41 in number). Or for that matter, give a genealogy to Jesus who had NO father? See II Kings 19:1-37, now read Isaiah 37:1-38. Why is it that the words of these verse are identical? Yet they have been attributed to two different authors, one unknown and the other is Isaiah, who are centuries apart; and yet, the Christians have claimed these books to be inspired by God.

I looked up the word Easter in the Nelson Bible dictionary and learned that the word "Easter" (as mentioned in Acts 12:4) is a mistranslation of "pascha," the ordinary Greek word for "Passover." As, you know Passover is a Jewish celebration not a Christian holiday. I think human hands, all to human, had played havoc with the Bible.

From the brief points mentioned above, and the fact that Biblical scholars themselves have recognized the human nature and human composition of the Bible (Curt Kuhl, The Old Testament: Its Origin and Composition, PP 47, 51, 52), there should exist in the Christian’s mind some acceptance to the fact that maybe every word of the Bible is not God’s word.

As a side note to this subject, let me mention that some Christians believe that the Bible was dictated to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) by a Christian monk, and that is why some of the biblical accounts are in the Quran. After some research, I found that this could not have happened because there were no Arabic Bible in existence in the 6th century of the Christian era when Muhammad (SAW) lived and preached. Therefore, no Arab, not even Prophet Muhammad (SAW) who was absolutely unlettered and unlearned, would have had the opportunity to examine the written text of the Bible in his own language.

The Gospels

If you read Luke 1:2-3, you will learn, as I did, that Luke (who was not one of the 12 disciples and never met Jesus) said that he himself was not an eyewitness, and the knowledge he gathered was from eyewitnesses, and not as words inspired by God. Incidentally, why does every "Gospel" begin with the introduction According to. Why "according to?" the reason for this is because not a single one of the gospels carries its original author’s autograph! Even the internal evidence of Matthew 9:9 proves that Matthew was not the author of the first Gospel which bears his name:

"And as Jesus passed forth thence, He (Jesus) saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and He (Jesus) saith unto Him (Matthew), follow me (Jesus). And he (Matthew) arose, and followed Him (Jesus)."

Without any stretch of the imagination, one can see that the He’s and the Him’s of the above narration do not refer to Jesus or Matthew as its author, but a third person writing what he saw or heard - a hearsay account and not words inspired by God.

It is worth noting, and well known throughout the religious world, that the choice of the present four "gospels" of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) were imposed in the Council of Nicea 325 CE for political purposes under the auspices of the pagan Emperor Constantine, and not by Jesus. Constantine’s mind had not been enlightened either by study or by inspiration. He was a pagan, a tyrant and criminal who murdered his son, his wife and thousands of innocent individuals because of his lust for political power. Constantine ratified other decisions in the Nicene Creed such as the decision to call Christ "the Son of God, only begotten of the father."

Literally, hundreds of gospels and religious writings were hidden from the people. Some of those writings were written by Jesus’ disciples, and many of them were eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ actions. The Nicea Council decided to destroy all gospels written in Hebrew, which resulted in the burning of nearly three hundred accounts. If these writings were not more authentic than the four present gospels, they were of equal authenticity. Some of them are still available such as the Gospel of Barnabas and the Shepherd of Hermas which agree with the Quran. The Gospel of Barnabas, until now, is the only eyewitness account of the life and mission of Jesus. Even today, the whole of the Protestant word, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists and other sects and denominations condemn the Roman Catholic version of the Bible because it contains seven "extra" books. The Protestant have bravely expunged seven whole books from their word of God. A few of the outcasts are the Books of Judith, Tobnias, Baruch and Esther.

Concerning Jesus’ teachings of the Gospel (Injeel), the Gospel writers frequently mentioned Jesus preaching the Gospel: Matthew 9:35, Mark 8:35, and Luke 20:1. The word "gospel" is recurrently used in the Bible. However, in the New Testament Greek edition the word Evangeline is used in place of the word gospel, which is translated to mean good news. My question was: what Gospel did Jesus preach? Of the 27 books of the New Testament, only a small fraction can be accepted as the words of Jesus, and only of the 27 books are known to be attributed as the Gospel of Jesus. The remaining 23 were supposedly written by Paul. Muslims do believe that Jesus was given God’s "Good News." However, they do not recognized the present four Gospels as the utterances of Jesus.

