In the article Who Suffers the Consequence
of Sins according to the Qur'an? we sought to demonstrate that the Qur'an contradicts
itself by stating in some verses that persons will only be held accountable for their
own sins. Yet, in other passages the Qur'an holds individuals responsible for the sins
committed by others. Here are just two of the many passages on this issue:
And every man's work have WE fasten to his neck; and on the Day of Resurrection
WE shall bring out for him a book which he will find wide open. It will be said to him,
‘Read thy book. Sufficient is thy own soul as a reckoner against thee this day.’
He who follows the right way follows it only for the good of his own soul; and he who goes
astray, goes astray only to his own loss. And no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of
another. And WE shall never punish until WE have sent a Messenger. S. 17:13-15 Sher Ali
That they may bear their burdens entirely on the day of resurrectionand also of the burdens of those whom they lead astray without knowledge;
now surely evil is what they bear. S. 16:25 Shakir
Mohd Elfie Nieshaem Juferi (MENJ) has written
a response
to our article, seeking to reconcile the conflicting passages. However, before we turn to
an examination of the Muslim arguments, it may be helpful to explain what exactly are
the issues and the implications which need to be discussed.
The "consequences of sin" have at least three aspects:
the guilt of committing a sin is on the person who transgressed the law given by God
the natural consequences of a sin may affect many people, for example:
as a result of sex with a person you are not married to you may contract
a sexually transmitted disease (syphilis, AIDS, ...), or an unwanted child is conceived
and born illegitimately and will grow up without a father with all the negative emotional
consequences this may have. Neither sperms nor germs ask whether the woman
was guilty of fornication (she consented to the sexual act) or was raped by the man.
Natural consequences hit the guilty as well as the innocent.
most drastically: Wars are usually caused by only a few people,
but thousands of innocent people suffer the consequences of it.
Hardly anyone would deny the reality that in this world many people are bearing
burdens which are the natural, and often inevitable, consequences of sins committed
by others.
God's active punishment for a sin has two aspects:
punishment in this world, i.e. a deliberate act of punishment by God
that is not simply a natural consequence of sin as noted above
the punishment after death, i.e. God's verdict at the final judgment, e.g. hellfire
Although our human sense for justice demands that only those who are guilty be punished,
i.e. that point 1. and 3. are in congruence, that is not always possible in this world. If a man
commits a serious crime and is put into prison for several years, he may not be alone in suffering
the punishment. His wife and children also suffer although they were innocent of his crime.
It is not the topic of this paper to discuss whether or not a certain punishment by God
is just in our understanding. The issue of our original article as well as of this follow-up
discussion is simply to point out that the Qur'an makes apparently contradictory statements
regarding the question of whether Allah punishes only those who are guilty, or if others
are also held responsible and/or punished for sins they are not guilty of.
MENJ begins his response to our first article with:
The
missionaries have once again made an attempt to generate
a so-called "contradiction" in the Qur'an. The gist of
their claim is:
The Qur'an states
that a person will only be responsible for his/her actions....17:13-15
Sher Ali; S. 53:38-42 Sher Ali. Yet these statements are contradicted
by the next set of passages....S. 8:24-25 Sher Ali. Here, even
the innocent will suffer the affliction that will smite the wrongdoers.
As
it turns out, an appeal to the time-tested methodology of the Qur'ân
explaining the Qur'ân would make this generated error "evaporate"
into thin air, as we shall soon find out.
RESPONSE:
As we shall see the appeal "to the time-tested methodology of the Qur’an
explaining the Qur’an" does absolutely nothing to reconcile the contradiction.
In fact, appealing to the Qur'an further complicates matters. He writes:
Response
Both
Qur'ân 17:13-15 and Qur'ân 53:38-42 are talking about the state
of man on the Day of Resurrection, whereby man will face the
judgement of God and therefore no one is accountable for his deeds/actions
on earth except himself.
Qur'ân
8:24-25, however, is warning about internal discord or tumult, and
has nothing do do with one suffering the "consequence of sin".[1]
This is noted by A. Yusuf Ali in footnote 1198 as:
Fitnat
has many meanings: (1) the root meaning is trial or temptation,
as in ii. 102 and viii. 28; (2) an analogous meaning is trial
or punishment, as in v. 74; (3) tumult or oppression, as i. 193;
and here; and in vii 39; (4) there is here (viii. 25)
the further shade of meaning suggested: discord, sedition, civil
war.
This
warning against internal discord or tumult was very necessary
in the Civil Wars of early Islam, and was never more necessary
than it is now. For it affects innocent and guilty alike.[2]
The
above is further concured by the renowned Muslim scholar, the late
Prof. Dr. HAMKA, in his famous exegesis (written in Indonesian)
on the interpretation of Qur'ân, 8:24-25.[3]
RESPONSE:
It seems that MENJ has not read 8:25 very carefully, since if he had he would have
realized that his response here doesn’t undermine our argument. In fact, it only
strengthens it. First, MENJ cites Ali’s words and highlights definition (4), even
though Ali himself says:
Fitnat HAS MANY MEANINGS: (1) the root meaning is trial or temptation,
as in ii. 102 and viii. 28; (2) an analogous meaning is trial OR PUNISHMENT,
as in v. 74; (3) tumult or oppression, as i. 193; and here; and in vii 39;
(4) there is here (viii. 25) the further shade of meaning suggested: discord,
sedition, civil war. (bold and/or capital emphasis ours)
Since Ali himself admits that fitnah can mean punishment, on what grounds
then do MENJ or Yusuf Ali assume that the fourth definition given is the correct one
in this case?
Second, even assuming that Ali and MENJ are correct regarding the precise meaning
of the word fitnah, one must still explain why Allah is sending a fitnah upon
the Muslims. Read the passage again:
O ye who believe! respond to ALLAH, and the Messenger when he calls you that he may
give you life, and know that ALLAH comes in between a man and his heart, and that HE
it is unto Whom you will be gathered. And beware of an affliction (fitnah)
which will surely not smite exclusively those among you who have done wrong.
And know that ALLAH is severe in requiting. S. 8:24-25 Sher Ali
Either MENJ believes that Allah brought fitnah upon Muslims for absolutely no reason
at all, or he will have to admit that the fitnah was caused by the evil deeds or sins of
the wrongdoers.
If MENJ believes the latter to be the cause then he ends up acknowledging the very
point we made. He will be affirming the fact that innocent people do suffer the
consequences incurred by the sins of others! If the fitnah was caused by the sins of
the wrongdoers, and if even the innocent people suffer fitnah because of it, then
Surah 8:24-25 does have everything to "do with one suffering the consequence of
another’s sins." Note that the last sentence of S. 8:25 makes it clear that
this verse is about Allah's active punishment in this world (see point 3a.
above).
This interpretation of S. 8:25 is confirmed in Ibn Kathir's commentary:
Warning against an encompassing Fitnah
Allah warns His believing servants of a Fitnah, trial and test, that encompasses
the wicked and those around them. Therefore, such Fitnah will not be restricted to
the sinners and evildoers. Rather, it will reach the others if the sins are not stopped
and prevented. Imam Ahmad recorded that Mutarrif said, "We asked Az-Zubayr, `O
Abu `Abdullah! What brought you here (for the battle of Al-Jamal)? You abandoned the Khalifah
who was assassinated (`Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him) and then came asking for
revenge for his blood.' He said, ‘We recited at the time of the Messenger of Allah, and
Abu Bakr, `Umar and `Uthman ...
<And fear the Fitnah (affliction and trial) which affects not in particular (only)
those of you who do wrong,>
We did not think that this Ayah was about us too, until it reached us as it
did.’" `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said that the Ayah ...
<And fear the Fitnah (affliction and trial) which affects not in particular
(only) those of you who do wrong,> refers to the Companions of the Prophet in
particular. In another narration from Ibn `Abbas, he said, "Allah commanded the
believers to stop evil from flourishing among them, so that Allah does not encompass
them all in the torment (Fitnah)." This, indeed, is a very good explanation,
prompting Mujahid to comment about Allah's statement ...
<And fear the Fitnah (affliction and trial) which affects not in particular
(only) those of you who do wrong,>
"Is for you too!" Several said similarly, such as Ad-Dahhak and Yazid bin Abi
Habib and several others. Ibn Mas`ud said, "There is none among you but there is
something that represents a Fitnah for him, for Allah said ...
<Your wealth and your children are only a trial (Fitnah) ...> [64:15].
Therefore, when you seek refuge, seek it with Allah from the Fitnah that causes
misguidance." Ibn Jarir collected this Hadith. The view that the warning in this Ayah
addresses the Companions and all others is true, even though the speech in the Ayah was
directed at the Companions. There are Hadiths that warn against Fitnah in general,
thus providing the correctness of this explanation. Similarly there will be a separate
book in which this subject will be discussed, Allah willing, as also is the case with the
Imams, there being a number of writings about this. Of the most precise things that have
been mentioned under this topic, is what was recorded by Imam Ahmad from Hudhayfah bin
Al-Yaman that the Messenger of Allah said ...
<By He in Whose Hand is my soul! You will enjoin righteousness and forbid evil,
or Allah will send a punishment upon you from Him; you will supplicate then to Him, but He
will not answer your supplication.>
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Ar-Riqad said, "I heard Hudhayfah saying, ‘A
person used to utter one word during the time of the Messenger of Allah and become a
hypocrite on account of it. I now hear such words from one of you four times in the same
sitting. Surely, you will enjoin good, forbid evil and encourage each other to do good or
Allah will surround you all with torment, or make the wicked among you become your leaders.