Read the rest of our brothers story here

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Tuesday, June 20



Humans, as mentioned in the Holy Qur'an:

Definition: A human is member of the species of Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens are identified for purpose of classification as an animal with a back bone, segmented spinal cord, suckles its young, gestates its young with the aid of placenta, equipped with five digit extremities, a collarbone, and a single pair of mammary glands on the chest. In addition they are characterized to have two eyes at the front of the head, stereoscopic vision and proportionately large brain.

Made Of Water:

Modern science has established that living things are made up of large quantities of water. The basic substance of a cell is cytoplasm, which contains 80% water. Moreover, modern science has established that most organisms consist of 50%-90% of water. This scientific fact is expressed clearly in the Qur'an. Allah (SWT) tells us,

"Are the disbelievers unaware that the heavens and the earth were but one solid mass which We tore asunder, and that We made every living thing from water? Will they not have faith?" (Surah 21:30 )

"Allah has created every moving (living) creature from water. Of them there are some that creep on their bellies, and some that walk on two legs, and some that walk of four. Allah creates what He wills. Verily, Allah is Able to do all things." (Surah An-Nur. 24:45)

"And it is He Who has created man from water, and has appointed for him kindred by blood, and kindred by marriage. And your Lord is Ever All-Powerful to do what He Wills." (Surah Al-Furqan, 25:54)

The Stages of an Embryo:

There are many references in the Qur'an pertaining to the stages of embryological development. When were the discoveries of embryology made? We know that the Ancient Greeks were concerned with the study of embryology and many even attempted to describe the developments that take place in the fetus. However, the stages of the embryo were not known until the mid-nineteenth century and the stages were not proven until the beginning of the twentieth century.

Qur'an and the Embryo:

"What is the matter with you, that you are not conscious of Allah's Majesty? Seeing that it is He who created you in diverse stages." ( Surah 71:13-14)

"Proclaim! In the name of the Lord and Cherisher. Who created - created man, out of a clot of congealed blood." (Surah 96:1-2)

This verse refers to the embryo, which is described as 'congealed blood.' The translation into English could also mean 'leech.' Although the embryo does not suck blood, it's physical shape is very similar to the leech.

The Position of the Embryo:

Modern science proves that during the embryonic stages the reproductive organs of the male and female begin development near the kidney between the spinal column and the 11th and 12th ribs. Allah (SWT) already told us of this in the Holy Qur'an!

"Now let man but think from what he is created! He is created from a drop emitted - Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs." (Surah 86:5-7)

The Womb:

"We first created man from an essence of clay: then placed him, a living germ, in a secure enclosure (the womb). The germ We made a clot of blood, and the clot a limp of flesh. This We fashioned into bones, then clothed the bones with flesh, thus brining forth another creation. Blessed be God, the best of creators." (Surah 23: 12-14)

To be continued (Insh'Allah-God Willing), next chapter "Development of Humans "!

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Monday, June 19








Muhammad in the Bible
What all Christians and Jews MUST know about the Bible

"Certainly, you will find the strongest among men in enmity to the believers (Muslims) the Jews and those who are Pagans, and you will find the nearest in love to the Believers (Muslims) those who say: "We are Christians." That is because amongst them are priests (Men devoted to learning) and monks (men who have renounced the world), and because they do not behave proudly. And when they listen to what has been sent down to the Messenger (Muhammad), you see their eyes overflowing with tears, for they recognize the truth. They say: "Our Lord! We believe; so write us down among the witnesses. And why should we not believe in Allah and in that which has come to us of the truth (Islamic Monotheism) and we wish that our Lord will admit us (in Paradise on the Day of Resurrection) along with the righteous people?" So because of what they said, Allah rewarded them Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise), they will abide therein forever. Such is the reward of good-doers. But those who disbelieved and denied Our signs, they shall be the dwellers of the Hell-Fire." (Holy Qur'an 5:82-86)

Muhammad In The Old Testament:

Prophet Muhammad In The New Testament:

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Embryology In the Qur'an:

In this section we will deal with the issue of Embryology in the Qur'ân and the authentic Hadîth. Ever since Professor Keith Moore published his papers and books related to the Qur'ân and Hadîth, the Christian missionaries, as usual, became upset and started to attack him and the Qur'ân.