The righteous among you will then supplicate, but their supplication will not be
accepted.’" Imam Ahmad recorded that An-Nu`man bin Bashir said that the Prophet
gave a speech in which he said, while pointing to his ears with two of his fingers ...
<The parable of the person abiding by Allah's order and restrictions in
comparison to those who violate them, or sit idle while they are being violated, is that
of those who drew lots for their seats in a boat. Some of them got seats in the lower
part, which is the most rough and worst part, and the others in the upper. When the former
needed water, they had to go up to bring water and that troubled the others, so they said,
‘Let us make a hole in our share of the ship and get water, saving those who are above
us from troubling them, so, if the people in the upper part let the others do what they
suggested, all the people of the ship would be destroyed, but if they prevented them,
both parties would be safe.>
This was recorded by Al-Bukhari, but not Muslim, in the Book of Partnerships and the
Book of Witnesses. It was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi through a different route of
narration ...
Imam Ahmad recorded that Umm Salamah, the Prophet's wife, said, "I heard the
Messenger of Allah saying ...
<If sins become apparent in my Ummah, Allah will surround them with punishment
from Him.> I said, ‘O Allah's Messenger! Will they have righteous people
among them then?’ He said ...
<Yes.> I asked, ‘What will happen to them?’ He said ...
<They will be stricken as the people, but they will end up with Allah's
forgiveness and pleasure.>"
Imam Ahmad recorded that Jarir said that the Messenger of Allah said ...
<Every people among whom sins are being committed, while they are mightier and more
numerous than those who do wrong, yet they did nothing to stop them, then Allah will
surround them all with punishment.>
Ibn Majah collected this Hadith. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) Volume 1, Parts 1 and
2 (Surat Al-Fatihah to Verse 252 of Surat Al-Baqarah), abridged by a group of scholars
under the supervision of Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri [Darussalam Publishers &
Distributors, Riyadh, Houston, New York, Lahore; First Edition: May 2000], pp. 288-292;
online edition; underline
emphasis ours)
Let us repeat the relevant portions:
... In another narration from Ibn `Abbas, he said, "Allah commanded the
believers to stop evil from flourishing among them, so that Allah does not encompass
THEM ALL in the torment (Fitnah)." ...
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Ar-Riqad said, "I heard Hudhayfah saying, ‘A
person used to utter one word during the time of the Messenger of Allah and become a
hypocrite on account of it. I now hear such words from one of you four times in the same
sitting. Surely, you will enjoin good, forbid evil and encourage each other to do good
or Allah will surround YOU ALL with torment, or make the wicked among you become
your leaders. The righteous among you will then supplicate, but their supplication
will not be accepted.’" ...
Imam Ahmad recorded that Umm Salamah, the Prophet's wife, said, "I heard the
Messenger of Allah saying ...
<If sins become apparent in my Ummah, Allah will surround them with punishment
from Him.> I said, ‘O Allah's Messenger! Will they have righteous people
among them then?’ He said ...
<Yes.> I asked, ‘What will happen to them?’ He said ...
<They will be stricken as the people, but they will end up with Allah's
forgiveness and pleasure.>"
It is quite clear from Ibn Kathir that even the righteous will suffer disaster
resulting from the sins of the wrongdoers if nothing is done to prevent the evil.
Note that the Qur'an is speaking here not just about a natural consequence of sin
(category 2 above), but about Allah's active punishment
of the Ummah! (Category 3a.)
Furthermore, the Qur'an states not only that innocent people will suffer under
God's punishment of sinners in this world (3a), but it also says
that (some) people will indeed carry the burdens of others on the Day of
Judgment (3b). Thanks to MENJ, we have added two citations to our
original paper:
surahs 16:25 and 29:12-13. Both these texts state that some persons will bear
both his/her own burdens and the burdens of others. Instead of merely repeating
those quotes here, we will present Ibn Kathir's commentary on these citations
beginning with 16:25:
<They will bear their own burdens in full on the Day of Resurrection,
and also of the burdens of those whom they misled without knowledge.>
meaning, ‘We decreed that they would say that, so they will carry the burden
of their own sins AND SOME OF THE BURDEN OF THOSE WHO FOLLOWED THEM AND AGREED
WITH THEM,’ i.e., they will be held guilty not only for going astray
themselves, but also for tempting others and having them follow them. As it
says in a Hadith...
<Whoever invites people to guidance, he will receive a reward like that
of those who follow him, without diminishing their reward in the least. And
whoever invites people to misguidance, HE WILL BEAR A BURDEN OF SIN LIKE
THOSE WHO FOLLOW HIM, without diminishing their burden in the least.>
Allah says...
<They shall bear their own loads, and other loads besides their own;
and they shall be questioned about their false allegations on the Day of
Resurrection.> (29:13) Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas that it is like
the Ayah...
<That they may bear their own burdens in full on the Day of Resurrection,
AND ALSO OF THE BURDENS OF THOSE WHOM THEY MISLED without knowledge.>
(16:25) Allah says...
<They shall bear their own loads, and other loads besides their own>
(29:13). Mujahid said: "They will bear the burden of their own sins, AND
THEY WILL BEAR THE SINS OF THOSE WHO OBEYED THEM, but that will not lessen
the punishment of those who obeyed them at all."
(Source)
However, Ibn Kathir made a substantial logical error in his commentary on S. 16:25
by confusing two very different things: Carrying (some of) the burden of another person
is not the same as carrying a burden like the burden of the other person. If
a person has a burden of 100 kg, and I share his burden by taking 50 kg off his back,
then I carry (some of) the burden of this person. If I merely carry another burden
of 100 kg, then my burden is like his burden, but I am not bearing any of
the burden of the other person. My bearing a similar burden does not diminish his
burden in the least; I am not bearing anything of his burden.
Surah 16:25 states: "They will bear their own burdens in full on the Day of Resurrection,
and also of the burdens of those whom they misled without knowledge ...". To make things
simple, let us assume Group A commits the sin of idolatry, worshipping something that is
not God, and they also mislead Group B into following them in this sin. Assume the punishment
value for idolatry is 100. Then, usually, both Group A and Group B would receive the same
punishment (which has a value of 100). However, since Group B did not commit this sin in
the same way as Group A did (i.e., stubbornly, despite being warned, see S. 16:22), but was
misled into this sin by Group A, some of the punishment of Group B will be put on Group A.
For example:
Group
Punishment
A
100 + 40
=
140
B
100 – 40
=
60
Ibn Kathir, on the other hand, wants to see only addition in punishment, without any subtraction,
and claims the meaning of the verse is this:
Group
Punishment
A
100 + 40
=
140
B
100
=
100
Clearly, Group B bears every bit of its own burden, and Group A bears nothing
of the burden of the people they misled, in clear contradiction to what S. 16:25
states: "They [Group A] will bear their own burdens in full on the Day of Resurrection,
and also of the burdens of those [Group B] whom they misled without knowledge ...".
[ Question: Does the phrase "without knowledge" refer to those who misled (Group A)
or those who were misled (Group B)? Ibn Kathir does not comment on this question,
and the answer is of little relevance to this present discussion, but it is interesting
to note that the Arabic is actually ambiguous. ]
Most likely Ibn Kathir was well aware of the plain contradiction between S. 17:13-15
and 53:38-42 on the one hand, and S. 16:25 and S. 29:12-13 on the other. His above
interpretation is simply the rather unsuccessful attempt of harmonizing the two
conflicting groups of passages.
Similarly, regarding S. 29:12-13 Ibn Kathir writes:
<And verily, they shall bear their own loads, and other loads besides
their own.> Here Allah tells us that those who call others to disbelief
and misguidance will, on the Day of Resurrection, bear their own sins AND
THE SINS OF OTHERS, because of the people they misguided. Yet that will not
detract from the burden of those other people in the slightest, as Allah says ...
<That they may bear their own burdens in full on the Day of Resurrection,
and also of the burdens of those whom they misled without knowledge>
(16:25). In the Sahih, it says ...
<Whoever calls others to true guidance, will have a reward like that
of those who follow him until the Day of Resurrection, without it detracting
from their reward in the slightest. Whoever calls others to misguidance,
WILL HAVE A BURDEN OF SIN LIKE THAT OF THOSE WHO FOLLOW HIM until the Day of
Resurrection, without it detracting from their burden in the slightest.>
In the Sahih, it also says ...
<No person is killed unlawfully, but a share of the guilt will be upon
the first son of Adam, because he was the first one to initiate the idea of
killing another.>
<and verily, they shall be questioned on the Day of Resurrection about that
which they used to fabricate.> means, the lies they used to tell and the
falsehood they used to fabricate. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Umamah,
may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah conveyed the
Message with which he was sent, then he said ...
<Beware of injustice, for Allah will swear an oath of the Day of
Resurrection and will say: "By My glory and majesty, no injustice will be
overlooked today." Then a voice will call out, "Where is so-and-so the son
of so-and-so." He will be brought forth, followed by his good deeds which
appear like mountains while the people are gazing at them in wonder, until
he is standing before the Most Merciful. Then the caller will be commanded
to say: "Whoever is owed anything by so-and-so the son of so-and-so, or has
been wronged by him, let him come forth." So they will come forth and
gather before the Most Merciful, then the Most Merciful will say: "Settle
the matter for My servant." They will say, "How can we settle the matter."