Shaykh Abd al-Majid al-Zindani invited leading scientists from all over the world and asked them about embryology in the Qur'ân and authentic Hadith. The information about their meeting is compiled by Abdullah Rehali. This is available at This Is The Truth. We list the contents of this below under "This Is The Truth".

We shall also present refutations of Christian missionaries' writings against the Qur'ân and Hadîth.


Professor Keith Moore's Papers
A Scientist's Interpretation of References to Embryology in the Qur'ân

"This Is The Truth"


Stages Of The Creation Of Man (A)
Stages Of The Creation Of Man (B)
The Embryonic Phases
Qur'ânic Description Of The Internal And External Appearance Of The Fetus

Comments of Scientists regarding the Qur'an and Science


Scientists' Comments On The Qur'an

Refutation Of Christian Missionary Writings

Embryology: The Bible Plagiarises Ancient Greek Literature


The Christian Missionary Charge Of Plagiarism

Proof Demanded

The Bible Plagiarises Ancient Greek Literature

Conclusions

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Jesus - The Hidden Facts
by Brother Muhammad Ibrahîm
Audio Format : MP3

Muhammad Ibrahîm provides a detailed account of the true nature of Paulian Christianity compared with James, Peter, Barnabas and other disciples/gospel accounts. He asks the question, is the essence of Christianity, the 'alleged' Crucifixion, really all based on conjecture?
The lecture concludes with a recitation of some of the Lord of the Worlds words.
He says in the Qur'ân in the chapter Mary:

And they say: "The Most Beneficent (Allâh) has begotten a son (or offspring or children) [as the Jews say: 'Uzair (Ezra) is the son of Allâh, and the Christians say that He has begotten a son 'Isa (Christ), and the pagan Arabs say that He has begotten daughters (angels)]."

Indeed you have brought forth (said) a terrible evil thing.

Whereby the heavens are almost torn, and the earth is split asunder, and the mountains fall in ruins,

That they ascribe a son (or offspring or children) to the Most Beneficent (Allâh).
But it is not suitable for (the Majesty of) the Most Beneficent (Allâh) that He should beget a son (or offspring or children).

There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most Beneficent (Allâh) as a slave.

Chapter of Mary verses 88 - 94

Click on the link below to hear the audio file:
Part 1 - Jesus - The Hidden Facts - 95 minutes Listen Save

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Sunday, June 18









Myth: Muslims Reject or Hate Jesus
Many non-Muslims are surprised to find out that according to Muslim belief, Jesus, the son of Mary, is one of the greatest messengers of God. Muslims are taught to love Jesus, and a person cannot be a Muslim without believing in the virgin birth and miracles of Jesus Christ, peace be upon him. Muslims believe these things about Jesus not because of the Bible or any other religion, but simply because the Holy Qur'an says these things about him. However, Muslims always emphasize that the miracles of Jesus, and all other prophets, were by "God's permission". This having been said, many Christians feel to not believe that Jesus is the "Son of God", "God Incarnate" or the "Third Person" of the Trinity. This is because the Qur'an clearly says that Almighty God does not have a "Son" --- neither allegorically, physically, metaphorically or metaphysically. The Pure Monotheism of Islam rejects the notion of "defining" God (which is basically what the "Doctrine of the Trinity" does), saying that someone is "like" God or equal to him, or praying to someone else besides God. Also, Islam teaches that titles such as "Lord" and "Savior" are due to God alone.