He will say, "Take from his good deeds and give it to them." They will keep
taking from his good deeds until there is nothing left, and there will still
people with scores to be settled. Allah will say, "Settle the matter for My
servant." They will say, "He does not have even one good deed left." Allah
will say, "Take from their evil deeds and give them to him."> Then the
Prophet quoted this Ayah...
<And verily, they shall bear their own loads, and other loads besides
their own; and verily, they shall be questioned on the Day of Resurrection
about that which they used to fabricate.> There is a corroborating
report in the Sahih with a different chain of narration...
<A man will come on the Day of Resurrection with good deeds like
mountains, but he had wronged this one, taken the wealth of that one and
slandered the honor of another. So each of them will take from his good
deeds. And if there is nothing left of his good deeds, it will be taken from
their evil and placed on him.>
(Source)
In fact, the Qur'an even says that people will be punished with hellfire for
sins committed by others:
Surely (as for) those who disbelieve in the communications of Allah AND SLAY THE
PROPHETS UNJUSTLY and slay those among men who enjoin justice, announce to them
a painful chastisement. S. 3:21 Shakir
Allah has certainly heard the saying of those who said: Surely Allah is poor and we are
rich. I will record what they say, AND THEIR KILLING THE PROPHETS UNJUSTLY, and I will
say: TASTE THE CHASTISEMENT OF BURNING. This is for what your own hands have sent
before and because Allah is not in the least unjust to the servants. S. 3:181-182 Shakir
The surrounding context of these passages deals with the Jews of Muhammad’s time.
Note that the Jews are blamed for killing the prophets who lived centuries before their
time, and will suffer the fire as a result of it. The question here is, ‘How could the Jews
of Muhammad’s time be held accountable for sins committed centuries before their
time?’ After all, according to Islamic theology, the last Prophet before Muhammad
was Jesus, and he lived on this earth more than 500 years before Muhammad was born!
Finally, the Islamic traditions teach that individuals suffer as a result of other
people’s sins:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "Adam and Moses argued with each other. Moses said to Adam.
‘O Adam! You are our father WHO DISAPPOINTED US AND TURNED US OUT OF PARADISE.’
Then Adam said to him, ‘O Moses! Allah favored you with His talk (talked to you
directly) and He wrote (the Torah) for you with His Own Hand. Do you blame me for
action which Allah had written in my fate forty years before my creation?’
So Adam confuted Moses, Adam confuted Moses," the Prophet added, repeating
the statement three times. (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 77, Number 611)
Moses holds Adam personally responsible for the expulsion of mankind from Paradise.
Instead of saying to Moses that he was incorrect, Adam basically blames Allah for
decreeing his sin which led to humanity’s expulsion from the Garden!
According to Muhammad, we are also suffering the consequences brought on by the sins
of Eve and the nation of Israel:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "Were it not for Bani Israel, meat would not decay;
and were it not FOR EVE, no woman would ever betray her husband."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 55, Number 611)
Hammam b. Munabbih said: These are some of the ahadith which Abu Huraira (Allah be
pleased with him) narrated to us from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), and one
of these (this one): Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Had it not been for
Bani Isra'il, food would not have become stale, and meal would not have gone bad; and
had it not been FOR Eve, a woman would never have acted unfaithfully toward her husband.
(Sahih Muslim, Book 008, Number 3472)
MENJ continues:
As
for where the verses that discuss the worship of the Golden Calf,
the Qur'ân does not cast blame on the present-day Jews or hold them
accountable for the sin of their ancestors. Rather, it warns them
of the consequences if they insist on repeating the mistakes of
their forefathers. As Qur'ân 8:24-25, as we had noted earlier, is
totally unrelated to the issue at hand, there is little to add from
here.
RESPONSE:
MENJ is making it more evident that he didn’t bother reading the verses or our
paper carefully. First, we did not say that the Qur'an blames the Jews of today for the
sins committed during the Exodus. Here is what we actually said:
... Yet, the Qur'an (Allah / Muhammad) levels accusations at the Jews in the
7th century for the sins of some of their ancestors in about 1400 BC,
roughly 2000 years earlier. These accusations are clearly in contradiction to
the "general principle" that nobody shall bear the sins (burdens) of others.
Significantly, this is not a thing of the past, but has consequences in our time. To
this day, MUSLIMS [Note that we said Muslims, not the Qur'an or Muhammad] vilify the Jews
because of the sins of some Jews of long ago. Jews are still the favorite objects of
Muslim contempt based on the quranic condemnation of them. Also Christians are still
summarily accused and maligned for the crusades, although the last one was some 700 years
ago.
Second, here also is a passage we had cited, this time adding verse 91 along with it:
And when it is said to them, Believe in what Allah has revealed, they say: We believe
in that which was revealed to us; and they deny what is besides that, while it is the
truth verifying that which they have. Say: Why then DID YOU KILL ALLAH'S PROPHETS
BEFORE if you were indeed believers? And most certainly Musa came to YOU with clear
arguments, THEN YOU TOOK THE CALF (for a god) IN HIS ABSENCE AND YOU WERE UNJUST. And
when We made a covenant WITH YOU and raised the mountain OVER YOU: Take hold of what We
have given you with firmness and be obedient. They said: We hear and disobey. And they
were made to imbibe (the love of) the calf into their hearts on account of their unbelief
SAY: Evil is that which YOUR belief bids YOU if you are believers. SAY: If the future
abode with Allah is specially for YOU to the exclusion of the people, then invoke death if
YOU are truthful. And they will never invoke it on account of what their hands have sent
before, and Allah knows the unjust. S. 2:91-95 Shakir
We also include the following for added effect:
O Children of Israel! remember MY favours which I bestowed upon YOU and that I exalted
YOU above the peoples of the time. And guard YOURSELVES against the day when no soul shall
serve as a substitute for another soul at all, nor shall intercession be accepted for it,
nor shall ransom be taken from it, nor shall they be helped. And remember the time when WE
delivered YOU from Pharaoh's people WHO AFFLICTED YOU with grievous torment, SLAYING YOUR
SONS AND SPARING YOUR WOMEN; and in that was a great trial for YOU from your Lord. And
remember also the time when WE divided the sea FOR YOU and SAVED YOU and drowned Pharaoh's
people WHILE YOU LOOKED ON. And when WE made Moses a promise of forty nights, THEN YOU
TOOK THE CALF FOR WORSHIP IN HIS ABSENCE AND YOU WERE THE TRANSGRESSORS. Then WE FORGAVE
YOU thereafter, that YOU may be grateful. And remember when WE gave Moses the Book and the
Discrimination, that YOU may be rightly guided. And when Moses said to his people,
‘O my people, you have indeed wronged yourselves by taking the calf for worship; turn ye
therefore to your Maker, and kill your evil desires; that is best for you in the sight of
your Maker.’ Then HE turned TOWARDS YOU with compassion. Surely HE is Oft-Returning with
compassion and is Merciful. And remember WHEN YOU SAID, ‘O Moses, we will not believe thee
until we see ALLAH face to face;’ Then the thunderbolt OVERTOOK YOU, WHILE YOU WITNESSED
WITH YOUR OWN EYES THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR CONDUCT. THEN WE RAISED YOU UP AFTER
YOUR DEATH that you might be grateful. And WE caused the clouds to be a shade OVER YOU
and sent down ON YOU Manna and Salwa, saying, ‘Eat of the good things We have
provided for you.’ And they wronged us not, but it was themselves that they wronged.
S. 2:47-57 Sher Ali
The above passages are obviously directed to the Jews of Muhammad’s time. It is
equally obvious that the author of the Qur'an wasn’t simply warning the Jews "of
the consequences if they insist on repeating the mistakes of their forefathers."
The author quite clearly places the burden of guilt upon the Jews of Muhammad’s time
for the sins committed during the Exodus, some 2000 years earlier.
Note also what Ibn Kathir says about 2:91 cited above:
Although The Jews denied the Truth, They claimed to be Believers!
Allah said ...
<And when it is said to them>, meaning, the Jews and the People of the Book ...
<Believe in what Allah has sent down>TO MUHAMMAD, believe in and
follow him ...
<They say, "We believe in what was sent down to us."> meaning,
it is enough for us to believe in what was revealed to us in the Tawrah and the Injil,
and this is the path that we choose ...
<And they disbelieve in that which came after it>.
<while it is the truth confirming what is with them> meaning, while
knowing that what was revealed to Muhammad ...
<it is the truth confirming what is with them>. This means that since what
was sent to Muhammad conforms to what was revealed to the People of the Book, then this
fact constitutes a proof against them. Similarly, Allah said ...
<Those to whom We gave the Scripture (Jews and Christians) recognize him (Muhammad)
as they recognize their sons> (2:146). Allah said next ...
<"Why then have you killed the Prophets of Allah aforetime, if you indeed
have been believers">.
This means, "If your claim that you believe in what was revealed to you is
true, then why did you kill the Prophets who came to you affirming the Tawrah's Law,
although you knew they were true Prophets. You killed them simply out of transgression,
stubbornness and injustice with Allah's Messengers. Therefore, you only follow your
lusts, opinions and desires." Similarly, Allah said ...
<Is it that whenever there came to you a Messenger with what you yourselves
desired not, you grew arrogant. Some you disbelieved and some you killed.>
Also, As-Suddi said, "In this Ayah, Allah chastised the People of the
Book ...