In order to avoid misunderstanding, it should be clarified that when Muslims criticize the Bible or the teachings of Christianity, they are not attacking "God's Word" or Jesus Christ, peace be upon him. From the Muslim point of view, they are defending Jesus and God's Word --- which they have in the form of the Qur'an. Muslim criticism is targeted at writings that some people claim are God's word, but Muslim's simply don't accept their claim that they are really God's word in toto. Additionally, Christian doctrines such as the Trinity and the Atonement are criticized by Muslims precisely because they did not originate from Jesus, peace be upon him. In this way, Muslims are the true followers of Jesus, peace be upon him, because they defend him from the exaggerations of the Christians and teach the Pure Monotheism that Jesus himself followed.

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Myth: Muhammad Wrote The Qur'an
In addressing this misconception, it is interesting to note that no other religious scripture claims to the direct word of Almighty in toto as clear and as often as the Holy Qur'an. As the Qu'ran clearly says: "if had been written by man, you would have found many discrepancies therein". At the time the Qur'an was revealed, the Arabs recognized that the language of the Qur'an was unique and that it was distinctly different from the language normally used by the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. The Arabs of that time, by the way, were known for their beautiful poetry and Muhammad was known to be an illiterate man! The Qur'an clearly says that Muhammad was unable to read and write, so if this wasn't true, certainly his contemporaries would have protested and rejected him. However, there are no reports of this. Certainly there were people who rejected Muhammad's message, just like other prophets were rejected, but none for this reason. On the contrary, Muhammad, peace be upon him, had thousands of loyal followers and the results of their efforts spread Islam from Spain to China in just over a century!

It is also interesting to note that even though the Qu'ran is not poetry, the Arabs more or less gave up writing poetry after it was revealed. It could be said that the Qur'an is the piece of Arabic literature par execellance - and Muhammad's contemporaries realized that they couldn't out do it. Additionally, it is easy to prove that Muhammad did not possess a great deal of the knowledge which is expounded in the Qur'an: such as knowledge of historical events, previous prophets and natural phenomenon. The Qur'an says in several places that Muhammad and his people did not know these things - so, again, if this wasn't true, certainly his contemporaries would have rejected his claims. Suffice it to say that not only is the Qu'ran the most memorized and well preserved scripture on earth, it is also unequaled in eloquence, spirtual impact, clarity of message and the purity of its truth.

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Myth: Muslims Worship Muhammad

According to Islamic belief, the Prophet Muhammad was the last Messenger of God. He, like all of God's prophets and messengers - such as Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus -- was only a human being. Christians came to the mistaken assumption that Muslims worship Muhammad by formulating an incorrect analogy - they worship Jesus so they assumed Muslims worship Muhammad. This is one of the reasons that they called Muslims by the incorrect name "Mohammedans" for so many years! Muhammad, like Jesus, never claimed divine status. He called people to worship only Almighty God, and he continually emphasized his humanity so that people would not fall into the same errors as Christians did in regards to Jesus. In order to prevent his deification, the Prophet Muhammad always said to refer to him as "the Messenger of God and His slave". Muhammad was chosen to be God's final messenger --- to communicate the message not only in words but to be a living example of the message. Muslims love and respect him because he was of the highest moral character and he brought the Truth from God - which is the Pure Monotheism of Islam.

Even when Islam was in its very early stages, God revealed that Muhammad "was sent as a mercy to all of mankind" - thus informing us that the message of Islam would become very widespread. Muslims strive to follow the great example of Muhammad, peace be upon him, but they do not worship him in any way. Additionally, Islam teaches Muslims to respect all of God's prophets and messengers - but respecting and loving them does not mean worshipping them. All true Muslims realize that all worship and prayer must be directed to Almighty God alone. Suffice it to say that worshipping Muhammad --- or anyone else --- along with Almighty God is considered to be the worst sin in Islam. Even if a person claims to be Muslim, but they worship and pray to other than Almighty God, this cancels and nullifies their Islam. The Declaration of Faith of Islam makes it clear that Muslims are taught only to worship God. This declaration is as follows: "There is nothing divine or worthy of being worshipped except for Almighty God, and Muhammad is the Messenger and Servant of God".

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