<Say (O Muhammad to them): "Why then have you killed the Prophets of Allah
aforetime, if you indeed have been believers">."
<And indeed Musa came to you with clear proofs> meaning, with clear signs
and clear proofs that he was the Messenger of Allah and that there is no deity worthy of
worship except Allah. The clear signs - or miracles - mentioned here are the flood, the
locusts, the lice, the frogs, the blood, the staff and the hand. Musa's miracles also
include parting the sea, shading the Jews with clouds, the manna and quails, the gushing
stone, etc.
<Yet you worshipped the calf> meaning, as a deity instead of Allah, during
the time of Musa. Allah's statement ...
<after he left> after Musa went to Mount Tur to speak to Allah. Similarly,
Allah said ...
<And the people of Musa made in his absence, out of their ornaments, the image
of a calf (for worship). It had a sound (as if it was mooing)> (7:148).
<and you were Zalimun> meaning, you were unjust in this behavior of
worshipping the calf, although you knew that there is no deity worthy of worship except
Allah. Similarly, Allah said ...
<And when they regretted and saw that they had gone astray, they (repented and)
said: "If our Lord have not mercy upon us and forgive us, we shall certainly be of
the losers"> (7:149). (Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) Volume 1, Parts 1 and 2
(Surat Al-Fatihah to Verse 252 of Surat Al-Baqarah), abridged under the supervision of
Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri [Darussalam Publishers & Distributors, Riyadh,
Houston, New York, Lahore; First Edition: January 2000], pp. 296-298:
online edition;
underline emphasis ours)
Ibn Kathir acknowledges that S. 2:91 is directed to Muhammad’s contemporaries,
which means that they are being blamed for acts which they did not personally commit.
The author of the Qur'an blames the Jews of Muhammad’s day for worshiping the golden
calf, for rejecting Moses, and for killing the prophets!
MENJ proceeds to make the following false allegations against us:
Hence
the missionaries are guilty of proposing a red herring, i.e.
going off the tangent by contradicting the understanding of renowned
Muslim scholars, and their obvious hatred, paranoia and xenophobia
are making them "difficult" to understand such simple
passages as the above.
We
have used the traditional method of Qur'ânic exegesis, i.e.,
al-Qur'ân yufassiru ba'duhu ba'dan
(different parts of the Qur'ân explain each other). What is given
in a general way in one place is discussed in detail in some other
place in the Qur'ân. What is dealt with briefly at one place is
expanded in some other place.
And
only God knows best!
RESPONSE:
It seems that MENJ doesn’t really know what a red herring is, since it is not
a red herring to bring up passages that contradict each other on a given subject.
Furthermore, as our response has shown, we haven’t ignored the understanding of
"renowned Muslim scholars", but have incorporated them to show that the Qur'an
does in fact contradict itself. We turned to Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim and Ibn Kathir
to substantiate our claim that the Qur'an is confused regarding the issue of who exactly
suffers the consequences of sinful acts, whether in fact it is the person committing
them or others who are innocent of those acts.
In fact, using MENJ’s appeal "to the traditional method of Qur'ânic
exegesis, i.e., al-Qur'ân yufassiru ba'duhu ba'dan (different parts of the Qur'ân
explain each other)", has helped us to strengthen our case that the Qur'an is not free
of any factual and logical errors. MENJ’s proposed methodology has certainly helped
us to refute his response.
In light of the foregoing, we can say that it is MENJ’s "obvious hatred,
paranoia and xenophobia" which makes it difficult for him to see the glaring and
obvious contradictions within the Qur'an.
Our Analysis of MENJ’S Appendix:
Evidence of MENJ’s Failure to Read Carefully
MENJ, in his appendix, has provided evidence for our charge that he hasn’t
bothered to carefully read our article. MENJ writes:
Appendix:
Is This An Error Too?
Now
let us return the "favour" (inclusive of the mudhârâbâh)
and play the same game of the missionaries' pathetic attempt at
Qur'ânic exegesis upon the Bible. It should be noted that
people suffering from the iniquity of others is not inherently alien
to the Judeo-Christian conscience. In the Bible, we read how God
rained immediate punishment upon those who trangressed His
Will. For example, we read how Deuteronomy 21:10 informs us about
God delivering Moses' enemies into his hands:
"When
thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the LORD
thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast
taken them captive..."
However,
Ezekiel 18:20 also says:
"The
soul that sins shall die. The son shall not be loaded
with his father's iniquities nor a father with the iniquity of
his son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be
put to his own account, and the wickednes of the wicked shall
be put to his own account."
One
wonders, are the above contradictory to one another?
Why is God (of the Bible) punishing all the enemies
of Moses with utter disregard of who have committed iniquity against
Him or otherwise? And with regard to the Jews, we read that:
"Thus
says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: You have seen all the
calamity that I brought upon Jerusalem and upon all the cities
of Judah. Look, this day they are a waste because of their
wickedness which they committed, provoking Me to anger, in that
they went to burn incense and serve other gods whom they did not
know, neither they, nor you, nor your fathers." (Jeremiah,
44:2-3)
Do
note that we do not in the least consider the above verses to be
"difficult" for our understanding. However,the above exposition
is to show the blind methodology of the missionaries, who are welling
in their obvious hatred for the Qur'ân and could not think of any
other way to disparage it apart from generating nonsensical "contradictions".
Obviously, the missionaries' exegetical abilities with regard to
their own Bible does not seem to rate much higher than their
understanding with regard to the Qur'ân, and that much is to be
expected!
RESPONSE:
It is truly amazing that MENJ could write such an appendix, especially in light of
what we had initially written.
Since MENJ missed it or didn’t bother to even read it, we have decided to post it
here again with added emphasis:
Now, ONE REASON FOR EVEN BRINGING THIS UP IS BECAUSE OF THE COMMON APPEAL BY MUSLIMS TO
SIMILAR STATEMENTS OF THE HOLY BIBLE in order to "prove" contradictions within
the Sacred Scriptures. For instance, Muslims will try to pit Ezekiel 18:1-4, 20 against
passages such as Deuteronomy 5:9-10 and Romans 5:12-21, especially as it relates to the
Christian belief in Original Sin and the concept of Imputation (i.e., the sin of Adam and
the righteousness of Christ being imputed to others).
The Muslim must deal with the preceding quranic passages, AND YET WHATEVER ANSWER
HE/SHE COMES UP WITH TO RECONCILE THEM WILL APPLY EQUALLY TO THE BIBLICAL PASSAGES. In
other words, IT BECOMES AN ISSUE OF CONSISTENCY AND INTEGRITY. Muslims in general, AND
MUSLIM APOLOGISTS SPECIFICALLY, NEED TO LEARN TO APPLY THEIR METHODOLOGY FAIRLY and not
simply adopt a method which seeks to undermine the Holy Bible WHEN THAT SAME METHOD
CAN BE USED EQUALLY, IF NOT MORE FORCEFULLY, AGAINST THE QUR’AN.
Isn’t it truly amazing that MENJ tries to use our own argument against us WHEN WE
HAD SPECIFICALLY STATED THAT THE VERY REASON WE WERE EVEN USING THIS METHOD WAS TO SHOW
THE INCONSISTENCY OF MUSLIMS IN THEIR CRITICISIM OF THE HOLY BIBLE?
Did MENJ even bother to read that part? He must have since he claims to be addressing
our paper. But then what was the point of his appendix? To show us that we are being
inconsistent in our methodology, even though we plainly said that we were using it to show
that Muslims are inconsistent and even dishonest for using THIS VERY SAME APPROACH?
It is quite obvious to us that the appendix is nothing more than a smokescreen and
actually serves to reinforce what we ourselves had stated to be the problem with Muslim
apologetics.
Furthermore, does MENJ even realize the significance his statements have on his
position as a Muslim? If MENJ concedes the possibility that the sins of a person can
negatively affect others who were not responsible for those sins, then he has now opened
the door to the Christian doctrine of Original Sin! MENJ no longer has any valid or
logical reason to reject the fact that Adam’s sin negatively effected the entire
human race, plunging mankind into sin, especially when there are hadiths which affirm
this point!
But if MENJ accepts that Adam’s sin did have negative effects upon all humanity,
then he has no logical reason to reject the position that a man’s act of obedience
can also bring positive effects upon others. In other words, MENJ no longer has any
valid argument against the biblical teaching that Jesus’ act of obedience and death
resulted in the salvation of all of God’s people. He also cannot logically object
to Christ suffering the consequences of the sins of the people whom he came to redeem.
In conclusion, we are thankful for one thing. It seems that MENJ realizes that there
is a problem in the methodology employed by Muslims. His comments are an indirect
acknowledgment of our claim that this methodology can be used more forcefully against
the Qur'an and Islam. But will this prevent MENJ from further using this methodology?
We highly doubt it since one can find on his site some recent criticisms of the Holy
Bible which, sadly, are still adopting this inconsistent critical approach to the Jewish
and Christian scriptures (e.g., the articles Jesus' Association
with Nazareth and John 8 and the Birth of Jesus).
In this post I will share some of the biblical evidences, which led the first Christians to the conclusion that the one true God is Triune by nature.
One True God
The Bible is clear that there is only one uncreated God who created and sustains all creation. The name
”Accepting James White’s Challenge to Provide an Exegesis of 1 John 5:1"
The following is Dr. David W. Allen's refutation to internet reformed apologist James R. White's butchering of 1 John 5:1 for the purpose of forcing his calvinistic misreading into it.
